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Posts Tagged Bonus Review

dancergirl, by Carol M. Tanzman (HarlequinTeen, 2011)

Nov 14

Posted by Michael M. Jones in Young Adult | No Comments

Alicia “Lia” Ruffino’s passion is dancing. She started with ballet, but now her talents run more to the modern style. She’s on the fast track to getting a solo at her dance studio’s next big show, but it’s random chance that really lands her in the spotlight, when a friend captures her dancing at a local concert. Next thing she knows, she’s part of an online film series, starring as the enigmatic, untouchable dancergirl, and she’s a viral phenomenon. Her fans can’t get enough of her… and neither can her stalker. Someone’s taking things way too seriously: filming her in the privacy of her own bedroom, sending her unwanted gifts, and demonstrating an uncomfortable level of knowledge about her.

As Lia desperately tries to find out who it could be, she’s drawn into a world of paranoia. Is it her mother’s ex-boyfriend? The biker hanging around the studio? The enthusiastic would-be filmmaker who helped her create the dancergirl persona? Or worst of all, is it her best friend Jacy, who’s been acting extremely weird and vanishing for significant periods of time? Who’s betrayed her trust and invaded her privacy, and how far are they willing to take things?

Playing with themes of paranoia, loneliness and obsession, dancergirl is a captivating thriller. Tanzman does an excellent job of ratcheting up Lia’s mental distress, with each new revelation and twist. As she slowly investigates and eliminates suspects, the stakes are raised, as is the general aura of creepiness and worry. Valid points are raised about the level of information we inadvertently release on the Internet, and how vulnerable we are to those willing to put forth the effort. Luckily, even though the atmosphere turns pretty grim, Lia never completely loses the inner spark which makes her an interesting character.

Oddly for something associated with the Harlequin brand, there’s almost no real sense of romance to be found her. Lia spends time with several different boys–one her best friend, the other the resident bad boy–but it’s obvious from the start that romance isn’t high on the list of priorities as the psychological elements take center stage.

Tanzman excels at describing the dance scenes with verisimilitude and complexity. You can almost see the way people move and flow across the scenery, which is important for a story focusing on the physical and visual arts.

This was a solid effort. Fast-paced, complex, and genuinely disturbing in places, dancergirl really nails the concept, blending reality and fiction successfully. I’m reminded of some of the other online web-series that have popped up now and again, where the lines between truth and narrative were blurred. I’d actually be interested to know if Tanzman had any of them in mind, like lonelygirl15.

Ultimately, I’d say this is a pretty strong offering, and worth checking out if you have a yearning for something with a psychological edge to it.

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Everything I Was, by Corinne Demas (Carolrhoda Lab/Lerner Books, 2011)

Apr 1

Posted by Michael M. Jones in Mainstream, Young Adult | No Comments

Thirteen-year-old Irene’s life is falling apart around her. Her father’s lost his job due to some corporate downsizing, while her mother’s excessive spending habits have helped put the family into debt. The solution: sell off much of their belongings, leave their fancy New York penthouse apartment, and move into the country to stay with Irene’s farmer grandfather. While her father looks for work, and her mother looks for an affordable apartment, Irene simply looks to get by. To her surprise, she feels comfortable living out there, away from the city. Soon, she’s made new friends, and even discovers love. But just when everything’s looking up for her, will her parents manage to screw it up, yet again?

In a story that resonates all too well in these troubled economic times, Demas spins out a heartfelt, believable tale. Irene is a sympathetic character, and it’s encouraging to watch her learn to stand up for herself and take control of her own life. You can just imagine her growing up to be a strong-willed, independent, feisty woman, the sort who doesn’t let anyone jerk her around, and this is where it all starts. It helps, of course, that she has an interesting supporting cast, from her non-nonsense salt-of-the-earth grandfather to the rambunctious Fox family, who pretty much accept her immediately. The only character who doesn’t seem to get a whole lot of sympathetic treatment is Irene’s mother, who mistakes luxuries for necessities and never really adapts to the country and loss of social prestige. Obviously, not everyone copes with change well, but she doesn’t fare too well compared to how Irene or her father grow and flourish.

The language is rich and colorful, lush descriptions of the countryside and its charms painting an alluring picture. It’s enough to make one want to give up the city and head for the hills and fresh air. No wonder Irene falls in love with her new surroundings. That, combined with strong characterization and a powerful story, makes this a compelling read and a book worth picking up.

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What Can’t Wait, by Ashley Hope Perez (Carolrhoda Lab/Lerner Books, 2011)

Mar 1

Posted by Michael M. Jones in Mainstream, Young Adult | No Comments

Marisa Moreno feels chained down by obligations, stretched thin in every direction by familial duties and expectations. Her parents barely speak English, her brother is more interested in tricking out his truck than helping out, and her sister is trapped in a disastrous marriage. All Marisa wants to do is study hard, make good grades, graduate, and go away to college where she can study engineering. All her family wants is for her to stay home, work hard to bring in more money, and take her of her niece, Anita. Will Marisa be forced to give up on her dreams, just to make her parents happy? Or is it time to cut herself free and find her own life?

What Can’t Wait is a powerful, authentic story, in turns heartbreaking and inspiring. Marisa’s an admirable, strong, sympathetic character, and it’s easy to feel for her as she struggles to find her own path in life while dealing with a multitude of distractions and obligations. She’s proof that even when you’re smart enough to understand the problem, wise enough to avoid temptation, and stubborn enough to pursue a dream, it’s not always easy to follow through. As she juggles family, work, school, friends, a relationship, and her future, we see her make some hard choices, and some harder mistakes. Luckily, she has people who care for her, and a chance at success.

Heavily peppered with Spanish phrases, steeped in a blend of Texan and Mexican culture, this is a powerful look and a valuable insight into the sort of problems and challenges teens from that background face. As a child of Mexican immigrants, Marisa’s determined to make a better life for herself than her parents or siblings have, and it’s a fight worth cheering for. Of course, there’s plenty of other memorable characters. Her best friend, Brenda, who seems to be more interested in boys and parties, yet who proves deeper than all that. Her would-be boyfriend, Alan, an aspiring artist and a genuinely good guy (especially compared to some of the less-than-admirable guys we see elsewhere in the book.) And of course there’s Ms. Ford, the helpful, inspirational, somewhat pushy AP Calculus teacher who motivates Marisa.

The author, Ashley Hope Perez, spent three years teaching high school in Houston, where this book is set, so it’s obvious she drew a great deal of inspiration and atmosphere from experience. It works quite well; this is an excellent book, and I’ll be interested in seeing what Perez does next.

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The Red Pyramid, by Rick Riordan (Hyperion, 2010)

Feb 25

Posted by Michael M. Jones in Fairy Tales, Folklore & Mythology, Urban Fantasy, Young Adult | 1 Comment

Overview

Rick Riordan, author of the popular Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, follows his earlier success with the start of a new series, one focusing on Egyptian myth and lore. A brother and sister discover their link to an ancient lineage of magicians, while seeking to thwart a god’s evil plan.

Synopsis

Though siblings, Carter and Sadie Kane barely know each other, ever since their mother’s death six years ago split them apart. Sadie went to stay with their grandparents in London, where she’s led a normal life ever since. Carter remained with their father, renowned Egyptologist Julius Kane, living out of a suitcase and constantly traveling around the world. One Christmas, they’re reunited by their father, who takes them to the British Museum while acting even stranger than usual. One bizarre magical ceremony and an explosion later, Julius Kane is gone, kidnapped by mysterious forces.

In the aftermath, Carter and Sadie are pulled into a globe-trotting series of death-defying adventures. First, their long-forgotten uncle Amos shows up to take them to New York, where they encounter a white crocodile, a basketball-loving baboon, and a mystery-laden library. And then the bad guys attack, and for the Kane siblings, there’s no turning back as Egyptian mythology comes to life all around them. From gods hiding in human form, to ancient menaces chasing them, from an age-old secret society to their own previously untapped magical abilities, Carter and Sadie are immersed in a conflict that’s been raging for thousands of years. In order to save their father and prevent one of Egypt’s most evil gods from roaming free and wreaking havoc on the world, they need to master their potential and work together. But with dangers on every side, and treachery close at hand, that’s easier said than done.

Review

While set in the same world as Riordan’s bestselling Percy Jackson series, this opener to the Kane Chronicles maintains only the subtlest of links to the Greco-Roman pantheons featured there. Instead, this serves quite satisfactorily as an introduction to a whole new cast of characters and an entirely different set of gods and their stories. As explained in the text, the Egyptian mythos is older and stranger than the Greeks, operating by different rules and structures, where gods can possess people or places and humans oppose them as often as not. Fans of the Percy Jackson books will find a similar, yet unidentical experience here, as the Kane siblings and their allies plunge into the heart of Egyptian lore and beliefs, though occasionally updated for the modern era. From the wisecracking, knife-throwing cat goddess Bast, to the absent-minded barbeque-loving god of information (among other things) Thoth, they run into old myths in new and surprising forms.

While on one level, this is a gleefully indulgent, action-packed race against time, it also addresses the issue of family and loyalty. Carter and Sadie are almost total strangers due to their lengthy separation, and they have to learn to trust one another and rebuild their familial ties in order to succeed. As they work, they uncover secrets tying into their family history, including the tragic truth behind their mother’s death and why they’re tied so strongly to the Egyptian gods. Simultaneously, they move through the convoluted, complex family tree of the gods, where deities can be husband and wife, brother and sister, or mother and child, depending on the depiction and the tale in question. The gods themselves are like any squabbling family, love and hate, pride and disappointment, anger and sorrow going hand-in-hand.

The Red Pyramid is the perfect jumping-on point for a new series from one of today’s most popular YA authors, a rousing adventure steeped in myth and lore and guaranteed to spark interest in exploring the source material which served as inspiration. It’s sure to appeal to those looking for excitement and resourceful teen protagonists.

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Hip Deep, edited by Abe Louise Young (Next Generation Press, 2006)

Feb 24

Posted by Michael M. Jones in Non-Fiction & Reference, Young Adult | No Comments

The Big Picture

Hip Deep is a collection of essays written by American teenagers, told in their own voices and drawing on a wide variety of experiences. Alternately heartbreaking and inspirational, it’s a reflection on the matters and issues teens deal with on a daily basis. Editor Abe Louise Young, with the help of the Youth Editorial Board of Next Generation Press, has assembled a true-to-life cross-section of youth culture that’s bound to resonate with readers of all ages.

The Details

Hip Deep is separated into five major sections, each one covering broad themes and containing between seven and twelve different essays.

“Connected By Courage” addresses family issues, looking at how each author relates to family, or the lack thereof. Some cope with lost family, others explain how a specific relative influenced them, one explains the heartbreak of being in jail and away from those who live him.

“My Voice Is An Independent Song” explores the role of school and education. These essays tackle subjects like drunk driving, standardized tests, athletics, learning disabilities, race and more. One of the most powerful pieces addresses the sense of betrayal a gay student experienced when faced with homophobia and bigotry on the part of a teacher, and how it shaped his life.

“Because It’s Mine….” looks at body-related issues. Topics covered here include anorexia, gay pride, maintaining independence while disabled, and more.

“These Values I Take Home With Me” takes on topics dealing with race, culture and origin. Stories explore cross-ethnicity adoption, multiracial families, standing out as a visible Muslim, the constant battle against racism, coming of age in different cultures, and even the bias against skateboarders.

“My River Has A Bridge” collects essays addressing war, peace, and change, looking at how we relate on a global scale. From those who join military training programs like the JROTC, to those affected by the Israeli-Palestine conflicts, from lost friends to new friends, these stories aim straight for the heart.

An appendix lists a number of magazines, online and print, which accept teen material, and gives helpful guidelines for submissions. Of course, it’s always good to double-check things like this to make sure the information is up to date before sending anything out.

Final Thoughts

All essays contained within were originally published between 2001 and 2005, while Hip Deep was released in 2006. However, the experiences and viewpoints are universal, remaining relevant in 2010 and beyond.

Because these are authentic stories told in a variety of voices, there’s a wide range of quality and sophistication present. However, each essay, whether verse or prose, polished or raw, is accessible to the casual reader. Most are only a few pages long, some even shorter, making this a quick read on the surface and a much deeper read underneath. The editor even recommends multiple readings to get the full impact.

The simple honesty and emotion prevalent in these essays imbues them with strength and importance. The issues discussed are real, continuing, and unlikely to vanish anytime soon. This collection reads like letters from the battlefront, reminding us that racism, sexism, homophobia, culture clashes, religious issues, and so on are all everyday issues for today’s teens.

Who’s This For?

Hip Deep possesses a wide range of appeal. It’s perfect for parents trying to relate to their child’s experiences, teachers wanting to encourage tolerance and acceptance, and teenagers looking for someone who’s gone through the same things they have.

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Shadow Walkers, by Brent Hartinger (Flux, 2011)

Feb 23

Posted by Michael M. Jones in LGBTQ Interest, Romance, Science Fiction, Young Adult | No Comments

As a gay teenager living with his little brother and grandparents on an island community of only 4,000, Zach feels like an outsider, relying on the Internet for peace of mind and interaction with the outside world. When he’s grounded for forgetting to take out the trash, and denied Internet privileges, his desperation for diversion leads him to attempt astral projection. After he tries and fails, he puts the whole thing out of mind, even though the woman at the New Age store totally swore the special incense she gave him would help next time. And then Zach’s little brother, Gilbert, goes missing, and Zach once again tries to astral project in the hopes of finding him. This time, it works. In the astral realm, Zach can track his brother and his kidnappers, but can he find a way to alert the police before something bad happens? Luckily, in the process, he runs into Emory, another astral projector who’s much better at it … and apparently into Zach as well. Together, they can try to save Gilbert and give one another strength and comfort. That is, if the dark creatures stalking the astral plane don’t get them first.

There’s a lot of raw emotion and adolescent fervor woven into the pages of this relatively short roller coaster of a tale. Zach comes off as pretty high-strung, especially once the subplot regarding his little brother kicks into gear and he gets caught up in the tension of the moment. He and Emory hit it off with genuine chemistry, although something about the pacing seems a little off, even rushed. One can chalk it up to the excitement and adrenaline of the situation, but it still feels like they needed more time before reaching the depths of connection that they did. I’ll be honest: I never really bought into the astral projection element as a compelling factor in the story. As a metaphor for escaping one’s bounds and limitations, it’s dead-on perfect and applicable to the characters. At the same time, it fails to capture me as a reader. Certainly, the logic in which Zach decides to use astral projection, which he doesn’t even believe is real and has never successfully accomplished before, as a tool for finding his missing brother, requires a certain leap of faith on the reader’s part, lest the whole thing collapse. Of course it works, and of course the only other person he meets on the astral plane who isn’t trying to kill him, turns out to cute, gay, single, and of the right age. This is a good book, and I’m thrilled to see a YA paranormal featuring a gay teen and a hint of romance, but as a paranormal story goes, it never quite gels. I think it could have benefited from expansion; with a more leisurely plot, a less frantic atmosphere, and a less pressing deadline, this could have been great instead of good. It’s still a nice change of pace, and maybe we’ll get to see these characters again under less intense circumstances, and get to know them better.

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Slayed, by Amanda Marrone (Simon Pulse, 2010)

Feb 22

Posted by Michael M. Jones in Vampires, Young Adult | No Comments

Daphne Van Helsing has been part of the family business of vampire slaying for as long as she can remember, traveling with her parents around the country, taking on the messy job of staking and beheadng misbehaving bloodsuckers. Also for as long as she can remember, she’s wanted to settle down somewhere and have a normal life, with friends, boys, and maybe even a prom someday. Unfortunately, it’s hard to have a social life when you’re armed with a fake ID and a stake, and your parents send you out to troll the bars as bat-bait. The latest gig, taking down an unusually active nest in South Bristol, promises to be more of the same. That is, until the Van Helsings run into a rival father-on team of hunters, the Harkers, with whom they have a messy history. If Daphne wasn’t so busy feuding with the son, one Tyler Harker, she might even stop to realize how cute he is. To really put the frosting on the cupcake, Daphne gets saddled with Kiki Crusher, a former child star who’s grown into a bored, buxom, bleached blonde bimbo living high on the family credit cards … and who’s decided her new calling is that of vampire hunter. With a rival she can’t trust and a sidekick she can’t stand, Daphne’s at her wits’ end. The vampires are meaner and stronger than ever before, the stakes are higher, and something nasty’s coming to South Bristol. And maybe the rival’s not so untrustworthy, and the sidekick’s not so bad after all….

In Slayed, Marrone puts a new and entertaining twist on the usual genre conventions, giving us a vampire hunter who yearns for the most basic things of a mundane life, even as she leads a life of danger and adventure. The vampires themselves are just window dressing in this story of a girl who’s ready to get away from it all and seek out the life she wants for herself. There’s plenty of supernatural action, some mystery, and some nifty bits of not-so-obvious mythology thrown in, but the real strength here comes from the honest emotions that shine through in the narrative. However, there’s another element which makes this story funny, warm-hearted, and captivating, and that’s Kiki Crusher. Kiki’s a scene-stealer, whose bouncy, bubbly, irrepressible nature can’t be dampened down by anything short of a full-on nuclear explosion. From taking a limo to a hunting job, to ordering custom unicorn horn shaped stakes (don’t ask) to blackmailing her way into becoming Daphne’s sidekick, she’s both foil and friend, cheerful nuisance and sympathetic sounding board, highly relatable and laugh-inspiring. Kiki keeps this from falling into the “guy and girl argue before falling in love” trap that loves to hide in this sort of book.

There’s a lot to love here. Daphne’s a character worth rooting for, whether she’s pining for a prom dress or stuffing garlic in a decapitated vamp’s mouth, and Marrone has done an excellent job of adding something new to a crowded genre. Definitely worth a look.

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TimeRiders, by Alex Scarrow (Walker and Company, 2010)

Feb 21

Posted by Michael M. Jones in Adventure, Science Fiction, Young Adult | 2 Comments

In 1912, Liam O’Connor is rescued from certain death as the Titanic sinks. In 2010, Maddy Carter is snatched away from an airplane just before it crashes. In 2026, Saleena Vikram is taken away from a fatal fire. All three teenagers have just been recruited as the next set of operatives for the TimeRiders. Their mission: to live just outside of time, in order to spot temporal disturbances and prevent changes to history. With Saleena as the observer, Maddy as the analyst, and Liam as the field operative, they’re tasked to do the impossible every day. Trained by Foster, only survivor of the last team, and backed up by Bob, a vat-grown humanoid with a computer brain, they’ve barely settled into their new assignments when history is changed in a major way.

Now they have to defeat a time-traveling madman who altered the outcome of World War 2 for his own benefit before painstakingly obscuring his tracks. With the team scattered across decades, rapidly running low on resources, they’ll be tested like never before. But history’s not done changing, and with each shift, things get much, much worse. If they don’t succeed, humanity will have no future.

TimeRiders ia a fast-paced, intense adventure that hits the ground running and never looks back. Obviously, mixing time travel with alternate World War 2 scenarios is nothing new, but in this case, it still serves as an adequately entertaining launchpad for an exciting story. I’ve always been a sucker for good time travel adventures, and this one delivers in full, with action-packed scenes set over multiple decades. From the war-torn past to the apocalyptic future, there’s plenty going on here. I’ll be interested in seeing what sort of adventures our heroes get into with future installments.

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The Line, by Teri Hall (Dial, 2010)

Feb 18

Posted by Michael M. Jones in Science Fiction, Young Adult | No Comments

The Unified States are safe, but at a cost. Their expanse surrounded by the invisible National Border Defense System, their society tightly policed by merciless Enforcement Officials, their people rigidly broken down into castes of employment, everything is controlled and oppressed. However, out near the borders, there’s room to breathe and dream. Rachel and her mother have lived on the Property for years, ever since Rachel’s father’s disappearance. Rachel’s been trained by her mother to think for herself, to distrust the government, and to always seek out the truth. As a result, Rachel’s fascinated by the Line, that section of the Border which runs just past the Property, beyond which lies the mysterious expanse simply called Beyond, populated by the Others.

What lies Beyond, for real? If anyone knows, they’re not saying. That is, until Rachel uncovers a message from the Others, sparking a cascade of revelations and family secrets. Now she has to question her life and her purpose, and decide what’s best for her family and herself. But what will her choice cost her?

The Line has an interesting premise, and an intriguing setup. It’s easy to see the parallels between Rachel’s totalitarian, control-obsessed society, and modern day issues regarding immigration, border control, and internal security. It’s also easy to see Rachel’s Unified States as an analogue of the United States, even though this may lead to some inaccurate assumptions regarding the world as a whole. It’s hard to reconcile our world with the one described here, leading to some jarring discrepancies.

Again, there’s a lot of potential in exploring the particular social factors which come together to create this world. Unfortunately, it’s a quick, fast read, and relatively little of the setting is explored in any significant detail. Worse still, the story comes to an abrupt halt, pretty much in mid-scene, setting things up for the inevitable sequel, as though one book had been split in two. As a result, what conflicts have been raised fail to hit a satisfying conclusion, either left unfinished, or else defused early. The rising blend of paranoia and tension could have turned this into a taut thriller, but it somehow feels softened.

A certain lack of depth and characterization counts as a further strike against the book as a whole. For all that we get inside various heads and are privy to their thoughts, I never really felt connected to anyone besides Rachel, and even then it was tenuous at best. Oddly enough, the term I’d use to describe the overall situation is “claustrophobic,” since everything takes place in a very small amount of space.

I enjoyed this book, but it could have been so much more, once it decided what to be. On the bright side, it looks as though the sequel will further explore societies on both sides of the Border, and delve into the mysteries of the Others and their world. We’ll just have to see what happens.

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The Cinderella Society, by Kay Cassidy (Egmont USA, 2010)

Feb 17

Posted by Michael M. Jones in Young Adult | No Comments

Perennial “new girl” Jess Parker is an outcast at school, unable to fit in despite making the cheerleading squad as an incoming junior. In fact, she’s the prime target of Lexy Steele, one of the resident mean girls. Is it any wonder that Jess is absolutely stunned when she’s picked to join The Cinderella Society, a secret organization of popular girls dedicated to making the world a better place?

An initiation ceremony and fabulous makeover later, Jess has a new circle of friends, newfound confidence, a blossoming new relationship (with Lexy’s brother, Ryan, of all people) and a new purpose in life. Now she’s part of an ongoing struggle between the “Cindies” who try to help people in secret, and the “Wickeds” who use blackmail and other despicable methods to rule the masses … and Lexy’s her opposite number among the Wickeds. Now Jess has to find her inner strength in order to live up to her new responsibilities and potential, while figuring out what the Wickeds have in store for the innocent bystanders of their high school. But will Jess go too far in her crusade to help one troubled person?

What we have here is a rather odd book. Honestly, when I saw “Cinderella” in the title and “battle of good vs evil” in the cover copy, I was expecting something in the paranormal range, perhaps dealing with fairy godmothers and evil stepsisters. What I found was an awkward blend of self-help “girl power” propaganda, and secret society intrigue. It starts off with Jess’ induction into a mysterious sorority-like group of do-gooders who find their inner strengths through personal makeovers and sisterly support of one another. However, even as Jess is being taught to find her inner strength and coordinate outfits to match, she’s learning about the secret struggle between two far-flung groups of women. It’s as though the stereotypical “mean girls” in every school and community were all part of an organization bent on world domination, while being opposed by animal shelter volunteers and cheerleaders.

Now, don’t get me wrong; there’s clearly a great concept here. I’m a big fan of eternal struggles between good and evil, secret societies, and that ilk. Unfortunately, in this case it’s hard to take the whole package seriously. It’s quite well written, and a fun read, but the elements don’t mesh perfectly. The self-empowerment change-your-life girl-power aspects clash with the intrigue and mystery.

However, I’ll be the first to admit that, since I’m not a teenage girl, I’m not the target audience. There’s a disconnect between what I was expecting, and what I found, and this is sure to find eager acceptance among those who need a booster shot of courage, idealism, self-confidence, romance, and empowerment. The messages it contains are valuable and crystal-clear, even if the packaging could stand a little improvement.

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