Cybils 2009 Finalists: Young Adult Fantasy and Science Fiction

I served on the Cybils Round 1 panel for young adult fantasy and science fiction. We had 134 books nominated for the young adult half of the category alone, and the majority of them were excellent books. My committee had a hard time narrowing it down to only 7 finalists, but in the end, I think we have a great shortlist:

Candor
by Pam Bachorz
Egmont USA
Nominated by: Chelsea Campbell

Oscar Banks has fooled the town of Candor, Florida, into thinking he's the perfect son.  Even his father, the town's founder, believes that the subliminal messages he invented and that are carried by ever-present music, have brainwashed Oscar into becoming one more "good kid" among many. Oscar, though, knows about the messages and has trained himself to resist.

First-time author Pam Bachorz has created a book that perfectly snares what every teen both fears -- to lose his/her identity and be part of the bland crowd.  Oscar may be selfish, but his motivations are sincere and natural based on the tragedies that have happened to his family.  Good science-fiction for young adults is scarce--SF is more than spaceships and lasers, it is how technology could be used to help or harm humanity--and Barchorz's book will linger long in the minds of readers.  They'll wonder what they would do if they ever found themselves in Candor.
--Steve Berman

Demon's Lexicon, The
by Sarah Rees Brennan
Margaret K. McElderry
Nominated by: Nick Jessee

Brothers Nick and Alan have been living on the run for years, hunted by magicians trying to take back their mother.  But while the brothers'relationship is front and center, the story truly belongs to Nick, the ultimate bad boy barely managed his whole life by his nicer brother. Nick should be unsympathetic, but instead Sarah Rees Brennan manages to make his lack of self-awareness achingly riveting.  And in doing so she gives us one of the most memorable, fully realized characters in YA contemporary fantasy--and then she surrounds him with a slew of other memorable characters in an equally intriguing and unforgettable world. The jury simply couldn't put this book down, not until we reached its satisfying and surprising ending.  A thrilling read--this debut novel goes off like fireworks.
--Gwenda Bond

Dust of 100 Dogs, The
by A.S. King
Flux
Nominated by: Lisa McMann

It starts with the death of Emer Morrisey, famed female pirate, who is cursed to live the life of 100 dogs.  When Emer is reborn as Saffron Adams, completely aware of her past lives, all Saffron can think is how fast she can get to Jamaica to rightfully reclaim her buried treasure. Dust is a novel that interweaves not one but three storylines that work to create one amazing story.  King's ability to tell a story in three distinctive and controversial voices is what truly makes Dust a novel that will push the boundaries of what YA fiction can accomplish. 
--Samantha Wheat

Fire
by Kristin Cashore
Dial
Nominated by: Jenny Moss

Fire is a human monster and the last of her kind. With the ability to control the minds of those around them, monsters inspire an uncomfortable (at times deadly) mixture of fear, hatred, and absolute longing in the people of the Dells. When her service is requested on behalf of the young King Nash, Fire is thrust into a mounting war and forced to reconcile her questionable abilities with her own demanding conscience.  A first-rate high fantasy, Fire is at once subtle,thoughtful and throbbing with genuine emotion.  The novel is peopled with a breathtakingly real cast of characters who wrestle with the thorny issues of gender, power, race, friendship, violence and family.  Kristin Cashore’s gorgeous, understated writing weaves a complex, vivid world around them and the reader, making Fire an intensely gripping and nuanced read and one of the year’s finest.
--Angie Thompson

Lips Touch
by Laini Taylor
Arthur A Levine
Nominated by: Jolie Stekly

In Lips Touch, Laini Taylor takes on that most daunting of tasks--reinventing the fairy tale--and succeeds brilliantly. Each story feels like a fresh new tale, and yet still holds the timeless haunting enchantment and wonder of all the best fairy tales.  Every story is a self-contained gem, and centers around the danger, power and wonder of that most magical moment--the kiss.  These stories are complemented by Jim Di Bartolo’s luminous art, adding another vivid dimension to the magic of the book.  In Goblin Fruit, Kizzy is so consumed by longingthat she is drawn into a kiss whose price may be more than she can afford to pay.  In Spicy Little Curses Such as These, Anamique, cursed at birth to kill with the sound of her voice, must decide if love is worth risking everything for.  And in Hatchling, Esme learns the shocking secret of her mother’s past and her own true identity. Taylor’s language is beautiful, lush and rich, and demands to be read slowly so that every word can be savored.  Lips Touch is like goblinfruit, tantalizing and delicious, each taste leaving the reader desperately hungry for more.
--Nettle

Sacred Scars (A Resurrection of Magic, Book 2)
by Kathleen Duey
Atheneum
Nominated by: Jenn R

As with its predecessor, Skin Hunger, Sacred Scars tells two stories,separated by many years and yet linked together.  The story of the founding of the Limori Academy of magic--and a tragic yet resilient young woman named Sadima--connects in surprising ways with the parallel story of Hahp and his fellow students at the Academy generations later.  The attention to detail is amazing, and the characters real and poignant.  Sacred Scars is deep, dark and intense,and immersive in a way that lingers in the mind long after turning the final page.
--Sheila Ruth

Tiger Moon
by Antonia Michaelis
Amulet
Nominated by: Carolyn Dooman

Set in the 1900’s, Tiger Moon is a lyrical South Asian fairytale which invites readers to a front row seat with a masterful storyteller.Colonial history, Hindu religion and mythology all play their part in this sweeping tale narrated by Raka, a new bride who is waiting for her execution at the hands of her husband.  Like the Arabian Nights tales, Raka’s sweeping epic is told to pass the time, and includes elements of the fantastic and the realistic, relying on a talking tiger, a 16-year-old thief "with a conscience" and the kidnapped daughter of the god, Krishna, to explore themes of fate, change and free will.  Translated from German, and described as both "playful" and "magical" by our panelists, Tiger Moon offers readers a chance to indulge in the richness of a different culture and go beyond the boundaries of the ordinary.
--Tanita S. Davis

See the finalists in all the categories on the Cybils site.

A big thank you to my fellow committee members. I had a blast serving on the committee with you, discussing everything from teen appeal to inclusiveness, and arguing the merits of our favorite books. We mostly avoided the bloodbath that we'd feared, but I think we needed an arena to hash out the Girl in the Arena discussions alone. You are a terrific, intelligent, fun group of people, and I hope that we can all get together in a café sometime and chat about books and life!

These were the committee members for Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction:
Steve Berman, Guys Lit Wire
Gwenda Bond, Shaken & Stirred
Tanita S. Davis, Finding Wonderland
Nettle, The Muse, Amused
Sheila Ruth (that's me)
Angie Thompson, Angieville
Samantha Wheat, Twisted Quill

Now the books are in the hands of the Round 2 panelists, who have the difficult job of choosing a winner in each category. Winners will be announced on February 14 and will be posted on the Cybils blog.

Book Review: The Tomorrow Code

The Tomorrow Code
by Brian Falkner

When New Zealand teens Tane and Rebecca start receiving coded messages from the future, they realize that the world is in trouble. As they begin to decipher the code, they discover that the messages come from their future selves - and contain a worrisome SOS. Tane and Rebecca, along with Tane's brother Fatboy, frantically work to decode the messages and follow the instructions before it's too late. The three teens may be the only ones who stand between the world and disaster.

The Tomorrow Code is a highly suspenseful, exciting eco-thriller reminiscent of the work of Michael Crichton, but with better writing. It's a terrifying page-turner, with interesting, believable characters. Tane and Fatboy are Maori, and although they are in most ways modern teenagers, they are also in touch with their Maori heritage, a heritage that becomes important later in the story. The glimpses of Maori culture are interesting.

Rebecca is brilliant, the daughter of scientists. She excels at math and science, but it's interesting that she isn't always the one to solve the problems. I love the importance that the author gives to multiple intelligences, as it takes the very different skills of the three of them to solve all the problems.

The Tomorrow Code is a 2009 Cybils Fantasy/Science Fiction - teen nominee.

Edited to add: There's a lot of great information about the science, technology, geography and culture from the book, including a stunning gallery of New Zealand photos that has me dying to go there, on the Tomorrow Code web site.

Disclaimers: I received a review copy from the publisher to evaluate for the Cybils award. The Amazon links above are Amazon Associate links, and I earn a very small percentage of any sales made through the links. Neither of these things influenced my review.

Book Review: Tiger Moon

Tiger Moon
by Antonia Michaelis
Translated by Anthea Bell

When Safia becomes the eighth wife of the Rajah Ahmed Mudhi, she knows that she will die. Safia's name means "virtue," but Safia is not a virgin, and when the Rajah finds out that he has been deceived, he will kill her. Luckily, the Rajah is ill right after their wedding, and Safia has a few more days to live. Like Scheherazade, Safia tells stories while she waits to die. But Safia's listener is not her husband, but a young eunuch called Lalit.

A young thief named Farhad Kamal finds a silver amulet in a lotus flower, which marks him as the hero chosen to rescue the god Krishna's daughter from the demon king Ravana, who plans to marry her at the next full moon. Farhad knows that he is no hero, but Krishna makes it clear that if Farhad doesn't succeed, he'll be reborn in his next life as a worm, and the cycle of his lives will be prolonged to infinity before achieving Nirvana. Not wanting to risk such a fate, Farhad sets off to find the magical mount promised to him by Krishna, to take him to the city at the heart of the desert of Rajasthan where Krishna's daughter is being held.

As Safia tells Lalit the story of Farhad, both of them are transformed by the story in unexpected ways. And Farhad himself just might become a hero after all.

I adore Tiger Moon! It's such a beautiful story, richly written with a folk-tale feel, yet it also has a smart, sassy voice and an almost modern sensibility that makes it really fun to read. Here's an example:

Sometimes he visited one of the great temples to pray to the gods, and as chance would have it, he usually came out again with a handful of coins from the plate left out for offerings. He had tried going into the new British church, too, but the donation boxes there were kept well locked, so he decided against converting to Christianity. The Muslims were clever and had driven him straight out of their mosque. So Farhad remained a Hindu out of what might be called his economic convictions, and on the whole he looked after himself successfully.

The writing is lovely, and Anthea Bell has done a wonderful job of translating it. The story resonates with warmth and humor. It's a poignant story of sacrifice and true heroism. And who wouldn't love Nitish, the sacred white tiger with a fear of water?

Tiger Moon is a 2009 Cybils nominee.

Tiger Moon does contain some mature content.

Disclaimers: I received a review copy from the publisher to evaluate for the Cybils award. The Amazon links above are Amazon Associate links, and I earn a very small percentage of any sales made through the links. Neither of these things influenced my review.

Book Review: The Ask and The Answer

The Ask and the Answer
Chaos Walking, Book Two
by Patrick Ness

Warning: This review is slightly spoilerish to the first book, The Knife of Never Letting Go, so if you haven't read that book, I recommend you stop now and read it first. I loved the first book, but qualified my review with a caution about the ending. Having read the second book, I can now give the series an unqualified recommendation. It's an outstanding series, and one with a lot of teen appeal. My only warning is that bad things happen, and this isn't a series for sensitive readers.

My Review of The Knife of Never Letting Go

The Ask and the Answer was an unexpected surprise. I knew it would be good - I think I hardly even breathed while reading The Knife of Never Letting Go - but I didn't expect it to go in the direction that it did. The Knife of Never Letting Go was one long, breathless flight, with Todd and Viola alternately running from and battling the forces from Prentisstown. The cliffhanger ending led you to believe that the second book would be more of the same. And while The Ask and the Answer picks up where The Knife of Never Letting Go left off, Ness turns everything upside down and forces you to question your assumptions and look at everything and everyone in a new light.

I don't want to say too much and ruin the book, but The Ask and the Answer finds Todd and Viola separated, and at times, on opposite sides. They are each, in their own way, doing what they can to stand up for what's right, but right and wrong aren't always clear, and it's hard to know who, or what, to believe.

The Ask and the Answer is a deep, powerful, and sometimes disturbing book, which asks such questions as, do the ends ever justify the means? And if one side is evil, does that make the opposition good? There are echoes of the Holocaust, particularly in the treatment of the Spackle. The Ask and the Answer is as breathlessly unputdownable as The Knife of Never Letting Go, but it's also a book that shakes you up and makes you think. It's a book that I think will have strong appeal to teens.

Guest Review by David

My 14-year-old son David also reviewed this book. Here is his review:

Oh, my gosh. Was it even possible for this book to top it's predecessor? Yup. If anything, this book is even more well written than The Knife of Never Letting Go, and that's saying a lot. The characters are all great, from the villains, to the heros, to those who just aren't sure what they are. And the plot? The plot is the best part. I don't want to give away too much, but it's almost impossible to put down The Ask and The Answer after you start. This book has quickly risen up my list of favorite books, along with The Knife. I've already reread them both twice, and I still can't get enough!

--SLIGHT SPOILERS--

Whereas the first book ended leaving the reader with a feeling of defeat, this book, even though it has no less of a climactic ending, gives you a better feeling. More "Aaaaaaaah!" as opposed to "Noooooo!" if you will. If you enjoyed The Knife of Never Letting Go, there's no way you shouldn't read this book.

The Ask and the Answer is a 2009 Cybils Nominee

Disclosures: we received a review copy of The Ask and the Answer from the publisher at my request. The links above are Amazon.com affiliate links, and if you purchase the books (or anything else) through those links, we'll earn a very small percentage. None of these things influenced the reviews.

Book Review: Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd

Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd
edited by Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci

Editors Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci have brought together a stellar line-up of YA authors to create an outstanding collection of stories about the experience of growing up "geek." The stories range from poignant to humorous, and hopeful to triumphant, but all reflect authentic aspects of the geek experience. I'm more than a little bit geek, and I saw aspects of myself in more than one of these stories.

As with any anthology, there were some stories that I liked better than others. Here were a few that stood out for me:

Holly Black and Cecil Castelluci's Once You're a Jedi, You're a Jedi All the Way: a funny look at Star Trek vs. Star Wars, which actually turned out to be a lot sweeter and more innocent than I expected, given that the first narrator wakes up in bed with someone she doesn't remember.

Scott Westerfeld's Definitional Chaos: any author that can write an entertaining story with a central conflict that hinges on the concept of character alignment is a master geek in my book!

David Levithan's Quiz Bowl AntiChrist: I totally loved the protagonist, who hides his vulnerability behind a mask of sarcasm, in this story of self-discovery.

Garth Nix's The Quiet Knight: a story of a shy young LARPer who finds real courage. The main character is what really makes this story one of my favorites.

Barry Lyga's The Truth About Dino Girl: more than any of the others, Lyga captured what my high school experience was like; it wasn't dinosaurs for me, but in many ways I really identified with the protagonist of this story. And while I thought the resolution was a little harsh in some ways, it was completely a geek fantasy, which I think was the point.

Wendy Mass' The Stars at the Finish Line: Loved the interaction between the two main characters in this one. I haven't read anything else by Wendy Mass, but this story makes me want to.

Most of the other stories were also good; there were a couple that I didn't care for, but I think that's more a matter of personal preference.

Sara Zarr's story was missing from my ARC; I wish I could have read it.

In between the stories were various one-page comics and geek jokes; many of them were also missing from my ARC, and of the ones that were included, for the most part I didn't enjoy them as much as I enjoyed the stories.

I would recommend this book for mature teens and adults. Many of the stories depict risky behaviors, including underage binge drinking, lying to your parents, meeting people from the Internet, and underage sex (in one case, by an 8th grader!) I know that many teens (and even tweens) participate in these activities, and in general I do think it's important for YA fiction to reflect an authentic teen experience. However, I think what bothers me about it in this book is that so much emphasis is placed on the personalities and geek nature of the writers. While the stories are fictional and not autobiographical (as far as I know), I think that the emphasis on the writers as geeks makes it seem like the writers are condoning and even encouraging these behaviors.

Disclaimers: I received an Advance Reading Copy from the publisher to facilitate reviewing the book. I also attended a party hosted by the publisher at BEA to introduce the book. Neither of these things influenced my review.

Book Review: The Book of Dreams

The Book of Dreams
The Chronicles of Faerie: Book 4
by O. R. Melling

Dana Faolan, half-mortal, half faerie teen, is unhappy. Recently moved to Canada from Ireland, she misses her home and blames her father for moving her away from her beloved Ireland. She hates Canada: it's a strange country, she doesn't have any friends, and worst of all, there's no magic like there is in Ireland. Her only consolation is the world of Faerie, where she can go and visit her mother, the Light-Bearer, any time. Faerie becomes an escape from reality, one that she perhaps relies on a bit too much.

Then, all the portals between the Earthworld and Faerie are severed by an unknown enemy, putting both realms in peril. If the gateways are not restored by Samhain, then the two realms will be divided forever. Only Dana can restore the gateways. Accompanied by her new friend (and possible romantic interest) Jean, a French Canadian with secrets of his own, and with help from Laurel and Gwen, two Friends of Faerie, Dana sets off on a quest to find the Book of Dreams. In the process, she just might find that there is magic everywhere, even in Canada.

The Book of Dreams is a big, beautifully written fantasy on a grand scale. In her travels, Dana encounters people of the many different cultures that make up Canada, and the story is rich with beliefs and folklore from around the world, including Irish, French-Canadian, Hindu, Christian, Chinese, and several native peoples, including Cree and Inuit.

Melling's writing is beautiful; even her many descriptions of food, from the vegetarian meals Dana's Indian stepmother cooks, to the variety of food she encounters on her journeys, make the book worth reading (and will make you hungry while reading it!)

The story is well-paced and sometimes has a mythic feel to it. The pace is a bit slower than some YA readers may be accustomed to; the battles and dangers are balanced with scenes of family and encounters with other cultures that are important to the development of the story, but which make this a more leisurely read. The pacing, combined with the length of the book, may intimidate some readers, but good readers who love richly woven stories will enjoy it, particularly those interested in folklore and other cultures.

Don't get me wrong: there is plenty of action, as well as interesting characters (I particularly liked Dana's aunts) and a hot romantic interest. There is courage, and sacrifice, and poignant moments. This is a Rocky Road ice cream kind of book, packed with lots of chewy and delicious treats.

O.R. Melling wrote the Chronicles of Faerie so that each book stands alone, and can be read independently, and yet all the books are linked. Each of the first three books in the series features a different story and a different protagonist, although characters from the other books sometimes make cameo appearances in each book. This book can also be read independently, but I think that it would be best appreciated by someone who has read the other books in the series, because it is kind of the culmination of the series, and all the characters from the other books play a part in this one.

Our 2006 interview with O.R. Melling

Read my reviews of the other Chronicles of Faerie books:
The Hunter's Moon
The Summer King
The Light-Bearer's Daughter

Review copy provided by the publisher at BEA.

Book Review: Silksinger

Silksinger
Dreamdark: Book 2
by Laini Taylor

Magpie Windwitch may have defeated the Blackbringer and convinced the Djinn King to return, but there's still plenty of work to do. Accompanied by faerie Talon Rathersting, her "brothers" the crows, and Batch the scavenger imp, 'Pie is on a quest to find the rest of the Djinn. Meanwhile, young Whisper Silksinger, the last of her clan, is traveling across the land with one of those Djinn, the Azazel, in a teapot. Pursued by devils and scorned by everyone she meets, Whisper is yet determined to get the Azazel to Nazneen and restore him to his throne. Another faerie also travels to Nazneen in disguise, determined to restore his clan's honor and become the Azazel's champion. But unknown to all of them, a darker force is also seeking the Djinn for his own purposes. If he succeeds, the world may be in peril.

Silksinger alternates between several stories and several main characters, one of whom is Magpie. I'm not a fan of books that alternate stories in this way, because for me it makes the read very disjointed; every time I get involved with one character, I find it disconcerting to have to switch perspective and adjust to a different point of view. But the story is exciting enough to keep you involved, with the action starting by page 3, and the new characters are interesting and unique.

Silksinger is a darker book than Blackbringer. That may seem unlikely, since the first book was about a hungry darkness that swallowed everything in its path, but as frightening as it was, the Blackbringer was really just immense hunger and anger, both understandable emotions. This book has cruelty, real cruelty, and that's so much more horrifying than a hungry darkness. The villain in this book is fairly cliché, but it doesn't really matter, because the real villain is the darker sides of our own nature: hatred and suspicion and cowardice and greed.

But standing against this darkness and cruelty is courage and compassion, often in the face of overwhelming odds. It's easy to accept Magpie's courage; she's such a bold and willful character and courage comes naturally to her. But some of the greatest displays of courage in this book come from some of the most unlikely characters, such as Whisper herself, who is a scamperer, a faerie who can't fly, and in many ways appears to be little more than a frightened child. Yet hidden inside this tiny, seemingly helpless faerie lies an unexpected strength and courage. And several other unlikely characters show great courage in ways I can't describe without spoiling some of the authorial surprises. This fits in with one of the themes of the book, which deals with how our preconceptions and assumptions about other people can sometimes blind us to the truth.

I was glad to see the return of Batch Hangnail, the scavenger imp. In spite of his rude, selfish, untrustworthy nature, I can't help but like him. I was a little disappointed at how some things turned out with him, but again, I can't say more without spoiling the book. I also was a little disturbed that at one point Magpie was essentially keeping him prisoner. No matter how miserable his behavior, I don't think that he deserved that, and it seemed beneath Magpie to behave in such a selfish, uncompassionate way.

The main plot of Silksinger is wrapped up by the end of the book, but some plot threads are left unresolved for future books.

As with the first book, Silksinger is greatly enhanced by the beautiful drawings created by Jim DiBartolo, Laini's husband. The illustrations bring the characters to life and add a lot to the book.

Silksinger will be published on September 17.

Read my review of Blackbringer, book 1 of Dreamdark

BEA: Interesting books part 2

My husband picked up an autographed ARC of a book called Bran Hambric: The Farfield Curse, by Kaleb Nation and published by independent publisher Sourcebooks. I'd never heard of the book, but it sounded interesting and I admire Sourcebooks, so I tucked it away to look into later. Since then, I've had several people, including teens, tell me how hot it is and how lucky I am to have an ARC.

Now I'm intrigued; apparently this book has been generating some prepublication buzz. I checked his Facebook page and it has 1275 fans. I usually have my ear pretty close to the ground when it comes to YA fantasy, so it's surprising for me to discover a book that I've never heard of that's generating this kind of buzz. I haven't read this book either, so I can't recommend it, but it's certainly one that's going on my TBR pile.

Here's the publisher's description:

In a bustling metropolis where magic is outlawed, a six-year-old child is found inside a locked bank vault. A scrap of paper reveals his name: Bran Hambric. The child remembers nothing of his life before the vault. Only magic could have done this. But why would any mage risk breaking the law to place a child in a bank vault?

Eight years later the City of Dunce has forgotten about Bran. Even his foster parents don't seem to know he exists. But there are those who have been watching, biding their time, waiting to strike, people who know where Bran came from and why he was sent away. And they will do anything to get Bran back, dead or alive…

Welcome to a world unlike any other where the adventure of a lifetime is just beginning.

Book Review: The Softwire: Wormhole Pirates on Orbis 3

The Softwire: Wormhole Pirates on Orbis 3
by P. J. Haarsma

Once again, J.T. and his friends from the seed ship Renaissance are being transfered to a new guarantor. The children are knudniks, indentured servants bound to work for four years on the Rings of Orbis. The guarantor owns their work contract, and in essence, owns them. Having had two bad experiences with their previous guarantors, they fear the worst, but this time, their guarantor turns out to be Charlie, an old friend who has helped them in the past.

Things are looking up: Charlie is kind, they get plenty to eat, and they don't have to work. But Charlie makes them go to school, and while Charlie's intentions are good, as the only knudniks in a school full of citizens, the children face discrimination and bullying.

J.T. has questions that Charlie won't answer, and it becomes apparent that there's more going on than the children realize. Before long, they're drawn into the dark underworld on Orbis, pawns in a larger scheme. Risking their lives may be the only way out.

The Softwire is one of the few true science fiction series out there for kids, and it fills a gap that needed to be filled. This third book has everything that I've come to expect from the series: plenty of danger, excitement, and intrigue, interesting characters, cool aliens and technology, and enough depth to make this more than just an outer space adventure. The first part of the book seems tame by the standards of the other books, as the children face nothing worse than school bullies similar to those found in every school in the universe. As the book goes along, though, there's more than enough excitement and intrigue, as J.T. and his friends once again become involved with the larger problems of Orbis.

There is some tragedy in this book, and also something new for the series: a touch of romance, as the kids get older and some of them start to see each other as more than just friends. I think that these things skew this book slightly older than the other two, although not by much.

I would have loved this series as a teen, and I highly recommend it to anyone of middle-school age and up.

My review of The Softwire: Virus on Orbis 1

My review of The Softwire: Betrayal on Orbis 2

Play the Rings of Orbis Online RPG

Book Review: Heroes of the Valley

Heroes of the Valley
by Jonathan Stroud

Halli Sveinsson lives in an isolated valley that was colonized by twelve founders; Halli's ancestor Svein was one of them. The twelve founders divided up the valley between themselves, and proceeded to fight, bicker, and duel, until the twelve of them united to fight the Trows, evil creatures of the earth that plagued the valley. The twelve founders drove out the Trows, but died in the process, and were buried around the edge of the valley to protect it. No one leaves the valley, for fear of the Trows, and no one comes in.

Halli grew up listening to stories of the great Svein and the other heroes, and he longs to be a hero, too. But Halli is anything but heroic; he's short, cumbersome, and swarthy, and ill-fated due to his birth on Midwinter's Day. Halli seems to be always in trouble, rebelling against authority and playing tricks on his siblings. And, in addition to all of this, there's no place for heroes in a peaceful valley governed by a council of lawgivers.

When a chain of events leads to the death of a family member, Halli sets off on a journey to seek vengeance, a vengeance that is prohibited by the laws of the valley. Along the way, Halli begins to learn the truth behind the old stories, and discovers that being a hero is far different than he expected.

Heroes of the Valley is an amusing, appealing story about an underdog and the true nature of heroism. Just as he did with the Bartimaeus Trilogy, Stroud builds a society and then challenges its preconceptions. I love the way the heroes' tales included throughout the book gradually reveal the true nature of the heroes, just as Halli's adventures reveal to him the truth about his society and its founding myths.

The book is a little slow in the beginning; there's humor right from the start, but it takes a little while for the action to get going. I think the book will appeal most to strong readers who will recognize the irony woven throughout the story.

The characters are quite interesting, and often humorous. Stroud has a keen eye for human nature, and the characters in the book reveal many human foibles, and occasionally the better sides of human nature as well. Halli's friend Aud, daughter of one of the other families, is quite likable, as well as being more than a little heroic herself.

The book is marred by a climax that brings down an otherwise enjoyable book. I don't want to say too much and give anything away, but in the words of my 13-year-old son, it "...seemed to come out of nowhere." The book seems to be leading in a certain direction, and you expect that the climax will either go one way or another way, and then, bam - something completely unexpected that really doesn't seem to fit in with the rest of the book. It's just...strange. I like surprises in books, but I think that the author really has to sow some seeds early in the story so that when you hit the surprise, you can look back and say, "Oh, so that's where that was going." In this case, the climax was more along the lines of, "Say what?"

Book Review: The Forest of Hands and Teeth

The Forest of Hands and Teeth
by Carrie Ryan

Mary lives surrounded by fences. Behind the fence, she and her village are safe from the Unconsecrated: those former humans who were infected with a sickness that causes them to die and return from death as less than human beings. The Unconsecrated have no intelligence and only one motivation: they crave human flesh. Mary dreams about the world outside the fence. Is there anything beyond the Forest of Hands and Teeth? Is her village the only place where humans survive? Is there any place in the world too big for the Unconsecrated to exist?

But Mary's village is strictly controlled by the Sisterhood, and the Sisters won't tolerate such romantic ideas. Life is about survival, and only adherence to the rules allows the village to survive. Nothing else matters; both love and choice have to be sacrificed to the greater good. Can Mary put aside her hopes, her dreams, and her curiosity? Can she sacrifice love to live the life the Sisters expect her to live?

Out of the most unlikely scenario - a post-apocalyptic zombie story - Carrie Ryan has created a book of depth and beauty. Although the Unconsecrated resemble movie zombies in many ways - and Carrie Ryan says that zombie movies were an inspiration - this book blows away all the cliches to create a truly human story. It's a story of love and death, of choice and the difference between surviving and living. This is a book that draws you in from the very first sentence; it has everything one could want in a book: well-developed characters, suspense, romance, excitement, and depth.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth is almost unbearable to read, at times, because of the strong emotions it evokes. If you don't like books that make you feel anger or sadness or intense suspense, then this may not be the book for you. But as for me, I'm already counting it one of the best books of the year.

New YA series from Orson Scott Card

Orson Scott Card has signed with Simon Pulse for a new young adult science fiction series, to be published beginning in 2011. Although many of Card's books are popular with a young adult audience, this is the first time that he's written specifically with that audience in mind. The new series will have "a strong steampunk element," according to PW.

For more information:

http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6641728.html?nid=2788

Book Review: Skeleton Creek

Skeleton Creek
by Patrick Carman

Something is wrong in Skeleton Creek, and teens Ryan and Sarah are determined to figure out the mystery. They've lived in Skeleton Creek all their lives, but an innocent question from Sarah - why is the town called Skeleton Creek - leads them to uncover clues that something is not right. Everything seems to be tied into the dredge, an old, abandoned machine in the woods that was used for mining gold, but when Ryan and Sarah go to the dredge to investigate, a terrible accident happens. Laid up with an injury, Ryan continues the investigation from home, using the Internet and other resources, while Sarah takes her video camera out to try to gather more information. But it seems like everyone in Skeleton Creek is trying to hide something, and the two teens have been forbidden to communicate with each other. Will Sarah and Ryan be able to uncover the truth before something terrible happens?

Skeleton Creek is a story told in alternating text and video, to make the book more interesting to reluctant readers in our media saturated world. It's an interesting idea, and I think it's done well: the text and video are very well integrated and go hand in hand to create a compelling story. Ryan is an obsessive writer, and the text of the book comprises his journals, as he documents everything. Sarah is equally obsessed with her video camera, and at various intervals in the text, a password is provided to view another of Sarah's videos on the web site. There is also an alternate reality game at www.skeletoncreekisreal.com, which is built around the idea of trying to uncover evidence that the story of Skeleton Creek is real.

The text is written in a fairly simple style, but I think that was done intentionally to make it easier for reluctant readers. I'm not the intended audience for the book, and I honestly didn't expect to enjoy the book for its own sake. I read it with the intent of evaluating whether it would appeal to its intended audience. And as I expected, for the first part of the book, I didn't find the story very compelling. However, after the first video, I started finding myself pulled into the story more and more. I got so wrapped up in it that I almost screamed after watching the last video, and immediately went online to try to find someone else who had read it to talk about it with me. The book ends on quite a cliffhanger.

I don't think that the text of the book would stand alone very well, however, I don't think it was intended to. The words and the videos are designed to work together, and they do that. I'm not a writer, but I think it's probably difficult to write books that are simple enough for kids who have trouble reading, yet compelling enough to hold the attention of a tween or teen reluctant reader. Skeleton Creek addresses that problem by using the videos to hook the reader, and the fairly simple text to tie it all together.

The book is typeset using a font that looks like it's printed by hand, to enhance the illusion that the book is Ryan's journal. It's not a fancy or cursive font; the letters are printed in a fairly simple block style and the words are set in all upper case. I don't know if it would be difficult for struggling readers to read or not.

I was a bit confused when I finished the book; not only does it end on a cliffhanger, but there were many threads not wrapped up. My advance reading copy didn't say it was part of a series, but I've since been told that there is a sequel coming out later this year, which cleared up my confusion.

One thing that I found frustrating was that I'm often not at the computer when I read, and I kept having to stop reading every time I got to one of the video pages, until I could get back to my computer. I don't know if this would be a problem for the intended audience or not, because I don't know how much they have their computers handy while reading. I couldn't help wondering if there would have been a way to tie this into the ubiquitous mobile phones. Could it have been set up to text the password to a certain number to get the next video delivered to your mobile phone? I don't know enough about mobile technology to know if this is possible, but if so, I think it would be a great way to do a project like this in the future.

Cover released for The Last Olympian! (Percy Jackson Book 5)

The cover has been released for The Last Olympian, the fifth and last book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series! You can see the new cover to the left. Also see the Interview with Blackjack the Pegasus on Rick Riordan's blog.

The Last Olympian will be published on May 5. You can preorder it from Amazon.com or from your local independent bookstore through IndieBound.

Book Review: Princess Academy

I finished Princess Academy, by Shannon Hale, on audio today. I actually started listening to it a while back and then stopped, not because I wasn't enjoying it, but because my schedule changed and I stopped making a long drive that I used to make regularly. Recently, I started exercising, and it was a good excuse to pick up the audio where I left off. I'm glad I did; I really enjoyed it. Rather than writing a long blog review, as I usually do, I wrote a short review on Goodreads, which I'm reproducing here using code automatically generated by Goodreads. (Cheating, I know. Sorry!)

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I listened to this book on audio and the Full Cast Audio production was very well done and highly listenable, as they always are. This is the second Shannon Hale book that I've read, and I enjoyed it just as much as the first one. (Book of a Thousand Days). The characters are vivid and fascinating, and the mountain culture beautifully described. It certainly made me want to live on Mount Eskel! I was listening to this while exercising, and I was at the climax when I reached my exercise goal for the day - but I kept on exercising because I couldn't bear to stop listening. Thanks, Shannon Hale, for contributing to my fitness!


View all my reviews.

Cybils 2008: Final days and my picks!

In less than a week, on January 1, the 2008 finalists will be announced in eight categories for the Children's and Young Adult Bloggers Literary Awards, better known as the Cybils. This year, I wasn't able to serve on the Fantasy and Science Fiction committee as I have in the previous two years, due to a conflict of interest, so I'm on the outside looking in. Like everyone else, I'm eagerly waiting to find out the finalists in all of the categories, but especially in the Fantasy and Science Fiction categories. I'm so excited with anticipation that I feel like it's Christmas Eve all over again.

You can follow the Cybils on their web site. All updates, including announcements of finalists and winners, will be posted there. Even better, add the blog to your blog reader and get the updates automatically.

While we're waiting, I thought I'd post my picks for finalists in the SFF category. Keep in mind that I am NOT on the committee this year, and I have no idea what books they're moving towards for finalists. I'll be as surprised as anyone else. But these are the books that I'd be voting for, if I were on the committee.

In looking at the nominees in the SFF middle/elementary category, I discovered that I haven't read enough of them to be able to pick a shortlist. This surprised me a bit, because for the first part of the year, before I knew I wouldn't be able to be on the committee, I made a real effort to read as many books that I thought might be nominated as possible. But I must have been reading older, because I have read a number of the teen books, although no where near as many as I would have if I'd actually been on the committee. (You can go through a lot of books in two months of concentrated reading).

I'm not even going to attempt to choose a shortlist in the middle/elementary category, but here are the books that I'd like to see as finalists in the teen category:

Ratha's Courage
Disclaimer: Let me be clear up front that I'm not unbiased about this book, because I published it. However, if I didn't love it, I wouldn't have published it, and I still think it's one of the best books of the year. Ratha's Courage is the reason that I couldn't serve on the SFF committee; it would have been a conflict of interest.


The Hunger Games
Children from conquered provinces are forced to compete in a reality TV-esque fight to the death. Read my review


In the Company of Whispers
This is an amazing, unique, and genre-bending book. A frightening and poignant love story set in a dystopian society is complemented with old photographs, letters, and mementos from Burma. Read my review


Little Brother
An exciting story about a teenager using technology to resist the Department of Homeland Security in a techno-thriller set in a near future close enough to our present to be frightening. Read my review


Lonely Werewolf Girl
A wild, humorous, and outrageous story of two hapless and naive humans who are caught up in a battle for succession in the werewolf royal family. This was the book I nominated in the SFF category. I actually never reviewed it, but you can Read some of my thoughts about it here.


Nation
I just finished this book and loved it. After a tsunami wipes out an entire island nation, two young people try to find a way to survive and to make sense of the tragedy, and, as other refugees start trickling in, to rebuild civilization. It's hilarious and poignant and incredibly profound. Read my review.

Book Review: Nation

Nation
by Terry Pratchett

Mau is returning home from his manhood test when the wave comes. All the boys from the Nation, an island culture, must spend a month alone on the Boys' Island when they reach the age of adulthood, and they have to find a way to return to Nation on their own. When Mau left the Boys' Island in his canoe, he left his boy soul behind; he would receive his man soul in a coming of age ceremony as soon as he returned to Nation. But before he reaches home, a volcanic eruption triggers a tsunami; Mau barely survives, and he returns home to find out that the entire Nation was wiped out. He's lost his boy soul, but never has the chance to get his man soul. Mau is a boy without a soul, and a man without a nation.

Mau isn't alone, though. An English ship crashed on the island in the wave, and the only survivor of the ship is an English girl named Ermintrude, who takes the name Daphne. Ermintrude is from a noble family, and hasn't been taught any skills useful for surviving on a tropical island, but she's a very determined and intelligent young lady, and it doesn't take her long to adapt. Together, the two young people try to find a way to survive and to make sense of the tragedy, and as other refugees start trickling in, to rebuild civilization.

Nation is an incredible book, easily one of the best books of the year. It's hilarious and poignant and incredibly profound. It's a great story of the meeting of two cultures, and the aftermath of a disaster, but it's so much more than that, too. It explores those unanswerable questions that humans have been asking for as long as we've been around: Are there gods, and if so, why do they let tragedies happen? Why do some people die and not others? What makes us human, and what makes a nation? Can science and belief co-exist? It's also a book that explores and challenges many preconceptions.

The characters are wonderfully rich and deep, and often more than they appear at first. Mau, the boy who has no soul, becomes the soul of the Nation, and they in turn become his soul. He's always questioning, and challenging the gods. But he loves his Nation, both the original Nation and the new Nation that he helps to build, and takes personal responsibility for the well-being of the people who depend on him. Daphne appears at first to be the helpless European girl, but it soon becomes apparent that she's anything but helpless. In spite of her training that to do anything useful is unladylike, she's incredibly intelligent and resourceful. She adapts well to life in the Nation and becomes a leader in her own way. The shipwreck really saves her, as it allows her to grow in ways she never would have been able to grow in England, or even in the island English colony where she was headed to join her father.

Beyond Daphne and Mau, there is a delightful cast of supporting characters, from Pilu, with his golden tongue, to Mrs. Gurgle, an older woman with no teeth who needs her food chewed for her, and who is more than she appears. Even the island and the creatures on it are characters; I especially loved the grandfather birds, and their arch-enemy, the parrot who survived the shipwreck.

There's so much to love about Nation, and I think that adults and teens will love it. But it will have special appeal to those teens who always seem to be asking the difficult questions, and seeking answers about life. Nation doesn't provide any answers, but it does give a lot of food for thought.

Book Review: Princess of the Midnight Ball

Princess of the Midnight Ball
by Jessica Day George
Returning from the war, a young soldier named Galen meets an old woman who asks for help. After Galen shares his meager food with her, she gives him gifts: a cloak that renders the wearer invisible, and two balls of wool: one white and one black. Galen has been a soldier his entire life, having grown up on the front, but now that the war is over he's headed to Bruch, the capital city of Westfalin, in hope of finding work with his mother's family.

In Bruch, Galen becomes an under-gardener in the palace. Galen soon learns that all is not well with the royal family: something is going on with the King's twelve daughters. They don't appear well, and every night their dancing slippers are worn out, in spite of being locked into their rooms. After a chance encounter with the oldest princess, Rose, Galen is determined to try to do something to help. But what can a lowly gardener possibly do against the supernatural forces threatening the princesses?

Princess of the Midnight Ball is a lovely retelling of the fairy tale of The Twelve Dancing Princesses. Jessica Day George doesn't break much new ground here - it follows the original fairy tale pretty closely - but she fills in the details nicely, making for an enjoyable read. Princess of the Midnight Ball is peopled with some interesting characters, most notably, the knitting soldier/gardener Galen. Day George explains in an afterword that far from being women's work, knitting used to be the exclusive province of men. In a fun twist, Day George also provides the knitting patterns for two of the items Galen makes in the story. I also liked that, rather than idly waiting to be rescued, the princesses did what they could to contribute to saving themselves.

With twelve princesses, creating distinct characters for each one is a difficult task, and I had trouble keeping them all straight. A few of the princesses stood out in my mind, but many of them blended together. Day George did an admirable job of giving them each individual personalities given the number of princesses and the short length of the book; I think the only way to really solve this problem would be to reduce the number of princesses, as Juliet Marillier did with Wildwood Dancing.

Overall, Princess of the Midnight Ball is a fun read that will be enjoyed by fans of fairy tale retellings.

Princess of the Midnight Ball will be released January 20, 2009.

Book Review: The Knife of Never Letting Go

The Knife of Never Letting Go
Chaos Walking: Book One
by Patrick Ness

Todd Hewitt lives in Prentisstown, a town of men and boys. There are no women in Prentisstown, because they all died, along with many of the men, from a virus released as a biological agent in the war between the colonists and the natives of the New World, known to the colonists as "Spacks." The same virus made it so that all the surviving men can hear each others thoughts, a constant barrage that they call Noise. Todd is the last boy in Prentisstown; all the others have become men, and with no women, there will be no more children. In one month, Todd will officially be a man as well.

But then Todd finds something unexpected in the swamp; something that will turn his world upside down. Everything he knows, or thinks he knows, is wrong, and soon Todd is on the run, pursued by the Prentisstown authorities. The world is far different than what he was led to believe, but is there anyplace in it where he can be safe?

I'm still trying to decide if I loved this book or hated it. First, you need to know that Bad Things Happen in this book. That's not necessarily a bad thing; it does provide a fair bit of dramatic tension. But if you are a person who doesn't like sad books, you may not want to read this one.

Overall, I loved the book. It's well-written, engaging, exciting, and the characters are very well developed. Even Todd's dog Manchee turns out to be quite an interesting character, in spite of Todd's assertion on the first page that "...dogs don't got nothing much to say."

I love the way Ness shows the Noise, as a mess of overlapping words of different sizes and shapes. It really conveys what it must be like to hear every thought that bounces through everyone's mind. I also loved the idea that in spite of hearing every thought, deception and outright lies are not only possible, they're common. Noise lies. The thoughts that go through our heads aren't always true, and with so much noise, it's easy to hide things in the commotion.

I read this book pretty much straight through without stopping. I kept wanting to slow down so that I could better appreciate the excellent writing, but the story was so exciting that it drove me along at a fast pace. I told myself that I'd go back and reread it when I finished, to savor the writing. But - when I finished the book I was so angry that I didn't feel like going back to reread it anymore.

I don't want to say too much, because I don't want to spoil the book for you. But I can't fully express my opinion without saying something about the ending. I'm not going to say very much, but if you don't want to know anything, you should stop reading now.

The book ends on a cliffhanger, which isn't uncommon for the first book in a series. But what made me angry is that what happens right before the end, and the way things seem to be headed, negates the whole theme of the book. Hope is such a strong theme throughout the book; even when you have no reason to hope, you have to go on because of hope. But, the way things seem in the end, it appears that all that hope was wasted. There is no reason to hope after all. It made the book pretty much of a downer. Laini Taylor called it a "punch in the stomach," and I think that's a good description.

I've decided to reserve judgment until the second book. Maybe things will turn out differently than they appear at the end. Maybe there is hope after all. But for right now, if you don't like reading books that leave you feeling a little down, you might want to wait on this one until book 2 comes out.

Book Review: The City in the Lake

The City in the Lake
by Rachel Neumeier

Timou is the daughter of the mage Kapoen, growing up in a small, remote village. Timou never knew her mother; Kapoen brought her from the city as a baby with no explanation. Unlike her father and the other villagers, Timou is fair and pale, with light hair and pale eyes.

Under Kapoen's tutelage, Timou is learning to be a mage, to find the stillness which is the heart of magecraft. But when Timou is around Jonas, a young man recently moved to the village, she has difficulty finding the stillness, because of the confusion he causes in her heart.

Far from the village, past the great forest, is the City. The City is the heart of the kingdom, and the King is the heart of the City. But the King's younger son and heir has disappeared, taking the heart of the City with him. In Timou's village, the effect of the disappearance is felt when babies, both animal and human, start to be stillborn. Kapoen sets off to the City to try to help, warning Timou not to follow him no matter what happens. But when Kapoen doesn't come back, Timou ignores his warning and sets off to find her father.

The City in the Lake is an immensely satisfying book heavy with myth, metaphor, and symbol. It's beautifully written book with a fairy-tale feel but more depth than a fairy tale. It draws on myth and folklore for some of the imagery and elements, yet it's a wholly original tale.

This isn't a book that all teens will appreciate. I know teens that will love it, but I also know teens that will find the long symbolic passages of wandering through the forest to be boring. This is a book for teens (and adults) who love rich language, good writing, and depth of plot and characterization, but who don't need action around every turn. There is excitement, and suspense, and conflict, but it's not a fast-paced book.

It was also a pleasure to read a book that is complete in itself; so many of the books that I've read lately leave plot threads unresolved to set up for a sequel.

Book Review: Eon: Dragoneye Reborn

Eon: Dragoneye Reborn
by Alison Goodman

Twelve energy dragons protect the land, each dragon linked to a human Dragoneye, who channels the dragon's power in exchange for giving his hua, or life energy, to the dragon. The twelve dragons represent the twelve points on the compass and the twelve animals of the zodiac. Every year, one of the twelve dragons becomes the ascendant dragon. On New Years Day, twelve boys are presented to the newly ascendant dragon as candidates; the one chosen by the dragon becomes the new Dragoneye apprentice.

Eon is unusual among the candidates. Permanently crippled from a hip injury, he would normally not be eligible to be a candidate. But Eon can see the dragons - all of them - an exceedingly rare ability. Eon is unusual for another reason: Eon is really Eona, a girl. Girls are considered inferior, and not eligible to be Dragoneye candidates. If anyone were to find out that Eon is really a girl, it would mean death for her and her master, the man who discovered her and who is sponsoring her in her candidacy.

But there's more at stake then Eon's own future, as she soon finds herself caught up in court intrigue and power struggles for control of the empire.

Eon: Dragoneye Reborn is an original and fascinating fantasy which includes elements of several Asian cultures, although not based directly on any one specific culture. Gender identity is a key theme of the book, as the idea of what makes one male or female is explored throughout the book. Although the idea of a girl disguised as a boy is an old one, it's handled well and not always in the expected ways. So effective is Eon's deception that, even knowing that she's female, I'm struggling with whether to use the male or female pronoun in writing this review. There is also a Contraire, a woman in the body of a man, who is revered in her own land but reviled in this one, and only tolerated because she is a guest of the Emperor. There are also many eunuchs, some with male characteristics and some with female characteristics, and herbs that can temporarily alter the Sun (male) or Moon (female) energy in a person.

I found some of the key plot points to be predictable, but it didn't diminish my enjoyment of this well-written fantasy. Rather, I was so wrapped up in the story that I found myself shouting at Eon when I could see things that she hadn't figured out yet. There are many fascinating characters; in addition to Eon, I especially liked Lady Dela, the Contraire, Ryko, her eunuch guard, and Chart, a crippled boy living at Eon's master's house, and who is her friend.

Eon: Dragoneye Reborn is a richly detailed fantasy that will appeal to anyone who loves stories of exotic lands, court intrigue, interesting characters, power struggles, secrets, and personal heroism. It's the first book of duology; although the story is wrapped up in a satisfying way, there are some plot elements left unresolved.

As one would expect from a book that deals so extensively with gender, there are some mature elements (starting with the question of what is a eunuch.)

Eon: Dragoneye Reborn will be published on December 26, 2008.

Cybils 2008 Nominee Widget

There's a fresh new widget available from Jacketflap that rotates through the Cybils 2008 nominees and displays a different one with each page view:

You can customize the widget to select the colors and which category or categories you want to display. Mine displays only the fantasy and science fiction nominees (both age groups) but you can display all nominees for all categories, if you want. I've added one to the sidebar - see it over there on the right (you might have to scroll down a bit). To get your own, click on the "get this widget" link in the widget itself, or click here to go to Jacketflap and get one

Cybils 2008 Nominees: Fantasy and Science Fiction: Teen

I just posted the list of Cybils 2008 nominees for Fantasy and Science Fiction: middle and elementary here. Now, here's the list of nominees for Fantasy and Science Fiction: Teen:

Adoration of Jenna Fox
written by Mary E. Pearson
Macmillan

Reviewed by: lainitaylor | Nettle |

Angel
written by Cliff McNish
Lerner Publishing Group

Reviewed by: Charlotte |

Aurelie
written by Heather Tomlinson
Henry Holt

Battle of the Labyrinth
written by Rick Riordan
Hyperion

Bewitching Season
written by Marissa Doyle
Henry Holt

Bite Me
written by Parker Blue
Bell Bridge

Bliss
written by Lauren Myracle
Abrams for Young Readers

Reviewed by: EmsBookshelf | Nettle |

Book of Names
written by D. Barkley Briggs
NavPress Publishing Group

Breaking Dawn
written by Stephanie Meyer
Little, Brown

Reviewed by: EmsBookshelf | tcr |

Brisingr
written by Christopher Paolini
Random House Children's Books

Reviewed by: AmandaBlau |

Chalice
written by Robin McKinley
Penguin USA

Reviewed by: Charlotte |

Charm for a Unicorn
written by Jennifer Macaire
Calderwood Books

Cherry Heaven
written by L. J. Adlington
HarperCollins

Reviewed by: tcr |

City in the Lake
written by Rachel Neumeier
Random House Children's Books

City of Ashes
written by Cassandra Clare
Simon & Schuster

Reviewed by: AmandaBlau | tcr |

Crimson Thread
written by Suzanne Weyn
Simon & Schuster

Reviewed by: EmsBookshelf |

Curse Dark as Gold
written by Elizabeth C. Bunce
Scholastic

Reviewed by: EmsBookshelf | Nettle | tcr |

Cybele's Secret
written by Juliet Marillier
Knopf Books for Young Readers

Cycler
written by Lauren McLaughlin
Random House Children's Books

Reviewed by: EmsBookshelf |

Damosel
written by Stephanie Spinner
Knopf Books for Young Readers

Reviewed by: Nettle |

Dead and the Gone
written by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Harcourt

Dead Girl Walking
written by Linda Singleton
Llewellyn

Reviewed by: Charlotte |

Dead Is the New Black
written by Marlene Perez
Harcourt

Devouring
written by Simon Holt
Little, Brown

Reviewed by: Nettle |

Dingo
written by Charles de Lint
Penguin USA

Dragon Heir, The
written by Cinda Williams Chima
Hyperion

Dream Girl
written by Lauren Mechling
Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers

Reviewed by: Nettle |

Evernight
written by Claudia Gray
HarperCollins

Explosionist
written by Jenny Davidson
HarperCollins

First Duty
written by Marva Dasef
Sam's Dot Publishing

Found
written by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Simon & Schuster

Reviewed by: Charlotte |

Generation Dead
written by Daniel Waters
Hyperion

Reviewed by: AmandaBlau | Nettle | tcr |

Ghosts of Kerfol
written by Deborah Noyes
Candlewick Press

Graceling
written by Kristin Cashore
Harcourt

Reviewed by: AmandaBlau |

How to Ditch Your Fairy
written by Justine Larbalestier
Bloomsbury USA

Reviewed by: AmandaBlau | Charlotte |

Humming of Numbers
written by Joni Sensel
Henry Holt

Hunger Games, The
written by Suzanne Collins
Scholastic

Reviewed by: AmandaBlau | tcr |

Impossible
written by Nancy Werlin
Penguin USA

Reviewed by: Nettle | tcr |

Impossible
Penguin USA

In the Company of Whispers
written by Sally Lowenstein
Lion Stone Books

Ink Exchange
written by Melissa Marr
HarperCollins

Invisible Touch
written by Kelly Parra
MTV

Knife of Never Letting Go
written by Patrick Ness
Candlewick Press

Lament:The Faerie Queen's Deception
written by Maggie Stiefvater
Llewellyn

Last of the High Kings, The
written by Kate Thompson
HarperCollins

Lifeblood
written by Tom Becker
Franklin Watts

Little Brother
written by Cory Doctorow
Macmillan

Reviewed by: AmandaBlau | Nettle |

Lonely Werewolf Girl
written by Martin Millar
Soft Skull Press

Reviewed by: AmandaBlau |

Magician: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel
written by Michael Scott
Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers

Masks Rise of Heroes
written by Haydon Thorne
Prizm

Melting Stones
written by Tamora Pierce
Scholastic

Moonstone
written by Marilee Brothers
Bell Bridge

Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit
written by Nahoko Uehashi
Scholastic

Must Love Black
written by Kelly McClymer
Simon & Schuster

Nation
written by Terry Pratchett
HarperCollins

Night Road
written by A. M. Jenkins
HarperCollins

Night World No. 1 : Secret Vampire/Daughters of Darkness/Spellbinder
Simon & Schuster

Reviewed by: tcr |

Nobody's Prize
written by Esther Friesner
Random House Children's Books

Noman
written by William Nicholson
Harcourt

Oh. My. Gods.
written by Tera Lynn Childs
Penguin USA

Reviewed by: tcr |

Other Book
written by Philip Womack
Bloomsbury USA

Pillage
written by Obert Skye
Shadow Mountain

Poison Ink
written by Christopher Golden
Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers

Reviewed by: Nettle |

Posse of Princesses
written by Sherwood Smith
Norilana Books

Pretty Monsters
written by Kelly Link
illustrated by Shaun Tan
Penguin USA

Reviewed by: tcr |

Princess Ben
written by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Houghton Mifflin

Reviewed by: EmsBookshelf |

Ranger's Apprentice: The Battle for Skandia
written by John Flanagan
Penguin USA

Ratha's Courage
written by Clare Bell
Imaginator Press

Reviewed by: Charlotte |

Red Necklace
written by Sally Gardner
Dial

Resistance
written by Gemma Malley
Bloomsbury USA

Revealers
written by Amanda Marrone
Simon & Schuster

Reviewed by: Nettle | tcr |

Sapphique
written by Catherine Fisher
Hodder Children's Books

Saving Juliet
written by Suzanne Selfors
Walker Books for Young Readers

Reviewed by: Charlotte |

Secret of Bailey's Chase
written by Marlis Day
Echelon Press

Secrets of the Survivors
written by Mark L. Eastburn
Xlibris

Sky Inside
written by Clare Dunkle
Simon & Schuster

Starclimber
written by Kenneth Oppel
Harper Collins Canada

Stone Crown
written by Malcolm Walker
Walker Books Australia

Stowaway: Stone of Tymora, Book I
written by R.A. Salvatore
and Geno Salvatore
Mirrorstone

Stranger to Command
written by Sherwood Smith
Norilana Books

Sucks to Be Me
written by Kimberly Pauley
Mirrorstone

Reviewed by: EmsBookshelf | tcr |

Summoning, The
written by Kelly Armstrong
HarperCollins

Reviewed by: EmsBookshelf |

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow
written by Jessica Day George
Bloomsbury USA

Reviewed by: Charlotte |

Swan Kingdom
written by Zoe Marriott
Candlewick Press

Switch
written by Carol Snow
HarperCollins

Reviewed by: EmsBookshelf |

Tender Morsels
written by Margo Lanagan
Random House Children's Books

Tim, Defender of the Earth
written by Sam Enthoven
Penguin USA

Time Paradox
written by Eoin Colfer
Hyperion

Treason in Eswy
written by K. V. Johansen
Orca Books

Twelve Kingdoms, Volume 2: Sea of Wind
written by Fuyumi Ono
TokyoPop

Two Pearls of Wisdom
written by Alison Goodman
HarperCollins

Untamed: A House of Night Novel
written by PC Cast
and Kristin Cast
St. Martin's Griffin

Vampire Academy: Frostbite
written by Richelle Mead
Penguin USA

Reviewed by: tcr |

Wake
written by Lisa McMann
Simon & Schuster

Reviewed by: tcr |

Wild Talent
Thistledown

Reviewed by: Charlotte |

Worldweavers: Spellspam
written by Alma Alexander
HarperCollins

Zoe's Tale
written by John Scalzi
Macmillan

Zombie Blondes
written by Brian James
Feiwel & Friends