A Million Suns

Caution!  If you haven’t already read Across the Universe by Beth Revis, stop what you’re doing, go directly to your nearest library or bookstore, and commence reading.  Immediately upon finishing, you may continue with this post or begin reading the unbelievably awesome sequel, A Million Suns.  You have your instructions.  Go.

Now that our warning is out of the way…if you’re still reading this, I’m assuming you’ve read Across the Universe and have read or plan to read A Million Suns.  A Million Suns, in my opinion, is an atypical second book in a series. It’s not simply a placeholder between books one and three. It is wonderful in its own right, and the story was gripping from start to finish. That’s not to say that you should read this one without reading Across the Universe first. No way. You’d be completely lost. But A Million Suns delves deeper into life aboard Godspeed and the complicated relationship between Amy and Elder, and it provides readers with a mystery all its own. Each chapter ends with a cliffhanger that will keep readers on pins and needles and force them to keep reading (even when they know they should go to bed because they’ve got to work the next morning) to see what mayhem awaits on board this ship that is hiding some devastating secrets.

Three months after Amy is awakened from her cryogenic “sleep,” life on board Godspeed is more chaotic than ever.  Eldest is dead, and Elder has taken over as leader of the ship.  He’s got some big shoes to fill, and he doesn’t know if he can–or if he even wants to–rule over the inhabitants of this ship.  And when he learns some devastating news about the ship he calls home, he feels more unsure than ever.  When some of the citizens begin to rebel against the Eldest system of government, Elder is faced with even more turmoil.  How can he get the people to follow him when even he’s not sure what he’s doing?

As Elder fights to keep control, Amy is dealing with her own issues.  She’s still shunned–if not outright hated and feared–by nearly everyone, she’s confused about her feelings for Elder, she longs for the home she’s lost and the parents who remain out of her reach, and she’s forced to face the fact that she’s the target of a sadistic psychopath.  And that’s not all.  Someone has presented Amy with a mystery to solve.  She knows who is leaving her these puzzling clues, but she’s not sure why or what makes her the only one who can put the pieces together.  She does know one thing…if she doesn’t solve the mystery soon, everyone aboard Godspeed could be doomed forever.

Enlisting the help of Elder–the only person she can trust–Amy begins to realize that secrets abound on this ship.  Secrets that date back hundreds of years.  Secrets that have the power to save–or kill–them all.  Can Amy and Elder unlock the truth before it’s too late?  Will the truth set them free, or will it trap them in a prison with no chance of escape?  Read A Million Suns by Beth Revis to discover how two young people will fight for the chance to have a future.

I’ve tried here, but mere words cannot express how wonderful A Million Suns truly is.  It crosses genre boundaries.  It’s a delightful mix of science fiction, dystopian lit., romance, action, mystery and suspense.  There’s something for everyone.  Beth Revis is a master of the cliffhanger, and I promise you will not want to put this book down.  Like Across the Universe, A Millions Suns is spectacular and will not disappoint, and I can’t wait to see where this journey takes us in the third book of this trilogy, Shades of Earth, due in January of 2013.

If you’re hungry for more information about Beth Revis and her outstanding books, visit http://www.bethrevis.com/.  You can also follow her on Twitter @bethrevis.

Now, dear readers, I must dash.  I’m headed to the hospital to await the birth of my first niece.  Hopefully, by the end of the day, I will be Aunt Knight Reader!

The Hunger Games begin in two months!!!

Two months from today, Hunger Games fans the world over will finally be able to see the highly anticipated movie adaptation of the first book in this amazing series. If you haven’t already seen the official movie poster, here it is:

Pretty cool, no? (I do prefer the teaser poster, but I like this one, too.)  And if posters alone aren’t enough to whet your appetite, check out the official movie trailer below.  Only two months to wait!  Oh, I hope Hollywood doesn’t disappoint me again.

Wonderstruck

After reading the wonder that is The Invention of Hugo Cabret, I knew I had to read the latest work of art by Brian Selznick, Wonderstruck.  I finally got around to it this week (at the urging of some of my students), and I was immediately captivated by this amazing story.  Although the book is over 600 pages long, it took me less than two days to read it.  (Of course, it helps that over half of the pages were pictures.)  Wonderstruck brings together two seemingly independent stories–one told in words and the other in illustrations–that take readers on an emotional journey that will leave them…well…wonderstruck!

Ben, a boy living in Minnesota in the 1970s, and Rose, a girl living in New Jersey in the 1920s, are searching for the same thing–a place to belong. Both of them long for the parents that seem (and often really are) out of their reach. As both young people go on a quest to find their places in the world, their stories intertwine, and both of them end up in a museum at the heart of New York City. What connection does this museum have to Ben and Rose? And can it help them to find the sense of belonging that they’ve always wanted? Read Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick and join Ben and Rose as they discover the truth about their pasts and the connections that will lead them into the future.

Wonderstruck is an absolutely beautiful story that will resonate with readers from ages 10 to 100.  The symmetry with which Brian Selznick wove the two seemingly independent tales of Ben and Rose is truly remarkable, and the similarities between the characters will appeal to many, as will the connections that bridges the gap between the fifty years that separate them.  

The pencil drawings in Wonderstruck, like all of the illustrations I’ve seen by Brian Selznick, are gorgeous.  It’s amazing to me–an admitted non-artist–how someone can convey a character’s emotions simply by drawing their eyes.  No words were needed.  I knew exactly what the character was feeling, and I experienced those emotions as well.  Brian Selznick proves that his pictures truly are worth a thousand words.

If you’re looking for your next great read, I highly recommend Wonderstruck.  You won’t be disappointed.

For more information on Wonderstruck and author Brian Selznick, visit http://www.wonderstruckthebook.com/.

Vanish

Spoilers (and dragons) ahead!  Before reading Sophie Jordan’s Vanish, you MUST read Firelight, the first book in this series.  (You should really read Firelight anyway.  It’s pretty awesome.)

If you’re still reading this post, I’m guessing you’ve read Firelight, and, if you’re anything like me, you thought it was great.  Now, I read Firelight in October of 2010, so you can imagine that I forgot quite a few details before reading the sequel.  But I still remembered the basics of this awesome story before I began Vanish.  (Revisiting my post on the first book helped a lot.)  This was extremely important because Vanish picked up immediately where Firelight left off.  Jacinda, a fire-breathing draki, is forced to choose between Will, the love of her life, and the pride she left behind…

After revealing herself to the dreaded hunters in an attempt to save her beloved’s life, Jacinda must make a heart-wrenching decision.  She must leave Will behind, possibly forever and with no memory of her, and return to the safety of the pride of draki who now view her as a traitor.  With her mother and her twin sister Tamra–who is demonstrating some surprising new abilities–Jacinda rejoins her own kind–descendants of dragons who must be careful to keep themselves hidden from the hunters who seek to destroy them.

Life with the pride is no longer as easy as it once was for Jacinda.  Although her status as a fire-breather still offers her some measure of protection, Jacinda is no longer favored among the draki.  (That honor now belongs to her sister.)  Jacinda must work harder to prove herself to the pride and show them that her loyalty resides with them.  It is by no means easy.

The hostility, surveillance, and restrictions surrounding her are taking their toll on Jacinda.  Even though she longs to experience the freedom she felt when she and Will were together, Jacinda also desires the approval and acceptance of her fellow draki.  Only Cassian, the heir of the pride’s leader, seems to care anything about her.  It’s clear that he still wants her as his mate, and Jacinda gradually begins to believe that he might offer her a way to get over losing Will and find her place within the pride.  But an intruder into the pride’s settlement may change that…

When Jacinda is offered the startling opportunity to reunite with Will, she takes chances that endanger her life and the lives of everyone she holds dear.  What will she have to sacrifice to be with the one she loves?  Will it be worth it?  And what punishments will be visited upon her and her family if it is discovered that she left the pride to be with a hunter?  Will Jacinda ever find the freedom she longs for?  Read Vanish, the second book in Sophie Jordan’s Firelight series, to discover what one girl will do to be truly free. 

As is often the case with books I really enjoy, this post doesn’t even come close to capturing how wonderful and anxiety-inducing Vanish is.  I flew through this book simply because I couldn’t bring myself to stop reading.  I kept hoping that the next page would bring something good into Jacinda’s life.  (Sometimes I was right.  Sometimes…not so much.)  Like Firelight, Vanish was an engrossing read that will be popular with readers who enjoy characters whose love is seemingly doomed.  The prospect of Jacinda and Will being together despite all of the odds stacked against them is what keeps us reading.

Speaking of keeping us reading, the third book in the Firelight trilogy, Hidden, will be released in September of this year.  I look forward to seeing how events play out for Jacinda, Will, and even Tamra and Cassian.  Should be a fun ride!

For more information about author Sophie Jordan and the Firelight series, visit http://www.sophiejordan.net/ya/news.html.

 

Living Violet

I don’t know about you, but it’s rare for me to find supernatural books for teens that deviate from the standard middle-class, thin, perfect, white-girl heroine.  Maybe I’m not looking in the right places, but my latest read, an ARC I received recently, found it’s way to me, and it provided a somewhat refreshing change from the typical paranormal romance.  The girl in Living Violet, the first book in The Cambion Chronicles by Jaime Reed, is a tough, no-nonsense, biracial girl who is careful with her heart and won’t give it away easily to anyone.  At least, not yet…

Samara is not like most of the girls around her. She respects her parents (most of the time, anyway), she’s a loyal friend, she expects people to accept her just as she is, she’s a hard worker…and she isn’t drooling over Caleb, the mysterious guy with the violet eyes who works with her at Buncha Books. Caleb’s not even all that hot, but he can’t keep the women off of him. Samara gets that his eyes may be kind of cool, but girls don’t usually go stark-raving mad because a guy has pretty eyes. What is it about him? And why has he suddenly decided that chasing Samara, the one girl who can resist him, is a great idea?

Soon, Samara’s curiosity gets the best of her, and she and Caleb strike up an unlikely friendship.  Samara is driven by her need to know more about the enigma that is Caleb…particularly why the girls he “cavorts” with tend to end up in the hospital with heart failure.  As Caleb slowly reveals his secrets to Samara, she is both repulsed and intrigued. 

Samara wants to know more about Caleb’s “condition” and how she can possibly help him fight the demon within.  Will she be able to help him without losing herself?  When someone from Caleb’s past enters the picture and threatens everything and everyone Samara holds dear, will Samara and Caleb, who are just figuring out their feelings for each other, be strong enough to fight something determined to tear them apart?  Read Living Violet, the first book in Jaime Reed’s Cambion Chronicles, to find out!

Living Violet is a nice first book in what promises to be an interesting series.  This was a fairly quick read that will appeal to females, especially those who don’t really feel represented in standard YA paranormal fiction.  A biracial girl living in the South has very different experiences than, say, a pasty white girl who moves to Washington.  (This is coming from a pasty white girl who lives in the South.)  

Since I received an uncorrected proof of this book, there were some glaring grammatical errors that distracted me a bit, but I’m sure those have been corrected for the final printing.  All in all, though, I liked this book, and I would recommend it to any high school or young adult library collection.

Living Violet is currently available wherever books are sold, and the sequel, Burning Emerald (a spectacular title givin the way the first book ended), is set for a June 2012 release.  If you’d like more information about The Cambion Chronicles or author Jaime Reed, visit http://jreedwriteordie.blogspot.com/.

Bloodrose

Spoilers ahead!!!  I finished reading Bloodrose, the third book in the Andrea Cremer’s Nightshade trilogy last night.  If you keep reading this post and haven’t already read Nightshade and Wolfsbane, you will be sorry!  Sorry, I tell you!

After you’ve read these two books, then you should proceed directly to Bloodrose!

War is looming. Calla Tor and her pack of Guardians (aka werewolves) are uniting with the Searchers to finally defeat the evil Keepers who have oppressed them for as long as anyone can remember.  The primary weapon in this war is Shay, the Scion (and, quite possibly, the love of Calla’s life), who can only defeat the bad guys if he obtains every piece of the Elemental Cross (two kick-butt swords made out of four pieces empowered by earth, air, water, and fire).  Finding the pieces of the Elemental Cross is treacherous, but it is a journey that must be made if this war is to be won.

As if waging war isn’t tough enough, Calla also has to tread the dangerous waters of her own love life.  After saving Ren, the guy who was supposed to be her alpha mate, Calla is worried about Shay’s reaction and what it could mean for the battles ahead.  Calla must deal with her feelings for both guys.  She thought everything was so cut and dried, but what if it’s not?  What if she really is meant to be with Ren?  What if Shay’s role as the Scion places him forever out of her reach?

Even though Calla is torn between the boy she’s always known and the one she gave up everything for, she has to put her own desires aside to face the difficult journey ahead.  She must step up as the alpha of the pack (since she can’t choose her mate at the moment) and lead her fellow wolves and their Searcher allies into battle.  They will face horrors that make them want to give up, they will encounter former friends who have become their enemies, and they will lose people they’ve come to care about. 

These warriors will dive headlong into certain death in order to break the hold the Keepers have on them and everything they hold dear.  Will they be successful?  Do they have any hope of winning this war when it’s not clear who is friend and who is enemy?  And if they do drive the Keepers away, what does it mean for Calla and her pack?  Will Calla finally choose her mate, or will that choice be taken out of her hands?  Do the wolves even have a place in a world without Keepers?  Read Bloodrose, the final installment in Andrea Cremer’s Nightshade trilogy, to discover the sacrifices that must be made in war and in love.

Like so many before it, I don’t think this post has done justice to the breathtaking story that is Bloodrose.  It was a fantastic book, and I was on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading.  (I almost called in sick to work yesterday so that I could finish the book.  I didn’t, but I did rush home after school and immediately began reading.)  There was a surprising amount of humor in this book when you consider that it’s a tragic love story set in the midst of a supernatural war.  I was also gripped by the love triangle in Bloodrose (and the other two books in this series).  I felt torn right along with Calla, and, for a large portion of this book, I wasn’t sure if I wanted her to end up with Shay or Ren.  (She had some steamy scenes with both of them.  So steamy that I would recommend this book for ages 16 and up.)  In the end, though, I was very satisfied with how the Nightshade trilogy concluded.  I mourned the loss of a couple of characters while I celebrated the demise of others.  I felt like everything happened as it should, and, at least for a while, the world of the Guardians and Searchers is at peace.  A great end to a great series.

But wait…there’s more!  There’s currently a Nightshade novella, Treachery, available through Barnes & Noble and Amazon, which tells Ansel’s story.  (You might recall that he is Calla’s little brother.)  There will also be a prequel to the Nightshade trilogy, Rift, which should be out on August 7th of this year.  For more information about these extras and the entire Nightshade series, visit http://www.nightshadebook.com/.  Enjoy!

Sweet Shadows cover revealed!

For all of you Tera Lynn Childs fans out there, she has just released the cover of Sweet Shadows, the second book in her Medusa Girls series.  (Sweet Venom was the first.)  Check it out below!

The book is expected to be released sometime this year, but I don’t have a final date yet.

If you’d like more information on Tera Lynn Childs and her wonderful books (Sweet Venom, Oh. My. Gods., Goddess Boot Camp, Forgive My Fins, and Fins Are Forever), visit http://teralynnchilds.blogspot.com/.  The third book in her Fins series, Just for Fins, is set for a July 3rd release.

Last Breath

If you haven’t read the first ten books (yes, ten) in Rachel Caine’s Morganville Vampires series, turn back now!  Last Breath is the eleventh book in this addictive series, and, in my opinion, you need to read the first ten books to fully appreciate what’s going on in this one.

If you’re still reading this, I’m going to assume you’ve read the entire Morganville Vampires series thus far. By now, you’ve probably grown attached to Claire, Shane, Eve, Michael, and, in my case, Myrnin, and you’ve probably guessed (with the help of the title and the cover) that things in Morganville aren’t getting any better. In fact, they’re about to get much, much worse…

Our story begins with the planning of a wedding.  This, however, is not your typical joyous occasion.  See, the wedding is between Eve, a human, and Michael, a vampire, and it seems that most humans and vamps are finally in agreement.  This wedding should not happen.  Eve and Michael, rebels as always, are determined to go through with the wedding, and they enlist Claire and Shane to help them.  The wedding, though, will soon take a back seat to a new terror gripping Morganville.

Vampires are disappearing from the town.  Only a few, including Amelie (the Founder), Oliver (her second in command), and Myrnin (Claire’s certifiably-insane-but-lovable boss) know why, and they are terrified.  Now, it takes a lot to terrify centuries-old vampires, but the evil headed their way has these three shaken to the core.  What could make three of the most powerful vampires in the world ready to close up shop in Morganville, and what does this mean for the human inhabitants of the town?  (Nothing good, I assure you.)

Claire has a bad feeling about what’s happening in Morganville, and she’s certain it has something to do with the mysterious, nondescript guy she keeps seeing around town.  She knows he’s at the root of what’s going on, but there’s a big problem.  She’s the only person who can see him.  And when he realizes it, Claire becomes a target for an evil that even vampires fear.

Will vampires and humans be able to unite to face the horror that is ripping their town to shreds?  Or will this finally be the end of Morganville and all who reside there?  Read Last Breath, the eleventh installment in Rachel Caine’s Morganville Vampires series, to unravel the mystery!

Let me just say that I think I need some intense therapy after reading Last Breath.  I laughed, I cried (sobbed is probably more accurate), I used some not-nice words, and I’m still a little tense about how this story unfolded.  When I was a little over halfway through the book, I was ready to send an email to the author simply asking her, “Why?”  After eleven books, I am very invested in what happens to these characters, and I’ll go ahead and tell you that, at several points, I felt like the author had ripped my heart out.  (That’s the mark of an excellent series, in my book.)  I’m recuperating now, but I’m still anxious about where the next (and final?) book in this series will take the characters I’ve come to love.

Book twelve in this series, Black Dawn, is due to be released on May 1st of this year.  The cover is below.

For more fun in Morganville, visit http://www.morganvilletexas.com/Morganville_Texas/Home.html.

And for those of you who haven’t entered the world of the Morganville Vampires and continued with this post (despite my warning), here’s the list of books in this series (in order).  Read at your own risk.  These books will suck you in!

• Glass Houses
• The Dead Girls’ Dance
• Midnight Alley
• Feast of Fools
• Lord of Misrule
• Carpe Corpus
• Fade Out
• Kiss of Death
• Ghost Town
• Bite Club
• Last Breath
• Black Dawn (released May 1, 2012)

City of Lost Souls cover revealed!!!!!

If you just heard something that sounded like a little girl squealing, that was me.  I just saw the cover for Cassandra Clare’s highly anticipated City of Lost Souls (book five in the Mortal Instruments series), and I am absolutely in love with it.

Jace and Clary? I believe so! USA Today released the cover minutes ago, along with an excerpt from City of Lost Souls (which I will read as soon as I finish with this post). For the full article, go to http://books.usatoday.com/bookbuzz/post/2012-01-04/cover-reveal-of-cassandra-clares-city-of-fallen-angels/596348/1.  Now, the wait until May 8th will be positively horrible!

Crossed

Warning:  You MUST read Matched before proceeding…preferably immediately before.  (I read it a year ago, and I was amazed by how much I forgot.)  Crossed is the second book in Ally Condie’s Matched series, and you will be completely lost if you don’t know (and remember) what happened in the first book.

As you’ve no doubt gathered, I just finished reading Crossed by Ally Condie, my first YA novel of 2012. I’ve been looking forward to reading this book for a while. I just wish I’d had the time to reread Matched prior to starting this one…but I didn’t, so there you go. Crossed continues the story of Cassia and Ky, characters we came to know and love in Matched. In Crossed, the two are determined to find each other, but it turns out they are separated by more than just distance…

Both Cassia and Ky are now on the fringes of Society.  Ky has been sentenced to certain death in the Outer Provinces.  Cassia is working her fingers to the bone in a camp, never knowing when or where she’ll be moved next.  For both of them, the only way out is to escape to the Carving, a treacherous place where the Society rarely ventures. 

Both Ky and Cassia find their moments to run–with one or two helpful companions–but are they really running toward the same thing?  Yes, the Carving is where they’re both headed, but what then?  When they reunite (and I’ll call spoiler alert and say that they will), will Ky and Cassia have the same vision for their future?  Can they survive the Carving long enough to even have a future?  And what (or who) will appear to change everything?  Even though Ky and Cassia truly love each other, will it be enough to see them through the tough times ahead?  Read Crossed by Ally Condie to find out.

Like many second books in a series, Crossed felt kind of like a “bridge” book to me.  I loved the first book, and I’m sure I’ll enjoy seeing how the story wraps up in the third, but this book didn’t live up to the hype in head.  I wanted it to be so much more.  Don’t get me wrong.  It was a good book, and I’ll recommend it to my friends and colleagues, but I didn’t think it was as wonderful as the first book.  I really hope the third book helps to change my mind about this one.

Speaking of the third book, it doesn’t have a title or cover yet, but I do know it will be released sometime later this year.  I’ll post more information as I receive it.  In the meantime, you can learn more about the Matched series at http://matched-book.com/.