Greek mythology seems to be hot in YA right now. While I can't reveal too much here, trust me, it's great!
Ari is an orphan who's been passed from fost...moreGreek mythology seems to be hot in YA right now. While I can't reveal too much here, trust me, it's great!
Ari is an orphan who's been passed from foster home to foster home. She finally landed with a couple that run a bail bonds business, they've taught her all the tricks of the trade and truly love her. Ofcourse, Ari wants to find out about her birth parents and her foster parents understand. She tracks her birth mother to a city near New2 and then realizes that she has to enter New2. New2 is an alternate New Orleans. See, New Orleans was destroyed by hurricanes and flooding. So much so that the US has fenced it off and it's no longer actually part of the US. It's now home to the 'freak' population - rumored vampires, witches and shapeshifters.
All the characters were pretty well fleshed-out. Ari is a kick-ass girl, she has doubts, but is determined to finish what she started. There is a romance, but it's never blatant, it smolders just beneath the surface, so it doesn't detract from the story. There is some swearing, including a few F-bombs, but it's not too bad.
For me, reading the descriptions of new2 brought back memories of reading Anne Rice. I could easily imagine Louis living amongst the destruction. Since I've always been a huge fan of mythology, it was wonderful to read something updated and I'm glad to see mythology being embraced by YA.(less)
I haven't read sci/fi this good since ENDER'S GAME. Beth Revis is a genius - her world sucked me in and I finished the book in less than 24 hours!
In t...moreI haven't read sci/fi this good since ENDER'S GAME. Beth Revis is a genius - her world sucked me in and I finished the book in less than 24 hours!
In the first chapter, 16 year old Amy and her parents are being cryogenically frozen for a 300 year long space trip. The process completely freaked me out and I couldn't stop thinking about it. As Amy goes under, the last thing she hears is the techs discussing how there's a one year delay for the mission. All Amy can think is 'I want my year back.'
Elder is a 16 year old leader-in-training on the spaceship 'Godspeed', 250 years AFTER it's launch. He talks about a Plague that ran through the ship years ago and how everything changed, including how the ship is set up and used. We learn that everyone on the ship is now monoethnic, because one of the biggest causes of discord are differences. Everyone has olive skin, brown eyes and brown hair.
The chapters alternate between Amy and Elder, it was interesting to see what was going on from both viewpoints when they are apart.
The real trouble begins when Elder finds out that the ship holds the cryogenically frozen people. What ensues isn't just a story of how things go wrong, or have gone wrong, on the ship. It's a love story and a story of how rulers go bad (like and how being different is wonderful.
This is an excellent read and one of the best books I've ever read. Beth Revis is planning on a trilogy for these characters and I can't wait for more! (less)
I have to say that I really really really love when an author takes a subject that has become popular and makes it his/her own. Yep, as you can see by...moreI have to say that I really really really love when an author takes a subject that has become popular and makes it his/her own. Yep, as you can see by the cover, this is a novel about zombies. But not like any zombies you've read about before or any situation you've read about before. Mr. Drago has taken a new road for these zombies.
Will Ritter, the main character, is 12 years old. One day he gets up and as he heads for school finds that suddenly his neighbor, his principal and even some of his teachers are zombies! Apparently this isn't a new scenario, but not everyone can see the zombies. Will is special and is about to join a special team - The Undertakers. This means leaving everything and everyone behind. Oh yeah, the Undertakers are all kids.
This is going to be an excellent book for reluctant readers, the chapters are short enough to keep your attention, the story moves along very quickly and the character's 'lingo' rings true. Ty Drago does credit his son with helping him with keeping the kids' sound right. Kudo's to him and his son - the lingo is excellent and the characters sounded like they were described. I really love this one and think it will go over huge with boys as well as girls. I'm hoping that we'll see much much more of Ty Drago in the coming years.(less)
Lia and Cassie are high school Seniors and up until recently they were bff's. When they were little they made a pact to be the skinniest girls in scho...moreLia and Cassie are high school Seniors and up until recently they were bff's. When they were little they made a pact to be the skinniest girls in school...and they've kept it.
Now Cassie is dead and Lia is seeing her ghost everywhere. Lia is a Wintergirl. She's not fully alive and not yet dead. She's slowly starving herself to death and Cassie is waiting for her. Lia has all the tricks down pat: sewing quarters into her weigh-in clothes, eating with the family and then sneaking in a few hours on the stairmaster - there's plenty of ways to stay a Wintergirl.
This is a disturbing and touching story of illness and recovery. Everyone should read this - male/female, young/old, everyone. Laurie Halse Anderson tackles issues that no one else wants to and she does it in a sensitive manner with great characters.
I think the two things that really got to me were that Lia constantly calculated calories as she looked at or thought about eating food and the messages that she would read on the websites. The messages made me want to help these girls, no one should live that way. After reading this book, I said a thank you to whomever is in charge of teenage girls that my daughter eats in a healthy manner and has good self-esteem.(less)
Jay Asher hit a homerun with his first novel. It's amazing...simply amazing.
I need to share a couple things here before I talk about the book: 1) I'm...moreJay Asher hit a homerun with his first novel. It's amazing...simply amazing.
I need to share a couple things here before I talk about the book: 1) I'm beginning to rethink how much my sister loves me as she keeps sending me books that make me cry. 2) in 7th grade my Reading teacher ran out of things for the highest reading group to do so she taught us things like speedreading. Why is that important? Because this weekend I read 2 books, one was 562 pages and one was 289 pages, I also attended a Saturday class, slept 8 hours each night, did housework, went out to dinner, hung out with my family and did homework. So...it took me an entire week to read this book. It's a slim book, only 288 pages. I had to keep putting it down because the author kept hitting on those small things that happen to a lot of teens - those things that we try (or tried) to shove back in our minds and hearts and forget about.
Hannah Baker committed suicide. It wasn't due to any one thing, it rarely is. It was all those little things, building and building until she couldn't take it anymore.
But Hannah decided that her death shouldn't be for nothing. She wants the people that contributed to hurting her to know and understand what they and the others did. She records her story on cassette tapes and mails it off to the first person with a list of who to send it to next.
Do the recipients follow directions? Better yet, do they learn anything?
Parents, teachers, counselors, teens...everyone should read this and hold the message in their hearts.
A bit of unexpected steampunk-ish mystery. Nothing is as it seems here.
I think that Catherine Fisher's website has the best synopsis: Imagine a living...moreA bit of unexpected steampunk-ish mystery. Nothing is as it seems here.
I think that Catherine Fisher's website has the best synopsis: Imagine a living prison so vast that it contains corridors and forests, cities and seas. Imagine a prisoner with no memory, who is sure he came from Outside, even though the prison has been sealed for centuries and only one man, half real, half legend, has ever escaped.
Imagine a girl in a manor house in a society where time has been forbidden, where everyone is held in a seventeenth century world run by computers, doomed to an arranged marriage that appalls her, tangled in an assassination plot she both dreads and desires.
From the beginning you want to believe that Claudia is a damsel-in-distress, but she's too strong.
The Warden of Incarceron seems to be the uncaring father and is "in" with the Queen. But is he? The father? Under the Queen's thumb? What a tangled web we weave!
Finn appears to be a child born of Incarceron. Is he? Or is he a prisoner lately come?
Lord Evian, the Queen's Chancellor, comes off as a silly dandy. Is he really a dandy or a steely fox?
Why must everything be 17th Century?! Is Incarceron a Prison or a Paradise? How does the Warden monitor it when he's always either at Court or at home? Why does it need a Warden if it's a Paradise? What happened to Claudia's first betrothed? Questions upon questions piled up as I read.
Each chapter is prefaced with a quote from an archive or story which add to the mystery. I look forward to finding out what happens next! Has anyone read the second book? Is it as good as the first?(less)
Mia lives with her parents and younger brother,Teddy. Her parents were total punk rockers when they were younger, but that's not Mia's scene. She's a...moreMia lives with her parents and younger brother,Teddy. Her parents were total punk rockers when they were younger, but that's not Mia's scene. She's a classical girl and plays the cello. So it's even more surprising when she falls for a rocker. Everything is great until...
Mia's family is in a terrible accident - her parents are killed immediately, she and Teddy go to different hospitals. Mia's left between life and death, with a decision to make, stay or go. The story goes back and forth between the hospiatl - what Mia sees and hears - and her life before.
I love Mia. She's dedicated to her music, yet has a well-rounded life. She's fun, spontaneous, selfish, worried...all the things that real girls are. This isn't just a story about Mia and her choosing to stay or go. It's a love story. See, her boyfriend, Adam is at the hospital and he's begging her to stay. Can she leave Adam behind? Adam, who understands her and her music? Adam, who truly gets her? It's a difficult choice and she doesn't have long to decide. This book made me cray. Not just cry, but actually sob. Just writing the review made me cry. An absolutely stunning book, NPR's The Roundtable said it best, "This is an achingly beautiful story."(less)
This slim volume is packed with amazing writing. Some will argue that it is not Science Fiction, but I think that this is the best kind of science fic...moreThis slim volume is packed with amazing writing. Some will argue that it is not Science Fiction, but I think that this is the best kind of science fiction...it sneaks up on you and darn it if you don't learn something and look at the world differently when you're done reading it!
Sandra Foster works for a corporation that employs scientists. Honestly, just reading the description of the staff meetings is enough to recommend the book. They are absurdly ridiculous. Sandra's job is to figure out how and why fads begin - presumably so that the corporation can start fads and make loads of money. Fads are a temporary fashion followed enthusiastically by a group. A great example is that right now (at least in my area) raising chickens is a fad, I'm sure it's a fad because once people realize how much work it is, they will all stop. We may be overrun by wild chickens this time next year. Through a wrongly delivered package, by an inept mail clerk named Flip, Sandra meets Bennett O'Reilly who is studying chaos theory. Add in a new assistant for Flip and you've got a great story.
At the start of each chapter is a short description of a fad, it's hilarious to see the lengths people will go to to fit in and be popular. Some examples of recent fads would be: reality tv shows, energy drinks, the Macarena and Tamagotchi. They boomed quickly and then faded quickly.
When funding is cut at the corporation, Sandra and Bennett decide to work together using sheep - which are a lot like people in many ways. It was suggested by Flip's assistant.
Once you read Bellwether, you'll be watching your friends (and the general public) to see if you can spot the next fad. You'll still wonder who started them...and be on the lookout for Flip!
By the way, a Bellwether is...well, never mind, you'll see.(less)
Set in the small southern town of Gatlin, South Carolina; this story made me feel the humidity - the history - the Southernness - of it all.
It's a lov...moreSet in the small southern town of Gatlin, South Carolina; this story made me feel the humidity - the history - the Southernness - of it all.
It's a love story that spans 100 years and two couples from very different families. A modern type of Romeo and Juliet.
It's hard to be the new girl in any town, harder in a small town and ridiculous in a small Southern town.
Lena Duchannes (rhymes with rain) is the new girl. She's also the niece of the town hermit. She drives a hearse. She has a large wolf dog that follows her everywhere. She dresses "weird". Ethan Wate is captivated by her. It doesn't hurt that she's the girl of his dreams...literally.
The more Lena and Ethan come together, the more people try to keep them apart. When they figure out that two of their ancestors fell in love and one died tragically (Ethan's names after him), the mystery deepens. Add to that Lena's strange powers over the weather and there's quite a lot going on here.
The story is excellent, some authors have trouble keeping several storylines going, but these two authors are amazing. I was on the edge of my seat and half in love with Ethan and Lena myself. I really felt that Lena and Ethan could be real teenagers, they seemed to be caught up in the paranormal, yet all they want to do is have the fun that they should have as teens.(less)
This is a delightful retelling of the story of The Twelve Dancing Princesses.
To start out with, we need to know what the title ENTWINED refers to. The...moreThis is a delightful retelling of the story of The Twelve Dancing Princesses.
To start out with, we need to know what the title ENTWINED refers to. The Entwine is supposed to be a dance. It is described this way: (in brief) Similar to a troit-temps waltz, it is danced in open position with a long sash. The lady and gentleman each take ends of the sash, which their hands must not leave. In a series of quick steps, the gentleman either twists the sash around the lady's wrists, pinning them (aka the Catch) or the lady eludes capture within three minutes time.
The story, and the Princesses, captivated me. I adore fairytales and this is a fantastic one! Heather Dixon did an amazing job in bringing the Princesses to life - their personalities are outstanding. While ofcourse I loved Azalea, my favorite has to be Bramble - she's loud and obnoxious and defends her sisters to the end. The Princesses are named after flowers, alphabetically. That's where the fun begins in the story. ENTWINED is full of mischief and giggles, as well as magic and scariness. The girls and their suitors are a riot!
The royal family live in a falling apart castle with some remnants of magic leftover - such as the tea set with the biting sugar tongs. When the family goes into mourning (do any fairytales have both parents in the story??) and the King departs for a war...the Princesses are left on their own. Pretty dresses, laughter, the gardens and dancing are forbidden. There is nothing the girls love better than dancing and they are heartbroken.
Until...Azalea discovers a way for them to dance secretly - it involves a magical staircase and the mysterious (and handsome) Keeper.
The characterization of the King was amazing. I began by seeing him as a cold, aloof man with no concern for his daughters, but quickly came to realize that he just didn't know how to connect with them. It was wonderful to watch him figure out the situations and grow as a parent.
As I read the story, I saw a beautiful movie - the Entwine dance was performed by Azalea and Keeper, but almost as a shadow - while the rest of the story went on over it. Will Azalea be caught? I can't wait to see what Heather Dixon does next!(less)
I can’t help but think that “The Dust of 100 Dogs” isn’t really a YA novel. I know that some teenagers would definitely read it and love it, but readi...moreI can’t help but think that “The Dust of 100 Dogs” isn’t really a YA novel. I know that some teenagers would definitely read it and love it, but reading it as an adult I found some of it to be very thought provoking. I’m glad to see that YA is beginning to blur that line between YA and Adult novels. So let’s take a look at this one…but first, can I mention the cover? LOVE IT! I adore the mod looking girl and the ship and the skull...just everything about it screamed "you want to read me!" Anyway, back to the review:
What do you do when your village is destroyed, you lose your true love and get sold into marriage? You become a bloodthirsty pirate! Emer Morrisey watched her village be destroyed at six years old, on her birthday. She escaped with the help of her uncle who beat her regularly until she quit talking. Emer didn’t talk for years, until she began embroidering again. In the meantime, she met her true love, Seanie. Seanie didn’t talk either. When her uncle sells her into marriage with a Frenchman, she loses all hope of ever seeing Seanie again. But Emer is a fighter and eventually ends up as the Captain of a pirate ship. It’s a struggle getting there and she has to avoid a second Frenchman who is obsessed with her. As is the case with pirates, Emer is killed and as she lay dying she is cursed to live out the lives of 100 dogs, with her memory intact, before she becomes a girl again. Saffron Adams is born into a poor family. Everyone believes she’s a genius because she knows so much history. Saffron isn’t a genius, she’s the reincarnation of Emer. She has all of Emer’s knowledge, including where her buried pirate’s treasure is. All she has to do is wait until she’s eighteen and then she can go get it. I didn’t feel that I got to know Saffron or to care about her as a character, because Emer overpowered her. Even when she’s listening to her parents, she’s thinking about how she would skin them or mutilate them – that’s all the pirate, Emer. She continuously works toward being able to go to the tropics to find Emer’s buried treasure. Saffron seemed to be simply a vessel to carry Emer’s thoughts, feelings, wants and needs – with none of her own. There are eight “Dog Facts” sections in the book – each describing some facets of dog behavior, from Emer’s experience. These seem to be applicable to humans as well as dogs and are quite interesting, as you’ll find yourself thinking that you know people that act like that. I won’t tell anymore as I don’t want to spoil the ending for anyone, but I will say that it is one of the best books I have read and I’ve already loaned out my copy to one person and recommended it to several more. The story captivated me and I found myself rooting for Emer to get what she wanted and to have a happy ending.(less)
I know what you're thinking - 'Geez, are you serious, ANOTHER zombie book? Didn't you say two months ago that you're not big into zombies? We think yo...more
I know what you're thinking - 'Geez, are you serious, ANOTHER zombie book? Didn't you say two months ago that you're not big into zombies? We think you're lying!' No, No, Seriously! I didn't like zombie stuff! HOWEVER - there are so many good takes on zombies and how we relate to them right now, that I can't help myself.
In ROT AND RUIN, the zombie takeover started 14 years ago. We don't know how, but now everyone that dies will return as a zombie (or zom as they're known), unless they're 'quieted'. To 'quiet' someone, you simply cut the spinal cord so they can't reanimate. I know, gross. Benny is turning 15 and lives with his brother Tom in Mountainside. It's one of the fenced in communities that humans have taken to live in. Zoms have the rest of the planet, or at least we think they do. Tom is a Bounty Hunter, he goes out into the Rot and Ruin - the world outside their community - to quiet zoms. That's his job, he quiets them and receives money for doing so. Not all the Bounty Hunters work the way he does, some of them are terrible people.
When you turn 15, you must find a job or have your food rations cut in half. Benny hates his brother and refuses to work with him. He tries every job in the community before giving in and asking Tom to take him on as an apprentice. Benny believes that Tom is a coward. This is mostly because Tom doesn't brag about his kills and never fights. Benny has a lot to learn and Tom is willing to teach him. What Benny believes is constantly challenged by what Tom shows him until he finally comes to the realization that it may not be the zoms that are the bad guys.
The endpapers in this book are amazing! There are replicas of the Zombie Cards that the kids in the community collect and they are awesome! Even the author is on a Zombie Card - fantastic! This is a great book, I'm really enjoying zoms, even though I never thought I would.(less)
I'm going to take a moment here to talk about the authors and cover artist.
Melanie Rawn has written numerous books since 1988 and been nominated for t...moreI'm going to take a moment here to talk about the authors and cover artist.
Melanie Rawn has written numerous books since 1988 and been nominated for the Locus Award on three occasions. The rumor is that a prequel to The Golden Key is coming up later this year, the title? The Diviner. Jennifer Roberson has been publishing since 1984. She has multiple stand alone books as well as series and is still releasing books. Kate Elliott has been publishing since 1988 under her Kate Elliott name and also under Alis A. Rasmussen. She is still publishing and has more books in the works right now. Cover Artist Michael Whelan has done illustrations for authors such as Stephen Kin, Isaac Asimov and Anne McCaffrey. Pretty impressive, eh? He's also done CD covers for Sepultura and Meatloaf. If you look at the picture on The Golden Key you'll see many elements of the story and it's an amazing picture. The most amazing part - go look at a picture of Michael Whelan from the 1990's and then look at the painter on the cover. Look familiar? :)
This book was a World Fantasy Award finalist for Best Novel of 1996 and Voya's 1996 SF, Fantasy, and Horror Books of the Year.
So finally. The story is multi-generational and covers approximately 400 years. It concerns two families; the Grijalvas - an artistic family and the do'Verradas - the royalty. The Grijalvas give up one female member of every generation to be the official mistress to the reigning Duke, while one male member is the official artist to the Court (Lord Limner). The d'Verradas don't always realize that they are given these Grijalvas, they believe that they are choosing them. Some of the male artists in the Grijalvas family have an ability to manipulate time and reality in their paintings. All records - birth, death, marriage, treaties, etc., are documented by paintings rather than written documents in thisstory. The language used in the book seems to be a blend of several languages with made up words added in. There is a dictionary of sorts in the back of the book, but I caught on quickly and thought that this is such an easy language, we should adopt it!
The two main characters are Sario and his cousin Saavedra Grijalvas. Both have been born with the genius for painting, although girls aren't supposed to have it so no one believes it. Sario loves Saavedra and cannot stand for her to give her heart to another. He uses his talents in a new and dangerous way to prevent it.
The story moves along quickly and the political elements keep the story fresh and exciting. This is a must read! (less)
So I have found that books about angels and fallen angels tend to be a bit too angsty for me. I think it's the feathers that do it to them, I mean, fe...moreSo I have found that books about angels and fallen angels tend to be a bit too angsty for me. I think it's the feathers that do it to them, I mean, feathers must be hard to keep clean and deal with all the time, right?
UNEARTHLY was better than most. Clara is only a quarter angel and has just found out the first part of her purpose. Every angel has a purpose and Clara's takes her family across the country to a new town. They lived in California and now have moved to the land of cowboys and skiers. She has a lot to learn and deal with. On the upside? Clara meets another half angel and gets to be friends with her, learning things her mother won't tell her. I like Clara, she seems like a real girl. In fact, I like her whole family. They seem to be a basically normal family that just happens to have some angel blood.
The boys. Ofcourse there are two of them, when aren't there at least two of them anymore? *sigh* So Christian is gorgeous, has a girlfriend, seems to like Clara and is the guy that shows up in her visions. But I still just don't like him that much. Tucker is good looking, fun, her best friends brother and there's more to him than seems at first. I love that Tucker actually spends a lot of time getting to know Clara before he ever tells her how much he cares. That's more like real life - I like it! Too many YA books jump in and the characters are madly in love without knowing each other at all. My favorite quote in the book?
"What do you see in a guy like Christian Prescott?" he asked me that night when he dropped me off from prom. And what he was really saying then, what would have come through loud and clear if I hadn't been so blind was, Why don't you see me?" (less)
We all know there are secret government agencies, right? I mean, someone has to deal with aliens, monsters and vampires. That's where Department Ninet...moreWe all know there are secret government agencies, right? I mean, someone has to deal with aliens, monsters and vampires. That's where Department Nineteen comes in. Will Hill's debut novel is amazing. He writes a beautiful historical back story, great characters, kick-ass modern weapons and mean-as-snake vampires. No sparkling allowed here, these creatures are bloodthirsty and set on revenge..or something.
Jamie's dad is killed one night, in front of the family, and then the family is told a story. It's one they can hardly believe. Two years later, Jamie discovers the truth accidentally and is pulled into Department Nineteen. Remember good 'ol Van Helsing, Harker and the rest of the gang from Dracula? It would seem that they knew it wasn't going to end there and made a deal with the government to set up a secret agency. Cool, huh? Yep, that's Department Nineteen. The tagline is "Department Nineteen: The Reason You're Alive".
Now, the only thing Jamie cares about is in danger and it seems the only way out...is to sacrifice himself. The chapters go back and forth between the present with Jamie's story and the past with Van Helsing's group. A lot of questions are answered by looking into the past. With chapter names like Teenage Wasteland and It's Hard to Breathe with a Hand Around Your Throat, things move along quickly and kept my interest. The characters are well written from the military men to teenage Jamie. Luckily this is the first in a series - I'm looking forward to the next one already. My favorite thing - the T-Bone. It's a vampire killing weapon and I can't believe no one thought of it before - GENIUS!(less)
First off, you all need to know that I've never been a fan of zombies. I never watched zombie movies or played zombie games. So when my sister gave me...moreFirst off, you all need to know that I've never been a fan of zombies. I never watched zombie movies or played zombie games. So when my sister gave me The Forest of Hands and Teeth, I was hesitant. I mean, seriously, the cover's pretty, but... since I trust my sister wholeheartedly about books, I read it. On the way home. From Missouri to Michigan. The whole thing. It's amazing!
The cover art and the title drew me in, I wanted to like it. The book is beautifully written and I couldn't get enough of it. In fact, I read the second book (which my sister handily gave me at the same time) and it is just as fascinating.
Mary lives in a secluded fenced village and the villagers believe they may be the last people on Earth. In the forest all around are zombies - get it - hands and teeth? The zombies will try to grab or bite people that venture too close to the fence around the village. It would seem that the main goal of the zombies is infection, secondary is eating. Ewwww! Through a quick series of events, Mary ends up with no parents, a brother that won't let her live with him and no man to speak for her. See, if a woman doesn't have a man to speak for her, she has to go live with the Sisterhood - the group of nuns that control the village. Mary learns, or half-learns, things with the Sisterhood that make her question staying in the village. She dreams that there's something more out there. Her mother told her wonderful stories of the ocean and Mary is determined to see it someday.
Did I mention the love triangle? See, Mary loves Travis and maybe his brother Harry and they both love her, and maybe her best friend Cassandra. It's a little weird, but never off-putting. It actually enriches the story during their struggle for survival.
At first Mary seems a bit selfish and self-serving, but that's what keeps her going when things get tough. She is always determined to find a way to stay alive and to see the things she's dreamed of. In the end, I had a great respect for Mary, she followed her dream and gets at least part of what she wants.
An excellent read and thank goodness there's a companion book "The Dead-Tossed Waves" and a third coming out in March 2011 "The Dark and Hollow Places". Even if you're not a fan of zombie-related books, please take a chance on this series, you won't be sorry.(less)
While IF I STAY was Mia's story, WHERE SHE WENT is Adam's story.
It's been three years since Mia recovered from the accident and left for Julliard...a...moreWhile IF I STAY was Mia's story, WHERE SHE WENT is Adam's story.
It's been three years since Mia recovered from the accident and left for Julliard...and Adam hasn't seen or heard from her since.
Adam's band, Shooting Star, has taken off and is touring internationally. Not bad for a small-town rocker, eh? But Adam is having a rough time - he takes anxiety medication, barely talks to the band and doesn't even stay in the same hotel or travel with them anymore. He thinks about Mia all the time - how she left, what went wrong - even though he's dating/living with a high-profile actress.
A chance sighting of a poster on the streets of NY will change everything for Adam. He doesn't know it yet, but he's getting ready to make one of the biggest decisions of his life.
While this book didn't make me cry like IF I STAY did, it made me look at the relationship from Adam's point of view. I found myself thinking "Dammit, Mia, what was wrong with you?!" There's always two sides, y'know? This was an amazing sequel and I can't imagine it any other way. Gayle Forman definitely captured my heart with Mia and Adam!(less)
I really like that Melinda's life is separated into the marking periods of her high school life. At the end of summer, right before the first marking...moreI really like that Melinda's life is separated into the marking periods of her high school life. At the end of summer, right before the first marking period, Melinda is at a party. Something happens and she calls the police, but leaves before they get there. Now everyone is mad because she ruined the party and some people got in trouble. Even her best friends won't talk to her. Now Melinda has pretty much stopped talking, her grades have dropped and she has started skipping classes.
I really liked that Ms. Anderson doesn't say exactly what happened to Melinda at the party, she just hints at it. I was pretty sure that I knew what it was just a few pages in. I had friends that had similar things happen, not in high school, but in college. It's devastating. I think that it was handled in a wonderful manner in this book. This is definitely a must read for everyone.(less)
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