The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta

When a catastrophic event hits Earth and millions of people disappear without a trace, it seems the Rapture is more than a rumor. For those left behind, life is a struggle to rebuild. There's Kevin, a husband who's wife left him to join a silent cult movement with no clear purpose, and whose daughter is getting more distant by the day. There's Thomas, who drops out of college to follow religious cult leader Holy Wayne, until the day a mysterious girl shows up his doorstep. And there's Nora, who is just trying to find her way in a world of grief completely unfamiliar to her. As life moves on for these people and those around them, their paths cross in significantly small ways.

I consider myself to be a fan of Tom Perrotta. After reading Joe College while actually in college, I was bitten by the Perrotta bug and have been an avid reader and follower of him ever since. It seemed every book since that first taste has gotten better and better. This newest, however, left me feeling a little lost. Some parts were absolutely amazing and had all the qualities of great writing and deep characterization that I love about Perrotta. But the book never moved along at a steady pace, and each chapter needed too many pages to ramp up to the story for me to really feel like I was constantly involved. I did like how the individual stories subtly intersected with each other with little details that weren't quite made apparent until the next chapter. Perrotta obviously took great care to plot out the lives and happenings of these characters to make sure the plot was believable. The Leftovers was still a great read, but I prefer Perrotta's other books over this one.

Overall Rating: 3 Stars

Waiting on Wednesday 9/7/11

DEARLY DEPARTED by Lia Habel

SYNOPSIS:
Love conquers all, so they say. But can Cupid’s arrow pierce the hearts of the living and the dead—or rather, the undead? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie?

The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country’s political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune, and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses.

But fate is just getting started with Nora. Catapulted from her world of drawing-room civility, she’s suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting “The Laz,” a fatal virus that raises the dead—and hell along with them. Hardly ideal circumstances. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble . . . and dead. But as is the case with the rest of his special undead unit, luck and modern science have enabled Bram to hold on to his mind, his manners, and his body parts. And when his bond of trust with Nora turns to tenderness, there’s no turning back. Eventually, they know, the disease will win, separating the star-crossed lovers forever. But until then, beating or not, their hearts will have what they desire.

There are no words that could adequately describe my excitement for this title. The beautiful cover, the steampunk, the victorian, the zombies... EVERYTHING. It's like the publishers are trying their hardest to make a book JUST FOR ME. And I approve!

Release Date: October 18, 2011

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

Ben is going through his mother's old belongings when a storm brews and lightning strikes the house. The force of the lightning goes through the phone he is holding against his ear, rendering him deaf. Instead of letting this setback in hearing bring him down, Ben decides that this is the perfect time for him to go to New York to try and find his father. Once there, he follows the tiny clues he has, until a chance encounter with a stranger from his past changes his life forever.

Selznick's first book, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, is all but a common sight in middle grade schools. I was a little late reading it, thinking that all of the hype was just that, but when I did finally read it, I was completely blown away. The beauty of the drawings and timing in the pictures, mixed with the fascinating story of a boy and clockwork things was enough to keep me glued to the book. Now with Selznick's second book, I was hoping lightning would strike twice. Unfortunately, while the drawings and timing still had that "tear-through-the-book" quality, the story wasn't as interesting for me. There is a breakneck speed at which the plot unfolds, but I never really felt invested in the characters enough to care about what was happening to them. Readers will be captivated by the silent action that unfolds for a magical reunion, but I am hoping Selznick's next book packs a little more punch.

Overall Rating: 3 Stars

Dry As Rain by Gina Holmes

Eric and Kyra Yoshida are a recently separated couple when Kyra gets in a car accident and loses her memory. At first, Eric is hesitant to take care of Kyra, who does not seem to remember their marriage troubles. But then he realizes he has been given a rare second chance to make things right with his wife. With the constant possibility of Kyra's memory returning, however, Eric will need to reach deep within himself to reconcile their differences and make the wrongs he did right.

I loved Gina Holmes' first book Crossing Oceans, which made my heart swell and my eyes tear up. With Dry As Rain, I was excited to dive into another story of redemption and soul searching. Plus, it was interesting to read a male's perspective written by a woman author. It makes me wonder how close to this story the author really was. I thought Holmes wrote Eric in a rather rough manner, with the only soft edges being when it came to his wife. In fact, Eric does not seem to have many redeemable qualities at all and I felt myself pitying poor Kyra for staying with a total jerk. But perhaps that it what I like about reading Gina Holmes - she tells stories how they are, without apologizing for being ugly and unhappy. One thing is for sure: I will waiting with baited breath for her next book!

Overall Rating: 5 Stars

Waiting On Wednesday 8/31/11

SKYSHIP ACADEMY by Nick James

SYNOPSIS:
A devastated Earth's last hope is found in Pearls: small, mysterious orbs that fall from space and are capable of supplying enough energy to power entire cities. Battling to control the Pearls are the Skyship dwellers—political dissidents who live in massive ships in the Earth's stratosphere—and the corrupt Surface government.

Jesse Fisher, a Skyship slacker, and Cassius Stevenson, a young Surface operative, cross paths when they both venture into forbidden territory in pursuit of Pearls. Their chance encounter triggers an unexpected reaction, endowing each boy with remarkable—and dangerous—abilities that their respective governments would stop at nothing to possess.

Enemies thrust together with a common goal, Jesse and Cassius make their way to the ruins of Seattle to uncover the truth about their new powers, the past they didn't know they shared, and a shocking secret about the Pearls.

I wasn't really interested in this book when I first saw it. But I have watched interest spread through the blogs and now I seriously can't wait to read it. Talk about word of mouth! And I do have to admit that the cover is super hot and alluring!

Release Date: September 8, 2011

After Obsession by Carrie Jones

Aimee begins noticing that her best friend Courtney is acting weirdly around the same time Courtney's cousin Alan comes to town. In fact, it's not just Courtney who's acting oddly. Aimee's boyfriend Blake is suddenly rude and angry at everything, a change that conveniently works in Aimee's favor, since the chemistry between her and Alan is sending sparks flying. As the creepy occurrences stack up (dark shadows in the shape of a man, knives spinning upright on their own) Aimee and Alan decide they need to fight whatever horrible thing is terrorizing their town and friends. But fighting an ancient evil is not going to be easy.

This book was spooky! I got the chills in a number of places, like I was watching some classic teen horror movie from the '90s. While I was careful to read this during daylight hours, I totally soaked up the romance between Aimee and Alan. When we first learn that Alan is into Indian Gods, I got nervous that he was going to be much too nerdy for me to like. But that was totally not the case, when he turned out to be super manly and romantic! I loved Carrie Jones' previous trilogy (Need, Captive, and Entice), which surprised me with it's addictive story line and generally cool characters. This book seems to be stand-alone, and while it didn't carry quite the same intrigue for me, it was still a great read.

Overall Rating: 4 Stars

Ultraviolet by R.J. Anderson

Even though Alison is not like other sixteen-year-olds, she has learned to hide her differences in order to appear normal. This means keeping hidden the fact that she can taste words and see numbers as colors. But then an event occurs with a strong and immediate impact on Alison's life and world. She's not sure if she killed her classmate Tori, and the aftermath from that incident has landed her in a mental institution called Pine Hills. The other residents there are truly crazy, and her psychiatrist is untrustworthy. But how do you prove to others that you aren't crazy, when you aren't entirely sure you believe it yourself?

I was completely under Alison's spell from the very first chapter. Ultraviolet has one of the best looks into mental wards that I have seen in fiction in a long time. Alison had some fun superpowers- the colors were totally cool, but the other talents that manifested throughout the story were pretty impressive. I was nervous about getting to the end, having heard that the big reveal is a bit of a let down. But I honestly did not see that twist coming and enjoyed it all the more for the surprise. I found myself tearing through this book, not being able to turn away and needing to know what would become of Alison's fate. Anderson teases that she may write a companion novel to this story, and I sure hope she does!

Overall Rating: 5 Stars

Waiting On Wednesday 8/24/11

NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morganstern

SYNOPSIS:
The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

One word to be excited about this one: CIRCUS!! This book has been generating a ton of pre-release buzz, and I certainly hope it lives up to the hype. You can bet I will be the first in line to get a copy on its release day!!!

Release Date: September 13, 2011

Bridge to Neverland by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

Sarah and Aiden Cooper are playing around the house when Aiden accidentally opens a hidden compartment in an antique desk. Inside is an old, mysterious message, and the two quickly decide to follow it and see where it leads. They track leads from Pennsylvania, all the way to London (due to a convenient family trip), then back again through multiple states. But with every mystery they solve, a dark force is gaining strength and chasing their trail behind them.

I read the previous four Starcatchers books, and they were just okay. The series had an awesome premise that I was totally drawn to, especially since it related to Peter Pan. But I felt a lot of the books were drawn out too long. There was plenty of action, sure, just not enough interesting story to keep me glued to my seat. With The Bridge to Never Land, I was hooked from the first chapter. The series became self referential and mentioned the previous books by name! How cool is that?? I enjoyed this story much more, perhaps because it took place in modern times, with easily recognized technology and places (Disney World!). Ombra was also better in this book than in previous ones, with his control over Raven's being honestly spooky! I am not sure I agreed with the authors that Sarah was seventeen - she acted much younger. And then the reader is asked to pretty strongly suspend their disbelief towards the end. But these little missteps are largely over shadowed by the fun and action of the rest of the story. Definitely the best book in the Starcatchers series - and would be a great tie-in to the Kingdom Keepers!

Overall Rating: 4 Stars

The Undrowned Child by Michelle Lovric

Teodora is certain about two things in her life: the first that she is adopted, and the second that she belongs in Venice. Hanging out at the old bookstore all day is the perfect life for Teo. That is, until a mysterious book falls onto her head and knocks her unconscious. The book is titled The Key to the Secret City, and suddenly Teo's life will never be the same again. There is more to Venice than meets the eye, and Teo and her friend Renzo are about to see it all firsthand. Plus, something evil lurks beneath the murky waters of the great floating city, and it has plans to destroy everything in its way.

I have to start off mentioning how totally awesome Teo's paranormal power is in this book. Being able to see speech written in script above the speaker's head is the best power EVER. it made me wonder what font my voice would be? It was a totally cool idea. I am also a long time fan of Michelle Lovric. She writes beautiful books about Venice, yes, but she also tends to writes stories that involve powerful books. Books about books. And mermaids. Seriously, does it get any better than this? The mermaids in this story were so awesome. Their dialect was funny and smart and entirely unique. And that's another thing that keeps me coming back to Lovric's books. Her writing style is gorgeous. She can create atmosphere with ease and every single word on the page seems to serve a very specific purpose in her dialog and description. The last thing I will mention is that I think the UK cover for this book is much more inviting and pretty than the US cover. This US cover looks almost frightening. Regardless, I am looking forward to diving into the sequel, called The Mourning Emporium!

Overall Rating: 5 Stars

Waiting on Wednesday 8/17/11

JULIET IMMORTAL by Stacey Jay

SYNOPSIS:
The most tragic love story in history . . .

Juliet Capulet didn't take her own life. She was murdered by the person she trusted most, her new husband, Romeo Montague, a sacrifice made to ensure his own immortality. But what Romeo didn't anticipate was that Juliet would be granted eternity, as well, and would become an agent for the Ambassadors of Light. For 700 years, she's fought Romeo for the souls of true lovers, struggling to preserve romantic love and the lives of the innocent. Until the day she meets someone she's forbidden to love, and Romeo, oh Romeo, will do everything in his power to destroy that love.

Romeo and Juliet really does feel like a tale that has been told a million times over. But this new paranormal twist sounds like just the right boost this tale needs to make it fresh again! Plus I love the mopey girl on the cover.

Release Date: August 9, 2011

A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan

Rose is only sixteen when she is awakened from stasis, but it is over sixty years after she was first put to sleep in the tube. Adjusting to life in the future would be a lot harder, but luckily Rose is heir to a huge corporation, which has taken care of all her needs upon waking up. She quickly starts back at High School and joins an eclectic group of friends. Among them is Bren, a handsome boy whose friendship makes Rose pine for her old (and long dead) boyfriend Xavier. But there is something else from Rose's past that has been awakened, and it is not entirely friendly.

Sleeping Beauty with robots. I totally did not expect the completely futuristic sci-fi side to this story, but it was worked pretty well. Anna Sheehan really thought through how she wanted to re-tell her fairy tale and her execution was thorough. But where I thought the dystopian future was pretty neat in the beginning, the language and world quickly became tedious to follow. Maybe it was because Rose is a fairly shallow character, thinking only of herself and whining when little annoyances happen to her. She just doesn't seem like a strong or brave character. Otto the alien was a little weird to get used to. If he can communicate with people's minds, why spend most of the book instant messaging? The further I got into this story, the more I wanted clarification on certain elements of the lifestyle and story, and my questions were never answered. Even the flashbacks to Rose and Xavier felt rather dull and insignificant. A great premise and neat idea for the future, but this book could have used a little more time in stasis.

Overall Rating: 3 Stars