This Girl Is Different by JJ Johnson

From the very first moment Evie meets Rajas and Jacinda, their friendship is easy and natural. She finds a fast friendship in Jacinda and is instantly attracted to Rajas. Or so she thought, anyway. When Evie starts her Senior year at the same public school, things spin quickly out of control. Evie is outraged at the injustice students have to endure in their public education and speaks out against it, all with Jacinda and Rajas help. Her plan goes well and soon takes on a life of it's own. But Evie quickly learns to be careful what she wishes for, as lightning can strike anywhere.

This book was all right. There were lots of things I liked about it, including the fact that Evie was a seriously tough and courageous girl. She's boyish and outdoorsy, but also maintains her girlish side, the one that loves her best friend and is interested in kissing cute boys. I also really liked the quotes at the beginning of the chapters. Often times quotes like these can be cheesy and overlooked, but Johnson chose wisely and I found myself taking a moment to revel in the quotes before moving on. Johnson has an easy writing style and gives Evie a very upfront voice. There is no flowery language, no superfluous descriptions. On the other hand, however, I sometimes thought Evie was entirely too smart for her age and experience. She is almost annoyingly set on knowing she is right. At times, her actions felt a little far-fetched. If readers can get past that, there are plenty of current pop-culture references to keep the book in the present. And of course, a fantastic happy ending.

Overall Rating: 3 Stars

Waiting on Wednesday 4/13/11

CORSETS & CLOCKWORK edited by Trisha Telep

SYNOPSIS:
Dark, urban fantasies come to life in the newest collection of Steampunk stories, Corsets & Clockwork. Young heroes and heroines battle evils with the help of supernatural or super-technological powers, each individual story perfectly balancing historical and fantastical elements. Throw in epic romances that transcend time, and this trendy, engrossing anthology is sure to become another hit for the fast-growing Steampunk genre!

This collection features some of the hottest writers in the teen genre, including: Ann Aguirre, Jaclyn Dolamore, Tessa Gratton, Frewin Jones, Caitlin Kittredge, Adrienne Kress, Lesley Livingston, Dru Pagliassotti, Dia Reeves, Michael Scott, Maria V. Snyder, Tiffany Trent, and Kiersten White.

I have totally enjoyed the previous themed story collections edited by Telep, and this sounds as though it might be the best yet. That line-up of authors makes my heart pound. Check it out!

Release Date: April 26, 2011

Entwined by Heather Dixon

Azalea is the oldest of twelve daughters of the King, which means it will soon be time for her to choose a mate and future King. But when her mother passes away, the palace goes into mourning for a full year, and all balls and parties cease. For Azalea and her sisters, this is the worst possible thing that can happen, as dancing is the only thing that can keep their spirits alive. Then Azalea discovers a hidden forest within the palace, that is run by a handsome gentleman who calls himself The Keeper. Here, the princesses can dance to their heart's content. As time goes on, however, Azalea begins to notice a more sinister side to Keeper. With her life spinning out of control, Azalea must find the courage in herself to do the right thing.

Entwined is a beautiful book, plain and simple. I couldn't stop myself from falling deeply into the lush atmosphere. The language and writing style was soft with details but rich with colors. Heather Dixon was brilliant in her descriptions of the hidden forest, with some imagery sure to linger in the minds of readers long after the book is finished. Azalea was a tremendously powerful character, with her thoughts and actions completely justified and intelligent. The King was also written very well, and I was pleased to see him prominently penned into the plot. This book was not only a fabulous retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses, but it was also a tender story of a father struggling to care for his daughters. And I LOVED the delicate addition of magic throughout. At over 450 pages, this read felt quick. I personally could not put it down for anything, except maybe to Google a few of the dances listed inside. Especially the romantic Entwine! Heather Dixon instantly became a favorite author, and I look forward to reading more from her!

Overall Rating: 5 Stars

The Cellar by A.J. Whitten

From the very moment Meredith Willis meets the new guy Adrien St. Germain at school, she is repulsed by him. He wears dark sunglasses all the time and she sees hidden, sinister things whenever he is near. Her sister Heather, however, is a different story. It seems Adrien has inexplicably picked her out of the crowd and chosen her to be his girl. Which also includes trying out for the school play, where Heather is Juliet, and Adrien is picked to be Romeo. But Meredith is set on finding out exactly who this new guy is, even if it means risking her life.

This was an interesting book, to say the least. The zombie element was cool. It was quite gory and horrific in some places, not for the weak stomached readers out there. I thought the fact that the zombies could communicate and had a hierarchy made them fit into vampire lore more than the walking dead. But the characters were complete, and all of them were amusing. The point of view switching between Meredith, Heather, and Adrien pulled the story along more quickly than if it were just one narrator. The romance was sweet, the horror was spooky. With a twist ending readers won't see coming, The Cellar is a fun read!

Overall Rating: 4 Stars

Waiting on Wednesday 4/6/11

TEMPEST RISING by Tracy Deebs

SYNOPSIS:
Tempest Maguire wants nothing more than to surf the killer waves near her California home; continue her steady relationship with her boyfriend, Mark; and take care of her brothers and surfer dad. But Tempest is half mermaid, and as her seventeenth birthday approaches, she will have to decide whether to remain on land or give herself to the ocean like her mother. The pull of the water becomes as insistent as her attraction to Kai, a gorgeous surfer whose uncanny abilities hint at an otherworldly identity as well. And when Tempest does finally give in to the water's temptation and enters a fantastical underwater world, she finds that a larger destiny awaits her—and that the entire ocean's future hangs in the balance.

*droool* Love those mer-folk books! Keep them coming please! And what a stunning cover, with the purple scales and tattoo. I admit the plot sounds a little cheesier than usual, but I am still completely looking forward to this book.

Release Date: May 10, 2011

Miss Entropia and the Adam Bomb by George Rabasa

Adam is one of those boys people will look at and exclaim that he is too smart for his own good. After spending time in and out of a mental institution for improper behavior, he is finally home again. At eighteen, hopefully this time he will be able to adhere to the standards of those around him. Then, in an abrupt twist of fate, he meets a girl who calls herself Miss Entropia, and who is much more troubled than he is. Pia is unlike anybody Adam has ever met before, and he is instantly smitten. And when Adams goes out of his way to be with Pia, things begin to spin terribly out of control.

This book was just okay, if not a little disturbing. The writing style was very conversational, which was hard to get used to at first, but as the story picked up, it faded into the background and flowed completely. Adam's voice was raw and unapologetic, and was sometimes so gently innocent that it made for a very funny scene. The real pleasure, however, was whenever Pia entered the story. That girl was seriously crazy! It was scary and adorable to watch Adam and Pia fumble together through their adventure. Another character I really enjoyed was Adam's hyper-religious cousin Iris, though it felt as if George Rabasa wanted to do more with her story and simply could not find any excuse to include it in the book. At the end, I couldn't help but feel unsatisfied, almost as though the journey had all been for nothing.

I would be curious to know what others out there who have read this book thought of it!

Overall Rating: 3 Stars

The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder

As a sophomore at a new school (she was a freshman there too), April Bowers is tragically not cool. Not nearly as cool as Brittany Taylor, the most popular and prettiest girl in the whole school. So when Brittany turns her attention to April, she is more than just thrilled. But April's best friend Haley warns her that Brittany is a lot meaner than she seems, a message that April ignores until it's too late. Being shunned from the Lipstick Lawlords stings, but with the help of a few others like her, April develops a plan for revenge.

It's a good thing this book was short, because I am not sure I could have stomached the plot any longer. Besides being gaggingly cliched, the shallow characters made my eyes roll. Even as the underdog, I didn't see any reason to root for April. Sure there are terrible girls in high school, but Brittany is extraordinarily mean. And I'm not entirely convinced April fully learned her main character lesson. The dialog had been done before and was predictable. The one cute bit was that April had dreams related to what was going on in her life, and they were genuinely funny. For girl readers out there looking for a breezy spring break book without much depth, this is a good one for you. However, if you expect a little more from your reads, I would pass.

Overall Rating: 2 Stars

Waiting on Wednesday 3/30/11

THE GIRL IN THE STEEL CORSET by Kady Cross

SYNOPSIS:
She thought there was something wrong with her. She was right.
Finley Jayne has known for quite some time that she isn’t ‘normal,’ but when she beats up the son of her employer and is forced to flee, she stumbles into a world where there are bigger freaks than her. They take her in, treat her like family and demand her trust. How can Finley trust them when she can’t trust herself? And why is she drawn to the powerful Griffin as well as the dangerous Jack? She has to get herself under control before she gets into trouble she can’t get out of.

Griffin King is one of the most powerful men in Britain but he couldn’t save his best friend from almost dying. He is determined to save Finley and help her become the person he knows she can be, but there’s evil afoot in London. Machines have attacked humans under the orders of a nefarious criminal called The Machinist. He has sworn to protect his country against such a threat, but he’s never faced any foe like this. However, when he discovers The Machinist’s connection to his past, Griffin vows to end the villain once and for all — but he’ll need the help of all his friends, including the beautiful Finley Jayne – the girl in the steel corset.

*drool* Need I say more? Steampunk, YA, beautiful cover. YUM! And a well thought-out synopsis to make me want it even more. Will have to set aside some time to devour this book in one sitting!

Release Date: May 24, 2011

The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens

Kate, Michael and Emma are orphaned, after a mysterious night when their parents send them away and disappear. Kate is the only one with any sort of memory of their life with their mother and father. As the children grow, they are bounced around through various orphanages, until landing at the strange house of Dr. Stanislaus Pym. While exploring one night, the three stumble upon an old book hidden deep within the basement. They quickly learn this book is very powerful. As the children set off on an adventure to discover more of the book, they will meet evil witches, angry dwarves, and the most terrifying creatures - Screechers!

The Emerald Atlas was exactly what I expected it to be: a fun adventure, if not a little tedious at times. John Stephens' vision of the magical book is well-executed, though I personally wanted to do more traveling through it. Kate is by far the most interesting character, as she seems to be the one holding all of the powers. But Emma is also oh-so-adorable, and extremely courageous. Some characters are silly and overdone, but this is a good thing, especially in the mean old Miss Sallow. A few scenes are chuckle-out-loud funny, thanks in part to Stephens' exceptional dialog between the children. As an exciting tale with twists and danger at every turn, I think this new series will appeal more to fans of Fablehaven over those of Harry Potter.

Overall Rating: 3 Stars

Bound by Book-to-Movie-Law: Beastly

Book-to-Movie Law states that once you have read the book, you are bound by the media to go see the movie based on said book, and therefor compare to two.

One word: costumes. The costumes made this movie truly come to life. Such beautiful, dreamy, awe-inspiring dresses! And interior decorating, too! I am a fan of Alex Finn, and loved Beastly. It was a neat updating of Beauty and the Beast, and captured my imagination. But to see it on the big screen... well it far exceeded my expectations. Mary-Kate Olson was over-the-top cheesy but beautiful in her witchy role. The make-up gory scars on Kyle was horrifying. The movie was cute. Sweet. Perfect for a rainy, gray day. I would definitely recommend reading the book first - especially because of the ending - and then enjoy the movie!

Bottom Line: The movie was fun! The visuals made the whole thing and therefore I think the movie wins this one.

Waiting on Wednesday 3/23/11

DIVERGENT by Veronica Roth

SYNOPSIS:
In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

I've been feeling like I can't get enough YA dystopian fiction these days, so Divergent simply can't come soon enough! The reviews I've read so far are just mediocre, but I am holing out high hopes for this one.

Release Date: May 3, 2011

In the Arms of Stone Angels by Jordan Dane

Brenna Nash is in trouble. Her mother has just moved them back to Shawano, Oklahoma, the site where two years ago she was all but accused (but not convicted) of a terrible deed. It's hard enough for Brenna to live with what she saw her then-boyfriend White Bird do, but the residents of Shawano certainly aren't going to cut her any slack. However, with strength she wasn't sure she possessed, Brenna go to visit White Bird, re-living that horrible night and the days leading up to it. But if bringing so much pain to the surface reveals the truth, it may be worth it after all.

This is a rather dark book. Really. Brenna is very moody and her angst spills off every page. It pained me to watch Brenna go through such torture from the other kids without being able to stand up for herself. But it was nice to read scenes from her mother's POV as well, because the reader saw how Brenna's mom really was trying to help. There is a light paranormal element throughout the story, but for the most part it is all reality. Jordan Dane has thought closely about her characters and their actions, and it shows through in the dialog especially. I must admit that the first half of the book was pretty intense, even for me. Readers who stick it out past the brutal scenes will be rewarded with a much more mellow second half, as well as answers to all of their questions. A surprising read and a worthy journey.

Overall Rating: 3 Stars