Review: You Are Not Here by Samantha Schutz

You Are Not Here by Samantha Schutz tells the story of Annaleah, who is experiencing deep grief after the sudden depth of the boy she liked. The boy she was having a secret relationship with. Brian is dead and Annaleah just wants to be dead with him.

Synopsis:
Annaleah and Brian shared something special - Annaleah is sure of it. When they were together, they didn't need anyone else. It didn't matter that their relationship was secret. All that mattered was what they had with each other.
And then, out of nowhere, Brian dies. And while everyone else has their role in the grieving process, Annaleah finds herself living outside of it, unacknowledged and lonely. How can you recover from a loss that no one will let you have?

Annaleah has been "dating" Brian, a boy from a town nearby. Unfortunately theirs was basically a hidden relationship so now, with Brian gone, she really has no one to experience the grieving process with. Her friends warned her about seeing him because he would not let others know they were dating. Annaleah never told her mom and she never met any of Brian's friends. She truly has no one so she spends all her time at Brian's grave site, talking to him.

This is a book that explores the depths of grief and the reality of the grieving process. I think teens will relate well to just how much Annaleah is grieving. I personally did not relate very well to her at all. In fact, I wasn't at all that sympathetic with her character. I feel that's rather hard-hearted of me, but I did not think Brian was exactly the great guy she imagined. However, that isn't my sole issue. I just could not get into her grief very well. This book is written in a poetic form, kind of like Ellen Hopkins, but it is not poetry. So it was kind of an odd mix. It is a very easy story to read because the pages turn very quickly but I think that quickness almost hindered my ability to delve into Annaleah's emotions closely enough.

There are other issues at stake with Annaleah that are discovered as the story continues. By book's end, I feel like several of those issues were still left hanging. While I didn't need a little bow to tie it all up, I needed some sense that Annaleah was making headway with her issues, besides the grief, and I did not get that feeling at all. In particular, the peculiar relationship she has with her mother was just not explored as fully as I would have liked. There were hints of where the author seemed to want to take that part of the story but in the end, those hints never went anywhere.

This book will do best with teens who have experienced a deep well of emotional grief themselves, whether that is with the death of a boyfriend or just the death of a close loved one, friend or family. It's not the freshest take on grief books for teens but it lends itself very well to reluctant readers because it goes fast and there are topics teens will relate well to: alienation, not understanding the process of grief, what to do about those emotions.

If anything, this book has me really curious about Samantha Schutz's memoir, I Don't Want to Be Crazy. I like her voice and her style enough to want to see what she has to say about her own experiences.

Other reviews:
Simply Nerdy reviews You Are Not Here
Reading Rants reviews You Are Not Here
Library Lounge Lizard reviews You Are Not Here

ARC received from Amazon Vine.

Random Harry Potter moment

So, in case you are not aware, my love for the Harry Potter series is enormous. I absolutely loved the new Harry Potter movie, Deathly Hallows Part I, in a way I have not loved any of the Harry Potter movies. I feel like that movie was finally, finally close to right for the books. It was pretty darn awesome. Well since, then, I have been on a renewed Harry Potter kick, re-reading favorite passages from the books, looking at picspams, and watching videos. A friend on Facebook posted this and I just had to share the video. It does have a few scenes from the new movie, so beware if you haven't seen it yet. But I absolutely love this video and I discovered a new band through it! (Yes, I have never heard of One Republic. I'm not at all up on music, just FYI. I'm a Broadway musical kind of girl most of the time.) So with that, here is Marchin On...



I've cried every time I have watched this because I know what happens to a lot of my favorite characters.

Review: Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

I ended up liking Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan way, way more than I thought I would. It was a fun holiday adventure and well, I absolutely adore the holiday time of year, much like Lily, so this book was right up my alley!

Synopsis:
“I’ve left some clues for you.
If you want them, turn the page.
If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.”
So begins the latest whirlwind romance from the New York Times bestselling authors of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?

When Dash picks up a red notebook at the Strand bookstore he never expects the adventure that is about to land in his lap. When Lily receives the notebook after her dare, well she certainly never expects a boy like Snarly (aka Dash) to enter her life. But he is just what this somewhat sheltered and utterly happy girl  needs, while this somewhat cynical boy definitely needs a little Lily in his life.


This book, to me, is a total holiday classic in the making. I can see myself re-reading this adventure every December. I love the short time-span that it takes place in because it adds urgency to these dares, like, do you really have the guts to do the things mentioned in the book?

Also, this book is filled with some wonderful secondary characters including Dash's irrepressible friend, Boomer, who is like a happy puppy. I believe some people may find him annoying but personally I found his cheer and innocence a nice contrast to Dash. I also like that Dash didn't mock Boomer for who he is. They truly were friends, even if their personalities were radically different.

The opening of this book set the stage very well. Dash doesn't like the Christmas season; Lily adores it but finds this year to be hard since her parents are in Fiji and she is left with her brother Langston who is madly in lust with his new boyfriend. She is for all intents and purposes, alone, but the red notebook and her connection with Dash gives the holidays the spark she has been looking for again.

My one fear is that this book reads a bit older than teens. While Lily is a good mixture of teen and child, she still has thoughts that to me seemed very adult. Dash is definitely the same in that regard. He has some very adult like thoughts and actions and I can't quite decide if they are genuine teens or just adults trying to write as teens. Since I ended up really enjoying the book, I went with the thought that these were just two extraordinary teens.

And the humor! I found myself laughing out loud many times. As I was just commenting on Twitter the other day, I'd hate to be known as a "mommy blogger." Well this book uses that phrase to the extreme in an awesome scene. I also loved how much of a part New York city played in the book. It made the adventure even more real to me. I love NYC and I liked experiencing it with Dash and Lily.

This is a book that references baking, From The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, muppets, Macy's, holiday lights, and more. Given my propensity for liking all the things in the aforementioned sentence, well, I was basically bound to love this book. I can't say I would recommend it for every reader, but for that teen looking for a bit of a different holiday story, I think this book fits that bill nicely.

ARC reviewed from Around the World Tours.

Other reviews:
Stacked Books reviews Dash and Lily
A Patchwork of Books reviews Dash and Lily 
The Library Lurker reviews Dash and Lily
Frenetic Reader reviews Dash and Lily 

In My Mailbox

Sarah Mail!

This week I received some exciting books that I cannot wait to read.

Book tour:
Back When You Were Easier to Love by Emily Wing Smith (Around the World Tours)

For review:
Mad Love by Suzanne Selfors (Amazon Vine)
When the Stars Go Blue by Caridad Ferrer (read my review here)

Contest win:
Freefall by Mindi Scott (Thanks Reclusive Bibliophile!)

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren and is a great way to show what new books you'll be reading in the coming weeks!

What did you get in your mailbox??

2011 Debut Author Challenge

I've decided to go ahead and sign up for The Story Siren's 2011 Debut Author Challenge. It was a really great way for me to expose myself to new authors this year and I hope to do the same in 2011.

In 2010, my goal was 15 debut author books and I accomplished that, in fact going over, so yay me! In 2011, I am shooting for 18 YA or MG debut author books to read. It's not a huge leap but I think it will prove to be a good challenge for me.

Here are a few of the titles I am interested in reading though this list is definitely subject to change:

1. XVI by Julia Karr
2.Choker by Elizabeth Woods
3.Wither by Lauren DeStefano
4.The False Princess by Eilis O'Neal
5. Ten Miles Past Normal by Frances O'Roark Dowell
6. Hourglass by Myra McEntire
7. Like Mandarin by Kirsten Hubbard
8. Exposed by Kimberly Marcus
9. Clarity by Kim Harrington
10. Divergent by Veronica Roth
11. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
12. Wildefire by Karsten Knight
13. The Pull of Gravity by Gae Polisner
14. Bunheads by Sophie Flack
15. Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik
16. A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan
17. Popular by Alissa Grosso
18. Blood Red Road by Moira Young
19. Moonglass by Jessi Kirby
20. Lie by Caroline Bock
21. Saving June by Hannah Harrington
22. Audition by Stasia Kehoe Ward
23. OyMG by Amy Fellner Dominy
24. I'll Be There by Amy Goldberg Sloan

Good luck to all the participants and I cannot wait to read some new authors!

Teen Program: Gingerbread Houses

So last week I held a gingerbread house program for teens in grades 6-12. It seemed like a great idea when I decided on it way back in September. But as the day drew closer I worried that teens would think it would be too dorky and I would have no one at my program. Nonetheless I planned for about 18 teens, but buying extra candy and graham crackers in case more showed up. During the school year I tend to get between 9-14 teens for my programs. I was thinking, hey, it's candy, they are bound to show up. Well, they did show up. In droves! I ended up with 30 teens and a few scattered adults at this program. Now, when I say teen, I mean mostly 6th-8th graders. I only had a few high school students mixed in the bunch. But holy cow, I was not prepared for 30 teens. By any measure. I quickly ran out of graham crackers, candy, and most importantly of all, frosting. I had four batches of royal icing, thinking that would be plenty. Oh so wrong Sarah! I had to have one of the youth service library assistants run to the local Safeway for me for some canned frosting and powdered sugar, and graham crackers.

However, did any of this running out of candy or graham crackers make the teens angry or upset? Quite the contrary! They had a total blast. Seriously, there was quite a bit of friendly competition going on about the room but it was all in good fun. Here are a few of the amazing creations that the teens came up with:

This is my volunteers' "green" gingerbread house. See the "solar panels"??

So, what will you need for this type of program?? Well, candy and graham crackers to start with. And I think I ended up using about 10-11 boxes of graham crackers with all these teens. So, more is better definitely. Fortunately there wasn't too much breakage of graham crackers, rendering them useless. The teens truly had good control in front of the candy and food. I know they ate some but the majority definitely went on their houses.

And of course, a wide variety of candy will help. M&Ms, Hershey Kisses, licorice, candy canes, pretzels, mints, gum drops, vanilla wafers, etc. You can really go in any direction with the candy because the teens truly put it to good use. And buy several bags of each. I was shocked by how fast the candy went. The teens were really great about sharing though and there were no candy fights or anything like that. They came in groups but honestly, there was a ton of moving about the room and talking with other teens. And I know I had teens from tons of different middle schools at the program, because I was asking around. But yes, expect supplies to go fast. I had a few teens come in halfway through the program and they had to wait because I didn't have enough supplies for them.

Also, a few general rules of thumb:
1. Cover your tables ahead of time! Makes clean-up much easier. I'd say cover your floors a bit if you can too.
2. Cut out pieces of cardboard ahead of time and cover with tinfoil. The tinfoil prevents the icing from sinking into the cardboard. Do not go without the tinfoil.
3. Prepare for more than what you expect. I didn't quite do this right because I still had way, way more than I usually get.
4. Have something to do while icing dries. Now this one, I didn't actually need it. The teens were fairly patient about waiting for their houses to set. I had prepared a Christmas carol picture puzzle sheet ahead of time but I didn't end up using it with the teens. The parents had a blast with it. If you'd like to see it, just email me. I have the answers too.
5. Do not let them get their hands on powdered sugar! That was the biggest mess maker by far.
6. Have some soda and water. Teens get thirsty around all that candy.
7. If you are making it a contest, have prizes! I forgot prizes so I had to get some old teen summer prizes out of storage. Not a bad thing because the real prize was the awesome gingerbread houses but you know, the teens did want something.
8. Use graham crackers. So much easier than actual gingerbread.
9. This program does get expensive. I think I ended up spending close to $85 when all was said and done.
10. Have fun and let your teens experiment! I did put up pictures of gingerbread houses around the room for inspiration but they were totally unnecessary because the teens just took off and did their own thing.

And here is the recipe I used for the royal icing. It worked great! Hardened quickly and was very stable.

Royal Icing:
2 large egg whites
1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
2 tsps. water
3 cups powdered sugar

With an electric mixer beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and water
until frothy.  Mix in powdered sugar; beat on high speed until icing
is stiff, 5 to 10 minutes.

Use immediately or cover up to 8 hours.
Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

I made this recipe four times and it was not enough for 30 kids. So you know, make more if you think you'll need it. Also do warn them NOT to eat the icing because of the raw eggs.

This program turned out to be one of the best I've had this year. I was so pleased by the turnout, even if it did end up a tad crazy. It was a lot of fun and I hope to do it again next year.

If you have any questions, feel free to comment or email me! Gingerbread houses, so not just for kids!

YA Royalty

So, if you are anything like me at all, you may be super duper excited about the recent announcement of Prince William and Kate Middleton's engagement. They will be getting married on April 29, 2011, and I for one cannot wait. I have been obsessed with royalty, both historical and current, all my life and well, William has always been one of my number one crushes. As a little girl I was convinced I would marry him, despite you know, living on two different continents and such. Who cares? True love would prevail!

Well, Wills' recent engagement has got me in the mood to read some great royalty stories and I happen to know there are quite a few good ones in the YA world. And of course, perhaps one of the most famous royalty stories in the young adult genre is none other than...

The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot. Mia Thermopolis is an utterly unforgettable character and Genovia truly comes to be a fictional place I'd love to see be real. I loved Mia's humor, her awkwardness, how she just wanted to be ordinary and you know, enjoy a good crush. But she matured a lot throughout the series and truly came to be the leader Genovia needed. I like seeing teenage girls in powerful positions and I think Meg Cabot did a great job of taking Mia on that road. Unfortunately this series does contain one thing I do not like and that is the terrible Lily Moscovitz. I absolutely still cannot stand that character. She never seemed like a best friend to me. This is also one of the few "royalty" stories that I know that is set in a contemporary setting and not a fantasy setting.

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale. I know Hale is perhaps better known for The Princess Academy (another royal book!), I like The Goose Girl, despite how slow moving it could be at times. This is the story of a princess born who can talk to animals. However, she is betrayed and becomes instead a girl who tends geese. It doesn't sound all that exciting admittedly but the world Hale creates is gorgeous, rife with trouble, full of passion, and Isi is such a genuine character, someone who is searching for her place in life, and trying to reclaim her destiny. This is a fantastic story and works very well for those readers you know who can handle a more slow moving, but totally worth it read.

Though it has a more feminine cover, this book actually has some appeal to male readers I think. Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George is another princess retelling, this time of the a retelling of the Grimm Brothers' Twelve Dancing Princesses. Galen, a soldier, has the power to finally win over princess Rose, all due to his magical thread. It's an eloquent story set in a historical time period. It's romantic, engaging, and a great addition to the "royalty" genre.

Fire and Graceling by Kristen Cashore both have great elements of royalty to them. There is fighting, strong characters, different kingdoms, Princes, evil villains, all set in an intriguing fantasy world. I don't think these necessarily come to mind in the "royalty" genre for YA but they definitely fit and are good stories for your teens who love royalty but may be looking for how girls can play different roles, besides just the "princess" or "damsel in distress."

The Princess Plot by Kirsten Boie. Totally admit, I have not read this book. But I see it check out quite a bit at my library so I figure some teens are interested in it. There is a sequel too, entitled The Princess Trap so there if teens are really interested, they can continue reading.









Some other titles:
Princess Ben by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
The Princess and the Hound/The Princess and the Bear by Mette Ivie Harrison
A Brief History of Montmaray by Michelle Cooper
Once Upon a Marigold/Twice Upon a Marigold by Jean Ferris
The Dragon Princess by E.D. Baker (anything by E.D. Baker really)

So, if you are like me, and maybe some of your own readers who are hit by royal wedding fever, here are some titles you can suggest to them. I'd love a few more boy centric books for this royalty list, so if you know of a good one please share! I know I've only touched on this topic because frankly there are still many, many royalty books I did not cover. But these are some that I have used in book talks or at least seen being checked out at my library.

Do you have a favorite book celebrating or perhaps even ridiculing everything royalty? Please let me know in the comments!

Life Behind the Reference Desk featuring Abby the Librarian!

Well I have to say, my first Life Behind the Reference Desk feature was a blazing success. I loved all the comments I received on Sarah's post. It was great. So I'm hoping you will be just as excited to meet Abby (the) Librarian one of my favorite librarians online. She runs a very cool blog so check it out. Abby is head of her children's department and does a ton of awesome children's programming (candy land, Alice in Wonderland, the Titanic) and she posts great lists of storytime reads and activities which I find extremely helpful. And believe me, she doesn't scrimp on the YA stuff on her blog either. Lots of great reviews and author interviews. She is a go-getter and one of ALA's emerging leaders for 2011. I can totally see why! You can also talk with her on twitter @abbylibrarian. So without further ado, meet Abby.

1. What makes you passionate about your job? 

Well, of course I love kids and I love books, but what really makes me excited and passionate about my job is the fact that I can make a difference in a kid's life.  Many of the children in my community don't have a lot, but at the library they can always be assured of a friendly word and lots of great books to read.  And when you don't have much (or even if you DO have much!), I think that counts for a lot.  When I think about the fact that every encounter I have with a patron is an opportunity to create a lifelong library user, it inspires me to try my best every day. 

2. What do you find to be a challenge for librarians in today's very busy, information readily available world?

I think one of the biggest challenges that librarians face is dealing with our image.  Ask any librarian why the library is awesome and she'll be able to list a dozen reasons, but it can be a big challenge to get people to come through our doors, especially if they have an "I-can-just-Google-it" attitude.  The library offers so much more than an internet search engine (not the least of which is free access TO the search engine...).  We've just got to get that across. 

3. What has been your path to librarianship? Have you always wanted to be a librarian?

Funny story.  Actually, the reason I went to library school was because I wanted to move back to my college town to be with my boyfriend.  Yeah, I had worked at Barnes & Noble since high school and I realized that I really liked helping people and kids and children's books.  And I guess I should have realized that I was destined to be a librarian - library day was my favorite day in school, and my first word was "book".  But really, it was a lucky break that I ended up loving library school.  As for the boyfriend, we broke up about a month after I moved back to town.  

4. What are some of your favorite children's programs you have held at your library?

We did a Life-Size Candyland game last year over Spring Break and it was so much fun!  We set out a giant game board in our large meeting room and had teen volunteers dress up as characters from the game and hand out candy.  I also love the Twilight Prom we threw because we had a great crowd of teens at the library on a Friday night.  A bunch of library employees from different departments agreed to come in and help us and the girls FREAKED OUT about getting their picture taken with the Edward Cullen cardboard stand-up that we borrowed from another library. 

5. What is your favorite part about working with children?

My favorite thing about working with children is how you become a part of their lives that they'll always remember.  Kids have a way of bonding with adults that are steady and kind and listen to what they have to say.  Even if you don't know it, you may be making an impression.  Last May to promote our summer reading club, we visited the schools and played a trivia game where the kids got to squirt me with water if they got the correct answer.  I can't tell you how many kids have seen me at the library or at their school since then and said, "Hey!  They squirted you with water!"  They remember!  Something I do with them might be something they always remember, something that goes on to shape who they become. 

Plus, kids just say really funny things sometimes. :) 

6. What is a library related blog you love to read?

There are many, but I have to mention What Adrienne Thinks About That (http://www.watat.com/) because I love her REAL suggestions from the children's room! 

7. Do you have any words of advice for other librarians interested in blogging?

Do it!  I know that you're busy.  And yes, it's a commitment to really keep up a blog.  But the more you put into it, the more you get out of it.  There's such a wonderful community of blogging librarians, parents, teachers, and book-lovers.  Blogging has opened up a whole new world to me (AND it's really helped me improve my writing and reading skills...).  If you're thinking about doing it, do it!  

Also, don't write or reply or Tweet when you're angry or annoyed.  Sleep on it and then write about it later when you've calmed down.  If you still want to write about it. 

ALSO, read things over before you post.  Remember all that stuff we learned in school about writing drafts and then revising?  Do that for your blog posts and it'll make them better.  I can pretty much guarantee that. 

8. And of course, what are you reading??

I'm so glad you asked!  I love this question!  I just started DEADLY by Julie Chibbaro, which is coming out from Athenuem in February.  It's historical fiction, set in 1906-1907 and the main character is a sixteen year old girl scientist who gets involved with the hunt for Mary Mallon, Typhoid Mary.  It's wonderfully well-written and so interesting.  I'm definitely excited to share the love for this one!

And I've got an audiobook going in the car: PRINCESS IN THE SPOTLIGHT by Meg Cabot, read by Anne Hathaway.  I loved the first Princess audiobook and I'm loving this one, too!  The books are funny and light, perfect for your next roadtrip vacation, and Anne Hathaway is freakin' hilarious!  She does a fabulous job of narrating Mia's story.  

Thank you so much for joining me at my blog Abby! You always have such great content on your site and I know I find something new on every visit! I do want to highlight one of Abby's best features. Her day in the life of a children's librarian. If you ever wanted to know what children's librarians do, here is a good starting point!

I hope you enjoyed this edition of Life Behind the Reference Desk and if you are a blogging librarian, I don't really care what kind of librarian, and are interested in participating please email me!

Review: Songs for a Teenage Nomad by Kim Culbertson

Songs for a Teenage Nomad by Kim Culbertson is a bittersweet and enticing gem of a contemporary tale. I adore the cover and the bleak appeal of it because it fits the story pretty well.

Synopsis: After living in twelve places in eight years with her drifting mother, fourteen-year-old Calle Smith finds herself in Andreas Bay, California, at the start of ninth grade. Fearful of putting down roots anywhere, but armed with her song journal, she moves to her own sound track through a world that bounces her between the school drama crowd, a mysterious loner, and an unlikely boy who will become her first love. But it's the troubling truth she uncovers about her father that forces Calle to face the toughest choice of her young life. 

I really liked Calle. She is a pretty normal teenager for the rather unstable life she has led. She wants friends, would like to fit in somewhere, gets crushes on the wrong boys, doesn't get along all that well with her mom, and well, she just wants a chance. She is a standard contemporary character but I really connected with her. I thin its because she was so unable to connect that when she suddenly meets this group of friends, she is desperate for some type of connection. Unfortunately, drama comes along with it but what would YA world be without drama?


Calle is searching for her dad, has been most of her life. Her mom will not tell her anything about him other than he was a musician that left their family. Since then, her mother has been married numerous times and they have moved numerous times. It hasn't been any easy life but Calle has her music journal and she tries to make the best of the situation. With this move however, she discovers some new information about her dad through a little snooping (I did wonder, why she hadn't done this before during one of the other moves). It makes her question everything her mother has told her.


At the same time, Calle is finally making friends. She has met a boy who definitely has issues of his own and is running hot and cold with her. But she is clicking with the drama kids and finally feels like she has a group to call her own. But she knows she lacks the history that the rest of the kids have and unfortunately, Calle is made to feel like an outsider by other classmates. When word gets out about her somewhat involvement with popular football player Sam, well things do not get any better.


I know this sounds really kind of depressing but I found it to be a genuine and likable story. I really liked Calle. She is looking for answers and definitely gets a little freaked out about what she finds. It is not the happily-ever-after part of her was hoping for. 


I'm not sure how to adequately describe this book. It wasn't phenomenal, it wasn't bad, it is kind of middle road but it left an impression on me. It is just a small gem of a story. A quick look into the unstable world that so many teenagers face. I think it has a very real and authentic feel to it. Lots of moves, new schools, social awkwardness. It was all there. I really felt Calle's isolation and her search for some stability. She was not asking for the moon because she knew her mom, she knew that would not happen. But she wanted something and I think by story's end they reach a sort of resolution with each other.

Also, as to the guy plot, well I was so, so glad Calle called out Sam on his ill treatment of her. Because problems at home or not, Calle was also facing some crappy situations and she put herself out there with him. She did not deserve to be treated that way and I really liked her for telling him so.


There was one plot device that was very conveniently used and kind of negated the threat that was supposedly present in the majority of the novel. I don't want to give it away but it kind of seemed like an easy out, sort of.


This book actually reminded me in some ways of Laura Strasnick's Nothing Like You. It isn't necessarily the most memorable book but in the moment of reading it, it felt very vibrant to me. Vibrant and real. I liked Kim Culbertson's writing voice a lot and am once again impressed by the quality of stories Sourcebooks puts out. 


This book was published in September 2010 so you should be able to find it. I received my ARC from Around the World Tours.

In My Mailbox

Sarah Mail!

Lots of good books this week!

For review: 
Blink & Caution by Tim Wynne-Jones (via Candlewick)
The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta (via Candlewick, thank you!!)
Blessed by Cynthia Leitich Smith (via Candlewick)
Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn (Around the World Tours)
Songs for a Teenage Nomad by Kim Culbertson (Around the World Tours)

Paperbackswap:
It's Not About the Accent by Caridad Ferrer

Contest win:
Bliss by Opal Carew

Bought:
That Christmas Feeling by Brenda Novak, Kathleen O'Brien and Karina Bliss
Play of Passion by Nalini Singh
Impulsive by HelenKay Dimon
When Harry Met Molly by Kieran Kramer
The complete Harry Potter signature collection from Amazon UK (seriously, look how beautiful this set is!) pictures below--

What did you get in your mailbox this week?

In My Mailbox is a meme created by The Story Siren. Share your mailbox too!

Review: The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney

The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney was a book I had been anticipating reading basically all of 2010. My hopes were set sky high and in retrospect that was not a good thing because while I liked the book, I also had a few problems with it.

Synopsis:
Some schools have honor codes.
Others have handbooks.
Themis Academy has the Mockingbirds.
Themis Academy is a quiet boarding school with an exceptional student body that the administration trusts to always behave the honorable way--the Themis Way. So when Alex is date raped during her junior year, she has two options: stay silent and hope someone helps her, or enlist the Mockingbirds--a secret society of students dedicated to righting the wrongs of their fellow peers.

When Alex wakes up in a boy's bed she instantly feels something is wrong. This cannot be what she imagined happened. Rape doesn't even enter her head at first because it is so inconceivable to her. She was drunk. There was no way a boy would take advantage of her. But her friend and roommate doesn't believe consent ever entered into the situation and that Alex was definitely raped in her incapacitated state. Alex numbly goes along with it because frankly she cannot feel anything else.

Enter the Mockingbirds, Themis Academy's own judge and jury system. Forget going to the school or the police, let your fellow students take care of the issue. Here is where I had one issue with the book. I just could not conceive that the police would not have helped. Yes, I still do have respect and regard for the law enforcement system, for the most part anyway. Sure, I could agree that maybe the teachers would look the other way, but would the police? That I wasn't so sure about I guess.

The Mockingbirds start the proceedings to put Alex's rapist on trial and the book goes on from there, as Alex tries to feel normal, to try to get back to some modicum of normality. That is tough when boys at school are seeing her as an easy score, when there are even some females against her. Yes, she has her core group of friends, but essentially, she is alone in this, at first.

There is also a blossoming romance in this book and this was another issue I had with the book. I have not been raped so I obviously cannot truly say how a female (or male) would feel about jumping back into any kind of relationship again with a member of the opposite sex. I have had friends who have dealt with rape and it has taken them months to several years to truly feel ready to make that leap again, to trust another person to that depth again. I felt like Alex and Martin's relationship, their somewhat easy intimacy, just rang very false. Obviously each person has their own unique situation and circumstances so one person's "recovery" if it can be called that because I am sure it is pretty much a lifelong process, will never be the same as anyone else. But somehow I just could not buy into that relationship. Martin was a nice guy, a fun and interesting character, but I wish it had remained at a friend level.

The trial was honest and hard to read because I know those kinds of questions come up in real rape situations. Alex has to deal with things she is not truly sure about, but also knowing what happened to her was a violation of the deepest sense. I feel like the trial portion of the story was tense and well-written. Alex had to confront much more than just this boy's thoughts that what he did was okay.

When this book finally ended, I came away a bit frustrated because it had not lived up to what I had expected but on the other hand, I was not disappointed. I found Alex's experience to be incredibly realistic and devastating. Her emotions were both blank but yet fierce. I don't know how to adequately articulate it except that I found her reaction to be believable and harsh.

While there were certainly some elements of this story that did not work for me, I find it to be an interesting addition to the YA contemporary genre. Rape is always difficult to write and no story will ring one hundred percent true for any reader so I think what Daisy Whitney has accomplished is both intriguing and realistic. Secret societies have a fascination for many readers and the Mockingbirds will add an element of uniqueness to this story of a girl's struggle with date rape. Because it clearly was date rape. There is never doubt in my mind, even as Alex struggles to articulate what happened to her. Intense and while not wholly satisfying, a book worth reading.

Other reviews:
Ticket to Anywhere reviews The Mockingbirds (one of my favorite reviews of this book I read.)
Abby the Librarian reviews The Mockingbirds
Stacked Books reviews The Mockingbirds
Librarified reviews The Mockingbirds

ARC received from Amazon Vine and the publisher. Also purchased copy.

Review: Hothouse by Chris Lynch

I'm not a huge fan of Chris Lynch's voice and Hothouse just continues that trend for me. I try, I really do because I think he has strong guy appeal, but in the end, I just never can dig into his storytelling style the way I want. That being said, I think this book has a lot going for it.

Synopsis:

If you do it right, it can be a life. The hothouse, the guys, the glory. But just like that, it can all go up in smoke.

In the beginning it was strange, ya know, because of all that we had lost. But there was something about it that felt so good and so right, too: "I'm so proud of you, Russ." "We'll always be here for you, man." "Heroes don't pay for nothin' in this town." It was nonstop. The mayor shook my hand. Ladies sent food. I've never eaten so much baked ham in my life.
And now? Now the phone won't stop ringing from the crazies ready to blame me. My mom has to cry herself to sleep. They take a firefighter, a man, and they pump him up so big. . . . But once they start taking it away from you, they don't stop until they leave nothing on the bones.
First they needed heroes, then they needed blood. 

This is the story of two friends who drifted apart, it is the story of a boy who adored his father, thought the world felt the same, then found out something very different. Russ's father, a firefighter, has just died. DJ, the boy who was Russ's friend growing up, lost his father in the same fire. The community is treating the deaths like a celebration of sorts, a melancholy one to be sure, but they are calling those men heroes. Russ never doubts it. DJ clearly does not feel the same and as the story continues you will discover why.

Interspersed with the main narrative are flashbacks surrounding Russ and his father, their early morning breakfasts, his father's terrible bowling skills, and the love and sometimes even hate relationship Russ felt about his father. I think this will ring very true for teens who probably feel the same about their own parents, firefighter or no.


When rumors start circulating that Russ's father was anything but a hero, the novel changes dramatically. Russ does not know what to think or feel and it felt incredibly realistic. I think to a degree we put our parents on pedestals, no matter what age, and Russ's father was his inspiration for wanting to become a firefighter. He was everything to Russ and seeing this new side of him was a wake-up call that he did not know his father as well as he thought. The community's adoration turns into hate calls, bad press, hiding of a memorial, and basically a complete reversal of the hero concept. The illusion of the hero is well played out here because frankly no one is perfect and yet a town expects that from its heroes.

This is a short read, an intense one that moves briskly and I think will hold the attention of even reluctant readers. What I liked about it, much better than the hero question itself, was the friendship angle that played out in this book. Russ and DJ rediscovering some type of friendship, Russ being able to count on his school buds no matter how his dad went from hero to something else. They still ragged on him, made jokes about him, but also gave him that sense of normalcy he needed. This is where you are going to capture the readers because the friendships in this book felt like the most authentic part of the story.

So yes, while I cannot say I truly enjoyed this book, I feel like it will make a good story for a wide variety of audiences. It's got the short factor, the friendship factor, and though I hate to label it this way, the "manly" factor of firefighting mixed up with other problems. Chris Lynch still doesn't quite work for me. I just never connect with his writing style and Hothouse continued that trend. But I am glad I have another book to booktalk and reach out to some of my readers with.

Other reviews:
Girls in the Stacks review Hothouse
GalleySmith reviews Hothouse (the review that made me want to read this book!)

Book borrowed from my library.

In My Mailbox

Sarah Mail

This is mail from like two weeks but it's some good stuff!

For review: 
Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg (!!! I requested this and Scholastic was very kind to send it to me)
Call Me Irresistible by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (!!!! LOVE SEP and I'm very excited to read this book)
You Are Not Here by Samantha Schutz (Amazon Vine)

From YALSA Symposium:
Take Me There by Carolee Dean
Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles (SIGNED!)
The Agency Book 2
The Sky Always Hears Me and the Hills Don't Mind by Kirstin Cronn-Mills

And here is my signed copy of Rules of Attraction. Simone Elkeles was lots of fun and really nice!

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren and is a way to see all the cool things people across the book blogging net are getting in their mail or buying.

Life Behind the Reference Desk

Today I want to introduce a new feature I hope to maintain here at YA Librarian Tales. It is called Life Behind the Reference Desk and it's all about the wonderful librarians I have "met" online who are blogging and talking about books outside of their job. I titled this feature Life Behind the Reference Desk to give you an idea what it like actually behind the reference desk of a library. What librarians do, things they are asked, etc.

To kick-off this new feature I have interviewed one of my very favorite bloggers and librarians. Sarah of GreenBeanTeenQueen. If you haven't visited her site, go do it now! She has great reviews, a Tween Tuesday feature I love, fun interviews and lots of library goodness. You can also find her on Twitter @greenbeanblog.

1. What makes you passionate about your job?

-I LOVE working with teens.  There is seriously nothing more fun that running a program for teens and getting the chance to talk with them. I love when my regular teens visit me and we get to talk books. I still feel like a teenager most of the time, so I have a blast getting to talk to teens about what they're reading, watching on TV, listening to on the radio. My tastes in pop culture have never grown up!  I love that as a teen librarian I get to be there for my teens and show them that hey, adults can still be fun and cool!:)

2. What do you find to be a challenge for librarians in today's very busy, information readily available world?

-Getting people to understand that not everything can be found instantly. Not everything is available online and not everyone even has access to a computer at home!  I think we get so used to having everything at our fingertips that we think that everyone has what we have and that's not the case.  It's also hard to explain to people who want all the new bestsellers why there is a long waiting list. 

3. Briefly describe what a day in the life of a librarian is like for you?

-I split my time at the reference desk, so typically I work at the reference desk in the morning, then in YA in the afternoon.  In the afternoon's in YA on a typical day I'm planning programs, finding craft ideas and supplies, helping teens and parents who have questions, chatting with teens who want to come say hi and tell me about their day, try to catch up on reader's advisory by reading blogs and journals that have most likely been sitting on my desk for three weeks, contact my local school librarians about programs, make blog posts on the library teen page, update the library Facebook page, and try to work on my never ending "to-do" list of booklists, reader's advisory ideas, office cleaning, and more program planning!

3. What do you do in your downtime, besides read of course?

 -I'm currently in grad school so it feels like I never have downtime except to read or blog!  I love to play board games, so if I'm not reading most likely I'm spending time with friends playing games. (We're currently addicted to Ticket to Ride).  I also spend time with my husband and two adorable puppies. We just got a second dog last month, so he's very playful and taking up a lot of free time!

4. What made you decide to start blogging?

-I saw other blogs and thought "why not?"  I wanted to keep track of what I had been reading and thought it would be a great place to keep my reviews so I could have them on hand when asked for book ideas and school visits where I present booktalks.  It's hard to remember everything I read, so my blog has been very helpful in that way!

5. What is a library related blog you love to read?

-I'd be lost without A Fuse #8 Production and A Chair, A Fireplace, A Tea Cozy-both on School Library Journal.  I also really like Early Word, which is a publisher/librarian blog that gives librarians heads up on popular titles.

6. Do you have any words of advice for other librarians interested in blogging?

 -So many librarians I meet say "but I'm so busy, I don't have the time to blog!" But you can do it-trust me! I'm the most over committed person, but I can find time to blog.  Don't worry about starting out big and blogging every day, blog when you have something to review. And don't worry about blogging new books only, blog whatever you want-get ideas from the teens you work with-what are they reading?  Blog about what you see checking out at your library and what you're reading and you'll have a great resource to come back to when you need to remember a great book!

7. And of course, what are you currently reading?

-I'm reading so many things right now! I'm about halfway through Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly, I got The Search for Wondla by Tony DiTerlizzi from the library, I'm working on finishing Matched, and I'm listening to White Cat by Holly Black

Review: The Lying Game by Sara Shepard

The Lying Game is the start of a new series from Pretty Little Liars creator Sara Shepard. I have not read the Pretty Little Liars series but I have seen the TV show. That being said, from what I can tell, The Lying Game has a lot of the same level of mean girl bitchiness and pranks, a cruel narrator, and of course, plenty of intrigue and murder.

Synopsis: Foster kid Emma Paxton has only just discovered Sutton Mercer, the wealthy twin sister she never knew she had, when Sutton drops off the face of the earth, asking Emma to cover for her at home, school, and with her friends—just for a few days. At first Emma enjoys trying on her sister’s fabulous life: her fiercely loyal friends, her adoring boyfriend, her close-knit family. But as Emma is drawn deeper into Sutton’s world she finds the friends are not so fabulous, the boyfriend is not who she wants to be with, and the family is clinging to long-buried secrets and a veneer of functionality. And worst of all, Sutton may not be coming back. In fact, someone may have made sure she never could…and that someone knows Emma is not who she claims to be. Emma will need all her wits to survive The Lying Game.

Emma is a foster care girl on the verge of her 18th birthday. Two more weeks and she will be free of the system. That all gets messed up when her current foster mother accuses Emma of stealing from her, helped along by the mother's son, Travis, who wants in Emma's pants. She is so not going there with the pot smoking guy so he responds by ruining her last foster care experience. Of course, that's not to say any of the foster homes have been a walk in the park or the best place to live ever but what Emma learns from this experience will change her world. Travis shows Emma a snuff movie of a girl dying, a girl who looks exactly like Emma. Her name is Sutton and when Emma tries to contact her via facebook, she gets a response. When Emma goes to meet Sutton, hoping for a great reunion even knowing real life rarely works out that way. And indeed, Sutton doesn't show and somehow gets sucked into Sutton's world. Everyone thinks she is Sutton and when dangerous notes start showing up commanding Emma to play along, else she will die like Sutton, well what other choice does she? And thus begins The Lying Game, which has even more meaning than the small amount I am eluding to here.

While Emma is the main character in the book, Sutton is actually a ghostly presence in the story, following along with Emma as they both try to figure out what is going on. Sutton remembers nothing of her life and only gradually do memories start to resurface. She is Emma's ghost sidekick in the story. It adds somewhat of an otherwordly impression on the story but I would have found it more interesting if the two had found some way to communicate. I like those kinds of links. Maybe that will happen in upcoming stories.

There is a definite mean girl crowd mentality in this book and Sutton is the leader of it all. Playing Sutton, Emma has a hard time getting into the role because she is not necessarily that mean. The other girls in the clique are fairly interchangeable in my mind and are not exactly multi-dimensional characters. Even Sutton and Emma aren't. The strongest part of this story, as is with the Pretty Little Liars series (based on my TV watching) is the mystery and just who killed Sutton, if she is even really dead because that could be just one more trick in The Lying Game.

While this book definitely did not take me a long time to read, I wasn't completely engrossed in it unfortunately. It was just a so-so story. I will likely continue reading the next books in the series at some point, maybe once they are all published, but I am not in any hurry to find out what happened to Sutton. However, since I have already heard that this is being developed into a TV series for ABC Family (home of Pretty Little Liars) I may try to keep up a bit more because I've had some interesting conversations with teen girls at my library about PLL the TV show and the comparison between the books and show.

I think this series is going to be an easy enough sell at first to fans of Pretty Little Liars. I don't know if its quite as compelling as the Pretty Little Liars because part of the story seems rehashed to me. Will a new murder be enough to keep readers hooked? It doesn't even have the titillation factor (yet) of a student-teacher relationship that seems to be a point of contention to keep readers reading.

This eGalley is provided courtesy of NetGalley.com.

Review: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perksin

I don't think I can quite adequately express how excited I was when Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins turned up in my mailbox. I was beyond ecstatic. I absolutely adore France (been there twice so far in my life, hope to make it at least a third time), I absolutely love good romances, and yes, I even like boarding school settings. So this book was like a trifecta of awesome already, without having read it. Fortunately this book lived up to my expectations. In a big way.

Synopsis:
Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris—until she meets Étienne St. Claire: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.
As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near-misses end with the French kiss Anna—and readers—have long awaited?

I think this review is sadly going to come off a bit incoherent because I really enjoyed this book and I don't quite have all the words to say just exactly why. I am not one of the most articulate writers in the world unfortunately. But let's start at the beginning, a very good place to begin (Sound of Music anyone??). Anna is not thrilled to be in Paris for her senior year of high school. And this felt refreshing to me because despite this opportunity here is a teenager who is acting like a teenager. She is angry at her dad for forcing this situation on her. She wants to be with her best friend and the guy who is very loosely her boyfriend. She just cannot appreciate this opportunity and that felt so genuine. How many teenagers do you know who will complain about even the most exciting of opportunities? LOTS.

Anna is a likable girl though and she meets some friends very quickly. She also meets some enemies (aka the typical high school mean girls) immediately too. She also makes the acquaintance of a very intelligent and hot boy named Etienne St. Clair. Unfortunately, he has a girlfriend. But their friendship flourishes at first anyway. They flirt (yes, they do even knowing it's not exactly right) and they just have a lot of fun together. St. Clair is the guy who finally gets her out and about exploring Paris. Let me just say, what I wouldn't give for a cute guy to show me around Paris. To have me make a wish on point zero des routes de France. All their encounters are just fraught with this tension that is subtly builds up as the story goes along. Stephanie Perkins, you know how to make teen romances absolutely captivating and well-done!

Romance aside (and it is terrific), I liked Anna so much. She was a genuine girl. She has several of the same phobias as myself (including germs and trying to be neat). She is passionate about her interests (in this case, film) and she is far from the perfect friend which is illustrated in the story many times. Anna means well and she tries but she is also a bit in her own head and doesn't always see situations as her friends do until it is too late. I felt this was very authentic of teens because while they are definitely aware of the world around them, they are also self-absorbed and consumed with their own thoughts and feelings. Anna's character was written with a real teenage girl in mind.

St. Clair (or Etienne, sigh!) is also very well written. He is far from perfect himself and definitely doesn't always treat girls very well, even though his intentions are good. But, he's a teenage boy, he just cannot be perfect. I loved his fascination with history (Napoleon in particular), I loved that he was short and not the more typical tall and utterly drop-dead handsome high school boy. I pretty much fell for him just as much as Anna did. Did I mention that he is half British, half American? He has an accent and let me just say, as I was reading that accent was alive in my head. I hope this book gets an audio version because I want to listen! One of my favorite lines in the story is when he says: "That was pants." I just love that! So much more fun to say than "That was crap."

I do wish, a tiny bit, that there had been an actual French person in the book with more prominence. I'm not sure why but the professors at the school just didn't cut it. I mean, this is a very, very minor quibble but I just feel like the French flavor of the story would have come through even more with more French people in it I guess, rather than just those who were on the sidelines of the story. (Like I said, this is a very, very minor quibble. And this very well could have ruined the book.)

Anyway, in case you can't tell, I really liked this book! Adult romance readers will devour this book too because the relationship building is so real and authentic. This is going to be a very successful book at your library too! There's some kissing but nothing graphic by any means and mostly, this book is just about orientating yourself in a new environment and taking risks. I'd say this book would be a great pick for teen girls, eighth grade and up. It's got an exotic (of sorts) setting, a cute guy, friends, and a female character who jumps off the pages. 

Anna and the French Kiss will debut in December 2010 so start saving now!

ARC provided by publisher.

Other reviews:
Princess Bookie reviews Anna and the French Kiss
The Book Cellar reviews Anna and the French Kiss
Persnickety Snark reviews Anna and the French Kiss 

Review: Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White is the first paranormal YA book I have read in several months. I have shunned paranormal YA titles for a long time, despite being a YA librarian. The thing is, I don't have to booktalk or suggest paranormal titles, so many of my readers already know about them. But I won this book from a Goodreads giveaway so I thought I better read it. And you know what, I'm glad I did!

Synopsis:
Evie’s always thought of herself as a normal teenager, even though she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only person who can see through paranormals’ glamours.
But Evie’s about to realize that she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures. 

First thing to know about this book, it's funny! It has a lot of great humor in it that made it a pleasure to read. Evie may be able to detect paranormals but she is essentially a normal girl. She wants to go to high school (ok, not that normal, lol), she wants to crush on a boy, she is obsessed with a tv show, and she definitely questions authority, in this case, her supervisor and mom figure, Raquel. You see, no matter how much Evie wants to be normal, she is not. She works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency because she has a very unique power. She can see through glamours. Vampires, werewolves, faeries, hags. She can see through it all and that helps the IPCA bag and tag the paranormals for containment. Evie thinks she is doing a good thing until she comes across a boy named Lend, who is one of the most unusual paranormal creatures she has ever met. He makes her start to question the IPCA and everything it stands for.

This book, the containment center in particular, really reminded me of season 4 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, when Buffy was initially working for, then battling against, The Initiative, a military unit controlled by the government who tagged and bagged vampires and other paranormal creatures. I don't know if this was inspiration for author Kiersten White but it really worked for me since I am a big Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan. And just like Buffy, Evie quickly comes to see that the IPCA is not quite as good as it wants everyone to believe. There is something out there, a paranormal who is killing other paranormal creatures and it seems unstoppable. But somehow, even though she doesn't realize it, Evie is a part of it all.

This book does not fall into all the paranormal cliches I've read recently. There is not a love triangle. Yes, Lend is a love interest, but the other "boy" Evie used to be into, a faerie named Reth, well she has seen the light and realizes he is not a nice guy. And not in the way where Bella realizes Edward is not a nice guy but wants him anyway. Evie wants nothing to do with Reth. He scares her, and with good reason as you will discover as you read the book.

Also, this book is essentially about acceptance, as many paranormal books are, but I felt like Evie went on a more unique journey to realize that "lesson" than other protagonists from recent YA paranormal books have gone through. The world is not black and white as Evie starts to learn. She grows up quite a bit throughout this book, all for the story's benefit. Evie starts out a good character but I think evolves into someone with more depth, heart, and courage. I say that without any hint of sarcasm because honestly, Evie did change in all the best ways.

And did I mention the humor?

I hate the vamp jobs. They think they're so suave. It's not enough for them to slaughter and eat you like a zombie would. No, they want it to be all sexy, too. And, trust me: vampires? Not. Sexy. I mean, sure, their glamours can be pretty hot, but the dry-as-bone corpse bodies shimmering underneath? Nothing attractive there.

My favorite high school drama, Easton Heights, was just starting. Tonight's episode promised to be spectacular--a masquerade ball in which tiny masks somehow hid identities enough for everyone to make out with the wrong person. Where did they come up with this stuff?

As someone who adores the tv show, The Vampire Diaries, well, this made me laugh in particular because they just had a masquerade episode. Also, I always think the same thing: how do those tiny masks hide identities?? Seriously?

This is the first book in a trilogy (of course) and well, I enjoyed this book enough to be interested in book two. I really did like Evie and she did not make all the stupid mistakes that a lot of female protagonists in other YA paranormals are doing, so you know, YAY! I breezed through this story and I'm really glad I read it. A little bit different, a bit the same, but overall, entirely satisfying.

Book copy received from Goodreads.com.

Other reviews:
Good Books and Wine reviews Paranormalcy
the Crooked Shelf reviews Paranormalcy
Green Bean Teen Queen reviews Paranormalcy

Cover reveal: Small Town Sinners by Melissa Walker!

Here it is! The cover for Melissa Walker's new book, Small Town Sinners. What do you think?? I'm liking it! You can read the official description . This book is releasing July 19, 2011, so a bit of a wait unfortunately. I love Melissa's books and I am on tenterhooks for this one!

YALSA Lit Symposium

On Thursday, I will be driving to New Mexico to attend the 2010 YALSA Symposium: Diversity, Literature and Teens. I'm really quite excited because the only conference I have ever attended that is not locally based but is focused on teen literature and serving teens. I hope there will be good ideas that I can take back with me and put into practice because that truly is the kind of information I need and want at a conference.

I'm also excited because at least 35 YA authors will be there including Simone Elkeles, Lauren Bjorkman, Malinda Lo and others! Here's hoping there will be a few free books in that mix. :)

The twitter hashtag for the conference is #yalsalit10 so if you are unable to attend the conference but would like to follow along a bit, that is the term to search for. I know I'll be tweeting about it.

And hey, if you live in Alburquerque, any good places to eat? I'm a bit nervous about getting too far away from the conference site because I have a terrible sense of direction. However, I will have the library minivan so it will be possible.

I'm excited to meet and greet so many new faces and I hope a lot of good things will come out of this conference. If you're attending and you know me from my blog or twitter, I'd love to meet you. I will be sure to post a recap too.

Will you be attending the YALSA Lit Symposium this year??

Month in review: October

October Month in Review: here's what I read!

137. The Sweetness of Salt by Cecelia Galante (10/2/10)
138. Nothing Like You by Laura Strasnick (10/2/10)
139. The Year of Living Scandalously by Julia London (10/3/10)
140. Jane by April Lindner (10/5/10)
141. Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella (10/7/10)
142. Plain Kate by Erin Bow (10/8/10)
143. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (10/9/10)
144. Play of Passion by Nalini Singh (10/12/10)
145. Happy Ever After by Nora Roberts (10/15/10)
146. My Invented Life by Lauren Bjokrman (10/17/10)
147. The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook (10/23/10)
148. A Blue So Dark by Holly Schindler (10/29/10)
149. Paranormalcy by Kiersten White (10/31/10)

Total books read: 13
Do you think I can reach 200 before 2010 ends? I'm thinking not sadly. That's another 50 books between now and December 31st and I just don't see that happening sadly.

Favorite book this month: Anna and the French Kiss (review forthcoming, but it's GOOD!), tied with The Iron Duke (so sexy!)
Most disappointing book: Mini Shopaholic. It was just ok. It wasn't awful but it wasn't great either.

What was your favorite October read? How many books did you read in October?

Review: A Blue So Dark by Holly Schindler

A Blue So Dark by Holly Schindler is a heavy story to be sure. But there is a measure of hope and heart in it that only add to the emotions and conflicts the story raises.

Synopsis: Fifteen-year-old Aura Ambrose has been hiding a secret. Her mother, a talented artist and art teacher, is slowly being consumed by schizophrenia, and Aura has been her sole caretaker ever since Aura's dad left them. Convinced that "creative" equals crazy, Aura shuns her own artistic talent. But as her mother sinks deeper into the darkness of mental illness, the hunger for a creative outlet draws Aura toward the depths of her imagination. Just as desperation threatens to swallow her whole, Aura discovers that art, love, and family are profoundly linked—and together may offer an escape from her fears.

Aura is definitely not a normal teenager. She is basically the parent and adult in her small household since her father has abandoned the family to create a better, more perfect family. Aura is charged with trying to keep her mother from falling apart from schizophrenia. It is not an easy task by any means and this conflict makes the story heavy and yes, burdensome to a degree. But also, so, so beautifully written. Aura's love, her hate, her fears, they leap off the pages because they are so real. I felt like I was taking care of Aura's mother too. The sense of isolation in this book is also incredibly strong. Aura is isolated from being a normal teenager because well, she isn't. She is isolated from family and she is isolated by her mother's mental illness. Aura is drowning in isolation just as much as her mother is drowning in schizophrenia. It creates a fluid and changing dynamic in the story because you can only hope that these two will find a way to survive.

This story is also scary. Not in a horror filled way but in its very honesty of dealing with mental health. There is so, so much that is still not known about schizophrenia or really, any mental illness. Doctors do not have all the answers and Aura sure as heck doesn't but she has a pure heart that just wants to see her mother again, the one who took her to the beach, who taught her about art, and who was the heart of the family.

This book is balanced by the arts. Aura wants to shun poetry and drawing but it is truly her only support system in the messed up world she is living in. But will it lead to her own brush with schizophrenia?

I also found the contrast of Aura and her mother against Aura's neighbors, a mother and son dealing with alcohol addiction, to be especially interesting. Aura has basically been told to avoid these people her entire life, in part because, from my reading, that she is better than them and they will only bring her trouble, but as she comes to find out, she is dealing with a situation as equally dire in different ways, than their situation. Addiction and mental illness seem to share some of the same traits, at least in how they affect loved ones. I found this character arc to be a great contrast within the story.

You cannot help but feel awful for Aura as she tries to be an adult and to cure her mother, only to realize that is never going to happen. This is a dark book but it's not utterly depressing. Instead, it's just a reality based look (as far as I know) about what it's like living with someone dealing with mental illness.

I will say, I finished this book just as two posts came out recently: Kate Messner's When the story is personal, how much should an author share? and the response from Fuse #8 how much is an author obligated to say?

I read these posts after reading this book because I was truly curious, how much does Holly Schindler know about schizophrenia? There is an interview at the back of the book that says she did quite a bit of research so I can only assume that went into the book. For me, this book felt very authentic so I can only say, mission accomplished. I felt like I was dealing with schizophrenia just as much as Aura. Will all readers have this response? Of course not. But it worked for me because the emotions were so vibrant and real. That is what pulled me in and kept me reading. So, well done. A Blue So Dark engaged me on every level and had me exploring a variety of emotions in response to the story.

Book reviewed from library copy.

Other reviews of A Blue So Dark:
The Book Smugglers review A Blue So Dark
The Story Siren reviews A Blue So Dark
Steph Su Reads reviews A Blue So Dark

The Story Siren recently interview Holly Schindler and is doing a giveaway of A Blue So Dark, so go enter and read the interview.