Teen Read: The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe

Release Date: January 24th 2012

I must have zombies on the brain! When I read the synopsis of this book on Netgalley, I thought there were going to be zombies.

When a deadly virus begins to sweep through sixteen-year-old Kaelyn's community, the government quarantines her island-no one can leave, and no one can come back.

Those still healthy must fight for dwindling supplies, or lose all chance of survival. As everything familiar comes crashing down, Kaelyn joins forces with a former rival and discovers a new love in the midst of heartbreak. When the virus starts to rob her of friends and family, she clings to the belief that there must be a way to save the people she holds dearest.

Because how will she go on if there isn't?

I must have read "deadly virus" as "zombie virus." I was 60 pages in before I realized, "Hey, I don't think there are going to be any zombies in this book." It was like that time I bought an Anne Rice book that turned out to be a Romance novel. I kept waiting for the vampires the entire time.

Even without zombies, Crewe wrote a compelling novel about loss and fear. Kaelyn is a character who transforms in this novel and not just because she is surviving an epidemic. She begins the novel as a quiet, self-contained protagonist. When she moves back to her hometown from the big city, she vows to change her ways. In the middle of this metamorphosis, the epidemic hits. She has two choices, go back to the way she was and stay safe inside her house OR try to help the island and its inhabitants by continuing her journey out of her shell.

The book is written from Kaelyn's point of view in the form of a journal. It is raw in some areas and realistic throughout. There are moments of beautiful clarity, "We're on a cliff, all of us, and surviving isn't about who's the best or the brightest. It's about holding on as long as we can, and trying, and failing, and trying again until we've inched a little closer to getting through this."

Perhaps, the greatest indicator of the strength of the novel was the fact that I DIDN'T want it to end. I kept flipping past the last pages asking, "Is this it?" I wanted more, but I didn't feel cheated by the ending. I'm not being blackmailed into reading the next book in the series. I want to finally meet Leo.

Teen Read: Spellbound by Cara Lynn Shultz

I have never minded pop culture references in my fiction. Some of them take me back, while others are completely in the moment. I couldn't understand why readers became so annoyed with these popular references. I even quietly assumed they were snobs... Not high brow enough for you? I would like to say to all the reviewers who took a stand against pop culture in fiction, "I'm sorry."

Spellbound had the potential to be a wonderful book. Star-crossed lovers, Emma and Brendan, had fought against a curse for centuries. Each lifetime they found each other only to lose their love and life in a tragic and painful way. I was hoping for a GOOD version of Fallen by Lauren Kate, which also had the potential to be a good book. Unfortunately, both stories did not live up to the potential.

The narrative was going well until about page 60. Then, the author had a nostalgic moment for the mid-1990s. The effect was so strong, I had to recheck the publication date and scour her web site to find out when she started writing this book. The poor choice of popular references took me out of the story. If there was a meaning to these choices, I simply did not "get it."

Spellbound would benefit from a massive editing effort to rid this book of out-of-date references. There are so many wonderful elements to the book that are lost in the text. The characters are rich and interesting. The story is enticing and, at moments, intense. The voice is witty. I'll leave you with my favorite line from the book and you can make the choice to "take it, or leave it."

"She was so cold, she probably farted ice-cubes." -- Emma, Spellbound

Teen Read: The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell

Baltimore holds more excitement than Amelia van den Broek has ever had in her sheltered life. After both her parents died, Amelia has been in the care of her stoic, proper older brother, August. His only concern is for Amelia to make a good "match."

After only a few social engagements, Amelia suddenly receives a vision from the vespers, or spiritual plane. The beautiful vision entices Amelia to look further, but the further she looks the darker the visions get. What will Amelia predict next when she looks into the future?

Although I do occasionally read historical novels, I was pleasantly surprised to discover a more supernatural element to the story than I was expecting. Fortune telling can go either way being based in fact or leaning toward magic. Amelia never truly discoveres the source of her power, but there is another source of paranormal which I won't disclose. I'll give you a hint, though, "It isn't vampires." Shocking, right?

When we first meet Amelia, she is lost in her drama. She has been mysteriously ruined and August has locked her in the attic. Note: This happens in the first chapter, so it's not a spoiler, End Note. The action of the story takes place the previous summer when Amelia makes her debut into Baltimore society.

Amelia stays with a cousin, Zora, and longs to really belong to the family. She is envious of Zora's relationship with her parents. Saundra Mitchell delves deep into Amelia's emotions and thoughts. My favorite part of the book was actually the writing over the story for once. I didn't have to grind my teeth to get through the book because I wanted to see what happened. Instead, I savored each chapter and dreaded the end. Although Amelia sees the future, the outcomes of her predictions are still surprising.

I would suggest this book for mature readers. The language alone makes it a challenging read compared to most YA novels. The themes are dark, serious and thought provoking. If you could know your future, would you want to see?

Teen Read: Angel Burn by L.A. Weatherly

One of my favorite story lines doesn’t come from a book. It comes from the 80s: the story of John Connor. Well, I should say the idea comes from the 80s, but I prefer the more recent versions of John Connor. I like my John Connor to grow from adorable Thomas Dekker into a rugged Christian Bale.

Time travel is always really hard for me to grasp. I end up trying to overanalyze it, so I can’t get into the story. Not with John Connor (even though I can’t quite understand how his dad is from the future and if he hadn’t been sent back to protect Sarah, then John wouldn’t have been born, but then his father dies in the past, so how is he in the future to be sent back if he is already dead?). The logistics don’t matter with John Connor’s story because the action is so gripping, I find myself sucked into the story completely and swallow everything no matter how far-fetched.

In John’s story, we see the world after the worst has happened. Humanity is almost obliterated by monstrous machines. But we still have hope. If John can only stay alive, he will eventually defeat the machines. Because he is the only hope for humanity, Connor’s character is infamous.

I have never come across another character quite like John Connor in literature. I’m not making that leap with Angel Burn, either, but it comes pretty close. Willow and Alex are unlikely allies in this sci-fi/fantasy thriller by L.A. Weatherly. Alex is a super-stealth hit-man for the CIA with heavy baggage from his past. Willow is a tomboy, psychic who has always taken care of the people she loves.

The two come together through a manipulation of the angels, the unseen enemies poised to destroy humanity. Alex and Willow must join forces to fight them, or all humanity will be lost to the insatiable hunger of thousands of angels. Although there is no time travel in the book, several characters can see the future. Thus, they have the ability to change possible outcomes.

I enjoyed most of the book. Alex and Willow are interesting, compelling characters on their own. The fast pace begins with action, mystery, gun fights and espionage, not to mention fast cars. After a break in the action halfway through, it flies to the end with no time to take a breath. Willow is set up as the John Connor of her world with Alex as her Arnold (a.k.a. the GOOD Terminator). You will want to read the next book in the series as soon as you finish.

Teen Read: Firelight by Sophie Jordan

What is more awesome than dragons? They are basically hardcore dinosaurs with mystical powers. The whole family has been getting into dragons, lately, now that Bobo can differentiate between a dinosaur, an alligator and a dragon (they used to be all one-in-the-same). But, to answer the original question... shapeshifting dragons are cooler than dragons!

The main character of Firelight is just that...a shapeshifting dragon. She belongs to a pride of similar shapeshifters all with mystical powers. The natural enemy of a dragon is a knight, but this story sets up the human hunter as the draki's biggest fear. So what happens when a hunter saves a draki?

You get the story of Firelight. Jacinda's character is a wonderful mixture of youth, rebellion and fierce devotion. She is the prey. Will's character is protective and mysterious. He is the hunter. You may be thinking, not another predator falls in love with the prey story? But rest assured, this isn't one of those typical tales.

First, the hunter and the prey are on more even ground than the typical vampire falls in love with a human story line. Because of this, Jacinda is more afraid of the hunters than they are of her. Second, the supernatural being is NOT the predator. However, Jacinda is not easy prey. She brings some heat to the situation.

This story is anything but typical. It has everything I love: action, romance, mystery, fantasy. You are kept guessing until the very end, then left wanting more. It's the perfect start to a new series!

Teen Read: Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Clara has always been good at everything she's tried. She is an excellent student, beautiful and popular. Her brother is the same way. It is easy to excel in life when you're part angel.

Now that Clara is getting older, her purpose has begun to reveal itself. Each angel-blood gets one chance at fulfilling their purpose in life. Will Clara be able to figure out the clues for hers in time?

Cynthia Hand wrote an original and wonderful book. She did a few things that other teen books have not done that I found added so much to the story. The most significant was having a mother who is present and plays a vital role in the story. So much of YA literature does not include families. To go along with that, Clara had a brother who wasn't 10 years younger than her and actually had a relationship with the family. Clara has 2 best friends, neither of which was generic. Each added to the story line and helped Clara mature both as an angel-blood and as a young woman.

I was engrossed in this book. I felt the characters were tangible. I cared about what was happening in their lives. There is an element of mystery and danger in the book that adds suspense to the already riveting plot. Although some of the mystery is left to be resolved in the next edition (due out in 2012), I felt satisfied with the ending. No spoilers, here, so you'll have to read it for yourself!

I'm so glad I read this book. I feel refreshed after finishing it and want to reflect on it instead of jumping right to the next junk food book. This book was like a medium rare ribeye when you've only been eating beef jerky. Well done!

Teen Read: New Book Reviews

Teen reads on a children's blog? What can I say, I'm branching out! Actually, I've been reading teen books, or Young Adult Literature, for over a year, now. I'm a huge fan of paranormal and fantasy. There are so many wonderful books in this genre.

The books in the YA section of the library or book store are so vibrant and promising-- just like teenagers. I like picking up a book that doesn't rely on sex or violence to drive the plot. I also enjoy experiencing life from the perspective of someone who is feeling everything for the first time. Most of the protagonists are between the ages of 16 and 18 and are embarking on an adventure for the first time in their lives.

Not only do I enjoy reading teen books, but I think they can be appropriate for young readers who read at a higher level than books written for their age. I started reading adult books when I was in 3rd or 4th grade, mostly because I had read everything in the children's section. I started with mysteries and branched out to romances. A good teen book with have elements of both of these genres with a good dose of fantasy thrown in. I'm excited to share my love for teen reads, so please check back in for more reviews!