Books for Young Adults

Hey guys, I'm looking for a moderator for Books_for_YAs! I really just don't have the time/never come on to LJ anymore, but I don't want this community riddled with spam, so I'm looking to make someone a moderator for it. If you're interested, please leave a comment or message me (I can't even remember if you can do that on LJ, alas). Thanks!

~Melissa

Today one of my favourite authors is blogging at about how she came to write novels on the blog of Long and Short Reviews.

http://lasrguest.blogspot.com/2011…

You can also participate in the blog’s weekly CONTEST, if you answer following question correctly and mail the answer to lasrcontests@gmail.com: What language is Julia Fellner’s mother tongue?

It’s totally awesome, so I can only advise you to check it out.

Total Icon Count: 25

Teasers:

( Icons Here! )

Total Icon Count: 25

Teasers:

( Icons Here! )

These icons are all variations on three Banned Book Week slogans: "I Read Banned Books," "I Support Kids' Right to Read," and "I Support Teens' Right to Read." If your childhood or adolescence, or that of someone you love, was influenced, empowered, or saved a book, then support Banned Book Week.

From the Official Website --

During the last week of September every year, hundreds of libraries and bookstores around the country draw attention to the problem of censorship by mounting displays of challenged books and hosting a variety of events. The 2011 celebration of Banned Books Week will be held from September 24 through October 1. Banned Books Week is the only national celebration of the freedom to read. It was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries. More than 11,000 books have been challenged since 1982.

According to the American Library Association, there were 348 challenges reported to the Office of Intellectual Freedom in 2010, and many more go unreported.

The 10 most challenged titles of 2010 were:

And Tango Makes Three, by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
Reasons: homosexuality, religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
Reasons: offensive language, racism, religious viewpoint, sex education, sexually explicit, violence, unsuited to age group

Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
Reasons: insensitivity, offensive language, racism, sexually explicit

Crank, by Ellen Hopkins
Reasons: drugs, offensive language, racism, sexually explicit

The Hunger Games (series), by Suzanne Collins
Reasons: sexually explicit, violence, unsuited to age group

Lush, by Natasha Friend
Reasons: drugs, sexually explicit, offensive language, unsuited to age group

What My Mother Doesn't Know, by Sonya Sones
Reasons: sexism, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group

Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America, by Barbara Ehrenreich
Reasons: drugs, inaccurate, offensive language, political viewpoint, religious viewpoint

Revolutionary Voices edited by Amy Sonnie
Reasons: homosexuality, sexually explicit

Twilight (series), by Stephenie Meyer
Reasons: sexually explicit, religious viewpoint, violence, unsuited to age group

The
claim that any of these novels is "unsuited to age group" is ridiculous and dangerous. My personal favorite response to these spurious, fearmongering claims comes from an anonymous mother and librarian on a Banned Books Week blog entry from several years ago: " What may be unsuitable for a lucky child at age ten or twelve or thirteen may have already happened to an unlucky child. Books are the most salient way to make sure that they understand that they are not "unsuitable." What happened to them was."

Make sure that kids and teens, both lucky and unlucky, retain their right to read in your city, school district, and life. Support Banned Books Week.

Total Icon Count: 25
Teasers:

( Icons Here! )

Genre: YA Fantasy/Dystopian
Release Date: February 24th, 2010
Source: Received from author for review
Format: Paperback

Description from Goodreads:
As a pure-blood Winglet, Oriana isn't supposed to look at a half-blood much less speak to one. Half-bloods are the lowest of all races at Odon's University, because they are half Winglet and half Finlet. But when a half-blood, Dorian, locks eyes with her in the hallway, Oriana can't help but be intrigued by his daring nature. After sneaking out to the garden in the middle of the night to talk to him, Oriana knows she can't let her feelings go. She fears not following Odon's rules, but the more she sees Dorian the more she wants to break them all. When Oriana's idea of perfection crumbles she seeks a way out of the imprisoning University that threatens not only her happiness, but her very life. Dorian promises he has a plan to take her far away, but Oriana doubts they can escape Odon's all-seeing eye. Oriana isn't sure what she fears more, being stuck in the University or finding out what lies beyond its walls.

Review:
As many of my avid followers know this isn't my typical genre to review, but it did sound very interesting so i decided to try it out. In the beginning of the book all i could think was "What did i get myself into", because i was very confused and didn't really understand what was happening in the book and since the author is such a nice person i felt guilty for not liking it, but thankfully it picked up. I think i was confused, because this novel isn't like most books. Since it's fantasy it's not your typical story where you can kind of assume where the story is taking you, its all brand new imagination, and it's not like most books where there is the first chapter explaining who the main character is and what their background is like, instead you just jump into the story which in the end i think worked really well.

After getting past the confusion and understanding what was going on the story picked up and picked up fast. i was very intrigued to find out the truth about Odon and find out where Oriana and Dorian's relationship was going to go. I love the Great Oak and i love, love, love the characters that Celeste created. I think they each had their own spunk and really brought something to the story instead of just being space fillers. I also really liked that i had emotion with this book. I found myself not just confused (but only in the beginning), but also scared, angry, sad, happy, and ecstatic. I also found myself full of adrenaline whenever they were in the caves, yelling at the book when Oriana decides to do something really dumb, in my opinion, and also crying when some really sad parts take place. This novel leaves you feeling it all.

Overall:
I really liked this novel. I was confused in the beginning, because i didn't understand what was happening and what the history was of everything, but it explains all that through out the book so i understand why Celeste started the book out that way and agree that it was the best way to start the novel. After the confusion it gets really, really good and i found myself having tons of emotions towards this novel, which is what in my opinion makes a great novel, when the reader feels something. All the characters were amazing and i am definitely interested in reading book two. I recommend this to anyone who is looking for something new, those who love fantasy and dystopians and also those who love a good book to make their hearts race.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 4/5


Love & Rock&Roll,
Becky

Genre: YA Horror
Release Date: April 21st, 2009
Source: Borrowed from my local library
Format: Hardcover

Description from Amazon:
Alexis thought she led a typically dysfunctional high school existence. Dysfunctional like her parents' marriage; her doll-crazy twelve-year-old sister, Kasey; and even her own anti-social, anti-cheerleader attitude.
When a family fight results in some tearful sisterly bonding, Alexis realizes that her life is creeping from dysfunction into danger. Kasey is acting stranger than ever: her blue eyes go green sometimes; she uses old-fashioned language; and she even loses track of chunks of time, claiming to know nothing about her strange behavior. Their old house is changing, too. Doors open and close by themselves; water boils on the unlit stove; and an unplugged air conditioner turns the house cold enough to see their breath in.
Alexis wants to think that it's all in her head, but soon, what she liked to think of as silly parlor tricks are becoming life-threatening--to her, her family, and to her budding relationship with the class president. Alexis knows she's the only person who can stop Kasey -- but what if that green-eyed girl isn't even Kasey anymore?

Review:
I swear, i think i am psychic or something, because i have been only reading amazing books. This book is definitely categorized as amazing, because it knocked the socks off of me. Books are amazing when they make you feel some kind of real emotion and not only did i get the pants scared off of me, but i also had little sentimental moments. This novel is not only packed with events and details that make you want to keep the light on while sleeping, but also had some cute moments with Alexis's new love interest.

The one thing that i really enjoyed about this novel was that it really was scary and i didn't feel like the author held back too much. Sometimes you get that feeling when reading YA like, "Oh great, the author thinks they're writing to children", because sometimes you can tell when the author is too scared to put too much real emotion or mature content. I didn't feel that way with this novel and i also didn't feel like it was over the top either. It was creepy and scary to the perfect degree. I kept finding myself skipping ahead a few pages to make sure nothing was going to jump out at me when it started to get creepy. All i have to say is basement scene... SCARY!!

I think that this story was very creative and written really well. I really enjoyed all of the characters and liked that not only did they feel like real people, but they also grew and showed the reader their true colors after awhile. I love it when the characters make you feel like they could be real, everyday people you know instead of just people you wish you knew.

Overall:
I really enjoyed this novel. It was super creepy and scary, and i do not recommend reading this alone or late at night, because you will get scared. The scare factor was perfect, it wasn't too mature or too immature, it was just the right amount. I also really loved the characters and loved how they grew and better understood not only themselves, but also the people around them better and that you could tell that the characters could be real, everyday people, and not just the type of friends you find in books.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 5/5

Love & Rock&Roll,
Becky

Genre: Adult Paranormal/Fantasy
Release Date: June 21st, 2011
Source: Borrowed from my Local Library
Format: Hardcover

Description from Amazon:
From the author of the highly addictive and bestselling Blue Bloods series, with almost 3 million copies sold, comes a new novel, Melissa de la Cruz's first for adults, featuring a family of formidable and beguiling witches.
The three Beauchamp women--Joanna and her daughters Freya and Ingrid--live in North Hampton, out on the tip of Long Island. Their beautiful, mist-shrouded town seems almost stuck in time, and all three women lead seemingly quiet, uneventful existences. But they are harboring a mighty secret--they are powerful witches banned from using their magic. Joanna can resurrect people from the dead and heal the most serious of injuries. Ingrid, her bookish daughter, has the ability to predict the future and weave knots that can solve anything from infertility to infidelity. And finally, there's Freya, the wild child, who has a charm or a potion that can cure most any heartache.
For centuries, all three women have been forced to suppress their abilities. But then Freya, who is about to get married to the wealthy and mysterious Bran Gardiner, finds that her increasingly complicated romantic life makes it more difficult than ever to hide her secret. Soon Ingrid and Joanna confront similar dilemmas, and the Beauchamp women realize they can no longer conceal their true selves. They unearth their wands from the attic, dust off their broomsticks, and begin casting spells on the townspeople. It all seems like a bit of good-natured, innocent magic, but then mysterious, violent attacks begin to plague the town. When a young girl disappears over the Fourth of July weekend, they realize it's time to uncover who and what dark forces are working against them.
With a brand-new cast of characters, a fascinating and fresh world to discover, and a few surprise appearances from some of the Blue Blood fan favorites, this is a page-turning, deliciously fun, magical summer read fraught with love affairs, witchcraft, and an unforgettable battle between good and evil.

Review:
Wow, just like all of the Blue Bloods novels, Melissa De La Cruz has outdone herself and made an amazing novel. I have always though that Adult novels were not for me, because they are boring and lack excitement, but clearly it is all about the author. There are definite reasons why this novel is in the Adult section and not YA, but her writing style stays true to all her YA novels, which i really appreciated.

The story line is amazing and i love that there isn't one main character, but three. I think it was a genius idea to make each chapter be only about one of the Beauchamp ladies at a time, instead of intermingling the three different sides into one chapter, but separate them by page breaks. I also really liked that each of the Beauchamp women are very unique and different so that everyone can kind of match their personality with one of them. I think that each of their stories was well thought through and very imaginative. I love this novel and i cannot wait to read more from Melissa De La Cruz's brand new, AMAZING, adult series.

Overall:
Melissa De La Cruz out did herself once again with her brand new adult fantasy series. I was so happy when i saw that her writing style was the same as her YA novels and even more ecstatic when i realized that adult novels are boring if the author isn't boring, and Melissa De La Cruz is anything but a boring author. The characters were amazingly thought through and the overall story kept you reading and wanting to know what was going to happen with the Beauchamp ladies.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 5/5

Love & Rock&Roll,
Becky

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Release Date: December 2nd, 2010
Source: Borrowed from Local Library
Format: Hardcover

Description from Amazon:
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 Etienne St. Clair: 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?

Review:
Although my love for YA Paranormal is HUGE and overwhelming, my love for YA Contemporary is right behind it. I love these classic tales of love. Anna and the French Kiss is such a cute love story. I love this novel so much, i couldn't stop reading and i had to know what was going to happen next. One of the things that i love the most about this story is that Anna isn't a homewrecker. She understands that St. Clair has a girlfriend and that they love each other and instead of trying to interfere with that or try and tell him how she feels she pushes down her feelings and respects their relationship. I love that aspect so much, so kudos to Stephanie for making this a very repectful tale.

Another thing that i really appreciated was that the entire novel didn't revolve around her crush on St. Claire. It has a lot of depth to the story. She not only talks about the new crush, but the old crush, Anna's best friend from home, her family, the new school, the classes and also touches base with whats going on in each of Anna's new friends lives. Stephanie made Anna a normal girl who focuses on more than just the current crush. I'll admit, im corny and easy to please so those novels that only focus on that teenage girls angst to be with her crush still make me like them, but it was so refreshing to read about a girl who actually has a life.

I think that Anna is an amazing character and if Stephanie is anything like her, she must be amazing as well. Anna is the perfect main character to have in your novel, because she has morals, etiquette, real feelings/emotions, other things going on in her life, drama, personal quirks, and manners. The more i read about Anna's life the more i feel in love with her character and wish i had her as a friend. I especially love that when she makes a mistake she admits it and goes an apologizes.

Overall:
This novel is amazing. The story line is so clean and easy to follow and is full of things that happen in a real teenage girls life. I love how moral Anna is and that she respects St. Claire's current relationship instead of jusst throwing herself at him and hoping he will leave his girlfriend. I love all of the characters and especially love all the drama that happened. The ending couldn't have been more perfect and i just wish it was longer, because i couldn't get enough of this book. I recommend this novel to anyone who loves those feel good stories and anyone who loves YA.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 5/5

Love & Rock&Roll,
Becky