I HUNT KILLERS by Barry Lyga

January 4, 2015

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Jasper “Jazz” Dent wants nothing more than to be an ordinary teen. But that’s kind of impossible when you’re the son of William Cornelius Dent, probably THE most notorious serial killer. From the very start, Billy raised Jazz to think and plan like a killer.

Fortunately for Jazz, Billy was finally caught and has since been serving so many consecutive life sentences that he’ll never see the light of day.

But that doesn’t mean Jazz is free of him. The teen spends much of his time terrified that he might actually be just like his father. So when a killer strikes in Jazz’s tiny hometown of Lobo’s Nod, he makes it his mission to help solve the crime by putting his particular skills and knowledge to work.

Barry Lyga’s Jasper Dent series is like a teen mashup of Dexter and Criminal Minds. Of course unlike Dexter, Jazz isn’t actually a sociopath. At least he hopes not.

It might seem strange to have a teen detective with so much direct access to the police and the crime scene (which is the case with this series) but I think Lyga does a great job setting the story up in a way that is almost believable. Anything that stretches the imagination too far is forgivable in my opinion because I Hunt Killers is just that much of a fun read.

I Hunt Killers should most definitely come with a warning. Anyone who thinks a book about serial killers might be less dark or graphic simply because it’s meant for a teen audience would be very mistaken in this case; I Hunt Killers is quite dark indeed.

1/15 Becky LeJeune

I HUNT KILLERS by Barry Lyga. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; Reprint edition (April 2, 2013). ISBN: 978-0316125833. 384p.

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Posted by Stacy Alesi

BEWARE THE WILD by Natalie C. Parker

November 5, 2014

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Everyone in Sticks knows to stay away from the swamp. It’s not just the ‘gators and snakes you have to worry about, in this swamp people disappear. Sterling and her brother Phin have been raised to fear it and avoid it at all cost. It was their grandfather after all who helped build the fence that protects the town. But when Phin storms off one morning, heading over the fence and straight into the one place they’ve been told never to go, Sterling fears the worst.

And then someone comes back. Someone – not Phin – climbs back over that fence. That someone is Lenora May, a girl everyone believes is Sterling’s sister. And Sterling is the only one who still recalls Phin was ever part of their lives.

I liked Natalie Parker’s debut, bordering on loved – but not quite. Beware the Wild is a fun premise, but I felt like there should have been more development. The characters were thin and both the small town feel and the overbearing creepiness prevalent in a swamp like this one (can you tell this Louisiana girl is not a fan of swamps?.) were missing.

The Shine, however, was a completely unique aspect to this story and the plot was kind of dark, as a southern gothic should be. In the end, Beware the Wild was entertaining and almost – almost – lived up to its promise.

11/14 Becky LeJeune

BEWARE THE WILD by Natalie C. Parker. HarperTeen (October 21, 2014). ISBN 978-0062241528. 336p.

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Posted by Stacy Alesi

BLACK ICE by Becca Fitzpatrick

October 23, 2014

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Britt’s plan to spend spring break hiking the Tetons was originally a plan to try and get her ex, Calvin, back. It’s been eight months since they broke up, though, and she’s given that up. No, this trip is all about her and about proving she can do something this big and adventurous on her own. And when she finds out Calvin will be tagging along to chaperone his sister, Korbie, and her boyfriend, Britt’s almost ok with it.

She and Korbie hit the road prepared for anything. Anything but a freak snowstorm, that is. Lost and forced to abandon their vehicle, the two girls set off in search of shelter to ride out the storm. But the cabin they come across is anything but a safe refuge.

Shaun and Mason are most definitely bad news, but the girls have little choice. And when Shaun reveals his plan to have Britt guide them off the mountain, she knows she’s landed herself in hot water.

Black Ice is vastly different from Fitzpatrick’s Hush, Hush series. There are no angels or any other paranormal aspects in this new title. This time, Fitzpatrick’s heroine is facing challenges and dangers firmly grounded in the real world.

I appreciated the various plot lines working here – in addition to the survival story there’s a serial killer and even a bit of a romance. Fitzpatrick weaves these various elements together in Black Ice to create a truly intense tale sure to keep readers of up all night.

10/14 Becky LeJeune

BLACK ICE by Becca Fitzpatrick. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (October 7, 2014). ISBN 978-1442474260. 400p.

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THE JEWEL by Amy Ewing

September 3, 2014

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In Violet Lasting’s world royalty have lost the ability to birth viable offspring. Amazingly, girls from the lowest levels of their society have shown a remarkable DNA strain that has become highly sought after. Testing is required for every girl and any that test positive immediately begin training for surrogacy. Violet is one of them and her time for auction has come.

Violet is purchased by the Duchess of the Lake, a member of one of the four founding families. For all intents and purposes, Violet Lasting is no more: she is now 197, a possession belonging to the Duchess. Her sole purpose is for the continuation of the Lake bloodline. The change is hard for Violet and as the realities of life as a surrogate become more clear, she realizes that her fate is more dangerous than she’d ever imagined. But things become even more difficult when Violet begins to fall in love with a boy who’s not meant for her.

Amy Ewing’s The Jewel does bear a marked resemblance to Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. In spite of this, or perhaps because of it, I found I quite enjoyed it. The intrigue and the danger are darker than most dystopians because of the ramifications involved in using teenage girls as brood mares and the world itself is quite intricate.

The Jewel is the first in a projected trilogy and so there are the usual cliffhangers and unanswered questions. As an opening story, though, I was completely hooked and I can’t wait for the next book to come along.

9/14 Becky Lejeune

THE JEWEL by Amy Ewing. HarperTeen (September 2, 2014). ISBN 978-0062235794. 368p.

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ABROAD by Katie Crouch

August 25, 2014

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A year in Italy as part of the renowned Enteria program offers Tabitha Deacon her first opportunity for adventure. A smart girl who’s had relatively little experience of the world, she approaches her year abroad with careful attention and focus. But that doesn’t mean she won’t have time for fun. Taz joins up with a group of three other students from the UK and suddenly has an in to every elite party and club in Grifonia. For the young twenty-something it’s a dream come true in every way – until it ends in tragedy.

Katie Crouch freely admits that Abroad is inspired by the Amanda Knox case. Inspired by being the key – Abroad is not a fictionalized version of the case. Taz’s story is very much Crouch’s own creation, but her various essays and articles on the case do provide interesting insight into the shape Abroad would eventually take.

The story unfolds through Taz’s eyes, told after her own death. As her tale hurdles to its dreadful conclusion, Crouch introduces various other murdered girls throughout Grifonia’s history. Their stories and the history of the city provide a unique framework, further setting the story apart from its true inspiration.

I thought Abroad was a bit unnerving – it stuck with me well after turning the final page. And yet I have to say it was brilliantly paced and excellently executed. A definite favorite of mine for the year.

8/14 Becky Lejeune

ABROAD by Katie Crouch. Sarah Crichton Books (June 17, 2014). ISBN 978-0374100360. 304p.

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SERVANTS OF THE STORM by Delilah S. Dawson

August 14, 2014

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Dovey has spent much of the year since Hurricane Josephine hit Savannah in a drug-induced haze. The loss of her best friend Carly – who was swept away in the storm before Dovey’s own eyes – hit her harder than anyone expected. But the pills that are supposed to keep Dovey calm and guard against the episodes that increased in occurrence and intensity after the storm leave Dovey a shadow of her former self. Her memory is plagued with fog and holes and now she’s starting to see things she suspects may not be real. Like Carly.

Dovey drops her meds and immediately begins to see things more clearly. Then she sees Carly again. Dovey chases her into a strange part of the city and thus begins a terrifying adventure.

Delilah S. Dawson’s teen debut is completely creepy and odd, just what I’d expect based on her Blud series for adults.

I loved the progression of the story. It begins with the hurricane and then jumps to almost a year later. With the exception of the storm aftermath, everything in Dovey’s world is achingly normal. Then she sees her dead friend and it all goes downhill from there. Servants takes on a bit of an Alice in Wonderland feel (if Alice were packed with even more bizarre and murderous characters than it already is) as Dovey’s world is turned upside down.

Servants of the Storm is a teen read but I think it’s quite dark and unique – enough to satisfy Dawson’s Blud fans for sure. And while there’s no connection to that series there is a fabulously chilling abandoned amusement park that’s certainly reminiscent of Criminy Stain’s carnival.

8/14 Becky Lejeune

SERVANTS OF THE STORM by Delilah S. Dawson. Simon Pulse (August 5, 2014). ISBN 978-1442483781. 384p.

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DEEP BLUE by Jennifer Donnelly

June 29, 2014

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Waterfire Saga, Book One

Serafina has been preparing for ages for her betrothal ceremony. The ceremony consists of three parts: the first will test her as a true descendant of Merrow’s bloodline; the second is the songspell she must sing to perfection; the third will bind her to her husband-to-be as well as the kingdom of Miromara. Unfortunately, what should be one of the happiest days of her life soon turns tragic as the kingdom is overcome by invaders. Sera’s mother is shot and Sera is forced to run with only her friend Neela by her side. The young mermaid is left with the uncertainty of her mother’s fate – and whether she has now become Regina of Miromara in her place.

With assassins on their tails, the two girls soon come to a shocking realization: the invasion of Miromara is linked to a dream that has been plaguing them both. In the dream, the girls witnessed the Iele (sea witches they thought were only children’s stories) singing of six mermaids tasked with saving the oceans from a creature known as Abbadon. And Sera and Neela aren’t the only ones aware of the Iele’s prophecy. The mer trying to capture them has heard the legend as well and he has no desire at all in seeing Abbadon defeated.

On the one hand Deep Blue is an excellent example of world building. The reader is literally immersed in the undersea setting from the very start. The history and mythology of the world are fascinating and the imagery is vibrant.

On the other hand this teen title reads much younger than I’d expected. Serafina and her peers all come across more flighty and immature than I’d thought they would based on their character set up. They’re all supposed to be about sixteen (or older in some cases) so some of that’s to be expected, especially allowing for the expected coming-of-age bit of character development, but it left me with the overall sense that the best audience for the book is on the early end of the teen spectrum.

6/14 Becky Lejeune
DEEP BLUE by Jennifer Donnelly. Disney-Hyperion (May 6, 2014). ISBN 978-1423133162. 352p.

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DUALED by Elsie Chapman

June 27, 2014

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Some people say that everyone has a twin somewhere in the world, but for West Grayer this is her reality.

After the universal cold vaccine left everyone sterile, it was up to science to ensure the continuation of the human race. With war waging everywhere, a small group set off to begin their own city. Citizens of Kersh are protected from the wars of the Surround, and each section of the city produces a necessary commodity. But with the population now healthy and booming, resources have become limited. To ensure that only the strongest and most worthy survive, each child is born with a genetic twin, or alternate. When they come of age, each twin is set with the task of killing their alt in order to complete.

West has lost everyone she loves. Her mother was a PK or peripheral kill, and her father couldn’t take the loss. Her older brother Aave and her younger sister Ehm both died at their alt’s hands. She and her brother Luc are the only ones left until she loses him as well. But now West has to set aside her misery because her own assignment has come up, and her alt is going to be ruthless, set on her own survival.

This new series from Elsie Chapman is dark, dark, dark. It’s a teen read similar in theme to other dystopians (like the Hunger Games) and (also like the Hunger Games) features a strong female lead. In spite of those similarities, Dualed is fairly different from other titles in the dystopian vein. West is an assassin and much of the book takes on an urban warfare kind of feel. There is a romance but it’s almost pushed to the background with the main plot focused on West’s finding and surviving her assignment. The world building and politics are fairly light in this first outing, but are featured more prominently in its sequel, Divided.

6/14 Becky Lejeune

DUALED by Elsie Chapman. Ember; Reprint edition (May 27, 2014). ISBN 978-0307931559. 320p.

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ELEANOR & PARK by Rainbow Rowell

June 19, 2014

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Narrated by Rebecca Lowman & Sunil Malhotra

This was the first audiobook I’ve listened to in a while that completely captured my attention to the point where I kept the car idling so I could keep listening (on more than one occasion.)

I met Rainbow Rowell of the fabulous alliterative name at the audiobook dinner at the Public Library Association meeting in Indianapolis this past March. She claimed nervousness, yet was gregarious and charming. I just adored her.

After hearing her speak (she was a last minute replacement for an ailing Walter Mosely) I was completely entranced. She talked about how she never wanted to listen to her books on audio because she already had the voices in her head. But she was asked for input on the readers for this book, so she succumbed and listened. She said these readers brought another dimension to the book that she wasn’t expecting. I was intrigued and decided to give it a listen. I’m very glad I did.

Set in 1986, Eleanor (read by Lowman) is poor, so poor she doesn’t even own a toothbrush. Her mother is married to an abusive second husband who had thrown Eleanor out of the house for over a year. She lived with friends of her mother’s, and her father was just out of the picture. She has returned to live with her mother and younger siblings when the book opens. She meets Park (read by Malhotra) on the bus when he is the only one to let her sit down. Eventually they form an uneasy alliance, which turns to friendship, and eventually to love.

Eleanor’s family life is difficult at best, and Park’s more normal family seems almost like a fairy tale to Eleanor. Her troubles grow as she is picked on in school, and on the bus, and eventually all her troubles come to a head with her stepfather. Some of this was pretty disturbing, and it is a credit to the author and the readers that I felt so drawn to these characters and their story.

Although classified as Young Adult, the themes of love, dysfunctional families and more are universal and I never found myself thinking that this book was not written for adults. The story is completely engrossing, the characters full developed, and the setting and time period were interesting and believable. I loved it.

6/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

ELEANOR & PARK by Rainbow Rowell. Listening Library (Audio); Unabridged edition (February 26, 2013). ISBN 978-0385368261. Listening Length: 8 hours and 56 minutes.

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THE FAULT IN OUR STARS by John Green

June 9, 2014

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Read by Kate Rudd

Right up front I should mention that I have a hard time listening to audiobooks, at least adult ones. My mind tends to wander and suddenly I realize I have no idea what’s going on or where I am in the book.

That said, I read all the Harry Potter on audio (Jim Dale is simply mesmerizing) and I’ve listened to a few other children’s books and now this, a YA (Young Adult) by John Green.

I had lunch with Green, and about a thousand other librarians, at the Public Library Association conference in Indianapolis in March. And with the arrival of the film version of the book, I was, let’s call it, professionally curious. I almost always prefer the book to the movie, and frankly, I’m in no rush to see the film but I am glad I read the book.

I received the audio version as part of a swag bag at the PLA audio book dinner, so I thought I’d give it a try. Kate Rudd is an excellent reader. She held my attention throughout and sounded authentic to each character.

Speaking of characters, each is richly imagined and realized here. Hazel is a 16-year-old with a terminal cancer diagnosis. She takes her portable oxygen with her to a teen support group, where she meets Augustus Waters. Augustus has been in remission for over a year after losing his leg to cancer. They share a love of reading, and Hazel is obsessed with a book that has no ending, presumably because the narrator dies of cancer. Augustus becomes equally obsessed, and eventually they travel to Amsterdam to meet the author and learn the ending.

Things don’t go as planned but Hazel & Augustus fall in love, lose their virginity and have to deal with the deadly realities of cancer. There is humor, pathos and of course, tearjerking galore in this sweet love story that also happens to be about cancer.

As a parent, I think (I hope!) I bring a different perspective than the millions of teens who adore this book. I didn’t love it but I can definitely see it’s appeal. Green has written an engrossing tale of teen angst that adults may also enjoy.

6/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE FAULT IN OUR STARS by John Green. Audible Audio Edition. Brilliance Audio (January 10, 2012). ASIN B006VPAXQY. Listening Length: 7 hours and 14 minutes.

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