SEKRET by Lindsay Smith

May 25, 2014

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An empty mind is a safe mind.

Yulia has a gift: with just a touch she can see the history of an object or a person. It’s this gift that a secret branch of the KGB hopes to use to their advantage in 1963 USSR.

The country is in the midst of the Space Race and convinced that the Americans have spies within the Russian program. Yulia and her fellow comrades – other teens who share similar abilities – are tasked with various tests and ops to advance the country’s efforts. But Yulia has no desire to help the KGB, especially considering she’s basically a hostage with her mother and brother being used as bait to keep her in the program. The temptation to escape is overwhelming but the punishment linked to such an attempt may not be worth it.

Sekret is a fabulous debut. Smith incorporates real history into the tale, including the Space Race, the Kennedy assassination, and bits about Russia’s move into Communism (and the results). And of course there’s the psychic spy aspect as well. (I especially appreciated the author’s note in the end outlining much of the factual basis for the book.)

The characters and setting are built wonderfully and the paranormal aspects aren’t too overwhelming for readers who may not normally gravitate to that kind of subject.

Sekret is an intense and quick read with great cross over appeal for adults.

5/14 Becky Lejeune

SEKRET by Lindsay Smith. Roaring Brook Press (April 1, 2014). ISBN 978-1596438927. 352p.

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Posted by Stacy Alesi

THE SILENT WIFE by A.S.A. Harrison

May 24, 2014

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For years Jodi has endured her husband’s philandering in silence. She knows, after all, that he’ll always come home to her. Which is not to say that Jodi doesn’t get her revenge – she punishes Todd in little, almost insignificant ways. It makes her feel better. But when Todd’s latest affair leads to their separation, Jodi begins to lose it.

Given the comparisons to Gone Girl and all the hype around A.S.A. Harrison’s first and only release (she sadly passed away last year), I had high expectations in going into The Silent Wife. But not far into it, I was set to write this one off as something that just wasn’t my cup of tea. Fortunately for me I did stick it out to the end – and oh, what an end it was.

Todd and Jodi are both pretty equally unlikable. I found it hard to sympathize with either of them given their natures. A.S.A. Harrison actually does a pretty phenomenal job in that regard, as I’m certain the reader isn’t really supposed to like either of them. To say much more would be to give too much away and I wouldn’t want to spoil this one for anyone. I will say that fans of Gillian Flynn will likely enjoy The Silent Wife and I would also add that if you’re like me and waffling at the start, do stick it out to the end.

5/14 Becky Lejeune

THE SILENT WIFE by A.S.A. Harrison. Penguin Books (June 25, 2013). ISBN 978-0143123231. 326p.

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CONQUEST by John Connolly & Jennifer Ridyard

March 13, 2014


Book 1, The Chronicles of the Invaders Trilogy

Earth is on the brink of another Civil War. This time the enemy is the Illyri, a race of intelligent aliens who have mastered space travel using worm holes. They arrived on Earth just over sixteen years ago, breaking down infrastructure and quashing the military efforts of ever country, making this their new home. They say they want to live in peace, side by side with humans, but the human race isn’t going to go down quietly.

Syl Hellais, daughter of Lord Andrus – the Illyri governor of Britain and Ireland – was the first of her kind to be born on Earth. On her sixteenth birthday she’d hoped to head out and explore the village near their home but a string of violent attacks has her father in and out of political meetings. With that in mind, Syl is told to stay inside where she’s protected, an instruction she immediately sets about ignoring.

Syl’s little trip almost becomes fatal for both herself and her best friend. A number of explosions ring out around the village but the young Illyrians find themselves protected thanks to two human brothers, Paul and Steven Kerr. The brothers believe the girls are human and quickly drag them to safety. When they meet again, Paul and Steve have been convicted of terrorist attacks and are set to be executed.

This first in a new series from John Connolly and Jennifer Ridyard is definitely a different animal from what readers might expect of Connolly. It’s an overall fantastic start to a new science fiction series, one I believe will easily appeal to teen audiences as well as adults. (It does seem the series is being promoted as an adult one here in the States but is noted as “One of Amazon UK’s best young adult books of the year.”)

There’s a great deal of information introduced here – lots of setting the scene for the series as a whole, introducing the Illyri, their politics, their science, etc – and while Conquest may not stand well on its own (there’s a bit of a cliffhanger ending), it does serve as a captivating kick off.

There’s no word just yet on when the next title will release but I am absolutely dying to read it!

3/14 Becky Lejeune

CONQUEST by John Connolly & Jennifer Ridyard. Atria/Emily Bestler Books; First Edition edition (February 11, 2014). ISBN 978-1476757124. 448p.

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FIRE by Sara B. Elfgren and Mats Strandberg

February 22, 2014


THE ENGELSFORS TRILOGY BOOK II

This follow-up to The Circle begins with the start of eleventh grade and the remaining Chosen Ones who survived the previous year. Their showdown with the last demon blessed enemy was only the beginning of their fight to save the world and this time they have an additional enemy in the notorious Council.

The governing body amongst witches previously let Adriana serve as their representative but now they’ve arrived to take on the task of investigating and prosecuting Anna-Karin’s unauthorized use of magic from the year before. But the rest of the girls aren’t going to stand by and let it go down without a fight; their strength lies together and even Ida grudgingly comes to her fellow Chosen One’s defense.

Barred from developing their skills further and under the watchful eye of the Council, the Chosen Ones are limited in their ability to fight off yet another coming evil. Meanwhile, Engelsfors is getting a healthy dose of positive energy thanks to Elias Malmgren’s mother and her Positive Engelsfors movement. But this happy revolution soon turns sour as its detractors find themselves under fire.

Fire loses none of the energy set forth by its predecessor. The second installment of the Engelsfors trilogy not only moves the plot as a whole along but also holds its own as a worthy follow-up to The Circle.

As before the story switches between each of the characters’ viewpoints but this time even Ida gets a say. And not only do we get to finally see Ida’s POV, scary as that is in the beginning, we also get to learn more of Nicolaus’s background as well as Matilda’s story.

Of course the other big inclusion in this second installment is the introduction of the Council. There are a few new characters that come along with this and more revelations about the prophecy of the Chosen Ones.

The Engelsfors trilogy is really exceptional. I highly recommend both The Circle and Fire and can’t wait to get my hands on the final book, The Key. I’m also incredibly excited to hear that there’s a movie in development in Sweden with shooting set to begin in the coming months.

2/14 Becky Lejeune

FIRE by Sara B. Elfgren and Mats Strandberg. Overlook Juvenile (January 30, 2014). ISBN 978-1468306729. 704p.

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THE CIRCLE by Sara B. Elfgren and Mats Strandberg

February 21, 2014


THE ENGELSFORS TRILOGY BOOK I

High school is tough on everyone but for Minoo, Linnéa, Rebecka, Vanessa, Ida, and Anna-Karin it’s about to get downright dangerous. Tenth grade begins under an ominous cloud when a fellow classmate is found dead on school grounds. Elias Malmgren was bullied and picked on most of his life. Given that and the circumstances of his death everyone is ready to believe it is suicide, but his best friend Linnéa isn’t convinced. And she’s right. Under a blood red moon Linnéa and five of her classmates come together to discover that they are the Chosen Ones—six girls tasked to fight an evil that has been lying in wait for centuries. Elias’s death is just the beginning.

The Circle kicks off Elfgren and Strandberg’s Engelsfors trilogy. Already a hit in Sweden, the teen paranormal series debuted in the States just last year.

In the series there are witches, magic, and a prophecy as well as a mythology behind the witchcraft that’s quite fascinating. In addition to the paranormal aspects, however, Elfgren and Strandberg bring a realism to this series debut that’s often missing from teen fiction: each of the characters gets almost equal face time and a good amount of development throughout the story. Their problems range from regular high school issues —grades and concerns about what comes after school— to bullying, relationship issues, and family problems. They are average teens with average issues on top of being told they have to save the world.

The Circle is the kind of book that gets under your skin and leaves you wanting more.

2/14 Becky Lejeune

THE CIRCLE by Sara B. Elfgren and Mats Strandberg. Overlook Juvenile; Reprint edition (May 2, 2013). ISBN 978-1468306583. 608p.

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NO ONE ELSE CAN HAVE YOU by Kathleen Hale

February 3, 2014


Kippy Bushman’s best friend, Ruth Fried, has just been brutally murdered. She went missing on her way to visit Kippy and was found the next day, strung up and stuffed with straw.

Friendship, Wisconsin has never seen a crime like this—it sets the town reeling and in desperate need of a conviction and closure. Ruth’s boyfriend is quickly arrested and faces prosecution for what the locals believe is an open and shut case, but Kippy isn’t so sure. Part of it is thanks to Ruth’s diary, which Ruth’s mother passed to Kippy to clean up for her later reading.

Problem is, there’s too much questionable material to clean up including barbs against Kippy herself and frequent mention of the local lawyer Ruth had been having an affair with. Since Kippy seems to be the only one with questions about the arrest, she decides it’s up to her to investigate.

With Ruth’s brother by her side, the teen begins her own inquiries, a move that soon gets Kippy the wrong kind of attention. This Fargo-esque teen debut is perfect for readers who enjoy dark comedy. It’s twisted and snarky but smartly plotted and lots of fun.

2/14 Becky Lejeune

NO ONE ELSE CAN HAVE YOU by Kathleen Hale. HarperTeen (January 7, 2014). ISBN 978-0062211194. 384p.

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THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS by Rae Carson

January 31, 2014


Elisa’s life has always felt somewhat beyond her control and her fate is not one of her own choosing. She bears the Godstone and is destined for greatness… at least that’s how the legends read. Just one person is chosen every hundred years to bear the stone and Elisa has always felt that it was an honor bestowed upon her by mistake.

When her father promises her hand to the king in nearby Brisadulce, she understands that it is a political maneuver. She can’t help but feel the match is one her sister would be more suited to, but Elisa is a dutiful daughter. While traveling to her new home, the entourage is attacked and Elisa realizes that the Godstone has made her a target. She learns that her new marriage is meant to protect her but unfortunately, even in Brisadulce, Elisa has enemies. Those set to seek out the bearer of the Godstone will not give up their search and Elisa’s strength will be put to the test very soon.

Rae Carson’s teen fantasy trilogy kicks off with this impressive first installment.

The world building in The Girl of Fire and Thorns is especially spectacular. Not only has Carson created a history and a mythology around this world—one that’s quite unlike anything I’ve seen—but she’s also carefully constructed the government and politics of the world as well. And it’s this political backbone that is the core of the story as a whole as Elisa fights to gain support and control of her fate and that of her country.

1/14 Becky Lejeune

THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS by Rae Carson. Greenwillow Books (August 21, 2012). ISBN 978-0062026507. 448p.

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