Jan 25 2013
Dear Ellen Oh: I’m on an endless quest to find traditional fantasies featuring worldbuilding not based on Western culture. This desire is not without its pitfalls, of course. Sometimes it’s led me horribly awry. But I keep trying because I’m hopeful (and stubborn). My first exposure to your writing was through the Diverse Energies anthology.(…)
Jan 22 2013
Dear Ms. Avelynn: I think I understood the point of this piece. It really isn’t about a romance or a relationship but rather a tragic slice of life story. Sarah and her brother James have lived under the shadow of their father’s abuse and their mother’s alcohol and drug addiction with only each other to(…)
Jan 22 2013
“Holding Eleanor’s hand was like holding a butterfly. Or a heartbeat. Like holding something complete, and completely alive.” Dear. Ms. Rowell, In 2011, your book, “Attachments,” was one of my surprise delights and, like any book lover, when I find an author whose book moved me this much I immediately head to online stores (used(…)
Jan 16 2013
Dear Ms. Smith: I wanted to read this book but waited until it was out of hardcover (the price was too rich for me in hardcover). While I liked the voice, my problem with this book was the same as many other reviewers’ problem with this book. We spent 80% of the book listening to(…)
Jan 16 2013
In honor of Edgar Allan Poe’s 204th approaching birthday (January 19th), a trio of novels that pay him homage: Poe’s wistful, haunting “Annabel Lee” provides between-the-lines clues in Jill Winters’ romantic mystery Kingdom by the Sea as Nicole Sheffield realizes the Cape Cod house she’s inherited holds a secret that puts her in danger. Bethany(…)
Jan 15 2013
Dear Ms. Scheidt: I think the blurb gives a fairly good feel for what kind of read this will be, but even so I don’t think I was prepared for the emotionality of it. The story is told in the first person present tense. The purpose of using this tense, generally, is for immediacy. The(…)
Jan 10 2013
Dear Ms. Forman: Thanks to Jane’s foray into the genre last year, I’ve grown curious about New Adult novels. I’ve given a couple a try within the past month and the results have left me rather dubious. That said, I’ve enjoyed novels featuring older teens who are graduating or have just graduated from high school.(…)
Jan 7 2013
Dear Brenna Yovanoff: I read your debut novel, The Replacement, a couple years ago and loved it. I put your sophomore effort, The Space Between, on my list of books to check out but it never quite happened. Whoops. There are so many books out there; sometimes I lose track. But when I was offered(…)
Jan 5 2013
Dear Ms. Fichera: This story had so much wasted potential. Fred Oday lives on the reservation. Her mother is an alcoholic. Her brother is working for a gas station, doing some minor repairs on cars. Her father is the groundskeeper of the golf course at the country club. One summer, the boys’ varsity golf team(…)
Jan 2 2013
Dear A.G. Howard: Other than the original, I don’t think I’ve read a novel based on Alice in Wonderland. This seems like an oversight on my part. I’m sure there are plenty but I’ve never sought them out. But your debut caught my interest. I was promised creepiness and Splintered delivered. Alyssa Gardner is a(…)
Dec 24 2012
Most books that I finish get their own reviews but here are some that either I didn’t finish or I didn’t think warranted a separate review. The Terrorist – Caroline Cooney / Fabulous writing. Intense, page turning, I was 50 pages into it before I even realized it when I finally came up for air.(…)
Dec 19 2012
YA Erotica is here – In the UK, Simon & Schuster has released an explicit erotic romance featuring a 16-year old girl involved in a love triangle between a nice guy and a wealthy bad boy. Recently Abbi Glines released her “Vincent Boys Uncut” a $10 remake of her original book featuring explicit sex scenes(…)
Dec 12 2012
My top ten favorite books published in 2012, ranked (that part was haaaard) and described: Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore Review by me. This intricately plotted YA fantasy about a young queen’s heroic determination to uncover buried truths about her father and nation was an almost flawless read. Beloved characters from Graceling return and new ones(…)
Nov 24 2012
Dear Ms. Leavitt: I bought this when it was the Kindle Daily Deal and for $1.99 it was a worthwhile read. Payton Gritas is a by the books, orderly sort of girl who saves her money to buy the nicest day planner ever and is excited to use different color highlighters to differentiate her tasks.(…)
Nov 16 2012
Dear Katja Millay: Sea of Tranquility is about a high school senior who moves in with her aunt about two hours from her hometown. Her transfer to a new high school is intentional. She wants to remove herself from everyone who knows her and everyone she knows. She doesn’t speak. Her parents agreed to this(…)
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