by Donna Huber
When I was a teenager I probably would have loved this dark and angsty tale. I think my teen-self would have overlooked the bit of paranormal (I didn't read fantasy as a teen).
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Showing posts with label YA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label YA. Show all posts
February 14, 2019
August 2, 2018
This Series Causes Me to Lose Sleep ~ #TheGatewayChronicles by @KBHoyle_Author
by Donna Huber
Even though I've read The Gateway Chronicles at least 3 times, I still stay up way too late reading it every night. I'm seriously sleep deprived at the moment, but I can't put the books down. If you haven't read this series now is the perfect time to start. K. B. Hoyle is releasing updated and, in some cases slightly expanded, editions this summer.
Even though I've read The Gateway Chronicles at least 3 times, I still stay up way too late reading it every night. I'm seriously sleep deprived at the moment, but I can't put the books down. If you haven't read this series now is the perfect time to start. K. B. Hoyle is releasing updated and, in some cases slightly expanded, editions this summer.
July 31, 2018
Grace and Fury by Tracy Banghart ~ A Review
by MK French
What do you think of that opening? Would you keep reading?
What do you think of that opening? Would you keep reading?
June 29, 2018
Alpha by Jus Accardo ~ An Excerpt & Giveaway
The 3rd book in the young adult sci-fi series The Infinity Division hits shelves July 3.
May 26, 2018
5 Fantastic Books to Keep Your Kids Reading All Summer
by MK French
School's out (or will be soon)! Studies have shown that when kids do not read during the summer, they can lose half a grade level or more in reading skills. This "summer slide" effects other academic areas as well. Beyond the educational benefits, instilling a life-long love of reading will benefit your kids throughout life. Here are 5 books to keep your kids reading all summer.
School's out (or will be soon)! Studies have shown that when kids do not read during the summer, they can lose half a grade level or more in reading skills. This "summer slide" effects other academic areas as well. Beyond the educational benefits, instilling a life-long love of reading will benefit your kids throughout life. Here are 5 books to keep your kids reading all summer.
May 23, 2018
From the YA Bookshelf - In Sight of Stars by Gae Polisner (sponsored by @JB_Lynn_author)
This post is sponsored by JB Lynn, author of The Hitwoman in a Pickle.
by Kathleen Barker
Life's wounds come at us from many directions. They are William Shakespeare's "slings and arrows of outrageous fate". Sometimes they are delivered by those closest to us. Sometimes they aren't even true. The wound is real, but not the perceived hurt behind the arrow.
May 9, 2018
Crimson Ash by Haley Sulich ~ A Review
by MK French
In a future devastated by the virus the Devil's Dream, survivors are given a Choice: to die or to live in the government-run city where every moment is tightly regulated and observed for deviance. The Choice is given by soldiers, who are children stolen from families with their memories erased. They endure a harsh life in the City of Soldiers, and feel no emotion, which is considered a weakness. Sixteen-year-old Ember Lucille is one such soldier, stolen away eight years before the start of the book. She has no emotional connection to Solanine Lucille, who had found the leader of the rebels to try to help rescue Ember. Even getting her out of the government control isn't enough, because both sisters have secrets they are sure will devastate the other.
In a future devastated by the virus the Devil's Dream, survivors are given a Choice: to die or to live in the government-run city where every moment is tightly regulated and observed for deviance. The Choice is given by soldiers, who are children stolen from families with their memories erased. They endure a harsh life in the City of Soldiers, and feel no emotion, which is considered a weakness. Sixteen-year-old Ember Lucille is one such soldier, stolen away eight years before the start of the book. She has no emotional connection to Solanine Lucille, who had found the leader of the rebels to try to help rescue Ember. Even getting her out of the government control isn't enough, because both sisters have secrets they are sure will devastate the other.
May 6, 2018
Sword & Sorcery Novels for Each Age of Fantasy Readers
by MK French
Sword and sorcery literature was first coined for this subgenre of fantasy in 1961. As the name suggests, it features sword-wielding heroes with typically magic or elements of the supernatural present in the story. While there are similarities to other types of fantasy, it tends to fast-paced and action-packed. It is also considered to lend itself more to series format than say epic fantasy.
As sword and sorcery stories appeal to all age groups of readers, today I review three - one targeted towards middle grades, one that is more for teens, and one for adults.
Sword and sorcery literature was first coined for this subgenre of fantasy in 1961. As the name suggests, it features sword-wielding heroes with typically magic or elements of the supernatural present in the story. While there are similarities to other types of fantasy, it tends to fast-paced and action-packed. It is also considered to lend itself more to series format than say epic fantasy.
As sword and sorcery stories appeal to all age groups of readers, today I review three - one targeted towards middle grades, one that is more for teens, and one for adults.
March 28, 2018
From the YA Bookshelf: Along for the Ride - A Review
by Kathleen Barker
Spring break signals the coming end of the school year as well as time off from classes. Not every family has the resources to fly away for a mini-vacay, so I wanted to find a top-notch read for the teen reader. My choice? New York Times bestselling author Sarah Dessen's Along for the Ride.
Spring break signals the coming end of the school year as well as time off from classes. Not every family has the resources to fly away for a mini-vacay, so I wanted to find a top-notch read for the teen reader. My choice? New York Times bestselling author Sarah Dessen's Along for the Ride.
February 25, 2018
Review: Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman
by MK French
Tess Dombegh lives in Goredd, a Medieval-esque nation where women are meant to be perfect ladies, men are protectors, and falls from grace are expected to either be governesses or nuns. She decides to do neither and instead cuts off her hair to pose as a boy and take to the road. She is a prickly, angry young woman, and eventually joins the quigutl she had befriended as a child in search of the World Serpent. This search takes her across Goredd and Ninys, with various detours along the way.
Tess Dombegh lives in Goredd, a Medieval-esque nation where women are meant to be perfect ladies, men are protectors, and falls from grace are expected to either be governesses or nuns. She decides to do neither and instead cuts off her hair to pose as a boy and take to the road. She is a prickly, angry young woman, and eventually joins the quigutl she had befriended as a child in search of the World Serpent. This search takes her across Goredd and Ninys, with various detours along the way.
January 24, 2018
Quintessential YA Reads : What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen
by Kathleen Barker
As I continue my perusal of YA novels in order to induce my 13-year-old granddaughter to increase her reading, this month's suggestion is Sarah Dessen's What Happened to Goodbye.
As I continue my perusal of YA novels in order to induce my 13-year-old granddaughter to increase her reading, this month's suggestion is Sarah Dessen's What Happened to Goodbye.
January 22, 2018
Review: 22 Scars by C.M. North
by Donna Huber
Girl Who Reads's features writer C. M. North has a new book out. 22 Scars is an edgy, character-driven story focused on the relationships affected by mental illness.
Girl Who Reads's features writer C. M. North has a new book out. 22 Scars is an edgy, character-driven story focused on the relationships affected by mental illness.
January 20, 2018
Review: The New Dark by Lorraine Thompson
by MK French
Sorrel lived in a village that was attacked by mutants, people so horribly disfigured that most of the time babies born with that appearance that they are considered "not viable" and not allowed to live. In trying to find her younger brother and the boy she loved, she fell ill and was rescued by people of the Free. Not willing to stay in a society that sees nothing wrong with forcing her to marry against her will, Sorrel escapes and goes to the city. Danger still lurks there, especially when those of the Free are looking for her and a group of people feels that her birthmark can be used as a call to arms.
Sorrel lived in a village that was attacked by mutants, people so horribly disfigured that most of the time babies born with that appearance that they are considered "not viable" and not allowed to live. In trying to find her younger brother and the boy she loved, she fell ill and was rescued by people of the Free. Not willing to stay in a society that sees nothing wrong with forcing her to marry against her will, Sorrel escapes and goes to the city. Danger still lurks there, especially when those of the Free are looking for her and a group of people feels that her birthmark can be used as a call to arms.
January 18, 2018
Review: Mona Ashleigh by Richard Levine
by MK French
Josh, also known as Bugboy, is friends with a group of "Defectives" in a New Jersey school in the early 1960's. When Ashleigh first comes to sit at his table for lunch, he can't see any visible defects and is sure that it's a trick being played on them by the "Normals." But Ashleigh has her own issues and insists she belongs with their group. Their friendship unfolds over the years, and Josh soon learns for himself why she feels the way she does.
Josh, also known as Bugboy, is friends with a group of "Defectives" in a New Jersey school in the early 1960's. When Ashleigh first comes to sit at his table for lunch, he can't see any visible defects and is sure that it's a trick being played on them by the "Normals." But Ashleigh has her own issues and insists she belongs with their group. Their friendship unfolds over the years, and Josh soon learns for himself why she feels the way she does.
January 9, 2018
Review: Haven by Mary Lindsey
by MK French
Rain Ryland had moved around a lot or lived on the street with his mother until she died of a drug overdose. He then moved with his aunt Ruby, who he hadn't known existed, and is in a stable lifestyle in New Wurzburg for the first time in years. Some of the people in the town behave oddly or reference weird things, but Rain is drawn to Friederike Burkhart. The more she and others warn him away from her, the more he wants to get to know her. Discovering some of her secrets does nothing more than make him even more determined to be part of her world and truly belong.
Rain Ryland had moved around a lot or lived on the street with his mother until she died of a drug overdose. He then moved with his aunt Ruby, who he hadn't known existed, and is in a stable lifestyle in New Wurzburg for the first time in years. Some of the people in the town behave oddly or reference weird things, but Rain is drawn to Friederike Burkhart. The more she and others warn him away from her, the more he wants to get to know her. Discovering some of her secrets does nothing more than make him even more determined to be part of her world and truly belong.
January 4, 2018
Review: Make It Count by Tamar Sloan
by MK French
Casey can see the number of days someone has left to live as soon as she makes skin to skin contact with them. Because it hurts to know this and not discuss it, she has retreated into herself and faked a phobia of death. Now that she's seventeen, others are calling her on it and not allowing her to isolate as much. She resists until she meets PJ and can't deny that she wants to get closer to others.
Casey can see the number of days someone has left to live as soon as she makes skin to skin contact with them. Because it hurts to know this and not discuss it, she has retreated into herself and faked a phobia of death. Now that she's seventeen, others are calling her on it and not allowing her to isolate as much. She resists until she meets PJ and can't deny that she wants to get closer to others.
January 1, 2018
First New Releases of 2018
by Donna Huber
Happy New Year! It's a new month of a new year, which means that new books are hitting the shelves. 2017 had a number of blockbusters and I can't wait to see what 2018 has to hold. Here are a few books to watch for this month. Pre-order today so you don't miss them.
Happy New Year! It's a new month of a new year, which means that new books are hitting the shelves. 2017 had a number of blockbusters and I can't wait to see what 2018 has to hold. Here are a few books to watch for this month. Pre-order today so you don't miss them.
November 25, 2017
Review: Swan Song by Charlotte Wilson
by MK French
Ava has come to London to participate in the tribute to her mother, the iconic ballerina Beatrice Duvall, who had died when she was a baby. It's painful for her because she won't dance after leaving the Royal Ballet School and all that had defined her. Returning to London for the tribute will allow her to learn more about the mother she never knew, as well as herself along the way.
Ava has come to London to participate in the tribute to her mother, the iconic ballerina Beatrice Duvall, who had died when she was a baby. It's painful for her because she won't dance after leaving the Royal Ballet School and all that had defined her. Returning to London for the tribute will allow her to learn more about the mother she never knew, as well as herself along the way.
November 10, 2017
Review: A Jot of Blood by Katherine Bayless
by MK French
Lire Devon is a clairvoyant, able to see the thoughts and memories of anyone she comes into skin-to-skin contact with. She is ostracized by peers for this ability, and her own family had broken apart because of it. Coventry Academy is a refuge of sorts, even so, because she loves learning about magic and the different abilities that others have. This year is even better because she actually made two friends, the werewolf Cal and the occultum (invisible man) Zach.
Lire Devon is a clairvoyant, able to see the thoughts and memories of anyone she comes into skin-to-skin contact with. She is ostracized by peers for this ability, and her own family had broken apart because of it. Coventry Academy is a refuge of sorts, even so, because she loves learning about magic and the different abilities that others have. This year is even better because she actually made two friends, the werewolf Cal and the occultum (invisible man) Zach.
October 19, 2017
Review: In Real Life by Cory Doctorow and Jen Wang
by MK French
Anda is a gamer that was invited to Coarsegold Online. While there, she makes friends with others in her guild and even got to know a gold farmer from China. This makes her realize that games are more than just fun for people and that real life can be very different from a game.
Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.
I was drawn to this book by the author as much as the subject matter because I'd heard Cory Doctorow was a great writer but hadn't read his work before.
The characters in the book are all kinds of gamers: those who play MMO's, those who make fun of casual cell phone gamers, those who play pen and paper RPG's like D&D, those who make fun of them, those who play board games and those who make fun of them. These intersect in all kinds of ways because gamers tend to cluster together and "other" the other kinds of gamers they see.
Anda, like every other gamer that starts out in an MMO, thinks badly of those that deliberately play the game to collect items and sell them online. It's against the Terms of Service in most online games but overseas has become a profession for many people. Because these are real issues that people face, it definitely makes you think about the consequences of gaming and an online presence.
The art by Jen Wang is beautifully done, with more vivid colors used for the online world. If you're a gamer, all of the little details involved in the panels definitely play off the interface in most MMO's: the health meter, a mana meter, the menus with item drops and gold. Even the character creation panels have lots of detail in them, it's almost a shame we don't get a chance to see the rest of it. There aren't a lot of background characters or illustration, perhaps to showcase that the game is in beta testing, but it also serves to focus on the characters themselves. There are real players behind the avatars, which can be easy to forget.
The only downside to this book was that it was far too short!
Buy In Real Life at Amazon
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Anda is a gamer that was invited to Coarsegold Online. While there, she makes friends with others in her guild and even got to know a gold farmer from China. This makes her realize that games are more than just fun for people and that real life can be very different from a game.
Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.
 |
| October 2014; First Second; 978-1596436589 ebook, print (192 pages); YA, graphic novel |
The characters in the book are all kinds of gamers: those who play MMO's, those who make fun of casual cell phone gamers, those who play pen and paper RPG's like D&D, those who make fun of them, those who play board games and those who make fun of them. These intersect in all kinds of ways because gamers tend to cluster together and "other" the other kinds of gamers they see.
Anda, like every other gamer that starts out in an MMO, thinks badly of those that deliberately play the game to collect items and sell them online. It's against the Terms of Service in most online games but overseas has become a profession for many people. Because these are real issues that people face, it definitely makes you think about the consequences of gaming and an online presence.
The art by Jen Wang is beautifully done, with more vivid colors used for the online world. If you're a gamer, all of the little details involved in the panels definitely play off the interface in most MMO's: the health meter, a mana meter, the menus with item drops and gold. Even the character creation panels have lots of detail in them, it's almost a shame we don't get a chance to see the rest of it. There aren't a lot of background characters or illustration, perhaps to showcase that the game is in beta testing, but it also serves to focus on the characters themselves. There are real players behind the avatars, which can be easy to forget.
The only downside to this book was that it was far too short!
Buy In Real Life at Amazon
Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and golden retriever.
Get even more book news in your inbox, sign up today! Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.
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