Leviathan By: Scott Westerfield

Overview:  Alek is thrust into a world of danger and adventure when his father Franz Ferdinand is assassinated and war breaks out in Europe.  Can he escape the Germans who are determined to capture him at all costs?  Deryn has always dreamed of becoming an airmen in the army but girls aren't allowed. Will her secret be discovered before her dreams of becoming an airmen can become a reality?  Leviathan tells the story of an alternate WWI where beast meets machine to create fabulous hybrids.  This book is fast paced and action packed and has something for everyone.  I really enjoyed it and am currently reading the second one which is just as good.

Review:  This was my first experience with steam punk and I was not disappointed.  I think this is Scott Westerfield's strongest book by far.  The characters were relatable and easy to connect with.  I couldn't put this book down and rushed to the library to get the second one the minute I was finished.  It has some really awesome illustrations that add a whole new dimension to the story.  It had a nice blend of history and fantasy.  This is definitely a book worth picking up!

Brisingr By: Christopher Paolini

Overview:  Eragon's action packed adventure continues in the third book of the series.  Will Roran be able to rescue Katrina?  Who will be the next dwarf queen?  Will the Varden finally destroy Galbatorix? Find out in the latest installment of the Inheritance series.  This book will appeal to guys who like fantasy and readers who are already a fan of the series.

Review:  I really liked the first book in the series and felt luke warm about the second installment which I felt was to long and was in need of some serious editing.  This book suffers from similar problems.  Paolini leaves no stone unturned which is a double edged stone.  You find out every little detail about every thing in the book which can get tiresome.  It started with a bang and ended the same way with a lot of boring uneventless pages in between.  That being said I did read the whole thing and while I was frustrated at times I'm glad I read it and will continue on and read the 4th book.  It has a very interesting concept and original ideas which I think make it worth trudging through some unneeded filler.

Fans of the series won't be disappointed while readers who were dissatisfied with the previous books should probably leave this one on the shelf.  There is some nice character development and we see a lot more of Roran and Katrina in this book which I think were the most interesting bits of the whole series.  It didn't wow me but overall it was an improvement from Eldest but a step down from Eragon.  Worth your time if you've stuck with the series so far.

I want to update you all on a few things.
First of all we received a few more books since my last list - I will put them on the December list later this week.
Secondly, I am trying DESPERATELY to update the non-fiction books for Young Adults. HELP!
I want to get some biographies as well as current interest for you all. Let me know by responding to the post, or see me at the Library.
Thanks!

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Vol. 1: The Pox Party By: M.T. Anderson

Overview:  Octavian has lived his entire life being a lab rat.  As a slave he has no rights and is a curiosity to be studied at the Novanglian College of Lucidity.  However as the college becomes strapped for funds and a new benefactor takes over, things are about to get worse for Octavian.  As war looms over the colonies, will Octavian be able to escape his prison?  This intriguing novel shows some of the gruesome experiments done on slaves around the beginning of the Revolutionary War. 


Review:  The premise of this book was very interesting and unique.  The first half was quite fast paced and easy to follow, I wish the same could be said for the second half.  It dragged terribly, was confusing, and didn't advance the plot.  Part of the problem is the writers style, he uses complex sentences and lots of difficult vocabulary words to try and recreate an old world feel to the language.  I thought this worked in the beginning but became a liability later in the book and distracted rather then added to the plot.
  
At one point Octavian goes crazy for a few chapters and the story continues through letters of a new unexplored character.  While Octavian is still mentioned the story shifts mainly to the new characters personal life.  This was really distracting and hard to follow and lasted for pages and pages.  It becomes clear that months have passed yet we know very little of Octavian.


I really enjoyed the first half but found it hard to wade through the second.  I enjoyed the premise but thought it was over complicated.  I read this book mostly because it won so many awards and found myself disappointed.  I've found the other National Book Award winners much more satisfying.  There is a sequel but I think I'm going to need a  break before I reach for Octavian again.

Beautiful Creatures: Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Overview:
Ethan Wate has lived in the same South Carolina town for all his life (and so has his father, and his father's father, etc.), and he can't wait to leave. Around his sixteenth birthday, Ethan starts having dreams about a beautiful girl that he can't save from some kind of peril. Right before school starts up again, the girl moves in with her uncle, the town's "crazy" shut-in, Macon Ravenwood. She is his niece, and her name is Lena Duchannes. Immediately, she is hated at school by everyone except for Ethan, who is intrigued by her. Against his caretaker's and her uncle's warnings, Ethan and Lena begin spending time together. Together, they find a mysterious locket that gives them a look into the past and also helps Ethan figure out Lena and her family (turns out she's a "Caster"- basically a witch). Lena must make the big choice before her sixteenth birthday- whether she will become a Light Caster or a Dark Caster (good or bad, obviously).

Review:
Honestly, I did not like this book very much. It felt a little reminiscent of Twilight. I mean, it definitely fed off of the supernatural love frenzy that Stephenie Meyer started. The plot is what is beginning to feel like a stereotype: boy meets girl he feels like he knows for some reason, girl is outcast, boy and girl inevitably fall for each other, plot twist about girl. It's old. It's boring. It's predictable. I should have put it down after a hundred pages, but I had to keep going. Actually, let me rephrase. I should have been able to put it down after a hundred pages, but there's so much filler that the point of the novel isn't apparent until halfway through. The book is 563 pages long, but it easily could have been 263.

The characters were not very deep or relatable. Ethan is average in just about every way possible, and is popular and athletic. Lena is an outcast witch-girl, who writes poetry and sketches. The other characters are extremes, stereotypes, or both. I got bored. I think I chose it for the cover (it was metallic and had trees on it. I do like me some trees). All in all, shallow and ambitious. There was a lot of thinly-veiled symbolism, with heavy, but overused, themes. The ending was thoroughly disappointing, and was a pretty sure set-up for a sequel. Apparently, there are two other books in the series (I can see this going House of Night: tons and tons of pointless books that all have basically the same plot line.) and a movie in the making. You can bet I won't be checking any of them out.

Paper Towns by John Green

Overview:

When Margo shows up a Quentin's window asking for his help in carrying out her plans of revenge, he can't resist. He had loved her ever since the day she fearlessly approached a dead man in the park. After their night of escapades Margo disappears, leaving Quentin with a few hints as to where she has gone.

Review:

Margo left clues behind for Q to follow, or at least that's what he's dead set on thinking. Q becomes obsessed with where Margo might be and he ends up figuring out where she might be. So he and his two best friends Radar and Ben and Ben's girlfriend, Lacey go on a road trip to find Margo before she moves on. Find out if they get there in time.

I think this is one of my all time favorite books and it's by one of my favorite authors. I enjoyed this book because there was a sense of adventure right from the beginning and it was carried out through the rest of the book. I also really enjoyed the way Margo was portrayed, she is easy to relate to.

Also look for John Green's new book The Fault in Our Stars coming out on January 10, 2012.

The Summer I Learned to Fly By: Donna Reinhardt

Overview: Drew has always been a bit of a loner with her pet rat hum.  She spends her summers working in her moms cheese shop with the ever so dreamy and unobtainable Nick.  Everything is about to change this summer with the appearance of a strange new boy in town. This is a short heartwarming tale that I think appeals to younger and older readers.  A good fast read.

Review:  Let me say that for the first 100 pages this book didn't seem to be aYA book at all.  The main character is a middle schooler and it definitely shows.  However the second half of the book dealt with more mature themes and was much deeper than the first half.  So stick with it I promise you won't regret it.

I really liked the book, perhaps not quite  a favorite but not far off.  I thought the main character was very relatable especially in her emerging struggle with her mother as Drew enters the teen years.  Emmet Crane was such a cool character and I loved when his backstory was revealed.  His love for David was so pure and sad and gave a whole new layer to the story.  Overall it was very well written and more relatable then most of the books in the YA genre.  Definitely a book I will reread

The Viper Within by Sam Mills

Overview:

This thrilling book talks about a group of boys that form a religious cult and end up on the run from police while holding so-called terrorist SNAKE hostage. This is one of my favorite books because it's a page-turner and it keeps you guessing as to what will happen next.

Review:

The group of five boys have done everything that Jeremiah has told them, but some of the boys start to question his sanity and then he takes it too far. The boys struggle to do what is right rather than what the Hebetheus religion states is right.

Now that the boys have captured what Jeremiah says is a terrorist, Jon has to decide for himself whether or not to go through with their sinister plans. See what happens when Jeremiah won't stop and the boys loose their wits.

I think this book appeals to all readers.

New Books for November

Hey guys! Keep your eyes peeled for these new books at Moco Library.

“Eve” by Anna Carey
“Destined” by PC Cast and Kristin Cast
“Witchlanders” by Lena Coakley
“Catching fire” by Suzanne Collins
“Crossed” by Ally Condie
“The scorch trials” and “Death Cure” by James Dashner
“No Man’s Land: vol. 2” GN by Jason DeAngelis
“The dying breath” by Alane Ferguson
“Lies” by Michael Grant
“The name of the star” by Maureen Johnson
“Passion” by Lauren Kate
“Steampunk!: An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories” by Kelly Link and Gavin Grant
“Bloodlines” by Richelle Mead
“Night Star” by Alyson Noel
“The indigo king” (book 3) by James A. Owen
“Diary of a Zombie kid” (GN) by Fred Perry & David Hutchison
“Seizure” by Kathy Reichs
The Hunchback Assignment” by Arthur Slade
“Scorpio Races” by Maggie Stiefvater
“Imaginary girls” by Nova Ren Suma
“Thackery T. Lambshead Cabinet of Curiousities” by Ann and Jeff Vandermeer
“Leviathan” by Scott Westerfeld
“First descent” by Pam Withers

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian By: Sherman Alexie

Overview:  Junior has always been a bit of an outcast on his reservation.  He's small, weedy and was born with fluid in his brain which causes him to have seizures and a lisp in later life.  Things are about to get a lot harder for Junior when he decides to leave his reservation to go to an all white school in the hopes of finally escaping the poverty that has trailed his family for generations.  This is a fantastic book and one of my personal favorites.  I have read it over and over, it is very touching and funny at the same time.  This is a good read for any teen.

Review:  Possible SPOILERS

Let me start out by saying I absolutely adore this book.  I laughed, I cried and everything in between.  The book starts off with Junior starting at his new school and in the process losing his best and only friend Rowdy.  Seeing Rowdy and Juniors relationship change and suffer was one of the best and saddest parts of the book.  I really felt for Junior and felt like I knew him.  Watching him try to fit in at his new school full of very unaccepting middle class white people was really interesting and beautifully written.

Junior dreams of being a cartoonist and his drawings litter the pages of the book.  This added a whole new layer to the story and I found it really cool.  Junior has lots of insights to the lives of his fellow indians many of which are downright depressing.  However the book is written so well with humor hidden among the tragedy that you'll never want to put it down.

Shine By: Lauren Myracle

Overview:  Cat is drawn into the secret lives of her brother and his friends after a vicious hate crime leaves Patrick ,a gay teen, on the verge of death.  This book is told as a whodunnit with Cat as the main detective desperate to find answers to what really happened to Patrick.  A good book to read if you're looking for something fast paced but not very deep.

Review: Possible SPOILERS

The book mostly involved Cat finding out some rather unpleasant things about her brother and his friends who she has grown up with and thinks can do no wrong.  Throughout the book she discovers that there is a rather large meth trade and her brother and company are runners.  This seemed a little farfetched that in a town of 900 people you wouldn't know there was a large meth operation down the road from your house. 

Cat's family is your typical dysfunctional country group.  Her mother died when she was a kid and her father has turned to a well meaning drunk.  Her aunt has raised Cat but is not very open and looks the other way when Cat is almost raped at 14 by one of her brothers buddies.  The rape was alluded to the entire book and then brought out like some big plot twist when in reality it was really obvious.  In an odd turn Cat ends up being friends with her would be rapist when he apologizes which I found very far fetched.

The whole Cat the detective element was an interesting idea but didn't quite flesh out as she was shocked to find out fairly obvious things about her close friends.  In the end when it turns out Patrick's secret boyfriend , who is a pretty central character who seems the most normal, brutally murdered him in a drug induced rage Cat seems entirely to unsurprised for someone whose supposed to be completely in the dark.  Also when the murderer takes a small child hostage and tries to murder him as well Cat is not nearly horrified enough to see her role model turn to a killer before her eyes.

The book was interesting and enjoyable to read but the ending seemed a bit farfetched.  It also screamed Laramie project and seemed to use the gay teen issue as a way to sell books.  Overall it was an ok book but nothing to cheer about.

The Death Cure By: James Dashner

Overview: 3rd and final book in the maze runner trilogy

The Death Cure continues the story of Thomas and the Gladers as they try to finish the trials and finally discover the truth behind WICKED.  All the while running from Cranks, zombielike victims of the mysterious flare disease.  Fast paced, action packed, and violent, a real page turner.  Has some plot holes and unexplained events.  A good read for fans of sci fi and dystopian books.

Review:  Possible SPOILERS below

I was rather disappointed in the 2nd book so had low expectations for the last installment in this series.  Much like the Scorch Trials, this book contained action sequence after action sequence with very little time for character development or dialogue.  Nothing is ever really explained about WICKED or the flare.  In the end you are left hanging with even more questions than before.  The few bits of new information we do receive are confusing and seem very rushed and aren't fully explained.  Main characters die without ceremony or feeling.  Once again the book mostly focuses on Thomas who is just not dynamic enough to carry the story by himself.  Other more well rounded characters are seen infrequently or die off in the beginning.  It is very fast paced and I have to admit I read it in one setting mostly in the hope of new information that never came.

This book was also more violent than the last two.  Thomas quickly becomes a cold blooded killer and we are never let in on how he feels about killing people left and right.  It would have been interesting to see any sort of moral conflict about his new bloodthirsty nature.  Also the love triangle set up in the 2nd book between Theresa, Brenda, and Thomas isn't explored at all.  All that build up for nothing. Overall I found this book mediocre it had the the same problems found in many young adult books to much action and not enough character development.  I had high expectations for this series after reading Maze Runner and am disappointed the rest of the series did not live up to my expectations.  I only kept reading in the hope that WICKED and the trials would finally be explained, alas this never occurred.