How Far Would You Go to be Pretty?

I am a fan of post-apocalyptic/dystopian novels and often find myself searching for the next enthralling story. While searching through lists of PA books, I happened across the Uglies, a YA novel by Scott Westerfeld. I had seen this series before and was interested, but I had just never picked it up. Now that I knew it was about a dystopia, I was dying to read it!

Uglies starts in a city where a kid's 16th birthday is a big event- it is when a kid undergoes their surgery to become Pretty. Everyone wants to become Pretty so they can live in New Pretty Town, party all day, not worry about responsibilities and revel in their new Pretty selves. Well, maybe not everyone. Tally Youngblood misses her friend Peris who turned 16 and became Pretty months before she did. But now she has met a new friend, Shay, who teaches her to perfect her hoverboard riding, takes her to the Rusty Ruins (where they see our ancient cities as they deteriorate and mock our ravenous consumption of the world), and tells Tally of a place where kids go to escape the surgery- a place called the Smoke that is full of Uglies who fend for themselves and stay far away form the cities.

When Shay runs away, the Specials (Cruel Pretties) tell Tally she must find Shay and lead the Specials to the Smoke or she won't get her surgery. Desperate to become Pretty and join Peris, Tally goes to the Smoke, but she doesn't find what she expected. The Smoke is a place where everyone works for their fair share, people are free from the petty lives of Pretties, and the Specials aren't watching their every move. Tally must make up her mind: should she betray David and the Smoke or remain in the one place where she finally felt alive and free?

I have to say this novel was a little slow for me in the very beginning. All the descriptions of Tally and Pretty Town were interesting, but by no means gripping. The story didn't really pick up until half-way through when tally sets off for the Smoke. By this point, I was certainly hooked! The story does go quite quickly, and the premise is so interesting- a society where everyone is made to look the same in order to prevent racism and prejudice, but is really a ruse for the government to keep society "malleable". When the truth comes out, however, that the surgery changes their personality as much as their appearance, it is a fate worse than staying Ugly. I recommend this series for a kid who enjoyed Hunger Games. The language isn't overly mature or complex, the plot is very interesting, and it should grab a hold of any reader. Give it a chance and prepare to ask yourself which you'd rather be: a mindless Pretty or a Free-willed Ugly!

Percy Jackson is MY Hero!

I am sure you have all seen the trailer for the movie of the first installment of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, by Rick Riordan. It looks exciting, action packed, and who can resist Greek Gods and Heroes?! But I have something to important to tell you... I haven't yet seen the movie of course, but I am SURE the books are BETTER. Not only better, mind you. Perhaps even Mind-Blowing! Earth-Shattering! These books are simply addictive.

The first book, The Lightning Thief, is about a young boy who bounces from school to school thanks to the trouble that always seems to follow him. It also doesn't help that he is dyslexic and has ADHD. Then, something mysterious happens while he is on a short vacation with his mother- monsters seem to be following him! A minotaur to be exact! Percy and his friend Grover survive the Minotaur attack by the skin of their teeth and find themselves at Camp Half-Blood. There, Percy finds out he is actually a demigod- the son of a Greek God. And once he is claimed by his father, Poseidon, he finds out he carries a great burden. Percy must stop a battle of the Gods by recovering Zeus' lightning bolt. In this hilarious, action-packed first installment you learn to love all the half-bloods and their mythical friends like the naiads, satyrs, and centaurs.

In the second book, The Sea of Monsters, you find Percy and Annabeth off to save their satyr buddy, Grover, when he finds himself trapped with a scary Cyclops who wants to make Grover his wife. When they arrive at the Cyclops' lair, they realize he has the Golden Fleece- the only thing that can heal the Thalia Tree which protects the boundaries of Camp Half-Blood from monsters and mortals alike. Battling flesh-eating sheep, a half-blind cyclops with an attitude, and learning about his interesting new sibling, Percy's adventures continue to keep you hooked and laughing.

The Titan's Curse continues the amazing tales of Percy, Grover, Tyson, and Annabeth. With another Half-Blood definitely stirring the ancient pot to get revenge on his wayward father, the group must find a way to slow down the raising of the Titan Kronos. This includes saving two new Half-Bloods, losing Annabeth (but to where they have no idea), and coming across the Goddess Artemis and her Hunters- beautiful, immortal pre-teen girls with a silvery glow and arrows that could nail a fly at 50 paces. Don't forget the creepy General and his forces at the Hoover Dam!

The Battle of the Labyrinth really heats up the stories as Percy and his friends are forced to enter The Labyrinth- Daedalus' masterpiece that is full of monsters, tricks, prisons, and any number of ways to torture or imprison a demigod. Unfortunately, the demigod turned evil Titan-raiser, Luke, has been sending spies to navigate the Labyrinth. And now the demigods know why- there is an entrance to the Labyrinth right in the middle of Camp Half-Blood. If Luke's forces can find it, they won't have to worry about crossing the Camp's magical boundaries because they will pop out right in the middle of the camp. So Percy and the group set off to find Daedalus and seek his help, but they bite off more than they can chew with this excursion.

And finally, The Last Olympian sails the series home with an amazing final chapter in Percy Jackson's story. The battle of Manhattan has come and Percy and the Half-Bloods are the only thing standing between the Titan army and Mount Olympus (which is conveniently perched atop the Empire State Building). With the Gods all fighting the Titan Typhon as he tears his way across the country headed straight for New York, the heroes are the only hope to saving the era of the Gods. But with the Ares cabin refusing to fight, the demigod's seriously depleting from defecting heroes going to the Titan's side, and a whole host of strange prophecies, visions, and dreams, this is going to be a battle no one will ever forget- unless of course the Mist does its job!

These books are quite simply amazing. Every review I have read or blog I have perused makes the same comparison to Harry Potter, but I think that cheapens the greatness of these novels. They are amazing, and by Gods! They can stand on their own! And how great is it that the books explain all the demigods' ADHD and dyslexia as being a side-effect of being a demigod who is always ready for action and heroism and can read Greek better than English?! I literally couldn't put these books down, and have taken it upon myself to get as many people to read them as possible- you won't be sorry! Well, you will be sad when you finish the fifth book of course, because you want more- but you won't be sorry you read them! Bring Percy, Grover, Tyson, Annabeth, and all the other Gods, creatures and characters into your life- the Gods are telling you to!

Vampires, Werewolves, Faeries and Shadowhunters, Oh My!

Now, please keep in mind there is more to this book than the hunky torso on the cover! Mortal Instruments: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare is the first installment of a trilogy, all of which is written, published and out in the world. I cannot tell you how much I love when that happens! Nothing makes me crazier than getting sucked into a great book only to find it has absolutely no ending because it is the first book of a trilogy! Drives me crazy! But when I stumble upon an already finished trilogy/series? So exciting!

City of Bones starts off with Clary, a normal girl raised by her mother, who does normal things, forgets homework, hangs out with her friends, and occasionally finds herself in a spot of trouble. But one night, at a club with her friend Simon, she sees something sketchy going on- a guy being lured into a janitor's closet by a girl and two tattooed, scary guys. When she breaks into the room, she quickly discovers the guy being attacked isn't so innocent after all- actually he is a demon and the others are Shadowhunters- a group of humans, also known as Nephilim, who are sworn by blood and genealogy to kill all demons and any Underworlders who break the rules of the Accords. Underworlders are all the half-human creatures like vampires, werewolves and faeries who have created a life of peace (sort of) and harmony with the rest of the world. The Accords are a peace treaty the Shadowhunters struck with the Underworlders to stop hunting them if they continue to leave mortal humans (known as mundies or mundanes) alone in their ignorance.

But when her mother calls and frantically tells Clary not to come home, Clary goes anyway and finds herself face to face with a Ravener demon, but her mother is mysteriously gone. Jace, the huge blond Shadowhunter, finds Clary with the Ravener dead, but her in desperate need of mystical medical attention. He takes her back to the Institute, where Hodge, the Institute's leader, makes sure she is healed and fully restored. It is with the Institute and the Shadowhunters that Clary finds the true nature of who she is, who her mother is, and even who her "uncle" Luke really is: all with Shadowhunter blood. But now Valentine, a rogue Shadowhunter determined to kill all Downworlders despite the Accords, is back from the dead and ready to start his plan with the Mortal Cup- the only thing that can make more Shadowhunters from mortals- but at a steep price. Clary, Jace, and the two other Shadowhunters, Alec and Isabelle, must find the Mortal Cup while also finding out how Clary came to be immersed in the mundie world with no recollection of her Shadowhunter heritage.

This book is very, very interesting and I am thanking the writing and publishing Gods for pushing the other two books out before I found this one, because it certainly does not end with any semblance of closure- it was meant to keep you waiting for the rest of the trilogy. Clare's take on the mythical world of faeries and vampires is really interesting, and different from other stories of the same genre, while not changing their backgrounds too much. The Shadowhunters are a great addition to these time honored horror tales, and they are wrapped up in their own wars, disagreements, and factions. The writing isn't terribly complicated, the vocabulary is average, but the book is large- almost 500 pages. If you had a kid who made it through Harry and Twilight, this would be a great next step to keep them hooked! Give the Mortal Instruments series a chance, but don't be surprised if you start seeing faeries and pixies in the shrubs after you do!

Fall for Hush, Hush

Whomever has the nerve to say "don't judge a book by its cover" hasn't seen the cover of Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick. This book is simply beautiful. And the story isn't far behind!

The story starts with Nora Grey, a girl who isn't terribly interested in the guys at her school, is suddenly very aware of the new guy, Patch. He is dark, mysterious, and possibly quite dangerous- all the things a teenage girl shouldn't want but can't resist. When it seems as though Patch is following her and turning up in the oddest place, Nora begins to wonder what is really going on behind those brooding eyes. But her friend Vee is determined to pair the two of them up with an odd duo of guys they met. In fact, Vee wants Nora to stop seeing Patch. So does Nora's new guidance counselor. From being followed by a mysterious person, to a few near-fatal encounters, Nora knows something is going on, but has no idea that something is who Patch really is- a fallen angel. And there is even more to the story about why Patch has shown up in Nora's life than you can imagine.

I really enjoyed this book, but I was a little concerned by two things: striking similarities to Twilight and 3/4 of the book without knowing anything about who Patch really is. From the "cute meet" in biology class, to the internet search that gleans vital information, there are certainly some similarities between Fitzpatrick's novel and Stephanie Meyers epic series. While they are glaring, and I do think Fitzpatrick would have been better off if she carefully chose situations that did not make us instantly think of Bella and Edward, I think this book still holds a good story.

However, leaving the meat of the story until the last 1/4 of the book was not the wisest decision. I think the vagueness and confusion of both the plot and the narrator is something that could easily turn a reader off. In fact, we don't actually know anything about the big conflict until the last 50 pages of the book (and this is a 400 page book)! While the information leading up to the big reveal is certainly interesting, by the time I finished the book, I was saying to myself, "Well, heck, Becca! Why not bring this out earlier! I want to know more!"

If you give this book a chance, though, you will find an intriguing story about Fallen Angels and Nephilim (human/fallen angel offspring). The book has a lot to offer if you give it a chance, but it might not be the best choice for a reader who needs to be grabbed by a story. Suggest this book for the student who can plow through pages, not the one who needs to be prodded along. Give it a chance, but leave the comparisons behind- they will only leave you a little disappointed!

How Far is Too Far?

I am an avid fan of Sarah Dessen. I love the "chick flick" YA with fixable conflict and happy endings. They always leave me with that warm, fuzzy feeling! So when I read the description of Going too Far by Jennifer Echols, I was so excited! I am always looking for a pseudo-Dessen to pass the time between her latest and newest novels.

Granted, Going too Far is similar in premise to a Sarah Dessen treasure, but the delivery is a bit different. Meg is a bit of a wild card: partying, minor law infractions, and casual sex. When she, her boyfriend and another couple get caught by the local police on the railroad bridge, they find themselves in jail. Officer John After is particularly irate at finding them there, especially since if they had stayed on the bridge for 10 more minutes, they would have been killed by an oncoming train the same way two kids were years ago. As punishment, John After devises a plan for Meg and the other couple (her sleazy boyfriend's father was able to muscle him out of any punishment) to serve time by riding along with either the police, the fire department, or the ambulance for one week followed by a written plan to stop teens from committing the same dangerous mischief they had gotten themselves into. Meg, of course, is the one who will be driving with Officer After.

Meg's parents, having had enough of her antics, decide not to interrupt their vacation because of her punishment. Instead, she is to spend 8 hours working in their diner, 8 hours with Officer After, and the remainder of the day exhausted. But her time with John After isn't nearly as bad as she thought it would be. It turns out, he isn't much older than Meg, and he even went to school with her before graduating and immediately joining the local police department in order to continue his obsession with the train bridge. During their time together, Meg and John find out there was a lot more to each other than the original impressions and judgments they made.

This is a fun, interesting story with fairly deep and developed characters. While it follows Dessen's formula, however, this book strays in the realm of "too much information." Dessen never gets too sexual in her books, but rather prefers to leave most of the goings on to the imagination, which makes her books perfect for a school setting. While this book is by no means graphic, there is more sex than I would be comfortable giving to many of my students as a book to read in class. It would be great for an independent book if the student was mature enough, but I wouldn't give it to a student younger than 10th grade. It is also very much a "girl" book, and I would imagine a boy to roll his eyes even at the cover! Despite its few shortcomings, though, this is a fun book with some great characters and situations.

Spinelli puts a Smile on My Face!

OK, so we have all read Stargirl, right? We all know and love Jerry Spinelli for his delightful characters, his unwavering optimism and his examination of adolescence. Despite each story's conflict, there is always a feel to Spinelli's books that you want these characters in your life, and you always know things have to turn out OK. Smiles to Go is no exception!

Will is a skateboard riding, chess playing ninth grader whose best friends, Mi-Su and BT, are the center to his world. When BT kisses Mi-Su at a stargazing event, Will realizes he wants to kiss Mi-Su! With plans and schemes, he has worked out a way to get Mi-Su to kiss him and plays the plans over and over in his head until he convinces himself it will work. But BT is so nonchalant about Mi-Su, the way BT is about everything (which drives Will crazy!).

The best part of this book, however, is not Will, Mi-Su, BT, or the typical teen love triangle. The best part of this book is by far Tabby, Will's five-year old sister. Tabby is a handful, to say the least, who seems to live for making Will's life miserable. She is so precocious and mischievous, you just know you would love to know this girl (although perhaps in small doses). At one point in the book, Will and his dad are working on Will's chess game for the big match coming up. Tabby has been unceremoniously locked outside and is not happy about it. She tries screaming, pleading, pretending something horrible is happening in the hall, and any other stunt to get Will and her dad to come out of the room. When she gets mysteriously quiet, Will glanced over at the door to see a straw poking under the door- Tabby had resorted to trying to "suck all the air out of the room".

This book will literally make you laugh out loud and applaud Sir Spinelli once again. There is of course a life lesson to be learned for Will, but not before Tabby worms her way into your heart. This is a great "middle reader" book for low-skilled high school students or average-skilled middle school students. The story is sophisticated enough to not be a stretch for a high school student, either. Great book, quick read for you, and one you won't be sorry you took the time to read! But I warn you, this book will make you look for the Tabby in your life!

Freaks will be your Next Revelation

Sometimes you stumble across a diamond in the rough and you just aren't sure what to do with it. With that in mind, I will pass on Freaks and Revelations by Davida Wills Hurwin to you and wish you the best of luck. It will leave you raw and with a knotted stomach, but it is certainly hard to forget.

Freaks and Revelations is based on a true story of two men on opposite sides of a hate crime. Jason is a 13 year old young man who comes from a family that is anything but desirable. His parents have separated, and he is forced to live with his mother who feels strict religion is the solution to every problem. Unfortunately for Jason, he feels the damage to his family is a direct result of their secrets that torment them all and decides to share his biggest secret. When he announces to the family, including his estranged father, that he is in fact gay, his father walks out and his mother tells him to find another place to live.

Doug comes from an equally horrible household, but handles the situation differently. His father is abusive and Doug finds himself escaping through hardcore punk music and culture. Soon he begins going to clubs and meets another group of people who share the same beliefs that minorities- all minorities- are beneath them. Eventually, they even begin "bashing" on a small scale- mostly scaring people and threatening anyone they deem unworthy.

Jason is living on the street, hustling money and turning tricks. Doug is sinking deeper and deeper into a life of intolerance and violence. A night of tension and uncontrollable rage lead Doug to attack Jason, who he thinks is just "gay trash"- not someone worth consideration, let alone human decency. Years later, however, a chance encounter will change both their lives.

This is an amazingly powerful book about how two boys can come from equally awful houses, turn out so very different, and still come colliding together more than once. With hate crimes like Matthew Shepard's murder still in our memories, this book based on the lives of Matthew Boger and Timothy Zaal is one that will stay with you forever- and not just because of the violence and hate behind it- but because of how intolerance and violence can change into tolerance and caring with the right circumstances.

My only complaint about this book is that 95% of the book is about the two boys and how they grow up and end up in this situation. I would have loved to read more about the aftermath of the bashing, how they got to where they are now, and what happened after their meeting later in life. I am sure their journey as adults was just as interesting as their journey as kids, and there is so much to be learned about their path to acceptance and forgiveness. Nonetheless, this is a powerful book about sentiments that are still so real and raw, even in 2010. Please give this book a chance!