The Madman's Daughter

The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd (NY: Balzer & Bray, 2013).

At sixteen, Juliet Moreau leads a harsh life, scrubbing floors at the medical school where her father used to teach before the scandal that led him to abandon his family.  Left seemingly orphaned after her mother's death, Juliet can scarcely believe her circumstances, which quickly worsen to the point that she herself must flee--with a former servant and childhood friend, Montgomery, to her father's island refuge on the other side of the world from Victorian London. Little does she know the grisly details of her father's research that will meet her there, or the choices she'll have to make.

Fans of Gothic horror will love this novel, but even readers who don't ordinarily enjoy such gruesome doings can enjoy the way Shepherd explores family secrets and self-revelations. You don't need any knowledge (or even awareness) of the novel's inspiration, H. D. Well's The Island of Dr. Moreau to follow the story of the love triangle Juliet finds herself in or her growing realization of the depth of her father's insane obsession with creating monsters in the name of science. Also, Shepherd saves some great surprises for the very end of this novel, so I can't wait to read the next one!  Recommended for ages 13 & up. Mild sexual situations, horror.

Who Could That Be at this Hour?

Who Could That Be at this Hour? vol. 1 of All the Wrong Questions by Lemony Snicket (NY: Little, Brown, 2012).

Thirteen-year-old Lemony Snicket heads off with his odd new chaperone, S. Theodora Markson, to the small town of Stain'd-by-the-Sea to begin his apprenticeship in the mysterious VFD. They are tasked with restoring a stolen statue of the Bombinating Beast to its rightful owner, but the owner's identity quickly becomes unclear, as does the identity of who has hired them and a myriad of other circumstances.

Inquisitive readers will love this new series by Lemony Snicket which begs many questions and defines many words with the same dark and deadpan humor that made A Series of Unfortunate Events so popular. The villain of the series, Hangfire, appears only as a talented mimic who impersonates the voices of other characters to lead Lemony astray as he pursues clues.  It's a roundabout but entertaining tale of clever kids and daft adults that middle-grade readers will enjoy.  Recommended for ages 8 and up.

Wonder

Wonder by R.J. Palacio (NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 2012).

Ten-year-old August Pullman is nervous about starting fifth grade after being homeschooled all his life.  He knows he looks different from other kids, even frightening, because of congenital facial deformities, but deep down he feels like an ordinary kid, and he wants to be treated like one. He visits Beecher Prep before school starts and the middle school director, Mr. Tushman, has arranged for several students to show Auggie around and then help him over the first few days.  While the arranged friendships don't work out as planned, another student befriends him, and eventually a few more, until at last nearly everyone learns to see past the deformity and value Auggie for who he is--a super, nice, funny kid.

First off, hats off to Palacio for her incredible handling of such a sensitive topic. Most places wouldn't consider fifth grade middle school the way this book does, but it is the perfect grade for a book on this topic because kids are a lot more forgiving at ten than at thirteen, when being like everyone else and fitting in become much, much more crucial. Not that all of the characters are able to see past Auggie's appearance.  One boy in particular bullies Auggie and instigates some aggression. Auggie is a wonderful character, funny and heart breaking by turns, and I loved reading his perspective.  His sense of humor makes him engaging for readers and lends credibility to his developing friendships.  What made the book brilliant, though, is the varying perspectives of so many characters, some of whom seem peripheral, but whose viewpoints show how actions beget more actions.  This includes how Auggie's parents' actions have impacted their family life and how his older sister has adapted. Further, all the characters are brutally honest about their initial reactions to Auggie's appearance and then how their feelings change as they get to know him. None of the adults serve as narrators, so the novel is truly kidcentric, even as adults obviously guide some of the events.

This book is virtually guaranteed to win many awards and land on many best and recommended lists. It would make a great readaloud, especially at school where issues like bullying and judging people by their appearance could be usefully discussed.  Overall, it's a wonderful read for ages nine and up.  

Calling Invisible Women

Calling Invisible Women by Jeanne Ray (NY: Crown, 2012). 

Fifty-something Clover has been married to  her busy pediatrician husband for thirty-plus years. Their twenty-three-year-old son Nick, currently unemployed, has moved back into the family home, and their daughter Evie is away at college.  At one point Clover worked on the local paper as a reporter, but her job has been scaled back to a weekly gardening column.  Her life hums along just fine until one morning she gets out of the shower and can't see herself in the mirror--she's invisible. That first day she flickers back into visibility, but by the next morning it's permanent.  And no one notices except her best friend. A want ad in the paper takes her to a meeting with other invisible women where she learns that they've deduced that their condition is a side effect of a pharmaceutical trifecta: antidepressant, calcium supplement, and hormone replacement therapy, all products of a single company.  Plus, most of them have had a Botox treatment or two as well. The company knows about the side effect but has refused to take the highly profitable drugs off the market.  While Clover initially settles into an invisible funk, she eventually gets her journalistic mojo back, asserts herself at home, and organizes the invisible women to force the chemical company into action.

Obviously, this novel will resonate with any woman (of a certain age or not) who has ever felt overlooked or taken for granted, though Ray manages to show that no woman should get mired in self-pity.  Rather, she can embrace her talents and empower herself, as Clover does. Thankfully, Clover, despite her unfortunate name that evokes pastures, recognizes her literal invisibility as a trope for all middle-aged women whose families and communities willingly take advantage of their stalwart if unassuming presence. Clover also sees that she has let this happen to herself.  While all of this may sound serious and even melancholy, this novel is anything but a total downer.  Clover's visit to the doctor (who also fails to notice that his patient is invisible) is hilarious, as are some of her invisible exploits, such as freaking out an abusive husband in a grocery store parking lot.  The stories of the other invisible women add variety as well.  Overall, a bracing and introspective read, highly recommended for women of any age. 

Night of the Purple Moon

Night of the Purple Moon by Scott Cramer (nanonoodle.com, 2012). Review copy provided by author.

Abby and her family have just moved to Castine Island, twenty miles off the coast of Maine, from Massachusetts.  For months scientists have been talking about a comet that will pass over the earth leaving a vast trail of space dust and spectacular colors, including a purple moon.  But no one predicts the killer bacteria that attacks human hormones, leaving all adults and older adolescents dead.  Abby, her brother Jordan, and baby sister Toucan and the other kids on the island struggle to adjust to their new life, all the while hoping for a cure before they, too, die.

This novel is like Hunger Games for the younger set--survival in a post-apocalyptic dystopia.  Middle grade readers will love the fast pace and vicarious exploration of life without adult supervision plus the suspense of getting the cure in time. Highly recommended for ages 10 & up.

The Faustian Host

The Faustian Host by Dave Becker (self-published, 2012). Review copy provided by author.

Fourteen-year-old Tony Marino's grandmother, who has taken care of him since his mother died when he was young, has just died; that's upsetting enough, but then a bizarre stranger in the cemetery makes some cryptic comments to Tony and a meteor destroys his grandmother's Florida home.  Tony finds himself whisked away to Massachusetts by his new guardians, the Browns, and testing to get into the elite Kalos Academy, a special day school for extremely gifted students. Strange events follow Tony there, though, and many of his classmates regard him as cursed. Worse, he seems to be associated with a series of unexplained natural events similar to Biblical plagues that befall the area. Tony and his small group of friends set out to discover the source of the events, leading to hair-raising adventures including a cataclysmic showdown of epic proportions in Death Valley.

Middle grade readers will enjoy this wild combination of adventure, fantasy, and supernatural elements.  There's also a bit of awkward romance as Tony crushes on the enchanting Katie, the dean's daughter. The theme of success via cooperation runs through the book, a lesson that Tony in particular needs to learn. Recommended for ages 10 & up.

Transcendence

Transcendence by C. J. Omolulu (New York: Walker & Co., 2012). Reviewed from e-galley provided by the publisher via netgalley.com.

When sixteen-year-old cello prodigy Cole (short for Nicole) starts having visions of the past while visiting London, she's afraid she's going crazy. She feels as though she's walked the streets before--though they're slightly different.  And at the Tower of London she practically envisions a beheading--her own! Then she passes out in the arms of the amazingly attractive Griffon and feels an intense attraction to him.  Once she's back home in San Francisco, her visions continue, sometimes triggered by a smell or a touch.  Griffon explains that the visions are from past lives and she's transitioning to becoming an Akhet, like him--someone who has lived before and will continue to do so with memories intact in order to help the world.  But before that can happen, a rogue Akhet from Cole's past threatens her life while trying to right a perceived wrong from the past.  Racing to solve this mystery, Cole puts herself and those she loves in danger.

Transcendence is a wonderful and unique blend--part mystery, part thriller, part romance, part historical--that adds up to a fabulous read.  Omolulu creates a tense situation by having Cole's past come back in bits and pieces involving many people in her current life.  The mystery from the past is particularly intriguing as Cole and her best friend Rayne research old San Francisco to figure out what happened. The scenes at the Tower of London involving Nicole's past are also well done and engrossing and make for some additional surprises.  All in all, highly recommended for ages 13 & up.  Sexual situations, mild language.

Angels, Chimps, & Tater Mitts

Angels, Chimps, & Tater Mitts by Mike Ball (2012). Review copy provided by author.

Angels, Chimps, & Tater Mitts is Mike Ball's second collection of columns previously published under the title "What I've Learned So Far."  The topics range widely, as the title suggests, and have a midwestern feel, although Ball is decidedly liberal, thank heavens. Ball writes about fishing, Michigan sports teams, his work with Lost Voices (an organization that helps kids in juvenile detention facilities), his travels, and lots of other stuff. He avoids being overly sentimental, though I admit to getting misty a few times when he was talking about some of the kids he helped and what they had to say.  I laughed long and hard over his comments about Sarah Palin.  Of course, I mainly read the book to learn exactly what a Tater Mitt could be, and I recommend that you do the same.  All of the essays are short, so this is a great book to keep in the car when you're waiting for a kid to finish baseball practice or whatever.  It's easy to pick up and put down.  I wouldn't have minded a table of contents so I could go straight to favorite topics...maybe that will be a new feature in Part III?

The Deliverers: Sharky and the Jewel

The Deliverers: Sharky and the Jewel by Gregory S. Slomba (New Fairfield, CT, 2012). Review copy provided by author.

The accidental death of his father haunts twelve-year-old Eric Scott, and he thinks he's dreaming again when Stig, a talking owl from another world, shows up late one night. Stig wants Eric to help him on a quest to deliver the small seaside town of Calendria from a greedy pirate named Sharky.  Eric agrees, but doubts his qualifications; could he possibly be a hero? Once there, Eric discovers that delivering the town is but one of the problems he'll have to solve. With Stig and new friends Kate and an outcast dwarf named Hallo Tosis, Eric battles for Calendria--and himself!

Slomba delivers an action-packed adventure that's sure to thrill middle grade and younger readers.  Even little ones (I'm thinking first and second graders) will enjoy this tale as a read-aloud because of its magical characters (a talking owl! a conniving pirate!) and wacky humor (like the name of the dwarf) in a fascinating and well-conceived setting. In addition to the quest to save Calendria, Eric struggles to regain own confidence, making this a lovely story of self-discovery as well. Highly recommended for ages 6 to 12.

Torn

Torn (Torn Series #1) by Ashley S. Morgan.  Reviewed from e-copy provided by author.

Isidora Rivers feels everything deeply, which helps her acting, but not her life so much. Recklessly riding her bike down the hill to school, she is nearly hit by a car driven by a hot new guy, Tristan Rhodes.  Worse, she's immediately drawn to this broody newcomer who seems to know too much about her.  Plus, he pulls her in one moment and pushes her away the next. What's a girl to do? 

With character names like Tristan and Isadora (so close to Isolde), this novel is obviously playing on the star-crossed, ill-fated love theme.  Tristan's odd familiarity and then the endless flashbacks make the reading sort of self-fulfilling, although there is a twist at the end. This may be enough to keep some readers going. For me the characters were somewhat flat and Morgan relies on telling rather than showing to demonstrate their traits.  Izzy's best friend Sarah seems to exist mainly to relay information about Izzy.  Overall, not a bad read, but not overwhelmingly good either.  Fine for ages 13 & up. Sexual situations, drugs, alcohol, language.

Calico Joe

Calico Joe by John Grisham (NY: Doubleday, 2012). Reviewed from ARC provided by publisher.

Joe Castle was going to save the Cubs from the brink of another lackluster season. Like most boys, eleven-year-old Paul Tracey followed Joe's meteoric rise, watched him smash records every game, and thrilled to each success. He was somewhat ashamed that Joe meant a bit more to him than his own father, Warren Tracey, a pitcher for the Mets, and excitedly looked forward to seeing what would happen when his dad pitched against Joe in an upcoming home game. Little did anyone know that the clash would send vibrations throughout the baseball world, and many lives would be changed forever.

No one spins a tale like John Grisham, and his mastery is apparent in this story of baseball, life, and death. The past and present merge seamlessly as readers follow the rise of Joe Castle (aka Calico Joe because he's from the small town of Calico, Arkansas), Paul's immersion in that career and his sad life as the son of an abusive father, and the ultimate showdown that leads to Paul's estrangement from his father are only half the story, however.  The rest revolves around Paul's desire to bring closure to his dad's horrific deed--for himself, his dying father, and Joe. Baseball fans will enjoy the (fake) baseball history and game details, while the rest is good enough to sustain interest, largely because of Grisham's skills. I love baseball--and I'm a Cubs fan to boot--so this was a good pick for me.

The Annihilation of Foreverland

The Annihilation of Foreverland by Tony Bertauski (Smashwords, 2011). Review copy provided by author.

The island where thirteen-year-old Danny Boy wakes up should be every boy's dream--a tropical paradise, no parents, lots of other boys around his age, and plenty of time to play video games between visits to the ultimate alternate reality world, Foreverland. They're told that the island is a rehab center, and Foreverland is key to healing their minds before they graduate.They all have sockets embedded in their foreheads for the probe needle that transports them from the torture of the Haystack into Foreverland. But Danny can't seem to remember how he got to the island or much else about his life before he arrived at the island, and he doesn't understand why one of the boys, Reed, resists entering the alternate reality of Foreverland to suffer in a cold wet cell in the Haystack. There's also the question of what happens to boys--and their sponsors--when the Chimney smokes. Then Danny meets a girl who knows Reed in Foreverland and together they unravel the reasons why Foreverland must end.

This science fiction novel is most reminiscent of Ender's Game and has the same creepy overtones of adults manipulating children for their own gain. While the plot is a bit convoluted and some aspects of Foreverland remain nebulous, the gaming and alternate reality aspects will undoubtedly appeal to sci fi fans, especially boys, while the mystery broadens the appeal to all readers. Danny is an engaging character, and Reed's dilemma renders him highly sympathetic. Recommended for ages 13 & up.  Intense and violent situations.

Grave Mercy

Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin, #1) by Robin LaFevers (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012). Reviewed from e-ARC provided by publisher via netgalley.comnetgalley.com.

Ismae Rienne bears the mark of St. Morain, the god of death, yet her hateful father arranges a marriage for her that nearly gets her killed. Rescued by the parish priest and village herbwitch, Ismae is spirited away to a convent of nuns dedicated to St. Morain, where she is trained as an assassin. Although her first assignment hits a small snag, Ismae quickly begins her next and greater assignment in the royal court of Brittany where she poses as the cousin of one of the deceased duke's bastard sons, Gavriel Duval, to seek out and kill suspected traitors to Anne, the Duchess of Brittany.

Grave Mercy offers a unique, quasihistorical blend of action, court intrigue, and romance. The world of the convent,where Ismae is trained, remains largely undeveloped, which may disappoint some readers. LaFevers portrays the inevitable romance between Ismae and Gavriel well enough, but the court intrigue drives the story. Kindle readers, like me, might need to consult Wikipedia for a fifteenth-century political map that shows Brittany and its neighbors as this illuminates the reasons for the political plotting; the map that accompanied the e-ARC was not readable on my Kindle. Suitable for readers 13 & up.  Violence, sexual situations.

Leaving Sophie Dean

Leaving Sophie Dean by Alexandra Whitaker (New York: Five Spot, 2012). Reviewed from ARC provided by publisher.

Goaded by her best friend, Valerie forces her lover Adam to choose between herself and his wife and kids. Although Adam chooses Valerie, his wife, the eponymous Sophie Dean, takes the unusual route of leaving Adam in the family home with the kids.

I was hoping this would be a kick-ass, female power novel of take it to the man, and it sort of was, but not really. There were some good laughs at Adam and Valerie's expense as they dealt with the unexpected childcare. But mainly Valerie and her best friend are plain old nasty, and Sophie is a bit too nice. Adam just doesn't seem worth any woman's bother. The kids are adorable. The ending was reasonably good, though, and not as pat as I feared it would be.  Overall, not a bad read, but not as good as I had hoped.

Cycles

Cycles by Lois D. Brown (n.p.: Levanter Publishing, 2011). Review e-copy provided by author.

After an accident, thirteen-year-old Renee Beaumont needs a blood transfusion, which shouldn't be a big deal, but it turns out her blood is unique. Her neighbor Dr. Dawson fortunately has some blood that he claims is hers that the doctors can use to save her life, but Renee can't remember ever giving him her blood.  When she and her best friend Sam investigate, they discover a cache of blood in Dr. Dawson's lab that's all labelled with his dead daughter's name.  What does it mean that Renee's blood matches his daughter's?

This novel seemed uneven and juvenile at the beginning until I realized the characters were only thirteen!  Action, suspense, and mystery propel the story, along with supernatural and mystical elements.  Many readers will enjoy the native American (Ohone indian) spiritual elements as well. The evil villains, especially the woman, make the story seem a tad melodramatic, but overall this novel works well as a middle grade read, not YA, as it is labelled.  Recommended for ages 10 & up.

Casey Barnes Eponymous

Casey Barnes Eponymous by E. A. Rigg (2011). Reviewed from e-book provided by author.

Sophomore Casey Barnes sees it as her mission, maybe even duty, to alleviate the misery that is high school one three-song playlist at a time.  She leaves the lists in library books for her unsuspecting victims--three perfect songs to boost them through the day.  Her killer taste in music makes her confident that her lists can make all the difference...and maybe even get her back the guy she sort of dated over the summer, Alex Deal. They have so much in common, too.  He's in a band, and she wants be a rock star.  She's got the guitar playing and song writing down, but she's not too keen on playing in public, but she will if that will help her get Alex Deal back....

Casey Barnes rocks--in all the right ways. Sharp, sarcastic, passionate, daring, slightly self-enthralled, obsessed and obsessive, yet a bit naive and vulnerable, she makes a great YA protagonist. While the plot focuses mainly on Casey's plan to get Alex Deal back (in spite of his obvious-to-the-reader flaws), Casey propels the story and makes it well worth reading, especially her supreme devotion to music and spreading the love of obscure bands to her fellow students; it's her own music ministry. She has a great cast of supporting characters, too, including her perfect (gay) older brother Yull, her best friend Leigh, the enigmatic new guy Ben (who happens to be a drummer), and the despicable Maxine French.  Highly recommended for ages 13 & up.  Language plus sex(ual situations), drugs (mentioned), and rock & roll.  Available @ Amazon!

Goddess Interrupted

Goddess Interrupted (The Goddess Chronicles #2) by Aimee Carter (NY: Harlequin Teen, 2012). Reviewed from e-ARC provided by the publisher via netgalley.com.

Kate returns to the Underworld after her summer on the surface with James ready to be crowned Queen and live with Henry, though she feels sure he still loves Persephone.  The coronation barely begins when Henry is spirited away and an age-old rivalry between the gods and goddesses and the Titans, specifically Cronos, threatens to end everything--even the immortals! Kate is desperate to save Henry even as she doubts his love and must enlist the aid of Persephone to locate him and solve a tricky situation before she loses everything she loves, forever!

Carter spins a fine dramatic tale in this sequel to The Goddess Test. Kate's doubts about Henry, and indeed Henry's enigmatic actions, are a bit overdrawn, but seem realistic enough. The drama among the gods and goddesses, charged with ancient rivalries, spices up the plot, and the situation with Cronos adds a lot of interest and will undoubtedly draw in fans of Greek mythology.  Kate spends a bit too much time waiting around the Underworld and dithering about what she should do, which makes the cliffhanger ending a bit annoying. Her dealings with Persephone, though, add an interesting twist, as Persephone helps her understand Henry and her new goddess powers.  Kate's problems with Henry, largely due to misunderstandings and lack of communication, are somewhat overplayed, but overall, this is a solid sequel, recommended for ages 13 & up.

Spellcaster

Spellcaster (Spellbound #2) by Cara Lynn Schultz (New York: Harlequin Teen, 2012). Reviewed from e-ARC provided by publisher via netgalley.com.

Spellcaster picks up where Spellbound left off.  Emma and Brandon are blissfully in love and all seems perfect.  They successfully defeated the evil spell that had doomed their love for centuries, and now Emma is coming to terms with her newfound witch powers under the tutelage of her best friend Angelique. But the power of true love attracts others who would use it for nefarious purposes, so Emma and Brandon again find themselves fighting for their love--and their lives!

In this excellent, exciting, and worthy sequel, Schultz nicely depicts the growth of Emma and Brandon's relationship beyond the initial first flush of young (though centuries old) love. The minor misunderstandings that get blown into needless drama seem all to realistic, as does the cautious exploration of passion.  And that's just the romance angle!  Angelique has a bigger role in Spellcaster as she and her sister attempt to help Emma defeat the evil transgressor whose greed for power knows no bounds.  Yes, it's as melodramatic as it sounds, but it's well done and makes for a page-turning speed read.  Highly recommended for ages 13 & up.  Sexual situations, alcohol.

Starters

Starters by Lissa Price (NY: Delacorte Press, 2012).  Reviewed from digital ARC provided by publisher via netgalley.com.

Callie Woodland, her little brother Tyler, and their friend and former neighbor Michael are barely managing on their own.  They are Starters--anyone twenty or younger--who survived the Spore War because the government opted to inoculate only the young and the old, leaving a lot of kids with no living relatives when the war ended. Callie desperately needs money to help Tyler get medical attention, so she decides to investigate Prime Destinations, a company that implants chips in the brains of Starters so Enders (the seniors who were also inoculated and survived the war) can rent young bodies. The first two rentals go well, but the third one gets tricky when the renter, Helena, gets the chip altered so she can communicate with Callie and then tries to enlist Callie's help investigating the disappearance of her granddaughter--a  situation that may call for desperate measures, even murder!  Meanwhile Callie finds herself involved romantically with Blake, the grandson of a senator who is at the center of a possible power grab.  But Blake seems to change every time Callie sees him, and the altered chip may be communicating in ways Helena and Callie hadn't foreseen....

Set in a post-war dystopic future, Starters is a riveting read with engaging characters involved in a fascinating plot. The huge divide between kids who having nothing because they had no older relatives who were inoculated and those who have everything because they had wealthy older relatives subtly critiques the current widening gap between the rich and poor, though mainly it serves to illustrate the huge difference between the hardships Callie, Tyler, Michael and other orphans suffer and the opulent lifestyle of those more fortunate, like Blake. The deviousness of Prime Destinations' manipulation of desperate children plus the possible government conspiracy to use Starters strikes a one-two punch at both corporate greed and political power broking. Lots of actions and some excellent twists at the end make Starters the page-turning dystopia no one should miss in 2012!  Highly recommended for ages 12 & up.  Violence, mild sexual situations, alcohol.

Freshman Year and Other Unnatural Disasters

Freshman Year and Other Unnatural Disasters by Meredith Zeitlin (NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2012).  Reviewed from e-copy provided by publisher.

Kelsey Finkelstein has high expectations for her freshman year of high school, but right from the start, everything seems to go wrong. Even worse, someone seems intent on publicly humiliating her by placing photographs of some of her most embarrassing moments in the school paper!  Still she remains optimistic, despite the challenges of stinky soccer goalie equipment, bad make-out experiences, major wardrobe malfunctions in the school musical, and a prom date who goes missing.

This book was hilarious--I laughed till I cried.  Kelsey is a hoot, and her optimism in the face of all her bad luck makes her extremely likable.  The embarrassing mom and pesty little sister are somewhat stereotypical, but Kelsey and the situations she gets stuck in make up for them.  It's amazing how Kelsey keeps thinking that she can try something else to boost her popularity, and whatever can go wrong, does go wrong.  If you need a good laugh, this is the book for you.  Recommended for ages 13 & up.  Sexual situations, alcohol, language.