Review: Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown

Image and summary from Goodreads.com:


Calder White lives in the cold, clear waters of Lake Superior, the only brother in a family of murderous mermaids. To survive, Calder and his sisters prey on humans, killing them to absorb their energy. But this summer the underwater clan targets Jason Hancock out of pure revenge. They blame Hancock for their mother's death and have been waiting a long time for him to return to his family's homestead on the lake. Hancock has a fear of water, so to lure him in, Calder sets out to seduce Hancock's daughter, Lily. Easy enough—especially as Calder has lots of practice using his irresistable good looks and charm on ususpecting girls. Only this time Calder screws everything up: he falls for Lily—just as Lily starts to suspect that there's more to the monsters-in-the-lake legends than she ever imagined. And just as his sisters are losing patience with him.


I am always a fan of a good fantasy novel set in modern times; the idea that more exists in our world than meets the eye always excites my imagination.  So, mermaids in the Great Lakes - why not?  While the plot of this novel was nothing unexpected, the premise was interesting and the characters were engaging, which kept me reading until the end!


Calder White reminded me a lot of Jacob Black from the Twilight series, specifically his narration in Breaking Dawn (yes, I've read the series a few times.  Feel free to judge :).  He is caught between family loyalty - a bond strengthened by his telepathic connection to his sisters - and following his heart.  Although not a new debate to the literary world, Calder's added guilt over his "monstrosity" and his awkwardness in dealing with new feelings made him an interesting narrator.  Lily Hancock, on the other hand, fell a bit too much into the new romantic heroine archetype:  the nerdy, "weirdly dressed" girl who manages to captivate all the boys around her.  I like that authors are trying to show beauty and intrigue can come in all forms, but seriously, a girl who loves Victorian poets so much she wears velvet in the height of summer?  Not sure I'm buying it.  I would have liked to see her character get a bit more unique development, instead of a uniqueness that seemed forced.


The plot of this book didn't have too many unexpected turns, but Brown created such an interesting world that I felt compelled to keep reading.  I loved her take on mermaids not as beautiful, benevolent singing sea creatures, but rather as jealous, depressed beings consumed by their own bitterness.  Okay, so that sounds more dark than it comes across in the story, but I think for the book to be interesting there needed to be that element of darkness.  Lily and Calder falling in love was predictable, but the family jealousy and revenge plot added enough conflict to the storyline to make it enjoyable to read.  The ending of the book was also very exciting, and while it left on a relatively satisfactory note, I care enough about Calder to pick up the second book in the series.


One of the strengths of this novel, from my perspective, is how relatively clean it is.  There are a few very minor instances of language, but nothing at which to raise an eyebrow.  The relationship between Calder and Lily stays innocent, and seems natural while doing so (I always hate the whole "Well, we would, but these supernatural forces conspiring against us make it impossible" abstinence reasoning).  I LOVE the cover of this book too, and think potential readers would enjoy it as well.  The double meaning of the title is also quite clever (I'm a sucker for a good title).


Lies Beneath was an overall satisfying reading experience, and one I can share with my students with pleasure.  Though it had a male protagonist, I would hesitate to give it to many of my guys, as it is still a bit "mushy" for their taste.  But, for my Team Jacob girlies, this novel will come highly recommended.

Review: Breaking Beautiful by Jennifer Shaw Wolf

Image and summary from Goodreads.com:


Allie lost everything the night her boyfriend, Trip, died in a horrible car accident—including her memory of the event. As their small town mourns his death, Allie is afraid to remember because doing so means delving into what she’s kept hidden for so long: the horrible reality of their abusive relationship.
 
When the police reopen the investigation, it casts suspicion on Allie and her best friend, Blake, especially as their budding romance raises eyebrows around town. Allie knows she must tell the truth. Can she reach deep enough to remember that night so she can finally break free? Debut writer Jennifer Shaw Wolf takes readers on an emotional ride through the murky waters of love, shame, and, ultimately, forgiveness.


In reading the summary of this novel on NetGalley, I was instantly intrigued.  Mystery, romance... this book seemed to have it all.  And while it delivered on both the mystery and romance, I was left somewhat underwhelmed.  The path to get to the end just seemed overly torturous for me to fully enjoy.


Allie is the protagonist and narrator, and is painted in a relatively believable way.  Many of her decisions were hampered by self-doubt and guilt, which given her previous abusive relationship I guess seemed appropriate.  However, I found her a bit weak.  She just took far too long to stand up for herself, which made the plot have unnecessary moments.  Also, there were two characters in this book that I just did not care for.  The first was Blake, her childhood friend turned love interest.  We are supposed to believe that he has been nurturing a long-burning love for Allie, despite many personal trials and her outright rejection of him when she hooked up with Trip.  For whatever reason, I just didn't buy it, especially since he is keeping some secrets that I feel a loyal friend would not.  The other character was Hannah, Trip's previous girlfriend.  Though it's never explained in the book, I have to assume Trip wasn't abusive towards her - it is the only way to explain her borderline obsession with him that leads her to treat Allie horrifically.  Bright spots in the characters were Allie's twin brother Andrew (who is in a wheelchair due to cerebal palsy), and his girlfriend Caitlin (who is just downright awesome and unique).  Both of these characters had personal strength and integrity that I wished had been present in some of the others.


As I said above, the plot of this novel dragged on a bit for my taste.  Many of the roadblocks thrown in Allie's way as she tries to remember the truth about Trip's accident were very similar, so they just didn't all seem necessary.  Honestly, I am struggling to come up with other ideas about the plot, because I just didn't find it totally inspiring.  Interesting to read, sure, but it didn't stand out against many similar YA reads.  Instead, it seemed to follow a very similar path to other novels like it.  The whole, "I have feelings for him... but I can't" motif contained in so many YA novels is becoming a bit predictable, and this book was no exception.


Content-wise, there wasn't too much to be worried about, save the obvious mature themes in the book.  For any reader who is hesitant to explore issues like abuse, this would not be a recommended read.


Overall, I found this book as just... fine.  For readers who enjoy similar titles, it would be a good read, but it fell a bit flat in terms of a standout.

W... W... W... Wednesdays 11

W... W... W... Wednesdays is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading.  To take part in this feature, you answer three questions in a blog post:

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you'll read next?

Summer break has officially started, and my reading has also gone through the roof!  Free time during the day + a husband working night shifts = lots of reading time.  So, I hope to be posting a lot more frequently.

What am I currently reading?

I just started Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown.  So far, it has a very interesting premise!

What did I recently finish reading?

Alright, so I hopped on the bandwagon and finished the entire trilogy in a week.  MATURE readers - there's still plenty of room for you to join too!  

What do I think I'll read next?

Cheating on this answer - the beauty of summer is that I don't have to read anything in any particular order.  I will see what speaks to me when I need a new book!

Top Ten Tuesday 18

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.  This week's topic is the top ten book on our summer TBR lists.  I absolutely love my job as a teacher, but I would be remiss if I didn't also admit how much I love summer break!  One of my favorite parts is the opportunity I get to catch up on my rather long TBR list.  While it is difficult to pick just ten, these are certainly some of the standouts on my list!


The Top Ten Books on My Summer TBR List
1.  The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern:


I bought this book initially to read while on a cruise over Christmas Break!  But, I heard it was a more dense read, so it just kept getting put to the bottom of the pile in favor of lighter, easier books.  Now that I have time to devote to it, I am excited to start!

2.  Blood Read Road by Moira Young:


I've heard so many good things about this book, and it will fill my dystopia craving until the film version of Catching Fire is released!  Speaking of...


3.  The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins:


Yep, I've read them all before, but only once.  Sometimes, good books are worth re-reading, and it's one of my favorite things to do over the summer!

4.  Crossed by Ally Condie:


I read Matched forever ago and loved it.  Again, I feel like I need to re-read the first in order to fully enjoy Crossed and get ready for the release of Reached in the fall!


5.  Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick:


I've been wanting to read this entire series, and summer is the perfect time to devote to it!


6.  Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore:


Graceling and Fire are two of my all-time favorite YA novels.  I can't wait to see how the story continues!


7.  The Skinjacker trilogy by Neal Shusterman:


I've pretty much been obsessed with everything this author has ever written, so having enough time to read an entire trilogy by him should be a blast too!

8.  Waterfall by Lisa Bergren:


I've been wanting to read this book (and series!) for ages, but it was always checked out of my school library.  However, I am hoping to get some VIP access this summer and snag it!


9.  It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini:


I've heard nothing but rave reviews of this book, and can't wait to check it out.


10.  The Fifty Shades trilogy by E.L. James:


Ok, this is a cheat on my list, as it is NOT a YA series (not even a little bit - students, no saying I recommended it to you!), and I've already finished it.  That's mostly because as soon as summer break started, I ran out and bought all three - and proceeded to tear through them in a week.  For the MATURE readers of my blog who like something a little risqué and romantic for summer reading, I recommend.  

Review: Where She Went by Gayle Forman

Image and summary from Goodreads.com:


It's been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future-and each other.

Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.



I could not stop reading the first book in this pair, If I Stay, and anxiously awaited for this novel to appear back on my school's library shelves.  While I found the conclusion of the first novel satisfying, I absolutely fell in love with Mia and Adam, and could not wait to see their story continued.  As so rarely happens, I not only found this book on par with the first - I actually liked it even more.


What made this book stand out from the first was the switch in first-person perspective from Mia to Adam.  Oh Adam... what a fascinating person.  He fit within the "tortured artist" archetype without completely making me roll my eyes; actually, I was drawn in to everything he felt.  Watching him explore what happens when personal pain leads to extreme success - and the accompanying emptiness - made me ache right along with him.  His enduring love for Mia gave him even more appeal, and all I wanted was to see him happy.  Similarly, Mia has moved past her devastating accident to a point, but hasn't completely forgotten (which only seems natural, I would say).  At first I mostly wanted to punch her, being a staunch member of "Team Adam," but by the end I could understand the choices she made.  This, I think, is the strength of Forman's writing - she shows characters in completely soul-crushing situations, and makes them act in believable, relatable, and interesting ways.


The plot of this novel was somewhat weaker than the first, as it seemed a little contrived.  But, Adam's narrative made it worth reading.  While the story of Adam and Mia's meeting again in New York wasn't terribly interesting, save a few key surprises, I absolutely loved getting the backstory of Adam's life after the accident.  Seeing his rise to superstardom and the rock and roll lifestyle added great interest to an otherwise predictable plot.  However, predictable though it seemed to me, I still yearned for the ending of this book.  There were plenty of surprising moments to keep me reading until I got to it.


Overall, the content of this novel isn't objectionable, as long as a reader goes into it understanding Adam's situation.  After all, he has now become a worshipped "rock star," so with that comes some stereotypical bad behavior.  None of this behavior was described graphically though, so I don't think most readers would have a problem with it.


Adam and Mia have become two characters to whom I am genuinely attached - to me, that shows what a great set of novels is all about.  Though I wanted their story to end so that they would be happy, I personally was sad to let them go.  I can't wait to share these books with my other romantic girlies - they are truly something special.

Top Ten Tuesday 17

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.  This week's topic is our top ten books recommending as great beach reads.  To me, a solid beach read is light, easy to read, and usually has some element of romance or humor.  I don't know why I've decided these characteristics are important - they are just my personal benchmarks.  So, with summer vacations around the corner for so many...

The Top Ten YA Books I'd Recommend as Good Beach Reads

1.  The Immortals Series by Alyson Noel:


If you like romantic books, then this series is for you!  While certainly not a series full of literary merit, I thoroughly enjoyed them last summer.


2.  The Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyer:


Again, not exactly a series that will wow readers with its demonstration of literary prowess, but it was an original in a genre.  Plus, for whatever reason, I find these books compulsively readable.

3.  Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins:


Probably one of the cutest YA romances I've read in a very long time.  It's light, funny, and completely charming - perfectly paired with sunglasses and a cool drink!


4.  Swim the Fly by Don Calame:


A totally ridiculous little book, but also one I actually laughed out loud while reading.  For those not easily offended, I would recommend spending some of your summer break reading about Matt's summer adventures.

5.  The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy by Jenny Han:


I mean, the books are romances set on the beach.  Enough said.  Also... I would recommend getting all three of them at once.  You WILL become addicted.


6.  Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles:


Again, not a book for the easily offended, as some of the scenes can get pretty steamy.  BUT, I happen to like a little steam in my beach reads, so it fills the role perfectly.


7.  Matched by Ally Condie:


The third installment of the trilogy, Reached, comes out this fall.  Start the romantic adventure this summer by beginning with the first book!


8.  Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia:


Another great romantic teen series, filled with fantasy and action!

9.  Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen:


Just a cute, light, and very sweet story - a perfect read on the beach.


10.  Looking for Alaska by John Green:


This is one of the few romantic novels that appeals to both guys and girls.  Gentlemen, a lady loves to see a guy reading on the beach, so I suggest this book as a good conversation starter!

Review: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

Image and summary from Goodreads.com:

Greg Gaines is the last master of high school espionage, able to disappear at will into any social environment. He has only one friend, Earl, and together they spend their time making movies, their own incomprehensible versions of Coppola and Herzog cult classics.

Until Greg’s mother forces him to rekindle his childhood friendship with Rachel.

Rachel has been diagnosed with leukemia—cue extreme adolescent awkwardness—but a parental mandate has been issued and must be obeyed. When Rachel stops treatment, Greg and Earl decide the thing to do is to make a film for her, which turns into the Worst Film Ever Made and becomes a turning point in each of their lives.

And all at once Greg must abandon invisibility and stand in the spotlight.

When I saw this book listed on NetGalley as a hilarious and profane debut, I figured it was worth a shot.  While I assumed something listed as "profane" probably wouldn't be appropriate for a class library (correct assumption :), I also assumed it would give me a few chuckles (also a correct assumption :).  Though this is a book I will be very careful in recommending to students, it is certainly a worthy read for those not easily offended.


Greg, the narrator and protagonist of the novel, makes this story shine.  His voice is sarcastic, hilarious, and self-loathing in a funny (though heartbreaking) way.  From the outset of the novel, he promises to be completely honest with the reader - in fact, he often steps outside of the story and communicates directly with the audience.  I loved these moments, as it was a unique twist on the whole "author, narrator, reader" relationship.  However, my favorite part of Greg is that even though he swears he isn't going to change for the better by the end of the story, and no major life lessons will be learned, he does and there are.  But, he seemed authentic for not realizing how much he grows throughout the novel.  The other two main characters, Earl and the "Dying Girl" (Rachel), are not given the same amount of detail as Greg.  Of the two, I felt Earl was better created, as we do get some more backstory into his life.  Rachel was a character who was supposed to be a catalyst for most of the plot, but somewhat fell flat in my opinion.  More development into her character would have enhanced the novel as a whole.


Though the novel was primarily character driven, the plot had enough action to be engaging on its own as well.  Much of the story centers around Greg's attempts at understanding mortality, and his burgeoning film "career."  Without a doubt, my favorite scenes were the descriptions of he and Earl's films and their movie-making sessions.  These were some of the funniest moments in the story.  I also really enjoyed Greg's descriptions of high school life - they were eerily accurate.


Obviously, there are some very serious content concerns for a teacher recommending this novel.  There is EXTREME foul language, plenty of sex references (some of them pretty inappropriate, albeit creative and funny), drug use... the list goes on.  While there is ultimately a positive at the end of the novel, it's not exactly one where the message trumps a few concerns.  There's just too much inappropriate content for a teacher to recommend.  However, as an adult writing a blog that primarily adults read... it might be worth a look!

Review: Torn by Stephanie Guerra

Image and summary from Goodreads.com:


Stella Chavez is your classic good girl: straight As, clean-cut boyfriends, and soccer trophies . You’d never guess that Stella’s dad was a drug addict who walked out when she was a kid. Or that inside, Stella wishes for something more.

New girl Ruby Caroline seems like Stella’s polar opposite: cursing, smoking, and teetering in sky-high heels . But with Ruby, Stella gets a taste of another world—a world in which parents act like roommates, college men are way more interesting than high school boys, and there is nothing that shouldn’t be tried once.

It’s not long before Stella finds herself torn: between the best friend she’s ever had and the friends she’s known forever, between her family and her own independence, between who she was and who she wants to be. 

But Ruby has a darker side, a side she doesn’t show anyone—not even Stella. As Stella watches her friend slowly unravel, she will have to search deep inside herself for the strength to be a true friend, even if it means committing the ultimate betrayal.


While I found this story somewhat addicting to read, I'm not really sure why.  Truthfully, if you read the summary of the novel above, you'll pretty much have the story down.  Though there were some bright spots in the book, overall I found it underwhelming.


Probably what irritated me so much about this book were the characters.  They just didn't seem that believable to me.  Stella starts out as a typical high school girl.  But, as her friendship with Ruby grows, she became less and less realistic.  Ruby makes some seriously stupid choices - over, and over, and over.  While I could understand Stella falling for Ruby's manipulations a few times, it just seemed improbable that a "good kid" like her would not only look the other way while her friend flushes her life down the toilet, but actually help her do it!  And Ruby... wow.  Thank goodness she didn't seem relatable to me, as I cannot imagine a high school student quite like her (though I'm sure they exist somewhere!).  Ruby's promiscuity, drug and alcohol use, and generally not-very-nice behavior made her seem over the top, and not someone I really cared about.  While perhaps I am just a prude, it was just hard to envision a high school girl being SO far beyond her years.  To see Stella make some drastic decisions with extremely negative consequences for the sake of maintaining a friendship with someone so unsavory was frustrating, to say the least.


The plot of the story was equally unrealistic at times.  Again, this is mostly due to Stella's sudden willingness to throw her life aside for someone she's just met.  While I found it enjoyable to see just how far Ruby was willing to push it, I found it hard to believe Stella was able to follow her down the rabbit hole so easily.  Plus, the ending of the novel was really one of the worst I've seen in a while.  It was abrupt, and entirely unbelievable.  I don't want to spoil it, but teachers beware - you will likely also find it hard to believe there is so little supervision at an important school event.  Ruby's accompanying change of heart at the end was also predictable and seemed forced.


Even in reading the summary, it seems obvious this will be an edgier teen read.  Though nothing in the novel is graphic, there are certainly elements of all major concerns present:  drugs, sex, language, and overall terrible life choices.  I don't generally mind these things in a book in the hands of the right reader, as long as a character learns from his or her mistakes.  But, though technically lessons were learned, I felt the book glamorized these choices, which takes away from most of the value I would see as an educator.  


While this book had some interesting aspects that kept me reading, I was overall unimpressed.  For someone looking for a quick read over the summer, it could fill a void.  But, as a teacher, I likely won't be recommending it to my students.

Review: Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Image and summary from Goodreads.com:


Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.


When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.


I fell in love with Perkins' fabulous writing in her first novel, Anna and the French Kiss.  So naturally when I heard she had another novel, I was excited to see if it was as good as her first.  I was in luck - though I still prefer Anna, Lola was cute too.


What made this book particularly charming is the narrator, Lola.  She is funny, original, and confident.  I loved how she had no fear of dressing "in costume," even if her looks garnered her some stares from her classmates or strangers.  Though Lola makes some pretty face-palm worthy mistakes, I still found myself hoping she would make everything right.  Even better were her dads, Nate and Andy.  It was nice to see a different type of family represented in literature, especially one that eschewed the typical stereotypes.  Lola's boy next door, Cricket, was equally charming.  What made him speak to me was his awkwardness - Cricket always seems a bit of a hot mess, which made him seem more relatable and less like someone to put on a pedestal.


Honestly, my favorite part of this plot was getting to see Anna and St. Clair again!  They were the sort of characters I grew attached to, so getting to see them here and there in this novel was a treat.  However, even without them, the plot would still have been wonderful to read.  Perkins does a wonderful job bringing the city of San Francisco to life, which enhanced the action of the story.  The reader gets to follow Lola through a relatively short span of time, but within that time, she certainly undergoes a great deal of change.  Some lessons, like the importance of telling the truth, seemed obvious ones she needed to learn, but weren't over the top either.  Just like in Anna, most readers can probably predict where the story is going; there were enough cute and funny parts, though, to make the journey still exciting and engaging.


One great aspect of this book is it is a good "clean" read.  There were a few minor incidents of language... I think?  Honestly, nothing stood out to me as outrageously inappropriate, so it must have been fine.  Though Lola is sexually active, it is handled in a way that makes it seem realistic and not trashy.  In fact, I liked seeing a teenager who had a sex life in a book, rather than the usual abstinence that can sometimes seem a little forced.  I love the cover on this book too - for readers interested in a romantic story, it is certainly eye-catching.


Overall, while not as fantastic as Anna and the French Kiss, this book was still excellent on its own.  Had I not been comparing it to Anna, I honestly would probably have liked it a little better.  My personal preference aside, this book is a great read for my chickies who enjoy romance.