The Mercy Falls Series: Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

Howdy All,
Continuing my "Season of Sequels," next up is Linger by Maggie Stiefvater.

From the flap:

the longing.
Once Grace and Sam have found each other, they know they must fight to stay together. For Sam, this means a reckoning with his werewolf past. For Grace, it means facing a future that is less and less certain.

the loss.
Into their world comes a new wolf named Cole, whose past is full of hurt and danger. He is wrestling with his own demons, embracing the life of a wolf whole denying the ties of being human.

the linger.
For Grace, Sam, and Cole, life is a constant struggle between two forces – wolf and human – with love baring its two sides as well. It is harrowing and euphoric, freeing and entrapping, enticing and alarming. As their world falls apart, love is what lingers. But will it be enough?

Favorite Quotes:

Page 70:

“I struggled for words to explain it. It wasn’t all about almost losing Sam and wanting to keep him near. It wasn’t all about lust. It was about falling asleep with Sam’s chest pressed against my back so I could feel his heart slow to match mine. It was about growing up and realizing that the feeling of his arms around me, the smell of him when he was sleeping, the sound of his breathing – that was home and everything I wanted at the end of the day. It wasn’t the same as being with him when we were awake. But I didn’t know how to say that to Rachel. I wondered why I’d wanted to tell her. ‘I don’t know if I can explain it. Sleeping feels different when he’s there.’

‘I’ll sure bet it does,’ Rachel said, her eyes wide open.”


I love Grace and Sam together. They’re sweet, but it’s never too saccharine. When we see them together in the book, it’s easy to see that they are better with each other.



My Thoughts:

I really, really enjoyed this sequel to Shiver. As I said in the “quotes” section, I love reading about the relationship between Grace and Sam. Not only do they deal with paranormal issues (Grace is becoming a wolf and Sam is unsure that he will stay human), they deal with real-life issues, as well. Grace has to defend her relationship with Sam from her parents’ judgment, something that many teens face. Her reaction, and theirs for that matter, seemed real and full of emotion. What I’m trying to say is that this series is about more than werewolves – it’s about two people who have to face many obstacles in order to be together.

My one complaint about the book is the addition of Cole. I found nothing redeeming about his character whatsoever. I figured we were supposed to wrinkle our noses at him when he was first introduced, and I also figured that he would do something to “prove himself.” I never found that Cole presented himself as likeable or even useful. Maybe things will change in the next book, but I’m not holding my breath.

Overall, it’s a great read. Check it out before the next book, Forever, is released this summer.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I wish everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving.  Eat plenty of turkey for me :o)

Update on TDD Offer

Hi All,
Just an update that Bree Despain's book, The Dark Divine is now on sale for $2.39 at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

The link to her blog for more info (and fun contests) is: http://www.readbree.com/

The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins and a Special Offer from Bree Despain

Hello fellow readers,

Finally, finally, finally I am posting on Mockingjay and the rest of The Hunger Games books. Why post on all three books, you ask? Well, #1 - they're awesome, and why not? #2- Season of Sequels, remember?

Just fyi, I’m skipping the favorite quotes section of the blog for this post because I don’t want to give ANYTHING away. I know most people have already read it, but just in case.

But wait, there's more.... Author Bree Despain has just announced a special deal: from now until November 22 her (fantastic, wonderful, magnificent) novel The Dark Divine will be available as an e-book for only $2.99 from most major booksellers (Barnes & Nobel, Amazon, Borders, Books-a-Million, etc.) and from many indie booksellers. This is a great deal for a great book! Download and read TDD before the sequel, The Lost Saint, debuts in December.

Back to the blog...

From the flap (Mockingjay):

Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss’s family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.

It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans – except Katniss.

The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss’s willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels’ Mockingjay – no matter what the personal cost.


From me:

This is one of the best series I have ever read. The books, The Hunger Game, Catching Fire, and the final book, Mockingjay (if you’ve been living under a rock), are some of the most well-written, action-packed books ever. Katniss, Peeta, Gale, and Haymitch all became real people, more so as the series progressed.

I would hate to spoil Mockingjay for anyone who hasn’t read it yet. So, I have a very, very short review – this book is made of awesome.

I will say that this novel is written in regards to Katniss’s internal conflict, which I really liked. Not that it didn’t have action; of course it did. However, the story really shows the reader how Katniss grapples with her difficult decisions.  Personally, I like Katniss and I liked trying to understand her and her thinking throughout all of the novels, especially Mockingjay.  All of her decisions made sense to me, even if some of them threw me for a loop at first. 

If you liked (loved) the first two books, you will definitely love this last installment. Promise.

I'm Baaack...Kinda

Yowza. 

I know. 

It's taken me roughly a million years to get back to my blog.  However, I have great ideas in the works.  Great, entertaining, bookish ideas.

Several wonderful books have sequels coming out (or are already out) this fall/winter.  So, I have taken it upon myself to declare fall and winter of 2010 "The Season of Sequels."  I'll be blogging about the first book(s) in the series and then reviewing the latest book in the series or trilogy or saga.  I'm very excited about this project (so is my mailbox...Amazon has been working overtime with my orders), so please stay tuned for the first post: Mockingjay.  It should be ready to go early next week :o)

The Best Mail Day Ever!!

WOOOO HOOOOO!  Just a very quick post about receiving a note in my mailbox today from the USPS.  It tells me that I have a package from Amazon waiting for me at my local office.  While that may not sound exciting, that is only because I haven't added the fact that inside said package is my copy of Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins.  I can't wait to read this book!!! 

I promise to get back to blogging as soon as my life gets back into my school schedule....and when I finish reading Mockingjay.

Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

From the back cover:

According to Anna’s best friend, Frankie, twenty days in Zanzibar Bay is the perfect opportunity to have a summer fling, and if they meet one boy every day, there’s a pretty good chance Anna will find her first summer romance. Anna lightheartedly agrees to the game, but there’s something she hasn’t told Frankie – she’s already had her romance, and it was with Frankie’s older brother, Matt, just before his tragic death one year ago.


Favorite Quotes:

“We lie on either side of her and flap our arms and legs as hard as we can, tears streaking down our cheeks, though from laughing or crying we can no longer tell.

‘Do you think he sees them?’ Jayne rolls over and asks after we’ve made three angels above the tide.

‘If he does,’ Frankie says, ‘he’s probably wondering why the women in this family are so certifiably nuts.’ “ (page 96)

This is a fantastic quote and an even better part of the book. I can’t elaborate too much, but it did choke me up when I was reading.


My Thoughts:

Wow.

I picked this book up thinking it was going to be just fun, easy summer reading, but it turned out to be a truly touching story. Everyone in the novel is grieving in their own way, but all for the same reason: the tragic death of a young friend, brother, and son. The book really looks at how people grieve differently and how it is very much a long process that takes a while to work through.

Anna and Frankie’s relationship is strained throughout the whole novel, but, for the most part, we really only see Anna’s side of the story. Her hurt and disappointment over losing a best friend and a secret boyfriend. Ockler does a great job of getting the reader inside Anna’s brain and of getting you to understand what’s she’s feeling.

I think that this book makes you stop and think about how precious life is and how much we need each other to get through it.


Ockler, Sarah. Twenty Boy Summer. New York: Little, Brown & Company, 2009.

Into the Wild Nerd Yonder by Julie Halpern

From the flap:

It's Jessie's sophomore year of high school. A self-professed "mathlete," she isn't sure where she belongs. Her two best friends have transformed themselves into punks, and one of them is going after her longtime crush. Her beloved older brother will soon leave for college (and in the meantime, has shaved his mohawk and started dating...the homecoming queen!).

Things are changing fast. Jessie needs new friends. And her quest is a hilarious tour through high school clique-dom, with a surprising stop along the way -- the Dungeons and Dragons crowd, who out-nerd everyone! Will hanging out with them make her a nerd, too? And could she really be crushing on a guy with too-short pants and too-white gym shoes?

If you go into the wild nerd yonder, can you ever come back?


Favorite Quotes:

#1 - "Now I play Would You Rather? in my head every night we're at Denny's:

         Would I rather
          a. Be in the Denny’s smoking section
          b. Eat a live turtle, shell included
          c. Lick a turkey’s ass

        Yeah. Tough call these days.” (page 7)


#2 – “ ‘Mother of turds,’ I say, ‘He’s gonna be pissed.” (page 186)


Do I really need to explain why I picked these?  I mean, "mother of turds"?  I'm still laughing.

My Thoughts:

I don’t even know if you need to read my take after you’ve read the quotes. Why wouldn’t you want to read this book? It has been a loooong time since I have laughed so hard while reading a book – any book. Into the Wild Nerd Yonder is freakin’ hysterical. My co-workers were actually giving me strange looks (yes, I read while at my summer job) because I would sporadically burst out laughing (sometimes snorting).

Anyway, besides being hysterical, the book is really well-written. All of the characters sound like actual teenagers, but not in an obnoxious way. The book deals with real issues facing teens -- fitting in, making tough decisions, standing up for yourself, having sex and dealing with the consequences – but it handles them in a non-threatening or overbearing way. Jessie has a lot to deal with and I understood that and empathized, but I didn’t feel suffocated with a social message. Or sad – I’ve been reading a lot of really sad (but really great) lately and Jessie and her crew of elves, trolls, and Ren-festers were the perfect remedy.

Ok, back to the funny. Can I just say how much I loved the D & D kids? Some of the best lines (ever!) came from them.

This book made me feel great about being a nerd! I’m looking forward to reading Halpern’s other novel, soon!


How about you? Are you a nerd and proud of it?



Halpern, Julie. Into the Wild Nerd Yonder. New York: Feiwel and Friends, 2009.

Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

From the flap:

Amy Curry is having a terrible year. Her mother has decided to move across the country and needs Amy to get their car from California to Connecticut. There’s just one small problem: Since her dad died this past spring, Amy hasn’t been able to get behind the wheel. Enter Roger; the nineteen-year-old son of a family friend, who turns out to be unexpectedly cute…and dealing with some baggage of his own.

Meeting new people and coming to terms with her father’s death were not what Amy had planned on this trip. And traveling The Loneliest Road in America, seeing the Colorado mountains, crossing the Kansas plains, and visiting diners, dingy motels, and Graceland were definitely not on the itinerary. But, as they drive, Amy finds that the people you least expected are the ones you may need the most – and that sometimes you have to get lost in order to find your way home.


My Thoughts:

This book was fantastic. Amy and Roger were both very believable and likable characters, who do, as the flap says, have some baggage -- Amy more so than Roger. I thought that Amy’s character was spot-on: her grief, her anger, her uncertainty. Same thing with Roger, these characters were people I wanted to get to know. 
I'm a sucker for a "finding yourself" book and this definitely fit into that category.  Both Amy and Roger have to deal with situations that will make you grow-up.  They make mistakes, they learn to cope, and they find themselves.  I won't get into Roger's deal, because it's not really discusses on the flap.  However, I will talk about Amy's issue - her father's death.  I really liked how the book used flashbacks to tell the story of Amy's father's life and death.  It gave you perspective into her family life and also helped you to understand the emotions that she was dealing with on this trip.
The book also gives some great shout-outs to regional things in the states on their trip... yippee for MD's mention... Not as cool as CA or TN, but still -- MD beat out other (larger!) states for a mention!
Anyway, this was a great summer read – not too heavy, but not complete “brain candy” either. And there are some fun playlists from their trip!  Perfect for reading out on the road...y'know, as long as you aren't the driver.


Favorite Quotes:

#1 “ ‘No,’ Walcott said simply, rolling down his sleeve. ‘It’s my home, man. You’ve got to have pride in your home. You are where you’re from. Otherwise, you’re always going to be lost.’”

I agree and disagree at the same time (quite frankly because if I am where I grew up, God help us all). But I do think that no one will understand you – your good, your bad, your quirks, your funny accent – better than the people who live where you grew up. There’s something about your hometown that makes you feel…home.

#2 “The best discoveries always happened to the people who weren’t looking for them.”

What a fantastic quote, right? I couldn’t put the rest of the dialogue in because it would give stuff away, but trust me, it’s good.


Matson, Morgan.  Amy & Roger's Epic Detour. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2010.

So I've become a blogger...

Welcome to my blog about Young Adult, or YA, novels. I am an English teacher in a middle school close to Baltimore and I really love the YA novels that my kids bring in to class. I read so many books that I’ve decided to create a blog that reviews and recommends YA lit. to you! I’m sure this will change and (hopefully) grow in time, but for now, I’ll keep it simple. Check back for some good reads…