Fresh and Twisted YA Novel
348273
Upon receiving a manuscript of Dark Companion, I had no idea what to expect. I haven't read very many dark, gothic novels, but Dark Companion proved this was a genre to watch! I was hooked by the insane twists and turns that kept me guessing and the mysterious secrets that were revealed as the story progressed. This is a novel I hope will get more hype as its release day approaches, because it is certainly not one to be missed!

Jane Williams is a foster child who has grown up struggling to survive. She is a smart and independent girl, though, and she is lucky to receive an invitation to join the Birch Grove Academy for Girls, or so she thinks. Birch Grove is a web of secrets and mystery, with nothing, or no one, as it seems. Jane is lucky to be befriended by a unique group at the school who take her under their wing. My favorite was Mary Violet. Mary Violet was sweet and endearing and I loved her little witticisms and French sayings. There were several other key characters introduced in Dark Companion- the Radcliffes in particular. Mrs. Radcliffe is the headmistress of the Academy and her two sons (Jack and Lucky) are the only males on campus.

To elaborate, the main character, Jane, was a very unique girl. She was strong and intelligent and yet did not always make the best decisions. I was glad to be able to see her grow over the course of the story and to learn from her different experiences. Jane was thrown into a crazy situation and I did feel for her because she was faced with some hard decisions.

Birch Grove is a nest of secrets and Jane steps right into the middle of them. The more time she spends at the Academy and the more people she meets, the more Jane realizes the truth. And what a shocking truth it was! Dark Companion is such a unique read and it was surprising, addicting, and dark. Marta put a unique twist on Jane Eyre and I had a hard time putting the book down after I got into it.

The Radcliffes were very well done characters; each of them were very developed and although Jack and Lucky were brothers, they were both very different. I didn't understand Lucky's appeal to Jane, as he was very demanding and didn't think about Jane's own feelings. Jack, on the other hand, was a sweet guy and I liked his little nicknames for Jane.

As a whole, Dark Companion is something fresh and twisted in the YA market. The summary is vague on purpose and the more you read of this book, the more you will understand the mysterious things that are happening at Birch Grove. Marta Acosta's young adult debut was very well written and after a slow start I couldn't put this down. Although Dark Companion might not seem like the ideal summer read, I highly recommend giving it a shot!

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars
4163055
I didn't have high expectations going into The Glass Spare because I thought this is going to be just another clich YA story about a teenage princess and a doomed kingdom. To my surprise I really enjoyed this book. I found it original and well-written, with fresh ideas and compelling characters. The worldbuilding is fantastic, it's a blend of fantasy with modern technology, alchemy and curses along with trains, solar panels, and phones.

I found our main heroine Wil interesting and complex. She is a reluctant princess, who would rather see the world than live in a castle in luxury. She does get to travel but not of her own accord as she gets banished from her kingdom after a tragic event she unwittingly caused. One of the aspects I loved the most is Wil's relationship with her brothers, Owen and Gerdie. They have such a strong bond, and their love and support for each other is absolute. I also liked Loom and enjoyed reading about and seeing his and Wil's relationship grow and develop. There is no insta-love and I was so grateful for that.

The Glass Spare has many layers and surprises that I didn't expect but that kept me very invested in the story. I cannot wait to read the second book. If you love fantasy but are weary of YA tropes and cliches I dare you to give The Glass Spare a chance .

*ARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss.
2242767
This is truly a NEW book, with a NEW PLOT, new characters, and definitely more than enough twists in the plot to keep a reader interested.  PLUS, it allows young readers to more fully understand the truer nature of higher education and finding your way in a befuddling circumstance.  This is a good read for pre-teens or young teens that have had their fill of vampires, ghouls, and too mature literature for their ages.
1978123
My favorite YA novel in a while. Told from four different points of views by narrators who are not entirely reliable. Keeps you guessing until the very end. Reminded me a bit of "Thirteen Reasons Why" but with different POV's. Very tense that builds to the end. I bought the Kindle copy AND got a hardback. That is how much I liked this novel.
4787815
The Start of Me and You was unexpectedly delightful. I expected it to be your typical contemporary YA, boy meets girl was a side of grief. But it ended up being something quite different and really great.

Paige is sick of being known as the girl whose boyfriend died. She's about to start her junior year of high school, and she wants a fresh start. Her boyfriend Aaron died in an accidental drowning a year earlier. They had only been dating for two months, and they were just 15, so although, Paige's grief for him is real, she also realizes that she barely knew him and that her grief pales in comparison to his family and long-time friends. As she tries to move beyond Aaron's death, she's suffering from post-traumatic stress, leaving her with frequent nightmares about drowning and a terror of swimming. Paige has determined that junior year is when she stops being the girl that everyone pities. She makes a plan, which includes joining a new activity, dating again (hopefully her long-time crush Ryan Chase), and swimming. Her junior year ends up being not at all what she expected, but maybe exactly what she needs.

I really liked this book. It's a lovely look at the importance of friends. Yes, there's some romance, but the focus of the book is really more on friendship. Paige has three very close friends, Tessa, Morgan, and Kayleigh. They're wonderful friends, and they've stood by her through her rough year. Unlike so many YA books where the heroine falls in insta-love and her friends fade into the background, Paige and her friends remain tight, even as things are changing for all of them. There are two potential love interests, Paige's crush Ryan and his cousin Max, but both of them become Paige's friends, and potential romances are never the sole focus of the book.

Paige is very relatable character. She's been through something terrible, but now she's ready to be strong and move on. She loves her family even though they sometimes drive her crazy (her mother is very overprotective in the wake of Aaron's death, and Paige is freaked out by her divorced parents deciding to date each other again). She has a close relationship with her grandmother, who's in the early stages of Alzheimer's, and their scenes together are lovely and poignant. I loved that when she decides to get involved in a school activity, although she's initially thinking of something more social, she ends up joining the Quiz Bowl team, which throws her and the adorkable Max together. I enjoyed reading about smart kids having fun with a slightly dorky but also very cool activity.

I highly recommend this one, and I think anyone who enjoys Sarah Dessen and similar writers will really like it.
3574199
I loved this YA novel with strong female leads and lots of action. It offered an unusual twist on how and why the teenagers, who are pretty much picked on and unpopular back home, come to represent salvation to not just one, but two planets.
I loved watching the characters evolve from rather withdrawn, insecure teens into people who are competent in their power and know exactly what they have to do, no matter the odds against them. They become strong and self-assured from the various trials they face, alone and together. They develop friendships with people on the planet they are transported to, Azimuth, and they find themselves caught up in key roles in a war that could determine not just the fate of Azimuth but also that of their home planet Earth.
I felt for all of the characters as they faced their different trials, both at home and at Azimuth, but the characters of Shelby and Zach were definitely my favorites as they both transformed so much in the course of the novel and had the most to gain and lose at different points in the book.
Dadich displays wonderful world-building skills in his creation of Azimuth. It is a strange mix of medieval life, magic and some pretty advanced technology. It is a classic battle of good versus evil, which is never really assured. The story finishes up nicely but leaves an interesting lead-in to a sequel that I can't wait to read when it becomes available.
I would recommend the book to lovers of YA, good fantasy, and people who want something different from the run of the mill YA. This book held my interest from the beginning and had me reading as quickly as I could to get to the end and see what happened. I strongly recommend it.
1076923
If you're looking for a smart teen novel full of horror and heart, this is it. Clarissa is the kind of strong (and strong-willed) female lead you want to see more of in YA novels, the kind of teenager you would want to know in real life. Clarissa isn't without her faults and is kind of a pushy friend, but that is what makes her feel so real. I'm a teen librarian and I wouldn't hesitate to put this in the hands of one of my teens.
4694515
A novel about a high school girl who is new in town and has a run in with vampires and werewolves made me wary, but it was better than I expected and has stronger characterizations than most of the books found in the deluge of post-Twilight supernatural YA novels.  Jones's characters felt more like real people rather than cliche stand-ins going thru the required motions.  Aradia is also more witty, resourceful, and resilient than Meyer's Bella and her focus was more on solving murders than falling in love--which allowed the novel even more freedom from the conventions of supernatural romance.

Teenager Aradia finds herself the new girl in a town occupied by vampires, werewolves, and other supernatural creatures.  She quickly becomes caught up in typical high school drama and popularity contests and, predictably, becomes torn between potential vampire and werewolf boyfriends.  Thankfully, the romance takes a back seat to the recent double murder in town and Aradia directs most of her attention to solving it.  She seems to alternate between her vampire and werewolf romantic interests not out of any real romance but out of a desire to work the supernatural grapevine; dating and socializing with whoever provides the clues she's looking for.  In all, Tales of Aradia The Last Witch is a strong debut novel and creates high expectations for the rest of the series.
838475
This is a well-written, well-structured, thoughtful, and engaging novel.  It's great for both adult and YA readers.  The characters and plot play on common tropes in the superhero and graphic novel genres, asking us to think about those tropes in new ways.  And, while the novel dabbles in the supernatural, the struggles of the protagonist are intensely human and relatable.  Strongly recommended!
657171
Evil Genius, by Catherine Jinks, is a fresh and clever young adult novel written about a misunderstood child prodigy.

Cadel Piggott is a genius, especially with computers. When he gets into some trouble with the law at the age of seven, he foster parents take him to a psychologist who helps him discover his full potential. And eventually tells Cadel that his real father is none other than the villainous Dr. Phineas Darkkon.

Cadel's psychologist encourages his family to send Cadel to the Axis Institute. But the college is more than it seems. Also known as the Axis Institute for World Domination, it's actually a higher learning center for students who want to study from one of the three schools of Deception, Destruction, and Organic Distortion (also known as Applied Arts, Environmental Science, and Biomedical Science). There is even a fun website that you can visit to find out more about the institute and it's students and faculty. When Cadel's classmates begin dropping out (and dying) one-by-one, he begins second guessing his decisions. And the more secrets and evil that he uncovers, the less he likes who he has become.

Evil Genius is full of incredibly unique and creative characters. When I first began reading this, Cadel seemed to be the antithesis of Harry Potter. But Cadel actually has more depth to his character. And this is no story for smaller children. There are many deaths, though none are graphic. This is marketed to 12 years and up, and I agree. But a warning that the book is lengthy, with plenty of technical jargon, that I tended to skim over.

With more twists and turns than the Los Angeles freeway system, Evil Genius is a wonderfully surprising treat for all fans of great literary supervillains and those striving for world domination.
2381182
This excellent YA novel begins as a takedown of teenage vampire romance tropes, but it doesn't stop there. Elisa Catrina follows a group of high school seniors as they try to defend their friend Stella from a bloodsucking bad-news boyfriend. Along the way, there are vampire puns and badly-planned schemes, but these are not really what the book's about. The book is about how, if you're a teenager in an abusive relationship (and there are several of those in the book), the people you really need around you are your friends.

I want to talk about the friends here, because they're amazing. Jenny, Austin, and Nadia are all people I would have wanted as my friends in high school: loyal, complex, and nerdy in hilarious ways. Jenny is always disappointed that the drama teacher won't let her use real fireworks onstage as part of her great vision for Pippin. Nadia is tired of defending her choice to cover her hair, but whatever, it's her body and her choice, and she's perfectly aware of all of the ramifications, thank you very much. Austin, the only white person and only guy in the group, is built like a football player, uses the Communist Manifesto as an audition monologue, and if you haven't done the reading to prepare for English class, he will judge you hard.

I didn't expect the book to get as dark as it gets in some scenes. Those awful high school relationships get genuinely awful. But, by the same token, those high school friendships really matter.
498075
I loved this book! Kristen Pham has given us a truly original idea that stands out among novels with a futuristic dystopia. She also offers a fresh take on the young female hero/anti-hero. The main character, Joan, is the kind of girl I want to be (or at least be friends with). The plot is so engaging and well-paced. The characters are compelling and I'm eager to discover how they evolve throughout the series. This book is excellent for readers of all ages and particularly captivating for young adult readers. I can't wait to find out what happens next!
2870098
When I think about all of the YA I've read recently it shouldn't surprise me that the theme of so many of the fantasy books is "where am I, who am I, and what's happening?".  I mean, almost in a literal sense isn't that a typical YA reader's daily mantra? This book treads that metaphorical ground and it does it very well.

This is not a paranormal story in vampire/werewolf terms. It's not an "I am the gatekeeper and you are the keymaster book". This is one of those tales in which an amnesiac heroine wakes up in a strange, scary, creepy place, (not high school), and has to figure things out. She has allies and enemies. There are monstrous antagonists. The atmosphere is dark, the rules are confusing, and there is menace, (human and supernatural), and danger.

Sometimes these worlds are variants of or improvisations on Wonderland or Neverland or some mythical realm or a dark city. Here, the author is more ambitious and starts her story in a place created from scratch and entirely of her own devising.  We have a certain logic to what is happening, but a great deal of mystery. Thankfully, the author does not drag out the confusion and weirdness until we get frustrated or bored. Our heroine makes friends and begins to figure out what's going on early enough to get us involved and keep us engaged. This is a well plotted book and the author sets us on a clear trail early on, so it's not all ambiguity and head scratching.

Along with a compelling plot we also get a number of well rounded and interesting characters. Everyone isn't a type, our heroine isn't just a one-note, and many characters are unpredictable and hard to pin down. That keeps the interest level up and makes the payoff at the end more rewarding. There is a romantic element that is written with great restraint and is the more satisfying because it is present but a bit underplayed. It's not pulse pounding or hearts-and-violins all of the time, but Ms. Diemer knows how to turn up the volume at just the right times. It's hard to pace romance and action and suspense so that they complement each other instead of getting in each other's way, and the author does a nice job with that here.

So, the upshot for me was that this book was intriguing, engaging and satisfying, and struck me as well crafted and tightly written. That works.

Please note that I found this book while browsing Amazon Kindle freebies. I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.
3702781
With snappy dialog, off-beat teen characters, and a whip-smart high-speed plot, this book took me on a wild ride that I didn't want to end, so the only thing that disappointed me was reading the last page which made me long for a sequel. Im not sure if one is planned, but some questions are left hanging and the story could definitely continue.

Zoe Websters parents have just split up, forcing her to move to a small town with her mother, though shes always been closer to her type-A father, and leaving her feeling displaced, resentful, and bored. Trying to make inroads into her new high schools insular social scene has been a disaster, and then neurotic, intrusive, super-smart, utterly idiosyncratic Philip Digby shows up with his crazy ideas and rash schemes and things get even worse.

Its not that trouble follows Digby, he chases it and for some reason includes Zoe in all his plans. She could refuse--and sometimes she does or tries to--but Zoes got nothing else to do, shes tired of obsessively trying to strategize her future, and besides shes intrigued. The book opens in the middle of their story with Zoe desperately and inexplicably trying to get inside a house wired with enough explosives to level the block, then jumps to the first day of school and Zoes initial aggravating, unsettling encounter with tell-it-like-it-is-to-the-point-of-rudeness Digby.

It turns out theres some reason in Digbys mad schemes, but we don't find out what that is for a while. Digby has a difficult family situation and an unresolved tragedy in his past that drive his actions, which makes it sound like the book might be heavy but its almost absurdly funny.

A religious cult, a skeevy gynecologist, high stakes crime, and the jungle politics of high school all figure in the plot. Theres some romance, but its far from typical, and a crime is solved, but a mystery is left hanging. Front and center is Zoes maddening, enlightening relationship with Digby and their harebrained, rapidly evolving adventures. This is a debut novel--cant wait for the next book.
4528189
First Impressions: I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. I am somewhat guilty of judging books by their covers, but I was intrigued by the dark and mysterious images that were supposed to tell the story. I have been trying to be more intentional about reading different kinds of YA books, so I chose this one to stretch myself. And that it did. I immediately felt like a bit of an outsider reading the book. While the author tries to do a good job of explaining the Hebrew words and Jewish ideas, I still never felt like I completely understood all that was going on.

First 50 Pages: I think anyone who had been a teenage girl can understand the highs and lows that comes with hormones, changing friendships and trying to find your identity. Rachel is a girl who is struggling to find her way, and it is complicated by the fact that her parents appear to be on the verge of divorce, her best friend has completely changed, and her Rabbi has done something that made her no longer trust him. This is a book about Rachel finding herself and learning what is real and important in her world.

Characters and Plot: Rachel, Alexis, Adam and Jake are the main characters. Classmates at school and members of the same synagogue, the four of them know a lot about each other, but at the same time, they need to figure out what really makes each other tick. They are interesting characters, if a little stereotypical depictions of teenagers. Rachel is the usual good girl who makes some mistakes out of her own confusion and frustration; Alexis was Rachel's best friend until her parents got divorced and she felt abandoned by Rachel; Adam is the Rabbis son who has fallen far from his own faith and Jake is the cute, popular boy with a dark secret.

The plot moves along quickly enough, basically just telling Rachel's story and helping her to grow. Because Intentions is a contemporary story, the plot is more just life and not some fantastic or amazing journey that the characters have to survive. The story is simply this: actions have consequences.

Final Thoughts: Intentions is a good book. Well written and succinct, there is a lot here to enjoy. For me, however, it was just okay. I didn't dislike it by any stretch of the imagination, but there was also nothing that really stuck with me or overly impressed me. It was an easy, fine read that was good enough but not life-changing.
4051652
It was a really good book! I highly recommend it! The characters are interesting and likable plus the plot is more original than a lot of other YA books !
192786
Sixteen-year-old Katelyn McBride is used to city life in sunny California, and it is a second devastating blow on top of being tragically orphaned when she is forced to relocate to her grandfather's rustic home in the Ozark hills of Arkansas. Not only is the culture shock extreme because her grandfather lives in the middle of nowhere, but it is dangerous to go into the eerie woods surrounding his house at night--people have been murdered there.

I would classify this YA novel as a contemporary fantasy. It is also a coming-of-age novel with a paranormal twist. Fans of romantic triangles in YA paranormal plots will have plenty to appreciate here. Trick and Justin are both worthy contenders for Katelyn's love, though one of them is far more dark and dangerous than the other, and that may tip the scales in his favor in a contest to win the hearts of female readers.

There are elements of mystery, thriller, and action-adventure in the exciting main plot, and the secondary romance plots have lots of tension and conflict to ramp up an emotional roller-coaster ride for Katelyn. The authors do a great job creating a spooky atmosphere, and their basic writing skills are excellent.

Potential readers might want to know that this is one of those series where there is a major cliffhanger at the end of the book. If you don't like that type of ending, you might want to wait to start reading this series until it is complete.

I rate this book as follows:

Heroine: 4
Romantic Heroes: 4
Fantasy World-Building: 4
Writing: 5
Action-Adventure/Thriller/Mystery Plot: 4
Romance Subplots: 3
Overall: 4