Cryer's Cross

Cryer's Cross

Written by Lisa McMann

I went into reading this not having read a plot summary. Lisa McMann had mentioned the book in a Pittsburgh event she did, and I’ve had it on my to-read list since then. I read it in the middle of the night alone on a train, which, in retrospect, not the greatest setting to be reading a horror story. McMann is great at crafting straightforward, simplistic in a sense, plots. Her cards are laid on the table early on, and the reader knows what they’re getting into, for the most part. She does keep some secrets which make for great reveals later on in the story, but there’s no getting lost in too many plot threads or unnecessary verbage. It’s short, sweet, and to the point. I’m not sure what McMann’s plans are for this story, but I do hope it remains a standalone. It functions well as a one-read story, and was great for reading on the train.

Rating: 5/5

(Random note: Did any of you read that one Goosebumps book with the Haunted Schoolhouse? I was continually reminded of that while reading this story!)

Insatiable

Insatiable

written by Meg Cabot

Since every other YA author has made their opinion heard on the trend in YA vampire novels...Meg Cabot decided to join the trend, responding not with a line or two on the subject, but with a whole new book series. I don't want to bore you all with the never ending T-word comparisons, but yes, they exist, and no, Meg, the ending of the book doesn't really make up for it. This is a really difficult review to write, to be honest. I would rather have written it after reading Overbite, but that hasn't come out yet. I'm really not sure what the set-up in this book is going to be leading up to, so it's hard to make any sort of judgments. Half of this book seemed to be passive aggressive jabs at Twilight, though, with the other half emulating the very novel it appeared to mock. Although, I haven't read Dracula, so I'm not as educated as I should be about the background behind this book. It does appear to fall into many of the typical vampire tropes. I do give Meg props for the short, action packed chapters. Unlike many of the recent authors I've been complaining about, the woman really knows how to fill out a story and keep it interesting. I just wish the stories she wrote could go back to what she does best--adorable fluffy YA goodness.

Rating: 3/5

I got this book from...: LibraryThing Early Reviewers

So Much Closer

So Much Closer

written by Susane Colasanti

I love Susane Colasanti's books, as I've mentioned in previous reviews. It is so evident through her writing that she has worked with teens and really understands them. The characters she creates are realistic and complex, rather than shallow caricatures. Having read her blog, this book reads as the epitome of all that she is. Set against a New York backdrop, filled with cute teen romance and more references to The Office than you've ever seen in a book before, So Much Closer is sure to satisfy your need for fluffy romance accompanied by a journey of self-discovery. Colasanti's books are mature and subtly complex. You can read them as simple love stories if that's what you're in the mood for, but there's so much more hidden under the surface. Though on the surface, it might seem like this is a book about a girl moving to New York City chasing the boy of her dreams, beneath that, it's about a girl learning to accept who she is and all that has made her that way.

Rating: 5/5

Also by Susane Colasanti:

When It Happens

Take Me There

Waiting for You
Something Like Fate

I got this book from...:LibraryThing Early Reviewers

Shine

Shine

written by Lauren Myracle

Lauren Myracle is back with a dark mystery, revolving around a hate crime in a small, Southern town. It's really amazing to see the tremendous scope of writing Myracle is capable of--from lighthearted teen girl drama in the Internet Girls series, to the horror story in Bliss, to this new mystery. Personally, I think she should stick with the latter two, as there are so few writers out there capable of pulling off such captivating, deep writing so well. I've owned this book for a while, but it wasn't until the recent kerfuffle with the Wall Street Journal article that I decided to read the book. The article singled out Myracle's novel for its content, claiming that it is too dark for teen readers. While there are more drug references than you'll find in most other YA novels, I actually learned that meth use/abuse is pretty rampant in small Southern towns, which I never knew before. It becomes a key factor in the events of the story, so its inclusion in the story isn't just for the sake of giving the story an edge. (And the drug certainly isn't glorified, much the opposite.) This could easily turn into a whole rant at the wrongful accusations in the article, but that's a rant best saved for another day. I will leave a link to Lauren Myracle's rebuttal, though, for your reading pleasure.

**SPOILERS BELOW**

The greatest thing about this novel is that unlike most mysteries, everything isn't clear-cut. Lauren Myracle truly imagines her characters complexly, showcasing all sides of the story rather than sticking with a black/white dichotomy, instead opting for the good, the bad, and the blurry. I do have a bit of an issue to take with the ending. The writing was spectacular, and the story was an important one to tell. I do think that it is important to note that not all hate crimes are perpetrated by the stereotypical latent homosexual struggling with self-hatred towards their own identity. Some legitimately are a result of complete ignorance. It's an important distinction to make. I also don't think Beef should have died. It served as the poignant ending it was intended to be, but I don't like the message being sent--conveniently killing off the most conflicted character rather than opting for battling ignorance/self-hatred with knowledge and love. He could have been sent to rehab instead, offering hope for those who are lost and struggling.

Rating: 4/5

I got this book from...:BookMooch

Abandon

Abandon

written by Meg Cabot

I never thought this day would come. The day I got tired of Meg Cabot's writing tropes. Maybe it says more about me than anything else, which is a scary thought, since she's the one who really launched my love of YA, but it's a scary day, no doubt. Ordinarily, there's some kind of extra spark, something beyond the typical Cabot love story, but I just wasn't feeling it this time. Part of it can be attributed to the same complaint I've addressed towards other books recently--dragging a book out to fit a series, rather than fitting the story into however many books it needs. I felt like this book moved along much slower than the typical Cabot book. The other thing I felt was similarities here and there between this adaptation of the myth of Persephone...and Cabot's other mythical adaption--found in Avalon High. Avalon High is one of my favorite books by Meg Cabot, and that would probably be due to the fact that it is extraordinarily fast paced, revelations flying in from every direction. This could have been a good book if the story hadn't been stretched out. The idea that I'm supposed to imagine John as a main character when he's barely even present in the story? Difficult to do! The book was much more interesting when he and Pierce were directly interacting. I think this was a novel idea, an idea that held a lot of potential, but the story was disorganized, convoluted, and stretched out beyond necessity.

Rating: 3/5

I got this book from...: Amazon Vine

Bumped

written by Megan McCafferty

I have no gripe with the plot of this book, nor the characters. I thought the alternate futuristic vision of a teenage pregnancy obsessed universe was fascinating, and masterfully developed by McCafferty. This was a good book on every account but one--the fact that it, like many others we are seeing nowadays, is regrettably not a standalone book. The story is laid out, and most major plot threads are resolved. Done with. So why is it that the author/publisher seem to think there is more to tell? I'd much rather be talking about the social and political significance of a novel such as this, but apparently, the story this book set out to tell isn't complete, so instead, I'm sitting here, complaining about the fact that the story isn't done, even though it should be. This story would have worked well as a stand-alone. As more than one book though? No way. The only story left to tell is overly-contrived and pointlessly drawn out. There's no good that can come out of sequels to this book, this book that is already great on its own.

Rating: You know what, I'd easily give this a 5-star rating, except right when things started getting good and plotlines were being resolved, there were things left wide open, and that ruins the story for me. 3/5.

I got this book from...:Amazon Vine

The Year of Living Biblically

The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible

Written by A.J. Jacobs

To be fair, this was one of my bigger expositions to the Bible. Not being a Christian, I don't know much. I'd read A.J. Jacob's other book and really enjoyed it, so I figured I should give this one a try. A.J. Jacobs was also raised without the Bible as an influence on his life, so this was a pretty new journey for him. As the title says, he decides to take a year to live his life according to the Bible, from the small to the big commandments, from the tedious to the utterly bizarre, he does it all. I learned so much from this book. Jacobs expresses a sentiment about religion that I think many of us struggle with in one way or other: "Don't be so caught up in the regulations that you forget about the big things, like compassion and respect for life." I learned about the extremes some people can take religion to, whether it be for their own selfish reasons, or for social altruism (red-letter Christians). I also thought it was amusing to see Kevin Roose make cameo appearances in this book. In the end, the book proves to be very thought-provoking, leading the reader to consider the role religion and spirituality plays in their own lives.

Rating: 5/5

I got this book from...:Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

Shiver

Shiver

Written by Maggie Stiefvater

I've had this book on my to-read list since it first came out with rave reviews. I never really picked up on the fact that it was about (were)wolves. That right there should have been my first hint of distaste. Everything in the YA literary world now seems to be compared to Twilight, which did seem to relaunch the "paranormal romance" genre, and I hate to go back to that old trope, but let me just say that while the writing was arguably better than Stephenie Meyer's, Maggie Stiefvater's Grace and Sam made Bella and Edward's relationship seem safe. Other reviewers have pointed out that the writing was overly descriptive, and I do agree with them on that point. The story took a very long time to get to a point (this seems to be a Thing nowadays. Why are so many authors gravitating towards writing trilogies and unnecessarily stretching stories thin?) and once it did, the explanations were lacking. Like I'd mentioned, the romance was creepy. We've gone from Edward Cullen watching a girl sleep, to Sam Roth watching a girl change, without her knowledge of his presence. Classy. Way to give the YA genre a bad name. There is a line between a healthy relationship and obsession, and this line was crossed. There's not an interesting cast of supporting characters to hold up the over-romanticized wolfboy adventures either, leaving the entire book rather flat. I was not impressed and will be skipping the sequels.

Rating: 1/5

I got this book from...:BookLending

The Ghosts of Ashbury High

The Ghosts of Ashbury High

written by Jaclyn Moriarty

I had read and enjoyed Jaclyn Moriarty's The Year of Secret Assignments many years ago, and, since then, had also read all of her other books. In preparation for The Ghosts of Ashbury High, I decided to reread her previous books, all set in Ashbury High. The thing you have to love about Moriarty's books is her ability to interweave plots but still have each story definitely hold its own. Characters from one story will unexpectedly cameo (or even play a large role) in the next. Bindy Mackenzie, annoying transcriber from The Year of Secret Assignments suddenly has her own books, The Murder of Bindy Mackenzie. This book goes back to featuring some of our favorite characters from The Year of Secret Assignments, but throws two new characters in the mix, Amelia and Riley. Amelia and Riley have a strange air of mystery around them, throwing the school into mass speculation and rumors of ghosts in their midst. This is their senior year at Ashbury High, and as such, is also the final book in the Ashbury High series. So I was expecting a grand finale, and I have to say, I was underwhelmed. It's not that The Ghosts of Ashbury High was a bad book...it's just...having read Moriarty's other books, I know she is capable of better writing and better storytelling. Ending the (mostly) realistic series with a ghost story seemed oddly out of place, as was the introduction of these strange new characters we had never seen before. I think it would have been neat to culminate the series by bringing all of the old characters together, without necessarily having this strange ghost plotline. At the very least, the ghost plot should have taken a background role rather than being the main story. The book took a while to get anywhere, and it did eventually pick up speed, but the 'gothic literature' needed to go. Toby's journal entries, in particular, rubbed me the wrong way. They were essential to the story, but I couldn't bring myself to care in the slightest, which saddened me, as Toby is a character with very much potential. There were themes in this book that could have been explored more, such as the powerful idea of clinging to childhood, which I would have loved to see more of. The novel wraps up in an explosive finale, and part of me wishes that Part 4 of 4 would have been stretched out to be the entirety of the novel. The ghost storyline actually gains speed and development, and turns into a legitimate plot. I just wish that had been done sooner or not at all. A mess of a review for a great book that just could have been organized better to bring us the finale we should have had.

Rating: 4/5

I got this book from...:Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

Sweet Valley Confidential

Sweet Valley Confidential

written by Francine Pascal

So. Hah. Yeah, I read it. I grew up reading all the Sweet Valley books, so I've actually been waiting to see the girls again for a while. I expected a hilariously bad return, and, well, the badness exceeded expectations. I'm probably in the minority about this, but I enjoyed the SVU books more than the others, and found the SVH books to be horribly dry. So I was disappointed that this mostly followed SVH canon (which makes very little sense. I guess I should be relieved that moments from SVU were mentioned to begin with, but seriously, she must be extremely ashamed of that series or something since plotwise it held almost no relevance). The pairings in this book were absurd, as were the characters Pascal chose to focus on. While I'm glad the main story was between Jess and Liz, I did not like the huge role Todd played (never was a fan of his. What a bore). I enjoyed seeing a lot of Bruce, but awesome characters like Lila and Winston got very little (and very disappointing) screen time, and people like Billie and Tom were nowhere to be seen. I am very glad with the ending Liz receives, but I think this book would have been much more enjoyable if Francine Pascal had taken it from a reminiscent point of view, rather than an attempt to modernize and catch up with the twins later in life. The epilogue, stretched out, would have made a much better book. The constant flashbacks were annoying, as were the accompanying changes in word tense. Everyone is divorced and/or cheating/being cheated on. Actual things that happen in people's normal ordinarily late 20s lives? Nope. Just lots and lots of cheating. This book might as well be a treatise on marital infidelity. Everyone is extremely emotionally stunted. The story picks up a little bit as it progresses, and I would argue that the unintentional star in terms of ~actual character development~ would be Bruce Patman. I just think this should have been more thought out. You'd think Pascal has had more than enough time to think about manufacturing a softhearted reunion novel, but instead we get this pathetic piece of writing that couldn't have taken many brain cells to come up with. She can do better than this. Or at least, her ghostwriters can.

Rating: 2/5

I got this book from...:Amazon