by Rachel Hawkins
ages: 12+
First sentence: “Killing a vampire is actually a lot easier than you’d think.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Release date: May 14, 2013
Review copy provided by my place of employment.
(You don’t have to, but you might want to read Hex Hall, Demonglass, and Spell Bound first.)

Izzy Brannick has spent her life fighting monsters. She’s the youngest daughter of the last surviving Brannick, and she’s got fighting spirit. Except, something went wrong, and her older sister has disappeared. Nothing’s quite been the same since then, the least of which is the new tension between Izzy and her mom. For a multitude of reasons, they end up packing up and moving to Ideal, Mississippi, on the trail of a murderous ghost, as Izzy’s first solo mission. 

And as part of that, she gets to go to high school. Surely a Brannick can handle that. Right?

Much like the other Hex Hall novels, this was a lot of fun. It’s not as magical as I was expecting, which is silly of me because Izzy’s not a Prodigium, but rather someone who is able to detect magic. It is also not very creepy (even with a murderous ghost about), which (after Anna Dressed in Blood) is also something
I appreciated.

It is, however, a very simple, very enjoyable love story. The friends — Romy, Dex, and Anderson —  that Izzy makes during her brief sojourn in high school — joining the Paranormal Management Society (the PMSs) — more than make up for the lack of magical adventure. The four together have a great chemistry, and the eventual (probably predictable) pairing off was quite satisfying. (Yes, there is a really hot make out scene in a cave. Not many people can pull that off.)

Is it as good as the Hex Hall series? Probably not. But that didn’t stop me from thoroughly enjoying the fun.

by Robin LaFevers
ages: 14+
First sentence: “I did not arrive at the convent of Saint Mortain some green stripling.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Review copy provided by my place of employment.
Others in the series: Grave Mercy

For a year, I have been trying to handsell Grave Mercy to customers here in Wichita by telling them it’s a book about very awesome, kick-butt Nuns of Death. (Because, seriously: why wouldn’t  you want to read a book about a kick-butt nun of death??) But I have not had a single success: no one has bought the book. (So much so that we haven’t gotten Dark Triumph in.) After finishing this one, though, I think I need to change my tactic: while the main characters are assassins, these are rich, layered, fascinating works of Historical Fiction, with adventure, passion, and politics (not just country politics, but those between men and women), at every turn. For the adult readers, who don’t normally go for the YA stuff: if you liked Discovery of Witches or Outlander or any Phillippa Gregory book, you will love this one.

The overarching story of Duchess Anne’s attempt to hold on to Brittany in the late 15th century picks up where it left off in Grave Mercy (not necessary to read, but helpful): she’s holed up in Rennes trying to figure out who’s trustworthy, while her main adversary (and vile human being) d’Albret is in Nantes, plotting against her (he wants the kingdom any way possible, and she turned him down for marriage). The nominal story, however, is not Duchess Anne’s but rather, Sybella’s, one of those assassin nuns. She’s been sent to infiltrate d’Albret’s household, get information, and possibly kill d’Albret, if she can get close enough. D’Albret’s house is not a happy place for any woman (all five of his previous wives from less-than-natural causes), but Sybella has one more layer to this madness: she is d’Albret’s daughter.

I’ll just wrap this up by saying this: it’s dark — there is evil in Sybella’s world, and that doesn’t make for an easy read — but it’s not so dark that it’s unreadable. I loved the romance; it came on slowly, and for once the romantic interest wasn’t Tall, Dark, and Handsome. I loved how LaFevers played with the politics of men and women, and how Sybella used everything she had to work with in her favor. She is smart, yet she doubts herself and her mission, making her a wonderfully complex character.

I can’t wait to read the next one.

by Leigh Bardugo
ages: 12+
First sentence: “The servants called them malenchki, little ghosts, because they were the smallest and the youngest, and because they haunted the Duke’s house like giggling phantoms, darting in and out of rooms, hiding in cupboards to eavesdrop, sneaking into the kitchen to steal the last of the summer peaches.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!

I know I’m not the last person to read this one, but I feel that way. Especially since (even with its myriad of glowing reviews) I was planning on skipping it altogether. Until I got handed an ARC of the second one. Then I figured, sure, why not jump on this bandwagon.

For those of you under a rock: Mal and Alina are orphans in a country vaguely patterned after Russia. They grew up in an orphanage, best friends and companions. As they grew up, they went to school and joine the country’s First Army, Mal as a tracker, Alina as a cartographer. And all is fine, until they cross the Fold — a patch of solid darkness full of Evil Things — and Alina saves everyone by bursting into light. It turns out that she’s a Sun Summoner, someone that the second most powerful man in the country, The Darkling, needs desperately. Suddenly, Alina finds herself thrust in the middle of the most powerful community in the country, that of the magic-maker Grishas, trying to figure out what’s real, and how on earth she’s going to handle herself, let alone save the country.

One of the things I really appreciated about this book was that the magic and the setting were all very unique. I think I’ve read Russian-influenced magic books before, but Bardugo has taken the heart of Russian culture and woven it through her book. That was something I could get behind and appreciate. I also liked that the magic was organic: for the most part, the characters’ magic was something that was inside them, a natural talent. I liked the diversity of magic, and how — when things were going well — everyone could work together to create something greater.

All that said, I didn’t really adore it wholeheartedly. I liked Mal well enough as a friend (and I was glad for the Lets Be Friends First element), but there just wasn’t a strong enough connection for me (showing rather than telling, maybe?). And while I was fascinated with the Darkling, I didn’t like the twist near the end. It felt.. forced… to me.

Even with the drawbacks, I am curious to see where Alina’s story goes from here.

by Jodi Lynn Anderson
ages: 12+
First sentence: “She stands on the cliffs, near the old crumbling stone house.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!

I am not a fan of Peter Pan. I find it sexist, annoying, and underdeveloped. And so, a retelling of the story wasn’t on my radar as something I really needed (or wanted) to read.

But this (this month’s YAckers pick) retelling, from Tiger Lily’s point of view, not only gives the Peter Pan story some depth, it softens the immaturity of Pan, and gives power to both Tiger Lily and Tinker Bell (though Wendy still comes off as a brat), which is something I admired.

Tiger Lily is the daughter of the Sky People’s shaman. She doesn’t quite fit in: she’s brusk and boyish, preferring the quiet of the woods to the busy-ness of her people. She is willing to follow tradition, and be a part of the community, so when she’s engaged to a brute of a man, she doesn’t argue. But then, quite by accident, she meets Peter. Peter, with his magnetic personality, impulsiveness, and winning smile. Tiger Lily doesn’t mean to fall in love. She doesn’t mean to get so involved in his life that she’s willing to give up everything she has. And yet, she finds Peter irresistible and can’t stay away.

The most unique thing about this book, I think, is that while it’s Tiger Lily’s story, Tinker Bell is the narrator.  It seemed like an odd choice at first, but as the story went on, I understood the choice. First, it gave the reader insight into Tink’s character — no longer is she “just” the fairy, but rather a vital and integral part of the story. Second, a story from Tiger Lily’s point of view would lack…. elegance. She wasn’t a terribly aware person, and probably didn’t know what she was feeling half the time. Tink was more aware, more knowledgeable about what was going on, and thus a more reliable narrator.

The other thing I really enjoyed was what Anderson did with the minor characters. Aside from Wendy, who doesn’t show up until 2/3 of the way through the book and basically serves no purpose, the rest of the minor characters — from the shaman Tik Tok; to Tiger Lily’s friend Pine Sap; to Hook and (especially) Smee — were given rich back stories and explanations behind their actions. It’s wonderfully faithful to the original story, while being it’s own creation.

Additionally, the writing was lovely. At it’s heart, it’s a story of first love, and Anderson captures all the turbulence of that perfectly. I didn’t think I wanted to read this one, but in the end, I’m so glad I did.

by Brenna Yovanoff
ages: 13+
First sentence: “My sister, Ariel, is sprawled upside down on the couch, pointing with the TV remote.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!

Hannah’s friend Lillian slowly killed herself through anorexia, finally dying about six months ago. And ever since then, she’s been haunting Hannah, hanging out, commenting on her life, not really allowing Hannah to let go and move on.

But things are changing this summer: Hannah’s become interested in Finny Boone, one of the social un-elite, whom she’s known forever but never really paid attention to. And young girls are being murdered, which means the whole town is on edge. Somehow, all three of those things — Finny, Lillian, and the killer — are connected, and maybe by figuring out how, Hannah will be able to deal with her grief and move on.

On the surface, this is a hodgepodge of things: a murder mystery, a ghost story, a Teen Issue story, a grief and loss story. But, for some reasons, in Yovanoff’s hands, most of those elements work really well together. I say most, because I had the most issues with the serial killer part of the story. I’m not going to give away any spoilers, but while I didn’t really see the ending coming, it wasn’t a satisfying conclusion to the whole mystery. That, and the bad guy monologues. I hate it when they monologue. It’s so… pat. Like the information should have been out there already, and we didn’t really need to hear it all from the bad guy’s mouth. Except in this case, it wasn’t.

That, and I found the characters incredibly difficult to connect to. Hannah was mopey, Lillian pushed Hannah around, and her other “friends” weren’t so nice (my favorite scene? When Hannah confronted the Clique and told them off. You go girl.) Finney was the Strong Silent Guy, and Ariel was the Cute Younger Sister. While I found the book to be intense, it was in spite of the characters and unlike Lauren Oliver’s Before I Fall or Laurie Halse Anderson’s Wintergirls, I didn’t buy Hannah’s growth arc.

Still, there were some pretty creepy moments, and I have to give Yovanoff credit for that. I just wish it worked better as a whole.

by Marissa Meyer
ages: 12+
First sentence: “Scarlet was descending toward the alley behind the Rieux Tavern when her portscreen chimed from the passenger seat, followed by an automated voice: “Comm received for Mademoiselle Scarlet Benoit from the Toulouse Law Enforcement Department of Missing Persons.“
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Others in the series: Cinder
Review copy handed to me by the publishing representative.

I wasn’t going to read this one. Really. After my issues with Cinder, I was going to let the whole series slide. But the Macmillian rep who comes by the store once a quarter handed this to me back in November with the words: this is a LOT better than the first.  So, I took a chance.

And was completely blown away.

I’m not going to say this is the Best Book Evah, but honestly? Meyer took what was kind of a weird thing in Cinder, and delivered something intense. (Obviously, spoilers for Cinder will follow.)

Scarlet Benoit’s grand-mere has been missing for two weeks, and she’s getting annoyed at the lack of leads in the case. It’s not a suicide, like the authorities have ruled: Scarlet knows her grandmother well enough to know that. But she has no idea where to start looking for her. Then a strange man called Wolf falls into her life, claiming to have knowledge — though he’s reluctant to share it — about where her grandmother is. They head to Paris to get some answers.

Meanwhile, Cinder escapes from prison and teams up with an American to try and process all the information that’s been given her in the last 24 hours. Turns out that Scarlet’s grandmother may have information that Cinder needs as well.

All that against the backdrop of an impending invasion from the very creepy Lunar queen Levana.

The thing I liked best about this one, I think, is that Meyer gives us more of this fascinating futuristic world that she’s created. Sure, Scarlet is loosely based on Little Red Riding Hood, but it’s not so much a fairy tale as a story of what people will do for those that they care for. Which makes it sound deeper than it is. Really? It’s just a lot of fun, a great second novel in a series. (You don’t often hear that.) Which leaves me begging for the next installment.

by Lenore Applehans
ages: 12+
First sentence: “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Review copy provided by my place of employment.
Additional disclaimer: while I wouldn’t claim to “know” Lenore, I have met her on several occasions when she stops in town, and enjoy her company.

Felicia is dead. (That’s not a spoiler.)

She’s been lounging around in her hive in Level 2, revisiting her memories — only the pleasant ones, please; specifically of Neil, her boyfriend at the time of her death — talking to her friends Beckah and Virginia, trying to stave off the ever-increasing boredom. Then, one day, something Exciting happens: the system malfunctions, and Beckah disappears.

Oh, and Julian — an old, not-so-beloved flame of Felicia’s — reappears. And it seems that Level 2 isn’t the happy, peaceful, resting place Felicia thought it was. In fact, it’s a place where a group called the Morati — angels who weren’t quite, well, angelic — are siphoning humans’ energy in order to invade heaven. And they need Felicia’s power.

What the what?

At first take, this is an interesting glance into the afterlife. I liked the use of Felicia’s memories to give us backstory, without having to set up everything first. (Yes, we do eventually learn how she died.) It serves to help us get to know Felicia, to understand her interior motivations.

But, unfortunately, it also allows us to keep our distance.  Which is the first of my problems with this one. I go back and forth between whether I’m a character-driven reader or a plot-driven reader, and I think I’m both. If the plot is slow, I will forgive it if there are fascinating characters. And I’ll forgive wooden or stereotpyical characters if the plot keeps my interest. The problem with Level 2 is that I didn’t have either.

I think we’re supposed to like Felicia, with all her guilt and complexities (not to mention her fixation on Neil). But I just… didn’t. I thought she was whiny privileged, and not at all the Heroine she was made out to be. (Maybe that was on purpose? And there will be More in the next book?) I did like Julian (whom I don’t think we were supposed to), but I felt let-down by his character arc. I wanted more from him. And Neil? Well, lets just say he was arm candy.

The second of my problems is that I felt the plot was uneven: perhaps it was because the memories broke up the flow of the plot, but I felt it came in fits and starts. It was too slow at the beginning, took too long to get rolling, and then ended up going too fast at the end. In fact, I finished the book with a “WHAT? HUH?” expression: I had no clue, really, what just happened. Perhaps that was my fault: I’m not exactly the most careful of readers all the time, so I probably missed something. Either way, the Twist and the Big Reveal did not work for me.

Now, to be fair, I may be being a bit hyper critical. It’s not every day that someone I “know” gets a book published, and advance buzz for this was quite good. I’m always more critical of books with a lot of advance buzz, so I tend to avoid them.  This book reminded me a lot of the Matched series, so I know there will be readers for it. And I’m not sorry I spent the time immersed in this world.

I just wish I had liked it more.