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Mon, February 28, 2011

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

The Adoration of Jenna Fox
By Mary E. Pearson
September 1, 2009 (I think I have my covers/editions mixed up, but just go with it.)
Square Fish; Reprint edition, 288 pages

Seventeen-year-old Jenna Fox has just awoken from a year-long coma—so she’s been told—and she is still recovering from the terrible accident that caused it. But what happened before that? She’s been given home movies chronicling her entire life, which spark memories to surface. But are the memories really hers? And why won’t anyone in her family talk about the accident? Jenna is becoming more curious. But she is also afraid of what she might find out if she ever gets up the courage to ask her questions. What happened to Jenna Fox? And who is she really?

— Amazon.com description

This is the type of book that makes me feel very, very shallow. Oh, I don’t mean it in the awful way that sounds. But a lot of the book is asking the BIG questions. What makes us human? Where is the line drawn when it comes to what is or isn’t humane? Or ethical? And so on.

Bah! I never sit around thinking of these things, which makes me believe Mary Pearson is a very smart person. Perhaps she should have taken that philosophy class for me that I so dreaded in college. Sigh.

Okay, but the point is this: I’m glad Mary Pearson is thinking these BIG thoughts. It makes for a very interesting, surprising read. This book is very sci-fi—which is not what I expected going into it.

But it was, like I said, quite thoughtful. Not a reread, not a total wow, but quite enjoyable.

You might also like: Inside Out and Outside In by Maria V. Snyder

Tue, February 15, 2011

Inside Out & Outside In by Maria V. Snyder

Inside Out
By Maria V. Snyder
April 1, 2010
Harlequin, 384 pages

I’m Trella. I’m a scrub. A nobody. One of thousands who work the lower levels, keeping Inside clean for the Uppers. I’ve got one friend, do my job and try to avoid the Pop Cops. So what if I occasionally use the pipes to sneak around the Upper levels? The only neck at risk is my own…until I accidentally start a rebellion and become the go-to girl to lead a revolution.

— Amazon.com description

This book really took me back to a time (what up, ’90s!) when I adored books like Sphere by Michael Crichton. I suppose you could call this dystopian, but to me Inside Out is a perfect example of science fiction.

It’s been so long since I read a book like this that it took a bit of getting used to. Most of the books I read are very emotion heavy, and this just isn’t. It’s all about the suspense and the technicalities and science of Trella’s world. The emotion and the romance seem like a bit of an afterthought.

But that’s okay—I’m happy I tried something different, because, in the end, this book was completely gratifying. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who feels like a little sci-fi to shake things up.

Outside In
By Maria V. Snyder
February 15, 2011
Harlequin, 336 pages

Me? A leader? Okay, I did prove that there’s more to Inside than we knew.

That a whole world exists beyond this cube we live in. And finding that led to a major rebellion—between worker scrubs like me and the snobby uppers who rule our world. Make that ruled. Because of me, we’re free. I thought that meant I was off the hook, and could go off on my own again—while still touching base with Riley, of course. He’s the one upper I think I can trust. But then we learned that there’s outside and then there is Outside.

And something from Outside wants In.

— Amazon.com description

So after I devoured the first book, I immediately picked up the sequel, which comes out today!

I didn’t love it as much as the first book, but it really succeeded in terms of suspense. Reading this is like creeping down a dark hallway and not knowing what’s around the corner. Maria V. Snyder knows her plot. She keeps you breathless, frightened of what’s going to happen when you turn the page.

But I started to get overly frustrated with the adults in Trella’s world, and that distracted me. They played a larger part in this novel than in the first, and while I realize this is an alternative reality, I still feel like the adults should have stepped in and done SOMETHING. Anything! Who leaves the fate of an entire society in the hands of a reluctant teenager?

Then again, without the adults and their ignorance and helplessness, there would be no plot! So, overall, this is a captivating, thrilling series. Glad I tried something different!

You might also like: Sphere by Michael Crichton (Old school!)

Mon, February 7, 2011

Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles

Rules of Attraction
By Simone Elkeles
April 13, 2010
Walker Books for Young Readers, 336 pages

Carlos Fuentes doesn’t want any part of the life his older brother, Alex, has laid out for him in Boulder, Colorado. He wants to keep living on the edge, and carve his own path—just like Alex did. Unfortunately, his ties to a Mexican gang aren’t easy to break, and he soon finds himself being set up by a drug lord.

When Alex arranges for Carlos to live with his former professor and his family to keep him from being sent to jail, Carlos feels completely out of place. He’s even more thrown by his strong feelings for the professor’s daughter, Kiara, who is nothing like the girls he’s usually drawn to. But Carlos and Kiara soon discover that in matters of the heart, the rules of attraction overpower the social differences that conspire to keep them apart.

As the danger grows for Carlos, he’s shocked to discover that it’s this seemingly All-American family who can save him. But is he willing to endanger their safety for a chance at the kind of life he’s never even dreamed possible?

— Amazon.com description

Oh, those Fuentes brothers. So tough and gangsta on the outside, all soft and mushy deep down.

This story picks up where Perfect Chemistry left off, with the focus shifting off Alex and Brittany and onto his little brother, Carlos. Those who recently read the first book will enjoy the quick peek into their lives a few years later, but I read Perfect Chemistry so long ago that this aspect wasn’t a HUGE deal for me, and they definitely stand alone.

The books have similar plots (Bad boy Latino falls for clean-cut white girl) and vibes (HOT HOT HOT). In Rules of Attraction, though, I didn’t love a lot of the plot resolutions, and the gang scenes weren’t completely suspenseful.

But I don’t really care, because “perfect chemistry” is Simone Elkeles’ strong suit. That’s what I expect from her books—totally awesome romantic chemistry—and on that front, she definitely delivered here. So yeah, not a life-changing read. But…yeah…HOT.

PS: Chain Reaction, featuring the THIRD Fuentes brother, comes out in May. I’m in!

Thu, February 3, 2011

Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton

Angelfire
By Courtney Allison Moulton
February 15, 2011
Katherine Tegen Books, 464 pages

First there are nightmares.

Every night Ellie is haunted by terrifying dreams of monstrous creatures that are hunting her, killing her.

Then come the memories.

When Ellie meets Will, she feels on the verge of remembering something just beyond her grasp. His attention is intense and romantic, and Ellie feels like her soul has known him for centuries. On her seventeenth birthday, on a dark street at midnight, Will awakens Ellie’s power, and she knows that she can fight the creatures that stalk her in the grim darkness. Only Will holds the key to Ellie’s memories, whole lifetimes of them, and when she looks at him, she can no longer pretend anything was just a dream.

Now she must hunt.

Ellie has power that no one can match, and her role is to hunt and kill the reapers that prey on human souls. But in order to survive the dangerous and ancient battle of the angels and the Fallen, she must also hunt for the secrets of her past lives and truths that may be too frightening to remember.
— Amazon.com description

Okay, this is going to seem a little weird, but bear with me. The best way I can sum up this book is:

So, it had the otherworldliness of Rachel Vincent’s Soul Screamers series. And definitely had some Buffy-esque butt-kicking girl power. Plus, the “spans generations and lifetimes” love story of The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller.

Overall, that’s a great combo, right? Well, sort of. To be honest with you, I skimmed over a lot of the battle scenes and couldn’t quite keep up with all the paranormal mumbo jumbo. Because of that, it took me awhile to get into.

But, have no fear, by the end I was soooo into it—and that’s because of the romance. (ALWAYS with me. I know. It’s an issue.) Talk about unresolved sexual tension…500 years’ worth! Oy.

So, some pros and some cons. In the end, the book left me craving more. It didn’t necessarily move me, but it did intrigue me. Count me in for Wings of the Wicked, the sequel out in 2012.

If you like this book, you might also like: Buffy! I mean, c’mon. Who doesn’t love Buffy?

PS: Many thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for sending me a review copy to read on my Kindle, may she rest in peace.

Mon, January 24, 2011

Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern

>Book of Tomorrow
By Cecelia Ahern
January 25, 2911
Harper, 320 pages

Born into the lap of luxury and comfortable in the here and now, spoiled, tempestuous Tamara Goodwin has never had to look to the future—until the abrupt death of her father leaves her and her mother a mountain of debt and forces them to move in with Tamara’s peculiar aunt and uncle in a tiny countryside village.

Tamara is lonely and bored, with a traveling library as her only diversion. There she finds a large leather-bound book with a gold clasp and padlock, but no author name or title. Intrigued, she pries open the lock, and what she finds inside takes her breath away.

Tamara sees entries written in her own handwriting, and dated for the following day. When the next day unfolds exactly as recorded, Tamara realizes she may have found a solution to her problems. But in her quest to find answers, Tamara soon learns that some pages are better left unturned and that, try as she may, she mustn’t interfere with fate.

— Amazon.com description

This book was creepy mysterious. I’m talking creepy on the level of Kathy Bates in Misery. I mean, in the setting of a secluded old Irish gatehouse out in the woods near the ruins of a CASTLE, how can it not be creepy? I loved all the heebie-jeebies this mystery gave me.

And I enjoyed the main character. She’s—and I hate this word, so bear with me—sassy. She’s sort of a spoiled jerk, but you like her anyway.

The only problem is that the girl is sooo introspective. There’s a lot of internal dialogue to weed through, so it felt like we didn’t really get into the mysterious (and magical!) parts of it until well past halfway through the novel. I wish the plot hadn’t been so hidden…it would have really enhanced the sense of suspense throughout.

Overall, an intriguing story! Bonus: Cecelia Ahern is the author of P.S. I Love You, which was made into a movie that you should only watch if you are in the need of a great, big cry. Also: She’s the daughter of the former prime minister of Ireland. Cool points!

Check it out yourself: Enter my contest below to win and advance copy of The Book of Tomorrow. Be sure to read my contest policies first. (U.S. residents only! Sorry!)