Novel Notes: Your Source for Teen Book Info 12/11/09

I hope that this will become a regular fixture on the KHCPL Teen Scene blog. I want to use the Novel Notes to give you information in teen publishing that you might find interesting or books that you might look forward to reading. Suggestions are welcome, so please feel free to comment.

Dutton Children's Books Believes they have Signed the Next Stephenie Meyer

A Publisher's Weekly article announces the signing of a new author Ally Condie. Dutton believes that Condie's three book series will appeal to fans of Meyer's Twilight series. These books aren't published yet, and there is no release date, but this author may be something to look out for. Her first book is currently titled Matched. Read more about this new author and her 7 figure book deal on PW's site:

http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6711080.html?nid=2788&source=title&rid=17263441

Scholastic Announces Release of Hunger Games book 3

In another PW article, Scholastic announces exciting news for fans of Suzanne Collins's Hunger Games series. The thrid book in this exciting series featuring the character Katnis is due to be released August 24, 2010. After Catching Fire left us all hanging on the edges of our seats, we anxiously await August and the third book in this exciting series. Read more at:

http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6709728.html?q=Hunger+Games

HarperTeen.com Announces the Purchase of Movie Rights for Popular YA Titles

In HarperTeen.com's "In the News" section on 12/11/09 they announce popular YA books that have been optioned for movies.

• Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr optioned by Universal Studios.
• L.A. Candy by Lauren Conrad screen wrights aquired by Temple Hill Entertainment.
• Wings by Aprilynne Pike is being made into a movie by Disney. It will star Miley Cyrus as Laurel.
• Beastly by Alex Flinn is being made into a movie by CBS Films. It will star Mary-Kate Olsen and Alex Prettyfer.

For more information check out HarperTeen.com's In the News Column at:

http://www.harperteen.com/index.aspx

Hope you enjoyed this first edition of Novel Notes. I hope to have more exciting information about teen lit and movies next week. If you are interested in reading any of the above titles, please feel free to contact the library. (Matched by Ally Condie is still in the works, and will not be available for some time, but don't worry we will keep an eye out for it.) Happy Reading!

Book Review: Unwind by Neal Shusterman

Unwind by Neal Shusterman


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Connor Lassiter is an AWOL Unwind. In a society that has eliminated abortion, they have a new solution to the problem of unwanted children. At the age of thirteen a child’s parents have the option of having their teen unwound. With unwinding, a child doesn’t die because all of the parts of him or her are harvested and used in other people. Connor wanted to keep his parts to himself, and decided the best way to do that was to escape.

Risa Ward grew up in Ohio State Home 23. As a ward of the state she knew she had to be exceptional in her chosen vocation. Who knew five small mistakes in a musical recital would have her on a bus to Harvest camp where she would be unwound.

Lev always knew his purpose. He was one of God’s chosen, and was willingly giving himself to God. Lev is his parent’s tithe of 1/10. They have 10 children and Lev is going to be their tithe to God. He planned to fulfill his role dutifully, until the freeway accident that killed a State Home bus driver led an AWOL unwind and a crazy state home girl to kidnap him for their escape. Who knew that those grand plans could change in an instant?

They are three teens on the run to keep themselves whole in a world that only wants them for their parts.

Unwind by Shusterman was an interesting read. As a parent myself, I can’t believe that parents would willingly unwind their children, so the concept of unwinding is difficult for me. Once I got past that aspect of the story, it is interesting to see the society that Conner, Risa, and Lev live in. In the beginning, you have difficulty liking Connor. You can understand his reasoning for getting away, but you can’t understand why he did the things he did that got his parents to sign the unwind order. Risa is a more sympathetic narrator. Nothing she did has gotten her into this situation—she tried to be perfect, but perfection isn’t something that comes easily to humans. Lev’s ideas were the most foreign to me, I had difficulty understanding why a child would willingly become an unwind, but Lev has had his whole life to prepare. He knows his purpose in life.

This novel is shocking, violent, alarming, and thought provoking. You keep wondering throughout the novel, how did this world get so messed up that something like unwinding would become an acceptable solution? These characters and their stories are well developed. You can’t help feeling the urgency they feel and the betrayal.

Cautions for sensitive readers: There is quite a bit of violence in this book and what might be considered a graphic surgical scene. There is mild language, but no sex.

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Can't Get Enough Vampires? We're Here to Help!

You've read them all, Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn and now you are looking for something new. Here is a taste of some vampire favorites you might want to check out at KHCPL.

Have you seen the show Vampire Diaries on TV? It all started with a book, The Awakening by L. J. Smith. Sample the book here:

Browse Inside this book Get this for your site

Looking for another book with bite? You might try Ellen Schreiber's series Vampire Kisses. Here's a taste:

Browse Inside this book Get this for your site

You can also try the series Vamps by Nancy Collins.

Browse Inside this book Get this for your site

Looking for something with more of a love story? Try Evernight by Claudia Gray. Here's a sample:

Browse Inside this book Get this for your site

There are many more out there, see a librarian for help finding books you are interested in reading.

Book Review: Marked by P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Marked by P.C. Cast


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
All Zoey Redbird wanted was a place to fit in. She thought that place was with her ordinary human friends at her high school until the vampyre tracker marked her as a fledgling vampyre and changed the course of her life forever. Now Zoey must try to fit in at the House of Night, a school for vampyre fledglings, but making that even more difficult is the fact that she has been specially marked by the goddess Nyx and is not the average fledgling. If she makes it through the Change she will become an adult vampyre, if not she will die.

This is the first book in the House of Night series. It is an interesting combination of two of the more popular trends in teen fiction: vampires and boarding school stories. While the book is enjoyable on a purely escapist level, it lacks depth, and is terribly predictable. The dos and don’ts of proper teenage behavior are a bit preachy at times. Other than that, if you are looking for a quick read that doesn’t require much thought, this book fits the bill. It is a fun story if you are willing to put up these flaws.

I would recommend this to teens who are fans of either the boarding school stories or of vampire stories.

Cautions for sensitive readers: There is some foul language present in the book that may offend readers who don’t like bad language in their books. Since this is also a story about vampires, you can expect to find some violence and sexuality.

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Book Review: Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This book is a hard one for me to review. There are parts of the book that I found intriguing, but there were times that I felt that that main character was exceedingly annoying and whiny. I guess to answer the question of whether or not I liked this book I should ask myself another question, am I willing to read the sequel Dead Tossed Waves. Surprisingly my answer is yes, I definitely want to read the sequel. I want to know what is going on. There were too many secrets in this book that were never unraveled, I hope the author will give us some of those answers in Dead Tossed Waves.

Mary lives in a village surrounded by high fences that are the only protection they have against the Unconsecrated, beings who have risen from death and hunger for human flesh—yes zombies. When her mother becomes one of the Unconsecrated, Mary’s life begins to fall apart. Her brother, angry that she let her mother become one of the walking dead, sends Mary to the Sisterhood where she is to become one of the sisters instead of getting married. Inside the walls of the Cathedral where the Sisters dwell Mary learns that both the Sisters and the Guardians have been keeping secrets from the people. They know more about what causes the Unconsecrated to return than what they have let on, and they know the secret that somewhere beyond the Forest of Hands and Teeth there may be others living. Mary’s one dream has been to see the ocean her mother spoke about, but trapped behind fences and by the confines of her society, she fears she will never see what is beyond the Forest of Hands and Teeth.

This book was intriguing. Sometimes you could really feel how trapped Mary felt she was by both the Sisterhood and her brother. Sometimes she gets a little too obsessive and unpredictable, but that can make her an interesting narrator. I did get frustrated with her obsession over Travis, despite his being taken by someone else.

Recommended.

Cautions for Sensitive Readers: This book can be violent and gory at times, but is definitely worth reading.

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Book Review: Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer

Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Hope has moved around a lot in her young life. She lives with her aunt, Addie, who has basically been a mother to her since she was born. When an unscrupulous business partner takes off with her aunt’s savings and forces her to close the diner she owns, Hope and her aunt move to Mulhoney, Wisconsin to help run the Welcome Stairways, a local diner owned by G. T. Stoop. G. T. is fighting a battle with leukemia and hires Addie and Hope to run the Welcome Stairways while he focuses on his battle with cancer and winning the local Mayoral election where he is running against the unscrupulous Eli Millstone. Politics, love, and food all make an appearance in this appealing and surprisingly quick read. Bauer’s characters are well drawn and feel like old friends.

Recommended for those who like realistic fiction and are looking for a fast and entertaining read.

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Book Review: The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Although most of my reviews focus on newer books, sometimes it is good to visit the classics. The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton is often thought to be the first young adult realistic fiction novel. In the genre of teen literature it is a classic that still proves to be relevant to today’s teens. It is a story of growing up, dealing with consequences, and relationships.

Ponyboy lives with his brothers Darry and Sodapop. Since the death of his parents Darry has taken on the role of provider for his family working hard and sometimes coming down hard on Ponyboy. He and his brothers are greasers and are constantly being attacked by the soc’s when they are alone. One night an attack goes too far and Ponyboy and his friend and fellow greaser Johnny find themselves in over their heads and nothing will ever be the same again.

S. E. Hinton was a teenager when she wrote this novel and she demonstrates a clear knowledge of the feelings and issues of teens. This well written, quick read should be on everyone’s reading list!

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