Where She Went by Gayle Forman Booktrailer and If I Stay Book Review

If you have read Gayle Forman's If I Stay you won't want to miss the stunning sequel Where She Went.  (See our review below for more information about If I Stay.)  Where She Went is now on order at the library so don't forget to place your hold! (Click here to place hold!)

Where She Went takes place three years after the deadly accident that took the lives of Mia's family.  



For those of you that haven't read If I Stay, find out more in our review below.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

On a snowy day in Oregon, Mia and her family go on a drive that ends in heartache. She finds herself thrown out of her body as a result of an horrific car accident and left with the choice to live with a loss that will change her life forever or to die.

If I Stay is an emotional roller coaster. One minute you are smiling and laughing, loving the main character, Mia and her family, and the next you are crying because of all she has lost. Mia’s family and friends are touchingly and memorably portrayed. The story smoothly transitions between where Mia is now, and her touching memories of her family and friends. The characters are well rounded and real and love between them and the difficulty of the decisions they make are palpable.

This book made me both laugh and cry. It gave be a better appreciation for a good tearjerker. As I read the book it made me think about my family and what is important to me, and how I would feel if I were in Mia’s position. While I won’t go out of my way to find tearjerkers from now on, I must say I was really impressed with this book.

A must read for those who like tearjerkers!

Cautions for sensitive readers: A situation with sexual references and mild language. There are some graphic depictions of the car accident that may disturb some readers, but once past that part, the book is pretty tame.


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Book Review: Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell

Saundra Mitchell is an Indiana author.  To find out more about Saundra and her writing visit her website, Making Stuff Up For A Living.  The library owns both her first book, Shadowed Summer and her newest book that just came out on 3/07/11 The Vespertine.  Get your holds in now for The Vespertine.  This book is too good to miss!

The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In the Summer of 1889 Amelia van den Broek leaves her country home in Maine to spend a season with her cousins the Stewarts in Baltimore. There she will attend dinners, go calling, and even attend balls where she hopes to find a suitable husband. But as the sun sets Amelia finds more than she ever hoped for, for in the vespers she sees the future. At first intrigued and excited by this new power, Amelia is an immediate sensation, but as her darkest predictions begin to come true those she loves and trusts begin to turn on her. In a world where the slightest misstep can lead to ruin, Amelia walks a fine line between the other world and a love that is unacceptable.

I couldn't put this one down. Saundra Mitchell pulls you into the late 1800s with sounds, settings, and tea services. The novel felt so authentic that I felt like I was right there gossiping with the girls in their tight corsets at teas, dinners, and balls. She leaves you on the edge of your seat as the girl flaunt and tease with propriety knowing that if they were caught it would be ruin.

The characters in this novel are exceptionally well developed. Amelia, who doesn't understand her powers, is at once both excited by and afraid of them. The visions at first positive have a dark side that frightens her. When she meets Nathaniel, he excites her in ways she has never known before, unfortunately he is below her station and not an acceptable match for a well bred girl like her. Zora is a city girl who loves Thomas Rea who just happens to be at the very edge of what is considered a suitable match. Other characters come and go, and all hold your interest.

What I loved about this book was its authenticity. It felt like I was stepping back in time. It pulled me in and kept me reading. I had to know what happened next--every little detail. In a word, it was magic.

Overall, a great historical fiction novel with a touch of the paranormal. A book too good to miss!

Cautions for sensitive readers: Mild violence, but very clean otherwise. A good choice for those looking for novels with paranormal aspects that are also clean reads.



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Exciting News for Vampire Academy Fans!

Today in an exclusive article with Entertainment Weekly Richelle Mead, author of the Vampire Academy series,  revealed the cover for the first book in her new series titled Bloodlines.  The book doesn't come out until August 23rd so there will be a bit of a wait before we can read it, but in the mean time, take a look at this fantastic cover and check out the article at Entertainment Weekly for more details about this book and a video interview. Bloodlines is a spin off of the Vampire Academy series that is set in the same world but featuring a different character.

Unfortunately, no information is available yet from our vendors so we won't be able to pre-order it for a while, but until then we can eagerly anticipate this new addition to a fantastic series.

Teen Books Turning into Movies

Two movies are coming out soon that are based on teen books!

The first is I am Number Four by Pitticus Lore.  Nine are sent to Earth to try and find a place safe from the evil Mogadorian who are killing their people.  Numbers 1-3 have been found and killed by the Mogadorian, now Number four, John Smith, knows he is next.  The movie comes out February 18, 2011.  While you wait for the movie, take the time to check out the book from the library!

 


Find out more about the movie at the I am Number Four movie website. http://www.findnumberfour.com/#/home




The second is Beastly by Alex Flinn, a modern retellling of the story of Beauty and the Beast told from the perspective of the beast.  The movie comes out March 4, 2011, but in the meantime, you can check out the book here at the library!



Find out more about the movie and the stars at the Beastly movie website. http://www.beastlythemovie.com/

And the Winner is.... 2011 Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature

Every year YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Division), a division of ALA (The American Library Association) announces its choices for the Michael L. Printz Award.  According to YALSA, this award is given to "a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature" (Printz Award Page).

Over the years there have been a number of wonderful choices.  Here are this year's winners:

Michael L. Printz Award Winner:

Shipbreaker by Paolo Bacigalupi


Michael L. Printz Honor Books:

Stolen by Lucy Christopher


Please Ignore Vera Dietz  by A.S. King


Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick
Revolver

Nothing by Janne Teller

Read the Prequel to Lauren Barnholdt's One Night that Changes Everything for Free Online

If you read and liked Lauren Barnholdt's One Night that Changes Everything, you can now visit her website to read the prequel to find out what happens Before That Night.



Visit http://laurenbarnholdt.com/beforethatnight/ to download and read this novella.  A big thank you to Lauren Barnholdt for making this available for free!  Be sure to check out her other books while you visit.  Happy Reading!

Christmas Vacation Reading: Your Time to Catch Up On the Great Books Published in 2010

This has been a great year for some really talented authors both new and old.  I have simply been amazed at some of the debut authors who published in the YA genre this year.  This has been a year with a lot of vampires, werewolves, fairies, and angels, but we have had some other great hits as well. 

If you are looking for some good books to read over your Christmas vacation, here are a few of my favorites from the past year.  Many are available on audio, if you have a trip coming up.  Stop by the library and check one out!  Click on the covers to go to Goodreads.com for book descriptions and details.  (If you like series, a few have sequels that are out now or due out in 2011).