Review: 17 AND GONE by Nova Ren Suma

Title: 17 & Gone
Author: Nova Ren Suma
Pub info: Dutton Juvenile, 2013; 354 pp
Genre: YA thriller/paranormal

There's nothing more interesting than following an author from her debut novel through her career and watching her take off. As soon as I read Nova's first book, Dani Noir, I knew I'd found a keeper. Her third book, 17 & Gone, did not disappoint.

Goodreads summary:

Seventeen-year-old Lauren is having visions of girls who have gone missing. And all these girls have just one thing in common—they are 17 and gone without a trace. As Lauren struggles to shake these waking nightmares, impossible questions demand urgent answers: Why are the girls speaking to Lauren? How can she help them? And… is she next? As Lauren searches for clues, everything begins to unravel, and when a brush with death lands her in the hospital, a shocking truth emerges, changing everything.

With complexity and richness, Nova Ren Suma serves up a beautiful, visual, fresh interpretation of what it means to be lost.

Status: finished 4/10/14

My impressions:
This is a tough book to review without giving away too much. Suffice it to say that Lauren's journey of getting to know--and obsess over--the many lost girls she discovers is complex and utterly believable. A thread that runs through Nova Ren Suma's books is an exquisite balance between what is known and what is unknown; the real world and the world just beyond. A strong theme in this book is that 17-year-old girls are all too often left to chance. It seems harsh, even unrealistic, to ask, Who cares about another 17-year-old runaway? And yet it's a fair question. When a 10-year-old goes missing, a neighborhood mobilizes. But a 17-year-old is on the cusp of adulthood, and if she runs away, well, maybe there's a good reason. Suma doesn't want us to leave these girls by the roadside. They matter, and Lauren matters. You'll read this book and come to know Lauren intimately, and what she cares about, you'll care about. It's a fascinating journey we take with her.

About Nova:

Nova grew up in small towns across the Hudson Valley and now makes her home in New York City. Her YA novels Imaginary Girls (Penguin/Dutton, 2011) and 17 & Gone were both named 2014 Outstanding Books for the College Bound by YALSA. She also wrote the middle-grade novel Dani Noir (Aladdin, 2009), reissued as Fade Out for a YA audience (Simon Pulse, 2012).

Nova's next book, The Walls Around Us, is due out in spring 2015 from Algonquin YR. Like a few other authors on my TBR 2014 list, she is a contributor to the YA horror anthology Slasher Girls & Monster Boys, coming from Dial/Penguin in fall 2015.



Online:
Check out Nova's distraction no. 99, which is one of the best writer blogs out there. Her news and events can be found here, on her website. You can chat with her here on Twitter, and watch a video interview with Nova right here. 


Want to win a free copy of this book? The first Monday of each month features a giveaway of any of the titles I've reviewed the previous month. Pick your fave, enter, and win!  Next giveaway: May 5.

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To follow my progress as I bulldoze my way through a stack of 51 to-be-reads this year, search for the tag 2014 TBR Shelf. Read all the reviews here.

Review: THE DIVINERS by Libba Bray

 Title: The Diviners
Author: Libba Bray
Pub info: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2012; 578 pp
Genre: YA historical paranormal

The glitzy streets of Manhattan may be the duck's quack to Ohio native Evie O'Neill, but a restless spirit has her fighting for her life before you can say sloe gin fizz. This book is a must-read if you love your thrills mixed with a bit of history. Welcome to April! It's Yippee! YA! month on the blog.

Goodreads summary:

Evie O’Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City—and she is pos-i-tute-ly ecstatic. It’s 1926, and New York is filled with speakeasies, Ziegfeld girls, and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is that she has to live with her uncle Will and his unhealthy obsession with the occult.

Evie worries he’ll discover her darkest secret: a supernatural power that has only brought her trouble so far. But when the police find a murdered girl branded with a cryptic symbol and Will is called to the scene, Evie realizes her gift could help catch a serial killer.

As Evie jumps headlong into a dance with a murderer, other stories unfold in the city that never sleeps. A young man named Memphis is caught between two worlds. A chorus girl named Theta is running from her past. A student named Jericho hides a shocking secret. And unknown to all, something dark and evil has awakened.

Status: finished 4/2/14

My impressions:
Okay, I was a little biased going into this book. I love Libba Bray's writing, so I was prepared to enjoy the book. I also love the 1920s time period. And I love New York City. So, win-win-win.

But wow.

Part of this book is like cruising through a noisy speakeasy, meeting character after character who you'd love to know better. You get just enough of a taste of each life to become invested, and then you're whisked away to the next. Each character is interesting and multifaceted; each is linked to the others. All of them kept me turning pages, from gutsy flapper Evie to the scholarly Uncle Will, orphaned poet Memphis Campbell and his psychic brother, and Ziegfeld Follies girl Theta Knight and her sweet piano man, Henry.

Then there's Bray's stunning, detailed picture of 1926 New York, from fashions to cigarette ads to catchy slang and hot jazz. This tumultuous time period--a whistle in the dark between the tragedy of the Great War and the devastating Depression to come--is the perfect setting for the rise of an evil spirit.

And that's the final piece: The ghost story. This isn't a pretty haunting, and the murders are quite grisly, but they're kept firmly in PG-13 realm. (Picture a ghoul coming at a young girl with a bloody hatchet, and ... fade to black.) The creeps are genuinely chilling, and the story flies by as if unencumbered by its massive page count. I stayed up late several nights to finish it and now absolutely can't wait for the sequel. Additional plus: This story is self-contained and completely stands on its own--no cliffhangers here--but the stage is set for more evil to sprout in the next volume.

About Libba:
Libba Bray is the New York Times-bestselling author of The Gemma Doyle trilogy (A Great and Terrible Beauty, Rebel Angels, The Sweet Far Thing); the Michael L. Printz Award-winning Going Bovine;  and Beauty Queens, an L.A. Times Book Prize finalist. She is originally from Texas but makes her home in Brooklyn, NY, with her husband, son, and two sociopathic cats. The sequel to The Diviners is called Lair of Dreams and is due out from Little, Brown in August 2014.


Online:
Catch Libba online at her website here and the separate website for The Diviners series. She is also active--and very funny--on her Twitter account here. You can see two fantastic trailers for The Diviners: The official one is here; this other one was created by a fan but is absolutely fantastic. (I know it looks like a movie trailer, but as of this writing, The Diviners has not yet been produced for the big screen. Paramount Pictures has optioned the book, which Libba will adapt, but no word on a release date yet.) 


Want to win a free copy of this book? The first Monday of each month features a giveaway of any of the titles I've reviewed the previous month. Pick your fave, enter, and win!  Next giveaway: May 5.

SIGN UP HERE TO RECEIVE A BRIEF EMAIL WHENEVER A NEW GIVEAWAY BEGINS.

To follow my progress as I bulldoze my way through a stack of 51 to-be-reads this year, search for the tag 2014 TBR Shelf. Read all the reviews here.

TBR 2014: Book No.10

When I first heard of The Diviners (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2012), I got that wonderful, shivery, goose-bumpy feeling that means, I have to read this! I might have felt it even if I hadn't known it was written by Libba Bray, but the fact that it was just added to the anticipation. I mean, Libba Bray, people: she of the Gemma Doyle Trilogy and the sublime Going Bovine. It's a ghost story/occult murder mystery set in one of my favorite places--Manhattan (New York, not Kansas, just to be clear)--and one of my favorite time periods--the 1920s. What could possibly keep me away?

"1920s New York thrums with giddy life in this gripping first in a new [series] from Printz winner Bray...The intricate plot and magnificently imagined details of character, dialogue and setting take hold and don't let go. Not to be missed."  --Kirkus Reviews (starred)

"The compelling and dramatic supernatural plot explores self-actualization, predestination, the secrets everyone hides, and, of course, good versus evil. An absolutely terrific read and, thankfully, the first in a planned series."  --School Library Journal (starred)

I'm already a little bit afraid to go to sleep after reading this book late at night! Ready to be chilled? Pick it up and read along!

** Also, blogfrogs, side note: Anyone notice that my shirt (kind of) matches the cover? Totally unplanned.

That's right: I've committed to reading all the books on my TBR Shelf this year--and blogging them! Click here to read the reviews I've posted so far.

Review: THE CHRONICLES OF HARRIS BURDICK by Chris Van Allsburg

Title: The Chronicles of Harris Burdick: 14 Amazing Authors Tell the Tales
Authors: Chris Van Allsburg (editor and illustrator); Lemony Snicket (introduction)
Pub info: HMH Books for Young Readers, 2011; 195 pp
Genre: MG fantasy/paranormal

The fourth book on this year's TBR shelf is an anthology--not my usual style, but I love the concept. Here's the scoop:

Goodreads summary:
Best-selling storytellers share tales inspired by the thought-provoking illustrations in Chris Van Allsburg's The Mysteries of Harris Burdick in a volume that includes contributions by such writers as Kate DiCamillo, Stephen King, and Jon Scieszka.

Status: Finished 2/28/14

My impressions:
Er ... augh! I have to confess that I wanted to love this collection more than I actually did love it. I remembered while reading it why I so rarely read short stories anymore. I used to love them, back in my high school and college lit courses, where they abound. But nowadays, I'd prefer to immerse myself wholly in a story for an extended period of time, not take a quick dip in and be forced out of the pool just as things get interesting.

The other problem with anthologies is that they're bound to be uneven, and this one is no exception. I was surprised to find that the stories by my favorite authors weren't necessarily the best in the collection. For example, I loved "Archie Smith, Boy Wonder" by Tabitha King, an author I'd never read before, but I was underwhelmed by Lois Lowry's "Seven Chairs." Other highlights include "Missing in Venice" (Gregory Maguire), "The Harp" (Linda Sue Park), and "Another Place, Another Time" (Cory Doctorow).

I can't fault the writing of any of these stories, only how well they engaged my interest. Some ended too abruptly, as if the author had wanted to write a novel but was shoehorned into too brief a format, and one was very reminiscent of a popular film I recall from years back. (I won't say which film, because that would give away the premise, but you'll know if you read it.)

Am I glad I read the book? Sure, and I'm happy to own the hardcover edition, because the illustrations are beautiful and again, I like the idea of the book. I'd recommend it, but be aware, you may well love some stories and think others are a bit meh.

About Chris:
Chris Van Allsburg was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and has been writing and illustrating children's books since the publication of his first book, The Garden of Abdul Gasazi, in 1979. Since then, Chris has written and illustrated 15 books and has illustrated three others that were written by Mark Helprin. He has won two Caldecott medals for his books Jumanji (1981) and The Polar Express (1985). He lives with his wife and kids in Providence, Rhode Island.

Online:
Visit Chris's very fun and interactive website here.  Watch an amusing trailer by Lemony Snicket here.


To follow my progress as I bulldoze my way through a stack of 51 to-be-reads this year, search for the tag 2014 TBR Shelf. Read all the reviews here.

Review: IN THE SHADOW OF BLACKBIRDS by Cat Winters

Title: In the Shadow of Blackbirds

Author: Cat Winters

Pub info: Amulet Books, 2013; 387 pp

Genre: YA ghost story / historical 

Second up on my list of TBR books this year is Cat Winters's debut novel, In the Shadow of Blackbirds. I finished it up in about 48 hours.

Goodreads summary:

In 1918, the world seems on the verge of apocalypse. Americans roam the streets in gauze masks to ward off the deadly Spanish influenza, and the government ships young men to the front lines of a brutal war, creating an atmosphere of fear and confusion. Sixteen-year-old Mary Shelley Black watches as desperate mourners flock to séances and spirit photographers for comfort, but she herself has never believed in ghosts. During her bleakest moment, however, she’s forced to rethink her entire way of looking at life and death, for her first love—a boy who died in battle—returns in spirit form. But what does he want from her?

Featuring haunting archival early-twentieth-century photographs, this is a tense, romantic story set in a past that is eerily like our own time.

Status: Finished 1/25/14

My impressions:

I love a good historical novel, and I love a good ghost story. In the Shadow of Blackbirds succeeds on both levels. On the realistic side, there's the suspenseful, horrifying true stories--the harrowing Spanish flu pandemic that claimed millions of lives worldwide in 1918, and the devastating conflict that claimed millions more and changed the face of warfare forever. You'll be immersed in that world: fearing to leave your home without your protective mask; eating onions and garlic to ward off the sickness until your sweat smells of them; chilling at the sound of the ambulance sirens, praying they don't come down your street; afraid to read the papers for fear of seeing another young boy's name on the lists of the war dead. Cat Winters's writing, told from heroine Mary Shelley Black's point of view, plants you front and center in 1918. Her research seamlessly interweaves with the grief and stories of real people. In that way, it reminded me of Laurie Halse Andersen's Fever 1793, a story of the yellow fever pandemic in the eighteenth century.

But this isn't just a tragedy. The grief that swept the nation that year fed the Spiritualism craze, and both laypeople and scientists flocked to seances, seeking confirmation of life after death. When the dead start speaking to Mary Shelley, this already gripping tale takes on a new layer of horror, and the mystery deepens. Can her true love's brother really photograph the dead? Does the answer lie in the letters and mementoes of a dead soldier? Is Death really just waiting for Mary Shelley around the next corner?

I was pulled into this story from the start, and the further in I sank, the faster it yanked me along, like a runaway train. Sprinkled throughout with period photographs, this gripping, suspenseful novel chills with its verisimilitude. In the Shadow of Blackbirds is fantastic. 

• a finalist for the YALSA 2014 Morris Award 
• a School Library Journal Best Book of 2013

About Cat Winters:

Cat Winters was born and raised in southern California, near Disneyland, which may explain her love of haunted mansions, bygone eras, and fantasylands. She received degrees in drama and English from the University of California-Irvine. She lives in Portland with her husband and two children. This year, she will  publish The Cure for Dreaming (Amulet Books, Fall 2014), another early-twentieth-century paranormal tale. And, like Stefan Bachmann (see the last review), she's a contributor to the upcoming YA horror anthology Slasher Girls & Monster Boys (Dial, 2015).

Online: Visit Cat's website here, and the website for the book here. Connect with her here on Twitter.

View the novel's creepy trailer here.

To follow my progress as I bulldoze my way through a stack of 51 to-be-reads this year, search for the tag 2014 TBR Shelf. Read all the reviews here.

Fabulous New YA Books!

I've already beaten myself silly for being a blogging slug all summer, so let's send that poor horse back to his stall for a nice rubdown. Meanwhile, you can take a look at all the cool YA books that have recently come out. Links go to Kirkus Reviews unless otherwise noted (PW = Publishers Weekly).

 Contemporary

The Distance Between Us by Kasie West
OCD Love Story by Corey Ann Haydu
Riptide by Lindsey Scheibe  (The Reader's Den)
The S-Word by Chelsea Pitcher (Rebecca-Books)

How My Summer Went Up in Flames by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski (Tabitha's Book Blog)
45 Pounds (More or Less) by K.A. Barson
Since You Asked by Maureen Goo (School Library Journal)
Gated by Amy Christine Parker
Taste Test by Kelly Fiore


Paranormal & Fantasy

Between the Devil & the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke (Pretty Deadly Reviews)
Some Quiet Place by Kelsey Sutton

Insomnia by J. R. Johansson
Charm & Strange by Stephanie Kuehn (School Library Journal)


Thrillers / Mystery

Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston
Truth or Dare by Jacqueline Green
Another Little Piece by Kate Karyus Quinn (Xpresso Reads)
Find Me by Romily Bernard (Sept 24)

Prep School Confidential by Kara Taylor

Science Fiction, Dystopia, & Horror

 










Reboot by Amy Tintera
Starglass by Phoebe North (Book Smugglers)
Linked by Imogen Howson

Rush by Eve Silver
In the After by Demitria Lunetta 
The End Games by T. Michael Martin (Reading Teen)
Coda by Emma Trevayne

Historical

Belle Epoque by Elizabeth Ross 
Maid of Secrets by Jennifer McGowan

Did you catch yesterday's post, which featured new middle-grade releases? Check it out here.