Reviews: Choker & The Sky is Everywhere

Choker - Elizabeth Woods
*January 4th, 2011 Simon & Schuster

First off, how striking is the cover for Choker? The graphic design work on it is pretty cool. Now, Choker. Honestly, kind of mixed feelings about this one. When I'd first picked it up, a couple pages in was the "cafeteria scene" - and it was basically very textbook, cliche, standard "expected" cafeteria scene - described by clique and how each clique sat at specific tables, etc. etc. (Now, let me just say, having experienced multiple high school cafeterias - we're talking upwards of 4 here - nowhere have I encountered a cafeteria with dividing lines laid out so precisely thus.) And that was basically the point at which I put the book down.

A couple weeks later, bored, I ended up picking it up again. The majority of the book is fairly decently written. (There were a couple of instances of characters having already done an action, and then repeating it a few paragraphs later, though.) But the really redeeming factor for Choker is its ending twist. It's the sort of ending that makes you go, "whoa" and quite of re-question all the narrative that came prior. It's the kind of ending that leaves you thinking, leaves you churning the story over in your head long after the last page has been turned, searching, marveling, trying to piece it together.

It's a little unfortunate that the rest of the novel didn't have the same intensity, the same pow! factor as the ending, but Choker is definitely a thriller still well worth reading.

The Sky is Everywhere - Jandy Nelson
*March 9th, 2010 Dial

There's been a ton of great buzz about Jandy Nelson's The Sky is Everywhere. Basically just reporting in that it lives up to the hype!

The Sky is Everywhere is a touching, charismatic sketch of loss and love, of going forward but remembering the past, of growing up. Lennie (who has a very cool name!) is voiced wonderfully and uniquely by Nelson. But what really stands out is Nelson's style. The writing is very different from a lot of what's out there in YA these days (a fair amount of short, choppy phrasing, a fair amount of long, flowy diction, etc.). There's something poetic and lyrical and almost artistic about Nelson's writing.

Basically, Jandy Nelson's The Sky is Everywhere is pretty exquisite.

Reviews: Skinned & Crashed

Because Skinned & Crashed are consecutive books in a trilogy by Robin Wasserman and I read them one right after the other, I'm just going to review both together, as the stuff I thought about one book generally applied to the other as well, for the most part.

Skinned and Crashed - Robin Wasserman
*September 9th, 2008 & September 8th, 2009, respectively

With the Skinned trilogy, Robin Wasserman has created an engrossing, three-dimensional and thought-provoking world of a hypothetical future.

One of the best aspects of these books was the world-building. Key elements of creating a realistic potential future include being able to visualize it, being able to feel it, being able to suspend disbelief and - however fleetingly - believe it. With these two books, Wasserman has accomplished that. The mechs, as a concept, feel so real.

Another strong point of both books is the voice. It's very distinctive, and at times even metallic - machine-like. Skinned focuses more on the psychological aspect, and as such moves a little bit slower, whereas Crashed is more physical-based. At the same time, Crashed is the second book in a trilogy, and for science fiction especially, it would be nice if it read like it were written that way. Honestly, there was so much repetition of concepts and background info (mostly revealed in Skinned) that it got to the point of being annoying.

Skinned and Crashed are both also very thought-provoking; there's definitely a bit of social satire in there, and it's really cool - and a little disconcerting - to see elements of our society reflected in that. Although the concepts explored weren't mind-blowing, if one bothers to ponder into it deep enough and make the effort to actually think about the implications while reading, it's definitely got some deep stuff that'll leave you unable to stop thinking about it long after the last page's been turned.

With intricate world-building, cool concepts and a distinctive voice, Crashed and Skinned are both very fun YA sci-fi reads.

*Wired, the third book in the trilogy, was recently released on September 14th, 2010.
**The back-cover synopsis of Crashed really bothered me - it didn't exactly fit the plot. Those of you who've read it, did you find that too?

Reviews: Radiant Shadows & Jekel Loves Hyde

Radiant Shadows - Melissa Marr

*April 20th, 2010 HarperTeen

In Radiant Shadows Melissa Marr has created an entrancing world of magic and possibility that draws the reader in and holds them as tightly as a traveler wandering lost in Faerie.

Marr has a very distinctive writing style with beautiful passages of description. The particular faery mythology used in Radiant Shadows is fresh and engaging. As far as leading ladies go, it's great to see someone like Ani, someone strong and not simply a damsel-in-distress.

On the downside, the relationships [of the romantic variety] just didn't feel all that real or credible to me. Ani and Devlin's progressed a little too fast and suddenly for my liking, and I didn't particularly like the way it was at the end of the novel either. At times the plot was a little tedious and there was rehashing of information that the reader could've easily figured out pages ago.

With beautifully flowing writing, Radiant Shadows is not just a book - it's a new world to explore, one complete with magic and mystery that'll leave the reader thinking about it long after the last page has been turned.

Jekel Loves Hyde - Beth Fantaskey
*May 3rd, 2010 Harcourt

Before reading Jekel Loves Hyde, I'd heard some great stuff about her debut novel, and some reviews that claim the sophomore follow-up (JLH) doesn't quite live up to it. Well, not having read Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side, I was approaching this one without a comparison point. Unfortunately, it was mostly a disappointment.

The main characters Jill and Tristen weren't particularly relatable to, and their relationship was a little sketch. Personally I wasn't too fond of the short, choppy chapters or the numerous ellipses trailing off sentences. There were plot holes like "what? Seriously?" And in beginning, when it appeared that science was going to play a part in explaining the experimentation and what happened to the original Jekyll and Hyde, I was kind of excited, expecting it to add to the credibility. But then the science aspect fell flat and actually had the opposite effect of detracting from it.

Fantaskey does have passages of magnetic writing though, which do exude charisma and are re-readable. On the whole, Jekel Loves Hyde is a good novel.

*This is the 3rd installment of mini reviews. Previous installments include:
If I Stay & Wintergirls
Hourglass & A Match Made In High School

Reviews: A Match Made in High School & Hourglass

A Match Made in High School - Kristin Walker
*February 4th, 2010 Razorbill

Kristin Walker's A Match Made In High School is a light-hearted and enjoyable read, both fun and funny. I whipped through this in one afternoon. Walker impressed me in a number of ways with this one. First off, although the concept itself isn't entirely new, she puts a unique spin on it and writes it in a way that's credible. Secondly, I liked the references to little tidbits of information that are a little out-there, a little more literary, which kind of elevates it in a sense. It's romantic, it's dramatic, it's high school and it's humourous - done well.

And the leading lady Fiona? I had moments where I disliked her, then there were moments when she grew on me. Basically, Walker has made her a dynamic character that readers can actually give a hoot about, which is great. And I especially appreciated the fact that it didn't follow the cliche, typical high school romantic outcome.

So sure, it's not exactly deep or controversial or thought-provoking. But if you're looking for some LOL fun, this is the perfect remedy. Fast, fresh and fun, A Match Made in High School is a wonderful debut from Kristin Walker.

Hourglass - Claudia Gray
*March 9th, 2010 HarperCollins

Claudia Gray provides a different take on vampires in her New York Times Bestselling series that began with Evernight. Hourglass is the third installment in the series, and is preceded by Stargazer. I really like the font they chose for the titles of these books. As for Hourglass, I didn't actually end up finishing it.

See, I started Hourglass and I'd been pretty into it - it was action-packed, it was original, etc. I got to Chapter 15 (page 212 of about 339) and stopped for a few days, and after that basically wasn't really able to get back into it. It's been a few months now, since then. On one hand, originally I had found it a pretty enthralling read up to as far as I got. On the other, after stopping, it just didn't hold the same calling any more. (Note - if I ever end up getting back into it and finishing, I'll come back and update this.)

I did like the fact that it was a different take on vampires and vampire hunters. I also liked the fact that there was a distinct sort of vampire mythology present. I also enjoyed the fact that it was very action-packed. So if you're looking for more vampires (or hunters) or action, Claudia Gray's Hourglass is one to check out.

*This is the second installment of mini reviews. The first, featuring Gayle Forman's IF I STAY and Laurie Halse Anderson's WINTERGIRLS, can be found here.

Reviews: If I Stay & Wintergirls

First, a brief explanation. A lot of my reviews tend to be on the longer side, and as such take a while and a fair amount of thought to write. And after having set a sort of standard with longer reviews, it feels like it would be weird to have them suddenly interspersed with much shorter ones. But the fact of the matter is, some books are simply able to be reviewed much more succinctly. That and some days longer reviews just feel so daunting, especially when there's a backlog and a ton of other stuff to do.

As such, some books - usually those with less things to say about, or those shorter in length, or those read not specifically for the purpose of reviewing - will be reviewed in compilations. Books specifically for review will continue to receive full-length reviews in the format of "[Book Title] Review" while mini-reviews¹ will carry the title formatting of "Reviews: [Book Title] & [Book Title]". Feel free to comment below with any feedback on this!

And now, to kick things off:²
If I Stay - Gayle Forman
April 9th, 2009 Dutton

Gayle Forman's If I Stay is a heartbreaking musing on life and death, the in between, and the decision to go one way or the other. As a story, Forman has accomplished some really remarkable things with it. For one thing, the whole course of it takes place within a very short period of time, but through flashbacks we get a sense of all of the characters. The emotions are very raw and the characterization is very intense. The relationships between characters are portrayed very dynamically.

Personally, I'm not particularly fond of the reasons for Mia's final decision; it felt a little abrupt and easy and sort of brought down the whole book a little. ³ It's undeniable though that Forman's got a great way with words.

With beautiful writing, great descriptions and a unique story-telling style, Forman's If I Stay is an gorgeously heartbreaking story.


Wintergirls - Laurie Halse Anderson
March 19th, 2009 Viking

Laurie Halse Anderson is one of the big-shot names in YA today, which sets Wintergirls up with high expectations - it definitely does not disappoint. Halse Anderson is known for tackling difficult and controversial issues pertinent to today's youth. Wintergirls deals with eating disorders - but it such away that makes the deadly disease come alive. It's almost like it was personified as another character or something, which was really remarkable to see.

There's also something about the writing: the diction choice, the phrasing, the metaphors... it's so unique, so specifically branded as 'Laurie Halse Anderson'. There are so many passages of sheer beauty:

"The snow drifts into our zombie mouths crawling with grease and curses and tabacco flakes and cavities and boyfriend/girlfriend juice, the stain of lies. For one moment we are not failed tests and broken condoms and cheating on essays; we are crayons and lunch boxes and swinging so high our sneakers punch holes in the clouds" (Halse Anderson 15)⁴.

How beautiful is that? Wow, just breathtaking. Alas, I didn't connect with the characters (particularly Lia) as much as I would've liked. There's something about Wintergirls though, something that just stays with you. Hours after you finish reading it, the words continue to play out in your head, the scenarios repeat themselves, and your mind just continues to contemplate the story.

Memorable and riveting, Wintergirls is a breathtaking story about an all-too-real issue plaguing today's youth. Laurie Halse Anderson has created a vividly real story that unfortunately plays out in real life all too often.

__________
¹ Awhile ago I do recall seeing a feature/meme about mini-reviews, but there were a bunch of restrictions (i.e. word count-wise) that didn't really fit what I wanted to do.
² Book titles link to the Goodreads pages for summaries, etc.
³ I also seem to recall reading a description about spiderwebs being fragile (can't find the exact location now) which was a little jarring, as spider webs are supposed to be one of the strongest substances out there...

⁴ Halse Anderson, Laurie. Wintergirls. New York: Speak, 2009.