The Star-Touched Queen

TITLE: The Star-Touched Queen
AUTHOR: Roshani Chokshi
RELEASE DATE: April 2016
PUBLISHER: St. Martin's Griffin
PAGES: 342 pages
SERIES: The Star-Touched Queen book 1
GENRE: Fantasy
OVERALL RATING: 1/5
APPROPRIATE AGE: grades 7-12

SUMMARY: Treated with scorn and fear in her father's kingdom because of a formidable horoscope, 16-year-old Maya commits herself to her education only to land in an arranged marriage that culminates in her sudden elevation to the throne, a situation that is threatened by dark secrets and Otherworldly magic.

FAVORITE QUOTE:  "Why do they always start with history? Show me a dream unrealized. Don't show me unchangeable paths." (Chokshi, )

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: I could not follow the story of this book. It seemed to jump around a lot. In Part One, she is the daughter of a Raja, with a horoscope of death. In Part Two, she is in an alternate dimension with strange creatures. I felt the story jumped too much. Every time I picked up the book, I had to reread the last couple of pages just to remind myself what was happening in the storyline. 

SERIES UPDATE: Book Two: A Crown of Wishes releases March 28, 2017

READALIKES: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas

BOOK TRAILER: No official book trailer was available at the time this review was published.

The Girl at Midnight

TITLE: The Girl at Midnight
AUTHOR: Melissa Grey
RELEASE DATE: June 2016
PUBLISHER: Delacourt Press
GENRE: Fantasy
SERIES: The Girl At Midnight #1
OVERALL RATING: 4/5
APPROPRIATE AGE: grades 8-12 

SUMMARY: When the Ala, a magical, feathered being, caught Echo trying to pick her pocket as a child, she didn't see a homeless orphan, she saw hope. But now Echo is stuck in the middle of a war between the Avicen that she considers family and the dragon-like Drakharin. Only by teaming up with the Dragon Prince to find the Firebird can Echo finally end this centuries-old war.  

   

FAVORITE QUOTE: "The young always think they're invincible, right until the moment they learn otherwise. Usually the hard way." (Grey, )

WHAT I LIKED: I love the idea of a secret world full of magical creatures taking place right in the world of New York City (or should I say under it). The story starts out with the Ala visiting the New York City Public Library after hours with sunglasses and a scarf to cover her head of feathers. It makes you wonder how often magical people are hiding among us.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: There is so much backstory to this book that I feel like it barely skims the surface. I really think this book series needs a prequel. I would LOVE to hear Rose's story. 

READALIKES: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

SERIES UPDATE: Book 2: The Shadow Hour, Book 3: The Savage Dawn will release July 11, 2017

BOOK TRAILER: official book trailer not available at the time this blog was published

Ink and Ashes

TITLE: Ink and Ashes
AUTHOR: Valynne E. Maetani
RELEASE DATE: June 2015
PUBLISHER: Tu Books
PAGES: 386 pages
GENRE: Adventure, Mystery
OVERALL RATING: 2/5
APPROPRIATE AGE: grades 

SUMMARY: Claire Takata is your typical high school girl, she loves playing soccer, and hanging out with her brothers and best friends. But all that changes when she comes across a strange letter from her deceased father to her step father. Claire begins to question her father's death and her entire family's future. Digging deeper, she finds only secrets and lies from her mother and stepfather. But what happens when she digs too deep and finds that her father belonged to the yukuza, the Japanese mafia. Has she uncovered a secret that was better left buried? Has she put the rest of her family in danger? 

WHAT I LIKED: This book definitely kept me on my toes. I don't normally read mysteries because I can always figure out the ending too early. However, this book definitely throws you for a couple of loops before finally finding the actual culprit. 

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: Throughout the book Claire gets into a lot of trouble: things are stolen from her locker, eye balls are left wrapped like a present in her backpack, she's run off the road, and someone almost bombs her house. I seriously just wanted to shake the girl and say "Call the police! Tell your parents!" Its like any scary movie you watch, "Don't run up the stairs!" 

READALIKES: How to Disappear by Ann Redisch Stampler

BOOK TRAILER: not the official Book Trailer, but a pretty good one as far as being created by a student. Credit: Tobie Cattarin

Defiance

TITLE: Defiance
AUTHOR: C.J. Redwine
RELEASE DATE: August 2012
PUBLISHER: Balzer + Bray
PAGES: 408 pages
SERIES: Defiance book #1
GENRE: Fantasy
OVERALL RATING: 2/5
APPROPRIATE AGE: grades 7-12

SUMMARY: Rachel is not like other girls in her walled city of Baalboden. While they are taught to sew, cook, and be obedient; Rachel is learning to read, write and hunt. But when Rachel's father disappears beyond the wall, her life changes and all of her freedoms are gone. She must escape, go beyond the walls, and through the Wastelands to find her father.   

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: This story was just like every other typical Dystopian today. There is a city with walls and a terrible Wasteland beyond that isn't safe for anyone to live, most likely because mankind did something to destroy it (in this case, we brought forth giant snake creatures that live beneath the earth). But of course, the main character ( a girl) fights against all odds to save the world: enter danger, love story, and sequel. 

FAVORITE QUOTE: "I love how you still think if you tell me to do something, I'll just check my brain at the door and do it." This quote shows Rachel's stubbornness, especially toward Logan.

SERIES UPDATE: Book Two: Deception and Book Three: Deliverance

READALIKES: Graceling by Kirsten Cashore

BOOK TRAILER:

The Sin Eater's Daughter

TITLE: The Sin Eater's Daughter
AUTHOR: Melinda Salisbury
RELEASE DATE: February 2015
PUBLISHER: Scholastic Press
PAGES: 312 pages 
SERIES: The Sin Eater's Daughter book 1
GENRE: Fantasy
OVERALL RATING: 2/5
APPROPRIATE AGE: grades 9-12

SUMMARY: Twylla's mother is the Sin Eater, at every funeral, she is paid to eat the sins of the dead. Twylla was supposed to follow in her footsteps, but at the age of twelve, Twylla was taken to the castle of Lormere to become Daunen Embodied, the goddess whose touch can kill. For four years she is the queen's personal executioner and the prince's betrothed, until she begins to question it all. 

   

FAVORITE QUOTE:  "I am the perfect weapon, I can kill with a single touch." (Salisbury, )

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: I felt the storyline seriously lacked some details. The entire time I'm reading the book I'm asking questions, like "Why was Twylla chosen?". "Why can only the royal family touch her?", "Why hasn't she asked to see her family?", etc. I never really liked the character of Twylla, who would go into that kind of life so passively? This book would be great with a little more backstory, I felt there was no depth to the characters and because of that I felt absolutely no attachment to them while reading the story.

SERIES UPDATE: Book 2: The Sleeping Prince, and Book 3: The Scarecrow Queen due out in 2017

READALIKES: A Court of Thorn and Roses by Sarah J Maas, Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

BOOK TRAILER: Author Melinda Salisbury reads an excerpt from The Sin Eater's Daughter

The Glittering Court

TITLE: The Glittering Court
AUTHOR: Richelle Mead
RELEASE DATE: April 2016
PUBLISHER: Razorbill
PAGES: 400 pages
SERIES: The Glittering Court  book one
GENRE: Chick Lit
OVERALL RATING: 4/5
APPROPRIATE AGE: grades 7-12  

SUMMARY: Adelaide is a high-borne, whose wealthy family is forcing her into a loveless marriage. So she decides to run away and join the Glittering Court, a group of low-borne girls who are trained in etiquette and dressed like beautiful jewels to eventually be sold to the highest bidder in a new land across the sea.

   

FAVORITE QUOTE: "We are all in charge of our own lives - and we have to live with the consequences that we make." (Mead, )

WHAT I LIKED: I liked that this book had a historic feel to it. The women all wore big dresses and had to make sure that they talked proper. But it all took place in town and a world that does not exist. Overall, it was a great book that I ended up finishing in just a day. 

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: The story started out a little slow. You begin to resent Adelaide because she is rich and has had everything given to her. In order to save her family and their fortune, she has to marry a man that she doesn't exactly like. Instead she decides to abandon her grandmother and disappear in a carriage under an assumed name with people she doesn't know to go to a place that is not even inhabited. Who does that?

SERIES UPDATE: Book 2: Midnight Jewel released April 25, 2017

READALIKES: The Selection by Kiera Cass

BOOK TRAILER: 

The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B

TITLE: The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B
AUTHOR: Teresa Toten
RELEASE DATE: March 2015
PUBLISHER: Delacorte Press
PAGES: 289 pages
GENRE: Realistic Fiction
OVERALL RATING: 3/5
APPROPRIATE AGE: grades 8-12 (language)

SUMMARY: A therapy group of teens with OCD try to cope with their complicated lives by taking on the personalities of superheroes. Adam Spencer Harris immediately falls for the newest member of their group, Robyn, as soon as she walks in the door. When she chooses the superhero Robin, who else can Adam be, but Batman? But while Batman is busying saving everyone around him, from his group, to his mother, and little brother; who will help save him? 

FAVORITE QUOTE: "This was love? It was like being held hostage by a terrorist. The feelings from hope to horror were crazy intense and changed on a dime. If only he knew what she thought. Why couldn't girls tell you exactly what they were thinking the moment they were thinking it? The world would be a better place, yes, sir." (Toten, 131)
   

WHAT I LIKED: My favorite part of the whole book was when the group of superheroes decide to take a field trip to Adam's Catholic church. The group treat the place like a theme park, so impressed by the Holy water, the priest and the lighting of the candles. I, personally, have never been to a Catholic church, and have to admit, I would probably react the same way. I just remember laughing out loud throughout that entire chapter! 

READALIKES: Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon

The Crown

TITLE: The Crown
AUTHOR: Kiera Cass
RELEASE DATE: May 2016
PUBLISHER: HarperTeen
PAGES: 279 pages
GENRE: ChickLit
SERIES: The Selection series
OVERALL RATING: 5/5
APPROPRIATE AGE: grades 7-12 

SUMMARY: In the finale to the beloved Selection series, Eadlyn must choose her fiance from the Selection, cope with her mother's sudden heart attack, survive without her twin, Aaron, and run a country of people who don't exactly like her. She has to make a lot of tough decisions, but eventually she learns that listening to your heart is sometimes more important than listening to your head.

FAVORITE QUOTE: "Maybe it's not the first kisses that are supposed to be special. Maybe it's the last one."
   

WHAT I LIKED: This book made me emotional. I won't say it was a tear jerker (spoiler alert), no one dies. But for every decision that Eadlyn had to make, I felt like I was right there beside her supporting her and I got a little teary eyed a couple of times. But that is what I love about a book, if reading a book can make me feel emotion for the character, then it automatically becomes a five in my opinion. And yes, there were also times when I caught myself laughing out loud.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: I can honestly say that Eadlyn did not choose the suitor that I wanted for her. I liked that throughout the book you really had no idea who she was going to choose. As she says multiple times, the top five are all front runners. I knew who I wanted her to pick (which I won't say to avoid spoilers) but I was very happy with who she did choose in the end. Honestly, I really wish The Crown wasn't the end. I would like to see what Eadlyn and her fiance do with their kingdom.

BOOK TRAILER: uploaded by EpicReads

Lady Midnight

TITLE: Lady Midnight
AUTHOR: Cassandra Clare
RELEASE DATE: March 2016
PUBLISHER: Margaret K. McElderberry Books
PAGES: 668 pages
GENRE: Fantasy/Supernatural
SERIES: Dark Artifices
OVERALL RATING: 5/5
APPROPRIATE AGE: grades 8-12 

SUMMARY: Its been five years since the Dark War, and parabatais Emma Carstairs and Julian Blackthorn star in this next installment of the Shadowhunter series. All grown up, Julian takes on the role of guardian to the four younger Blackthorn children, while also secretly running the Los Angeles institute for his absentminded uncle, Arthur. Emma is still convinced her parents were not killed by Sebastian and is working to investigate a series of demonic murders. But when the faeries call on the help of the Shadowhunters, they refuse, until the Fae offer up their brother, Mark of the Dark Hunt, as collateral. With the Shadowhunters go against the Clave, and break the Law to help the Fae? 

FAVORITE QUOTE: "And if there were two things he believed were limitless, it was love and imagination." (Clare, 168)
   

WHAT I LIKED: I am a complete Shadowhunters fan, I have read all of the books. My favorites are The Infernal Devices, which I just found out has a follow up series (The Last Hours) coming out in 2017. I liked seeing the story continue on with the next generation of Shadowhunters. I also liked that all of the characters from The Mortal Instruments play a part in this series. Getting to see all your favorite characters like Clary, Jace, Simon, Izzy, Alec and Magnus finally get their Happily Ever After just leaves you feeling warm and fuzzy. 

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: 

SERIES UPDATE: The next book in the series is Prince of Shadows but does not have an expected release date yet

BOOK TRAILER: I could not find an official book trailer for Lady Midnight (shame shame, Simon and Shuster), but I would like to point you in the direction of the Official Shadowhunter Chronicles website. Check it out here at http://shadowhunters.com/

Dumplin'

TITLE: Dumplin'
AUTHOR: Julie Murphy
RELEASE DATE: September 2015
PUBLISHER: Balzer + Bray
PAGES: 375 pages
GENRE: ChickLit, Realistic Fiction, Comedy
OVERALL RATING: 5/5
APPROPRIATE AGE: grades 8-12 (language)

SUMMARY: Willowdean Dickson is a self-proclaimed fat girl and Dolly Parton enthusiast. Her best friend is tall, blonde, perfect, and about to leave her behind in high school. Her mom is a former beauty queen who now runs Clover City's annual Miss Blue Bonnet Beauty Pageant, but never expected Willowdean to compete. Bo, her crush, will kiss her by the dumpster behind Harpy's, but won't be seen in public with her. With all of this qoing against her, Will decides she will show them all that fat girls can win by entering the Miss Blue Bonnet Beauty Pageant. 

FAVORITE QUOTE: "Mom, I feel good." My voice starts out even and calm. "This dress makes me feel like someone I didn't know I could be. I've never owned anything like it. But if when you see this-when you see me-you think it's a pity, that it's a shame I didn't lose a few, then screw you, Mom. Try harder." (Murphy, 297)

WHAT I LIKED: I loved every single thing about this book. I loved all of the Texan quirks I could relate to, "...because on the eighth day God created ranch dressing." (Murphy, 13). I love WillowDean Dickson, her confidence, her attitude; she is the type of girl I wish I had as a best friend when I was in high school. I found myself chuckling at parts, tearing up at other parts and just busting out laughing too. Overall, I loved the message this book gave and I definitely think this is a book that every girl needs to read: fat or twiggy thin.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: I will have to admit, I didn't like the ending. Not in a bad way, I just wanted MORE! I wanted the Happily Ever After, where the book only gave me the very smidge of a possible beginning for a Happily Ever After. 

READALIKES: Wonder by R.J. Palacio

BOOK TRAILER: After tweeting with the author, Julie Murphy, I found that there is not an official book trailer for Dumplin'. But Epic Reads has created a couple of videos, and I've included my favorite which is a video about the author, Julie Murphy. 

Shiver

TITLE: Shiver
AUTHOR: Maggie Stiefvater
RELEASE DATE: August 2009
PUBLISHER: Scholastic
PAGES: 392 pages
SERIES: Book 1 of 4 in The Wolves of Mercy Falls series
GENRE: Supernatural
OVERALL RATING: 5/5
APPROPRIATE AGE: grades 9-12

SUMMARY: Grace has always been mesmerized by the wolves that live in the woods behind her house. She can sit at the window and watch the beautiful yellow eyed wolf for hours. What she doesn't know, is that he has been watching her as well. When Grace and Sam's paths cross, she realizes they might have more in common than she ever imagined, and she will do anything to save her yellow-eyed wolf.

FAVORITE QUOTE: "I didn't think I belonged here in her world, a boy stuck between two lives, dragging the dangers of the wolves with me, but when she said my name, waiting for me to follow, I knew I'd do anything to stay with her."

WHAT I LIKED: Supernatural books became the popular trend when Twilight came out. All the girls wanted a vampire or werewolf boyfriend. But Shiver puts an entire spin on the story. A boy that is the perfect boyfriend for half the year (think, summer vacation) and then becomes a wolf for the winter. What girl wouldn't everything they could to keep that boy warm all winter long?

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: This story is definitely a mushy-gushy love story. One of those, "I know we just met, but I would die without you" types of stories. It's perfect for a teenager, but as an adult, I look back and realize it is never as dramatic as you think. So what I don't like about this story, is the same thing that will make any teenage girl completed obsessed about it.

READALIKES: Twilight sage by Stephenie Meyer

BOOK TRAILER: 

The Selection

TITLE: The Selection
AUTHOR: Kiera Cass
RELEASE DATE: April 2012
PUBLISHER: HarperTeen
PAGES: 327 pages
SERIES: Book 1 of 5 in The Selection series
GENRE: ChickLit
OVERALL RATING: 5/5
APPROPRIATE AGE: grades 7-12

SUMMARY: In a dystopian future where people are distinguished by numbers and talents, America Singer is a five with a future in music. Life is perfect, with her plans to marry Aspen, the boy next door, until her name is drawn on live television to compete against thirty-four other girls for the chance to marry, Maxon, the prince.

WHAT I LIKED: This is one of those books that I think every girl in the entire world needs to read. When I got the series in my library, I immediately checked out the first one for my mom. She had all four books and novellas finished within the week. Right now I have an English teacher hooked. When I "Book Talk" this series to my students, I tell them it is a cross between Hunger Games and The Bachelor. Gets them every time! I'm not usually into Chick Lit, and I had a hard time deciding if this series should go into Chick Lit or SciFi, because of the covers I went with ChickLit, but I already have a second set on order. 

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: I didn't like Aspen, throughout the entire book I wanted to tell (ok, scream) America to just leave that boy in her past. He was only holding her back. Seriously, how can you even begin to compare Aspen, a five, to Maxon, the prince! No contest! 

MOVIE RELEASE: in development by Warner Bros

BOOK TRAILER: 

Passenger

TITLE: Passenger
AUTHOR: Alexandra Bracken
RELEASE DATE: January 2016
PUBLISHER: Hyperion
PAGES: 486 pages
SERIES: Book 1 in the 
GENRE: Science Fiction
OVERALL RATING: 3/5
APPROPRIATE AGE: grades 9-12

SUMMARY: Henrietta is a violin prodigy, but when she walks on stage for her big debut, something life-changing happens. A loud noise, the death of a close friend, and then she is pushed through a portal to a different time where pirates are real and the expectations of women are a whole lot different. Henrietta quickly learns that not only is she a time traveler, but she comes from a long line of them; a whole life that her mother kept hidden from her. And now she is forced to travel through time portals,with the help of Henry (a fellow traveler) to find the astrolabe that her mother hid from the Grand Master. But should she return the astrolabe to save her mother or destroy it to protect the future? How can Etta make such a big decision about a life that she still truly doesn't understand? 

FAVORITE QUOTE: "Etta had lived through a sea battle. She's survived the scheming of old, power-hungry men; the Blitz; a tiger; a cobra; and a gunshot-and she was denying herself this, out of fear that it might hurt later? What would hurt worse: the regret that she tried, or the regret that she didn't?"

WHAT I LIKED: I enjoyed all of the world building in this story. Etta had to travel to several different time periods and locations: New York City-1776, London-1940, Angkor-1685, Paris-1880, and Damascus-1599. Through each time portal, she had to figure out how to dress, how to behave, and how to fit in. It seemed like Alexandra Bracken did a lot of research for these different locations and time periods to make this story accurate.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: The book starts out extremely slow. It took me about a week to get through the first three chapters (I usually finish books in less than a week). It wasn't even till after the first seven chapters that it even picked up speed, and even then it was a slow crawl. Overall I was completely disappointed by this book. I am such a HUGE fan of Alexandra Bracken's Dark Minds series that I really wanted to love this new series. But I kept reading this book wondering where is the action? Well it comes in the last chapter. 

READALIKES: The Ruby Red trilogy by Kerstin Gier

SERIES UPDATE: Book two: Wayfarer is due out January 2017.

BOOK TRAILER: Uploaded by Hyperion Teen

Everything, Everything

TITLE: Everything, Everything
AUTHOR: Nicola Yoon
RELEASE DATE: September 2015
PUBLISHER: Delacourt Press
PAGES: 310 pages
GENRE: Realistic Fiction
OVERALL RATING: 4/5
APPROPRIATE AGE: grades 9-12

SUMMARY: Madeline Whitaker suffers from Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) or the "bubble baby disease". She has not left her house since she was a baby. But other than that, she is a typical teenage girl: she takes classes over Skype, reads like crazy and plays Phonetic Scrabble every Friday night with her doctor mother in her sterile, sealed house. Life is perfect, until Olly moves in next door, and opens her world to experiences she never knew were possible. 

FAVORITE QUOTE: "When I was younger, one of my favorite activities was imagining alternate universe versions of myself. Sometimes I was a rosy cheeked outdoorsy girl who ate flowers and hiked alone, uphill, for miles. Or I was a skydiving, drag racing, adrenaline-fueled daredevil. Or a chainmail-wearing, sword-swinging, dragon slayer. It was fun to imagine those things because I already knew who I was. Now I don't know anything. I don't know who I'm supposed to be in my new world."

WHAT I LIKED/DIDN'T LIKE: I am combining these two questions for this particular book because the thing that I loved about this story is also the thing that constantly frustrated me. When reading Maddy and Olly's conversations, I literally found myself smiling and often laughing out loud. They're funny. But as my husband would say, "Who talks like that?". I would love to find two teenagers who discuss novels like Lord of the Flies and Pride and Prejudice. Heck! Find me two teenagers who have actually read both those books!

READALIKES: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

MOVIE RELEASE: movie release May 19, 2017

BOOK TRAILER: I was unable to find an official book trailer for this novel. However I found an interview with the author, Nicola Yoon, and she describes the storyline and her inspiration behind the book.