Kick Back and Enjoy a Rollicking Good Time in WHAT I REMEMBER by Stacy Kramer and Valerie Thomas

Kylie wakes up in Mexico the morning of graduation, miles away from home where she is scheduled to give the valedictorian speech later that day. As Kylie remembers the previous 24 hours, she learns more about life and herself than the last four years at school taught her.

Here's your quickie synopsis: Just before her graduation from La Jolla's exclusive Freiburg Academy, valedictorian and scholarship student Kylie Flores inadvertently ends up in Ensenada, Mexico, with Max, one of the most popular boys in school, where, in twenty-four jam-packed hours, their lives dramatically change.

At first glance, you may think this is a stereotypical "last day of school" type of book. But the authors bring a lot more than that to the table. First of all, The alternating points of view gave the story more depth. There were some characters that I wouldn't have liked at face value. But, seeing their point of view helped me to sympathize with, or at least understand them, and grow to like them. Mostly, though, the characters were all interesting and fully formed, not stock characters. Kylie is an unexpected feisty little firecracker. Max is also deeper than you would expect, with issues of his own, even with being the most popular senior in school.

In addition to the fun, realistic characters, the action kept me laughing all the way through. It reads very much like an action movie, which is funny, since Kylie is an action movie screenwriter. And she makes blatant references to it, while the action is happening. You'd think that wouldn't work, but it actually does. As Kylie and Max get deeper and deeper into their predicament, the more fun I had being immersed in it. I feel like I was trapped in Ensendad, Mexico for a few days!

I had a great time. FROM WHAT I REMEMBER brought back all the fun times from my own high school days. (Okay, so maybe not the kidnapping or the armed criminals, but you know, lots of other stuff...)

You'll get a kick out of it too, trust me!

I'm so sad that I can't post a trailer for you, but I couldn't find one. :( The only one I found was posted by a student for English class, and I sometimes will post those, but this one had the cast from That 70's Show in it and I didn't like it.) Sorry! Check out the authors' website here.

Gripping Action with Beautiful Storytelling in HOSTAGE THREE by Nick Lake

When a book starts with, "There is a gun pointing right at my head" it's certain to grab my attention. But lately, I've been kinda ADD with books. I've started several and put them down after a few chapters, so keeping my interest has been a mighty task.

This one kept my interest. In fact, I read it mostly in one afternoon.

Here's the synopsis:

As Amy sets out to sea with her family on a yacht, she's only thinking about the peaceful waters and the warm sun. But she doesn't get either after a group of pirates seize the boat and its human cargo, and the family becomes a commodity in a highly sophisticated transaction. Hostage One is Amy's father--the most valuable. Hostage Three is Amy, who can't believe the nightmare she's in. But something even stranger happens as she builds a bond with one of her captors, making it brutally clear that the price of life and its value are two very different things.

There is a lot to love about this book. It has suspenseful - edge of your seat action, along with some deep meaningful storytelling. And I'm not spoiling anything here by saying this (see above), Amy forms a bond with one of the captors and learns about his life back in Somalia. The striking difference between her very wealthy life and his starving family is startling to her. You begin to understand, if not sympathize with, the pirates. There are some gruesome moments. There are many more meaningful and enlightening moments. All the way around, I highly recommend this beautiful book. 

I do want to address something unusual about the writing style. The author does not use quotation marks, but uses dashes/hyphens for dialogue. This was confusing at first. Sometimes you aren't sure if the latter part of the section is still dialogue or internal monologue. SEE:

I was so annoyed at first, that I stopped reading it. Then I thought, oh this is an ARC, so maybe it's just something in the manuscript. So I bought a copy and...it was the same. I finally realized that I was being childish, got over it, and read the book. I totally got used to it after a while. I'm glad I did - it was worth it. But I did want to point that, so you aren't surprised when you see it. 

By the way, if the author is familiar, you may remember that his book IN DARKNESS just won the Printz award this year. (And I checked. Yes, he employs the same dialogue method in that book.)

It was released in the UK in January, but isn't releasing here in Hardback until November. You can buy the ebook now, though. Enjoy!

Joe Schreiber. AU REVOIR, CRAZY EUROPEAN CHICK

Okay, I admit it. I picked this one up because of the title. Pretty catchy, right?

Your quickie synopsis: 
Perry's parents insist that he take Gobi, their quiet, Lithuanian exchange student, to senior prom, but after an incident at the dance he learns that Gobi is actually a trained assassin who needs him as a henchman, behind the wheel of his father's precious Jaguar, on a mission in Manhattan.


So the publisher dubs this a cross between FERRIS BUELLER and LA FEMME NIKITA. And that's pretty much correct. It's funny, but also a little crazy and violent. It's a rip-roaring good time! I enjoyed it thoroughly and can visualize this one being adapted to the big screen. In fact, it read like a movie, if that makes any sense.

It left me hanging at the end, so I went looking and found out that, yep, there's a sequel called PERRY'S KILLER PLAYLIST. If you like action sprinkled with witty sarcasm and humor, you'll love this one!

Check out the trailer below.

Alexandra Bracken. THE DARKEST MINDS

Ruby was taken away from her parents at ten-years-old and brought to a "reform camp" with hundreds of other kids with special abilities. A sickness has killed of most of the children in America, and those who escaped the sickness are left with something scarier than death. They have abilities they cannot control. Adults are so frightened that they round up all the kids they can and lock them in these reform camps.

What about the parents? Many are scared enough of their own children that they gladly give them to the government. Others try to hide them or go on the run. Some even form resistance leagues to try to save the children.

When Ruby turns sixteen, someone from the rescue league rescues her from the camp, but no one can rescue her previous "normal" existence. She thought leaving the camp would be the answer to her prayers, but life outside the camp and the choices she must make are even more frightening.

Wow! This is one of the best books I've read in a while! It grabs you from the first page and does NOT let go until the very last sentence! Then, it leaves you with deep longing for the next installment!

Check out the killer trailer! How can you watch this & want the book immediately!?

Marie Lu. LEGEND

Here is another one for those of you who love dystopians. It's action packed and has two strong, well written main characters.

The United States is broken up into an area called the Republic of America. It's not clear which states are included, although some that are mentioned specifically are California, Colorado, Arizona and West Texas. The Republic is fighting against Colonies such as East Texas and a few other areas not specifically mentioned. The Republic claims that the colonies are trying to take their land. It's unclear whether this is the case, because the republic doesn't feel trustworthy.

Day failed his trial, which is a test all 10-year-olds take to determine if you go to college or to the labor camps. He escaped the labor camp and pretended to be dead. Now he scavenges in the poor sectors to stay alive. He also commits crimes in order to help people. He's become sort of a hero for the poor.

June grew up in the polar opposite situation. She scored a perfect 1500 on her trial test. Now she's just been recruited from the best military school in the republic to work for one of the top commanders.

When June is ordered to hunt Day, she relishes the chance, since he killed someone she loved. She goes underground to track him down in the poor sector. But the poor sector ends up revealing more to her than she is prepared to deal with. She begins to uncover information about the Republic and begins to question everything she's been taught. Will enemies Day and June end up on the same side of the war?

For some reason, out of all the dystopians I've read, this one seems much more likely to be the future we could actually have, if we aren't careful. The way history is re-written in LEGEND and the way crucial information is hidden is eerily too much like some things I see going on today. Currently, we have free access to information. But when I hear about the government wanting to regulate the Internet and wanting to shut down radio shows, that's when I worry. This book shows exactly what happens when information isn't free. It's not pretty.

Anyway, the book is action packed. The stunts of bravery are thrilling. The other chilling elements of this dystopian world include plagues, horrifying poverty, lack of electricity and lack medical care (unless you can bribe someone).

I loved the two main characters. They are beautifully written. Lu does a brilliant job of showing how both Day and June are dealing with difficult situations. They are strong, honorable people. It's exciting how June is equally as strong and smart as Day. They make an invincible team.  I hope we have sequels. I'm not ready to leave this universe for good. (Odds are in our favor, since the book's website is called "Legendtheseries")

Check out the trailer below, the book's website here and the author's website here. 

Alex Flinn. CLOAKED

I'm really impressed by the diversity of genres that Alex Flinn writes in, as well as the quality of writing in all of those different areas. Her more serious books, like FADE TO BLACK and BREATHING UNDERWATER are memorable years after reading them. But the more lighthearted books are just as memorable. BEASTLY was the first book she wrote with a fairy tale inspiration. Then A KISS IN TIME followed.

CLOAKED is an adventurous, joy ride! Johnny is an average shoe repair guy working in his family's shop in the lobby of a South Beach resort. His father was a shoe repair guy, and his grandfather was a shoe repair guy. Pretty exciting, right? Yeah, that's what Johnny thinks too. When the Alorian princess comes to stay at the resort, Johnny hopes to get a glance of her to add a little adventure to his life.

But, Johnny gets way more than glimpse of Victoriana. His wish of adventure is granted when she asks him to save her brother who's been abducted. The only catch is that her brother will be difficult to locate, since he was turned into a frog. And he's somewhere in Miami. But, if he's able to bring her brother back, then Victoriana will marry him and he'll be rich beyond his wildest dreams. Johnny decides to go on the quest armed with a magical cloak that Victoriana claims will transport him anywhere he wishes.

Surprises abound in this adventure! Johnny discovers secrets about witches, giants and animals who used to be human. He also gets quite a shock to learn that his best friend was keeping a magical secret from him.

I loved the combination of new ideas coupled with classics that felt familiar, such as The Frog Prince and The Elves and the Shoemaker. Plus, there are some more obscure fairy tales that intrigued me enough to want to know more. Luckily, the Author's Note in the back answered my questions. The quotes at the beginning of each chapter that referenced a particular fairly tale were a nice touch and gave you a little foreshadowing at times. You will enjoy the ride in CLOAKED!

By the way, I was able to get Alex Flinn's autograph at ALA in June, so I couldn't help but show off the picture of us. I've wanted to meet her for years, so that's while my smile is so big that my face can barely contain it!

Also, check out the book trailer for CLOAKED:
And her newly designed website for all of her other great books!

Maureen Johnson. THE LAST LITTLE BLUE ENVELOPE

If you didn't realize it by the title, this is the sequel to 13 LITTLE BLUE ENVELOPES, and if you haven't read that yet, STOP and go do that before you continue here. I warned you: SPOILERS ahead!

As you remember from the first book, Ginny's bag was stolen on a beach in Greece before she could read the last envelope. This book is about that last little envelope. One evening as she's waiting for Keith to pop up online and message her, she gets an unusual message from a stranger. The message includes the first half of that last little blue envelope. Supposedly, the person sending it purchased her stolen backpack and the letters were still in it. If she meets this person in London, she'll get to see the rest of the letter.

Since it's winter vacation, Ginny convinces her parents to let her go and stay with Richard while she figures this out. After visiting with Richard upon arrival, she seeks out Keith. He's used to her popping up out of nowhere, so she doesn't call first. She gets a surprise to find out that things aren't exactly the same between them. Also, when she meets this person (who turns out to be named Oliver), she finds that he isn't as horrendous as you'd expect a blackmailer to be. He might even be, well...handsome, in a brooding sort of way.

Oliver won't simply give her the letter. He reveals that they must go on a journey to find several more pieces of art that Aunt Peg left around the world. After they assemble them, then they will put them up for sale. But he's going with her, because he wants a cut of the profits. Keith won't let her go alone with this stranger, so he worms his way into the trip. And he brings his "friend" Ellis with them. The four trek off together to solve Aunt Peg's last mission.

I enjoyed this very much! Maureen Johnson did a fantastic job of making this different, but just as exciting as the first. The first book was so intriguing and I enjoyed going on each of the journeys with Ginny. So to make the sequel as interesting, but while also making it a different, yet still a conclusion, in a way, of the first book - well that was challenging, I'm sure. And the author lived up to that challenge! Without revealing too much, I will tell you that Aunt Peg's last letter was worthy of the wait! I wanted to quote a large portion here, but I would rather you read the book and discover it for yourself.

Maureen Johnson is one of my favorite authors! Here are some of my previous reviews. I think my favorite overall is SUITE SCARLETT and the sequel. This is the original cover, which I adore! Anyway, check out all of MJ's books here at her beautiful website!

Ally Carter. UNCOMMON CRIMINALS

What fun!! I LOVE this series! I reviewed the first one just a while back, so I was thrilled to get a review copy of the sequel so soon. I said last time that this series is like a cross between Thomas Crown Affair and Ocean's Eleven. But this time it feels more like White Collar, but with teens. Maybe that's because the season just started and I watched it last night. But anyway, I adore that show, so that's a huge plus. This book is sophisticated, smart and a ton of fun. Each caper is more elaborate than the last.

In this book, we join Kat in Russia as she's finishing a job recovering a Cezanne originally stolen by the Nazis. so it can be returned to its owner. We learn that she's been doing these jobs all by herself while refusing help from Hale and the crew. But when the next job includes recovering the largest emerald ever known and originally belonging to Cleopatra, Hale convinces her she needs help. Many attempts have been made on this emerald over the years and they've all been disastrous, which explains why it supposedly has a curse on it.  Uncle Eddie strictly forbids the attempt. So the crew must figure a way to complete the heist without his help.

Ally Carter is such a talented writer! She brings action scenes to life like no other, all while creating the most interesting characters! Kat and her crew are so vivid in my mind. I feel like I spent this adventure alongside them. And it was a BLAST!

You will not want to put this one down. Join these Uncommon Criminals on June 21!

Jennifer Trafton. THE RISE AND FALL OF MOUNT MAJESTIC

"Life is a mess and a miracle. So pick up a broom and dance."

What delightful debut by author Jennifer Trafton! I really love this one!

In a small town in the southern part of the Island at the Center of Everything lives a girl named Persimmony Smudge. She longs for adventure, something more exciting than her basket making, boring existence. After accidentally breaking an important family item, she runs off to go get another one before her mother gets home. Later that night, she loses her way in the woods and ends up hiding from the poison-tongued jumping tortoises in the hollow of a tree. While crouched down in the tree, she overhears a conversation that changes her life. Her adventure begins. She must travel to the top of Mount Majestic and warn the king about the plot against him.

She meets some fascinating characters along the way, discovers an even bigger secret, and learns more about her missing father.

What an exciting tale filled with so many wonderful characters! Worvil the worrier is a sweet little guy, who only needs a little push to become the hero he is inside. The Rumblebumps are light-hearted people who help everyone stay positive. Theodore the potter is a wise helper to Persimmony and her family. The bumbling king is hysterical and mixes up so many words. (one of my favorite king quotes "No one can feel discumbersomebubblated except a king.")

"Most people may think you’re short, but I know that inside of that shrinking body there’s a giant waiting to burst out." Persimmony encouraging Worvil.

There is so much adventure, wonder and sweetness in this book. It would be a fantastic read-aloud for the whole family. I'm still amazed that it's a debut novel. It's witty and brilliantly written! I wish I could do it justice in my review, but I can't. You just must read it yourself! You will love it!

The cover and illustrations sprinkled throughout the book are by the amazing Brett Helquist (CHASING VERMEER, SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS, etc.). His illustrations are a perfect match for MOUNT MAJESTIC!

For more about the book and the author, visit here website here.

Patrick Carman. THE DARK HILLS DIVIDE

What an intriguing book! A student recommended that I buy this series, and boy, am I glad I did. I could tell it would be one of those books that’s hard to move without reading it yourself. It’s not one you can sum up in a short catchy sentence to get kids to check it out. So, I took it home.

First off, you see a map of the Land of Elyon right at the beginning, which I completely adore in a fantasy book. I bookmark it & refer back to it continually. Maybe I’m just a visual person, but I love maps and they help in made-up worlds.

Anyway, Alexa Daley is the daughter of the mayor of the town of Lathbury. The book begins with her going to another town where she spends many weeks each summer. Her father meets the other mayors and spends his time busy with work. So Alexa is free to roam around almost completely on her own. She spends a lot of time reading in the library, but mostly she likes to explore.

Her town and several towns around her are surrounded by huge brick walls. They were built to keep creatures out, but Alexa feels trapped. This summer, she has made it her number one goal to find a way through the wall to the unknown. She knows there must be adventure out there waiting for her.
What an amazing world the author has created. I can’t even tell you much of it without revealing a lot of spoilers. I wouldn’t ruin it for you, because I had such a wonderful time discovering this little gem myself.
This is a trilogy and I’m already into the second book!

Plus, I just read that Patrick Carman just wrote one of the 39 Clues books. I’m going to have to read more by him. Here is his website. Here is an awesome page with all of the books in this series! There are some great videos.
Check it out! I highly recommend it!

Rebecca Stead. FIRST LIGHT

Peter finally gets to see his father as an exploring scientist, rather than just a stuffy professor. His mom and dad have decided to let him come along on a scientific study in Greenland. His dad is a glaciologist and will be studying weather changes on the glaciers. His mom plans to continue writing her book on DNA. Peter is thrilled to leave school for a few months and go on the adventure with his family.

The secrets he uncovers there turn out to be beyond all comprehension. One day he goes exploring and stumbles upon a girl named Thea trying to pry a boy out of a crack in the ice. Peter helps Thea pull him to safety and continues to help her carry him to her “camp.” But what he finds isn’t a camp, but a huge community living underneath the ice in secret. After Peter has amassed a truckload of questions, they hustle him back to the surface refusing to answer any of them. He’s sent on his way and told to keep their secret.

Then when Peter sees his mom doodling a symbol that he saw down in the secret community, more questions come up. What is going on with that place and how is his mother involved?

The author has woven such an amazing story out of so many interesting topics.
There are many aspects of this story that I loved: The sled dogs that work so hard for their people and become members of their families, the science of fireflies, the igloo building, the mitochondrial DNA…I was continually intrigued and entertained! I’m not even going into some of the other cool aspects, so I won’t divulge any spoilers!

I’m floored that this is the author’s first published book. (but not totally surprised, since she just won the Newbery for her second book, which I also loved and reviewed here.) Also, what this author does better than anyone is tie up loose ends. You know how sometimes when you read a book or see a movie and something happened early on & you think “why didn’t they ever explain such & such.. or why did they bring that up & never finish it.” Well, every little thing you’re curious about in the book is neatly explained along the way or at the end. I love that! She did that with her second book too.

There is a really nifty website for this book here. The author's website is here.  I will be FIRST in line for her next book!