Maureen Johnson. THE MADNESS UNDERNEATH

This is the sequel to THE NAME OF THE STAR, which I loved and reviewed here. MADNESS begins shortly after the near death events from the first book. Rory is recovering at her parent's house in Bristol. But she simply wants to get on with her life. She can't talk to anyone about the actual events that led up to the stabbing, since they involve the secret ghost-fighting society, in which she's a quasi-member.So she'd like to just go back to Wexford and continue school.

Rory finally convinces her parents that she's ready to go back to school, and she heads back to try to catch up on all that she's missed. but just as she's settling back in, she gets caught up in a murder that she swears was committed by a ghost. She gets Stephen, Callum and Boo involved and realizes that she may never be just a "normal" high school student anymore.

This one took a while to really get going. There was a point when I began to wonder if I wanted to finish it. It was really slow. It had the wonderful characters, sense of humor and quirkiness that I expect from Maureen Johnson. But there just wasn't a lot going on until about half-way through. Then some really interesting characters were introduced, along with some cool historical aspects that I enjoyed. But the last few chapters really stood out and the book finished up with a shocking ending. So, of course, I'm going to be excited when the next book comes out.

If you enjoyed the first book in this series, you'll want to read this one too. And if you've been living under a rock all these years and haven't read anything by Maureen Johnson, by all means get right on that! My favorite is SUITE SCARLETT. Check out the other books I've reviewed by her here. You will LOVE any of them. Her characters and memorable settings are fabulous!

In closing, the trailer:

Michelle Gagnon. DON'T TURN AROUND

Noa wakes up on an operating table in a dark, mysterious place that is most definitely not a hospital. She narrowly escapes and ends up on the run. After getting her hands on a computer, she begins to get small shreds of clues to what happened to her.

She is able to hook up with Peter, the head of an underground hacktivist group called the ALLIANCE who is also on the run. After digging around in his father's files, Peter angered the wrong people.

Noa and Peter seem to have the same dangerous men trying to hunt them down and kill them. Together the try to piece together the huge mystery behind Noa's mysterious operation and Peter's dad's affiliation with these men out to kill them.

I loved this! It had non-stop action, an exciting plot, and wonderful characters. I really enjoyed all of the computer stuff. Obviously, they made it seem so easy to hack into large corporations. I'm sure it's more difficult in real life. But it was super fun reading about it, nonetheless. Gagnon is a wonderful writer. This will leave you on the edge of your seat. Seriously, you'll be begging for the sequel. I have no idea when it's coming. But I know this will be a trilogy.

For more, check out the author's website here.
Also, enjoy the short, but creepy trailer:

Rainbow Rowell. ELEANOR & PARK

“Eleanor & Park reminded me not just what it’s like to be young and in love with a girl, but also what it’s like to be young and in love with a book.” — John Green, author of The Fault in Our Stars, for The New York Times Book Review

Yeah, that's all it took to pique my interest in this one. I'm sure that's all you need too. But...I'll give you a little more anyway.

The next thing that got me was that the book is set in the 80's and features some of my favorite music from that time period. But the beautiful writing and memorable characters kept me cherishing each page. I ADORE this book!

Eleanor and Park met on the bus. She was a new girl with no place to sit. She seemed to draw negative attention with her bright red hair and quirky clothes. She walked straight down the aisle, looking for a seat. She kept going, seeing none. Park grumbled at her to sit by him. He couldn't bear to see her continue walking right into the merciless teens that held court in the back. Eleanor and Park didn't speak. In fact, they seemed downright angry with each other for weeks. But over time, their relationship bloomed over comic books, cassette tapes, and secrets. 

The story is told in alternating points of view. It's enjoyable to see the romance bloom from both points of view. Plus, both characters are so vividly drawn that you want to feel the story from both of them. Also, the writing! Wow, the writing is brilliant. There is meaningful and witty dialogue aplenty! 

I couldn't find a trailer I liked, so check out the author's website instead. It's super, funky cool!

Ender's Game movie trailer!!

OMG!! It's here! The official trailer for ENDER'S GAME due out in November:

Also, check out this awesome interview with OSC where he gives his thoughts about the movie, describes his visit to the movie set, and talks about his brief voice cameo.

 

Jennifer Roy. MINDBLIND

Fourteen-year-old Nathaniel Clark, who has Asperger's Syndrome, tries to prove that he is a genius by writing songs for his rock band so that he can become a member of the prestigious Aldus Institute, the premier organization for the profoundly gifted.

I was drawn to this book, because I was curious to view the world through a character with Asperger's. I enjoyed Nathaniel's journey to become a "true" genius, but I enjoyed even more his quest to relate to people in social situations. He has trouble reading people and their emotions. It was humorous when he spouted off facts in a situation when the person really just wanted a little sympathy. This gives you a glimpse into the minds of people with Asperger's or Austism and how difficult it must be for them. Most of us take for granted the ability to read people and judge situations based on nonverbal clues and facial expressions. But there many people who don't have this luxury. Life is very different for them.

What I really loved most was how his mother supported him. She deserves mother of the year for her fierce loyalty and creative ways of supporting Nathaniel. I also appreciated Nathaniel's friends for accepting him with all of his quirks. Great characters all around!!

Check out the author's website for more. You'll find out that she writes with authority and experience in regards to Asperger's.