Book Review: Incarnate (Newsoul #1) by Jodi Meadows

Title: Incarnate

Author: Jodi Meadows

Series: Newsoul #1

Release Date: January 31st 2012

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Age: Young Adult

New soul

Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

No soul

Even Ana's own mother thinks she's a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she'll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

Heart

Sam believes Ana's new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana's enemies--human and creature alike--let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else's life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?

Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life.

I don't know why it took me so much time to finally pick this book from my TBR shelf, but I loved it! It's a really an original story. Anna is a new soul, and in a world where everyone has lived several lives, it's not a good thing. People is scared of her, she is a no soul for them. It doesn't help that when she was born, another soul vanished.

She decides to leave her mean mother and founds Sam, who is not only curious about her but he thinks she is a new soul who needs protection. Sam was so sweet, I loved him. He surprised me, he is so old but at the same time still young and vulnerable.

I also liked Ana. It was so different to read her young and unknowing but also brave and ready to live her life, it's probably her only one...no one knows. Ana and Sam fell in love and I really liked how their relationship evolved. It was at their own time....their soul ages are so different but they are definitely connected.

But not only I enjoyed the characters, but the story behind. The souls, their pasts, their way of living, the dragons! Yes, dragons! It was really different from any other book I've read, and I think you will love it...or hate it. You really have to read it with an open mind.

Overall, I really recommend Incarnate if you want to read something totally different. It still has enough romance to satisfy romance addicts, but it's also about the importance of life, and about how love should be about souls connecting, no matter sex or age.

More about this book at www.jodimeadows.com, Goodreads, Amazon, The Book Depository.

Book Review: Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork

Title: Marcelo in the Real World

Author: Francisco X. Stork

Published March 1st 2009 by Arthur A. Levine Books

Age: Young Adult

Marcelo Sandoval hears music no one else can hear--part of the autism-like impairment no doctor has been able to identify--and he's always attended a special school where his differences have been protected. But the summer after his junior year, his father demands that Marcelo work in his law firm's mailroom in order to experience "the real world." There Marcelo meets Jasmine, his beautiful and surprising coworker, and Wendell, the son of another partner in the firm.

He learns about competition and jealousy, anger and desire. But it's a picture he finds in a file -- a picture of a girl with half a face -- that truly connects him with the real world: its suffering, its injustice, and what he can do to fight.

Reminiscent of "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" in the intensity and purity of its voice, this extraordinary novel is a love story, a legal drama, and a celebration of the music each of us hears inside.

I wanted to read this book after reading 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time'. I now understand why it won so many prizes, it's not easy to write Marcelo. After reading the first pages I wanted to protect him from the 'real world', especially from his lawyer father who expects him to be normal.

Marcelo has been on a special school all his life, where he can go at his own rhythm and do what he loves, working with horses. But his father thinks Marcelo would be better if he works at his office for the summer and prepare for the real world so he could go to a normal school next year.

Obviously Marcelo refuses, but after all his father is stronger than him and that's how Marcelo starts this journey where he will learn how to interact with people, understand what is right and wrong, and take charge of his life.

Marcelo has something like Asperger, but that didn't make it difficult to relate with him. I think most teenager live similar situations, after being protected by your family, you have to go to the 'real world' where there is a lot of bad people, some good, and doing the right thing is not easy.

Although it took me some time to finish it, I really liked Marcelo in the Real World. It's one of those books that leaves you thinking and with feeling, sometimes sad about how Marcelo was treated, other times just thinking....Marcelo is one of those guys who ask big questions. I feel like some things were left unresolved, but I still recommend it. It's not the typical young adult book.

More about this book at Goodreads, Amazon, The Book Depository.

Book Review: The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore

Title: The Power of Six

Series: Lorien Legacies #2

Author: Pittacus Lore

Published August 23rd 2011 by HarperCollins

Age: Young Adult

I've seen him on the news. Followed the stories about what happened in Ohio. John Smith, out there, on the run. To the world, he's a mystery. But to me . . . he's one of us.

Nine of us came here, but sometimes I wonder if time has changed us—if we all still believe in our mission. How can I know? There are six of us left. We're hiding, blending in, avoiding contact with one another . . . but our Legacies are developing, and soon we'll be equipped to fight. Is John Number Four, and is his appearance the sign I've been waiting for? And what about Number Five and Six? Could one of them be the raven-haired girl with the stormy eyes from my dreams? The girl with powers that are beyond anything I could ever imagine? The girl who may be strong enough to bring the six of us together?

They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
They tried to catch Number Four in Ohio—and failed.

I am Number Seven. One of six still alive.

And I'm ready to fight.

The Power of Six is the second book of the Lorien Legacies and follows the story exactly where I Am Number Four left us, with Four, Six and Sam escaping. Basically it's just them escaping and trying not to get caught by the police or the Mogadorians, while they discover more about their past and powers.

But this time it's not only Four the protagonist, but also Seven. She has a totally different life, but she's sure John Smith is one of them...the problem is convincing her cepan. Her only choice might be escaping before the Mogadorians find her...but what if other allies found her?

I really enjoyed reading Seven (Marina). Her life was much more interesting, or maybe I thought so because the only thing Four, Six and Sam where doing was running and getting caught in a love triangle-quartet that didn't seem to be important for the story and bored me.

But I still liked to discover more about Lorien, their past, their powers, Sam's father and even number Ten. It was a book full of action, fast paced, and the ending left me kind of surprised in a good way and wanting to read The Rise of Nine soon.

More about this book at Goodreads, Amazon, The Book Depository.

Book Review: Double Crossed by Ally Carter

Title: Double Crossed: A Spies and Thieves Story

Author: Ally Carter

Series: Heist Society #2.5, Gallagher Girls #5.5

Published January 22nd 2013 by Disney Hyperion

Age: Young Adult

Macey McHenry—Glamorous society girl or spy-in-training?

W.W. Hale V—Heir to an American dynasty or master thief?

There are two sides to every coin. Whether these two can work together is a tossup.

Born into privilege, Macey and Hale are experts at mingling with the upper class. But even if they’ve never raised an eyebrow at the glitz, neither teenager has ever felt at home with the glamour.

When Macey and Hale meet at a society gala, the party takes a dangerous turn. Suddenly they’re at the center of a hostage situation, and it’s up to them to stop the thugs from becoming hostile. Will Macey’s spy skills and Hale’s con-man ways be enough to outsmart a ruthless gang? Or will they have to seek out the ultimate inside girl to help?

The worlds of Heist Society and the Gallagher Girls collide in Ally Carter’s fast-paced, high-stakes and tantalizing new story. Get a behind the scenes glimpse as Ally delivers an irresistible thriller that is full of her signature style and savvy twists.

I love the Gallagher Girls and Heist Society series, so a story that combines those two worlds sounded amazing! It didn't disappointed me. It's short but exciting and fun, event when it was a little weird to see Macey and Hale interacting, but they make a good team. I can see them working together in the future :)

Definitely recommended to fans of these series, or if you want to try and see spies and thieves are for you!

More about this book at Goodreads, Amazon.

Book Review: Paper Towns by John Green

Title: Paper Towns

Author: John Green

Published May 3rd 2010 by Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs back into his life—dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge—he follows.

After their all-nighter ends and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that there are clues—and they’re for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees of the girl he thought he knew.

I'v heard so many great things about John Green, he's like the King of YA. When I had the chance to read one of his books, I choose Paper Towns mainly because I thought the cover was interesting.

I now understand why everyone seems to love his books. He has a way to create realistic characters and tell a story without boring you once. In Paper Towns, Quentin is just a normal boy living his normal life until Margo, the girl he has been always in love, open his window and ask him to help her with her revenge.

Quentin is exactly like a teenage boy, I really liked him and enjoyed reading about him growing up and daring to do more with his life. But Margo is a mystery, she's an intelligent girl, popular but bored with her life. I understand why she decided to just go away, but I don't really think it was an intelligent. Disappearing and leaving everyone was not only selfish but even dangerous. Also, I think I missed something in the ending. After all that went through, is it going to end that way?

But it was fun to read about Orlando, specially since I have been there and remembered a lot about the streets, parks, etc. (BTW, I don't think everything the stores sell there is junk, maybe because we don't have that kind of junk here!)

Overall, Paper Towns is definitely worth reading and I want to read more books from John Green. Not only I learned about paper towns, but Quentin is one of my favorite male characters in YA, and even when Margo wasn't my favorite, I can relate to her adventures heart.

More about this book at Goodreads, Amazon, The Book Depository.

Book Review: A Million Suns by Beth Revis

Title: A Million Suns

Author: Beth Revis

Series: Across the Universe #2

Release Date: January 10th 2012

Publisher: Razorbill

Age: Young Adult

Godspeed was once fueled by lies. Now it is ruled by chaos. It’s been three months. In that time, Amy has learned to hide who she is. Elder is trying to be the leader he’s always wanted to be. But as the ship gets more and more out of control, only one thing is certain: They have to get off the ship.

Why did I wait so long to read A Million Suns!? It was on my bookshelf for months, and one day I was out of electricity for a few hours and decided to pick a book.

Wow! If I liked Across the Universe, I absolutely loved A Million Suns. It starts right at the middle of the mess, the people is getting crazy, revolution, lies, murder, and Amy and Elder trying to discover what's really wrong with Godspeed.

Desperation! That's the feeling of the book. I just wanted to punch a lot of the characters, even Elder sometimes. Amy seemed to be the only one sane, but of course she's a freak from the Earth, what does she knows?!

The amazing about this book is that I think people acted exactly like they would do in this situation. People tend to turn situations worse because of fear, instead of trying to think for a solution. Nobody was really into finding a way to get somewhere, only Amy and Elder. I enjoyed to see them working together and discovering the huge secrets from Godspeed.

Overall, if you are looking for an interesting and original series, Across the Universe if you for. And if you read Across the Universe and liked it, don't wait like me, read A Million Suns ASAP. And have Shades of Earth ready at your nightstand  because the end if a major cliffhanger!! I can't wait to read it but it will take me some time to get it from USA... ;(

More about this book at acrosstheuniversebook.com, Goodreads, Amazon, The Book Depository.

Book Review: Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Obsidian

Series: Lux #1

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Published: November 23rd 2011

Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something...unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don't kill him first, that is.

Obsidian has been on my radar for a while, and after so many good recommendations and a fantastic sale at Amazon, I couldn't resist.

Now I know why almost everyone liked this book. Katy, the protagonist, is a book blogger, which of course made me kind of like her from the start, but she's not the typical dumb girl (of course not, she's a reader!), and Daemon, even when he is the typical sexy mysterious boy next door, he's irresistible.

But in a way is very similar with other YA books: sexy paranormal boy, his family is also beautiful, her mom is never home and the protagonist is new at school. Also, she's pretty normal but of course the sexy boy thinks she's stunning.

Ignoring that details, I really liked the writing. It was what got me from the beginning. It was easy to read, and it turned interesting very fast. There were some hot scenes, but for me it just made the relationship more realistic. Also, the Aliens haven't been really explored yet, so it was fresh, the Lux are very interesting. I really liked their story besides Katy and Daemon's romance.

Overall, I read Obsidian very fast, it was fun and sexy, it was interesting from the beginning and I literally couldn't sleep until I finished it. Although it has many 'cliches', I still enjoyed it very much and recommend it.

More about this book at Goodreads, Amazon, The Book Depository.

Book Review: Destined by Jessie Harrell

Title: Destined

Author: Jessie Harrell

Release Date: November 15th, 2011

Publisher: Mae Day Publishing

Age: Young Adult

When Psyche receives a prophecy gone horribly wrong, she learns that even the most beautiful girl in Greece can have a hideous future. Her fate? Fall in love with the one creature even the gods fear.

As she feels herself slipping closer into the arms of the prophecy, Psyche must choose between the terrifyingly tender touch she feels almost powerless to resist and the one constant she's come to expect out of life: you cannot escape what is destined.

Destined is a fresh and heartachingly romantic retelling of the Cupid & Psyche myth from debut novelist, Jessie Harrell.

I'm familiar with the Greek mythology story of Psyche and Eros, so Destined was on my radar from some time ago. Finally I read it, and it's definitely recommended.

Psyche is a young lady who is 'cursed' with being the most beautiful girl in Greece. Her family is happy and is looking for a husband for her, but her beauty may not be enough. It isn't enough to save her from an horrible destiny.

It's has been a while since I read YA, and at first Psyche seemed  a little bit immature to me. But she's sweet and very confused, and she doesn't want her life to be chosen for her. I loved to see her change from that young girl into a brave woman.

Eros, or Cupid, is an entirely different character. I wasn't very attracted to him, he was mean and it was a mistake that he fall in love with Psyche at first. I wanted him to fight more for her, to give a little bit more of himself, specially in the ending. But it worked for both of them.

Overall, Destined is a must if you like Greek Mythology. It's a sweet retelling of Psyche and Eros, and I was glad to find a protagonist who was capable of saving herself and her love, and her beauty was forgotten in the middle of it.

More about this book at www.jessieharrell.com, Goodreads, Amazon.

Book Review and Q & A with Gwendolyn Heasley, author of A Long Way from You

Title: A Long Way from You

Author: Gwendolyn Heasley

Release Date: June 5th 2012

Publisher: Harper Teen

Age: Young Adult

For too long, Kitsy has had to satisfy her dreams of becoming a real artist by giving her friends makeovers before prom. So when her best friend Corrinne's family offers to sponsor her for a summer art course in New York City, Kitsy bids a temporary good-bye to Texas to say hello to the West Village.

Between navigating the subway and the New Yorkers—namely, the Art Boy who has a nice trick of getting under her skin—Kitsy knows that this summer is going to be about a lot more than figure drawing.

It has been a while since I read contemporary young adult novel, but I really enjoyed A Long Way from You by Gwendolyn Heasley.

Kitsy Kidd is a Texan girl who lives with her mother and her little brother Kiki. She's captain of the cheerleaders and has been dating the quarterback since sixth grade. She's very sweet, mature and likes art, so when she has the opportunity to spend one month in New York city and attend summer classes at Parsons, she can't miss it.

Kitsy was a great character, very realistic. She is experiencing a whole new world and meets a lot of new people, totally different from her. She wants to enjoy her trip, but her journey ended up being more a revelation to herself than she thought. She is a really nice girl and obviously New York tried to eat her, but she was stronger that anyone and managed to be true to herself after all.

I think I liked her more because she kind of reminded me at that age. Sometimes you don't know what to do when you face the world, but in the end if you follow your heart you will succeed. I devoured her story, it was easy to read and even when sometimes I wanted her to choose different, in the end it left me with a good feeling.

I definitely recommend A Long Way from You by Gwendolyn Heasley, specially for contemporary young adult readers, you will enjoy Kitsy's story and it's refreshing to find a young adult novel that concentrates on the character more than the romance. Obviously, if you already read about Kitsy's best friend Corrinne from the book Where I Belong, you can miss this one.

More about this book at www.gwendolynheasley.com, Goodreads, Amazon, The Book Depository.

Questions and Answer with author Gwendolyn Heasley

Describe you book in 5 words: Country girl explores the city

What or who inspired you to write this book?

I also moved from a small city (Columbia, Missouri) to Manhattan, so I empathize with Kitsy’s experience. But Kitsy inspired her own story. After writing WHERE I BELONG, I didn’t feel “done” with Kitsy, who was a minor character in that book. I wanted her to have a chance to tell her own story, so that’s the true inspiration behind A LONG WAY FROM YOU.

Who is your favorite character from this book?

There’s a new character Annika Fox, who is from Minnesota, which is where I grew up. I loved writing about Minnesota through her but my real favorite character (other than Kitsy) is Tad. Tad is the older, mysterious musician. I liked seeing and writing him through Kitsy’s eyes, but I also liked that I knew who he was outside of Kitsy. That’s the most fun part of being an author: knowing more than you write and choosing what does and doesn’t go into the book.

What did you enjoy the most while writing this book?

Finishing it! That is my favorite part because after it’s finished, I finally get to share it. I love getting reader feedback, both the good and the bad. It helps me understand my strengths and weakness as a writer, plus I just love the fact that the book is out there for people to read.

Give us a recommendation! What should we read next?

I’m currently in love with Sara Pennypacker’s Summer of the Gypsy Moths. It takes place in Cape Cod and tastes of summer…And it’s got a great friendship story in it.

Book Review: Out of Sight, Out of Time (Gallagher Girls #5) by Ally Carter

Title: Out of Sight, Out of Time

Author: Ally Carter

Series: Gallagher Girls #5

Release Date: March 13th 2012

Publisher: Hyperion Book CH

Age: Young Adult

The last thing Cammie Morgan remembers is leaving the Gallagher Academy to protect her friends and family from the Circle of Cavan--an ancient terrorist organization that has been hunting her for over a year. But when Cammie wakes up in an alpine convent and discovers months have passed, she must face the fact that her memory is now a black hole. The only traces left of Cammie’s summer vacation are the bruises on her body and the dirt under her nails, and all she wants is to go home.

Once she returns to school, however, Cammie realizes that even the Gallagher Academy now holds more questions than answers. Cammie, her friends, and mysterious spy-guy Zach must face their most difficult challenge yet as they travel to the other side of the world, hoping to piece together the clues that Cammie left behind. It’s a race against time. The Circle is hot on their trail and willing stop at nothing to prevent Cammie from remembering what she did last summer.

The Gallagher Girls is one of my favorite series. Spies are cool! I was very curious about the fifth book, because now Cammie knows more about the Circle of Cavan and what was her father's mission when he disappeared.

If you read the fourth book, you know Cammie decided to 'run away'. But this book it totally different from what I expected, because Cammie wakes up and she doesn't remember anything that happened last months. So she's now trying to remember, with the help of her friends and family, and get surprises every time they discover something new.

This book was darker. Cammie was in real danger, there are some murders and torture, but nothing explicit. I wanted more about a certain spy boy, but I know it wasn't the time...

I think this series is changing and for good. Now the characters are older and it's logic they now face real dangers. Sometimes Cammie's abilities surprised, I can't believe she's the same girl from the previous books, but still, I can't wait to discover what the author have in mind for these characters (I really hope there is a next book!).

More about this book at www.allycarter.com, Goodreads, Amazon, The Book Depository.

Book Review: Article 5 by Kristen Simmons

Title: Article 5

Author: Kristen Simmons

Series: Article 5 #1

Release Date: January 31st 2012

Publisher: Tor Teen

Age: Young Adult

New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., have been abandoned.

The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.

There are no more police—instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior—instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested usually don't come back.

Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren't always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it's hard for her to forget that people weren't always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. It's hard to forget that life in the United States used to be different.

Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the military. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow.

That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings—the only boy Ember has ever loved.

Dystopias are pretty popular right now. I like some of them, but my problem is that I get tired pretty fast. That's why I wanted to read Article 5, it sounded different. I was curious, it wasn't about a natural disaster or a disease, but a past war and a new 'government'.

Ember lives in a world of soldiers and articles. If you don't follow them, you're punished. So she's keeping a low profile to live a peaceful life, but when her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes, her life changes forever.

I really liked this book. It has a little bit of everything, and I think it was realistic. Ember is obliged to attend a 'reformatory' for girls like her...Articles 5. They treat her badly, hurt her and practically abused of her. It was pretty bad (but not as bad as it could have been). When she's about to receive the worst punishment, she's 'saved' by her ex-boyfriend, Chase Jennings, who now is a soldier. She can't trust him, so why is he helping her?

I liked Ember, but sometimes she was too naive. I had an idea of what happened to the other girls at the reformatory when the soldiers decided to punish them, but I can say she was very strong. I liked her love for her mother, she really wanted to find her, but again, she thought they could live a normal life after being arrested?

Chase was a great character, and I think he kind of stole the story. I wanted to know more about him, his suffering and what was on his mind when he decided to help Ember. Also, I liked their 'romance'. I wouldn't call this a romance book, but it's definitely there. But it was realistic (yay!), not ridiculously sweet but more like 'I love you and I will save your life not matter what'.

But, I wished there were more explanations, like why The Bill of Rights has been revoked and why people accept this new regimen. There was bits of explanations, a war from the past, but nothing full. Also, I didn't like Ember's actions sometimes. It was like she was acting exactly as they expected...there was some kissing (not with Chase) that I didn't understand...she was playing with fire.

Overall, I enjoyed Article 5 and definitely recommend it for someone who wants to read a book full of action. It's a great debut, and as I believe it's the kind of thing that could easily happen in our world.

More about this book at www.kristensimmonsbooks.com, Goodreads, Amazon, The Book Depository.

Book Review: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

Title: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Author: Mark Haddon

Release Date: May 18th 2004

Publisher: Vintage

Age: Young Adult

Christopher John Francis Boone knows all the countries of the world and their capitals and every prime number up to 7,057. He relates well to animals but has no understanding of human emotions. He cannot stand to be touched. And he detests the color yellow.

This improbable story of Christopher's quest to investigate the suspicious death of a neighborhood dog makes for one of the most captivating, unusual, and widely heralded novels in recent years.

Christopher is 15 years old and has Asperger, a form of autism.  He can't lie, he doesn't understand human emotions and he observers a lot. He likes dogs, so when Wellington, the neighbors's dog, is killed, and he's the principal suspect, Christopher decides to investigate as Sherlock Holmes and find the real killer.

I really wanted to read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, almost all the reviews are good. So when I had a chance, I just bought it and didn't regret it. I read it super fast, even my mother read it, and we both loved it.

Christopher is not common. Because of his Asperger, he's actually very interesting. He's obsessed with number and he's trying to write a book about his adventures. He writes back and forward on his book, every chapter is about something different and he numbers them by prime numbers, but it's very cool. Since I read his first words (and his drawings) I was captivated. It was like being inside his mind, where he sometimes can't concentrate on something or sometimes he concentrates too much.

Also, I liked the mystery about who really killed the dog. I didn't have a clue (well, I'm not Sherlock Holmes), and several times I just gasped or just said out loud 'What?!'. Then I had to explain to my boyfriend what I just discovered hehe.

Really, there isn't a way to describe this book as it deserves, but if you're at least a little bit interested, read it. Christopher was an amazing character, he managed to left his fears behind and made a great journey in a world where he is constantly misunderstood; and if you have met a person with autism, you will realize he's very realistic.

Overall, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is one of my favorite books read this year,  I just can't get it out of my head, and I'm sure I'm going to re-read it several times in my future.

More about this book at www.markhaddon.com, Goodreads, Amazon, The Book Depository.

PS: I read the spanish edition.

Book Review: Slide by Jill Hathaway

Title: Slide

Author: Jill Hathaway

Series: Slide #1

Release Date: March 27th, 2012

Publisher: Balzer + Bray for HarperCollins

Age: Young Adult

Vee Bell is certain of one irrefutable truth—her sister’s friend Sophie didn’t kill herself. She was murdered.

Vee knows this because she was there. Everyone believes Vee is narcoleptic, but she doesn’t actually fall asleep during these episodes: When she passes out, she slides into somebody else’s mind and experiences the world through that person’s eyes. She’s slid into her sister as she cheated on a math test, into a teacher sneaking a drink before class. She learned the worst about a supposed “friend” when she slid into her during a school dance. But nothing could have prepared Vee for what happens one October night when she slides into the mind of someone holding a bloody knife, standing over Sophie’s slashed body.

Vee desperately wishes she could share her secret, but who would believe her? It sounds so crazy that she can’t bring herself to tell her best friend, Rollins, let alone the police. Even if she could confide in Rollins, he has been acting off lately, more distant, especially now that she’s been spending more time with Zane.

Enmeshed in a terrifying web of secrets, lies, and danger and with no one to turn to, Vee must find a way to unmask the killer before he or she strikes again.

I think Slide was my first YA book read this year, and I really enjoyed it!

Vee is interesting. She's narcoleptic and fall sleep pretty easily when she doesn't want, but also, she slides. When she's touching an object someone connected, she slides into them and see what they are doing. It's pretty cool but also very disturbing, because usually people is doing personal stuff, like kissing or taking a bath, and Vee has to see everything.

But it's an interesting ability when you are trying to discover who is behind the murder of Sophie, a sweet girl who was best friend with Vee's sister. Police says it was suicide, but Vee knows she was killed...

I thought Slide was refreshing, original and I really liked that Vee was the protagonist of this story, not the romance. She's brave and strong. BTW, there is romance, but a very normal teenager romance. But there were so many other important aspects of the story, like who is really the killer (I suspected from everyone), or what is Vee's father hiding, or Rollins's secrets...

Overall, I really liked Slide. The twists were amazing, and I kind of connected with Vee. I only wished the ending wasn't so rushed, and I wanted more explanations. Why? I was surprised, and it isn't easy to surprise me. So yes, I recommend it if you want to read a good mystery.

More about this book at jillscribbles.blogspot.com, Goodreads, The Book Depository, Amazon.

PD: I love the UK cover, I think it represents the book better.

Book Review: Ashes, Ashes by Jo Treggiari

Title: Ashes, Ashes

Author: Jo Treggiari

Release Date: June 1st 2011

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Age: Young Adult

A thrilling tale of adventure, romance, and one girl's unyielding courage through the darkest of nightmares.

Epidemics, floods, droughts--for sixteen-year-old Lucy, the end of the world came and went, taking 99% of the population with it. As the weather continues to rage out of control, and Sweepers clean the streets of plague victims, Lucy survives alone in the wilds of Central Park. But when she's rescued from a pack of hunting dogs by a mysterious boy named Aidan, she reluctantly realizes she can't continue on her own. She joins his band of survivors, yet, a new danger awaits her: the Sweepers are looking for her. There's something special about Lucy, and they will stop at nothing to have her.

Thanks to the Random Reads meme, I picked Ashes, Ashes from my to-be-read shelf. I'm glad I did, it has been there for a few months and I didn't know what I was missing!

Lucy is surviving. It's the best way to describe it. She's young and absolutely alone. She has to hunt, to cook, to sleep, all by herself. The world she knew is totally destroyed because of natural disasters and also the epidemic disease. Lately, she has been feeling like someone is watching her. But who? Isn't almost everyone dead or worse, sick?

Aidan is not sick, he's a survivor too. He has been watching Lucy, and when she needs help, she rescue hers and invites her to live with the survivors. But it's difficult to be again with people when you are so scared.

The description of the world where Lucy lives is very scary and realistic. The author did a great job in making you understand that it was a total disaster, and maybe it was worse if you survived. No food, water. Anything. I wonder how people manage to have the strength to survive.

I don't know how to describe what I felt with this book. Fear? Desperation? Disgust? When I feel all of that in a book, I like it. (I know, masochistic) But really, I got into the story and actually wanted to know more.Why the disease started? No one could stop it? And why are people looking for Lucy?

Even when Lucy and Aidan are barely surviving, they are attracted to each other. Their romance was a bonus, it was realistic. They liked each other, but it was not the most important aspect of the story.

I don't want to say more because I'll be giving you spoilers, but if you are into post-apocalyptic (or just apocalyptic?) stories, you have to read this one.

More about this book at jotreggiari.com, Goodreads, Amazon, The Book Depository.

Book Review: Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Title: Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

Author: Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Release Date: October 26th, 2010

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Age: Young Adult

“I’ve left some clues for you. If you want them, turn the page. If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.” So begins the latest whirlwind romance from the New York Times bestselling authors of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions? Rachel Cohn and David Levithan have written a love story that will have readers perusing bookstore shelves, looking and longing for a love (and a red notebook) of their own.

What an interesting book! I've been wanting to read Dash and Lily's Book of Dares since forever, because I've read so many good things about David Levithan and Rachel Cohn.

I'm so glad I did. It's a different book, that managed to surprise me (which isn't easy). The story starts with Dash, a very lonely and snarly boy who is alone for the holidays and on his favorite library he finds a red notebook. The notebook have clues only a boy like him would follow, and the prize of all these clues will be Lily.

Lily is a very weird girl. She's very delicate, shy and kind of awkward, but a nice and lovely girl. I think the characters aren't very realistic, it's difficult to imagine someone as Dash to exist, but I have to say I really liked them as a couple.

Their exchanges with the notebook were amazing, I loved to read them. I really wanted them to finally met, but I think I preferred when they only talked via the notebook, they were so backward when they finally met.

I think it worked that each author wrote one character and every chapters is written by the point of view of one of the protagonists. It helped to understand what was happening on their heads.

Overall, I loved Dash and Lily's Book of Dares, specially because it's an original book, and it surprised me with every turn. It's a cute story, and I recommend it if you are looking for a sweet young adult romance.

More about this book at Goodreads, Amazon, The Book Depository.

Book Review: Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs

Title: Sweet Venom

Author: Tera Lynn Childs

Series: Medusa Girls #1

Release Date: September 6th, 2011

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Age: Young Adult

Grace just moved to San Francisco and is excited to start over at a new school. The change is full of fresh possibilities, but it’s also a tiny bit scary. It gets scarier when a minotaur walks in the door. And even more shocking when a girl who looks just like her shows up to fight the monster.

Gretchen is tired of monsters pulling her out into the wee hours, especially on a school night, but what can she do? Sending the minotaur back to his bleak home is just another notch on her combat belt. She never expected to run into this girl who could be her double, though.

Greer has her life pretty well put together, thank you very much. But that all tilts sideways when two girls who look eerily like her appear on her doorstep and claim they're triplets, supernatural descendants of some hideous creature from Greek myth, destined to spend their lives hunting monsters.

These three teenage descendants of Medusa, the once-beautiful gorgon maligned by myth, must reunite and embrace their fates in this unique paranormal world where monsters lurk in plain sight.

I love Tera Lynn Childs's books, because of her strong heroines, funny characters and fast paced stories. Sweet Venom was on my wishlist since I discovered it, specially because it's about Greek Mythology.

The story starts with Gretchen and Grace. Gretchen is a hunter, she hunts monsters while going to school and training at nights. She doesn't have a live, except for the hunting. She's strong and very independent, but very lonely.

Grace is just moving to San Francisco and starting a new school. She's the typical insecure girl, not very independent and a computer geek, but everything in her changes when she suddenly start seeing monsters, and is kidnapped by a girl who look just like her!

Obviously Grace and Gretchen are sisters, and not only share their look but their abilities to kill monsters. But why there are so many monsters? And where is Greer, the other sister?

I really liked the way Sweet Venom story is told, alternating the sisters point of views, because we get to know each one of them very closely and understand how their lives have been and their different personalities. It would be easy to relate to one of the sisters, or at least like one of them. My favorite right now is Gretchen, she's a total kick ass!

I love Greek mythology and I think the author did an amazing job creating a different story using the popular Medusa myth. She's always the bad, but I think she could have been misunderstood all this time! It was cool to read about the girls using their Medusa-powers without being bad.

Overall, I enjoyed Sweet Venom. It has action, myth and possibly romance coming in the sequel. If you like strong girls and monsters hunting, then this one is for you!

More about this book at teralynnchilds.com, Goodreads, Amazon, The Book Depository.

Book Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Title: Divergent

Author: Veronica Roth

Series: Divergent #1

Release Date: May 3rd, 2011

Publisher: Harper Collins

Age: Young Adult

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

I've read so many great reviews about this book. I was really interested and I'm happy I finally read it!

In a dystopian future Chicago, Beatrice Prior is sixteen years old and the time has come for her to choose her faction. Her family is from Abnegation, but she doesn't feel like it's her right place. But leaving her faction means she can't see her family anymore.

When she finally decides which faction is for her, nobody thinks she is capable. Breatice, now Tris, has to prove everyone that she's strong and capable of anything...all while keeping her biggest secret, a very  dangerous secret.

Beatrice starts being a shy and sad girl, but deciding to change her life make her become Tris, strong and brave. Tris is still very scared, specially of human contact. When she met Four, an interesting boy who might know her secret, she starts to realize that it isn't so bad to want something for herself.

The world Veronica Roth wrote was interesting, and her writing made me read the whole book in only two days! The factions, Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent), are very strict, and the people is obliged to act as their faction describe.

The factions were invented to maintain the peace between men. But their world it's really as peaceful as they say? And what about people who doesn't want to be in a faction? What is you are brave and intelligent and honest? 

I really don't want to spoil the book. It's important that you discover for yourself what is really happening with the factions. But Divergent is an excellent dystopian book for YA. It has action, adventures and great characters. I liked Tris transformation, and I really want to know what is going to happen in the sequel, Insurgent.

More about this book at veronicarothbooks.blogspot.com, Goodreads, Amazon, The Book Depository.