Archives

G is for Galgorithm, by Aaron Karo (book review) – perfect formula for romance?

Apr8

book cover of Galgorithm by Aaron Karo published by Simon Pulse | BooksYALove.com“Be different.
Notice her. Tell her.”
The magic formula for romance (mostly).

Shane has it all figured out on paper, helping guys (even one of his teachers) connect with the girls they adore from afar. Being a victim of an epic breakup makes him empathetic, informed, and way leery of getting involved again himself, until….

This May 2015 title will be out in paperback as Me You Us  in June 2016, but why wait to find out if Shane can really math-out personal attraction? (and why on earth did they change the title??)

Can attraction + the right words actually = love?
**kmm

Book info: Galgorithm / Aaron Karo.  Simon Pulse, 2015. [author site]  [publisher site]  [book trailer] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: Shane quietly coaches guys with dating advice, but during his senior year the California teen discovers that his own true love is his best friend and that she doesn’t realize it.

His never-fail “galgorithm” for getting a girl’s attention has helped many a nerdy high school guy become confident enough to ask out the girl of his dreams, but Shane isn’t ready to use his own advice after a terrible breakup during sophomore year.

Hanging out with his best-friend-since-forever Jak, missing her already before they’ve even left for college, Shane finds himself on a double date with a client and his sweetie – then things get crazy.

Is Tristen really trying to keep Shane from spending time with Jak?
Can a teacher use the Galgorithm too?
What happens when the infallible system fails?

Spring semester of senior year is a roller coaster ride for Shane, Jak, and several interested parties in this particular dating game. (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

F for fear in France with a Drop of Night and deadly peril, by Stefan Bachman (book review)

Apr7

book cover of A Drop of Night by Stefan Bachman published by Greenwillow Books | BooksYALove.comEscape the adoptive family,
Tap into unusual skill set,
Die in an underground palace of terrors?

Anouk hates so much about her sophisticated adoptive parents, perfect little sister, and their polished life. The chance to join an exclusive teen research team in France is too good to pass up… and definitely too good to be true.

Read the first chapters of A Drop of Night here courtesy of the publisher, and get hooked on this diverse crew of teens assembled for a supposed archaeology exploration… into a death trap.

Can you ever really outrun the past?
**kmm

Book info: A Drop of Night / Stefan Bachman. Greenwillow Books, 2016. [author site]  [publisher site]   Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: Lured to the French countryside by the promise of a unique historical exploration, 17-year-old Anouk gladly escapes her posh New York City family and finds herself in a subterranean chateau filled with mysteries and death traps.

Maybe the five teens were picked for their various skill sets, but Anouk, Will, Jules, Hayden, and Lilly start wondering about Project Papillon’s true motives soon after they arrive at the remote French chateau with armed guards (and no cellphone service).

Why is Sapani Corporation relying on these kids to explore a historical site that’s been sealed for over 200 years?
Who is controlling the fighters they encounter underground and the hideously deadly puzzle rooms they must get past?
What if Professor Dorf isn’t the only one watching them down here?

The story alternates between the viewpoints of Anouk in the present day and Aurelie during the French Revolution as more secrets about Palais du Papillon and its frightening purpose are revealed. (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

E for Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon (book review) – allergic to everything but love

Apr6

book cover of Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon published by Delacorte | BooksYALove.comCan’t ever leave her house,
Any particle could kill her,
but love can stop your heart, too…

Such a rare medical condition, yet Maddy has survived her severe autoimmune diseases to reach age 18, just as new neighbors move in next door to her airlock-sealed house, and she can see Olly there.

Surprising turns (this book reached bestseller status before I got to write about it – oops), longing for change, and a chance to love.

If you suddenly became allergic to something wonderful, how would you cope?
**kmm

Book info: Everything, Everything / Nicola Yoon. Delacorte Press, 2015.  [author site]  [publisher site]  [author video interview] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: Medically fragile Maddy is no longer content to stay airlocked into safety when Olly moves next door, and the teens strike up an enticing online friendship.

Her severe autoimmune disorders were diagnosed in childhood shortly after Dad and her brother were killed, so Maddy has lived in a sealed house for years, tutored online, cared for by her doctor mother and longtime nurse.

At 18, she knows she will never go away to college or learn to drive, but is content with the arrangements that allow her to stay relatively healthy… until Olly and his family move next door.

What would it be like to touch someone besides Mom and Carla?
How can Olly share the world with her without killing her?
What if the truth is only partly true?

A friendship story, a love story, with health report charts and emails and doodles – about everything Maddy thinks she knows and wants to know. (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

D is Death’s mysteries, sought out by Boy in the Black Suit, by Jason Reynolds (book review)

Apr5

book cover of Boy in the Black Suit by Jason Reynolds published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers | BooksYALove.comMom has passed on,
Dad is laid up,
sadness just muffles Matt.

Sometimes his job at Ray’s Funeral Home is just being another mourner, hoping that shared grief will ease the pain of losing his mother, but this one time, a girl challenges what Matt thinks about death, about memory…

Ask for this strong book at your local library or independent bookstore.

Can grief be tucked away from the everydayness of living?
**kmm

Book info: The Boy in the Black Suit / Jason Reynolds [author site]  [publisher site]  [audio author video] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: After Mom’s death, Matt’s job at his Brooklyn neighborhood funeral parlor gives him insight into grief and a startling revelation into the past.

Better to wear a black suit as fill-in pallbearer and chair arranger than working in fast-food, Matt thinks as he wrestles with reminders of Mom’s recent passing and the reality of Dad’s slide back into the booze bottle.

Sitting in on dozens of funerals lets the teen examine the intricacies of mourning. He always leaves before the post-funeral meal and questions about how he knew the deceased… except that one time when Lovey stirred up a memory.

How do you say goodbye for forever?
Is a memory picture as real as a photograph?
Moving on – can it ever be done?

As Matt and Lovey spend time together on unusual dates, a few things about death, life, and living begin to make just a little more sense. (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

Who’s Ju? by Dania Ramos (book review) – family secrets & middle school drama

Jan27

book cover of Who's Ju? by Dania Ramos published by Northampton HouseVandalism in the theater props?
Call in the 7th Grade Sleuths!
Time to update your image?
Let a fashionista help!
Unlock a family mystery?
Hmmm….

Justina (pronounced HoosTEEnah) is intrigued by the school drama queen’s request that the Sleuths find out who carved her name on the backstage scenery (although fellow Sleuth and best friend Ig isn’t so charmed).

The 7th grade genetics research project requires family interviews to “discover” your personal DNA… maybe the mystery of Ju’s frizzy blond hair and hazel eyes among the dark browns of her Puerto Rican family can be solved! So who is Ju??

Enjoy this first book in the 7th Grade Sleuths series for Multicultural Children’s Book Day or any day – there’s much more to this Blueprint of Life Project than Ju expects.
**kmm

Book info: Who’s Ju? (7th Grade Sleuths, book 1) / Dania Ramos. Northampton House Publishing, 2015. [author site]  [publisher site]  [book trailer] Review copy from the author for Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2016; cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: When blond middle schooler Ju finds a mysterious letter while researching her personal DNA project for school, she hopes to fit into her Puerto Rican family better, but the amateur investigator discovers questions far bigger than the 7th Grade Sleuths’ current drama club vandalism case.

Sara’s name is carved into drama club scenery, so the young actress asks Justina, Ig, and Gunther to find out who did it – before the theater teacher does.

As the Sleuths check on suspects and alibis during school hours, Ju tries to interview her parents for the Blueprint of Life Project (major science grade), but they evade her questions. Searching family keepsakes in the attic, Ju locates a photo of herself that she’s never seen and some strange correspondence.

Ju tries dyeing her hair brown to match her parents and sister, then allows stylish Sara to update her wardrobe (goodbye, funky handmade sweaters from Mami and Auntie’s craft shop) and hair (hello, flatiron) to fit in at school.

Will Mami and Papi finally answer her questions about the letter and photo?
Will little sister Delilah ever stop pestering her?
Will best friend Ig finally start talking to the new Ju?

Family mystery and school drama keep Ju most busy in this first book of the 7th Grade Sleuths series. (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

Teens’ Top Ten – vote now!

Oct15

logo of YALSA's Teens' Top Ten book programTime is running short for Teens’ Top Ten voting!

Teens ages 12-18 get to choose 3 of the 24 nominated books, but you must vote by October 24, 2015 (the end of Teen Read Week).

Here are four great books that might have flown under the publicity radar. Click on the title to read my no-spoilers recommendation:

Since You’ve Been Gone, by Morgan Matson

Kiss of Deception, by Mary Pearson

The Winner’s Curse, by Marie Rutkoski

The Geography of You and Me, by Jennifer E. Smith

Head to http://www.ala.org/yalsa/reads4teens/ to see individual book trailers for each title and VOTE!

Tell your friends, talk about books, vote so that this Top Ten list is yours!
**kmm

Ink and Ashes, by Valynne E. Maetani (book review) – Dad’s secrets, her peril

Aug22

book cover of Ink and Ashes by Valynne E. Maetani published by Tu Books | BooksYALove.comStepdad knew their late father?
Business trips were really what!?
Is that black SUV still following us?

When Claire discovers that her long-dead father was part of a Japanese organized crime gang, her whole world begins shaking – and here come the bad guys who want to make sure that the Utah teen goes under for good!

If your local library or independent bookstore doesn’t have this summer 2015 release on the shelf, ask for it!

Family secrets – key to one’s own history or ticking time-bomb?
**kmm

Book info: Ink and Ashes / Valynne E. Maetani. Tu Books, 2015.  [author site]  [publisher site]  Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: Claire’s search for answers on the tenth anniversary of her father’s death inadvertently alerts the yakuza to her family’s location – and the race for survival is on!

The Japanese-American teen can’t believe that her stepfather knew her father and never told her, that a simple phone call could unleash a horde of bad guys intent on wiping out her family, that best buddy Forrest could think of her as more than a friend…

The letters that Claire wrote to Otochan in the years after his death appear throughout the book, as the straight-A student weathers accusations of cheating at school, uncovers many strange things about her late father, and must rely on her group of guy-friends more than ever when objects symbolizing death start arriving at her Utah home.

Why would Mom lie about her father’s past?
Why does the Japanese crime gang care about her family after all this time?
Can she stay alive long enough to figure out Forrest?

Action, intrigue, friendship, love, and revenge – watch out for black SUV following you!  (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

It’s Teens’ Top Ten time – vote now!

Aug20

logo of YALSA's Teens' Top Ten book programA wonderful selection of recent fiction makes choosing just 3 titles from this year’s Teens’ Top Ten list difficult, but you can do it!

Of the 24 nominated books,  I’ve recommended several here on BooksYALove (remember, I look for the less-publicized great books). Click on the title to read my no-spoilers recommendation:

Since You’ve Been Gone,  by Morgan Matson

Kiss of Deception,  by Mary Pearson

The Winner’s Curse,  by Marie Rutkoski

The Geography of You and Me,  by Jennifer E. Smith

Voting is open until October 2015 and is limited to teens ages 12-18, so head to http://www.ala.org/yalsa/reads4teens/ when you’ve made your final selections. You can also see individual book trailers for each title on that YALSA page; plot summaries are here.

Here’s a video introducing all 24 nominees, so you can choose more great books to read before voting:

Read, share, discuss, vote – it’s your turn to choose!

**kmm

I Am Princess X, by Cherie Priest & Kali Ciesemier (book review) – missing friend, comix clues

Aug11

book cover of I Am Princess X by Cherie Priest, art by Kali Ciesemier, published by Arthur A Levine BooksTwo wreck victims, only one body in the car,
dreams of her best friend swimming to safety,
nightmares because she didn’t…

May knew in her gut that the fish-nibbled body found with Libby’s ID wasn’t her best friend, the other outsider who’d drawn Princess X to go with May’s stories from grade school onward.

Nightmares for 3 years, then a shiny new Princess X sticker shows up near their favorite coffee shop – you can start reading their story in a free excerpt.

Here’s the comic that sprang from the world that the two friends created in younger years, but it’s only part of this mystery/missing my best friend story.

Have you got the guts to search for the lost keys that could bring your friend back from wherever?
**kmm

Book info: I Am Princess X / Cherie Priest, art by Kali Ciesemier. Arthur A. Levine Books, 2015. [author site] [artist site] [publisher site]  Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: New Princess X art is appearing after its artist was declared dead, so co-creator May is on the hunt, trying to find Libby using webcomic clues and neighbor dude’s tech skills before “The Needle Man” finds them!

Her best friend and comic co-creator supposedly died 3 years ago, but through her parents’ divorce and moving yet again, May still dreams that Libby escaped the sinking car. In Seattle with her dad for the summer, the teen is surprised to see Princess X stickers and graffiti in places where she and Libby hung out.

Sure that Libby is drawing Princess X again online, May asks tech whiz Patrick to help her uncover exactly who is behind the webcomic, but his research alerts a dangerous predator.

Is Libby truly alive and sending Princess X messages to May?
Can May and Patrick interpret and follow the clues in the comic?
Can they outrun “The Needle Man” before he kills again?

This novel about friendship blends with a graphic novel celebrating empowerment for a wholly satisfying story about trust, sacrifice, and persistence. (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

Summer of Chasing Mermaids, by Sarah Ockler (book review) – voice lost, heart found?

Aug8

book cover of The Summer of Chasing Mermaids by Sarah Ockler published by Simon TeenA singer with no more voice,
a young mermaid expert ignored,
a dutiful son without a plan B…

No surgical procedure can ever restore Elyse’s voice, but time spent with the funny (cousin and her outspoken BFF), the darling (mermaid-obsessed young Sebastian), and the heartbreaker (Christian does what??) may start the healing of her musical soul.

Ockler writes of another summer of enormous changes in The Book of Broken Hearts  (my recommendation here).

If your greatest talent/gift/strength were taken away forever, how would you cope?
**kmm

Book info: The Summer of Chasing Mermaids / Sarah Ockler.  Simon Pulse, 2015. [author site]  [publisher site]   Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: After a boat accident robs Elyse of her singing voice, she lands in her aunt’s tiny Oregon town where the Trinidadian teen finds herself falling for the wrong guy and caring too much about the shady mayor’s big plans.

Leaving her twin sister in Tobago was so hard, but staying to watch Natalie continue the singing career which had been theirs together was impossible.

The warm Caribbean stole her voice; perhaps the chilly Pacific currents can heal her soul. But if Elyse ignores her cousin’s warnings about heart-breaker Christian or helps the summer guy’s little brother search for mermaids, the sea may try to claim her forever.

A bet between the mayor and Christian’s dad puts Aunt Lemon’s home and gallery in jeopardy, as whichever son wins the Pirate’s Regatta will win the property it stands on.

Will the mayor’s desire for money turn off-the-beaten-path Atargatis Cove into just another tourist town?
Can Christian and Elyse rebuild his sailboat in time for the regatta?
Can Elyse face down her fear of being on the water again and help him win?

Of course, sweet little Sebastian should be able march in the Mermaid Parade, and the property developers must be stopped, and Elyse should decide if she can afford to lose her heart…  (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)