Tag Archive | conflict

Ask Again Later, by Liz Czukas (book review) – 1 prom, 2 dates, too crazy!

Mar21

book cover of Ask Again Later by Liz Czukas published by Harper TeenHelp out the shy tech guy with a secret?
Console the newly-dumped jock senior?
Stick to the “No Drama Prom-a” plan with her pals?

When even the Magic 8 Ball can’t tell Heart which Prom date to choose, she just flips a coin!

Discover which date she goes with and why the junior avoids all romantic relationships in this fun read.

Would you allow a coin toss to decide something with potentially huge consequences?
**kmm

Book info: Ask Again Later / Liz Czukas. Harper Teen, 2014.  [author site]  [publisher site]  Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: Flipping a coin to choose her prom date gives Heart two very different evenings, certainly not the “No Drama Prom-a” that she’d expected!

Her theater pals know she doesn’t do relationships since her teen-mom walked out when Heart was a baby, so they all planned to dance at Prom as a group of friends – no pressure.

But shy Ryan from backstage asks her to be his date, since his parents don’t know he’s gay (in fact, Heart is the first person he’s told) – how sweet!

Then her big brother’s best friend gets dumped, so Phil wants Heart to go with Troy the jock – it’s his senior Prom, after all.

She can’t decide who to go with, the Magic 8 Ball is on the fence, so she finally flips a coin and…

Will her drama friends, especially pianist “Schroeder” who calls her “Spleen” instead of Heart, be okay if she chooses one of the guys? They did ask her first, sort of…

Alternating chapters detail Prom Night as Ryan’s date (amazing tux) and as Troy’s date (those seniors sure do drink hard) – will Heart and her vintage dress survive it all or will Prom win? (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

Elusion, by Claudia Gabel & Cheryl Klam (book review) – digital paradise or purgatory?

Mar18

book cover of Elusion by Claudia Gabel & Cheryl Klam published by Katherine Tegen BooksPolluted skies or paradise?
City crowds or room to roam?
Known problems or potential dangers?

In Regan’s future Detroit, profit has triumphed over human well-being. Elusion tech promises total immersion in Escapes to alternate reality of natural beauty and peace – but at what cost?

In stores today, Elusion makes you want to visit its Escapes as you begin reading, but soon you’ll be glad that its digital temptations aren’t really here yet!

Would you dive into Elusion, even if you suspected there were deadly risks?
**kmm

Book info:  Elusion (Elusion, book 1) / Claudia Gabel & Cheryl Klam. Katherine Tegen Books, 2014.  [Claudia’s website]  [Cheryl’s website]   [publisher site]  [book trailer] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: An alternate reality program becomes paradise beyond the mega-pollution of real life, until some of its visitors don’t return.

“A world with plant life and fresh air instead of Florapetro factories, grease closuds, and acid rain. I can’t even begin to imagine it,” says Regan, but her dad did, perfecting the Escapes of Elusion before his death.

Now his young protege Patrick has gotten government approval for widescale release of Elusion technology, even as some start warning its intensity is addictive.

When Regan sees her dad and talks to him in an Escape, she’s astounded.
When naysayer Avery claims Elusion’s firewall is its addiction trigger, Regan vows to prove her wrong.
When new guy Josh shows her real problems in Detroit caused directly by Elusion, she wants answers from Patrick, but may not like what her lifelong friend discloses.

Escape to techno-paradise would always be better than the purgatory of daily pollution fog and urban sprawl… if you can return when you want to!

First book in a series where technology can be right for the wrong reasons and wrong for the right people. (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

Changers Book 1: Drew, by T Cooper & Allison Glock-Cooper (book review) – new school, new year, new body?

Mar14

book cover of Changers: Drew by T Cooper and Allison Glock-Cooper published by Akashic BooksNo one can know you are a Changer or see your secret mark.
No relationships with other Changers (or Abiders – shudder!)
No warning that everything in life is about to change… except your true self.

In a new body for first day of high school, Ethan can’t even skateboard right! Why didn’t his parents warn him that he could wake up a girl? At least he’ll get to try 4 identities in 4 years before deciding which body to keep forever as he finds his personal mission to change the world (yes, really).

Black Sheep is one of Akashic Books’ newer imprints, so you may have to ask your favorite local local library or independent bookstore to order this first Changers book, but it’s worth the wait!

To feel a little of Ethan/Drew’s experience, visit the WeAreChangers website and post your ‘unselfies’ where your camera captures your feelings without looking at you.

Poet e. e. cummings wrote “it takes courage to grow up and become who you really are” – how much courage do you and Ethan have?
**kmm

Book info: Changers-Book 1: Drew / T Cooper & Allison Glock-Cooper. Black Sheep, 2014.  [interview with authors]  [publisher site]  [book trailer] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: Ethan wanted to reinvent himself to start high school, not wake up in a girl’s body!

Dad and Mom are so proud that he is a Changer – getting a new body each year of high school (like Dad did – who knew?) to discover his/her true inner being. Changers are destined to make the world better, in secret, despite the Abiders who want to wipe them out.

Most girls have years to get used to their bodies; Ethan/Drew has an hour. Her first day at school brings a Changer mentor, catty girls, overwhelming emotions, and a possible friend.

Cheer tryouts, drumming in a band instead of the basement, all the Changer rules, discovering an Abider at Central High, and dealing with having girl parts – this freshman year is too intense!

Can Drew trust anyone at school?
Has she let any clues slip to alert the Abider there?
Who on earth will s/he be for sophomore year?

This first book in the Changers series explores Ethan/Drew’s first steps along the perilous journey to become his/her true self and discover how he’s meant to change the world. (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

Vengeance, by Megan Miranda (book review) – cursed lake, who dies next?

Mar11

book cover of Vengeance by Megan Miranda published by BloomsburyA curse?
An evil too big for their small town?
A life for a life…

Ever since she spent 11 minutes under the ice, ever since she was stolen from Falcon Lake’s chill depths, Delaney’s hands shake when she senses death coming for someone.

Why won’t she let her boyfriend see her hands when she’s at his house now?

This gripping sequel to Fracture follows Delaney, Decker, and their friends through a hot summer when no one dares swim in the deep lake which took more lives after it was denied Delaney’s death – the curse or something more evil?

Check out my no-spoilers recommendation of Fracture  here (even read its first chapters free via the publisher here), then find this psychological thriller today at your local library or independent bookstore.

Can curses be real?
**kmm

Book info: Fracture / Megan Miranda. Walker Children’s Books, 2014. [author site]  [publisher site]  Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: The curse that followed Delaney out of Falcon Lake must be real – which friend will it touch by death next?

Decker loves Delaney too much to believe in the curse, even if she can sense death coming after escaping the lake’s icy waters. But can he keep loving her when she keeps silent instead of keeping death away?

The new girl Maya has to cope with her ill mother alone, Janna misses her dead twin Carson, and Delaney now must face the superstitious without Decker’s strength beside her.

Water accidents at home and away,
Masquerade mix-ups gone deadly,
Will any of their senior class escape the Falcon Lake curse?

This sequel to Fracture spends a hot, tense summer with Delaney and friends as the cold, deep lake broods over their small Maine town.  (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

Spies and Prejudice, by Talia Vance (book review) – girl undercover or under the radar?

Mar7

book cover of Spies and Prejudice by Talia Vance published by EgmontGuys aren’t only lying when their mouths are moving –
Berry’s surveillance photos for divorce cases prove it.
So she’ll never fall in love with anyone – too risky.

Listening devices and hidden videocameras are the tools of her trade, but Berry certainly never expected to overhear the cute new guy label her “nothing special” while she was on a stakeout!

Over 200 years after its publication, Pride and Prejudice  still inspires retellings of its story of misdirected love and misguided snobbery. Surely Jane Austen would admire Berry’s forthrightness, as well as exploding jeweled bracelets and micro-camera eyeglasses as vital articles of fashionable apparel!

Have you read any other inspired-by-the-classics or mash-up contemporary YA books lately?
**kmm

Book info: Spies and Prejudice / Talia Vance. Egmont, 2013.  [author site]  [publisher site]  [book trailer] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: Secrets and betrayal are nothing new to Berry, but the teen isn’t used to cute guys interfering with her undercover work.

Maybe it began when Tanner and his brother Ryan came to McHenry High, or when senior Drew started talking to Berry in the library, or when the woman who witnessed the accident which killed Berry’s mother eight years ago now says it wasn’t an accident…

Her high-tech genius best friend is falling for Ryan, Tanner tells Berry that she can’t trust Drew, and Drew says that Tanner and Ryan aren’t who they claim to be. Add in her first Homecoming dance and a mysterious letter from her mom addressed to someone who denies it – no wonder Berry is distracted during routine stakeouts for her dad’s private investigation firm.

Hidden identities and mixed messages are funny until they become deadly serious in this tale of espionage, romance, and the family business (with a nod to the Jane Austen classic).  (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

Winner’s Curse, by Marie Rutkoski (book review) – a body is bought, the heart plots revolution

Mar4

book cover of Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski published by Farrar Straus GirouxShe loves music more than war – not the Valorian way.
He seeks bloodshed and revenge – not tastefully Herrani.
Master and slave, locked in a struggle that may destroy everything.

Somehow it’s no accident that a noted singer is being sold just as Kestrel and her best friend Jess arrive at the slave market in the newly-conquered Herrani city – or that being a slave in the Valorian General’s home is worth more to Arin than his own freedom. But love has a way of changing the best-plotted plans…

When the price is too low, the cost of keeping your purchase may be too high – that’s “the winner’s curse” and Kestrel will never have a chance to forget it.

This “Bridge of Snow” short story prequel at Tor.com will whet your appetite for Kestrel and Arin’s brutal, brilliant world, then chill your heart when you realize what’s about to unfold.

It’s publication day for The Winner’s Curse, so ask for it at your local library or independent bookstore now.

In this land so much like ancient Greece, can love conquer all?
**kmm

Book info: The Winner’s Curse (Winner’s Trilogy, book 1)  / Marie Rutkoski. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2014.   [author site]  [publisher site]  [book trailer] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: Soldier or wife – the only options open to Valorian young women. But the General’s daughter Kestrel lives for her music, a waste of time in their war-hardened society.

Death or slavery – all that remains for the Herrani people after the General’s successful invasion. Arin vows to give the occupiers a taste of their own barbaric ways.

Buy or sell – Kestrel didn’t plan to purchase a slave who could sing, to keep him when he refused.

Honor – the Valorians admire it above everything else.
Revenge – the Herrani want it totally, completely.

Win or lose – Kestrel can sense the right cards and the wrong play in Bite and Sting, but no gamble is the right one when she realizes how she feels about Arin, how he feels about her.

Masters, slaves, romance, rebellion – perhaps the gods of this ancient land have raised the stakes and are betting against either side winning…. (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

Flygirl, by Sherri L. Smith (book review) – flying for her country, despite prejudice

Feb21

book cover of Flygirl by Sherri L Smith published by PenguinWorld War II made Uncle Sam let women fly military planes.
Grit made women pilots endure ‘this man’s Army’ to become WASPs, flying routine Stateside runs in 1943-44.
Ida Mae dared to  ‘pass for white’ so she could fly again, in memory of her father.

While this book is fiction, the prejudices faced by “farm hick” Ida and her bunkmates “rich Jew” Lily and “carnie” Patsy the air show wing-walker were commonplace during World War II, as was the constant danger that Ida would be lynched if her not-white origins were revealed.

Training was tough; only half of WASP trainees made it to actual missions – delivering aircraft to bases, stress-testing new military planes, towing targets for artillery practice – but they weren’t recognized for their military service until 1977!

Flygirl has been out in paperback since 2010, so you should easily be able to find this riveting story at your local library or favorite independent bookstore.

How far can Ida fly and remain true to herself?
**kmm

Book info: Flygirl / Sherri L. Smith. Speak, 2010 (Penguin hardcover, 2008).  [author site]  [publisher site]  [fan-created book trailer] [author video interview] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: If passing for white will get Ida Mae back into the sky during World War II, she’ll do it – but how long can she live the lie and stay away from her family?

When the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots begin to test and transfer planes so military pilots are free for combat missions, Ida dreams of flying again, wondering if Uncle Sam is desperate enough to take black women pilots.

Light-skinned Ida applies anyway – she can use her late daddy’s flying lessons to serve her country, though she can never allow anyone to know her true roots.

One error at the WASP training base, and Ida will be sent home as a failure.
One mistaken calculation, and she could crash a much-needed training plane.
One slip-up that shows she’s not white, and the consequences could be deadly.

Test flights in unstable new planes, competition to be on a crew, bad news from overseas and from home – there really is a war on, and Ida is fighting it on more fronts than any of her fellow WASP pilots can imagine. (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

Team Human, by Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan (book review) – love your local vampire?

Feb14

Team HumanHazmat suit? Check.
Fountain pen and journal? Check.
Vampire enrolling in high school, 200 years late? Check.
Craunston High may not be ready for Francis, but Cathy sure is – and Mel wants to stop that relationship ASAP!

Read an excerpt here for that first schoolday as Cathy swoons over coolly distant Francis, whom Mel judges as “a crazy astronaut suit full of trouble” – and that’s before she meets the human teenage boy who lives in the same vampire house!

You should easily be able to find Team Human  in your favorite local library or independent bookstore after its 2013 paperback release (also available as eBook).

Would you give up sunshine, chocolate, and your best friend for love?
**kmm

Book info: Team Human / Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan. Harper Teen, 2012 (paperback 2013).  [Justine’s site]   [Sarah’s site]  [publisher site]  [book trailer] Review copy from personal collection; cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: When her best friend falls in love with a vampire and wants to change over, Mel just cannot let it happen!

It’s all so civilized in this New England town founded by vampires, with sunproof windows in every building and the Zombie Disposal Unit on call (unfortunate side effect for 20% of vampire changes) and volunteer blood banks.

Recently, the principal’s husband ran away with a vampire, leaving her and Mel’s classmate Anna alone. Then debonair Francis enrolls in their high school, and ultimate undead fan Cathy falls for him.  Why is this well-educated 200 year old vampire suddenly risking daytime travel to school? Mel is sure he’s up to no good.

No, Cathy’s not a modern soul, but what if Francis stops loving her after she risks the change?
Yes, Kit is hot, but the human teen living with Francis’s vampire family is planning to change, too!

Maybe Mel is a bit sensitive about vampires, but she won’t stop investigating Francis’s real reasons for coming to school if it will keep her best (her only) friend on Team Human!   (One of 7,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

Clockwork Scarab, by Colleen Gleason (book review) – the Misses Stoker and Holmes, on the case!

Feb4

book cover of Clockwork Scarab by Colleen Gleason published by Chronicle BooksAncient Egypt is all the rage,
“Cognoggins” crave the newest steam-machines,
London society’s fairest maidens are being kidnapped…and worse!

It’s Evalina who inherited the Stoker family call to hunt vampires and the superhuman quickness needed to succeed. The logical mind and innate problem-solving skills shared by Sherlock and Mycroft also live on in gadget-loving Mina.

Only the personal request of Her Highness could make these rivals work together in this 1889 world powered by steam… and lies.

Add a handsome police detective, a young man of the streets who knows more than he should, and a stranger who claims to come from the future (where electricity is legal? Oh, who is he trying to fool?), and things get more complicated than either independent-minded miss had anticipated!

Check out the first Stoker & Holmes book today at your favorite local library or independent bookstore, and immerse yourself in a steampunk city with mystery and mayhem.

Or should modern writers not take classic tales beyond their original authors’ limits?
**kmm

Book info: The Clockwork Scarab (Stoker & Holmes, book 1) / Colleen Gleason. Chronicle Books, 2013.  [author site]  [publisher site]  [book trailer] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: When young London society heiresses go missing and leave scarab amulets behind, Stoker and Holmes must investigate – that’s Eva Stoker, vampire hunter, and Mina Holmes, niece of Sherlock.

Summoned by the Princess of Wales to solve the deadly mystery, the two young ladies find another dead girl in the British Museum’s Egyptian room – and a young man in strange garb who claims to come from the future!

Inspector Luckworth of Scotland Yard suspects this Dylan fellow in the case, charming street urchin Pix knows more than he’s telling, and another young lady of quality disappears…

Can Eva’s defensive talents keep rational Mina from becoming the scarab cult’s next victim?

Can Mina solve the scarab mystery before Eva’s impulsive actions close off all clues or get them both killed?

Can they get Dylan back to his time in his own world?

Something much deadlier than illegal electricity is stalking the streets and levels of steampunk London in this first volume of the Stoker and Holmes series, even if these dedicated young ladies are underappreciated by the men in their noted families!  (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

Winter of the Robots, by Kurtis Scaletta (book review) – robots good, bad, on the loose!

Jan20

book cover of Winter of the Robots by Kurtis Scaletta published by Alfred A KnopfResearching urban otters instead of making fake robots,
Working with cute Rocky for the science fair,
Solving a mystery in snow-bound Minneapolis –
all great until something or someone attacks them!

The ‘keep out’ signs at the abandoned site are there for a reason, Jim, but staying out won’t keep the mysterious whatevers inside the fence!

Scaletta wrote about the deadly snake that Linus encountered at Mamba Point – is this new snow-cloaked peril even more dangerous?

**kmm

Book info: The Winter of the Robots / Kurtis Scaletta.  Alfred Knopf, 2013.  [author site]  [publisher site]  Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: Metal skritching, big clawprints in the snow – the abandoned tech site hides something scarier than Jim and his friends can imagine…and it’s ready to escape!

Maybe it awoke when Jim decided not to be genius Oliver’s sidekick for the 7th grade science fair. Or when their new partners’ ideas got Dmitri kidnapped and Rochelle stuck in the junkyard fence looking for otters. Or when the security cameras they borrowed from Jim’s dad spotted something moving way too fast in the Minneapolis snow to be an otter.

After the creatures chase them out of the old Half Street research site, Jim and Rocky decide to send in robots with cameras to figure out what’s going on, even if Oliver won’t help.

Robot competitions, school closed for snow days, pocket burgers – here’s Jim’s chance to impress Rocky, to uncover whatever is haunting Half Street, and to show Oliver that he can build robots, too…if the things don’t attack the science fair partners first!  (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)