A Step from Heaven by An Na

This is such a beautiful book. The voice is so clear, and it really puts you into the head of a small child who's confused about her move to America. The title of this book comes from a cute scene where Young Ju is convinced that America is Heaven and she is told that it's not quite Heaven, but a step from it. She tries very hard to fit in once she's in America, which is difficult because she doesn't speak much English. Not only that, but her family is very poor and her father sometimes beats her mother. The way her character grows from the first chapter to the last would make me cry, if I was a crier. Some parts of the book are just so simply profound you just want to sit there and think about the last few sentences you read. The book is short, but a perfect length for the story it wants to convey. There are no filler scenes- I can promise you that! Each chapter has a wonderful title. My favourite (chapter, not title, but the title's nice too!) is Strong Like a Man, featuring Young Ju's brother trying to follow his father's example of what it means to be strong. This is a wonderful read that won't take you very long to get through, but you'll end up rereading it many times just to glean some more of it's moving messages.

If you loved this book, you'll like:

Pretty much anything. I can't see how you wouldn't like this book, to be honest. But there's no book that I've read so far that's like it.

Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

This book pulled me through it in record time. Just like the first book of this series, Hush, Hush, it's intense, thrilling, and moves at a breakneck speed.

Nora is now dating Patch and she thinks her life is just about perfect, but after a mysterious turn of events, she starts seeing him more and more with Marcie. They fight about it, and Nora dumps him. Now without the protection of her guardian angel, she has to figure out what's happening in her life. She keeps hearing her dad beckoning her, but she's not sure whether to believe her ears. One thing's for sure, though- his death had something to do with this world of angels and Nephilim. And then there's Scott, dangerous and secretive, who has recently moved to Coldwater- to escape his past.

When I read the book, I accepted everything wholeheartedly. But now that I think back on it, there were some things that irked me. First of all, Nora got mopey. It wasn't that bad, but it got a little Twilight-y when she started doing reckless things just to get his attention. Also, she was unreasonable and stupid at times, and I kind of resented how a lot of the book seemed to be about her getting over the breakup. That aside, I think Becca Fitzpatrick missed out on developing some characters in this book. She kept hinting that perhaps there was another side to Marcie, but then she'd destroy it by making Marcie do something cruel. I wanted to see the reason why Marcie is so insecure, and why she takes it out on Vee and Nora, but I never did. But the biggest problem with the characters is the way Nora treats Vee. In the first book it was okay, but in this one Vee is portrayed as dumb and girly. Their dialogue is mainly Nora whining and Vee talking about bikinis or her newest diet. Vee looked, quite frankly, pathetic. And Nora treated her like someone who was just there to give her rides, not like a friend. She was condescending at times, drifting off during Vee's stories about her dieting, like she was so special and mature just because she's involved with the angels. At one point, she 'forgives' Vee in her mind for being annoying because she's still a good friend. Annoying? Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!

Now for what I liked about the book. Characters aside, the plot was really gripping. I would say even more so than the first book. Lots of different questions were brought up, which I really liked. The suspense was masterfully done and I got chills at some of the scenes.

All in all, this book is darker than Hush, Hush. It's not quite as funny, and Patch isn't as charming (I always prefer the part where boy wins girl rather than boy loses girl). But the plot, suspense, and mystery is better, and it ends with a thunderclap. Silence, here I come!

If you loved this book, you'll like:

Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare
Wicked Lovely series by Melissa Marr
Gemma Doyle Trilogy by Libba Bray

The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta

This is book is like one of those movies where at the beginning you're like OMG this character is a !#@$%!$ but at the end you're like OMG this guy is awesome. The path from one to the other is achieved with Melina Marchetta flair and gorgeous writing style.

A sequel to Saving Francesca, this book is a grown up version of that one, in every sense of the word. For starters, it's about Thomas Mackee, and they're all university age. He's also got much more serious problems, like drug addiction, and immense grief over his uncle who has recentletc. The book switches perspective between him and his aunt, Georgie. She's dealing with being pregnant by a man who is her on and off boyfriend. To complicate things, he has a child by another woman that she has to come to terms with. So: definitely more grown up topics here!

Okay, I'll say it: I found the beginning very depressing. I know that the book was set up so at the beginning they were miserable and at the end they were all happy, but the first bit of the book just felt a little heavy. The change was more gradual in this book than in Francesca, mostly because they started off so much more messed up than Francesca did. Speaking of Francesca, I really liked how she was brought back- it was nice to see her character all grown up after I spent so much time in her head! The jokes and snarky comments are similar to Francesca, but it's not quite as funny. The best thing about this book is how both Thomas and Georgie start out with nothing and end up with a loving community. Good book, but a tearjerker!

If you loved this book, you'll like:

Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta
Men of Stone by Gayle Friesen
On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
Paper Towns by John Green
Janey's Girl by Gayle Friesen
Losing Forever by Gayle Friesen
An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

The Beckoners by Carrie Mac

I don't think anyone can honestly say they've never seen someone being bullied or teased. That's why this book is so important- it addresses the issues right at the heart of bullying. When Zoe, the main character, moves to a new town, she is accepted into an infamous group of girls called the Beckoners. (They're named after the leader of the group, Beck) Soon she's smoking with them, partying with them, and pranking with them. She doesn't really set out to be in the most popular clique; she just wants to fit in. But she's uncomfortable bullying the Beckoners' most frequent target: April, or Dog, as she is called. She wants out of the Beckoners group, but she can't imagine the consequences of her actions.

Now, I'll admit it: the writing in this book isn't fantastic. Especially in the beginning, I felt like 'wow, that probably should've been said a different way'. (I am a picky reader, though, if you hadn't noticed:) However, I've never seen a book capture bullying in such a perceptive and unflinching way. How it starts off small, and then escalates. Why bystanders are afraid to do anything. The motives of the bullies themselves. And why it is that it's so hard to stand up for someone else. Like Zoe, at the beginning of the book, I thought, 'Well, the bullying is pretty bad, but no one could really make a difference. No point in two people getting bullied. Besides, she is kind of bringing on herself.' But by the end of the book, I was absolutely sickened. I actually couldn't get to sleep because my mind kept replaying the scene at the park. This book definitely left an impact.

There are some great things to be discussed in this book. Some I already mentioned, but others include child abuse, neglect, religion, homosexuality, and rape (though very minor). I really like how the characters are multifaceted: April isn't totally innocent; she's very homophobic and does certain things that encourage the bullies. Zoe, of course, is like any normal person: flip flopping between the lure of popularity and blaming April for her own fate, and realizing that she needs to stand up for both herself and April. Even Beck has many sides; is it really her fault she ended up being so power hungry?

After reading this book, I will never look at any case of bullying, however small it might seem to be, the same ever again.

Perfect by Ellen Hopkins

The best thing about this book is that it's written in poetry. It's nothing like huge Shakespeare sonnets,  but even nonbibliophiles will appreciate how the author artistically arranges her phrases. What I love is that the first page of a new viewpoint (this book has four characters and the perspectives switch) has a hidden message running down the single words at the side. It's hard to explain without seeing the book, but when you read it you'll know what I mean. This book is so beautifully written, I ended up reading bits over again just to soak in the meaning. It addresses a plethora of issues: anorexia, modeling, homosexuality, alcohol addiction, cheating, suicide, drug abuse, high expectations. BUT- before you freak out- the book doesn't feel like it's about these issues with some characters thrown in, it feels like the story of four teenagers' lives and their problems. This book is more, ah, optimistic than a few other teenage problem books I've read. It talks a lot about outer beauty vs. inner beauty, love, and finding a place in the world. Which all sounds very cliche, I know, but trust me, this is definitely worth a read.

A quick plot summary: Cara's brother (Conner, who is featured in the book Impulse) has recently attempted suicide, throwing doubts into her mind about her parents. Her mother pushes her to be an overachiever and to be 'perfect' (hence the title of the book) by any means, without really caring how Cara feels. Cara's boyfriend, Sean, takes steroids to get a sports scholarship to Stanford, where he knows Cara is going. His life revolves around her and he wants to marry her someday, and he goes of the deep end majorly when things don't work out the way he wanted them to. Kendra is missing love in her life since Conner broke up with her. She desperately wants to become a model and will do whatever it takes to reach her dreams- plastic surgery, not eating, taking pills. Andre is a dancer whose parents also put pressure on him to go to a good university and go a more conventional route. He falls in love with Jenna, Kendra's sister. Jenna is, quite simply, a train wreck. She's not anorexic, but she's always drunk and flirts to get what she wants (attention and alcohol). The changing viewpoint is never confusing, as it is in many books; it just builds the book in a very three-dimensional (or four-dimensional:) way.

If you loved this book, you'll like:

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Identical by Ellen Hopkins
Life is Funny by E.R. Frank
Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
Skud by Dennis Foon
Ms. Zephyr's Notebook by KC Dyer

Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta

For me, this book is the ultimate fantasy. Adventure, romance, magic- it's got it all in one gorgeously wrapped package. The way it gives you a line drawing of a story at the beginning and then fills it in and fleshes it out as the book goes on is very similar to On the Jellicoe Road.

Speaking of fleshing things out, this is what it's about. Finninkin lives a perfect life in Lumatere, with loyal friends, a respected father, and a clear destiny. Within five days, it's torn apart. In a mysterious turn of events, the entire royal family is slaughtered and an impostor becomes the king. Worse, a barrier around Lumatere forms, trapping some people inside to endure the brutality of the new king and leaving others exiled with no homes. Finnikin journeys with his mentor Sir Topher, trying to find land for the exiles. Their journey changes when they meet Evanjalin, who is determined to get back to Lumatere, no matter what the cost. As they follow her troubling dreams and search for allies, they begin to realize Evanjalin has many dark secrets. Then again, no one is who they seem to be in this intensely fast paced novel.

The plot is incredibly complex, with key information revealed at just the right time. The enigma surrounding the five days of unspeakable kept me flipping pages, frantic to find out what really happened. The characters are all multifaceted, with plenty to discover about each. As the author peels away the layers of mystery of the events, she also exposes the different characters' roles during that time and how it changed the way they lived the rest of their lives. The relationships are realistic, and in some cases heartwarming; the banter between stubborn Finninkin and strong-willed Evanjalin is entertaining and lightens the sometimes heavy mood. I like how strong Evanjalin is, and how she actually turned out to be the bravest of them all (no matter what the men thought). There are many lessons that the characters learn, such as how to deal with overwhelming tragedy and keep hope. Though this book is set in a fantasy world, the messages about protecting those who are weaker and not hating what we do not understand can be applied to many conflict situations in our own world. All in all, this was an extraordinary book- you'll enjoy collecting pieces of the puzzle until the final picture is so beautifully intricate you never want to let it go.

If you loved this book, you'll like:

On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Fire by Kristin Cashore
The Attolia series by Meghan Whalen Turner (The Thief, The Queen of Attolia, The King of Attolia)
Mimus by Lili Thall

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

A quirky title for a quirky book! After reading it, I still have no idea what it means. It doesn't really have a lot to do with the story, except for a quote that gets brought up a few times, 'Unless some sweetness at the bottom lie, who cares for the crinkling of the pie?'. I looked it up and found out that it means however nice something's outward appearance is (the 'crinkling', or decoration), it's what's on the inside that counts (the 'sweetness at the bottom' ie the filling). Anyway. Food for thought. (No pun intended).

This book is a mystery, one of the few classic who-done-it mysteries there are for teens that I've seen. After a dead bird with a postage stamp stuck on its beak appears at the doorstep, murder takes place in the garden of the De Luce house. Flavia, an eleven year old girl who's obsessed with chemistry, is the first one to see the dying man. Now I know your hackles just went up when I said 'eleven year old' and 'chemistry', but don't worry. Keep reading, I'll get to that later (promise!). Her father is the most obvious suspect, so he is arrested. However, Flavia is convinced of his innocence- but she has to prove it to Inspector Hewitt. So off she goes sleuthing around town, picking up clues of her father's past. She uses her extensive knowledge of lockpicking, chemistry, and charming people to achieve these ends. Mixed in with all this is her constant battle with her two older sisters, Ophelia and Daphne, cheeky descriptions of life around her, and obscure facts about chemists.

The fact that she was an eleven year old didn't bother me so much. She was sassy enough to keep me thoroughly entertained, though sometimes I found her blathering commentary a little too long. Similarly, her stories about the chemists were interesting at first, but after a while I started to get an urge to shake her by the shoulders and yell 'get on with it, for crying out loud!'. The book is quite slow paced, but I guess most mysteries are, since they can't just reveal the facts that are important. Still, I found this quite a roundabout read, and it was easy for me to put down. I'd say it would make for an excellent rainy-day read, when you have nothing to do but read snuggled on your couch. Not terribly exciting or intense, it's a pleasant, meandering read. I've heard many people say that his portayal of the times is spot on, and while I don't really appreciate historical fiction, I did notice a lot of detailed desctiption that I'm sure would delight readers who do enjoy historical fiction.The character is cute and orignial, if a little rambly here and there.

All in all, it wasn't my favourite book, since I like more fast-paced stories.  But I liked reading it to get to meet Flavia, who is one of the most lovable characters I've read about.

If you loved this book, you'll like:

Eye of the Crow by Shane Peacock
Something Wicked by Alan Gratz
Something Rotten by Alan Gratz