A Blind Spot for Boys by Justina Chen

Title: A Blind Spot for Boys

Author: Justina Chen

Publisher: Little, Brown BFYR

Release Date: August 12, 2014

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

Shana has always had a blind spot for boys. Can she trust the one who’s right in front of her?

Sixteen-year-old Shana Wilde is officially on a Boy Moratorium. After a devastating breakup, she decides it’s time to end the plague of Mr. Wrong, Wrong, and More Wrong.

Enter Quattro, the undeniably cute lacrosse player who slams into Shana one morning in Seattle. Sparks don’t just fly; they ignite. And so does Shana’s interest. Right as she’s about to rethink her ban on boys, she receives crushing news: Her dad is going blind.

Quattro is quickly forgotten, and Shana and her parents vow to make the most of the time her father has left to see. So they travel to Machu Picchu, and as they begin their trek, they run into non other than Quattro himself. 

Even as the trip unites them, Quattro pulls away mysteriously…

Love and loss, humor and heartbreak collide in this new novel from acclaimed author Justina Chen.

A few years ago, I read Justina Chen’s North of Beautiful and I absolutely loved it. Since, I hadn’t read anything more by this author. I don’t know why. But I recently remedied the situation by reading Justina Chen’s most recent release, A Blind Spot for Boys. And as I was reading, I was reminded of just how beautiful this author’s books are.

After getting her heart broken by a boy that was completely wrong for her, Shana went on a dating rampage, never getting attached to any of the boys she dated. When it all gets a little too crazy, she goes on a Boy Moratorium. But just when she makes the decision to swear off boys, Shana meets Quattro, the boy who slams into her life. It all seems like Shana may have finally found Mr. Right, but it all has to be put on hold when her family receives the news that her dad is going blind. Before she knows it, Shana is jetting off to South America so her dad can see Machu Picchu before he loses his sight completely. And just when she’s coming to terms with her boy-less life, Shana finds herself coming face to face with Quattro, thousands of miles away from home. The more time she spends with Quattro, the more Shana begins to rethink her Boy Moratorium. But there’s something Quattro is not telling her. As she sees her life as she knows it come apart, will Shana be able to reach out to the one person who could help her through it all?

I clearly remember when I read Justina Chen’s North of Beautiful years ago, I was deeply affected by the book and it stayed with me for a long time. After that, though, for whatever reason I didn’t go back and read any of her other books nor did I really pay attention to whether or not she had any upcoming releases. But when I heard about A Blind Spot for Boys I knew that I wanted to read this book. As you’re well aware if you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, I’m a sucker for any and all contemporary story, but I also love those contemporary stories that go deep than just the fun and flirty romance. With A Blind Spot for Boys, that’s exactly what I got. I’ll be the first to admit that I expected there to be more an focus on the romance and the developing relationship between Shana and Quattro, but that’s not really what this story was. And I’m happy about that. This story was very much about Shana finding herself and coming to terms with what is happening to her family. It was about a family having to adapt to a new situation but not knowing how to do it. And all of this was set against the backdrop of the Machu Picchu trail. I’ll be honest, if nothing else, this book made me want to get on a plane to Peru and see Machu Picchu with my own eyes.

Shana was different than I expected her to be. From the synopsis of the book, I had the image in my mind of what she was going to be. But then I started reading and met a completely different girl than I expected. And I really liked the girl I met. I loved seeing how much Shana cared about her family and all she was willing to do and sacrifice for her family, no matter how misguided that could sometimes be. Over the course of the story, I loved seeing her come to terms with what was happening and find out who she really is, other than the girl who takes pictures and who dates a lot of boys. And I loved how her would-be relationship with Quattro helped her learn so much about herself. I wish I could have seen more of Quattro, though. Found out more about him, about everything that has happened to him to make him who he was. As for the cast of secondary characters, I really enjoyed seeing how each one of them played a part in Shana finding herself and understanding who she wanted to be and what she wanted for herself. It really felt like each one had something to add to the story.

Justina Chen’s A Blind Spot for Boys was exactly the kind of book I had hoped it would be. It made me realize that I really need to go back and read Justina Chen’s books that I’ve so far haven’t gotten my hands on.

Torn Away by Jennifer Brown

Title: Torn Away

Author: Jennifer Brown

Publisher: Little, Brown

Release Date: May 6, 2014

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

Born and raised in the Midwest, Jersey Cameron knows all about tornadoes. Or so she thinks. When her town is devastated by a twister, Jersey survives—but loses her mother, her young sister, and her home. As she struggles to overcome her grief, she’s sent to live with her only surviving relatives: first her biological father, then her estranged grandparents.

In an unfamiliar place, Jersey faces a reality she’s never considered before—one in which her mother wasn’t perfect, and neither were her grandparents, but they all loved her just the same. Together, they create a new definition of family. And that’s something no tornado can touch.

Despite having come across many of her books in recent years, it wasn’t until very recently that I read one of Jennifer Brown’s books. I had heard many fantastic things about the books, I just had not found the time to pick one up. And so I read Torn Away, and I now can say that I will be going back and reading the ones I missed.

Living in the Midwest, Jersey has grown up learning what to do if ever there was a tornado. But despite the yearly drills at schools and constant reminders of what to do to protect herself in the even of a storm, she had never seen a tornado. That is until the day the worst tornado in recent years strikes her town, destroying everything in its wake. As a result of the tornado, Jersey doesn’t only lose her home, she also loses her mom and sister who were buried by the debris. Now Jersey is sent to live with the biological father she’s never known, and when that doesn’t work out, with her estranged grandparents. Alone in unfamiliar places, Jersey isn’t sure who she is anymore, and the more she finds out, the more she starts doubting everything her mother’s told her. But through it all, Jersey’s definition of family starts to change and she realizes that even a tornado can’t take that away from her.

So here’s the thing about Jennifer Brown and her books: I’ve plenty of great things about them, I even have a few of them sitting on my bookshelves. But the truth of the matter is, I haven’t actually read any of them. Why? I don’t know. Any time I hear she has a new book coming out, I look it up and discover that it sounds likes something I would love and then I proceed to not read it. Yeah, I have issues. But I’ve been working on that, starting with reading Torn Away. And well, now I see where I went wrong: I should totally have been reading Jennifer Brown’s books from the start. I loved Torn Away. It was a really powerful read, one that packed the punches. To put it simply, within the first 30 or so pages, I was already tearing up (it would probably have been full on crying had I not been on the bus). And from that point on, things didn’t exactly get much better for Jersey. It is, after all, a story about loss, and learning to cope with said loss and building your life back up. So yeah, it was a sad story. But more than that, it was about Jersey’s evolution and growth. What I especially liked about the story is that it was focused on Jersey’s journey and there was no real romance to speak of. I mean, I love my romance, but this Torn Away didn’t need it. If anything, adding romance to the story would have taken away from what the story was really about and the impact it can have on readers. 

Torn Away is entirely about Jersey. Sure, there were other characters in the story but they were primarily there in the background even if there were a few standouts. Because this story was about Jersey figuring out her life after having lost literally everything, including her family, to a tornado. I felt for Jersey, I really did. I loved seeing her struggle and learn to go on living her life. It wasn’t easy to see her go through all that. As I was reading, I just wanted someone to come to her rescue, or even just to stand up for her. This was especially true when she was sent to live with her biological father’s family. They were truly horrible people and Jersey deserved a lot better. Though as much there were times when I wanted someone to stand up for her, there were other moments when I wanted her to stand up for herself and to rescue herself, to start thinking about what her life is going to be like without her family. But Jersey, grew and she changed for the better and I loved seeing that evolution. 

Jennifer Brown’s Torn Away was a powerful story and one that made me feel very grateful for having the family I have. It’s also convinced me that I need to go back and read the rest of Jennifer Brown’s books.

Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher

Title: Ketchup Clouds

Author: Annabel Pitcher

Publisher: Little, Brown BFYR

Release Date: November 12, 2013

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

Dear Mr. S. Harris,

Ignore the blob of red in the top left corner. It's jam, not blood, though I don't think I need to tell you the difference. It wasn't your wife's jam the police found on your shoe…

Zoe has an unconventional pen pal--Mr. Stuart Harris, a Texas Death Row inmate and convicted murderer. But then again, Zoe has an unconventional story to tell. A story about how she fell for two boys, betrayed one of them, and killed the other.

Hidden away in her backyard shed in the middle of the night with a jam sandwich in one hand and a pen in the other, Zoe gives a voice to her heart and her fears after months of silence. Mr. Harris may never respond to Zoe's letters, but at least somebody will know her story--somebody who nows what it's like to kill a person you love. Only through her unusual confession can Zoe hope to atone for her mistakes that have torn lives apart, and work to put her own life back together again.

Rising literary star Annabel Pitcher pens a captivating novel, rich with her distinctive balance between humor and heart. Annabel explores the themes of first love, guilt, and grief, introducing a character with a witty voice and true emotional resonance. 

Before an e-mail popped up about it in my inbox, I hadn't really heard of Annabel Pitcher or of Ketchup Clouds. But after reading the synopsis, I was intrigued and I wanted to know more. And so I read the book and found myself to be pleasantly surprised.

The past year hasn't exactly been normal for Zoe. After having fallen for two brothers and losing both in different ways, Zoe is having some trouble keep ing together. To deal with it all, Zoe decides to start writing letters to Stuart Harris, a death row inmate halfway around the world. As she recounts the last year of her life in her letters, Zoe starts to come to terms with everything that's happened. She learns to deal and accept the guilt, realizing that eventually, you just have to let it all go.

I love being surprised by books, and that's exactly what happened with Ketchup Clouds. What initially drew me in to the book was my own curiosity: I read the synopsis and it left me with this desire to find out more. I mean, the concept was interesting to say the least. I was curious about how a story written in the form of letters to a death row inmate would work. And it was as interesting as it promised to be. This was a story that was really honest: there wasn't much that wasn't said. It hunk the way the story was set up just made it easier for Zoe to tell that story. It's not for nothing they say it's sometimes easier to talk to a stranger than someone you know well. But as honest as the story was, there was also an element of mystery involved. From the start, I knew that one of the Morgan boys wouldn't make it, but I didn't know which one. And throughout, there were indications that it could have been either one of them. So in large part, what kept me reading was my need to know which boy died and which one survived. I just had to know. And I wanted to know how he died, because even though Zoe said she killed him. She just didn't strike me as the kind of person who would be able to kill.

Zoe was really interesting and different. She was so completely host in her letters to Stuart. She wasn't shy in the least when it came to sharing her story with him. And I guess for her it was kind of a therapeutic experience: it was her way of letting go of her grief and her guilt. Reading her story, my heart went out to Zoe. There was so much I would have wanted to tell her if I could have. The one thing that kind of rubbed me the wrong way about Zoe was how she got involved with both Morgan brothers…at the same time. Admittedly, Aaron and Max each had something working in their favour, and I could see why Zoe would be attracted to both of them. And in the end, it was all kind of tragic. I can't exactly say it was a happy ending since it was pretty much the complete opposite of that. But it was what it was and I liked that everything didn't end perfectly.

Annabel Pitcher's Ketchup Clouds was a very surprising read. I didn't know what to expect when I started reading, but I liked what I got. It was a story that had just the right balance of wit and tragedy. And like me, this book might just take you by surprise.

When You Were Here by Daisy Whitney

Title: When You Were Here

Author: Daisy Whitney

Publisher: Little, Brown

Release Date: June 4, 2013

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

Filled with humor, raw emotion, a strong voice, and a brilliant dog named Sandy Koufax, When You Were Here explores the two most powerful forces known to man--death and love. Daisy Whitney brings her characters to life with a deft touch and resonating authenticity.

Danny's mother lost her five-year battle with cancer three weeks before his graduation--the one day that she was hanging on to see.

Now Danny is left alone, with only his memories, his dog, and his heart-breaking ex-girlfriend for company. He doesn't know how to figure out what to do with her estate, what to say for his Valedictorian speech, let alone how to live or be happy anymore.

When he gets a letter from his mom's property manager in Tokyo, where she had been going for treatment, it shows a side of his mother he never knew. So, with no other sense of direction, Danny travels to Tokyo to connect with his mother's memory and make sense of her final months, which seemed filled with more joy than Danny ever knew. There, among the cherry blossoms, temples, and crowds, and with the help of an almost-but-definitely-not Harajuku girl, he begins to see how it may not have been ancient magic or mystical treatment that kept his mother going. Perhaps, the secret of how to live lies in how she died. 

I simply loved Daisy Whitney's first two books and couldn't wait to read When You Were Here. Before reading it, I had heard nothing but amazing things about the book which made me a little apprehensive. But I really shouldn't have worried because Daisy Whitney couldn't' have disappointed me with this book even if she tried. 

For the last five years of his life, Danny has been helping his mom fight cancer, helping her hold on so that she could see him graduate from high school. But just weeks before the big event, his mother loses her fight. Now Danny isn't exactly sure how he is supposed to go on now. Being happy was something Danny's mom was the expert on, not him. And with Holland coming back into his life after breaking his heart a year earlier, Danny is at a loss. So when the opportunity to go to Tokyo comes up, Danny decides that if he can't find happiness at home, maybe he can find it on the other side of the world. 

As I've mentioned, I absolutely loved Daisy Whitney's first two books, The Mockingbirds and The Rivals, so I was very excited at the prospect of reading her new book. And When You Were Here completely blew me away. This story was both heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. I can't say that I related to losing a parent, but the way it was written, I felt the pain associated with that event any time Danny thought about his loss. But despite the sadness this brought to the story, there was a certain feeling of happiness flowing underneath it all until that feeling overpowered the sadness altogether. Because, ultimately, this story felt like it was more about how to find that happiness again when you don't think it's possible to do so. And I loved seeing that aspect of the story, whether it was Danny learning how to be happy despite being alone, or finding happiness and love again when you thought you never would. There was just something so incredibly touching about this story, to the point that I often found myself tearing up, and even smiling through my tears. And Daisy Whitney's writing has this addicting quality, making it so I just can't stop reading once I start. 

I'll admit that I wasn't entirely sure how I felt about Danny when I first started reading When You Were Here. He had some self-destructive tendencies and though I could understand why he was the way he was, I expected more of him. But the more I read, the more he grew on me. He gradually turned himself around and I loved seeing that transformation in him. I loved seeing Danny realize that he could do this on his own, that he could be happy and in love again despite all the pain and loss from the past. And I that had a lot to do with Kana. In a way, Kana stole the show for me. While I was reading, she just jumped off the page. The descriptions of Kana were to rich and detailed that I could easily picture her while I was reading. But beyond just being extremely real, she was just so alive and she transferred some of that to Danny. Their friendship was what friendships should be. Danny's relationship with Holland, I wasn't quite as sure about. But the more I read and the more I understood their history, I could see that Danny and Holland were supposed to be together. 

It shouldn't come as a surprise, but Daisy Whitney's When You Were Here did not disappoint. This story was at times heartbreaking, but it was also heartwarming, making me believe that happiness and love are two of the most important emotions. Don't stop yourself from reading When You Were Here because it deals with the loss of a parent, because it is about so much more than that. Plus it has an awesome dog.

Waiting on Wednesday (70)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine where book bloggers devote a post to an upcoming book release they are particularly looking forward to. This week I have two contemporary titles I am particularly looking forward to reading.

This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith
April 2nd, 2013
Poppy

If fate sent you an email, would you answer?

When teenage movie star Graham Larkin accidentally sends small town girl Ellie O'Neill an email about his pet pig, the two seventeen-year-olds strike up a witty and unforgettable correspondence, discussing everything under the sun, except for their names or backgrounds. 

Then Graham finds out that Ellie's Maine hometown is the perfect location for his latest film, and he decides to take their relationship from online to in-person. But can a star as famous as Graham really start a relationship with an ordinary girl like Ellie? And why does Ellie want to avoid the media's spotlight at all costs?

I absolutely love Jennifer E. Smith's The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight when I read it last year. It was a fantastic contemporary read, so I can't wait for more from this author. And This is What Happy Looks Like sounds like a fun contemporary that might have something more than just fluff going on.

When You Were Here by Daisy Whitney

June 4th, 2013

Little, Brown BFYR

Filled with humor, raw emotion, a strong voice, and a brilliant dog named Sandy Koufax, When You Were Here explores the two most powerful forces known to man--death and love. Daisy Whitney brings her characters to life with a deft touch and resonating authenticity.

Danny's mother lost her five-year battle with cancer three weeks before his graduation--the one day she was hanging on to see.

Now Danny is left alone, with only his memories, his dog, and his heart-breaking ex-girlfriend for company. He doesn't know how to figure out what to do with her estate, what to say for his Valedictorian speech, let alone how to live or be happy anymore.

When he gets a letter from his mom's property manager in Tokyo, where she had been going for treatment, it shows a side of his mother he never knew. So, with no other sense of direction, Danny travels to Tokyo to connect with is mother's memory and make sense of her final months, which seemed filled with more joy than Danny ever knew. There,a kong the cherry blossoms, temples, and crowds, and with the help of an almost-but-definitely-not Harijuku girl, he begins to see how it may not have been ancient magic or mystical treatment that kept his mother going. Perhaps, the secret of how to live lies in how she died.

Daisy Whitney has yet to disappoint me with anything that she writes. I am a big fan of The Mockingbirds & The Rivals, so I am excited simply at the prospect of getting to read more of her writing. And When You Were Here sounds like a fantastic story that will no doubt be pulling at my heartstrings.

The Diviners by Libba Bray

Title: The Diviners (The Diviners #1)

Author: Libba Bray

Publisher: Little, Brown BFYR

Release Date: September 18, 2012

Source: From Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

Do you believe there are ghosts and demons and Diviners among us?

Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City--and she is pos-i-tute-ly ecstatic. It's 1926, and New York is filled with speakeasies, Ziegfeld girls, and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is that she has to live with her uncle Will and his unhealthy obsession with the occult.

Evie worries he'll discover her darkest secret: a supernatural power that has only brought her trouble so far. But when the police find a murdered girl branded with a cryptic symbol and Will is called to the scene, Evie realizes her gift could help catch a serial killer.

As Evie jumps headlong into a dance with a murderer, other stories unfold in the city that never sleeps. A young man named Memphis is caught between two worlds. A chorus girl named Theta is running from her past. A student named Jericho hides a shocking secret. And unknown to all, something dark and evil has awakened…

Printz Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Libba Bray opens a brand-new historical series with The Diviners, where the glittering surface of the Roaring Twenties hides a mystical horror creeping across the country.

I remember being really excited about Libba Bray's The Diviners when I first heard about it. And then I kept on seeing glowing reviews of the book, which only made me want to read it that much more. So I was beyond excited when my own gorgeous finished copy of The Diviners showed up on my doorstep, though I was slightly thrown aback by the size of the book. But that didn't deter me and I found myself thoroughly enjoying the book as I was reading it. 

Despite having been ousted of Ohio by her parents, Evie O'Neil is thrilled to now be living in Manhattan. Even if it's with her uncle Will, curator of the Museum of American Folklore, Superstition and the Occult. For Evie, Manhattan means speakeasies, flappers and glamour all around. But everything may not be quite as glamorous as Evie hoped it would be. With a serial killer roaming around town, committing ritual killings. The only people who seem to be able to solve the mystery are Evie, her uncle Will and Jericho, her uncle's student and assistant. Among all the ritz and glamour of New York City, Evie must race against the clock to stop a killer before he unleashes hell on earth.

While I have absolutely nothing against long or big books, I was slightly thrown by the sheer size of Libba Bray's The Diviners. I was honestly wondering how I would be able to get through the book while also focusing on school and work. But it didn't prove to be that difficult once I really got into the story. With her writing, Libba Bray really transported me back to New York City and the 1920s. With her every word, I was able to picture this past Manhattan and the world that Evie was living in. And let me say that at times, that world and that writing gave me some serious chills, especially when I was reading alone at night. It was not exactly conducive to peaceful dreams. The story itself was engrossing. While it did take a little while for me to get into it, which could be accounted for by the fact I was only able to read sporadically, once the story won me over I was not longer able to put the book down. 

Miss Evie O'Neil was quite the character. From the start, she intrigued me. I was never quite sure what to make of her. At times she seemed like just your typical young women living life to the fullest in the roaring 20s. But then there were those moments where she took me by surprise, all of a sudden she would become this completely different Evie who took the time to think and didn't only think of herself. All that to say that Evie is the type of character who you really have to get to know before you make up your mind about her. For whatever reason, I wasn't expecting to become attached to so many characters in this book. All of them each had their quirks and eccentricities that made them unique and, in my opinion, that much more likeable. I just never quite knew what to expect from any of them.

Overall, The Diviners by Libba Bray was a fantastic read, one that brought images of a long gone Manhattan to mine and one that will give you chills for any one of a myriad of reasons. My one recommendation: if you're alone at night, you may want to have multiple lights on when reading certain parts of the book.

For more information on the book, be sure to check out the HBG website.

Confessions of a Murder Suspect by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro

Title: Confessions of a Murder Suspect (Teen Detective Series #1)

Author: James Patterson & Maxine Paetro

Publisher: Little, Brown

Release Date: September 24, 2012

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

James Patterson returns to the genre that made him famous with a thrilling teen detective series about the mysterious and magnificently wealthy Angel family…and the dark secrets they're keeping from one another.

On the night Malcolm and Maud Angel are murdered, Tandy Angel knows just three things: 1) She was the last person to see her parents alive. 2) The police have no suspects besides Tandy and her three siblings. 3) She can't trust anyone--maybe not even herself. Having grown up under Malcolm and Maud's intense perfectionist demands, no child comes away undamaged. Tandy decides that she will have to clear the family name, but digging deeper into her powerful parents' affairs is a dangerous--and revealing--game. Who knows what the Angels are truly capable of?

I am a sucker for a good mystery story and there have definitely been some really good ones in the YA world this year. James Patterson and Maxine Paetro's Confessions of a Murder Suspect definitely followed that trend. It drew me right in and, like the characters, I wanted to find out who the killer was.

On the surface, the Angel family looked perfect, but everything is not always as it seems. When Tandy Angel hears knocking at her front door in the middle of the night, the last thing she expected was for the police to storm in to her family's appartement. And for them to tell her that her parents have been murdered. Now Tandy is determined to find out who killed her parents. Except her only suspects, and the police's, are her three brother and herself. But that's not going to stop her. Tandy knows some things the police don't, and she's hoping to get to her parents' killer before the police does.

Live I've already said multiple times, I am a major sucker for any story that has a mystery in some form or another in it. There have definitely been a lot of those in YA this year so I'm always a little worried they're going to start sounding the same. But I shouldn't have been worried about that happening with Confessions of a Murder Suspect. The story was different from all the other murder mysteries. I loved how every so often there would be a break from the story and you would get a "confession" that would help explain some of the back store. Those just made me want to read on. The most interesting thing about the story was the way it was told. Instead of the narrator just telling her story, she was openly addressing the reading. It was definitely different, but it was a great way to get the reader engaged in the story.

So the Angel family. They were definitely interesting and different. On the surface they looked pretty normal, but the more I read the more I couldn't help but think that normal wasn't quite the right word to describe them. Each member of the family had something about them that made them stand out from what is considered "normal". For a long time, Tandy didn't really show a wide range of emotions. On the flip side you had Harry who was almost too in touch with his emotions. Hugo had above average physical strength, especially when you take into consideration that he was only 10 years old. Matthew's athletic prowess was way above average, even for a professional athlete. But those little things are what made the characters interesting to read about. It was great seeing them sort of break out of what their parents had moulded them to be. But they still had a long way to go before they reached "normal".

Confessions of a Murder Suspect was exactly what I was looking for. I knew all along that James Patterson was an expert on mystery or detective novels, but I wasn't sure how successful he would be doing that in YA. But I shouldn't have been worried because he and Maxine Paetro wrote a book I am excited to recommend to others.

For more information on the book, be sure to check out the HBG website.

Waiting on Wednesday (56)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine where book bloggers devote a post to an upcoming release they are particularly looking forward to.

THIS WEEK'S PICK:

THE DIVINERS BY LIBBA BRAY

Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City--and she is pos-i-toot-ly thrilled. New York is the city of speakeasies, shopping, and movie palaces! Soon enough, Evie is running with glamorous Ziegfield girls and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is Evie has to live with her Uncle Will, curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult--also known as "The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies."

When a rash of occult-based murders comes to light, Evie and her uncle are right in the thick of the investigation. And through it all, Evie has a secret: a mysterious power that could help catch the killer--if he doesn't catch her first.

I'll admit right now that the only book by Libba Bray that I've read is Beauty Queens despite owning her Gemma Doyle trilogy. Regardless of that, The Diviners sounds like a really interesting read and who doesn't love a paranormal mixed with historical fiction? I can't wait to be able to read this one.

The Diviners by Libba Bray will be published September 18, 2012 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga

Title: I Hunt Killers (Jasper Dent #1)

Author: Barry Lyga

Publisher: Little, Brown

Release Date: April 3, 2012

Source: From Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

It was a beautiful day.

It was a beautiful field.

Except for the body.

Jazz is a likeable teenager. A charmer, some might say.

But he's also the son of the world's most infamous serial killer, and for Dear Old Dad, "Take Your Son to Work Day" was year-round. Jazz has witnessed crime scenes the way cops wish they could--from the criminal's point of view.

And now, even though Dad has been in jail for years, bodies are piling up in the sleepy town of Lobo's Nod. Again. In an effort to prove murder doesn't run in the family, Jazz joins the police in the hunt for this new serial killer. But Jazz has a secret--could he be more like his father than anyone knows?

I am a huge fan of the TV show Criminal Minds so when I first heard about I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga I just knew I had to read it. It was everything I expected it to be and more. And it was definitely as creepy as disturbing as it promised to be.

Jasper "Jazz" Dent looks like a normal teenager, but that's only on the surface. Because as everyone in the small town of Lobo's knows, Jazz is the son of the world's most notorious serial killer. After his traumatic childhood and his father's arrest, Jazz has tried to move on and live a normal life, all the while trying to prove to himself that he's not like his father. But then a body shows up in a field and everything seems to be pointing towards a serial killer, especially when more bodies start showing up all over Lobo's Nod. in an effort to prove to everyone, and himself, that he's not the one committing the murders, Jazz joins forces with the police department. But in spite of all this, Jazz may still be more like his father than he would like to think.

I Hunt Killers was a really great read. Like I said, I have a minor obsession with Criminal Minds so this book was right up my alley. Let me begin by saying that this book was nothing if not creepy and disturbing. The story messed with my mind so much, and I think having it told in the third person only made it that much more creepy. But despite the fact that I've described the book as creepy and disturbing, as well as the subject matter the book dealt with, it wasn't gruesome. You get descriptions of the crime scenes and dead bodies, but it's all done very tastefully, which made me appreciate the book that much more.

Jazz is unlike any other YA character I have encountered. He definitely wasn't your traditional hero. He was pretty much as far from that as possible. Jazz doubted himself every step of the way, constantly worrying about turning out like his serial killer father. And that made him feel more real to me. Anyone who had a childhood like Jazz did would worry about something like that. How could they not? And realizing he wasn't like his father wasn't made any easier by the fact that Jazz keeps hearing his father's voice in his head. Jazz was a very interesting character, and sometimes I wish I could have seen more of what he was thinking.

In I Hunt Killers, Barry Lyga wrote a deliciously creepy story that kept me on the edge of my seat, questioning everything that was happening. One friendly tip, don't read this late at night or before bed because it may not be really conducive to sleep.