Review: Want to Go Private by Sarah Darer Littman

Title:	Want to Go Private?
Author:	Sarah Darer Littman
Genre:	YA, Social Issues
Rating:	PG-13
Publisher:	Scholastic Press
Release Date:	August 1, 2011
Pages:	330
Source:	Finished Copy
My Rating:	5*

 [Goodreads | Amazon]

Abby and Luke chat online. They've never met. But they are going to. Soon.

Abby is starting high school—it should be exciting, so why doesn't she care? Everyone tells her to "make an effort," but why can't she just be herself? Abby quickly feels like she's losing a grip on her once-happy life. The only thing she cares about anymore is talking to Luke, a guy she met online, who understands. It feels dangerous and yet good to chat with Luke—he is her secret, and she's his. Then Luke asks her to meet him, and she does. But Luke isn't who he says he is. When Abby goes missing, everyone is left to put together the pieces. If they don't, they'll never see Abby again.

   

 “...I grab my laptop and log on to ChezTeen.com. Within minutes, I'm surrounded by friends, even though I've never met any of them. There, I can pretend that my first day of school was fantastic, because no one is going to know anything different. I can be anyone I want to be when I'm online and I don't even have to wear makeup.”

This book had been sitting in my TBR pile for quite some time. On a whim, I decided to pick it up for what I thought was going to be some 'light' reading. Yeah, so not a good call. While I would consider this book an 'easy' read it is definately cannot be considered a 'light' read. Want to Go Private? reads as a cautionary take depicting the alienation and grooming of a vulnerable teenager by an online predator and her journey to heal.

The story is told mainly from the prespective of th emain character Abby. There are instances where a portion of the story is told by one of the cast of supporting characters. Watching Abby go from a happy, but insecure teenage to a victim is pretty difficult. Want to Go Private? is pretty detailed and in my opinion fairly accurate in showing jus thow Abby was being groomed and not even realizing it. There was something so disturbing about watching Abby descend down this path unaware while you, the reader, is fully aware where this is headed.

Reading Want to Go Private? by Sarah Darer Littman was like watching an episode of Dateline's How to Catch a Predator, but in reverse.

Review: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Title:	Clockwork Angel
Author:	Cassandra Clare
Genre:	YA, Steampunk
Rating:	PG
Publisher:	Margaret K. McElderry
Release Date:	August 31, 2010
Pages:	476
Source:	Finished Copy
My Rating:	4*

 [Goodreads | Amazon]

Magic is dangerous--but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by--and torn between--two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

      "He'll get better," Jessamine announced.  "And when he does, he'll know I'm the one who nursed him back to health.  Men always fall in love with the woman who nurses them back to health.  'When pain and anguish wring the brow, | A ministering angel thou!'" she finished, with a self-satisfied smirk.  Seeing Tessa's horrified look, she scowled.  "What's wrong?  Am I not good enough for your previous brother?"   

     The Dark Sisters were there, leering at me from behind their whist cards, their nails like talons.  Women with their faces and shoulders powdered white smiled at me with blood running out the corners of their mouths.  Little creatures whose eyes changed color scuttled across the floor.  I had never imagined such things were real, and I said as much to Mortmain.
     '"There are more things in Heaven and earth, Nathaniel. than are dreamt of in your philosophy,' he said.

              I think I should give you fair warning that at the time I decided to read this book I had already marked some of Cassandra Clare’s other work, namely the Mortal Instruments Series, as DNF.  As a result I was very hesitant to even begin any of the books in the Infernal Devices series.  In the end, I was convinced to give it a try by some of my fellow Ontario Blog Squad members and I am very glad that they did.

                For me the first half of the book was a whole lot of nothing.  Well, maybe not nothing, but not a lot happened.  It was all talk and getting to know the characters, but really very little action.  While I did like having the opportunity to really learn about the characters, it was hard holding my attention when I just wanted something to happen.  I do have to say that when the action started, it pretty much didn’t stop.  It wasn’t over the top gory incidents either.  I didn’t get the feeling that the events taking place weren’t realistic for the story, but rather they seamlessly fit right in.

                While I did enjoy the book, I can’t say that I was really fond of a lot of the characters.  Tessa annoyed me for some reason.  Maybe it was her dependence on others, or her inability to see things clearly that drove me nuts.  Was she a product of her environment and times?  Yes!  Does that mean I should make allowances for her character?  Probably.  Did she still annoy me anyway?  Absolutely! And that was the best part.  As annoying as she was, she was authentic to the times, her upbringing and her character.  I really did not like Will, but he too was authentic.  What I don’t understand is this need for the main male character in every YA book to be a borderline douche.  Jem on the other hand came across as a very likeable, albeit, tragic character.  Jess made me want to light myself on fire every time she appeared in the story.

There was something about the setting for this series that just worked for me.  The setting of Victorian London was spot on and had me believing in the world of Shadowhunters, Demons and the like.  Something about London during that time period comes across as a lot more believable than the backdrop of New York City that we find in The Mortal Instruments.  What we know of London during that time due to historical record lends a great bit of credibility to this kind of world within a world that Cassandra Clare has created.  London, as described in Clockwork Angel, is a cross between being seedy and posh and it is that dichotomy that makes the story work so well.

Review: Lie by Caroline Bock

Title:	Lie
Author:	Caroline Bock
Genre:	YA, Social Issues
Rating:	PG-13
Publisher:	St. Martin's Griffin
Release Date:	August 30, 2011
Pages:	224
Source:	Finished Copy
My Rating:	3.5*

 [Goodreads | Amazon]

Everybody knows, nobody’s talking. . . .

Seventeen-year-old Skylar Thompson is being questioned by the police. Her boyfriend, Jimmy, stands accused of brutally assaulting two young El Salvadoran immigrants from a neighboring town, and she’s the prime witness. Skylar is keeping quiet about what she’s seen, but how long can she keep it up? 

But Jimmy was her savior. . . .

When her mother died, he was the only person who made her feel safe, protected from the world. But when she begins to appreciate the enormity of what has happened, especially when Carlos Cortez, one of the victims, steps up to demand justice, she starts to have second thoughts about protecting Jimmy. Jimmy’s accomplice, Sean, is facing his own moral quandary. He’s out on bail and has been offered a plea in exchange for testifying against Jimmy.

The truth must be told. . . .

Sean must decide whether or not to turn on his friend in order to save himself. But most important, both he and Skylar need to figure out why they would follow someone like Jimmy in the first place.

     He wasn't against legal immigration. I asked him how his family got here, or were they American Indians?  He said that his mother's family owned farmland out on the South Fork going back to the 1700s.  He said his family documents are in Dutch, which is who were in charge here before the English.  I said good for him.  You can give history lessons.  My father's father lied about his age and came over steerage, on his knees the whole way.  He was called the Big Swede.  What about giving these people a chance?
     He said they were stealing our jobs.  I said they were doing job nobody else wanted.
     "You want them living next door to you?  Twenty, thirty, or more Mexicans jammed in a house together?"

I had been waiting to read this book for some time.  In fact, I think this book was one of my Waiting on Wednesday picks sometime back in May or June.  Every time I went to the bookstore in hopes of acquiring this book, it never quite worked out and I finally just ordered it online sometime back in October.  Of course as soon as I got it, I began reading it.  Sad to say, I was disappointed.  I was so disappointed in fact, that this book was originally classified as DNF on my shelf and after about 50 pages in, I put it down.  Usually, when I classify a book as DNF, I don’t pick it up again.  But for some reason, I decided to give this one a second chance.  I can honestly say that I am glad that I did.

Lie is told from multiple POVs and as such you really get to hear the viewpoints of everyone in this particular community.  The sad part is that all those POV’s really do mirror each other and still adhere to the line ‘everybody knows, but no one’s talking’.  It’s really disturbing to see just how everyone lets the fact that the victims were Mexican and the perpetrators were white cloud their minds to the fact that a crime was committed, and that lives were put in danger.  The really sad part is that Lie, even though fiction, mirrors events that have happened in real life.

I have never been more disgusted with a character than I was with Skylar.  She uses her loss as a way to make her apathetic to the suffering of anyone else.  The fact that she has gone through a loss should have made her appreciate life so much more.  Instead she has this pity me, poor me attitude that leads her to rely on the very racist Jimmy for absolutely everything.  For Skylar, I really didn’t see the struggle between right and wrong.  She clearly couldn’t tell the difference if it slapped her upside the head.  The sad thing is that she was not alone in that viewpoint.

Don’t get me wrong, I knew that Lie wasn’t going to be a book about fluffy bunnies and as such was likely going to provoke some intense reactions.  I was expecting outrage, frustration and maybe even a little sadness and anger.  What I was not prepared for was the absolute rage and disgust I felt while reading this book.  The tag line of Lie is ‘everybody knows, nobody’s talking’ and that one line should be enough to set anyone’s teeth on edge.  The fact that Lie is a book based around a hate crime, ‘everybody knows, nobody’s talking’ should outrage and disgust you.

Review: Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott

Title: Living Dead Girl
Author: Elizabeth Scott
Genre: YA, Social Issues, Child Abuse
Rating: R
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: September 2, 2008
Pages: 170
Source: Purchased Finished Copy
My Rating: 5*

[Goodreads | Amazon]

Synopsis

The thing is, you can get used to anything. You think you can't, you want to die, but you don't. You won't. You just are.

This is Alice.
She was taken by Ray five years ago.
She thought she knew how her story would end.
She was wrong.

Quotes

     The audience always boos and says You Should Have Done Something.  You should have fought back.  You should have known no one has that kind of power.  You should have been strong.
     You shouldn't have been so stupid.
     The women nod and sniffle.  They are still broken.  They still agree with everything anyone wants.  Even the ones who try to explain end up with their heads down, their hands in their laps.  Little girl ready to say she's sorry.
     All our fault, always.

My Thoughts

Let me start this review off by saying that I have a cast iron stomach.  I also have a pretty warped sense of humor and I am not usually bothered by things that would make most people spend the rest of their lives on a psychiatrist's couch.  Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott disturbed me so much that it actually made me physically ill.

I have read books about abuse and I have read books about child abuse.  None of the other books I have read have have communicated the utter devastation, degradation and hopelessness that is demonstrated in Living Dead Girl.  It's not enough to just say that Alice is a victim and to get glimpses of the abuse that she has and is suffering.

What makes this story so profoundly disturbing is the insight into both the minds of Alice and her captor/abuser/tormentor Ray.  To see that Alice knows that she is never going to get out of this, in the traditional sense of being rescued and going home, but rather that the only way out for her is death and to watch her accept and welcome this is absolutely horrifying.

All I have to say is thank the lord that this book was only 170 pages long.  I don't think I could have handled reading much more.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About the Author

Hey there, I'm Elizabeth. I write young adult novels. I live just outside Washington DC with my husband and dog, and am unable to pass a bookstore without stopping and going inside.

All right, and I can't leave without buying at least one book.

Usually two. (Or more!)

Visit her website!

Review: Children of Paranoia by Trevor Shane

Title: Children of Paranoia
Author: Trevor Shane
Genre: Dystopian
Rating: PG
Publisher: Dutton Books
Publication Date: September 8, 2011
Pages: 384
Source: Finished Copy provided by the Publisher
My Rating: 4*

[Goodreads | Amazon]

Synopsis

ALL WARS HAVE RULES

Rule Number One: No killing innocent bystanders.

Rule Number Two: No killing anyone under the age of eighteen.

BREAK THE RULES, BECOME THE TARGET

Since the age of eighteen, Joseph has been assassinating people on behalf of a cause that he believes in but doesn't fully understand. The War is ageless, hidden in the shadows, governed by a rigid set of rules, and fought by two distinct sides-one good, one evil. The only unknown is which side is which. Soldiers in the War hide in plain sight, their deeds disguised as accidents or random acts of violence amidst an unsuspecting population ignorant of the brutality that is always inches away.

Killing people is the only life Joseph has ever known, and he's one of the best at it. But when a job goes wrong and he's sent away to complete a punishingly dangerous assignment, Joseph meets a girl named Maria, and for the first time in his life his singleminded, bloody purpose fades away.

Before Maria, Joseph's only responsibility was dealing death to the anonymous targets fingered by his superiors. Now he must run from the people who have fought by his side to save what he loves most in this world. As Children of Paranoia reaches its heart-in-throat climax, Joseph will learn that only one rule remains immutable: the only thing more dangerous than fighting the War...is leaving it.

You can read an excerpt here!

My Thoughts

I am not even going to lie.  The title of the book hooked me before I even read the synopsis.  Then I read the synopsis and knew I had to get a copy for myself.  I am so glad I did.

For me, while the book started off a bit slow, it still allowed me to dive into both the characters and the story.  Once the story gets going, it really gets going and before you know it you are kneed deep in suspense, drama, action and intrigue.  I think it's a real testament to Trevor Shane's ability as a writer to be able to craft a character like Joe, who to me is the ultimate anti-hero and the opposite of everything that you would typically look up, and yet you still want to see him succeed.

I love the contrast between Joe's darkness and Maria's light.  There is just something that is so moving to me about Joe having been a person of absolutes who then has his world turned upside down by Maria and her introduction into his life.  To watch their relationship unfold and to see the changes both characters go through was just amazing.  Knowing that this was the first book in a trilogy, I didn't think that we would get a chance to see such character depth and development in the first book, but I was wrong and I was pleasantly surprised.

All in all this was a fabulous book.  I absolutely devoured it roughly four hours and of course I am now left dying to know what happens next.  Trevor Shane has managed to create an absolutely wonderful and engaging debut that leaves readers wanting more.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About the Author: Trevor Shane lives in Brooklyn with his wife and son. This is his first novel, and the first in the trilogy.  Be sure to visit him online!

Website
Twitter
Trevor Shane on Facebook
Children of Paranoia on Facebook


Be sure to check out the other stops on the blog tour!

Review: The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

Title: The Lost Hero (Hero's of Olympus #1)
Author: Rick Riordan
Genre: Middle Grade, Action Adventure
Rating: G
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Release Date: October 12, 2010
Pages: 557 Pages
Source: Purchased Finished Copy
My Rating: 5*

[Goodreads | Amazon]

Synopsis

Jason has a problem. He doesn’t remember anything before waking up in a bus full of kids on a field trip. Apparently he has a girlfriend named Piper and a best friend named Leo. They’re all students at a boarding school for “bad kids.” What did Jason do to end up here? And where is here, exactly?

Piper has a secret. Her father has been missing for three days, ever since she had that terrifying nightmare. Piper doesn’t understand her dream, or why her boyfriend suddenly doesn’t recognize her. When a freak storm hits, unleashing strange creatures and whisking her, Jason, and Leo away to someplace called Camp Half-Blood, she has a feeling she’s going to find out.

Leo has a way with tools. When he sees his cabin at Camp Half-Blood, filled with power tools and machine parts, he feels right at home. But there’s weird stuff, too—like the curse everyone keeps talking about. Weirdest of all, his bunkmates insist that each of them—including Leo—is related to a god.

Quotes

     "Coach," Jason pleaded, "they may be friendly.  Besides we're trespassing in their house."
     "Thank you!" said the old man in the bathrobe.  "Now, who are you, and why are you here?"
     "Let's all put our weapons down," Piper said.  "Coach, you first."
     Hedge clenched his jaw.  "Just one thwack?"
     "No," Piper said.
     "What about a compromise? I'll kill them first, and if it turns out they were friendly, I'll apologize."

My Thoughts

So at the time I read this book, I hadn't yet read the Percy Jackson series by the same author.  I own all five books in that series, but I stopped reading them after the first one.  I can't really say why.  I picked up this book on the sole strength of how much I love the books in the Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan.  

Can I just say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book?  I can't really say that this book is better than the original Percy Jackson series as I haven't read them yet, but in my opinion, this book can hold it's own.

I could not stop giggling when I read this book.  The humor in this book, just as it was in the Kane Chronicles, just didn't stop.  I am not really sure what it is about the Satyr's that makes them so funny, but it just works.  Give that satyr a bit of a complex and a megaphone and the hilarity just doesn't stop.

One thing I did appreciate about this book was not only the introduction of new characters, but the fact that each chapter or two was told from a different viewpoint.  I find that with these stories, getting the different view points works very well as each character has their own part to play in the story.  The best part of this book and in fact this series, is that not only does it get kids excited to read, but it teaches them quite a lot about mythology and in terms that they can understand.

Review: Dexter by Design by Jeff Lindsay

Title: Dexter by Design (Dexter #4)
Author: Jeff Lindsay
Genre: Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 18A
Publisher: DoubleDay
Release Date: September 8, 2009
Pages:285
Source: Purchased Finished Copy
My Rating: 4*

[Goodreads | Amazon]

Synopsis
Dexter Morgan is back. After his surprisingly glorious honeymoon in Paris, life is almost normal for Dexter Morgan. Married life seems to agree with him: he's devoted to his bride, his stomach is full, and his homicidal hobbies seem nicely under control. But old habits die hard - and Dexter's work as a blood spatter analyst never fails to offer new temptations that appeal to his offbeat sense of justice...and his Dark Passenger still waits to hunt with him in the moonlight. Luckily for Dex, there's someone out there with particularly twisted tastes. Dexter may have never been a big fan of art - but the discovery of a corpse (artfully displayed as a sunbather relaxing on a beach chair) naturally piques his curiosity. Miami's finest soon realize they've got a terrifying new serial killer on the loose. And Dexter, of course, is back in business. From the most original voice in crime fiction, Dexter By Design is an enthralling, macabre and gruesomely entertaining thriller.

Quotes

Normally, I am Dexter on the Spot, at the center of all important action, and to have so much death and destruction all around me and not be a crucial part of it didn't seem right.  Two whole bodies, and me no more than an observer with the vapors, fainting on the outskirts of the drama like a Victorian maiden. 
          -pg 281

"Dexter," he said, in what I am sure was a very emotional tone of voice,"did you bring doughnuts?"  It was truly heart warming to realize that I had been missed, and if only I had a heart, I am sure it would have been warmed.
     "I no longer eat doughnuts," I told him.  "I only eat croissants."
     Vince blinked.  "How come?" he said.
     "Je suis Parisien," I said.
     He shook his head.  "Well, you should have brought doughnuts," he said.  "We got a really weird one out on South Beach this morning, and there's no place out there to get doughnuts."
     "Quel tragique," I said.
     "Are you gonna stay like this all day?" he said.  "'Cause this could be a really long one."
          -pgs 14-15

  

My Thoughts

There are very few things that actually creep me out.  I mean things that bother most people, I wouldn't even bat an eyelash at.  Take me to a horror movie where everyone is freaking out at the gore being depicted on screen and I don't even bat an eyelash.  Take me to a movie where the main characters are professing their undying love for one another while gazing into each others eyes and I am most likely to cover my eyes in horror.  Yes, I know it's weird,  but that is just the way I am.  Having said that this book had some scenes that just made me my skin crawl, Jennifer's Leg being just one of them.


In Dexter by Design we once again have the return of our favourite serial killer and his dark passenger.  Gone is the hapless Dexter that we saw in the previous book when confronted by something more sinister than himself.  We catch up with Dexter as he is on his honeymoon in Paris with the ever annoying Rita.  While he is unable to indulge in his favourite hobby during his vacation, he does find some rather interesting and disturbing performance art to pass the time.


Upon his return from Paris, Dexter is immediately confronted with some very, very different homicides that are a bit puzzling to him.  While once again trying to help his ever ungrateful and self-absorbed sister Deborah, Dexter ends up getting himself in a bit of hot water while finding out that not all objects in the mirror are as they appear.


This was a different, but enjoyable version of Dexter.  It was nice to see him back to his old self, but at the same time being kept on his toes and realizing that sometimes he is his own worst enemy.

Review: Dexter in the Dark

Title: Dexter in the Dark (Dexter #3)
Author: Jeff Lindsay
Genre: Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 18A
Publisher: DoubleDay
Release Date: September 18, 2007
Pages: 368
Source: Purchased Finished Copy
My Rating: 3*

[Goodreads | Amazon]

Synopsis

In his work as a Miami crime scene investigator, Dexter Morgan is accustomed to seeing evil deeds…particularly because, on occasion, he rather enjoys committing them himself. Guided by his Dark Passenger (the reptilian voice inside him), he lives his outwardly normal life adhering to one simple rule: he kills only very bad people. Dexter slides through life undetected, working as a blood spatter analyst for the Miami Police Department, helping his fiancée raise her two adorable (if somewhat…unique) children, and always planning his next jaunt as Dexter the Dark Avenger under the light of the full moon.

But then everything changes. Dexter is called to a crime scene that seems routine: a gruesome double homicide at the university campus, which Dexter would normally investigate with gusto, before enjoying a savory lunch. And yet this scene feels terribly wrong. Dexter’s Dark Passenger senses something it recognizes, something utterly chilling, and the Passenger—mastermind of Dexter’s homicidal prowess—promptly goes into hiding.

With his Passenger on the run, Dexter is left to face this case all alone—not to mention his demanding sister (Sergeant Deborah), his frantic fiancée (Rita), and the most frightening wedding caterer ever to plan a menu. Equally unsettling, Dexter begins to realize that something very dark and very powerful has its sights set on him. Dexter is left in the dark, but he must summon his sharpest investigative instincts not only to pursue his enemy, but to locate and truly understand his Dark Passenger. To find him, Dexter has to research the questions he’s never dared ask: Who is the Dark Passenger, and where does he come from? It is nothing less than a search for Dexter’s own dark soul…fueled by a steady supply of fresh doughnuts.

Macabre, ironic, and wonderfully entertaining, Dexter in the Dark goes deeper into the psyche of one of the freshest protagonists in recent fiction. Jeff Lindsay’s glorious creativity is on full display in his most accomplished novel yet.

Quotes

     I grabbed my handy blood-spatter kit and headed out the door with Vince Masuoka, who despite his small size had somehow grabbed two of the very valuable filled doughnuts-including he Bavarian cream with the chocolate frosting.  "You have done a little too well, Mighty Hunter,"  I told him with a nod at his plundered loot.
     "The gods of the forest have been good," he said, and took a large bite.  "My people will not starve this season."
     "No, but I will," I said.
     He gave me his terrible phony smile, which looked like something he had learned to do by studying a government manual on facial expressions.  "The ways of the jungle are hard, Grasshopper," he said.
     "Yes, I know," I said.  "First you must learn to think like a doughnut."

My Thoughts


This is my least favourite book in the Dexter series.  There is something about Dexter being scared that just doesn't sit well with me.  It makes him far too human, which really takes away his whole appeal.  The reason that Dexter is so appealing to readers is that he is not like us.  He is not bound by the same moral compass that binds the vast majority of our society.  The fact that he exists on the fringes and fakes just enough to get by is what makes him so compelling.

All that makes Dexter who he is is missing in Dexter in the Dark as his Dark Passenger goes silent in the face of a truly terrifying foe.  Dexter isn't top dog in this book.  He isn't showing a mutual appreciation for another killers skill or work.  This time, he is being well and truly hunted.

While there is plenty of action that happens in this book, there is more delving into Dexter's psyche.  Dexter tries to keep one step ahead of his foe, but how can he do that when his sharpest instinct is no longer available to him.  Of course we also watch Dexter juggle his ungrateful sister Deborah, his annoying fiancée Rita, and his two protegees in training Cody and Astor all while trying to save his own life.

Review: Shut Out by Kody Keplinger

Title: Shut Out
Author: Kody Keplinger
Genre: YA, Social Issues
Rating: PG
Publisher: Poppy
Publication Date: September 5, 2011
Pages: 273
Source: Purchased Finished Copy
My Rating: 4*

[Goodreads | Amazon]

Synopsis

Most high school sports teams have rivalries with other schools. At Hamilton High, it's a civil war: the football team versus the soccer team. And for her part,Lissa is sick of it. Her quarterback boyfriend, Randy, is always ditching her to go pick a fight with the soccer team or to prank their locker room. And on three separate occasions Randy's car has been egged while he and Lissa were inside, making out. She is done competing with a bunch of sweaty boys for her own boyfriend's attention 

Then Lissa decides to end the rivalry once and for all: She and the other players' girlfriends go on a hookup strike. The boys won't get any action from them until the football and soccer teams make peace. What they don't count on is a new sort of rivalry: an impossible girls-against-boys showdown that hinges on who will cave to their libidos first. But what Lissa never sees coming is her own sexual tension with the leader of the boys, Cash Sterling...


Quotes

     "I just hear all those stories, and sometimes I feel like I'm the only one who's never done it.  I feel like I'm behind or something.  Like it makes me a prude."
     "You're not weird, or a prude, or a tease, or any of that," I assured her.  "Actually, I think it's great that you're waiting.  It's sort of refreshing.  And sex is a big deal, so you shouldn't rush it just because everyone else is doing it.  I think it's  major decision."

My Thoughts


While I do have Kody Keplinger's debut book DUFF, I have yet to read it.  I don't know what made me read Shut Out first, but I did and I really liked it.


I am not sure just how realistic a sex strike is, not to mention one amongst high school students, but it was an interesting premise.  It took the idea of sex being a weapon in a whole different direction.  In this book, sex was a weapon used to bring about change.  Or at least that is how it started, but alas, 'the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry'.  The girls, who believe they are holding all the power, are in for a bit of a rude awakening.


What I really liked about this book was not the sex strike, but rather the dialogue that sex strike provoked amongst the kids involved.  These were kids like any others and they assumed that they were all having sex, when they weren't.  The sex strike brought about several interesting conversations and realizations among both the guys and girls.  These were conversations really brought home the message of being true to yourself in all ways.


Shut Out was a good book and a very easy read.  It's one of the few books out there that I have read recently that has a pretty decent characterization of high-school students, their attitudes, and dialogue.

Review: Dearly Devoted Dexter

Title: Dearly Devoted Dexter (Dexter #2)
Author: Jeff Lindsay
Genre: Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 18A
Publisher: DoubleDay
Release Date: August 19, 2005
Pages: 292
Source: Purchased Finished Copy
My Rating: 3*

[Goodreads | Amazon]

Synopsis
He's a charming monster...A macabre hero...A serial killer who only kills bad people

Dexter Morgan has been under considerable pressure. It's just not easy being an ethical serial killer—especially while trying to avoid the unshakable suspicions of the dangerous Sergeant Doakes (who believes Dexter is a homicidal maniac...which, of course, he is). In an attempt to throw Doakes off his trail, Dexter has had to slip deep into his foolproof disguise. While not working as a blood-spatter analyst for the Miami Police Department, he now spends nearly all his time with his cheerful girlfriend, Rita, and her two children, sipping light beer and slowly becoming the world's first serial couch potato. But how long can Dexter play Kick the Can instead of Slice the Slasher? How long before his Dark Passenger forces him to drop the charade and let his inner monster run free?

In trying times, opportunity knocks. A particularly nasty psychopath is cutting a trail through Miami—a man whose twisted technique leaves even Dexter speechless. As Dexter's dark appetite is revived, his sister, Deborah (a newly minted, tough-as-nails Miami detective) is drawn headlong into the case. It quickly becomes clear that it will take a monster to catch a monster—but it isn't until his archnemies is abducted that Dex can finally throw himself into the search for a new plaything. Unless, of course, his plaything finds him first...

Quotes

"What to wear? I could think of no guidelines on what we were wearing this season to a party forced on you to celebrate an unwanted engagement that might turn into a violent confrontation with a vengeful maniac. Clearly brown shoes were out, but beyond that nothing really seemed de rigueur."

"I am not shy about admitting my modest talents.  For example, I am happy to admit that I am better than average at clever remarks, and I also have a flair for getting people to like me.  But to be perfectly fair to myself, I am ever-ready to confess my shortcomings, too, and a quick round of soul-searching forced me to admit that I have never been any good at all at breathing water.  As I hung there from the seat belt, dazed and watching the water pour in and swirl around my head, this began to seem like a very large character flaw."

My Thoughts


My favourite serial killer is back once again.  By day he is continuing to work for the Miami Police department as a blood splatter analyst and of course by night, he is slashing his way through the dregs of the Miami society.  There are just a few problems in Dexter's happily ordered life of work and murder.  Sargent Doakes is on to him and someone may or may not want to kill him!  Whatever is Dexter to do?

As Doakes' constant presence begins to put a damper on Dexter's happy slashing fun, Dexter decides to sharpen his disguise.  While spending his evenings on Rita's couch drinking beer, he notices some familiar behaviour in her children.  Could they be more like him than anyone suspects?  Dexter quickly finds himself as a mentor to Cody and Astor as he tries to steer them on the right path.

Of course it's not all playing daddy and shaping the monsters of the future for Dexter.  His sister has once again become involved in a gruesome case.  It quickly becomes clear that Dexter's archnemisis Doakes has some connection to the case and the two must reluctantly work together to solve it.  Dexter may just be able to kill two birds with one stone.

Once again, this book is quite funny and had me laughing out loud.  Jeff Lindsey continues to develop Dexter's character and with each book a little more of himself is revealed.

Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

Title: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
Author: Michelle Hodkin
Genre: YA, Paranormal Romance
Rating: PG
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: September 27, 2011
Pages: 456
Source: Purchased Finished Copy
My Rating: 5*

[Goodreads | Amazon]

Synopsis

Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.

She's wrong.

Quotes

     "I got him back later, though."
     "Oh," Jamie wouldn't stand a chance in knife fight with Aiden Davis if all Aiden had was a roll of toilet paper.
     Jamie smiled knowingly.  "I threatened him with Ebola."
     I blinked.
     "I don't actually have Ebola.  It's  biosafety Level Four hot agent."
     I blinked again.
     "In other words, impossible for teenagers to obtain, even if your father is a doctor."  He looked disappointed.

My Thoughts

Quite honestly, I have wanted to read this books for months but really had no idea why.  I do love the cover and of course, that is what initially drew me in.  But there was something about the synopsis that grabbed my attention enough to make me purchase the book.  Even after the reviews started coming in (I didn't read them, but took a look at the ratings), I really still had no idea just what this book was about.  Nevertheless, I am glad that I picked it up because it was phenomenal.

It really didn't matter that I didn't have a basic understanding of what the novel was about when I began reading it.  The writing is so well done that it just sucks you in.  I actually think I enjoyed the book more not knowing as it allowed me the opportunity to just read and not compare it to other books.  It didn't lower my expectations for the book, but it did allow me to look read and approach it with an untainted outlook.

The interactions between characters was spot on.  Michelle Hodkin managed to give everyone their own personalities and that came across clearly in both situations and dialogue.  Conflicted and confused Mara, confident and endearing Noah, loyal and smart Daniel, mischievous and outspoken Jamie all added depth to the story.  The interaction between Mara and Noah is really kind of epic.

The book itself is quite large at close to 500 pages.  I think it's one of the larger YA titles I have read in the past year.  Having said that, those 500 pages go by like a breeze.  I got through this book in just over two hours because I just couldn't put it down and of course now I am eagerly anticipating the follow up which probably won't come out until next year some time!

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is a fabulous read with enough suspense, mystery and romance to keep the reading turning page after page.

Review: Darkly Dreaming Dexter

Title: Darkly Dreaming Dexter (Dexter #1)
Author: Jeff Lindsay
Genre: Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 18A
Publisher: DoubleDay
Release Date: August 10, 2004
Pages: 288
Source: Purchased Finished Copy
My Rating: 4*

[Goodreads | Amazon]

Synopsis

Meet Dexter Morgan, a polite wolf in sheep s clothing. He s handsome and charming, but something in his past has made him abide by a different set of rules. He s a serial killer whose one golden rule makes him immensely likeable: he only kills bad people. And his job as a blood splatter expert for the Miami police department puts him in the perfect position to identify his victims. But when a series of brutal murders bearing a striking similarity to his own style start turning up, Dexter is caught between being flattered and being frightened -- of himself or some other fiend.

Quotes

     "Sorry, Vince," I said.  "Debbie ate your cruller."
     "I wish," he said, with his sharp, imitation leer.  "Then I could eat her jelly roll.  You owe me a big doughnut, Dex," he said.
     "The only big one you'll ever have," Deborah said.
     "It's not the size of the doughnut, it's the skill of the baker," Vince told her.
     "Please," I said.  "You two are going to sprain a frontal lobe.  It's too early to be this clever."

My Thoughts:

Let me start by saying that when I started reading this series, I had not watched the TV show that they are based on. When TV shows or movies are based on a book or series of books, I always prefer to read the book before seeing the show or movie. I can honestly say that for this series, I enjoyed both.  


In Darkly Dreaming Dexter, we are introduced to our protagonist when he is at his happy slashing best.  We are given some background into who Dexter is and more importantly, why he is the way he is.  His adoptive father Harry is a cop who realizes when Dexter is a teenager that there is something different about him.  Dexter is a serial killer!  Realizing that he will never be able to change Dexter, Harry instead crafts a serial killer code that Dexter must live by.  Instead of running amok around the city of Miami, Dexter takes care of those who have escaped justice at the hands of the law.


How does Dexter get away with being a serial killer?  Well on top of being trained by a cop, Dexter himself is a blood splatter analyst with the police department.  Who better than to get away with murder than someone who spends his days investigating them?  Joined by his adopted sister Deborah, who is also a cop, Dexter begins investigating a pecuilar series of murders.  Sooner rather than later Dexter begins to feel a certain affinity with his fellow artist.


Dexter really is the best anti-hero I have ever read about.  I find myself, despite knowing that I probably shouldn't, always rooting for him.  That is what is really special about this character.  You know he is a killer.  You know killing is wrong, no matter the reason.  Somehow though, Jeff Lindsay has managed to create a character in Dexter that despite all of his perversion and murder, is just downright likeable.  Dexter's sometimes bumbling attempts to fit in and appear normal are a large part of his appeal.  He admits things in his inner monologue's that no one else would ever consider, and trust me, it's not just confined to the killing.


On it's own, the book is great. It is not laugh out loud funny, but gave me more than a few laughs with Dexter's dry sarcastic wit and macabre sense of humor.  The plot moved along well, and Jeff Lindsay really found the perfect balance between past/present; giving some very good insight into Dexter's character. I must say that I was surprised by the ending, and that is not something that happens often.

Review: Cleopatra's Moon

Title: Cleopatra's Moon
Author: Vicky Alvear Shecter
Genre: YA, Historical Fiction
Rating: PG
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
Release Date: August 1, 2011
Pages: 353
Source: Purchased Finished Copy
My Rating: 5*

[Goodreads | Amazon]

Synopsis

"The Luxe" meets the ancient world in the extraordinary story of Cleopatra's daughter.


Selene has grown up in a palace on the Nile with her parents, Cleopatra & Mark Antony—the most brilliant, powerful rulers on earth. But the jealous Roman Emperor Octavianus wants Egypt for himself, & when war finally comes, Selene faces the loss of all she's ever loved. Forced to build a new life in Octavianus's household in Rome, she finds herself torn between two young men and two possible destinies—until she reaches out to claim her own.


This stunning novel brings to life the personalities & passions of one of the greatest dramas in history, & offers a wonderful new heroine in Selene.

Quotes

 Octavianus squatted once more, facing Ptolly eye to eye.  "Now.  Where did Caesarion go?"
Do not answer him, Ptolly.  Please!
Ptolly jutted his jaw.  "I told you already!  To the desert!"
Octavianus gritted his teeth.  "Which desert?"
Tell him you don't know.  Tell him you don't know.  But I could feel Ptolly's emotional storm gathering like thick black clouds, crackling with vicious bolts of lightning.  And I knew it was too late.
"The desert on the other side!" he roared.  "The one that goes to India!"

My Thoughts

     I loved this book.

     I, being a lover of historical fiction and all things Ancient Egypt, have read my fair share of books on Cleopatra Selene and her mother Cleopatra, the last Queen of Egypt.  Like all books, some are better than others and one usually becomes the standard by which all other books on that same topic are measured.  Cleopatra's Moon by Vicky Alvear Shecter is that standard.

     Told from the view point of Cleopatra Selene, the book follows the children as they are forced to leave Egypt by Octavianus, known to history as Augusts, and watch as they try to navigate and make sense of their new lives and circumstances.  Living in Octavianus's household, the children, more specifically Cleopatra Selene, attempt to figure out just who to trust while trying to maintain both their faith and ideals.

     What I really liked about this book is the role reversal of two of the characters.  In every other book I have read or movie I have watched about this period and instance, these particular characters have been portrayed in the opposite fashion.  It was really refreshing to see that character reversal, whether it was true or not.  I also liked the fact that even though you know the basic premise of the story, you never find yourself thinking 'well that certainly didn't happen' or 'that's not realistic at all'.  You are able to immerse yourself in the story and simply enjoy it for what it is.

   In Cleopatra's Moon, Shecter has managed to create dynamic, engaging and flawed characters that bring to life one of history's most fascinating time periods.  Weaving the tale of the little known story of what happened to the children of Cleopatra once Egypt finally fell into complete control of the Roman empire, the story contains both mystical elements and a love story that leaves you questioning just what is fact and what is fiction.

In My Mailbox #17: September 4 - 10, 2011 Edition!

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren.

The purpose of the meme is to highlight books that you have received in your mailbox over the past week. So let’s see what I got in my mailbox this week!

Children of Paranoia by Trevor Shane [Goodreads | Amazon]

Half Brother by Kenneth Oppel [Goodreads | Amazon]

Both books look really interesting.  Children of Paranoia was sent to me by the publisher.  I am on Trevor's Blog tour and he will be stopping by on October 26 for an interview so keep your eye out for that.  Half Brother was sent to me by HarperCollins Canada after I won a contest on Twitter run by ChaptersIndigo (I <3 twitter contests).  My copy is actually a paperback copy, which I don't think has been released yet!  It's also the second Kenneth Oppel book that I now own.  Unfortunately, I haven't read either of them, but I promise to rectify that soon!

What's in your mailbox this week?

Review: Map of Bones

Title: Map of Bones (Sigma Series #2)
Author: James Rollins

Genre: Fiction, Action/Adventure, Suspense/Thriller

Rating: PG
Publisher: Avon Books
Publication Date: May 1st 2006
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 523 pages
Source: Purchased Finished Copy
My Rating: 4*

[Goodreads | Amazon]

The crime is inhumanly cruel with horrific consequences both unthinkable and inevitable. During a service at a cathedral in Cologne, Germany, a band of armed intruders dressed in monks' robes unleash a nightmare of blood and terror, ruthlessly gunning down worshippers and clergy alike. The killers haven't come for the church's gold and valuable artwork, but for a priceless treasure secreted within: the preserved bones of the Three Magi who once came to pay homage to a newborn savior. As they flee the carnage they have wrought, they carry a prize that could reshape the world.


The Vatican is in turmoil, and Lieutenant Rachel Verona of Rome's carabinieri is assigned to lead the investigation. But no ordinary police organization alone can deal with the bizarre theft and massacre, and SIGMA Force -- an elite covert arm of the U.S. Defense Department -- is called in under the command of Grayson Pierce. New to SIGMA, Pierce assembles a crack team of scientific and Special Forces operatives to unravel the mystery of the stolen bones, and together they set out on a twisting trail through a labyrinth of clues and dark revelations that carry them to the sites of the Seven Wonders of the World -- and to the doorstep of the mystical and terrifying Dragon Court.


An ancient, secret fraternity of alchemists and assassins, the master-adepts of the Dragon Court have plans for the sacred remains that will alter the future of humankind in devastating ways that only the maddest of zealots could desire -- and they will let nothing and no one stand in their way. Suddenly Pierce, Verona, and the SIGMA team are the hunted as well as the hunters, forced to use every skill they possess to survive as they follow the bones to the ultimate confrontation between darkness and light -- in a lost place of history where science and religion will unite to unleash a horror not seen since the beginning of time.

My Thoughts

So as of now, everyone already knows of my total fangirl love and appreciation of James Rollins and his Sigma Force series.  Oh, you didn't know, well now you do!

This is book number two in the Sigma Force series and it is the first one that I read.  I honestly didn't feel that I was missing anything from the story by not having read book one (which is called Sandstorm by the way).

From the opening moments of the book, the action and suspense doesn't stop.  From the massacre in the cathedral in Cologne, Germany, to the famous lighthouse of Alexandria, James Rollins once again takes the reader on a never-ending trip filled with action, adventure, suspense and drama.  Add to that a healthy dose of History, Science and the ancient art of Alchemy and you have one book you won't be able to put down.

I have said it before and I will say it again, the best part of the Sigma Series is that though Rollins manages to wrap up whatever mystery is the subject of the book, the overall mystery of the series, gets resolved a little at a time.  All in all, it leaves you satisfied at the end of the book, but wanting to get on to the next one to get the next piece of the puzzle.