What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen: Review

What Happened to Goodbye
By: Sarah Dessen

Format: Hardcover, 402 pages
Published: May 10, 2011; Penguin Young Readers Group
Source: Received at BEA

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Synopsis (from Goodreads): In the past two years, Mclean Sweet has moved four times. At each stop, she assumes a new persona, but it never quite works. Whether she's an effervescent cheerleader or an intense drama queen, nothing can permanently dispel the turmoil and rage at her mother since her parents' divorce. Sarah Dessen's novel about a teenager and her restaurant manager father captures the vulnerability that young people often experience after the dissolution of their family. A compelling story; strong characterization; and with a touch of romance.

My Review: This is the first Sarah Dessen book that I have completed, and after finishing it (teary-eyed), I wondered why I hadn't read her books before. I started reading this on the last day of BEA and was immediately sucked into Mclean's story. What Happened to Goodbye is a marvelous story about a girl that is desperately searching for an identity after her parent's tragic and public divorce shattered her world.

I loved the dynamics of the parents in this book. Mclean's father is busy with his restaurant duties and while he loves Mclean, he really lets her do her own thing. Her mother on the other hand, wants so desperately to be close to Mclean again, and does anything she can (including getting lawyers involved) to see her. Mclean wants the distance that her father gives her, but also needs the closeness that her mother offers. No wonder she is so conflicted.

The romance in this book is very secondary. So much so that it may bother some readers. Even once you think the romance has gotten off the ground, it kind of sputters and dies. I am personally okay with that. It's real, and I much more enjoyed learning about Mclean and who she really is. with that said though, I do wish that more time had been spent exploring Dave's character and how he really feels about his family. But, I suppose that's for another book to tackle.

Like many of Sarah's other books (that I've started and have yet to finish), I would very heartily recommend it to teens that I know because of it's great voice, and fantastic characters. If you love Sarah Dessen's work, you aren't going to be disappointed by this book.

My Rating:

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys: Review

Between Shades of Gray
By: Ruta Sepetys

Format: Hardcover, 338 pages
Published: March 22nd 2011 by Philomel Books
Source: ARC from Publisher
Challenges: 2011 YA Historical Fiction

author website | facebook page

Summary (from Goodreads): Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they've known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her young brother slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under Stalin's orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions.

Lina finds solace in her art, meticulously—and at great risk—documenting events by drawing, hoping these messages will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive. It is a long and harrowing journey, spanning years and covering 6,500 miles, but it is through incredible strength, love, and hope that Lina ultimately survives. Between Shades of Gray is a novel that will steal your breath and capture your heart.

My Review: I've been recommending this book all over the place since I read it.  It is incredibly hard to push a book about the mass deportations and murders carried out by Stalin in the 1940's. The reason being that many people just don't know that this happened. It's not taught like the holocaust is in US high schools. I took an AP European History class and it was really only brushed over in our curriculum.  However, my parents took it upon themselves to make sure that I knew about the atrocities committed by Stalin and his regime.

This book will break your heart. You will be shocked and horrified by the lack of humanity showed by the Soviet Union. People die. They are ripped from their families. Treated like animals.

What amazed me most was the desperate attempt by those that were being held captive to hold on to their dignity. Especially on the part of Lina's mother. I can't even imagine the courage that would be necessary to keep your children calm and comforted during this horrible experience.

Most of what I read is for entertainment. I recommend books because I like them. This book I recommend because it is a story that needs to be told. Because knowledge is power, and we as a society should do all we can to prevent something like this from ever happening again.

My Rating:
 

Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey Leavitt: Review

Sean Griswold's Head
By: Lindsey Leavitt

Format: Hardcover, 288 pages
Published: March 2011; Bloomsbury USA
Source: ARC from publisher

author website | author blog | author twitter

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Summary (from Goodreads): According to her guidance counselor, fifteen-year-old Payton Gritas needs a focus object—an item to concentrate her emotions on. It's supposed to be something inanimate, but Payton decides to use the thing she stares at during class: Sean Griswold's head. They've been linked since third grade (Griswold-Gritas—it's an alphabetical order thing), but she's never really known him.

The focus object is intended to help Payton deal with her father's newly diagnosed multiple sclerosis. And it's working. With the help of her boy-crazy best friend Jac, Payton starts stalking—er, focusing on—Sean Griswold . . . all of him! He's cute, he shares her Seinfeld obsession (nobody else gets it!) and he may have a secret or two of his own.

In this sweet story of first love, Lindsey Leavitt seamlessly balances heartfelt family moments, spot-on sarcastic humor, and a budding young romance.

My Review:

Oh gosh I loved this book. I try really hard when I read a book I love not to gush all over it, but somewhere deep down inside my tender little heart, this book struck a chord.  I feel like in many ways, Lindsey Leavitt perfectly captured my high school experience.  Oftentimes when I'm reading a YA book in which a good portion of the book takes place in a high school setting, I think, "Umm... Who in the world had a high school experience like that? I didn't!"

I didn't have anything nearly as traumatic happen during my high school years as Payton did with her dad; however, I had my fair share of drama.  There were times my relationship with my parents was strained. I felt guilty that it was strained, I wanted it to be the perfect relationship that I saw with my friends, but it just wasn't.  Over and over again in this book I found little bits of truth in what Peyton was going through.

Jac was a great best friend character. Was she over the top? Yes, at times. But, she was Peyton's cheerleader and pushed her to places that she wasn't comfortable.  But, Peyton needed it.

Another thing that rung true for me in this book that I don't often see in fiction is that while all Peyton's family issues are going on, her grades slip. As you would expect for a teenage girl going through an intense time of grief and change. And yet, it is so rarely mentioned in fiction. The high school experience of test-taking, homework and academics is so consuming when you are involved in it, and I certainly don't expect that a novel should burden itself with mentioning the hum-drum of every aspect of daily life, but in a story like this one, it was absolutely important.

And then there is Sean.  I think part of the reason that this book endeared itself so much to me is because of Sean. He reminds me so much of my husband.  I met my husband in high school, although we didn't know each other well. When I met him again as an adult I remember saying to someone that I remembered him, he was quiet, nice, and a little dorky. But I really didn't KNOW him.  The progression of Sean and Peyton's relationship is so natural it's like pure gold.  And I loved every minute of it.  And, like my husband, Sean is so kind, caring and while not perfect, he is perfect for Peyton.

I really hope you all will get a copy of this book.  I loved it, and I can't wait to read more from Lindsey.

My Rating:

  

I also have a copy of Sean Griswold's Head to give away courtesy of Bloomsbury USA! This giveaway is open to US addresses only, and will close on Friday, March 18 at 12 pm EST. Fill out the form below to enter, or by clicking here:

Fallen Grace by Mary Hooper: Review

Fallen Grace
by: Mary Hooper

Format: Hardcover, 309 pages
Published: February 1, 2011; Bloomsbury USA
Source: ARC from publisher
Challenge: YA Historical Fiction

Author Website | Author Facebook

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Synopsis (from Goodreads): Grace Parkes has just had to do a terrible thing. Having given birth to an illegitimate child, she has travelled to the famed Brookwood Cemetery to place her small infant's body in a rich lady's coffin. Following the advice of a kindly midwife, this is the only way that Grace can think of to give something at least to the little baby who died at birth, and to avoid the ignominy of a pauper's grave. Distraught and weeping, Grace meets two people at the cemetery: Mrs Emmeline Unwin and Mr James Solent. These two characters will have a profound affect upon Grace's life. But Grace doesn't know that yet. For now, she has to suppress her grief and get on with the business of living: scraping together enough pennies selling watercress for rent and food; looking after her older sister, who is incapable of caring for herself; thwarting the manipulative and conscience-free Unwin family, who are as capable of running a lucrative funeral business as they are of defrauding a young woman of her fortune.

A stunning evocation of life in Victorian London, with vivid and accurate depictions, ranging from the deprivation that the truly poor suffered to the unthinking luxuries enjoyed by the rich: all bound up with a pacy and thrilling plot, as Grace races to unravel the fraud about to be perpetrated against her and her sister

My Review:  There is something about Victorian London that really perks up my bookish senses.  With Fallen Grace, you get all the loveliness of Dickens without the awfully boring long-winded descriptions.

Grace is a girl after my own heart. She has just lost a baby, and is caring for her older, but mentally handicapped sister in a very cruel city, and yet she is not a whiner. She gets up and does what she has to in order for her survival.

One of my favorite things about novels written by Dickens is that every character plays a role in the story, no matter how minor.  And Mary Hooper invokes this spirit nicely.  I was interested in every plot twist and turn and definitely on the edge of my seat waiting to see how it would all turn out in the end.

The Unwins are fantastic villains in that they are very real.  They exploit people at their most sensitive and broken moments and squeeze every last drop out of them.  Which is why when they see an opportunity in Grace and her older sister, Lily, they seize on it, and so fully use them that I honestly thought that there was no way out.

I hope you'll pick up a copy of this book. It's got all the elements of a great story: orphans, London, fog, Dickens, and dastardly funeral directors.  It's an impressive historical fiction that will appeal to adults, but is still accessible to younger readers.

My Rating:



If you missed it, also check out my interview with Mary Hooper. (link)

The False Princess by Eilis O'Neal: Review

The False Princess
By: Eilis O'Neal

Format: Hardcover, 336 pages
Published: January 25, 2011; EgmontUSA
Source: ARC received from publisher

Author Website | Author Twitter | Author Blog

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Summary (from Goodreads): Princess and heir to the throne of Thorvaldor, Nalia's led a privileged life at court. But everything changes when it's revealed, just after her sixteenth birthday, that she is a false princess, a stand-in for the real Nalia, who has been hidden away for her protection. Cast out with little more than the clothes on her back, the girl now called Sinda must leave behind the city of Vivaskari, her best friend, Keirnan, and the only life she's ever known.

Sinda is sent to live with her only surviving relative, an aunt who is a dyer in a distant village. She is a cold, scornful woman with little patience for her newfound niece, and Sinda proves inept at even the simplest tasks. But when Sinda discovers that magic runs through her veins - long-suppressed, dangerous magic that she must learn to control - she realizes that she can never learn to be a simple village girl.

Returning to Vivaskari for answers, Sinda finds her purpose as a wizard scribe, rediscovers the boy who saw her all along, and uncovers a secret that could change the course of Thorvaldor's history, forever.

A dazzling first novel, The False Princess is an engrossing fantasy full of mystery, action, and romance.

My Review: I have something to confess. For some reason I've always been a little bit apprehensive about declaring my love for fantasy. I really love stories about princess and dragons and court intrigue.  But, I'm ready to say now, I LOVE FANTASY.

And, I really loved this book. Sinda started out as a character that was weak, flawed, and quite two-dimensional. By the end of the book she was lively, strong, and very in control. It was one of the best transformations in a character that I've seen in awhile.  I really enjoyed reading through her progression.

Another absolute plus to this book was the romance. I don't need to tell you all that I am a sucker for the best friend romance. It really gets me every time. Thus, I absolutely fell for Keirnan hook, line and sinker. I was rooting for them to get past their shyness and misunderstandings and realize that they are PERFECT for each other.

Sinda's wizard tutor, Philantha, reminded me a lot of Irys in Magic Study. She's kind of an outcast, has her own ways of doing magic, and doesn't really care what others think. I absolutely adored her.

I had a pretty good idea of where the story was going the entire time. Which was actually quite nice. It was kind of like floating down a lazy river. The plot just flowed, curved in all the right places, and ended up very nicely.

The only complaint that I had was that I felt like a few loose ends needed to be tied up. First, Sinda's aunt just kind of disappeared. It seemed like the only use that she had was that she gave some background on Sinda. Which, was helpful, but I really would have liked to have gotten to know her better.

I think this is one of those books that I am going to be recommending a lot this year. It was very well-written, and I can't wait to see more from Eilis O'Neal.

My Rating:


Profanity: None
Sexuality: Mild; references
Drugs and Alcohol: None
Violence: Mild

Matched by Ally Condie: Review

Matched
By: Ally Condie
ARC received from publisher for review

Summary (from Goodreads): Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.
The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

My Review: I've had this book sitting on my shelf for quite some time.  I started it back in July. I had just finished re-reading The Hunger Games and Catching Fire in preparation for Mockingjay.  About a quarter of the way through the book I stopped reading.  I realized that I was reading it with a violent-out-to-get-you-government filter. And Matched just wasn't doing it for me. So, I put it away for awhile to get in the mood. (I think also some of the hype was getting to me, and there was no way it was going to live up to it).

So, during the Christmas/New Years break that I had from work, I picked it up again. And I absolutely loved it.

It was different than The Hunger Games series in that it isn't nearly as brutal or bloody. As with most dystopian novels, Cassia's Society is all about control. However, The Society has created an illusion that through their control everyone is living at their highest potential.  There is never a need for fear or sadness because everything is so strictly monitored.  Their world is not cluttered with information because their books, movies, and songs are carefully selected.  Citizen's food is given in specific portions and with nutritional value to optimize the health of every person.  And, of course, matches are selected based on the compatibility of each party for maximized happiness.

Is Cassia's Society so different from our own? In our efforts to create a healthy society have we overstepped our bounds? I'm thinking of recent lawsuits against McDonalds for causing obesity. Or the laws passed in recent years to ban trans fats from restaurants in California and New York.  While I obviously feel that eating healthy is important, at what point do we take away individual freedom and responsibility because "we know better"?

One of my favorite parts of the book comes when Cassia realizes that the world in which she lives no longer values creation. Quoting from my uncorrected proof copy:

"Standing there looking at my work, however, I realize that all my family has ever done is sort.  Never create.  My father sorts old artifacts like my grandfather did; my great-grandmother sorted poems.  My farmlander grandparents plant seeds and tend crops, but everything they grow has been assigned by the Officials.  Just like the things my mother grows at the Aboretum."

Now, I've never been one for poetry. I don't know that I have the type of mind that can truly appreciate it.  However, I do love music, and books, and the ability that I have to speak my mind however I wish.

Without belaboring the point, this book gave me quite a bit to think about.  I know many people will like the book for the romance. Frankly, both boys are a great fit for Cassia in different ways, so the love triangle really isn't about pitting one against the other (a la Twilight). Cassia's parents are pretty flat, as are her friends. We don't really get much into the heads of other characters besides Cassia and Xander. I am not entirely sure if that was intentional to show that over time people have really become devoid of original thought.

Therefore, count me among the many that will be eagerly awaiting Crossed when it comes out in November.

My Rating:



Profanity: None
Sexuality: None
Violence: None
Drugs and Alcohol: None

Reading Challenges: Dystopia Challenge

The Exiled Queen by Cinda Williams Chima: Review

The Exiled Queen
By: Cinda Williams Chima
Copy received from Disney/Hyperion for review

Synopsis (From Goodreads): You can't always run from danger...
 Haunted by the loss of his mother and sister, Han Alister journeys south to begin his schooling at Mystwerk House in Oden’s Ford. But leaving the Fells doesn’t mean danger isn’t far behind. Han is hunted every step of the way by the Bayars, a powerful wizarding family set on reclaiming the amulet Han stole from them. And Mystwerk House has dangers of its own. There, Han meets Crow, a mysterious wizard who agrees to tutor Han in the darker parts of sorcery—but the bargain they make is one Han may regret.
Meanwhile, Princess Raisa ana’Marianna runs from a forced marriage in the Fells, accompanied by her friend Amon and his triple of cadets. Now, the safest place for Raisa is Wein House, the military academy at Oden's Ford. If Raisa can pass as a regular student, Wein House will offer both sanctuary and the education Raisa needs to succeed as the next Gray Wolf queen.

The Exiled Queen is an epic tale of uncertain friendships, cut-throat politics, and the irresistible power of attraction.
My Review: Oh this series is amazing.  I enjoyed The Demon King, but I absolutely loved The Exiled Queen.  Cinda Williams Chima is a master at world building, and the setting in this book is almost like another character that moves and grows with the story.

There were a few things about the story that I think were lacking. There was a lot of story as it related to Han, but very little about Raisa for most of the book. Which I thought was a little strange given the title of the book. Also, I think that the potential for a story with Fire Dancer has remained untapped. But, there are still two books to go, and from my readings of Cinda's website, they are two very large books.

Even though there wasn't as much of the Raisa story as I would have liked, what was there was very good.  Raisa has definitely grown up, and is learning more about her identity.  Her romances are very real and fun to read about.  My husband and I read the book aloud and found that even reading the "lovey dovey" parts wasn't uncomfortable.

Han's story was definitely setting up for the next book in the series.  Thus, it did drag a little in parts. However, as long as the information that we learned about Han and wizarding history proves useful in the next book, I don't mind much at all.  Also, I did find that I wanted Han to be a little more perceptive than he seemed to be at times. I found that I could easily anticipate his next move, and waited a few pages for him to realize something that I had known was coming.  But, his character remained true in this book, and that's really the most important thing to me.








As I mentioned above, one of the best parts of this series is the world building. What is truly amazing about this book is that while the setting is totally unfamiliar, unlike other high fantasies, there aren't a lot of different races and terms to keep track of. There really aren't even a lot of characters.  I didn't feel like I was so caught up in trying to keep places or people straight that I was missing the point of the story.


Like the Demon King, I really enjoyed the ending.  There was a clear ending of the story arc, but I was definitely left wanting more.  I can't wait for the next book that will be out next Fall.  If you enjoy fantasy, this book is a must read.


My Rating:
 

Profanity: None
Sexuality: Mild
Violence: Mild
Drugs and Alcohol: None

Cate of the Lost Colony by Lisa Klein: Review

Cate of the Lost Colony
By: Lisa Klein
Copy received from Bloomsbury for review

Synopsis (From Goodreads): The greatest unsolved mystery of American history--what happened to all the colonists who landed on Roanoke Island in 1587? This novel traces the fortunes and misfortunes of one Cate Archer, banished to Virginia by a jealous Queen Elizabeth because of her dalliance with Sir Walter Ralegh. What will be her fate in this dangerous New World?

My Review: I love good historical fiction. And this was good historical fiction.  Lisa Klien did a fantastic job of walking that fine line between fact and fiction.  I was so excited about the concept of this book. The Roanoke colony mystery captured my interest when I took American History in High School. I really had high hopes for this book that it would fill in some of the blanks that my textbook left behind. Cate of the Lost Colony definitely delivered.


Cate reminded me a lot of Kit from The Witch from Blackbird Pond.  She was spunky, doesn't quite fit in, but has a heart of gold.  I really enjoyed reading her story, and how she went from being a girl who would do anything to please the Queen, to a girl that can take care of herself and her friends.  There was no task to great for her, whether it was learning a new language, or befriending a person or entire culture that was foreign and unfriendly.


I wasn't as interested in Ralegh's story.  I've read a few review that didn't like the journal-style voice for him.  I don't know that there would have been any way that his story could have been written that would have made me like Ralegh.  He was definitely an opportunist, and cared only about his own interests. What a tool.


But, the unsung hero of this book was definitely Manteo. He straddled both world. His story was engaging from the very beginning, and I was rooting for him the whole time.  I was fully invested in hoping that he would be able to resolve differences between his people and the settlers. Of course, knowing history, I had a pretty good idea about how it was all going to turn out, but it was thrilling all the same.


My Rating:
 

Profanity: None
Sexuality: Mild
Violence: Mild
Drugs and Alcohol: None