THE WIZARD HEIR by Cinda Williams Chima – Review November 12, 2009
Posted by karinlibrarian in young adult.Tags: family, family issues, magic, reform school, wizards, young adult
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Seph McCauley has been kicked out of private school after private school. Trouble seems to follow him around. When he is associated in a tragic fire that results in the death of a close friend, his guardians – a law firm – decide he needs a drastic change. Seph is sent to The Havens, a school with a good track record with rebellious boys.
Seph has always known he is special, in fact, he knows he is a wizard. He just hasn’t had the luxury of training since his parents have long been dead and his foster-mother, a sorceress, wanted to keep him away from the magical world as much as possible. In her opinion, wizards are bad news – always looking for ways to control and manipulate the people around them for their own benefit. He desperately wants training and to know more about his heritage and, at first, he thinks he might be able to find that at The Havens.
Jeremy Leicester promises Seph exactly what he wants – as long as he gives Leicester what he asks for in return. When Seph comes to understand what Leicester is after, he decides he doesn’t want anything to do with him. The problem is, Leicester is a very powerful wizard and he isn’t used to being denied. It will take everything Seph has to survive his time at The Havens.
Luckily, Seph isn’t completely on his own. THE WIZARD HEIR brings back characters readers grew to love in the first book of this trilogy, THE WARRIOR HEIR. We see Jack Swift, Ellen Stephenson, Linda Downey and Leander Hastings – all important players in the battle between the wizards and the lower guilds. Readers are also introduced to a few new characters like Jason Haley, another students at The Havens, who provides Seph with much needed support and Madison Moss, a beautiful girl who steals his heart, who has many secrets of her own.
THE WIZARD HEIR is an enchanting story. It is easy to get lost in the world Cinda Williams Chima creates for her characters. It would be best to read THE WARRIOR HEIR first, but if you can’t get your hands on it, starting with THE WIZARD HEIR would probably be okay. You won’t be lost, but you’ll miss out on some of the references in terms of the returning characters.
Don’t wait. This isn’t a series you should miss.
THE WARRIOR HEIR by Cinda Williams Chima – REVIEW October 27, 2009
Posted by karinlibrarian in young adult.Tags: family, Fantasy, friendship, magic, series, young adult
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Hyperion – April 1, 2007
Jack enjoys his normal life in Trinity, Ohio. He spends time with his best friends, goes to school, and is extremely excited about soccer tryouts. Jack is very healthy, despite the thick scar that resides above his heart and the medicine he has to take everyday. Life is ordinary – until he forgets to take his medicine.
Soccer tryouts are a breeze. Jack has never felt so alive and when his nemesis, Lobeck, gets in his way, Jack slams him into the goal – without touching him. Jack doesn’t realize he is Weirlind, part of an underground society of magical people, and when he sent Lobeck flying into the soccer net, the magic he released acted as a signal to others around him.
Jack, destined to be a wizard, but born without his stone, was saved by a leader of the White Rose. The moment Jack’s life was saved, his destiny changed. Now, with a warrior stone behind his heart, he is meant to fight for the White Rose in a magical tournament – if he survives until his magic fully manifests.
Jack is one of the last warriors and both the Red and the White houses want him to fight for them. Whichever house wins the fight-to-the-death tournament has the power to control the magical community.
In a world full of wizards, warriors, seers, sorcerers, and enchanters, Jack doesn’t know who to trust. Nothing around him is as it seemed.
THE WARRIOR HEIR is the first in a trilogy by Cinda Williams Chima. The story contains many lovable characters, including Jack’s two Anaweir (non-magical) best friends. Even though Fitch and Will don’t have magical powers, they find a way to be instrumental in Jack’s struggle for survival.
THE WARRIOR HEIR is a delightful fantasy. You’ll definitely want to read the next two in the series, THE WIZARD HEIR and THE DRAGON HEIR.
CRASHED by Robin Wasserman – REVIEW October 13, 2009
Posted by karinlibrarian in young adult.Tags: family, friendship, love, medical ethics, Science Fiction, sequel, trilogy, young adult
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Simon Pulse – September 8, 2009
Months have passed since the terrible accident that left Auden injured and Lia aware of how much better it would be for everyone if she just left and never made contact with her old life again. She makes her way to Jude and his band of thrill-seeking Mechs. For a while, life is good. She has plenty of credit, she lives in a mansion surrounded by other Mechs, and access to several bootlegged med-tech downloads. Lia is even in charge of tours around the estate for newly downloaded Mechs considering making it their home.
Lia doesn’t trust Jude, but she accepts him as the leader of the group. When he insists she travel with Riley to a Corp Town to meet with his source for the bootlegged material he has been smuggling into the mansion, she doesn’t have a choice. While she is there, the unthinkable happens leaving her and Riley on the run.
Battle lines are drawn as Savona breaks away from the Faith Party and established the Brotherhood of Man, an organization dedicated to protecting the sanctity of human life. Savona instills fear in his followers in an attempt to start a revolution and force BioMax to halt production of future Mechs and limit the lives of the ones currently in operation.
Lia gets caught up in the cause, but as plans become more and more dangerous she begins to have second thoughts. How far can she follow Jude? Is she willing to allow him to go as far as he wants to go? Is she willing to end lives whether they be Mech or Org, to protect her own life? What will she do for the ones she loves? In the end, Lia must choose where her loyalties lie.
CRASHED is a wonderful follow-up to SKINNED. The world Robin Wasserman creates is creative and fascinating and even though the main characters are mechanical, many still find a way to be dynamic and evolve during the story. CRASHED is the second in a planned trilogy and I for one can’t wait for the conclusion.
If you love these books as much as I do, you might want to check out these titles:
UGLIES by Scott Westerfeld
PRETTIES by Scott Westerfeld
SPECIALS by Scott Westerfeld
THE ADORATION OF JENNA FOX by Mary E. Pearson
AIRHEAD by Meg Cabot
Visit the author’s website.
Check out the CRASHED playlist.
crashed playlist
TIME OF THE WITCHES by Anna Myers – REVIEW October 6, 2009
Posted by karinlibrarian in young adult.Tags: young adult, family, love, historical fiction, Salem Witch Trials
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Walker Books for Young Readers – September 15, 2009
On a cold January night two mothers went into labor. Two babies, a boy and a girl, were born at exactly the same time, but one mother didn’t survive. One was left to raise both children.
Gabe and Drucilla have been together since the cold night of their birth and even though Gabe’s mother has loved Drucilla like her own, she still has a longing for a family of her own. For fifteen years Gabe and Dru were connected – bound in friendship and heart, but life doesn’t always work out the way it is meant to.
When Gabe’s mother dies, the two teens are forced to find somewhere else to live as servants and for the first time in their lives they won’t be together. The farms they are to work at are side by side, but the families are at odds. Dru goes to live with Thomas Putnam, Jr. while Gabe is to live with Mary Putnam, Thomas’ stepmother. Both farms are in Salem Village.
In an attempt to make a home for herself with the Putnams, Dru finds herself in a situation that puts many members of the village in danger. Accusations of witchcraft fly as Dru and other girls begin to point their fingers at members of the community – many times at the encouragement of Thomas Putnam’s wife – the woman Dru tried to treat like the mother she never had.
Anna Myers has written a watered down version of The Crucible. While the story was entertaining, it would have been much better had it been from the point of view of someone being accused rather than one of the girls making the accusations. I found Dru to be weak and became angry and irritated with her several times throughout the book. Readers will feel more for Gabe even though he isn’t the main character.
Traveling To Teens Blog Tour – EYES LIKE STARS by Lisa Mantchev – REVIEW July 1, 2009
Posted by karinlibrarian in young adult.Tags: fairies, family, friendship, theater, traveling to teens, young adult
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Feiwel & Friends – July 7, 2009
Bertie Shakespeare Smith lives in the most exciting theater in the world, the Theatre Illuminata, where the characters of every play ever written lives behind the curtains – ready at a moment’s notice to play the parts they were born to play. Bertie doesn’t have a part. She isn’t one of the cast so often called for a performance. The Book, the magical compilation of all the scripts ever written, doesn’t bind her to the Theatre like the others, but it is her home all the same and, as an orphan, they are the only family she has ever known.
Bertie is known for getting into mischief. She calls for scene changes when the Stage Manager hasn’t approved them, uses props she shouldn’t, and most recently, shot off a canon and destroyed three different scene pieces and set a curtain on fire. This latest mishap has landed her another appointment with the Theater Manager where she will receive yet another punishment.
After learning that she may lose her home in the Theatre, Bertie comes up with an ambitious plan to prove herself to the Theater Manager and every one living at the Theatre Illuminata. With the help of Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Moth, and Mustardseed, the fairies from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Bertie sets out to right some wrongs and make a place for herself in the Theatre Illuminata.
EYES LIKE STARS is delightful. The lyrical text and the adorable humor will leave you smiling many times throughout the story. The silly antics of the four fairies who act as Bertie’s constant companions are hilarious. EYES LIKE STARS will definitely be one of the books that will land on your to-read-again pile. Once the curtain comes down on Act I you’ll be clamoring for Act II, Perchance To Dream, which will be released in the Fall of 2010.
Click HERE for a Q & A with the author, Lisa Mantchev.
Eyes Like Stars:
Theatre Illuminata, Act I
THE CHOSEN by Carol Lynch Williams – REVIEW and Author Info May 5, 2009
Posted by karinlibrarian in young adult.Tags: abuse, books, family, first love, freedom, fundamentalists, polygamy, young adult
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Welcome to Traveling To Teens first blog tour.
We are just getting started this month so be patient. There are likely to be bumps along the way until we find our groove.
Our featured author is
Carol Lynch Williams.
CAROL LYNCH WILLIAMS, a four-time winner of the Utah Original Writing Competition and winner of Nebraska’s Golden Sower Award, grew up in Florida but now lives in Utah with her husband and seven children. She has an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults, and helped develop the conference on Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers at Brigham Young University.
THE CHOSEN ONE
Griffin – May 12, 2009
SYNOPSIS:
Thirteen-year-old Kyra has grown up in an isolated community without questioning the fact that her father has three wives and she has twenty brothers and sisters, with two more on the way. That is, without questioning them much—if you don’t count her secret visits to the Mobile Library on Wheels to read forbidden books, or her meetings with Joshua, the boy she hopes to choose for herself instead of having a man chosen for her.
But when the Prophet decrees that she must marry her sixty-year-old uncle—who already has six wives—Kyra must make a desperate choice in the face of violence and her own fears of losing her family forever.
REVIEW:
Kyra has three mothers, one father, and twenty brothers and sisters. She lives in a compound led by The Prophet, a man who is in “close communication with God.” Over the years, the compound has become more and more closed off from the outside world. With the fence that was built around the compound and the mass book burning, any freedom they had is dwindling away.
Kyra is the most headstrong out of all of her siblings. She sometimes has a difficult time accepting the laws of the community. Because of her headstrong ways, she keeps secrets. Even though books aren’t allowed on the compound, she has found a way to read. On one of her walks she discovers that a bookmobile passes the compound. When the bookmobile driver stops, she gets up the nerve to get a library card and check out one book at a time. She keeps it hidden in her favorite tree where she spends a lot of her time.
Reading isn’t the only secret Kyra keeps. There is also Joshua – the boy she loves. They sneak out at night to talk, to kiss, and to read. She sees herself getting married to Joshua and starting a family, but she begins to question her feelings about husbands having multiple wives. Could she stand sharing Joshua with another woman?
Kyra’s life begins to spiral out of control when her and her family get the word from The Prophet that she has been Chosen. Chosen to be married. Married to her sixty-year-old uncle. Unable to believe this is possible, she runs and hides in her tree until it is dark enough to go to Joshua’s.
From the minute Kyra discovers she is supposed to marry her uncle, her life is a living nightmare. She gets a glimpse of what life will be like when her uncle comes over to discipline one of her siblings for embarrassing him in front of The Prophet. As she goes through the wedding preparations like a zombie, she hopes somehow her father will talk The Prophet out of his decision.
Threats, beatings, banishments. This is what life is like in the compound. Kyra must decide if she can live this way or if she will take the risk and run away and leave her family forever.
This novel is very powerful and disturbing. The contrast between the family life Kyra is used to and the other families in the compound is interesting. Where Kyra’s father is always loving and kind to his wives and children, the other men of the compound rule by fear and harsh discipline. This is one of the main reasons Kyra is headstrong.
Something that would have made this novel even better though, is if the author would have given us more examples of what went on behind closed doors in the houses that weren’t as friendly as Kyra’s.
THE CHOSEN is a book everyone should read, especially in light of recent news events concerning a situation much like Kyra’s. THE CHOSEN is a page-turner. Once you start, you won’t want to put it down until you see how it ends. Your heart will go out to Kyra. THE CHOSEN is one of those books that will leave you pondering for days.
Normally there will be some Q & A with the author, but with the time crunch we haven’t rec’d our answers yet. I’ll post them when I get them.
TENTH GRADE BLEEDS: THE CHRONICLES OF VLADIMIR TOD #3 by Heather Brewer – REVIEW March 11, 2009
Posted by karinlibrarian in young adult.Tags: family, friendship, love, sacrifice, series, vampires, young adult
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Dutton Children’s Books – June 25, 2009
Vladimir Tod has been learning a lot about his vampire abilities. Otis has spent the summer training him on extending his telepathic communication. He is also getting better at sensing when other vampires are near. Both Vlad and his Aunt Nelly have gotten used to Otis being around and hate to see him go, but since Otis is still a fugitive in the vampire community, he knows in order to keep them safe, he must leave.
Vlad’s life seems to be going great. He has the girl of his dreams by his side and everything just seems brighter when she is around. Meredith is head-over-heels for him no matter what her friends say.
A few things are getting in the way of his happy-go-lucky attitude though. To start with there is the pesky Eddie and his brand spankin’ new camera, the terrible mood causing Henry, his best friend and drudge, to pull away from him, and his growing need for blood. Also causing him problems are the terrible nightmares that have been interrupting his sleep. Dreams of viscious attacks filled with blood and pain keep waking him in the middle of the night. It really worries Vlad when he can’t contact Otis for help and advise. So, for the most part, Vlad is on his own.
Heather Brewer has written a wonderful addition to The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod series. Vlad becomes more and more likeable as his kindness and soft heart keep showing through. The thing that sets this book apart from the others in the series is the tone. TENTH GRADE BLEEDS takes on a more mature tone as Vlad deals with his relationship issues with Meredith and Henry and even more so when adapting to his increased blood lust.
The ending leaves the reader begging for more. TENTH GRADE BLEEDS is the best book in the series so far. It is exciting to think about what the future has in store for Vlad.
FAR FROM YOU by Lisa Schroeder – REVIEW December 22, 2008
Posted by karinlibrarian in young adult.Tags: death, family, friendship, love, music, religion, young adult
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It has been years since Alice lost her mother to cancer, but she still hasn’t recovered. The three things that give her any peace at all are writing and playing music, her best friend Claire, and her loving boyfriend Blaze. Sadness covers her like a blanket and prevents her from enjoying some of the new things going on in her life.
Alice’s father has remarried and he and his new wife are expecting a baby. Alice feels nothing but resentment toward Victoria, the new wife, and the baby that is on the way. When Ivy finally does arrive, Alice doesn’t even go to the hospital to see her and doesn’t want anything to do with her once she comes home.
Alice is devastated when her father tells her the whole family is going to visit Victoria’s parents over Thanksgiving break. She is forced to ride the whole way sitting next to Ivy in the backseat acting as a human pacifier in order to keep her quiet.
While Thanksgiving is relatively painless, Alice is ready to get back home. With her father called away for a work emergency, Victoria and Alice must make the drive home alone. A big winter storm is moving into the area fast and Victoria decides to leave a little early to stay ahead of it. Alice takes a Tylenol PM to prepare herself for the ride so she can get some sleep and not be expected to talk to Victoria or take care of Ivy. When she wakes up with the car stuck in the middle of nowhere surrounded by nothing but white, she realizes she may have made a mistake. Maybe she should have been paying attention.
Lisa Schroeder weaves together individual poems to create a heart-wrenching story of love, loss, and healing. Alice is forced to take stock of her life and decide what really matters. Working together with Victoria becomes a necessity, not only for their survival, but for Ivy’s survival as well. Alice’s struggle with her family and faith come alive for the reader as we experience everything through her eyes. The relationship between Alice and Blaze is refreshing. The devotion the two have for each other is rare for two teenagers in this day and age. Readers will be brought to tears while reading this incredible story of personal triumph and transformation.
For more information about Lisa Schroeder and her books visit her website at http://www.lisaschroederbooks.com.
CITY OF GLASS by Cassandra Clare – REVIEW December 21, 2008
Posted by karinlibrarian in young adult.Tags: angels, demons, family, Fantasy, love, romance, sequel, series, vampires, werewolves, young adult
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Coming March 2009
The third and final installment in the Mortal Instruments trilogy definitely lives up to the reputation of the first two – CITY OF BONES and CITY OF ASHES. CITY OF GLASS picks up a short time after CITY OF ASHES ends. Clary has a mission. Madeleine, her mother’s friend, is possibly the only person who knows how to wake her mother from a coma. Clary will have to travel to Alicante in Idris to get what she needs.
Alicante is the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters. It is known as the City of Glass because of the beautifully tall glass towers that guard the city from harm. The only way to get to Idris is through a portal and Magnus, the warlock, has arranged one. Clary is planning to go through the portal with Jace and the Lightwoods. The only problem is, Jace doesn’t want Clary to go so he lies to her about when he and the Lightwoods are leaving. He thinks it is too dangerous for Clary.
After being left behind, Clary eventually finds her way to Alicante. She uses her ability to create runes and makes a portal for herself. Being new to the Shadowhunter world, Clary doesn’t know that using a portal and entering the city without permission is against the law. If she is found she could be put to death.
Once in the City of Glass, Clary is thrown in the middle of the largest battle the Shadowhunters have ever had to face. Valentine’s evil plans are in the final stages and everyone is on full alert, not knowing what he will do next. Jace and Clary’s complicated relationship keeps them just as confused as ever, but provides great excitement for the reader.
Cassandra Clare works magic with this novel. The excitement begins on the first page and doesn’t stop until the final sentence. She brings everything full circle for a completely satisfying ending – even though fans would be more than happy to read about these beloved characters forever. One thing Cassandra Clare fans need to keep an eye out for is the release of THE CLOCKWORK PRINCESS: VOLUME 1 of THE INFERNAL DEVICES. THE INFERNAL DEVICES is a trilogy of prequels set one hundred and forty years ago in Victorian England. Tessa, a warlock, is the main character. The first prequel to the Mortal Instruments trilogy is scheduled to be released Fall 2010.
THE GOOD NEIGHBORS by Holly Black (Graphic Novel) – REVIEW October 28, 2008
Posted by karinlibrarian in young adult.Tags: 2008 read, faeries, family, graphic novels, young adult
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Rue is trying not to worry. Her mother has disappeared after a terrible fight with her father. Right after her mother disappears her father is arrested and accused of murdering one of the students he teaches at the University. Rue knows her father didn’t do anything wrong, but doesn’t know how to prove it. To add to her stress, Rue starts seeing things. Things that shouldn’t be possible in the real world. Things with wings. Things that look like faeries.
While Rue’s father is in jail she is taken to meet the grandfather she’s never met – her mother’s father. She finds out that her grandfather is one of the fey and what he has planned for the world is a danger to all mankind. Rue is the only one who can stop him.
When Rue’s mother makes a reappearance, she is extremely ill. Rue picks up some clues as to why her mother disappeared in the first place and puts others information together on her own.
In between looking for clues to the real story behind the girl her father is accused of killing, finding out about her mother, and coming to terms with her heritage, Rue is trying to maintain her life at school and with her friends.
THE GOOD NEIGHBORS is the first volume in the KIN series. Holly Black wraps up this volume nicely while still leaving readers begging for more. Fans of Black’s novels Tithe, Valiant, and Ironside will enjoy seeing the faeries come alive on the page of the graphic novel. Be looking for sequels sometime in the future.
