Fire-Kristin Cashore

So I have been waiting to read this book since December of 2009, which is when I read Cashore's first book, Graceling. I literally read this book cover to cover. Full disclosure: I was home sick this weekend with a headcold, so I also read three other books cover to cover, but this one was worth the time investment!

Fire is a monster, a beautiful and compelling monster. In Fire's world both animal and human monsters exist, and both species are extraordinarily colorful (think bright blue tigers), heartbreakingly gorgeous, and posses a compulsion that makes everyone instantly desire them. Fire got her name because her hair looks like dancing flames. The novel is told from her perspective. And, just like in Graceling, the female protagonist is strong and powerful. But, unlike Katsa (from Graceling) who is a physically strong and valiant fighter, Fire possesses an intense mental fortitude and prowess.

This book contains all the elements of a really great fantasy novel: unusual land and creatures that aren't toooo strange, strong heroes and heroines, espionage, royalty, warfare, and love. But what sets it apart is Cashore's ability to write a character who is so heartwrenching, you feel like you know her personally.

Fire is a companion novel to Graceling, and it can fully exist on it's own. But do yourself a favor: read them both. Both books will appeal to fans of Tamora Pierce's Alanna books, Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games series, or fans of fantasy fiction in general.

The Maze Runner-- James Dashner

So is it just me or is everything a trilogy these days?

Apparently this book, The Maze Runner, is the first in a trilogy... and I'm moderately excited about that.

This first book in the series was a major page-turner. It begins with Thomas waking up in an elevator-like box in pitch-black-darkness. He can't remember anything about himself but his name, and although he can't see, he can tell that he is traveling upupupupup...

When Thomas arrives at the top, and the door to the box is opened, he is greeted by a Lord of the Flies-esque crew of boys who reluctantly show him the ropes. Apparently they all arrived the same way, no one remembers anything about their history, and they all only know their first names. In order to survive, the boys have created a mini-society and each person has an important role to play. Thomas is most intrigued by the maze runners, the kids who literally run through the maze that surrounds their domaine each day looking for an exit. To make things even more impossible, the walls to the maze move multiple times a day and there are strange murderous creatures roaming around waiting to kill you (think Labyrinth minus Bowie and puppets, plus puss filled robot mosquito thingies).

But one day the box opens up to reveal a girl, the first in two years... and she can telepathically communicate with Thomas. All she knows is that she is harbinger of the endtimes, and the boys must make an escape right away or they will all die.

This is a quick-read and I predict it will be pretty popular with boys. It's reminiscent of Lord of the Flies, The Hunger Games, and other books where the adults are gone and the kids survive on their own. This book will be published on October 16, 2009.

Going Bovine-- Libba Bray

So, a few years ago at a conference I had the privilege of hearing Libba Bray speak. I don't exactly remember what she said, or even what the topic of the presentation was, but she literally had me crying with laughter. I was never a big fan of her Gemma Doyle trilogy (although many, many people are), and after I heard her speak I thought to myself, Why doesn't she write something funny?? The woman is obviously hilarious!

Well, guess she hear my private brain-thoughts because Libba Bray has written something humorous! Going Bovine is 16 year-old Cameron's journey to save the world and find the meaning of life... before he's dead. Somehow, Cameron has contracted Mad Cow Disease, and we-the-readers travel with him through a series of possible hallucinations or just really twisted realities. In order to save the world from the Wizard of Reckoning, Fire Giants, and to seal up the whole in the universe that Dr. X accidentally let the evil sneak through, Cameron has to put his trust in Gonzo (the dwarf of destiny), Balder (a viking god turned yard gnome), and Dulcie (a punk rock, sugar lovin' hottie angel chica). Their ragtag crew travels all over the South in a falling apart Caddy and *must* get to Florida before Cameron's E-ticket to the Magic Kingdom expires.

Overall, this book is silly, laugh-out-loud funny, and will be easy to recommend to that teen who just wants to read "something funny". However, there are some poignant moments, and I did feel emotionally pulled at some points while reading. I think Libba is quite a good writer... some parts of the book felt a little long (it is almost 500 pages after all!), but the way she wrote her character's thoughts and dialog was just perfect. I would recommend this to teen boys or girls who enjoy humorous writing, and who don't mind mild drug, alcohol, and sex references.

Over and Under-- Todd Tucker

It's summer time, 1979, in rural southern Indiana. Weather's so hot it's impossible to wear shoes, and there's nothing better to do than go fishing and traipsing through the woods with your best friend. Over and Under is a Stand By Me-esque tale of Andrew Jackson Gray and Thomas Jefferson Kruer. The boys have been best friends since birth, and spend their days and nights exploring the woods, caves, and other environmental wonders of southern Indiana. When the Borden Coffin Factory workers strike, Andy and Tom suddenly find themselves on opposite ends of an issue that goes way over their heads. Tom's dad is a line worker at the factory and Andy's dad is in management. Weave in some good old Indiana boy adventure and late 1970's politics, and you have Over and Under.

Personally, I didn't love this story... it just isn't my favorite type of fiction. Being a (former) Indiana gal myself, I did kind of appreciate the way Tucker wrote his characters. Yes every boy knows how to shoot a gun by age 12 (at the latest), and the summer thunderstorms are thrilling. I can think of a whole grip of boys I used to bring books to on the bookmobile who would love this story. But mostly it strikes me as a tale other adults would enjoy. Don't get me wrong-- this novel is definitely YA-- it's just loaded with that type of nostalgia only adults really have.

I think boys will like this story, especially those who live in a rural area and are always badgering you about gun books (not urban, but country type gun books)... if you have patrons like this, you know who I am talking about! I'll be interested in what others have to say about this book.

The Dust of 100 Dogs-- A.S. King

ARRRRGGGG MATEY! X marks the spot for this pirate tome, and trust me, it's worth a few pieces of eight!

OK, sorry, couldn't help myself... it's the end of a really long work day and pirates are just too fun to pass up.

The Dust of 100 Dogs isn't your typical pirate book. We hear the story of Emer Morrisey, an Irish lass who escapes a life of abuse during Cromwell's invasion of Ireland by slipping onto a ship headed for the Caribbean. We read about Saffron Adams, the modern day incarnation of Emer, who detests her mundane family life in New Jersey and wants nothing more than to return to Jamaica to find her buried treasure. And we also hear the voice of a few different dogs... all incarnations of Emer/Saffron. You see, after she reaches the Caribbean, Emer becomes the scourge of the seas, the most fierce and accomplished pirate to ever intercept Spanish treasures. Just when she is reunited with her true love and about to leave the pirate life behind her forever, she is cursed with the dust of one hundred dogs. This means she has to live one hundred lives as a dog before she is reincarnated as a human and can regain her human existence again.

Sound confusing? Trust me, when you are reading it, this story makes perfect sense. I love the twist on the modern pirate story. There are plot twists and red-herrings throughout, which make this tome a page-turner. King has a very distinct voice for all three of her narrators, and it's hard to choose which of the three incarnations I like the best. I would recommend this to both boys and girls who enjoy pirate stories, especially those who liked Rees's Pirates! and Star-Crossed by Linda Collison.

Graceling-- Kristin Cashore

Usually I try not to blog about books that are already gaining lots of notoriety among librarians and other literary types, but in this case, I must spend some time on Graceling.

Truly, this has been a stellar year for those strong, tough, smart female characters that I love reading about. In fact, many of the books I recently have blogged about feature them. Graceling is no exception. Graceling takes place in a fantasy world, no not the kind with dwarfs and dragons, but in a world that feels slightly ancient, smaller, and just-different-enough from ours to be interesting. The protagonist, Katsa, is Graced. To be Graced is to be different, to be inordinarily skilled in some way, to be alltoghether unique in the world. Some people are graced with things like extraordinary swimming or climbing skills. Some can controll moods and read minds. Some can sence the weather. Katsa is an extremely skilled fighter. She never tires, never hungers, does not feel pain or cold, and never ever looses a fight. Ever. She is the neice of the King of the Midlunds and he sends her on assasination and coersion missions frequently. But when Katsa meets another Graceling who uses his skill in an entirely different way, her whole world is opened up and she looks at life with a totally new perspective.

I really appreciated many things about this book. It feels like a traditional fantasy novel, but doesn't repeat the same story over and over. There are scenes in this book that pull at your emotions and make you wonder what you would do if you were in that situation. I loved how fiercely Katsa defended her independance. Although it is expected of all women in Katsa's society to marry and procreate, Katsa ademently defends her rights to her body and life. I really apprecaited that subtext to the story because some fantasy books have slight underpinings of that type of traditionalism. The supporting characters were just as intriquing as Katsa, and I wouldn't mind reading entire books about them too!

I hear this is the start of a series, which makes me happy beacuse like a typical teenager, once I get into a story, I want to read more *just like it*. I would recommend this book to girls and boys who like fantasy, adventure, The Hunger Games, and Tamora Pierce books.

Gone-- Michael Grant

Rarely do I find a book that I could recommend to teens of any age and gender. However, Gone by Michael Grant is one of them. Grant is the coauthor of the popular children's series "Animorphs", but this book is decidedly teen.

In Gone, a giant impermeable dome surrounds the Perdido Beach area of California... but even more alarming is the fact that all people over the age of 14 have disappeared. They literally vanished, all at once, and never returned. Gone is the story of the children who were left behind, how they cope with a world without adults, and the micro-society they form. And, on top of everything else, some of the kids have developed superpowers, like shooting fire out of their hands, superfast speed, and super strength. However, not just the kids are developing powers. Animals are mutating too, and are becoming more dangerous to humans every day. How did this happen? How will they all survive?

While the book is decidedly science fiction (superpowers and an altered universe, hello?), it actually reads very realistically. There are both male and female main characters, although the story is narrated by a boy, and I feel both boys and girls would be interested in it. It is definitely a clean read, and there were places where the author could have dirtied it up a bit and chose not to. It is kind-of a newer, hipper, more scientific, and more full of adventure Lord of the Flies. I would recommend this book to any teen within the 12-19 age bracket. Also, I just learned this will be a 6 part series, and the newest book will be published each summer. Happy reading!