Poison by Bridget Zinn

Poison

by Bridget Zinn

 

Sixteen-year-old Kyra, a highly-skilled potions master, is the only one who knows her kingdom is on the verge of destruction—which means she’s the only one who can save it. Faced with no other choice, Kyra decides to do what she does best: poison the kingdom’s future ruler, who also happens to be her former best friend.

But, for the first time ever, her poisoned dart . . . misses.

Now a fugitive instead of a hero, Kyra is caught in a game of hide-and-seek with the king’s army and her potioner ex-boyfriend, Hal. At least she’s not alone. She’s armed with her vital potions, a too-cute pig, and Fred, the charming adventurer she can’t stop thinking about. Kyra is determined to get herself a second chance (at murder), but will she be able to find and defeat the princess before Hal and the army find her?

Kyra is not your typical murderer, and she’s certainly no damsel-in-distress—she’s the lovable and quick-witted hero of this romantic novel that has all the right ingredients to make teen girls swoon.

 

__________________________________________________ 

 

What a wicked cute book! Great characters, interesting story, light hearted, fun twists and turns, both expected and not. There was also the cutest literary pig I have ever met. I thought the end was a bit rushed, but still enjoyed the sweet and quick read. The worst part of this book? This is the one and only book Ms. Zinn wrote - tragic. Her website says she thought teen readers needed more humor in their books and wanted to write a book with pockets of warmth and happiness. She did it.

Mom note: As a mother of readers, I also want to make a note to myself (and others if they care) why I would or would not have my children read this book, because honestly, sometimes I forget. This is a YA book, so everything is within YA strictures. Violence: moderate; Profanity: none; Sex: mild

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown 

by Holly Black  

Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. The only problem is, once you pass through Coldtown’s gates, you can never leave.

One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is a wholly original story of rage and revenge, of guilt and horror, and of love and loathing from bestselling and acclaimed author Holly Black.

__________________________________________________ 

I thought I was done with vampire books. Been there, done that, over and over and over. BUT … I loved this book! Holly Black is extraordinary gifted at taking an overdone genre and injecting fresh life in it. Unique, different, reminded me a bit of The Immortal Rules but so much better. Like most of Ms. Black’s books, this is a harsh world with grim realities filled with fabulous fabulous characters.

Mom note: As a mother of readers, I also want to make a note to myself (and others if they care) why I would or would not have my children read this book, because honestly, sometimes I forget. This is a YA book, so everything is within YA strictures. Violence: heavy; Profanity: heavy; Sex: hmm … too long of a span between reading it and writing this. Innuendos for sure, can’t remember anything else.

Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard

Wanderlove

by Kirsten Hubbard 

 

It all begins with a stupid question:

Are you a Global Vagabond?

No, but 18-year-old Bria Sandoval wants to be. In a quest for independence, her neglected art, and no-strings-attached hookups, she signs up for a guided tour of Central America—the wrong one. Middle-aged tourists with fanny packs are hardly the key to self-rediscovery. When Bria meets Rowan, devoted backpacker and dive instructor, and his outspokenly humanitarian sister Starling, she seizes the chance to ditch her group and join them off the beaten path.

Bria's a good girl trying to go bad. Rowan's a bad boy trying to stay good. As they travel across a panorama of Mayan villages, remote Belizean islands, and hostels plagued with jungle beasties, they discover what they've got in common: both seek to leave behind the old versions of themselves. And the secret to escaping the past, Rowan’s found, is to keep moving forward.

But Bria comes to realize she can't run forever, no matter what Rowan says. If she ever wants the courage to fall for someone worthwhile, she has to start looking back.

Kirsten Hubbard lends her artistry to this ultimate backpacker novel, weaving her drawings into the text. Her career as a travel writer and her experiences as a real-life vagabond backpacking Central America are deeply seeded in this inspiring story.

__________________________________________________ 

What a fun, fun book. Let’s go backpacking! Through South America! FUN!!! Seriously fabulous book. I loved Bria, and Starling, and Rowan, and honestly, those NAMES. So epic. But more than that, this book was about growing and healing and stretching beyond yourself and now let’s get going. Pack your backpacks. Seriously.

Mom note: As a mother of readers, I also want to make a note to myself (and others if they care) why I would or would not have my children read this book, because honestly, sometimes I forget. This is a YA book, so everything is within YA strictures. Violence: none; Profanity: YES, seriously, every freaking book; Sex: no, but plenty of discussion and innuendo

Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg

Better off Friends

by Elizabeth Eulberg  

 

For Macallan and Levi, it was friends at first sight. Everyone says guys and girls can’t be just friends, but these two are. They hang out after school, share tons of inside jokes, their families are super close, and Levi even starts dating one of Macallan’s friends. They are platonic and happy that way.

Eventually they realize they’re best friends — which wouldn’t be so bad if they didn’t keep getting in each other’s way. Guys won’t ask Macallan out because they think she’s with Levi, and Levi spends too much time joking around with Macallan, and maybe not enough time with his date. They can’t help but wonder . . . are they more than friends or are they better off without making it even more complicated?

From romantic comedy superstar Elizabeth Eulberg comes a fresh, fun examination of a question for the ages: Can guys and girls ever really be just friends? Or are they always one fight away from not speaking again — and one kiss away from true love?

__________________________________________________ 

A truly delightful book. The last Eulberg I read was fun but too teeny for me (this IS YA. It happens occasionally.) But this book, even though it started with our main characters as 8th graders, was entertaining and engaging and real. Honestly, this book needs to be read by every teen girl - kind of a “Yes, Teenage Boys are REALLY This Idiotic” Manual. I love teenage boys - I had three brothers, now four sons. They are fabulous creatures. But they are also bizarre and testosterone-y at times. I can’t say teenage girls are better, teenagers are all equally unhinged. Sorry, tangent.

A great book, a sweet love story, and the dual authors didn’t bug me at all. I loved Adam, the appropriateness of a certain punch, and may have teared up a bit. A lovely read.

Mom note: As a mother of readers, I also want to make a note to myself (and others if they care) why I would or would not have my children read this book, because honestly, sometimes I forget. This is a YA book, so everything is within YA strictures. Violence: none; Profanity: none; Sex: none

The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen

The Moon and More

by Sarah Dessen  

 

Luke is the perfect boyfriend: handsome, kind, fun. He and Emaline have been together all through high school in Colby, the beach town where they both grew up. But now, in the summer before college, Emaline wonders if perfect is good enough.

Enter Theo, a super-ambitious outsider, a New Yorker assisting on a documentary film about a reclusive local artist. Theo's sophisticated, exciting, and, best of all, he thinks Emaline is much too smart for Colby.

Emaline's mostly-absentee father, too, thinks Emaline should have a bigger life, and he's convinced that an Ivy League education is the only route to realizing her potential. Emaline is attracted to the bright future that Theo and her father promise. But she also clings to the deep roots of her loving mother, stepfather, and sisters. Can she ignore the pull of the happily familiar world of Colby?

Emaline wants the moon and more, but how can she balance where she comes from with where she's going?

Sarah Dessen's devoted fans will welcome this story of romance, yearning, and, finally, empowerment. It could only happen in the summer.

__________________________________________________ 

 

I love Sarah Dessen books. She brings some serious matters into the genre of YA contemporary literature and she does it in an entertaining and engaging way. I love her setting and her cameos and easter eggs. I loved so many characters in this book, none of which happened to be either of the two male protagonists. Which turned out to be fine, the focus was certainly more on growth and personal progression than on romance.

Mom note: As a mother of readers, I also want to make a note to myself (and others if they care) why I would or would not have my children read this book, because honestly, sometimes I forget. This is a YA book, so everything is within YA strictures. Violence: none; Profanity: moderate; Sex: yes, minor

Shards and Ashes by Melissa Marr and Kelley Armstrong

Shards and Ashes

by Melissa Marr (Editor), Kelley Armstrong (Editor), Veronica Roth, Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl, Rachel Caine, Nancy Holder, Beth Revis, more…

 

Gripping original stories of dystopian worlds from nine New York Times bestselling authors, edited by Melissa Marr and Kelley Armstrong.

The world is gone, destroyed by human, ecological, or supernatural causes. Survivors dodge chemical warfare and cruel gods; they travel the reaches of space and inhabit underground caverns. Their enemies are disease, corrupt corporations, and one another; their resources are few, and their courage is tested.

Powerful original dystopian tales from nine bestselling authors offer bleak insight, prophetic visions, and precious glimmers of light among the shards and ashes of a ruined world. 

  _________________________________________________ 

Another fabulous anthology, though not the book to have just finished when a Facebook friend posts “You have been transported to the location in the last book you read. Where are you?” YIKES! Which horribly dystopian future should I pick? Seriously though, out of nine stories only one of them was meh.  The rest were fabulous, creative, and still satisfying, though I would love to see novels from a few of them. I especially loved to read what Carrie Ryan can come up with when her brain isn’t being eaten by zombies. An excellent collection!!

Mom note: As a mother of readers, I also want to make a note to myself (and others if they care) why I would or would not have my children read this book, because honestly, sometimes I forget. This is a YA book, so everything is within YA strictures. Violence: moderate/heavy; Profanity: yes??; Sex: some

Emerald Green by Kerstin Gier

Emerald Green 

by Kerstin Gier, Anthea Bell  

Gwen has a destiny to fulfill, but no one will tell her what it is.

She’s only recently learned that she is the Ruby, the final member of the time-traveling Circle of Twelve, and since then nothing has been going right. She suspects the founder of the Circle, Count Saint-German, is up to something nefarious, but nobody will believe her. And she’s just learned that her charming time-traveling partner, Gideon, has probably been using her all along.

This stunning conclusion picks up where Sapphire Blue left off, reaching new heights of intrigue and romance as Gwen finally uncovers the secrets of the time-traveling society and learns her fate.

__________________________________________________ 

Another fabulous ending for a series I’ve enjoyed a ton - I think this will be the year of closure. I’ve loved the world Gier has created and enjoyed visiting it again (and I had a ton of fun rereading the first two books in preparation.) This last book made me love the first two books even more - I didn't even remember being disappointed by a few things in the 2nd book - I loved Gideon much more, Gwen finally figured out what was going on, and I love love the series as a whole. I love Gier's characters, the mysteries, the friendships and romance. It was a world I wanted to spend more time in even after the ending - I wasn’t done yet! But that doesn’t mean the ending wasn’t fabulous. Questions were answers, happily ever afters were achieved. A hugely fun series, one I will probably reread over and over. This story and characters wouldn't leave me for days - truly a sign of an excellent series.

Mom note: As a mother of readers, I also want to make a note to myself (and others if they care) why I would or would not have my children read this book, because honestly, sometimes I forget. This is a YA book, so everything is within YA strictures. Violence: moderate; Profanity: weirdly enough, a bit; Sex: no