Dead to You by Lisa McMann

Dead to You

by Lisa McMann 

Some memories are better left untouched.

Ethan was abducted from his front yard when he was just seven years old. Now, at sixteen, he has returned to his family.

It's a miracle... at first.

Then the tensions start to build. His reintroduction to his old life isn't going smoothly, and his family is tearing apart all over again. If only Ethan could remember something, anything, about his life before, he'd be able to put the pieces back together.

But there's something that's keeping his memory blocked.

Something unspeakable...

(summary from goodreads.com)

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I don't mind weird and creepy, which are the kind of books McMann excels at, but I at least want a happy ending. Closure. At least SOME of the people I like living happily ever after. This book wasn't my cup of tea, mostly because of the end, though it was an excellent twist.

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: mild; Profanity: YES YES; Sex: yes, too descriptive for YA I thought

 

Ghost Flower by Michele Jaffe

Ghost Flower

by Michele Jaffe

Eve, a runaway, finds a new job at a coffee shop on the outskirts of Tuscon. When she's approached by two wealthy teens who claim she bears an uncanny resemblance to their missing cousin Aurora, her life takes a turn for the dark and mysterious. Drawn into a scheme to win Aurora's inheritance, Eve finds herself impersonating the girl, who disappeared three years ago on the night her best friend Elizabeth died. But when Liza's ghost begins to haunt Eve, doing harm to the people close to her under the guise of "protecting" her, Eve finds herself in a nightmare maze of lies and deception that leads her to question even her own identity. She realizes her only chance is to uncover the truth about what happened the night Liza died, and to find Liza's killer - before she's next.

This teen thriller by Michele Jaffe will keep readers turning pages well into the night.

(summary from goodreads.com)

 

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A good mystery, a fantastic twist, a great ending. This style of mystery reminded me of those old Christopher Pike books I wasn't allowed to read in junior high. (Hmm, obviously I must have ignored that ban if this book reminds me of them.) The "whodunit" is very Agatha Christie like - completely unexpected. I read almost 20 Christie's before I was able to guess who the killer was. Mystery writers, take note - if you want the ending to be a surprise, don't continually hit your reader over the head with hints and obvious foreshadowing and such. I like writers, especially mystery writers, who don't automatically assume I'm an idiot.

My main problem with this book was that it was SO FAMILIAR. The plot line is almost identical to the last Jaffe I read, Rosebush. Eerily similar. (Okay, maybe it's not EERIE, seeing as it's the same author.) Girl has traumatic event, girl forgets all details about traumatic event, girl knows someone is trying to kill her but doesn't know who it is, killer is a completely unexpected psycho with control issues and uses a bamboozled sidekick to do most of her/his (no spoilers!) dirty work, killer uses psychological means (secret admirer in one, ghost in another) to completely freakout the girl, girl has serious boy issues, girl's memory comes back, beautiful boy the girl has no previous history with appears partway through the book and in the end saves girl's life and becomes an instalove (okay, slight spoiler). And there you have both books. And that's not even all - the more I thought, the more similarities I found. Of course there were differences in how the plot presented itself, and in Ghost Flower the twist at the end was fabulous, but still. I need to read goodreads comments to see if anyone else noticed the similarities. Surely it wasn't just me?

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: moderate; Sex: innuendo, attempted rape

 

Lips Touch by Laini Taylor

Lips Touch: Three Times

by Laini Taylor (Goodreads Author), Jim Di Bartolo (Illustrator)

Three tales of supernatural love, each pivoting on a kiss that is no mere kiss, but an action with profound consequences for the kissers' souls:

Goblin Fruit
In Victorian times, goblin men had only to offer young girls sumptuous fruits to tempt them to sell their souls. But what does it take to tempt today's savvy girls?

Spicy Little Curses
A demon and the ambassador to Hell tussle over the soul of a beautiful English girl in India. Matters become complicated when she falls in love and decides to test her curse.

Hatchling
Six days before Esme's fourteenth birthday, her left eye turns from brown to blue. She little suspects what the change heralds, but her small safe life begins to unravel at once. What does the beautiful, fanged man want with her, and how is her fate connected to a mysterious race of demons?

(summary from goodreads.com)

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I read a short story by Laini and was so impressed by her I immediately  1) requested all of her books from the library and 2) read it again. I loved how effortless her world building was, especially in such a short time allotted. I loved her characters and was impressed with how much I liked them, especially for the few pages I got to read about them. 

And now after this book she is one of my favorite short story authors. She has a unique ability to creative likable characters, sketch out understandable worlds, and still deliver heartfelt plots in a limited amount of time. This book contains three short stories - each were completely different lengths and locations and worlds but each was a fun read. Well, the first one I guess wasn't FUN … but it was still entertaining. I like Taylor's brain and I like what comes from 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: mild; Profanity: moderate; Sex: yes, not descriptive

 

Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann

Cryer's Cross

by Lisa McMann 

Kendall loves her life in small town Cryer's Cross, Montana, but she also longs for something more. She knows the chances of going to school in New York are small, but she's not the type to give up easily. Even though it will mean leaving Nico, the world's sweetest boyfriend, behind.

But when Cryer's Cross is rocked by unspeakable tragedy, Kendall shoves her dreams aside and focuses on just one goal: help find her missing friends. Even if it means spending time with the one boy she shouldn't get close to... the one boy who makes her question everything she feels for Nico.

Determined to help and to stay true to the boy she's always loved, Kendall keeps up the search--and stumbles upon some frightening local history. She knows she can't stop digging, but Kendall is about to find out just how far the townspeople will go to keep their secrets buried....

(summary from goodreads.com)

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Totally and completely creepy but still fabulous. I really liked how McMann explored the intricacies of the heroine's OCD - in the acknowledgment at the beginning of the book she thanks her daughter for allowing her to share some of her experiences. It definitely lent a realistic yet matter-of-fact view. A murder mystery to die for. (Ha! I totally make myself laugh.)

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: yes; Profanity: probably; Sex: moderate

 

Valkyrie Rising by Ingrid Paulson

Valkyrie Rising

by Ingrid Paulson 

 

Nothing ever happens in Norway. But at least Ellie knows what to expect when she visits her grandmother: a tranquil fishing village and long, slow summer days. And maybe she’ll finally get out from under the shadow of her way-too-perfect big brother, Graham, while she’s there.

What Ellie doesn’t anticipate is Graham’s infuriating best friend, Tuck, tagging along for the trip. Nor did she imagine boys going missing amid rumors of impossible kidnappings. Least of all does she expect something powerful and ancient to awaken in her and that strange whispers would urge Ellie to claim her place among mythological warriors. Instead of peace and quiet, there’s suddenly a lot for a girl from L.A. to handle on a summer sojourn in Norway! And when Graham vanishes, it’s up to Ellie—and the ever-sarcastic, if undeniably alluring Tuck—to uncover the truth about all the disappearances and thwart the nefarious plan behind them.

Deadly legends, hidden identities, and tentative romance swirl together in one girl’s unexpectedly-epic coming of age.

 

(summary from goodreads.com)

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Fun book! I spend most of it thinking "have I read this?" and I finally came to the conclusion that I absolutely, undeniably, did not read it. Maybe. Ha! Seriously though, I think I've read a book similar with Norwegian myths but I don't think this was it. I liked this book better than I thought I would - I really loved Ellie and loved loved Tuck. Every book needs a Tuck. I loved how the Valkyries weren't pigeonholed into the "villain" role. Awesome.

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: don't think so?; Sex: innuendo

 

Jenna Fox Trilogy by Mary E. Pearson

The Adoration of Jenna Fox 

by Mary E. Pearson  

 

Who is Jenna Fox? Seventeen-year-old Jenna has been told that is her name. She has just awoken from a coma, they tell her, and she is still recovering from a terrible accident in which she was involved a year ago. But what happened before that? Jenna doesn't remember her life. Or does she? And are the memories really hers?

(summary from goodreads.com)

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Very engrossing, loved the mystery, but more importantly loved that the mystery was uncovered half way through so I could enjoy it more. I liked the characters and the dynamic between Jenna's parents and especially her grandmother. Makes you think about the ethics of medical practices that theoretically/maybe/possibly could be an actuality some day. And it ended well! I was surprised that there were sequels, it can stand alone. (I read this book years ago, but reread it when I discovered there were sequels.)

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: mild; Profanity: no; Sex: just kissing

The Fox Inheritance

by Mary E. Pearson  

 

Once there were three. Three friends who loved each other—Jenna, Locke, and Kara. And after a terrible accident destroyed their bodies, their three minds were kept alive, spinning in a digital netherworld. Even in that disembodied nightmare, they were still together. At least at first. When Jenna disappeared, Locke and Kara had to go on without her. Decades passed, and then centuries.

Two-hundred-and-sixty years later, they have been released at last. Given new, perfect bodies, Locke and Kara awaken to a world they know nothing about, where everyone they once knew and loved is long dead.

Everyone except Jenna Fox.

(summary from goodreads.com)

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I didn't think Jenna needed another book - I was happy with how her story ended in the last book. But this book took us interesting places, and it was nice to see how Jenna's life turned out. I liked Locke, hated Kara, adored Dot. I liked the original book better but this was still a fun second book.

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: mild; Profanity: no; Sex: slightly racy but no

Fox Forever 

by Mary E. Pearson 

 

Locke Jenkins has some catching up to do. After spending 260 years as a disembodied mind in a little black box, he has a perfect new body. But before he can move on with his unexpected new life, he’ll have to return the Favor he accepted from the shadowy resistance group known as the Network.

Locke must infiltrate the home of a government official by gaining the trust of his daughter, seventeen-year-old Raine, and he soon finds himself pulled deep into the world of the resistance—and into Raine’s life.

Mary E. Pearson brings the story she began in The Adoration of Jenna Fox and continued in The Fox Inheritance to a breathtaking conclusion as Locke discovers that being truly human requires much more than flesh and blood.

(summary from goodreads.com)

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Yay! More Locke, no more Kara, more great characters. I really liked Locke's growth, his adjustment to his new life, his efforts to live his own life. This was a fun book with serious undertones of poverty and class discrimination. And let the record show - I love epilogues. Every book should have one.

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: mild; Profanity: no; Sex: slightly racy but no

Hidden by Sophie Jordan

Hidden

by Sophie Jordan  

 

Jacinda was supposed to bond with Cassian, the "prince" of their pride. But she resisted long before she fell in love with Will—a human and, worse, a hunter. When she ran away with Will, it ended in disaster, with Cassian's sister, Miram, captured. Weighed down by guilt, Jacinda knows she must rescue her to set things right. Yet to do so she will have to venture deep into the heart of enemy territory.

The only way Jacinda can reach Miram is by posing as a prisoner herself, though once she assumes that disguise, things quickly spiral out of her control. As she learns more about her captors, she realizes that even if Will and Cassian can carry out their part of the plan, there's no guarantee they'll all make it out alive. But what Jacinda never could have foreseen is that escaping would be only the beginning....

Loyalties are tested and sacrifices made in the explosive conclusion to Sophie Jordan's Firelight trilogy.

 

(summary from goodreads.com)

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Is it a good sign when you're relieved when a series is finally over? No? Didn't think so. I liked these books but didn't love them. Why did I keep reading them? I just love dragons and couldn't give them up! I really liked the world and creativity and dragon culture - totally awesome. I just never loved the romantic entanglement - too hot and cold throughout all three books. Oh the drama!

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: yes; Profanity: don't think so?; Sex: innuendo