2013 Teens Top Ten
Showing posts with label Teen Read Week 2013. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Teen Read Week 2013. Show all posts
22 October 2013
18 October 2013
Secret Agents & Evil Geniuses
Curtsies & Conspiracies (Finishing School #2) by Gail Carriger (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers hardcover, 5 November 2013).
Life at Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality is never dull, especially not for Miss Sophronia Temminnick. She's excelling in her studies, but is also doing very well at getting in trouble.
Her nocturnal wanderings around the dirigible help her stay informed about things like who the vampire Professor Braithwope feeds from, and why the school is suddenly heading to London. But although she doesn't know why some boys from Bunson & Lacroix's Polytechnique (a school for budding evil geniuses) are joining them on this field trip, she does know that they are extremely annoying (except, perhaps for her best friend Dimity's brother Pillover).
Carriger has a wonderful way with language: lessons include "tea and delusions" and "portion allotment, puddings and preemptive poisonings". Pillover shovels "mutton into his maw as if sheep were soon to be obsolete".
And the names! "Lord Dingleproops", "Professor Shrimpdittle" and Sophronia's mechanimal pet sausage dog, "Bumbersnoot".
Readers of Carriger's Parasol Protectorate series and other aficionados of steampunk fiction who (for some strange reason) may not know of this series aimed at teens will love Sophronia's adventures. It isn't necessary, though highly recommended that one begin withe the first book in this series, Etiquette & Espionage, where we meet Sophronia and learn how she ends up at Madmoiselle Geraldine's.
If you haven't already pre-ordered this, what are you waiting for?
FTC Full Disclosure: Many thanks to Little, Brown and Edelweiss for the e-galley of this book.
Life at Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality is never dull, especially not for Miss Sophronia Temminnick. She's excelling in her studies, but is also doing very well at getting in trouble.
Her nocturnal wanderings around the dirigible help her stay informed about things like who the vampire Professor Braithwope feeds from, and why the school is suddenly heading to London. But although she doesn't know why some boys from Bunson & Lacroix's Polytechnique (a school for budding evil geniuses) are joining them on this field trip, she does know that they are extremely annoying (except, perhaps for her best friend Dimity's brother Pillover).Carriger has a wonderful way with language: lessons include "tea and delusions" and "portion allotment, puddings and preemptive poisonings". Pillover shovels "mutton into his maw as if sheep were soon to be obsolete".
And the names! "Lord Dingleproops", "Professor Shrimpdittle" and Sophronia's mechanimal pet sausage dog, "Bumbersnoot".
Readers of Carriger's Parasol Protectorate series and other aficionados of steampunk fiction who (for some strange reason) may not know of this series aimed at teens will love Sophronia's adventures. It isn't necessary, though highly recommended that one begin withe the first book in this series, Etiquette & Espionage, where we meet Sophronia and learn how she ends up at Madmoiselle Geraldine's.
If you haven't already pre-ordered this, what are you waiting for?
FTC Full Disclosure: Many thanks to Little, Brown and Edelweiss for the e-galley of this book.
16 October 2013
Crazy European Tour
Perry's Killer Playlist by Joe Schreiber (HMH Books for Young Readers hardcover, 6 November 2012).
Perry Stormaire, the protagonist of Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick, is having a pretty good "gap year". He's been accepted at Columbia, and his band Inchworm are booked to do a twelve-city/eighteen-day tour of Europe, thanks to his girlfriend Paula, who works for a music producer.
Subconsciously , Perry wonders if he might run into Gobi Zaksauskas, the exchange student who'd lived with his family the previous year, but was, in reality a hired assassin. Consciously, he tells himself, his family and friends, that he's glad she's out of their lives.
But when the band arrives in Venice, Perry finds himself wandering off on his own and ending up at the Harry's Bar, where Gobi finds him. Before he can blink, he's jumping into canals, being shot at and wondering whom to trust.
On the surface, this quick read is pure escapism. But there is some pathos when we learn what's really going on with Gobi, and Perry is forced to make some major adult-type decisions as he endeavours to keep both himself and his companion alive.
Each chapter title, taken from a song by musicians like Green Day (American Idiot), Death Cab for Cutie (You are a Tourist) and David Bowie (This is Not America), aptly describes the events within it.
The trade paperback version of this book will be released next month.
FTC Full Disclosure: I borrowed this book from my local library.
Perry Stormaire, the protagonist of Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick, is having a pretty good "gap year". He's been accepted at Columbia, and his band Inchworm are booked to do a twelve-city/eighteen-day tour of Europe, thanks to his girlfriend Paula, who works for a music producer.
Subconsciously , Perry wonders if he might run into Gobi Zaksauskas, the exchange student who'd lived with his family the previous year, but was, in reality a hired assassin. Consciously, he tells himself, his family and friends, that he's glad she's out of their lives. But when the band arrives in Venice, Perry finds himself wandering off on his own and ending up at the Harry's Bar, where Gobi finds him. Before he can blink, he's jumping into canals, being shot at and wondering whom to trust.
On the surface, this quick read is pure escapism. But there is some pathos when we learn what's really going on with Gobi, and Perry is forced to make some major adult-type decisions as he endeavours to keep both himself and his companion alive.
Each chapter title, taken from a song by musicians like Green Day (American Idiot), Death Cab for Cutie (You are a Tourist) and David Bowie (This is Not America), aptly describes the events within it.
The trade paperback version of this book will be released next month.
FTC Full Disclosure: I borrowed this book from my local library.
15 October 2013
Beneath the Surface
Paranormalcy (Paranormalcy trilogy #1) by Kiersten White (HarperTeen hardcover, 31 August 2010).
Even though sixteen-year-old Evie has spent most of her life living in the headquarters of the International Paranormal Containment Agency, she considers herself a normal teenager. Sure, she neutralizes paranormal creatures around the world because she can see through their glamours, but she still loves clothes, watches the most popular teen soap Easton Heights, and her handler Raquel makes her study and do homework.
Her best friend Lish is a mermaid who also works for the IPCA, running the control center from inside a large aquarium. As expected, Evie is often lonely, at least until a paranormal named Lend gets caught trying to break into the building.
No one can figure out what Lend is, and Evie has never seen anything like him before. Bust she does learn that he's about her age, and lives as a human, going to high school and other "normal" stuff.
At the same time, there's paranormals are suddenly being murdered everywhere, and no one can figure out who. Some of the IPCA administrators think Lend might be involved, but Evie is certain he's not. And she's just as certain that the creepy faerie Reth is, even though Raquel says he can be controlled.
This story is a great combination of mystery, humor, romance, and of course the paranormal. It's been around a few years, but it's not at all dated.
The remaining books in the trilogy, Supernaturally (2011) and Endlessly (2012) continue the story of Evie and the IPCA after the identity of the killer has been determined and you'll want to read them right after you finish the first.
FTC Full Disclosure: I borrowed this book from my local library.
Even though sixteen-year-old Evie has spent most of her life living in the headquarters of the International Paranormal Containment Agency, she considers herself a normal teenager. Sure, she neutralizes paranormal creatures around the world because she can see through their glamours, but she still loves clothes, watches the most popular teen soap Easton Heights, and her handler Raquel makes her study and do homework.
Her best friend Lish is a mermaid who also works for the IPCA, running the control center from inside a large aquarium. As expected, Evie is often lonely, at least until a paranormal named Lend gets caught trying to break into the building. No one can figure out what Lend is, and Evie has never seen anything like him before. Bust she does learn that he's about her age, and lives as a human, going to high school and other "normal" stuff.
At the same time, there's paranormals are suddenly being murdered everywhere, and no one can figure out who. Some of the IPCA administrators think Lend might be involved, but Evie is certain he's not. And she's just as certain that the creepy faerie Reth is, even though Raquel says he can be controlled.
This story is a great combination of mystery, humor, romance, and of course the paranormal. It's been around a few years, but it's not at all dated.
The remaining books in the trilogy, Supernaturally (2011) and Endlessly (2012) continue the story of Evie and the IPCA after the identity of the killer has been determined and you'll want to read them right after you finish the first.
FTC Full Disclosure: I borrowed this book from my local library.
14 October 2013
Seek the Unknown!
In honor of the theme of this year's Teen Read Week, I'm going to post reviews of books that "explore and learn about the unknown through mystery, adventure, sci-fi, and fantasy books", starting with:
Unremembered (The Unremembered Trilogy #1) by Jessica Brody (Farrar, Strauss and Giroux hardcover, 5 March 2013).
Who is she? The teenaged girl was found at the site of a plane crash, surprising of itself because no one else survived. She doesn't remember anything, not where she came from or why she was on that flight, not even her name.
She wakes up in a hospital bed unable to answer any questions. The doctors inform her that she is sixteen, and one of the nurses dubs her "Violet" because of the unusual color of her eyes. The police and social services are searching for her family, and weeding out the cranks by not publicizing that she was wearing an unusual locket when she was found.
She ends up being assigned to a foster family who live about three hours away from Los Angeles, where the hospital is. The reason for this is to get her somewhere quite, away from the media circus that her circumstances have caused.
But she keeps seeing the same boy everywhere; how does he know where to find her?
This is a thrilling, gripping story that you'll want to read in one sitting. The second installment of the trilogy, Unforgotten, will be released in February 2014.
FTC Full Disclosure: I borrowed this book from my local library.
Unremembered (The Unremembered Trilogy #1) by Jessica Brody (Farrar, Strauss and Giroux hardcover, 5 March 2013).
Who is she? The teenaged girl was found at the site of a plane crash, surprising of itself because no one else survived. She doesn't remember anything, not where she came from or why she was on that flight, not even her name.
She wakes up in a hospital bed unable to answer any questions. The doctors inform her that she is sixteen, and one of the nurses dubs her "Violet" because of the unusual color of her eyes. The police and social services are searching for her family, and weeding out the cranks by not publicizing that she was wearing an unusual locket when she was found.
She ends up being assigned to a foster family who live about three hours away from Los Angeles, where the hospital is. The reason for this is to get her somewhere quite, away from the media circus that her circumstances have caused.
But she keeps seeing the same boy everywhere; how does he know where to find her?
This is a thrilling, gripping story that you'll want to read in one sitting. The second installment of the trilogy, Unforgotten, will be released in February 2014.
FTC Full Disclosure: I borrowed this book from my local library.
08 October 2013
Teen Tuesday
Next week is Teen Read Week, and to celebrate I'll be posting reviews of teen fiction every day.
To vote for the Teens' Top Ten Books for 2013, please follow this link. Winners will be announced on Tuesday, October 22nd.
Meanwhile, here are the Top Ten for 2012:
1. Divergent by Veronica Roth
2. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
3. Legend by Marie Lu
4. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
5. What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen
6. Across the Universe by Beth Revis
7. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
8. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
9. Where She Went by Gayle Forman
10. Abandon by Meg Cabot
I'd have to say my favorite was Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein. What were yours?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
LinkWithin
