Trapped

Trapped by Michael Northrop
Scholastic Press, 2011
232 pages
YA; Contemporary
3/5 stars

Source: Library

This is another book I probably wouldn't have read if not for the Contemps spurring me onward.  The basic premise is that Scotty Weems and seven classmates are stuck at school after the storm of the century strikes, trapping them there for a week with limited electricity and food, and the knowledge that no one knows they are there.

This was quite a frightening book in that the monster snow storm that appears last about a week, covering even two-story buildings and pulling down the phone and power lines.  Now they are in a school, so there are bathrooms, food in the cafeteria, and rooms aplenty.  Unfortunately as the week progresses that becomes less important as the water, the lights, and the heat fail.

The beginning of the book suggested the death of some of the seven stuck at the school.  Not Scotty who narrates the entire book, but perhaps one of his friends Jason or Pete, one of the girls Krista or Julie, or one of the other guys Les or Elijah. I was disappointed with the conclusion of this plot line as I thought it would get a lot darker than it actually did.  Additionally as high school students they navigate the roles of cliques and interactions with each other in order to survive.  Their efforts to survive were sometimes ingenious but frequently repetitive without providing additional depth to my understanding of their character, which is my main complaint against the book. Perhaps it would work better for readers who are 14/15, the ages of the characters in the book.

I'm been debating if this would be more fun to read when it's really cold and snowy outside or when you know you are safe because of the very nice weather.  I think I'm the kind of person who prefers the latter so I'm glad I live in a warmer area that doesn't get snow.

Read for the Contemps Challenge.

Savannah Grey

Savannah Grey by Cliff McNish
Carolrhoda LAB, 2011
266 pages
YA; Horror
4/5 stars

Source: Received a free e-copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this novel, which I requested because the cover looked different and it was YA. And this was certainly different from anything else I've read.

I was actually most intrigued by the Orcassa, an incredibly adaptative creature who has flown through the universe and through the billions of years of earth in order to become the "perfect" creature.  Its chapters were black with white ink and covered the Orcassa's attempts to always triumph.  But nature has created its own weapons, culminating in Savannah Grey, an otherwise ordinary girl.

Savannah is the main character, obviously, and she realizes that she is prepared for something due to the mysterious creature (I'm still not sure what it is) in her throat.  Any attempts to come close result in Savannah's unconscious attack on that person.  Reece seems to understand her because he also has throat issues.  Together they seek to uncover the mystery with several twists and turns in their quest.

I did think the book was a bit long but the final climax brings Savannah and two friends against the Orcassa and his two main creations in a fight where Savannah must control utilize her unique powers in order to achieve victory and save the world.

Overall: While not entirely to my taste, this was a unique and mostly well-written horror story.

Cover: The throat is exactly what should be highlighted.

Read for British Books Challenge and Ebook Challenge

The Lipstick Laws

The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder
HMH Children's, 2011
237 pages
YA; Contemporary
3/5 stars

Source: Received a free ecopy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was intrigued by the cover of this and psyched to see another book eligible for the DAC.  However the story was less than pleasing to me, mainly because of the main character, April.

April's one friend has moved, leaving her again a pariah and vulnerable to popular Britney and her crew's "friendship."  I really felt April's loneliness and that helped explain how she was willing to compromise what she knew was right for the chance to have people to hang out with.  Soon she is caught up in the world of the popular girls until she breaks a "Lipstick Law" and is kicked out with Britney's continued vengeance against her.

In order to cope, April tries to find other girls who were ostracized and they form the Lipstick Lawbreakers to take revenge on Britney.  I was glad to see April make new friends but they went so far in their anger and I had trouble cheering from them.  I kept wanting to say, "Turn the other cheek, girls!"  April does have a brief epiphany that she is as bad as Britney but I'm not sure she will make any lasting changes.  Her treatment of a boy who she considers a major loser was what drew most of my censure; he seemed nice even if he didn't look the way her shallow mind wanted him to look.

I wonder if this book would be better for someone in high school, dealing with the brutality of cliques instead of someone who is almost a graduate of college (just over a month until graduation!) and who was never picked on (I had my group of friends and needless to say we liked to read a lot).

Read for YA Debut Authors Challenge and Ebook Challenge.

The Water Wars

The Water Wars by Cameron Stracher
Sourcebooks, 2011
240 pages
YA; Dystopian; Adventure
2.5/5 stars

Source: Library

I wanted to read this because of the terrifying world it presents; in a not-too-distant future, most of the fresh water in the world has dried up and the rest of it is under the control of a greedy corporation.  I say not too distant because the main characters' parents remember a world that sounds much like ours but in only a few decades, the landscape has radically changed.  Wars are perpetually occurring as the battle for water rages.  I thought the background for this story was fascinating.

However that was not the main focus.  Instead it is Vera and Will, siblings, who meet a boy named Kai.  Kai, it seems, can find water making him a valuable asset to whoever can maintain control of him and putting his freedom at risk.  When he and his father are taken one day, Vera and Will set off after him leading to an action-packed, thrilling adventure.  Or what should have been-I had to force myself through the book because I wanted to count it for the DAC and because it's pretty short.  There were some interesting characters who befriend Vera (pirate Ulysses and rebel Sula) and their struggles to rescue Kai should have been interesting.  But because I didn't feel connected to Vera or Will, I cared less.

Overall: Enticing plot but weak characters.

Read for YA Debut Author Challenge

The Making of Star Wars

The Making of Star Wars by J.W. Rinzler
Ballantine Books, 2007
353 pages
Non-fiction; Hollywood
5/5 stars

Source: Library

This is a massive coffee-table book but it is covering a big topic: the genesis and making of Star Wars (A New Hope).  There are so many pictures, excerpts from early scripts, quotes from many of the principal figures, both on and off screen talent.  The best part is that those quotes are culled from interviews from about 1975-79, right as the instances happened and not as involved in the success and hype that followed.  Nobody anticipated the runaway success Star Wars was!

While I knew about some of the challenges faced during production, I didn't know the half.  In general, the technology of the time was not able to cope with the demands of George Lucas for this film, which resulted in a lot of frustration and compromise.  I think that helps to explain Episodes I-III, where the technology was so much more advanced.  Some of the parts were confusing to me as there are many people and technologies mentioned that were previously unfamiliar to me.  However a careful reading helps to sort that out.

My favorite sections were about the actors and John Williams' score, as they were the parts I sort of knew already.  It definitely made me want to go rewatch Star Wars and also listen to the soundtrack because it really is such great music.

Looking forward to The Making of The Empire Strikes Back so I can find out how they created Yoda and came up with that spoiler-you know the one ;) because as of the first film, that wasn't part of the plan.

Everything I Was

Everything I Was by Corinne Demas
Carolrhoda LAB, 2011
209 pages
MG; Contemporary
3.5/5 stars

Source: Received a free egalley via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Based on the cover, I thought this was a horror novel about some teenage sexpot terrorizing a town. That is NOT correct at all.  First the main character is 13, making this an appropriate middle-grade novel. Second the novel is more about family, friendship, and first love in a pretty sweet way.

Irene leads a very privileged life with a beautiful apartment and attendance at a private girls' school in New York City.  Until her dad loses his job and her parents decide to spend the summer with her grandfather in the country because they have little to no money.  Her mom is not at all pleased, having been accustomed to a certain way of life that is no longer available to her.  Irene is confused by the changes and feels hurt that her parents are making decisions without talking to her about them.  However once there, Irene's worldview shifts.  She meets new people like the boisterous loving family including a girl her age Meg and a cute boy Jim.  And she begins to enjoy gardening and a more simple life than she had lived previously.

Content: There was one page where Irene swears twice, which is my only hesitation in recommending this to a younger audience.

Overall: A sweet novel that is mostly appropriate for a MG audience. I didn't hate this book but I didn't love it either.  There were some cute parts but nothing grabbed me. I appreciated the diversion of a few hours and it was pleasant but nothing to shout about.

Cover: I've already shared what the cover made me think of the story; does anyone else get that impression?

March Stats

Info:

I had my first experience with EM Forster and ended disappointed.  Now this is a guy who said, "I am a Jane Austenite, and therefore slightly imbecile about Jane Austen" so I really want to like him but I did not.  Should I still give A Room With a View or Howards End or a different book a try or just give up on him (for now at least)?

I discovered that I have very high expectations for fantasy or paranormal or dystopian YA that tends to result in disappointment; hyped books also tend to make me unhappy although not always. I feel like I hold contemporary to an entirely different standard which you might be able to see reflected in my ratings and reviews. I don't know if it's because I prefer contemporary nor do I know why I prefer contemporary but for me contemporary > paranormal.

I also had some slow reading periods as my schoolwork increased but then really good reading periods such as my spring break.  I still have plenty of reviews planned, largely ebooks from Netgalley and Simon and Schuster's GalleyGrab (an awesome program).  I was also invited to become a part of Amazon's Vine program so I will be reviewing books from that.  And of course I am a frequent visitor at my library.

April also marks the start of judging for the YA Best Overlooked Book Battle of 2011. I can't wait to get started; see this post for more info.

Monthly Stats:

Books Read This Month: 36
Pages Read This Month: 11,133
Average Length of Book: 309 pages
Average Rating of Book: 3.81

Favorite Book: One of Our Thursdays Is Missing by Jasper Fforde

Least Favorite Book: The Trial by Franz Kafka 

Longest Book: The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas, 700 pages

Shortest Book: The Manchurian Candidate by Greil Marcus, 75 pages

Year Stats:

Total Books Read: 104

Total Pages Read: 30,177

Average Length of Book: 290

Average Rating of Book: 3.81

By Genre:
Mystery-1
YA/MG-19
Romance-4

Classics-3

Science Fiction/Fantasy-1

Non-Fiction-5
Historical Fiction-3
Short Stories-0
Other-0

Challenge Updates:

Contemps: 4 read, 7 total

Cozy: 1 read, 2 total

British Books: 6 read, 22 total

YA Debut: 1 read, 8 total

Ebook: 13 read, 35 total

Source:

Home Library-0

School Library-14

Own/Borrowed-9

Booksneeze-0

Netgalley-9

Other ebook source-4

Audiobook-0

Read for school: 4

Read for pleasure: 32

Stats for Previous Months: January; February;

Books Read (Link for those reviewed):
69. Found in Translation by Roger Bruner and Kristi Rae Bruner
70. She Walks in Beauty by Siri Mitchell
71. The Water Wars by Cameron Stracher
72. Ten Miles Past Normal by Frances O'Roark Dowell
73. You Wish by Mandy Hubbard
74. The Manchurian Candidate by Greil Marcus
75. One of Our Thursdays is Missing by Jasper Fforde
76. Stay by Deb Caletti
77. Wither by Lauren DeStefano
78. Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho by Stephen Rebello
79. Matched by Ally Condie
80. The Making of Star Wars by JW Rinzler
81. The Trial by Franz Kafka
82. Everything I Was by Corinne Demas
83. Catching Katie by Robin Lee Hatcher
84. The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder
85. Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh (Reread)
86. Bless the Bride by Rhys Bowen
87. Savannah Grey by Cliff McNish
88. Rage by Jackie Morse Kessler
89. The Girl in the Gatehouse by Julie Klassen
90. Small Acts of Amazing Courage by Gloria Whalen
91. William and Kate by Christopher Andersen
92. The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
93. Invincible Summer by Hannah Moskowitz
94. Guardian of the Gate by Michelle Zink
95. Rival by Sara Bennett Wealer
96. William and Kate by Robin Nunn
97. The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
98. So Shelly by Ty Roth
99. Cinderella: Ninja Warrior by Maureen McGowan
100. The Making of The Empire Strikes Back by JW Rinzler
101. The Betrayal of Maggie Blair by Elizabeth Laird
102. The Lightkeeper's Ball by Colleen Coble
103. Entwined by Heather Dixon
104. Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons