Category: Young Adult

The Circle (The Engelsfors Trilogy, #1) by Mats Strandberg. Translated by Sara Bergmark Elfgren

The Circle (The Engelsfors Trilogy, #1) by Mats Strandberg. Translated by Sara Bergmark Elfgren

thecircleThe Circle was an excellent and gritty urban fantasy. It was dark enough that I would hesitate to classify it as young adult. It is about a group of close friends and magic.

It reminded me of that 1996 film, The Craft, which, as you will recall, is about a group of angst-y high school friends who find out that they’re witches and have to deal with all of the issues that go along with that. There’s drama, danger and magic… oh my!

For such a large cast of characters, Strandberg does an amazing job fleshing them all out. Each has their own unique feel, story, and interests. At first, I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to tell Vanessa from Linnea from Minoo but that never happened.

Strandberg also deftly captures the high school girls’ attitudes and hang ups. He makes you love each one of them with their failures and unrealized potential. I believed in the characters and was cheering for them the whole time. It takes talent to create that level of emotional bonding with a cast of protagonists. Strandberg nails it.

There’s a lot of surprises in store for the readers who pick this up. Not to spoil anything, but you may want to have some tissues around if you’re a sensitive type.

I think that the best part about this trilogy is that all three books have already been published. They were originally written in Swedish. It took a couple years to be translated into English, but aren’t we lucky?

Also, in early 2015, this book was made into a film so there’s no waiting on that either. Awesome.

For people with triggers or appropriate reading material concerns, there’s some intense murder and cutting scenes, bullying, language, a near rape and a bunch of underage sex (but not overly graphic like Paper Princess). Mature young adults could probably handle it, probably 16+. It’s up to the parents, but read responsibly.

If you enjoyed The Circle, you may enjoy The Magicians by Lev Grossman or Bitter Seeds by Ian Tregillis.

I received a free copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads. FTC guidelines: check!

And, thanks for reading!

The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

thedarkestpartThe Darkest Part of the Forest is a delightful fairy tale and coming-of-age story about a girl who wants to be a knight and a boy who wants to be loved.

The fairies in the woods around Fairfold are not the playful, glitter-winged sprites of popular culture. These are dark and frighting creatures who lure unsuspecting travelers into their caves and ponds to gnaw their flesh from their bones. They sneak into the homes of Fairfold and exchange their fairy children for the human ones. They will enchant and destroy on a whim.

But, Hazel and Ben aren’t afraid. Perhaps they should be.

I was charmed by this story. Holly Black has created a world that I want to step into despite its dangers. Highly recommended for young adults or the young at heart who are looking for a fantasy-filled escape from the real world.

Cress (The Lunar Chronicles #3) by Marissa Meyer

Cress (The Lunar Chronicles #3) by Marissa Meyer

cressI’m pleased to report that this series continues to improve. Cress, the third entry in The Lunar Chronicles, introduces the reader (or audio book listener) to a girl named Crescent Moon.

Cress, for short, has long tangled hair like Rapunzel. The clever parallels to the classic fairy tale continue through the story and, of course, the characters from the first two books are woven throughout.

I find that I’m invested in Cinder’s story now whereas after the first book, I was lukewarm about the whole thing. And how about that Scarlet? I think her portion of this novel nearly gave me a heart attack.

No spoilers, but one of the most fascinating new characters in this entry comes from Luna. If you’ve read it, I’m sure you know who I’m talking about. Can this new person be as kind or genuine as he/she appears to be or is it all just another glamour? Here’s hoping.

Teen angst continues in this book but it is, thankfully, hidden behind intergalactic and earth-bound chase scenes and daring missions. Small gripe here, but did literally everyone in this book have to have a love interest?

And, in case anyone is wondering, I am still Team Iko. 🙂

Recommended for readers looking for slightly different fairy tales or who enjoy young adult fantasy. I can’t say that the first two entries lived up to the hype that I’d heard, but this one was approaching it.

Thanks for reading!

IA: Initiate (IA #1) by John Darryl Winston

IA: Initiate (IA #1) by John Darryl Winston

A seemingly random act of gang violence sends “Naz” Andersen on a quest to find answers surrounding his dead parents that lead to a series of discoveries about his supernatural abilities. Naz tries to stay out of the way at his foster parent’s home, but he walks in his sleep, and he is unable to keep the fact that he hears voices from his therapist. He attempts to go unnoticed at school and in the streets of the Exclave, but attracts the attention of friends and bullies alike, and his efforts to protect his little sister make him the target of malicious bullying by the notorious street gang, Incubus Apostles. Naz is an ordinary thirteen-year-old, or so he thinks. He harbors a secret that even he is oblivious to, and a series of ill-fated events reveal to him telekinetic and telepathic abilities. Now he must navigate newly found friendship and gang violence, and face the full force of the world around him. The only way he can survive is to discover the supernatural world within. -Goodreads description

IA: Initiate wasn’t what I expected it to be, but I mean that in a good way. This coming of age novel has a classic hero archetype (mysterious circumstances surrounding birth, orphaned, hidden talents, a quest- of sorts) but Naz is also very real and not removed from life or sitting on a pedestal. Naz is brought down to earth through his relationship with his little sister, Meri. Their interactions are believable, enjoyable, and reveal a gentle side to his character that the reader may not have been able to see otherwise.

We also get a special glimpse into his brain and the workings of his mind through his psychiatrist appointments, which were vaguely reminiscent of Good Will Hunting (abused child with extraordinary abilities) though just what those abilities may be are yet to be fully explained.

I was intrigued by the mystery of his background, drawn in by the real dangers on the streets that he inhabited, and fascinated when his talents began to slowly reveal themselves. The author maintained an excellent pace for this story at all times. It never dragged nor was it rushed. Great writing is a skill and John Darryl Winston clearly has it.

Honestly, I was disappointed when this book ended- I wanted more! What a relief that this is a series.

Fans of Divergent may enjoy this (Chicago-ish setting, coming of age, more action than romance). I highly recommend it.

I received a free copy of this book through the Goodreads First Reads program. Thank you for reading!

Dorothy Must Die (Dorothy Must Die #1) by Danielle Paige

Dorothy Must Die (Dorothy Must Die #1) by Danielle Paige

Amy Gunn’s trailer is swept up in a tornado and she finds herself in Oz, but something has gone horribly wrong. The characters from the story that Amy knows are all twisted and changed. She has to get back home, but she also has to save Oz.

The trouble with this book is not the premise, which is excellent, but it’s in the execution of it and in the decision of the author to place this poorly written story in one of the most beloved worlds of fantasy literature. Not a similar world or parallel, the girl in this story is plopped right down in the magical land of Oz. No matter what came next, everything that was written was going to be held up and compared in the light of Baum’s masterpiece. And, this story is found wanting.

The horror twist is interesting but because this is a YA piece, I feel that the author holds back or dumbs down the material. One only needs to read Gaiman to discover that a world can be completely appropriate for a YA audience (Coraline comes to mind) and also be absolutely terrifying. The strange variations that are presented of the beloved characters from the story of Oz are repulsive but not earth shattering. I was so disappointed.

Thanks for reading!

Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles, #2) by Marissa Meyer

Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles, #2) by Marissa Meyer

Scarlet the second book in The Lunar Chronicles is better than the first. The introduction of Scarlet and Wolf is a clever and breaks up the the Cinder story line. I don’t like to read reviews of books before I read/listen to them, so I had no idea that Meyer wove more than one fairy tale together. I liked that a lot.

This book, like the previous one, is still plagued by cringe-worthy teen romance scenes and angst. But, it’s easier to ignore those bits because of the crazy stuff that begins to happen with the Lunar Queen and the intense chase scenes.

Iko is by far my favorite character. Team Iko!

Recommended for ages 13+ because of some disturbing, non-graphic torture descriptions. The audiobook is pretty good and may work out well for road trips. You don’t need to have read the first book to appreciate this one because the author does a good job of outlining the backstory. Personally, I prefer to read books in a series in order, but it’s not required here to understand what’s going on.

Thanks for reading!

The Girl of Fire and Thorns (Fire and Thorns, #1) by Rae Carson

The Girl of Fire and Thorns (Fire and Thorns, #1) by Rae Carson

girloffireThe Girl of Fire and Thorns takes navel gazing to a whole new level… but seriously. In this world, once in a hundred years, one person is chosen by God to do something (the main character is never quite sure what this is) and her position as the chosen one is indicated by a large jewel that mystically implants itself in the person’s belly button. To be fair, I was never really able to get over the silliness of this main premise to truly appreciate the story. The whole Godstone thing was too funny to me. It reminded me of Dark Helmet’s ring in Spaceballs, a religious artifact that inspires fear and reverence but was also patently ridiculous.

The main part of the action takes place in a desert setting (reminiscent of Dune). Elisa, the bejeweled heroine, doesn’t know her own strength, moves through tests that teach her that strength, and then it all leads to a conclusive, final action that was so hilarious that I had to put the book (e-reader) down for a moment to process it.

Now, the cultural struggle between Elisa’s people and the Invernie was interesting. I liked the juxtaposition of an earthy, animalistic, nomadic culture with the more civilized, religiously structured, city culture. I also liked the heroine herself. She seems to have an eating disorder and some seriously raging teen hormones, but otherwise, Elisa is a strong, female role model in the vein of Katniss Everdeen and Tris Prior.

If the reader can overlook the whole belly button situation, he or she may really enjoy The Girl of Fire and Thorns. You may also enjoy the young adult reads: The Sin Eater’s Daughter by Melinda Salisbury or The Girl, the Gypsy and the Gargoyle by Darcy Pattison.

Thanks for reading!

The Stone Heart (The Nameless City #2) by Faith Erin Hicks

The Stone Heart (The Nameless City #2) by Faith Erin Hicks

thestoneheartThe Nameless City graphic novels are excellent for kids aged 10 to 14. The Stone Heart like The Nameless City is well drawn with diverse characters and a plot that can be followed by young readers. It presents the difficulties of balancing cultural expectations, politics, and belonging with the natural emotions of friendship and understanding.

The kids, Kai and Rat, are from completely different social castes, but it doesn’t matter to them. If only the rest of the world didn’t live with prejudiced blinders over their eyes, then life could be sweet in the Nameless City. But, that’s not how it is.

The General of Blades wants to make a council of all of the nations within the city walls to decide and rule on all matters of importance within the Nameless City. His son, the heir apparent, wants the power that he’s been promised his entire life- to rule the city as the rightful conqueror. They can’t both have their way.

Meanwhile, rumors abound of the ancient power of the builders of the city itself. The monks may know something about it and, if in the wrong hands, this power could bring down the city that it helped to build.

Highly recommended for reluctant readers. There’s very little downtime in these pages.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and First Second Books publishing for an advance reader’s copy of this book. And, thank you for reading!

Aerie (Magonia #2) by Maria Dahvana Headley

Aerie (Magonia #2) by Maria Dahvana Headley

Warning: minor (and major if you haven’t read the first book) spoilers, proceed with caution.

Aerie is a very strange and complex, young adult fantasy. Allow me to explain.

In the first book, we met Aza, a girl who was drowning on Earth because, though she doesn’t know it, she’s actually from a kingdom in the clouds. She’s in love with Jason, a genius boy with obsessive thoughts like repeating the numbers of pi in his head over and over again.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Many adventures happened in the first book, but essentially we learned that in Aza’s home, the Magonians use their voices in magical ways. Through changing vibrations, Magonians can make elements appear and change, control the weather and animals, manipulate the molecules of reality itself.

Like most young adult stories, Aza is special, a savior with godly abilities that she didn’t know she had until she was tested. She’s supposed to bring balance back to Magonia because Aza’s mother is crazy and wants to kill everyone on the ground- Jason included.

One of the things that happens at the end of the first book is that Aza’s mother is imprisoned. (Lots of other stuff happens too.)

This book picks up where the last one left off. Jason and Aza are deepening their relationship though Aza looks like a completely new girl because she trashed her “skin,” essentially a suit that allows her to look and breathe like a human, and had to acquire a new one.

Did I mention that Magonians have naturally blue skin with orange/red eyes and white tattoos that change depending on their emotional state? Yeah, that’s a thing.

Photo by Marcelo Dias on Pexels.com

Aza’s mother, Zal, breaks out of prison and someone has to stop her before she destroys the world. There are rumors of “The Flock,” a weapon of some sort that can stop Zal, but no one knows where or what it is.

And that, I think, is where this story really begins.

Headley’s world building is epic. Magonia itself is a treasure and the other supernatural creatures that the author introduces are tantalizing in their possibility.

However, I didn’t care much for the characterizations or the obvious plot twists.

The grand showdown itself was a huge disappointment like expecting a brightly colored balloon on your birthday only to have it pop in your hands when you receive it. Headley gathered all of these potentially awesome characters together but only the actions of three mattered.

I wanted ships firing at each other, creatures made of flame, earth, water, feathers… slamming into each other in waves, with the earth itself rising in fountains in an effort to touch the sky.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

But that didn’t happen.

Aza’s special, I get it.

Aza can sing a song that only she can sing, I get that too.

She FEELS things deeply then SINGS them deeply. Blah.

I just never connected with Aza the way Maria Headley wanted me to. Headley built a lovely world that was so much more than just three characters.

Perhaps I’m being unfair- did anyone who read this book feel differently? I would love to hear from you.

Photo by Ylanite Koppens on Pexels.com

Recommended for readers who are willing to overlook a weak story for some fantastical and wildly imaginative elements.

You don’t have to read the first book to appreciate this one, but I think you’d want to in order to absorb the outlandish world that is Magonia. Some similar reads: The Breedling and the City in the Garden, Archivist Wasp, or Under the Empyrean Sky.

Thanks for reading!