Book Recommendation- Fallen Grace by Mary Hooper

At the beginning of Mary Hooper’s Fallen Grace, 15-year old Grace Parkes is on the Necropolis Railway to Brookwood Cemetery, with a task just as sad as everyone else’s: to bury her stillborn child. But, being an orphan on the streets of Victorian London with barely a penny to her name, she has been advised by the midwife to find a coffin on the train, lift the lid, and lay the poor bundle inside before the lid is nailed shut. At the Cemetery, she meets two important people that could change her future: Mrs. Unwin, rich proprietress of a funeral establishment, offering employment; and Mr. James Solent, a young legal clerk, and brother to the dead woman whose coffin now holds a secret.

When Grace and her older mentally disabled sister Lily are evicted from their pathetic little room at Mrs. Macready’s boarding house (the property has been condemned), the girls have no other choice: rather than return to the training school they fled from in fear, they go to the Unwins. While it’s nice to now have a warm bed and food in their bellies, the comfort comes at a price. And unbeknownst to the Parkes sisters, something secret waits for them, something anyone would lie and scheme to possess—including the Unwins…

I tried to put myself in Grace and Lily’s worn-out shoes; tried to imagine living in a constant state of survival, every hour of every day, struggling among the ruthless and the poor, wondering if today was the day I would wind up sleeping on the streets, starving to death, with no chance of climbing back up. I was scared out of my mind. Life in Victorian England was ghastly, and Hooper depicts it in great detail.

Needless to say, you will cheer for Grace and Lily, and admire Grace’s intelligence and persistence. You will demand vengeance on those who abuse and demean them. I found it a satisfying read, and I hope you will find it the same. Enjoy!

-Reviewed by Debra B.

Michael L. Printz Award for Young Adult Literature announced

The 2011 winner of the Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature was announced earlier this week , and it’s Paolo Bacigalupi’s Ship Breaker. The Printz award is given annually by the American Library Association (ALA) and is selected by a committee of librarians. You may have read our review of it this past summer; if not, check it out, and check out the book! I feel it’s worthy of the honor. In case you’re wondering who Michael Printz was, read here.

And if you haven’t read the 2010 winner, Libba Bray’s Going Bovine, I suggest you grab that as well. You would think a book about a 16-year old boy, named Cameron, with mad cow disease would be all drama and sadness, but when you read the first line—“The best day of my life happened when I was five and almost died at Disney World”—you know you’re in for a treat. I’m a sucker for sarcasm, and a fair amount of moments on Cameron’s Don Quixote-like quest to be healed—with his Mexican-American dwarf classmate who’s a hypochondriac, later on adding a Viking god trapped inside a garden gnome—are (IMHO) laugh-out loud funny. Enjoy!

-Debra B.

Book Recommendation: Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Readers who enjoy Rachel Cohn and David Levithan will surely enjoy this holiday story: Dash & Lily's Book of Dares.

Scrooge-like Dash has gotten out of Christmas by telling his mother he’s at his father’s house, and telling his father he’s spending Christmas at his mother’s. Perusing the shelves of used books at his favorite bookstore, the Strand, he finds a red Moleskine notebook, with “DO YOU DARE?” on the cover, and with a note on the front page:

“I’ve left some clues for you. If you want them, turn the page. If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.”

Intrigued, Dash turns the page.

Christmas-loving Lily has been abandoned this season—by her parents, on a never-taken honeymoon in Fiji; by her grandfather, heading to Florida to propose to his girlfriend; and by her brother, Langston, looking to spend his every waking hour with his new boyfriend, instead of babysitting her. The clues in the book were Langston’s idea for how Lily could meet a guy; Lily doesn’t expect anyone to pick it up, or, as requested, answer in kind. What begins is a series of riddles and challenges that takes Dash and Lily back and forth across New York City, as they reveal more of themselves to each other through the notebook. The two can’t help but start falling for each other, but is it for the person on the page, or the ideal in their heads? Will they act on the ultimate dare: to meet in person? And if so, will they connect, or will it turn out to be the ultimate disaster?

I loved the wit and banter Dash and Lily have between each other, and with their family and friends, even if it doesn’t sound like a lot of the teens you might know. I felt the characters were shown to be complex and layered, with clear foibles as well as admirable strengths. Despite Dash being nicknamed “Snarly” by those he comes across, he’s never unlikeable. Lily’s sweet, but not annoying.

And some of the scenes made me laugh out loud. I wouldn’t be surprised if this book starts a trend of red notebooks on shelves in bookstores across the country.

-Debra B.

Readers who enjoyed this story might enjoy other books co-written by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan including: Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist and Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List.

Book Recommendation: Black Hole Sun by David Macinnis Gill

I thought I was going to take a break from reviews for the holiday season, but then I came across Black Hole Sun by David Macinnis Gill, set on a future terraformed Mars. First chapter: cannibals on the hunt. Second chapter: a teenage mercenary doing a ten kilometer space elevator jump down into a hostage situation.

Forget the ribbons and the wrapping paper—it was rollercoaster time.

Durango’s a Dalit (outcast) Regulator—think Jedi without the mind tricks, although he does have an AI implant named Mimi—looking for redemption, but mostly coin and food for himself and his davos (crew) of other regulators. When three miners from a remote outpost come looking for someone to teach them how to fend off the cannibalistic Dræu that keep attacking their children, Durango knows they don’t stand a chance. With his female second-in-command, Vienne, along with lugheads Fuse and Jenkins, and over-the-hill Ockham, they head out to Hell’s Cross on what could be a suicide mission. Along with all the butt-kicking and name-taking, we learn how Durango became an outcast, the reason for the AI in his head, what the miners really want, and who the Dræu—and their queen—really are.

There are some borderline-squeamish parts, but they’re few and brief. I felt for Durango as he constantly grappled with the dilemma of how to be the proper leader to his crew, all the while struggling with his feelings towards Vienne, his father, and his predicament. To anyone who’s not big on reading, get this book into their hands; they won’t be able to turn the pages fast enough.

-Debra B.

Book Recommendation: The Unidentified by Rae Mariz

I like to read about things that scare me. No, not vampires and zombies; I’m talking about futures that are disturbing but possible, like the one in Rae Mariz’s The Unidentified.

The government can no longer afford to run schools, so now corporations have taken over. Katey, nicknamed Kid, goes to a school in a former mall, called simply the Game. It’s not the type of school you and I know: grades are described as levels, and classes are played like video games. Students update their status and communicate with friends constantly via Game-supplied laptops and handhelds, all under the watchful eye of corporate sponsors. These sponsors continuously monitor everyone’s feeds, looking for the latest trends to exploit and students to “brand” with their merchandise—or spot potential trouble.

At first a dummy tossed over a fifth floor railing, with the sign “UNIDENTIFIED. CHOOSE YOUR SUICIDE” on its back, seems to everyone like another corporate marketing stunt. But Kid’s curiosity and unease cause her to investigate the prank’s origins, starting with an uploaded video she finds of the event. She starts to draw attention from sponsors, particularly the Game’s security firm, Protecht. What happens is previously-unknown Kid is now plunged into the middle of an obsessive media culture, where status and popularity fluctuate not just day-by-day, but minute-by-minute; and endless co-opting and rebranding has Kid questioning everyone else’s motives, including her own and the Unidentified’s.

This book reminded me of Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies series, but without the plastic surgery and a whole lot of media savvy and high-tech. If you didn’t think much about your Facebook page or Twitter feed before, or don’t pay attention to those internet banner ads that follow you everywhere you surf, you will after reading this. I give this a definite thumbs-up.

By- Debra B.

Book Recommendation-Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore

Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore could be labeled as another paranormal romance, but that’s a rather incomplete description. The plot sucked me right in: Nimira, a music hall dancer, is noticed by a handsome stranger during one of her performances, who then makes her a proposition: to sing and dance alongside a piano-playing automaton. The stranger is Hollin Parry, a sorcerer, and the automaton is no mere machine; previous dancers have been spooked by it, claiming it’s haunted. Nimira jumps at the chance to return to a better life, the kind she had back home in her parents’ kingdom, before her mother’s death and her father’s fall from grace. But quickly, she learns things are not as they seem. The automaton is not haunted, but contains a trapped soul, whose identity puts Nimira and Hollin in danger, and whose being captures Nimira’s heart.

At 225 pages, the plot moves along quickly enough that the romance doesn’t get the chance to be too mushy, but instead is broken up by suspense, mystery, political intrigue, and—yay!—sorcerer battles. Namira is a plucky and admirable character, and one can see the tortured emotions beneath Hollin’s upper-class exterior, as he falls in love with Namira while hiding a shameful secret. The ending is begging for a sequel, and while it’s in the works, there’s no news of a publisher’s date. I wait with bated breath to see what happens.

Review by Debra at CCL

Book Review- Worldshaker by Richard Harland

Richard Harland’s steampunk novel Worldshaker has a unique premise: an ever-moving city, two and a half miles long and three quarters of a mile wide, with 53 decks and a population of over 10,000 people. This doesn’t include the “Filthies”—the two thousand or so poor souls forced to live in the bowels of Worldshaker, keeping it running.

Colbert Porpentine, groomed to be the next supreme commander by his grandfather, Sir Mormus, meets Riff, a Filthy girl who has given security the slip, and is hiding under the bed in Colbert’s room. He doesn’t turn her in, and so begins his journey into discovering the real world that exists beyond his upper-class upbringing.

Col helps her find a way back to the Below, but they meet again as his curiosity gets the best of him and it gets him in trouble. This shakes his (and the Porpentine families’) standing in the community. He learns the Filthies aren’t dumb, mute animals, and that the polite façade of those around him can’t hide their planning and scheming. The constant emphasis on class and social status may seem a bit over the top, even downright offensive in this day and age. But as Col’s anger grows at the injustices of Worldshaker’s society, the action and suspense grows. I had to push myself in the beginning to keep reading, but then found myself racing to the end. It may not have the usual airships and advanced gadgets of traditional steampunk, but it’s still worth a spin.

-By Debra B. at CCL

Book Recommendation- The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

In The Forest of Hands and Teeth a post-apocalyptic tale by Carrie Ryan , an unexplained contagion occurring generations before has left a village isolated and surrounded by zombie victims, called the "Unconsecrated." Mary is a teenage girl looking for true love within, and a world outside, the restrictive laws of her society. Her life changes dramatically when her mother becomes infected after leaving the village to look for Mary’s father.

Cast out by her brother, Jed, who blames her for what happened, Mary is left no choice but to live with the Sisterhood, a religious order that controls the village. Sister Tabitha runs the Sisterhood, and appears determined to “break” Mary of her curiosity. The arrival and imprisonment of a girl from outside the village shows Mary the Sisterhood’s true intentions. When the village fences are breached by Unconsecrated, Mary and those closest to her flee through a series of previously unknown gated paths, desperate to survive. Where they wind up and who makes it is anyone’s guess.

Mary's desire for self-determination comes off as selfishness, and makes her a less sympathetic character than I would like. The love quadrangle between Mary, Travis, Travis’ brother Harry, and Mary’s best friend Cass, might turn off those looking for a straight-up zombie fix. But any story whose author is willing to let bad things happen to good people provides just the suspense needed to keep a reader on his or her toes, dying (pardon the pun) to know the outcome.

The sequel to The Forest of Hands and Teeth is The Dead-Tossed Waves. The third installment, The Dark and Hollow Places, is due out Spring 2011.

-Reviewed by Debra B. at CCL

Book Review- Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

Paolo Bacigalupi’s first YA novel, Ship Breaker, takes place in the Gulf Coast region of the future. Nailer, a teenage grunt on a scavenge crew, strips wiring out of oil tankers, beached due to hurricanes and no more oil available. He looks to make quota while trying to avoid his violent and drug-addicted father, Richard, and while dreaming of a better life. When a “city killer” (a previously undefined category 6 hurricane) tears through Bright Sands Beach, Nailer and a friend from the scavenge crew find in the aftermath a clipper ship dashed on the rocks. They see their chance to make enough cash to buy their freedom from the crews. The dead girl in the wreckage is draped in enough gold to last them a lifetime. When her rings won’t slide off her water-logged fingers, Nailer gets out his knife and presses it against a joint, drawing blood.

And then the girl’s eyes blink…

I don’t want to give any more away, because that would spoil the suspense. In a world where everyone has a set worth—what they own, how much quota they can make—even what their body is worth in parts—the desperation of the characters in this book means anything can happen. But it’s not as grim as you think: this desperation shows how characters stand together, and support each other if they’ve sworn to it. Nailer is a quickly likeable character that you’ll find yourself rooting for. And while the half-men—a hybrid of man, dog and tiger— that serve as loyal muscle to those who can afford it may seem far-fetched; the scenario of a New Orleans completely underwater, replaced by Orleans II further inland, is not. Early on, an incident earns Nailer the nickname “Lucky Boy.” Just how lucky he is, and where this luck takes him, will keep readers’ eyes glued to the page—I know mine were.

-Reviewed by Debra B. at CCL

Book Review- Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

While reading Catherine Fisher’s Incarceron, it’s hard to imagine living in a prison so vast that it contains not only cells, but cells within endless halls and caverns, nestled among cities, separated by dangerous metal forests and wilderness, under soaring but enclosed skies. Even scarier, this failed high-tech experiment in rehabilitation, whose name is the book’s title, is now self-aware and always watching. It makes sure everyone, including seventeen-year old gang member Finn, understands that they have been born here, and, with its tunnels and caverns that shift and turn at random, there is no way in and no way out.

But Finn’s flashes of memories and a tattoo on his arm convince him that he came from the world outside. When, during a raid, he comes across a crystal key that allows him to open doors to parts of the prison unseen, he’s even further convinced there’s a way out.

In a parallel story, Claudia, the daughter of the wealthy Warden of Incarceron, is in her own prison in the outside world: decreed to live under conditions of the Victorian era, despite advanced technology; and groomed from birth to wed the Queen’s son and become her formidable opponent. When Claudia discovers the other crystal key after breaking into her father’s study, she communicates with Finn and becomes convinced he was a boy she once knew a long time ago, the real heir to the throne who was presumed dead. It’s then a race against time as Claudia and Finn struggle to gain his and his companions’ freedom, before Incarceron can stop them, and before the Warden comes to march Claudia down the aisle.

Despite the 450 pages, as a big fan of dystopian fiction, I found this book hard to put down. Finn’s instant likability and sympathy did make me wonder how he could hold his own in a ruthless gang like the Scum. While Claudia does seem spoiled, I sympathized with her anger at living a life not of her choosing. The discovery of what Incarceron really was shocked me, and the ending left me begging for a sequel, which there is: “Sapphique” comes out late-December of 2010.

-Reviewed by Debra B. at CCL