27) UnWholly-Neal Shusterman

Because this book does not come out until August 28th of this year and it is highly anticipated, I will not be posting a review about this book at this time. It would be unfair to the internet world to receive spoilers for something they have been waiting for.

However, if you thought Unwind was addicting, you'll find the follow up even more so. And if you have read it's predecessor: If you thought you hated Roland...

26) When You Reach Me-Rebecca Stead

Sixth grader Miranda begins by telling us that her mother has been chosen to play on $20,000 Pyramid. She tells this to the person whom she's writing to because he has asked her to. When her best friend Sal gets hit by a group of kids they usually are able to avoid, things start to change in Miranda's world. Suddenly, he tells her that they need to take a break from being so close to one another. She then starts to get weird notes. Things start to change when she starts hanging out with and making sandwiches during lunchtime at a local deli with Colin and Annamarie. Miranda starts to realize that maybe they needed to have other friends than each other despite how much she misses Sal.

One day, when she's helping out in the office and the school's dentist office (not every family can afford dental visits), she begins talking to an older kid who sees that she is reading (for the however many-ith time) A Wrinkle in Time. They begin to start talking about time travel and if it is in any way possible. Can it be accomplished now? Do we have to wait until the future to figure out the logistics and scientific structure of the process? Is it even possible at all?

The conversation nags at her. She hangs out with her two new friends, helps her mom practice for the show and goes to school, but she can't get the conversation, the boy or the anonymous notes out of her mind. When it all finally comes together and she figures out who has been sending them and what it all means, she can't believe how she didn't see it before. She realizes that change doesn't have to be for the worse. She realizes anything is possible. Isn't that all anyone wants from a book sometimes?

I know that I posted about this book last year, but as it was a required title for one of my classes this semester, here I am. I still loved this book the second time around. I was actually kind of excited to see it on my required list. It obviously moves quicker the second time around, but knowing what happens makes it easier to pick up on little hints you probably missed on the first read. It's a quick read and if you love A Wrinkle in Time, you'll enjoy a much less trippy version of it with this.

25) Please Ignore Vera Dietz-A.S. King

“I'm sorry, but I don't get it. If we're supposed to ignore everything that's wrong with our lives, then I can't see how we'll ever make things right.” 

Charlie Kahn is dead. He's dead and there's nothing his former best friend can do nothing about it. Maybe if things didn't go sour between the two of them the spring before, maybe she could have saved him, maybe he'd still be here. Maybe he wouldn't have gotten messed up with the wrong believe and believed all of the lies that the queen of deadbeats, Jenny Flick, had to say.
Vera Dietz can't seem to let Charlie go. She also can't bring herself to tell everyone that she knows the truth. But what's keeping her from letting him go and telling the truth? Is it that she can't deal with the fact that he's gone? Is it guilt? Or is she afraid that once she tells, the string of paper doll Charlies that surround her at work, the Charlie that tells her what radio station to listen to, the thousands of Charlies that fog the bathroom mirror begging her to tell the truth will leave her forever? Because no matter what, she loved Charlie Kahn.

Is she going to tell the truth? Is she going to finally deal with the pain and grief that riddles her? Will she finally help solve other problems she's been told and chosen to ignore almost all of her life? Can she finally move beyond the vicious rumors at school and put Jenny Flick where she belongs? And most of all, can she say goodbye to Charlie?

I absolutely loved this book. I thought it was incredibly well written and just so funny. I liked that there wasn't necessarily a linear storyline; it just sort of bounced around in her history. There were also chapters like "A Brief Word from the Dead Kid" or a chapter from the famed Pagoda's perspective as well as Vera's dad. I enjoyed that you got the story from other perspectives, but it was still Vera's story. It was such an insightful look at how some people deal with the death of a loved one (especially at such a young and fragile age). It really kept you hooked because you wanted to find out if she ever tells. I really don't think I could recommend this book enough.

24) Monster-Walter Dean Meyers

Steve Harmon never thought he'd be in jail awaiting trial for murder at the age of sixteen, but here he is. He was just meant to tell the others if the store was clear. He didn't give them any sort of signal, wasn't in the store during the premeditated robbery and subsequent murder, so why is he here? He can't take the screams, the cries, the constant threat of sexual advances, the blatant hostility that surround him every day.

In an effort to stay sane, keep a clear head and get all of the facts straight, Steve decides to write his story as if it were a movie. Complete with stage directions, dialogue and things left unsaid, Steve takes readers through the court proceedings with as little bias as possible. Between big chunks of script, he gives readers diary entries that show just how scared he is.

It's an interesting depiction of the "courtroom drama" book. The formatting made it a quick read, but it wasn't necessarily my favorite book. I felt like I could have turned on the history or discovery channel and watch this book unfold in a gang special. I did think it was different to see it from a scared 16-year-old's perspective, though. I thought that it really sort of captured his voice which was nice. The formatting was definitely a nice change of pace, though.

If you didn't read this in middle or high school, I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend it, but if you want something different, this would be a nice change.

23) The Selection-Kiera Kass

For the young country of Illea, the Selection comes around once in a generation. 35 girls are selected from castes around the country for the hope of becoming the next princess and future queen of their country. America Singer never found any of that appealing. However, her mother was adamant that she enter. But how could she possibly consider entering when she loved someone else? Doesn't she feel like that would be cheating? Her mind was made up: she would not be entering.

But the man of her dreams insists that she enters. Aspen tells her that he would feel awful knowing that he had stopped her from having the life she deserved and asks her to please enter. Figuring that she wouldn't get picked, she does as he asks and enters. The day she takes in her form, she sees Aspen's mother and sisters. They tell her that Aspen has been secretly saving money to marry a mystery girl. Knowing that it was her, America's heart warms and when her photo is taken for the Selection, she is radiant. Weeks later, she learns that radiant photo has made her one of the 35 chosen girls and she was heading to the palace to compete for the affection of Prince Maxon.

I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was really well paced and it had me giggling like a little girl because obviously it was a love story. Prince Maxon is completely the prince that you want to fall in love with. The story kept me interested and when I realized how many pages I had left, I said, "But this won't be resolved! No!" I can definitely see this book being a hit among girls and I would totally recommend it.

However, I cannot give it full marks. While I enjoyed it, there were so many parts where I said, "Wait, I thought I was reading something else. Why do I feel like Katniss is speaking?" There were a lot of moments where you could confuse the two. There's a man exactly like Caesar Flickerman, America loves the food in the palace and often comments on it just like Katniss does, the selection sort of feels like a less sadistic reaping. There were just those moments that sort of made me shake my head. Also, I think people write dystopias simply to create bizarre names.

It will be interesting to see how the CW turns this into a TV show later this year. I'd also be lying if I said I wasn't really looking forward to the sequel next year.

22) Storm in the Barn-Matt Phelan

Living in Kansas during the Dust Bowl was already hard. But for Jack Clark it all seems to be just a little bit more difficult. The boys in town are constantly picking on him. His chances to truly bond with his father quickly dwindled as things got worse. His younger sister is always out looking for trouble and his older sister is bedridden and ill. They cannot leave their home which means staying where they are makes everything harder.

But is it the proposed "dust dementia" that is making Jack see things in an abandoned barn? Is it the lack of rain or the constant struggle or the idea of his sister never getting better that makes him see things? When he investigates, he's sure that the dark man with the forces of a thunderstorm isn't real. He simply can't be. But what if he can figure out how to release the man and cause a storm so huge that things might start to get better? What if Jack was the hero?

Interesting graphic novel. It was a quick read and I thought it was interesting, but it just wasn't for me. I thought that the ending was great, but for the most part, I wasn't into the first 82% of it. I think that it was a different take on something that anyone that has taken an American History course knows about and added a nice element of fantasy to it, but other than that, I just wasn't into it. 

However, the color palette was incredible. The sepia tone really worked well with the theme and tone of the book. When colors were used, they were used in just the right places and really enhanced what was happening. I will give praise where praise is due and the artwork was just incredible.

21) Unwind-Neal Shusterman

It's been a long time since the Heartland War and the decree of The Bill of Life that states that the parent of children between the ages of 13 and 18 can choose to have their child unwound. They wouldn't be ending their lives so much as they would be living their lives in a "divided state" and their parts would be going to more worthy recipients. This is usually reserved for wayward children, "storked" children living in state homes or religious fanatics known as tithes who believe that they are serving a higher purpose.

Connor Lassiter wasn't supposed to know he was being unwound. He was looking for something else and stumbled upon his papers. He assumed his parents were sick of him getting into trouble, but he never thought they would actually go through with having him unwound. The night before he's meant to be taken in, he decides it's better just to become AWOL. Connor makes a run for it only to wake up the next morning traced by his cell phone to the truck he's sleeping been sleeping in. Instead of cooperating, he grabs his things and tears across the highway in another attempt to preserve his life. He creates chaos, causes a bus to flip and stops a white Cadillac as he takes a hostage.

Risa Ward was always gifted with music. It was the one thing that she could be proud of living in a state home. At least it was until she messed up here and there during a concert. Soon after, she is being told that there simply isn't enough room at StaHo anymore and since she was less than excellent with her music, it was decided that she would be on the next bus to the nearest harvest camp to be unwound. On the bus, Risa realizes just how badly she doesn't want her life to end. When a commotion starts on the highway and the bus flips, Risa takes the opportunity and makes a run for it.

Levi Calder has been tithed since birth. The youngest of many siblings, both storked and biological, Lev's parents believed that he would be their gift back to the world. He firmly believed that it was his duty to help those that are in need and was willing to live in a divided state. The night after his farewell party, he dresses in his tithing whites and gets into the car with his parents and his pastor to head towards the harvest camp. Only there's a boy racing across the highway straight towards their car. Before he realizes what's happening, Lev is being pulled from the car by this lunatic. When he tries to break free, his pastor screams at Lev to run. He's pulled in front of the other boy, is hit with a tranq dart and everything goes black.

In the woods, the three of them come together and form a somewhat shaky alliance. They are now three AWOL unwinds. Their only options are to lay low and hope to find safety or do everything possible not to get caught by the juvy cops who are surely on the lookout for them now. As long as they stick together, they should be okay. But situations like these are never okay. Something always goes wrong. For these three unlucky teenagers, the desire to stay alive as they are instead of in a divided state will keep them going. Even if running kills them. Because what's worse: living in a divided state or dying?

I absolutely loved this book. I'm not really one for science fiction either, but this is just some of the most compelling writing I've ever come across. Yes, of course it's creepy, but I think that that is one of the things that keeps you so entranced by the story. I found myself getting mad that I had to put it down because I just wanted to know what happened next. Then once I had finished, I felt a deep sadness knowing that the sequel was well beyond my reach. It was just absolutely amazing and I can't vouch for this book enough. However, a word of caution: there is a very intense chapter towards the end that can really catch some people up.

20) Your Own, Slyvia: A Verse Portrait of Sylvia Plath-Stephanie Hemphill

Sylvia Plath had quite a life. From the time she was young, she would write every day. She worshipped a father who she lost at a young age and was boy crazy long before her peers were. Her life was a collection of writing awards, high praise and a revolving cast of men. During college, she had her first bout of serious depression even though she was surrounded by nothing but opportunity. From there, she met her future husband and entered into a bit of a tumultuous marriage. Even after her two children were born and she had success with her writing, she still wasn't satisfied with life and ended it.

You get her entire life's story through nonfiction poems in the style of her most famous poems. It takes interviews and letters from the people in her life and puts them in poetry format. To give you more background information, there are footnotes at the bottom better explaining her life and what was going on at the time.

However, apart from making me want to read some of her poetry, I really wasn't into this book. I don't know if it was the format or just the subject material, but it wasn't for me, I guess. Plus, there was an entire section where I just kept thinking, "This reads exactly like The Bell Jar." It wasn't my favorite book and I found it wildly depressing, so I wasn't entirely into it. Ah, well.