Dead Rules

Dead Rules
Author: Randy Russell
Publisher: Harper Teen
Publication Date: June 21, 2011
Pages: 384
Source: ARC tour


About the Book:
Till death

Jana Webster and Michael Haynes were in love. They were destined to be together forever.

Do

But Jana's destiny was fatally flawed. And now she's in Dead School, where Mars Dreamcote lurks in the back of the classroom, with his beguiling blue eyes, mysterious smile, and irresistibly warm touch.

Us

Michael and Jana were incomplete without each other. There was no room for Mars in Jana's life—or death—story. Jana was sure Michael would rush to her side soon.

Part

But things aren't going according to Jana's plan. So Jana decides to do whatever it takes to make her dreams come true—no matter what rules she has to break.

My Thoughts: It took me a bit to get in to this book but I stuck with it. Overall it was an enjoyable read. I was confused in the beginning but so is Jana (the main character.) She is trying to figure out where she is. We as the readers know that she is dead but she's still coming to that conclusion. I was confused by some of the terms but as Jana figures things out so does the reader. In a way it was nice because we get to know the characters as she does. Throughout the story there are glimpses in to the past of many of the Dead School students. I really enjoyed this. We also jump from "dead" to "alive" in Jana's story. This was nice because we get some of Jana's history as well as more information about what is going on now that she is gone. 


I really enjoyed the "other" characters (read: I really love Mars!) Jana got to be a bit much for me. I can see how her... ummm.... affection could be stifling! The story was fresh and creative. If you are looking for a different take on ghost/zombie/dead but not really stories you should give this one a try!

Dark Souls + Giveaway

Dark Souls

Author: Paula Morris
Publisher: Point
Publication Date: August 1, 2011
Pages: 292
Source: Received from Publisher


About the Book: Welcome to York, England. Mist lingers in the streets. Narrow buildings cast long shadows. This is the most haunted city in the world. . . .

Miranda Tennant arrives in York with a terrible, tragic secret. She is eager to lose herself amid the quaint cobblestones, hoping she won’t run into the countless ghosts who supposedly roam the city. . . .

Then she meets Nick, an intense, dark-eyed boy who knows all of York’s hidden places and histories. Miranda wonders if Nick is falling for her, but she is distracted by another boy — one even more handsome and mysterious than Nick. He lives in the house across from Miranda and seems desperate to send her some sort of message. Could this boy be one of York’s haunted souls?

Soon, Miranda realizes that something dangerous — and deadly — is being planned. And she may have to face the darkest part of herself in order to unravel the mystery — and find redemption.

My Thoughts: I was thrilled when I was asked to be a part of getting the word out about Dark Souls. I really enjoyed Ruined and recommend it to my students all the time. I loved the setting and the way it pulled me in to the story. I was interested in seeing how the author would go from a Southern gothic setting/feel to York, England. I enjoyed Dark Souls but didn't feel quite as drawn to it. 


Miranda is an interesting main character. There were times when I wanted to point some things out to her that I thought were obvious. Oh to have had the knowledge I have now when I was sixteen! I really appreciated the relationship she has with her brother. It's clear that hey care about each other but they still banter and bug each other. It felt like an authentic sibling relationship. Actually, I liked the whole family! They've been through a lot but they are working through it together. I think this adds to the story. 


The two main things that bothered me were the fact that sometimes the parents are referred to by their names and sometimes it's mom and dad. It didn't seem consistant to me and I was confused at first. This may have just been me. Also, the family is only in York for a little over a week and their first or second full day there they let their 16 year-old-daughter (who almost died six months ago!) wander the streets alone? I just didn't see that. These things didn't ruin the story for me but I thought about them more than once.


Overall I really enjoyed Dark Souls. I did find myself wishing that I had finished it in the daylight! I'm a baby and the anticipation of what would happen with the whole ghost aspect had me shivering! I recommend giving both Ruined and Dark Souls a try.


Random Things I Loved:
*The cover, fonts and embellishments... basically the over all look and feel of the book. I'm not sure I understand the dress but I still love it!
*The word "snickelways."
*Miranda's interest in history
*Northanger Abbey! Yea for creepy Jane Austen! 
*The refernce to The Sound of Music (even if it did get "I am sixteen going on seventeen..." stuck in my head for the rest of the night.)
*The mom's take on eighties fashion :)

Photo Credit: Robert Trathan

About the Author: Paula Morris is the author of Ruined, and has published several novels for adults in her native New Zealand. She has lived in a number of cities around the world, including York, England. She now lives in Glasgow, Scotland, and teaches creative writing at the University of Stirling. Visit her online at www.paula-morris.com. Also check out the This is Teen Facebook page where Paula will be featured!

Giveaway: Thanks to Point and Big Honcho Media I have two copies of Dark Souls up for grabs! To enter simply leave a comment that somehow deals with ghost stories, Ruined, or Dark Souls. Don't forget to include your email address! Must be 13 or older. US only. You have until 8/27 to enter!

Haunting Violet

Haunting Violet

Author: Alyxandra Harvey
Publisher: Walker Children's
Publication Date: June 21, 2011
Pages: 352
Source: ARC through I Read Banned Books book tours


About the Book: Violet Willoughby doesn't believe in ghosts. But they believe in her. After spending years participating in her mother's elaborate ruse as a fraudulent medium, Violet is about as skeptical as they come in all matters supernatural. Now that she is being visited by a very persistent ghost, one who suffered a violent death, Violet can no longer ignore her unique ability. She must figure out what this ghost is trying to communicate, and quickly because the killer is still on the loose.

Afraid of ruining her chance to escape her mother's scheming through an advantageous marriage, Violet must keep her ability secret. The only person who can help her is Colin, a friend she's known since childhood, and whom she has grown to love. He understands the true Violet, but helping her on this path means they might never be together. Can Violet find a way to help this ghost without ruining her own chance at a future free of lies?

My Thoughts: I was really excited for this book! I've enjoyed Alyxandra Harvey's Drake Chronicles and the setting in Victorian England was a huge draw. I also loved that there was a house party! It's almost as good as a boarding school :) Haunting Violet hooked me from the start. The writing and the details flowed nicely. I was particularly impressed with the prologue. It's told from the perspective of a nine year old girl and the details are things that a child of that age would notice. It was very believable. 


Violet has grown up watching her mother fake supernatural talents. She has never believed. Imagine her surprise when she develops abilities of her own. I was interested in watching her come to terms with her new "talents." The mystery involved was a bit predictable but still enjoyable. I liked the characters and the banter between them. I really loved the historical details. The clothes, customs, and social interactions were interesting to learn about and added to the story. If you like historical fiction with a bit of mystery and paranormal elements this book is for you.

Top Ten Freebie!

Top Ten Freebie

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by

The Broke and the Bookish

Since I've been MIA for a couple of weeks I've missed some great top ten topics. For my freebie week I thought I'd take the opportunity to do last weeks list: Top Ten Underrated Books. There are so many books that I think are made of awesome but they don't get the attention I think they deserve! They are in no particular order. I just went through my top rated goodreads books and looked for titles that I think more people should read!

1. Court Duel by Sherwood Smith: I could have put any of her books here. Great fantasy!

2. Academy 7 by Anne Osterlund: Again, I could have put either of her other two books here. This one is my favorite. I almost didn't read it because it was set in space. I'm glad I did!

3. The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson: This is one of my all time favorite books! After I read it I passed it around to all the teachers I work with and book talked it relentlessly. I also purchased it for our school's book room so students can read it in lit circles. 

4. The Key to the Golden Firebird by Maureen Johnson: 13 Little Blue Envelopes, Suite Scarlett, and everything else Maureen Johnson has written are great books but I adore The  Key to the Golden Firebird. Really, you should read it! 

5. Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon: Such a well crafted fantasy story! The characters, the descriptions, the food... everything about this book had me begging for more!

6. The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan: You say obsession, I say so what?!?! I love this trilogy! Sarah's writing style flows beautifully. As a bonus, she's one of the funniest people I've ever met and that is reflected in her characters. 

7. Lament by Maggie Steifvater: Wait... she wrote books before Shiver? YES! And they are awesome! The only reason I picked Shiver up was because I realized it was written by the author of Lament and Ballad.

8. The Devil's Kiss by Sarwat Chadda: This book and it's sequel had me hooked! I just had to know what happened next!

9. The Splendor Falls by Rosemary Clement Moore: Loved the Southern setting and the characters. The story kept me intrigued. This is such a great read. 

10. Shadowed Summer and The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell: I literally found my self stopping and reading sections aloud while reading these books. The language just begs to be spoken. Saundra does an amazing job of making the details count. They are accurate to the time periods and don't slow the stories down

The True Meaning of Smekday

The True Meaning of Smekday

Author: Adam Rex
Publisher: Hyperion
Publication Date: October 2, 2007
Pages: 432
Source: Purchased hardcover, Audiobook from local library


About the Book: It all starts with a school essay.

When twelve-year-old Gratuity (“Tip”) Tucci is assigned to write five pages on “The True Meaning of Smekday” for the National Time Capsule contest, she’s not sure where to begin. When her mom started telling everyone about the messages aliens were sending through a mole on the back of her neck? Maybe on Christmas Eve, when huge, bizarre spaceships descended on the Earth and the aliens - called Boov - abducted her mother? Or when the Boov declared Earth a colony, renamed it “Smekland” (in honor of glorious Captain Smek), and forced all Americans to relocate to Florida via rocketpod?

In any case, Gratuity’s story is much, much bigger than the assignment. It involves her unlikely friendship with a renegade Boov mechanic named J.Lo.; a futile journey south to find Gratuity’s mother at the Happy Mouse Kingdom; a cross-country road trip in a hovercar called Slushious; and an outrageous plan to save the Earth from yet another alien invasion.

Fully illustrated with “photos,” drawings, newspaper clippings, and comics sequences, this is a hilarious, perceptive, genre-bending novel by a remarkable new talent. 


My Thoughts: The audiobook of this title is one of the best I've ever listened to. The narration is fabulous. Bahni Turpin does unique voices for the different characters. This is especially impressive since a number of them are aliens! The audiobook won the 2011 Odyssey Award for Excellence in Audiobook Production. It was an honor well deserved. My only warning to people who choose to listen to the audiobook: there are illustrations and comics that are explained but you should really look at a copy of the book to see them in all their glory ;)


As far as the story goes I was impressed. It took me a little bit to "find my footing" (this likely would not have been the case had I been reading rather than listening due to the layout of the book) but once I did I didn't want to stop listening. I don't know that I've ever laughed so hard at an audiobook. I must have been quite the sight for people driving by (I listen to audiobooks in my car.) Tip and J.Lo make a great pair. The adventures and misunderstandings they get themselves in to had me begging for more. At the same time Tip is a twelve-year-old girl looking for her mother. This adds a poignancy to the story that had me tearing up as well. Well done Mr. Rex, well done.


This is definitely a book I'll be talking up to my middle school students! I highly recommend giving it a try, especially the audiobook!

I'm Alive!

I'm alive and I still love this blog and blogging and you! Sorry for my absence. Life took an unexpectedly busy turn.  Between work I still have to do at school, my grad class, an unexpected and rushed move, and waitressing I've been a bit overwhelmed. I'm still in the process of moving and looking for storage for my stuff since I have about a two or three week window with no home. I'll be staying with my sister and her family so I don't anticipate more reading time. The small number of books I've read this summer is depressing. That's life sometimes, right? 


I just wanted to write to say I will still be blogging. I hate that I haven't been lately but I honestly don't sleep as it is! My dad just got here so I have to go move more stuff! See you soon!