Tag Archives: ya

Why Rattlesnakes Rattle by Valeri R. Helterbran

Posted by melydia on May 25, 2012 None comments

Why Rattlesnakes Rattle by Valeri R. Helterbran: I like books of random facts, and this book does not disappoint. Each entry has a few paragraphs, providing more information than your standard trivia books of one-line “did you know” factoids. I was also pleasantly surprised to come across several things I hadn’t known and was actually curious to find out (it’s easy to find facts I didn’t know but most of them aren’t particularly interesting). Unlike many books of trivia, this one is just fine to read straight through, or you can turn to any random page. And with the thorough index, this book could even be relatively useful to keep around, more than just for entertainment.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

The Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman

Posted by melydia on May 4, 2012 None comments

The Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman (unabridged audiobook read by Anton Lesser; 6.5 hours on 6 discs): Sally Lockhart, recently orphaned, finds herself suddenly embroiled in a complicated plot wherein multiple people want to either kill her or save her. There are guns, and opium, and diaries, and shipwrecks, and over all it’s a pretty good whodunit. A little confusing at times, sure, but full of delightfully memorable characters.

A note on the audio: Lesser is simply marvelous. Seriously: he’s so good that I may go out of my way to listen to other books he reads, even if they aren’t normally my sort of thing. He’s just that excellent.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

Evermore by Alyson Noel

Posted by melydia on April 6, 2012 1 comments

Evermore by Alyson Noel (unabridged audiobook read by Katie Schorr; 8 hours on 7 discs): After surviving the car crash that killed the rest of her family, 16-year-old Ever gains the abilities to hear thoughts and see auras. Damen is the ridiculously hot new guy in school who catches Ever’s attention when she discovers he alone is immune to her telepathy. Comparisons to Twilight are inevitable, but unlike Bella, Ever has both a soul and a backbone. She doesn’t let Damen or anyone else walk all over her, and she genuinely cares about her family and friends. I had fun with this one, amused by some of the teenage silliness and intrigued by the speculations on immortality and reincarnation. In fact, Damen and Ever’s relationship was possibly the least interesting part. My favorite character was Riley, Ever’s dead little sister who still visits almost every day. I don’t know that I’ll necessarily read the rest of the series, for fear that it will focus too narrowly on the OMG-eternal wuv between Ever and Damen, but I definitely enjoyed this story.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling

Posted by melydia on February 28, 2012 None comments

The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling: A collection of five fairy tales for the magical set, complete with extensive commentary by everyone’s favorite headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. The illustrations, penned by Rowling herself, were very nice. However, the commentary was by far the most interesting part, as the stories were honestly kind of generic. And there were so few of them they didn’t really get a chance to make much of an impression on me. I appreciate that this was created for charity, but on its own it’s nothing special. That said, if you’re dying for one more taste of the world of Harry Potter, this might just fit the bill.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Posted by melydia on February 21, 2012 None comments

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (unabridged audiobook read by Mandy Siegfried; 5 hrs on 4 discs): After calling the cops at a party full of underaged drinkers, Melinda begins ninth grade as the school pariah, all her former friends having abandoned her. Little do they know Melinda hides a horrible pain. Though I guessed Melinda’s secret early on, the gradual revealing of all the details was still just as harrowing. As she deals with being friendless and afraid she begins to find herself through art and gardening. I found Melinda’s voice to be quite realistic, quite reminiscent of my own high school experience (minus the trauma and truancy, that is). She’s both funny and tragic, detached but still wanting to belong. I was completely engrossed in her journey. Next I need to see the film. I hear Kristen Stewart is actually really good in it, which actually doesn’t surprise me, considering I’ve already nicknamed her Twitchy McStutters. Perfect for someone who barely speaks.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

Jaguar Sun by Martha Bourke

Posted by melydia on February 17, 2012 None comments

Jaguar Sun by Martha Bourke: When already awkward teenager Maya discovers she’s become a shapeshifter – a socially shunned minority of people who can turn into animals – she fears her life is over. Little does she know this is the least of her worries, as she is destined to play a pivotal role in the upcoming end of the Mayan calendar. (Yes, Maya is Mayan. It’s a little silly, but easily overlooked.) I sped through this book in a couple days. Maya is quite entertaining as a narrator, reminding me quite a bit of myself as a teenager. Her best friends, the ever enthusiastic twins Lyssa and Damian, are tons of fun as well. The only part I wasn’t so keen on was the romance, which was overly melodramatic, but I probably would have appreciated it more before I got old and cynical. The ending was a bit anti-climatic, somewhat clumsily clearing the way for the next book, but until then the action was well paced. In short, a quick, fun read. I’ll have to keep my eye out for the rest of the series.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly

Posted by melydia on January 31, 2012 None comments

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly (unabridged audiobook read by Steven Crossley; 11 hrs on 10 discs): 12-year-old David mourns his dead mother, resents his new stepmother and baby half-brother, and suddenly finds that books have begun whispering to him. One night he journeys to a strange land, a land of fairy tales and dreams. But these aren’t your modern, Disney-fied fairy tales. These are the old cautionary fables, full of monsters and violence. I spent much of the first part of this book wondering why it hadn’t been made into a movie, but once David enters the other land, there is more than a little bit of disturbing, violent imagery. Even so, it’s a captivating story, full of classic motifs and new characters, scary monsters and thrilling adventure. Not one I’ll soon forget.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Posted by melydia on October 14, 2011 1 comments

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (unabridged audiobook read by Carolyn McCormick; 11 hours on 10 discs): The war with the Capitol has begun! Katniss is front and center as usual, this time as a sort of mascot for the rebellion. As she reunites with her prep team and frets over Peeta’s safety, the lines between the Capitol and District 13 start to blur. Though there are no Hunger Games this time around, this unflinching and horrifying war story more than makes up for it in terms of violence. The awkwardly forced romance that bored and exasperated me when reading Catching Fire is all but gone here, overshadowed by far more pressing issues. In fact, were it not for Gale’s constant harping on whom Katniss will choose, the whole thing may have been moot. And though there were plenty of shocking and heart-breaking moments, the ending was one of hope.

My favorite character is probably Haymitch, bastard that he is, though I’ve always had a soft spot for Buttercup that only strengthened through this last installment of the series. This is definitely a trilogy I’ll be rereading at some point. I love the characters, but I’m also fascinated by how uncertain Katniss (and thus the reader) is about whom to trust. This is part of what draws me to dystopia stories in general, actually: how else but through misinformation does an entire population become so well-controlled?

A note on the audio: McCormick was once again excellent in her treatment of this book, with both the humor and the horror.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

Otherworld Tales: Irish the Demon Slayer by C.T. Markee

Posted by melydia on July 8, 2011 None comments

Otherworld Tales: Irish the Demon Slayer by C.T. Markee: Preteen Irish and his friends Streak and Huff are minding their own business when suddenly they find themselves in the middle of an ancient Celtic prophecy in which they must join forces with Cuchulain in the Otherworld to defeat the evil forces of the Underworld, and rescue Irish’s little sister on the way. The story moves quickly, with never a dull moment even between action scenes. I particularly enjoyed the connection with the trees, Cuchulain’s casual attitude toward facing deadly enemies, and the fairly realistic language of the preteens (or maybe I just felt a connection because I still say “dude” far more than is strictly necessary). I thought Huff’s dumb jokes were kind of pointless, but otherwise the characters were distinct and fun. Definitely something a middle-schooler would enjoy.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Posted by melydia on June 10, 2011 2 comments

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (unabridged audiobook read by Carolyn McCormick; 11 hours 11 minutes on 9 discs): In a kind of Battle Royale-meets-The Running Man-type setting, each of the twelve districts in what used to be the United States must submit two randomly-selected teenage tributes – one boy and one girl – to the annual Hunger Games, where they fight to the death until only one remains. The story starts on Reaping Day (the day the tributes’ names are drawn) and ends when the victor returns home. Our narrator, Katniss, volunteers to be a tribute for District 12 (somewhere in the West Virginia area, I think) when the name of her younger sister is chosen. Since she’s the one telling the story you can be reasonably sure she won’t die, but it’s still quite gripping as you follow her fight for survival. There was a good balance between the drama of the games and Katniss’s confused emotions as a sort-of love triangle emerges. Never a dull moment. Can’t wait to find out what happens next.

A note on the audio: McCormick was great, using subtle but distinct voices for each character. I especially enjoyed her version of Haymitch, and I look forward to her interpretation of the other books in the trilogy. And for some reason, even though I knew she was supposed to be an olive-skinned brunette, I kept picturing Katniss as Atlanta Silverstone. I don’t know if this is because of the character or the narrator, but that’s how it is.

Also posted on BookCrossing.

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