So I recently joined a site called NetGalley.com, which gives free digital galleys of soon-to-be-released books to "professional readers," including bloggers and people that write reviews for websites. My chance of getting free books increases if my blog is more active (and if I get more people to actually read this). Getting free books that I want to read before they even come out is extra motivation to write more, which is something that I wanted to do anyway. I'm hoping that checking in here will help me keep in touch with my reading life as I dive into the third year of medical school. Think of this post as the first in a revitalization of this blog. I am committing to posting at least once a week going forward. Right.
Anyway, one of the first things I downloaded is a thing called Buzz Books 2014: Young Adult. This is a book that has previews of around 20 forthcoming young adult books. For each one I got 10 pages or so, mostly from the very beginning of the book. I think this is particularly cool because while I often enjoy YA, I also find that it's the highest risk of the genres that I read. I love some books that are called YA, but others are too childish, poorly written, or just not great. Digging through an increasingly crowded field to find The Book Thief can be hit or miss. Plus, I don't have sources of reviews and recommendations that I trust the way I do for "adult" novels. However, these short previews are enough to help me decide what I want to take the time to read, and what I can skip. I've put the books into four main categories (1) Want to read, (2) Not for me, but good enough that I can see imagine suggesting to the right audience (3) Intriguing, but not for right now (4) Probably just skippable.
Now, obviously these books aren't out yet as I write this, and these are impressions based on only about 2 chapters of each. You should take everything I say here with a grain of salt. Really, I'm mostly doing this as an exercise for the compulsive book-finisher. (I can count on my fingers the books that I have actually given up on, but the books I SHOULD have given up on is a much longer list.)
The preview format actually forces a decision-point; I read a little bit and then decide if what I have read so far makes it worth making extra effort to read more. There's no inertial force to keep reading because the whole book is already in my hands. We'll see how it pans out between this and the other Buzz Books edition of adult reads that I also downloaded. So far, I think that I find it liberating. It's also an exercise in reading eBooks, not my favorite thing, but something it might be useful to accept in some situations.
The preview format actually forces a decision-point; I read a little bit and then decide if what I have read so far makes it worth making extra effort to read more. There's no inertial force to keep reading because the whole book is already in my hands. We'll see how it pans out between this and the other Buzz Books edition of adult reads that I also downloaded. So far, I think that I find it liberating. It's also an exercise in reading eBooks, not my favorite thing, but something it might be useful to accept in some situations.
So with that, my impressions of the books in Buzz Books 2014: YA
Want to read
Zac and Mia By A.J. Betts
This one is about kids in a cancer ward (perhaps a relation of The Fault in Our Stars, but I haven't gotten to that one yet.) Separated by a hospital room wall we have a long term ward resident in isolation as he recovers from a bone marrow transplant (Zac), and a new arrival who plays Lady Gaga loudly and on repeat (I assume Mia, although that wasn't revealed in the excerpt.) The writing is good, the characters, not just Zac, but also his mother and one of the nurses on the floor, have the feel of real people in only a few short pages. I can't completely explain why I want in on this one, but it got me.
This one is about kids in a cancer ward (perhaps a relation of The Fault in Our Stars, but I haven't gotten to that one yet.) Separated by a hospital room wall we have a long term ward resident in isolation as he recovers from a bone marrow transplant (Zac), and a new arrival who plays Lady Gaga loudly and on repeat (I assume Mia, although that wasn't revealed in the excerpt.) The writing is good, the characters, not just Zac, but also his mother and one of the nurses on the floor, have the feel of real people in only a few short pages. I can't completely explain why I want in on this one, but it got me.
Vivian Apple at the End of the World By Katie Coyle
A young girl living in the world where a predicted rapture has gained cultural power far greater than Harold Camping ever warranted. Even Vivian's parents have become "believers," and she herself is clearly conflicted. The strength of this is good world building even in the first few pages, especially with the quotes from magazines that present a religion that appears an interesting mix of conservative social rules and consumerism. I want to know what happens after just one chapter, so I'll take the time to find out.
A young girl living in the world where a predicted rapture has gained cultural power far greater than Harold Camping ever warranted. Even Vivian's parents have become "believers," and she herself is clearly conflicted. The strength of this is good world building even in the first few pages, especially with the quotes from magazines that present a religion that appears an interesting mix of conservative social rules and consumerism. I want to know what happens after just one chapter, so I'll take the time to find out.
Lies We Tell Ourselves By Robin Talley
This one is the story of one of the first black students to integrate a high school in Virginia (and supposedly also one of her white classmates, although that character doesn't obviously appear in the excerpt.) The writing is powerful and emotionally charged, and frankly, with all the coverage of the 60th anniversary of Brown vs. Board of Education in the last couple of weeks, I find myself curious about integration. This book seems like a cool jumping off point to explore.
The Accidental Highwayman By Ben Tripp
This one, supposedly based on a collection of documents pulled out of an old trunk, has a feel like The Gates By John Connelly, which I truly love. From the excerpt, it seems that a somewhat hapless 16-year-old-servant is about to be sucked into a series of misadventures due to the secret second life of his master. Dryly funny, and I think worth reading.
Afterworlds By Scott Westerfeld
A book that switches back and forth between the life of an 18-year-old author, who defers college for a life in New York City, and the novel that made that choice possible. I am more intrigued by the story within the story so far, (I found the sections of the author signing her contracts and bickering with her sister a little bland). However, the beginning of that story was quite gripping, and I want to read the whole thing, so I am willing to take this one on and hope that the other component picks up quickly.
This one is the story of one of the first black students to integrate a high school in Virginia (and supposedly also one of her white classmates, although that character doesn't obviously appear in the excerpt.) The writing is powerful and emotionally charged, and frankly, with all the coverage of the 60th anniversary of Brown vs. Board of Education in the last couple of weeks, I find myself curious about integration. This book seems like a cool jumping off point to explore.
The Accidental Highwayman By Ben Tripp
This one, supposedly based on a collection of documents pulled out of an old trunk, has a feel like The Gates By John Connelly, which I truly love. From the excerpt, it seems that a somewhat hapless 16-year-old-servant is about to be sucked into a series of misadventures due to the secret second life of his master. Dryly funny, and I think worth reading.
Afterworlds By Scott Westerfeld
A book that switches back and forth between the life of an 18-year-old author, who defers college for a life in New York City, and the novel that made that choice possible. I am more intrigued by the story within the story so far, (I found the sections of the author signing her contracts and bickering with her sister a little bland). However, the beginning of that story was quite gripping, and I want to read the whole thing, so I am willing to take this one on and hope that the other component picks up quickly.
Not for me, but good enough that I can imagine suggesting to the right audience
Press Play By Eric Devine
Here we have an overweight teen boy who finds himself in possession of evidence that the lacrosse team that torments him is conducting brutal hazing rituals with the consent of the principal (who has contributed to his position as an outcast.) The first couple chapters seemed to me vaguely reminiscent of The Chocolate War, a book similarly about school politics, the fraught interactions between high school students and faculty, and the power of gang rule in schools. I loved The Chocolate War and found it powerful as a young adult, but haven't read in probably 20 years. I expect from the quality of the writing and the characterization in the first pages of this one that this might represent a timely update, although "the bad guys" might be a little too explicitly bad for there to be much nuance. Either way, I can see how this book would appeal to middle and high school students, but I think that I am past the time when I personally would enjoy a trip back into the sordid politics of high school.
Here we have an overweight teen boy who finds himself in possession of evidence that the lacrosse team that torments him is conducting brutal hazing rituals with the consent of the principal (who has contributed to his position as an outcast.) The first couple chapters seemed to me vaguely reminiscent of The Chocolate War, a book similarly about school politics, the fraught interactions between high school students and faculty, and the power of gang rule in schools. I loved The Chocolate War and found it powerful as a young adult, but haven't read in probably 20 years. I expect from the quality of the writing and the characterization in the first pages of this one that this might represent a timely update, although "the bad guys" might be a little too explicitly bad for there to be much nuance. Either way, I can see how this book would appeal to middle and high school students, but I think that I am past the time when I personally would enjoy a trip back into the sordid politics of high school.
The Zoo At The End of The World By Eric Kahn Gale
This book is about a kid that stutters but can talk to animals. To me this one felt a little more upper middle grade than YA, but the writing was good for that demographic. Overall, the idea is cool, the central character is appealing, and I can see it being a good fit for my younger cousins that fall into that in-between demographic. I imagine that what is clearly going to be a banner cast of animal characters will only make this more appealing for the upper middle graders. I might be buying copies of this one as Christmas gifts.
This book is about a kid that stutters but can talk to animals. To me this one felt a little more upper middle grade than YA, but the writing was good for that demographic. Overall, the idea is cool, the central character is appealing, and I can see it being a good fit for my younger cousins that fall into that in-between demographic. I imagine that what is clearly going to be a banner cast of animal characters will only make this more appealing for the upper middle graders. I might be buying copies of this one as Christmas gifts.
Bombay Blues By Tanuja Desai Hidler
This is the sequel to a book I haven't read, so it loses something but is not really at fault. I do want to say that it is great to see a well-developed young woman of color as a central character in a mainstream YA book, especially one that seems to deal explicitly with issues of cultural conflicts. Still, I doubt this one is worth reading if I haven't read Born Confused, and I am not sure that I am interested enough to go back. We'll see, maybe some other time. Either way, for fans of Born Confused this starts strong.
Talon By Julie Kagawa
This is the first in a series about dragons who can take human form and are living among us, hiding from soldiers of the Order of St. George out to hunt them to extinction. The concept is cool, but the execution in the first chapters felt a little juvenile. I'd be willing to bet this one will hit with kids, (again, some of the cousins come to mind) but I doubt it will translate to adults as well as The Hunger Games or Divergent did. I certainly didn't love it enough to commit to a series.
Clariel By Garth Nix
This is a prequel to a completed trilogy. The writing is good enough that I'm sure readers of the other books will like it, but I am not one of them, and don't plan to become one.
This is the sequel to a book I haven't read, so it loses something but is not really at fault. I do want to say that it is great to see a well-developed young woman of color as a central character in a mainstream YA book, especially one that seems to deal explicitly with issues of cultural conflicts. Still, I doubt this one is worth reading if I haven't read Born Confused, and I am not sure that I am interested enough to go back. We'll see, maybe some other time. Either way, for fans of Born Confused this starts strong.
Talon By Julie Kagawa
This is the first in a series about dragons who can take human form and are living among us, hiding from soldiers of the Order of St. George out to hunt them to extinction. The concept is cool, but the execution in the first chapters felt a little juvenile. I'd be willing to bet this one will hit with kids, (again, some of the cousins come to mind) but I doubt it will translate to adults as well as The Hunger Games or Divergent did. I certainly didn't love it enough to commit to a series.
Clariel By Garth Nix
This is a prequel to a completed trilogy. The writing is good enough that I'm sure readers of the other books will like it, but I am not one of them, and don't plan to become one.
King Dork Approximately By Frank Portman
Another second in series which seems good enough that I'd bet those that liked the first one will enjoy it, but not good enough to make me want to read the first one.
Another second in series which seems good enough that I'd bet those that liked the first one will enjoy it, but not good enough to make me want to read the first one.
Falling Into Place By Amy Zhang
This is a book about the events leading up to the suicide (attempt?) of a popular high school student. The writing was just 100%, completely, all out teen angst. I'm sure that middle and high school girls all over the country will love it, but I have (thankfully) aged out of that demographic, so I'll pass.
This is a book about the events leading up to the suicide (attempt?) of a popular high school student. The writing was just 100%, completely, all out teen angst. I'm sure that middle and high school girls all over the country will love it, but I have (thankfully) aged out of that demographic, so I'll pass.
Intriguing, but not for right now
Endgame By James Frey and Nils Johnson-Shelton
The concept here is interesting. Basically, this is a book that is going to have an interactive real world component that extends outside the book, with some sort of video game build by the google people and puzzles for readers to solve. However, the writing felt choppy. That might just be an artifact of switching between two radically different character's perspectives in a short excerpt without the flow that might be achieved by returning to either. Basically, I can see this one going either way: it might be a seriously awesome idea that changes what teens expect from books, and it might totally flop. Clearly the publisher is putting a ton of resources behind it to push it into the former category. However, it seems to me that the experience will depend on the social component of how other readers are interacting with the book and the game as a whole. So I'll make my choice closer to the October release date when I have a better sense of how that is going to play out. This might be cool enough to get me to voluntarily engage with a series before all the volumes come out. We'll see.
Skink No Surrender By Carl Hiaasen
The beginning of this one mostly just made me curious about the back story on Skink, who is clearly a character of monumental proportions. Apparently he also appears in some of Hiaasen's adult novels, so I think that I will attempt those first. I can see myself coming back to this one, because I suspect that Skink is exactly the kind of character that I am going to fall in love with.
I'll Give You The Sun By Jandy Nelson
This is a story about twins, that supposedly has a before-and-after format with some life-altering event in the middle. The beginning was good, but for some reason, it didn't completely grab me. I'll wait for reviews on this one, and see if it pops once it's out rather than leading the charge.
The Scavengers By Michael Perry
Another dystopian teen novel. The first couple chapters were OK, and I am moderately intrigued, but the dystopian fiction genre is so very overcrowded and full of duds, that it would take an extremely power opening to get me on board. This was just fine, so I'll wait and see if someone else tells me that I have to read it.
Belzhar By Med Wolitzer
This one is about a young girl sent to a boarding school for emotionally challenged teens after losing her boyfriend. It really could go either way. We all know that I love a good boarding school book, but I'm not sure how much I can take of the life-ending trauma of losing a boyfriend at 15. There just wasn't enough in the excerpt to decide if the good things are going to outweigh the bad, so I'll wait to hear more from readers that I trust.
Probably Just Skippable
The concept here is interesting. Basically, this is a book that is going to have an interactive real world component that extends outside the book, with some sort of video game build by the google people and puzzles for readers to solve. However, the writing felt choppy. That might just be an artifact of switching between two radically different character's perspectives in a short excerpt without the flow that might be achieved by returning to either. Basically, I can see this one going either way: it might be a seriously awesome idea that changes what teens expect from books, and it might totally flop. Clearly the publisher is putting a ton of resources behind it to push it into the former category. However, it seems to me that the experience will depend on the social component of how other readers are interacting with the book and the game as a whole. So I'll make my choice closer to the October release date when I have a better sense of how that is going to play out. This might be cool enough to get me to voluntarily engage with a series before all the volumes come out. We'll see.
Skink No Surrender By Carl Hiaasen
The beginning of this one mostly just made me curious about the back story on Skink, who is clearly a character of monumental proportions. Apparently he also appears in some of Hiaasen's adult novels, so I think that I will attempt those first. I can see myself coming back to this one, because I suspect that Skink is exactly the kind of character that I am going to fall in love with.
I'll Give You The Sun By Jandy Nelson
This is a story about twins, that supposedly has a before-and-after format with some life-altering event in the middle. The beginning was good, but for some reason, it didn't completely grab me. I'll wait for reviews on this one, and see if it pops once it's out rather than leading the charge.
The Scavengers By Michael Perry
Another dystopian teen novel. The first couple chapters were OK, and I am moderately intrigued, but the dystopian fiction genre is so very overcrowded and full of duds, that it would take an extremely power opening to get me on board. This was just fine, so I'll wait and see if someone else tells me that I have to read it.
Belzhar By Med Wolitzer
This one is about a young girl sent to a boarding school for emotionally challenged teens after losing her boyfriend. It really could go either way. We all know that I love a good boarding school book, but I'm not sure how much I can take of the life-ending trauma of losing a boyfriend at 15. There just wasn't enough in the excerpt to decide if the good things are going to outweigh the bad, so I'll wait to hear more from readers that I trust.
Probably Just Skippable
Ghost House By Alexandra Adornetto
This one starts with a teen girl wandering in the woods, and coming across a devastatingly handsome fellow who is dressed inappropriately for the times, and who creeps her out a little bit. We're led to believe by the end of the preview that this gentleman might have supernatural origins. The characterization is fine, not obviously bad writing, but I am not sure that the world needs more paranormal teen romances, and I am sure that I do not. I suppose, if you are a lover of paranormal romance, this might be worth looking into, as the writing was fine. However, I don't know anyone that falls both into that category whom I might buy books for or actively recommend books to, so I doubt that I'll ever interact with this one again.
This one starts with a teen girl wandering in the woods, and coming across a devastatingly handsome fellow who is dressed inappropriately for the times, and who creeps her out a little bit. We're led to believe by the end of the preview that this gentleman might have supernatural origins. The characterization is fine, not obviously bad writing, but I am not sure that the world needs more paranormal teen romances, and I am sure that I do not. I suppose, if you are a lover of paranormal romance, this might be worth looking into, as the writing was fine. However, I don't know anyone that falls both into that category whom I might buy books for or actively recommend books to, so I doubt that I'll ever interact with this one again.
Black Ice By Becca Fitzpatrick
A teen girl going on a camping trip with best friend and ex-boyfriend in the middle of nowhere. This started with the main character running into the ex in a convenience store. She's trying to convince him that she's moved on, so she tells him that the handsome, older stranger pumping gas is her boyfriend. Much to her surprise, the stranger plays along when he comes into the store, but seems to know (or guess) creepily much about her. I can see where this one is going, and I don't really want to go there.
A teen girl going on a camping trip with best friend and ex-boyfriend in the middle of nowhere. This started with the main character running into the ex in a convenience store. She's trying to convince him that she's moved on, so she tells him that the handsome, older stranger pumping gas is her boyfriend. Much to her surprise, the stranger plays along when he comes into the store, but seems to know (or guess) creepily much about her. I can see where this one is going, and I don't really want to go there.
Rumble By Ellen Hopkins
A novel in poems is a very interesting concept, and some of the little plays on language in this excerpt show the potential of the format. Still, this just didn't do enough with it to be worth my time. The poems weren't anything special, and while the line structure changes often, there weren't enough differences between them in meter or language or voice to make them feel like separate pieces of writing. Overall, this seemed like a traditional prose novel with random bold titles and line breaks. I suppose that I might have been really into it if it came out during my bad-poetry-writing-phase in 8th and 9th grade. I suppose also that there is a whole new generation of bad-poetry-writing 14- and 15-year-olds, although I don't know what do they do without livejournal and bolt.com. They might make it a hit, but it's not worth my time or the time of other adults.
A novel in poems is a very interesting concept, and some of the little plays on language in this excerpt show the potential of the format. Still, this just didn't do enough with it to be worth my time. The poems weren't anything special, and while the line structure changes often, there weren't enough differences between them in meter or language or voice to make them feel like separate pieces of writing. Overall, this seemed like a traditional prose novel with random bold titles and line breaks. I suppose that I might have been really into it if it came out during my bad-poetry-writing-phase in 8th and 9th grade. I suppose also that there is a whole new generation of bad-poetry-writing 14- and 15-year-olds, although I don't know what do they do without livejournal and bolt.com. They might make it a hit, but it's not worth my time or the time of other adults.
Five Kingdoms: Rogue Night By Brandon Mull
Like Bombay Blues this is the second in a series, and I didn't read the first one. Here though, much more was lost for not having read the first book, and I was largely confused. I suppose there might have been a lot of beautiful world building in the first book, but what they gave me of this felt thin and disjointed. There was nothing compelling enough to make me even consider wanting to go find the first book. Overall, choppy and young, and more upper middle grade than YA. I won't be coming back to it.
Note: I think that it's obvious, but I received a copy of this book free from NetGalley.com. Aside from the freeness, I received no compensation for writing this review.
Like Bombay Blues this is the second in a series, and I didn't read the first one. Here though, much more was lost for not having read the first book, and I was largely confused. I suppose there might have been a lot of beautiful world building in the first book, but what they gave me of this felt thin and disjointed. There was nothing compelling enough to make me even consider wanting to go find the first book. Overall, choppy and young, and more upper middle grade than YA. I won't be coming back to it.
Note: I think that it's obvious, but I received a copy of this book free from NetGalley.com. Aside from the freeness, I received no compensation for writing this review.
