(Readalikes:  Borrowed Light by Carla Kelly)

Lots of people love J.A. Jance and since she's a local author who writes books set in Arizona, I thought I should give her a try. Only, I kind of wish I hadn't. It's possible Edge of Evil, the first novel in the author's Ali Reynolds series, was just the wrong book for me, but I had a hard time getting past the stereotypical characters, the predictable storyline, the unrealistic plot twists and the stale writing. All of those things turned me off of this much-lauded Arizona author. Maybe I'm being too critical (who, me?) - what do y'all think? Should I give Jance another chance? Convince me and I will. Otherwise, it ain't gonna happen.

(Readalikes: Reminded me a little of Mary Higgins Clark's books)

Grade: C-

If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG-13 for language (no F-bombs) and sexual innuendo

To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find

Marlee Nesbitt never says much. It's not that she doesn't have an opinion, it's just that she can't seem to push the words out of her mouth without tying them into a hopeless knot. So the 12-year-old stays quiet. Most people let her be and Marlee's (pretty much) fine with that. Then, Elizabeth Fullerton swishes into West Side Junior High. The new girl is confident, fearless and never afraid to express herself. She's everything Marlee's not and yet, by some crazy miracle, Liz wants to be Marlee's friend. Turns out, they can teach each other a thing or two - Marlee tutors Liz on holding her tongue while Liz helps draw Marlee out of her shell. It doesn't take them long to become bosom buddies.

When Liz disappears, Marlee gets a shock: the rumor mill says Liz was kicked out of school because she's a "colored" girl trying to "pass" as white. Which simply can't be true - Liz is as white as Marlee. It's only when Marlee ventures into the colored part of town that she confirms what everyone else is saying: Liz really does come from a black family. Even though she looks white, she's not. Meaning Liz can't attend a white school. Meaning Liz and Marlee can no longer hang out together. Meaning Marlee's about to lose the best friend she's ever had.

The 1958-59 school year is a tense one in Little Rock, Arkansas. All high schools in the city - white and colored - are closed to prevent integration. Despite Brown v. the Board of Education. Despite the courageous actions of the Little Rock Nine. Despite the well-intentioned protests of WEC and STOP campaigns. The result is a city rife with anger, emotion and fear, a city where supporting educational equality can be not just dangerous, but deadly.

Marlee knows all this, she just can't understand it. Why should she be kept away from a girl as nice and fun as Liz, just because of the color of her family's skin? It's not fair. And Marlee refuses to accept that "that's just the way it is." Now, the girl who never says a thing is going to take a stand. If only she can find the words. If only she can find the guts. If only she can find the voice that's been eluding her her whole life. If only.

While most books about school integration focus on the tumultuous year of 1957, the year nine brave African-American students integrated Little Rock Central High School, Kristin Levine takes a unique approach. Her novel, The Lions of Little Rock (available January 5, 2012), unfolds in 1958-59, a time known as "the lost year." While I've heard all about the Little Rock Nine, I think I've always assumed that they marched in, integrated the schools, and that was that. Well, as Levine proves in her vivid, well-researched story, that was not it at all. While the issue of school integration was batted about by voters, protestors and politicians, teenage students missed an entire year of instruction. Families were torn apart over the polarizing issue, property was damaged, people were terrorized and Little Rock became known as a hotbed of racism. Through the eyes of Marlee Nesbitt, we see it all, experience it all. Most of all, we feel it all - the injustice, the irony, the hypocrisy - through the heart of a young girl who just wants a friend. Marlee's earnestness makes her story warmhearted, meaningful and, most of all, memorable. I loved it.

(Readalikes: Jericho Walls by Kristi Collier, Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith and With the Might of Angels by Andrea Davis Pinkney)

Grade: B+

If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG for violence, mild language, and racial slurs

To the FTC, with love: I received an ARC of The Lions of Little Rock from the generous folks at Putnam (a division of Penguin). Thank you!

Marcy Foster's one of those not-anything girls - she's not model-pretty; she doesn't have any mad athletic skillz; she's not musical or crafty or particularly smart. The 15-year-old's just not ... anything. She's a leftover. But, thankfully, not the only one. Marcy's got a group of Leftover friends, including her "emo-sensitive rocker" boyfriend, Linus, and her anime-obsessed BFF, Katie, who make life in Boise, Idaho, bearable. With her posse by her side, Marcy's getting along just fine, even when her parents' marriage starts to crumble.
Then Marcy's mother suggests a little road trip. It's supposed to be a summer getaway, a little girls-only breather at their lake house in New Hampshire. It's supposed to be fun. Only Marcy's mom won't get out of bed, Marcy's lonely and bored, and, the closer Labor Day gets, the more permanent the situation is becoming. As much as Marcy longs for her old life in Idaho - the one that's seeming more remote by the day - she knows her mom needs her. Plus, there's a boy. J.D. Gallagher's sweet, fun and, most importantly, not in Idaho. Marcy wants to be faithful to Linus, but that's not as easy as it sounds. Not with J.D. so available.
As Marcy struggles to deal with her mother's depression, the anger she feels at her cheating father, and her own romantic entanglements, she'll come to some startling conclusions - about family, about friendship and about what it means to truly love someone.
Love & Leftovers (available January 1, 2012), a debut novel-in-verse by Sarah Tregay, is a quick, hopeful read about one girl's battle to find her place in the world. Especially when the one she's always known is disintegrating before her very eyes. Marcy's an empathetic character with a strong, genuine voice that will draw readers into her world and make them care about what happens in it. Her hardships ring true, as do her reactions to them. She's flawed, but likable and convincing. While the story deals with some difficult subjects, it is, in the end, a sweet, warm-hearted tale about the things that are most important in life. Love & Leftovers is a strong debut that makes me wonder just what else its author has hidden up her sleeve.
(Readalikes: Reminded me of Playing Hurt by Holly Schindler and a little of Back When You Were Easier to Love by Emily Wing Smith)
Grade: B
If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG-13 for language (one F-bomb) and some sexual innuendo/content
To the FTC, with love: I received an ARC of Love & Leftovers from the generous folks at Katherine Tegen Books (an imprint of Harper Collins). Thank you!

Chet's just starting to feel comfortable in Elm Hills when he hears some shocking news: A shark is attacking people on New Jersey's coast. It's a scary thought, even though Chet lives about 20 miles from the ocean. Uncle Jerry says the stories must be a hoax - sharks don't attack humans. Chet's not so sure. Especially when he spies a triangular fin sticking out of the water in the creek. Nobody believes there could be a shark in Elm Hills. No one but Chet, who's about to go head-to-head with the sharp-toothed beast.

"I had my protective shell of funny talk and shyness, but underneath that lived a wilder me, a girl who would take punishment, and take it, and take it, but who would never let go of herself all the way, never completely surrender" (87).

Marjorie Richards knows all about fear. The 17-year-old can't go home without feeling it, she can't walk the school corridors without experiencing it and, now that teenage girls are disappearing in her rural New Hampshire community, she can't go anywhere at all without constantly looking over her shoulder. Marjorie's reclusive parents have always told her the outside world isn't safe - she's starting to believe them.

Unlike her parents, though, Marjorie can't hide out in the hills. She's required by law to attend school. Even though her classmates snicker about the way she talks, her teachers raise their eyebrows at her bruises, and more than one boy makes it clear what he wants from her, Marjorie craves the normality of it all. When she's hired to help Arturo "Sands" Ivers, a 24-year-old stranger in town, build a church, she spends even more time basking in the freedom of life away from her cruel parents. As intoxicating as it is to be out from under their constant supervision, Marjorie's afraid to step too far away from her mother and father. She pities them, but mostly she fears what they will do if she dares defy them. The paycheck she brings them every month may be the only thing that keeps them from killing her outright.

As Marjorie grows more comfortable with her job as an assistant stonemason - and with her inscrutable boss - she feels her confidence growing. But will it be enough to save her from her parents' escalating sadism? Or the vicious murderer, who may be closer to Marjorie than she knows? Will it be enough to rescue her from the squalid fate for which she seems destined? Or will she become just another victim - of poverty, of abuse, and of a violent killer?

(Readalikes: Reminds me a lot of Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell and a little of Blood Wounds by Susan Beth Pfeffer)

Grade: B

If this were a movie, it would be rated: R for mild language, sexual innuendo/content, and violence

The first installment, The Wild, begins with 17-year-old Jack heading to the Yukon to look for gold. Thrilled by the prospect of getting rich as well as the challenge of pitting himself against the extreme Alaskan weather, Jack's ready for the adventure. Even when his brother-in-law, an older man with a bad heart, turns back, he continues undaunted. Despite his vow to trust no one, Jack hooks up with two newbie prospectors, who soon become his best friends. The trio make an unlikely group - Merritt Sloper's a 25-year-old stonemason, Jim Goodman's a 22-year-old schoolteacher, and Jack's a young scrapper with a hot temper - but they're still alive. Which is more than they can say for a lot of their comrades.

Jack attributes the group's success to blind luck and grim determination, but when he's rescued from a desperate situation by an animal straight out of a fairy tale, he's forced to admit that he's got some otherworldly support. A good thing, since not all of the enemies he's battling out in the wild are human. He's seen the evil men embrace out in the lawless north and he's seen ... other things. The only question that remains is: Will he make it out of the Yukon alive?

I don't read a lot of Man vs. Nature type books, so I wasn't sure this one would strike my fancy, but guess what? It totally did. Not only is the book well-written, but it's surprising and engrossing, even funny in parts. Vivid illustrations by Greg Ruth add even more suspense to the tale. I liked The Wild so much more than I thought I would. And I'm a 30 (ish) woman - I imagine teenage boys would find the story especially compelling. The Sea Wolves, the next installment in the series, comes out in February and I can hardly wait. So inspired am I that I might even re-read Call of the Wild. How's that for enthusiasm? Well, what can I say? Judging from the first book, this series deserves it.

(Readalikes: It's been a long time since I read Call of the Wild or White Fang, but I assume both have some similarities to this story.)

Grade: B

If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG-13 for language (no F-bombs), violence and mild sexual innuendo

To the FTC, with love: I received an ARC of The Wild from the generous folks at HarperTeen. Thank you!

Although Willa harbors her own secrets, she's content with the life she lives in quiet, rural Pennsylvania. Until a violent crime rocks her peaceful world. After murdering his family in Texas, the father Willa never knew is coming for her. As Willa watches her safe little life crumble all around her, she grapples for understanding, for answers. Digging through the rubble of her mother's lies, Willa uncovers some shocking truths - about her mother, her father, and her perfect blended family, who, as it turns out, isn't so perfect after all.

Zachary Beatrice has never felt that connected to the Colorado desert where he and his father live in an old, aluminum-sided trailer. After his mother takes off, determined to finally realize her dream of working on a cruise ship, Zachary's even more unmoored. So, when his dad suggests moving, Zachary's all for it. Falls, Connecticut, is a quirky little town, and it doesn't take long for the Beatrices to feel right at home.

One of Falls' most notorious residents lives right across the street from Zachary. Like him, Rachel Spinelli is 14. Unlike him, she has a fearsome reputation as a scrappy, hot-tempered fighter. Zachary really doesn't want to get on her bad side, but it soon becomes apparent that anything can happen during the long, hot summer in Falls, Connecticut.

Rachel Spinelli Punched Me in the Face (available August 30), a new middle grade novel by Paul Acampora, is one of those gentle stories that always put a smile on my face. It's warm, funny, and touching in a subtle, melodrama-free kind of way. There's not much of a plot going on in Rachel Spinelli Punched Me in the Face, but I really couldn't have cared less. I loved it.

(Readalikes: Reminded me a little bit of the Penderwicks series by Jeanne Birdsall; also, the relationship between Rachel and her big brother reminded me of the one between Anya and Leo in All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin)

Grade: B

If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG

To the FTC, with love: I received an ARC of Rachel Spinelli Punched Me in the Face from the generous folks at Macmillan/Roaring Press. Thank you!

There are three big reasons why Flashback, the newest offering from Dan Simmons, really should not have appealed to me. Like at all.

Except I did.

Why?

I'll give you three reasons:

Number One: It's dystopian. What can I say? I'm a junkie. The world Simmons creates in Flashback isn't postapocalyptic - not exactly - but it's most assuredly dystopian. He describes a United States brought to its knees by economic collapse, a country ruled by warring factions, a nation so indebted to foreign governments that it sends teenage armies overseas in exchange for cold, hard cash. It's a bleak, brutal world, one that teeters on the brink of anarchy, civil war and total annihaltion by any number of nuke-toting superpowers.

Number Two: The premise. At its heart, Flashback is a murder mystery, but it's a murder mystery with flair. Think Mad Max meets Inception and you're sorta close. The story goes something like this: Denver detective Nick Bottom (yes, like the Shakespeare character) wants to find the person who killed 21-year-old Keigo Nakamura six years ago. He needs the work, or rather the money Keigo's billionaire father promises to pay, to support his drug habit. Nick's not the only American addicted to Flashback, a substance that allows users to escape the real world by "flashing" on old memories, but his overuse has cost him his job, his reputation and every single new dollar in his savings. Nick's desperate for more cash, more Flashback, more time to relive precious moments with his dead wife. To earn it, he'll have to "flash" back to the days when he first investigated Keigo's death, wander through his memory searching for new leads, and follow them in real time to solve a case that's growing colder by the second. Along the way he'll make shocking discoveries about his employer, his wife, his 16-year-old son and, most of all, himself.

Intriguing, no?

If you're familiar with Denver - or even if you're not - you might be interested in what Simmons does with its premiere indie bookstore, the Tattered Cover. When Nick visits the shop on East Colfax Street, he describes it thus:

Makes sense to me.

Number Three: The delivery. Flashback is a long book, a very long book, actually (550 pages), but it hardly dragged at all for me. The story chugs right along with plenty of action, plenty of suspense, and plenty of fascinating detours that added new layers to the plot. I'm not saying it's the best book I've ever read, I'm just saying that it was entertaining. And thought-provoking. Surprisingly so for a gritty, airport-guy thriller. I surprised myself by really enjoying it. Shocked? I am.

(Readalikes: Even though Flashback has nothing to do with zombies, it reminded me a little bit of The Passage by Justin Cronin.)

Grade: B

If this were a movie, it would be rated: R for strong language, violence, and sexual content

To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

"Kick 'em while they're down" must be the motto of Michael Grant, author of the YA dystopian Gone series. I mean, I get that you have to have conflict to keep a story gallopping along, but seriously? Haven't the kids of Perdido Beach, California, suffered enough? First, everyone aged 15 and over disappeared in a mysterious poof. Then, the young survivors noticed a strange dome enclosing their town, barricading them off from the rest of the world. As the weeks wore on, with no help in sight, the streets of the sleepy beach town turned into a war zone, with armed children battling it out for food, water, shelter and control of the weird new world they nicknamed the FAYZ (Fall-Out Alley Youth Zone). As if all of that wasn't bad enough, things in the FAYZ - animals, even people - started evolving in terrifying ways. Oh, and then they discovered the Gaiaphage, a being constructed of pure evil, who's hell-bent on destroying the children's every last hope ...

And that's only in the first three books.

Plague, the recently-released fourth installment in the series, introduces a new threat: a violent, mutated flu virus is sweeping through town, leaving a trail of corpses in its wake. Dahra's meager medical knowledge can't explain the disease and Lana, the Healer, can't cure it. Which is bad, but not the worst thing happening in town. The water supply's running out, Drake's trying to break out of prison, Orc's slurping booze like it's lemonade, Sam's off on some half-baked exploration adventure, Little Pete's burning up with fever, and Astrid's contemplating murder. Still - not the worst things going on in the FAYZ. What is the worst thing? Well, that would be the bloodthirsty monster devouring the Hunter from the inside out. And its friends. The most powerful kids in town can't stop the destruction, can't stop the creatures from eating everything - everyone - in their paths. After everything the kids have endured, will this finally be the end of the FAYZ? Or worse, will the nightmares just keep on coming?

Knowing Michael Grant (and the fact that there are two remaining books in the series), you should probably go with the latter.

Four books into a series, I'm usually starting to get bored. Not so in this case. Grant keeps things so lively, I don't dare look away. I'm not saying this is great literature - really, the writing's just so-so - but it's a fun, exciting story that keeps jutting off in surprising new directions. As much as I don't want the books to end, I'm anxious to see how the story plays out. The possibilities truly are endless. And you know how much I love that.

(Readalikes: Similar to the other books in the series - Gone, Hunger, and Lies; also reminds me a little of The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials by James Dashner; and a bit of the Chaos Walking series [The Knife of Never Letting Go; The Ask and the Answer; and Monsters of Men] by Patrick Ness)

Grade: B-

If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG-13 for violence, mild language, some sexual content, and slurs related to race and homosexuality

To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find

On a peaceful summer night in Indiana, an Amish father falls asleep while driving his family home in their buggy, causing a freak accident that kills his two young daughters and sends his pregnant wife into premature labor. Nineteen years later, the tragedy still looms over the Sommers family, casting a dark shadow of grief over them all. No one feels the weight of the long-ago accident more than Marianna, who has spent her life trying - and failing - to be exceptional enough to replace her two dead sisters.

Just as Marianna's beginning to find her own way, her father announces his intention to move the family from the close-knit Indiana community they've always known to the wilds of Montana. Being the perfect daughter means never arguing, never questioning, but Marianna's horrified at the thought of leaving. What will happen to her out in the Englisch world? Can she hold onto her faith or will she be lured away from God, just like her older brother? Everything she wants, including a future with handsome Aaron Zook, is in Indiana. Torn between obeying her father and following her heart, Marianna must make one of the most important decisions of her life.

Her choice will change everything.

Beside Still Waters, the first book in an inspirational new series by Tricia Goyer, is a contemporary novel with a soft, old-fashioned feel to it. Which doesn't mean it dodges "real" issues or darts away from truth. In fact, I think it portrays the Amish in an honest way, showing that however homogenous they may seem, each is an individual with his/her own thoughts, emotions and struggles. Because of this, Marianna becomes a character who's easy to identify and empathize with, even though she comes from a world vastly different from most of our own. The story does become predictable and the poor editing gets annoying, but all in all, I enjoyed this one. Seriously, reading Beside Still Waters felt like sticking my feet into an ice cold stream on a scorching summer day - clean, cool, and refreshing. Not the most exciting thing, maybe, but a pleasurable diversion nonetheless.

(Readalikes: Reminds me of other Amish novels, particularly those by Beverly Lewis)

Grade: C

If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG for mild sexual innuendo

To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of Beside Still Waters from the generous folks at MotherTalk Book Reviews, for whom this review was written. The official Mother Talk disclosure statement is as follows: "I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of the Beside Still Waters campaign and received a copy of the book and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate."

The more questions Jenna asks them, the more convinced she becomes: Her family is lying to her. Something about the story they've told her - the car crash, the coma, her recovery - just doesn't add up. And then there are the whispers in her head, haunting voices that stir up chilling memories of the accident. As Jenna probes deeper into her fuzzy mind she comes to the startling realization that her parents' lies just might be the least of what's been done to her.

Mary E. Pearson's fascinating short novel, The Adoration of Jenna Fox, is one of those books that's difficult to describe. Overexplaining will ruin it, underexplaining won't do it justice. So, I'll just say it's a contemporary story with a sci fi bent that makes it both unique and thought-provoking. Its fast-paced, suspenseful plot makes it even more intriguing. Although I consumed the book in a few hours, it's been on my mind ever since. It's that provocative. If you haven't read it yet, do (then pre-order the sequel - it comes out on August 30). I can't wait to discuss this one.

(Readalikes: Reminds me of Unwind by Neal Shusterman)

Grade: B

Or maybe he's just crazy, like everyone says. All he knows is that when he draws, his illustrations have a strange way of coming true. And killing people.