To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find

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(Note:  Although this review will not contain spoilers for Bang, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from its predecessor, Crash.  As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.)

Now that things have gotten back to normal (whatever that is) for 16-year-old Jules Demarco, she should be happy.  Especially since her new normal includes being Sawyer Angotti's girlfriend.  He's the guy she's been dreaming about forever, the guy who helped her make sense of her terrifying visions and stop a deadly car crash.  So what if both the Demarcos and the Angottis are dead-set against their relationship?  Romeo and Juliet made it work.  Um, yeah.  

If only that were the only complication facing the new couple.  It's not. Not by a long shot.  Through some cruel twist of fate, Jules has passed her psycho vision-seeing powers on to Sawyer.  Now he's wracked with terrible glimpses of a shooting so horrific he can barely talk about it.  Jules knows there's only one way to make Sawyer's waking nightmares, which are reaching a fever pitch, go away—they have to use the clues in the visions to stop the tragedy from happening.  But making sense out of the confusing scenes isn't easy, especially when the constant examination of them is taking such a heavy toll on Sawyer's psyche.  Jules hates to torture the boy she loves, but if they don't solve the puzzle soon eleven people are going to die.  They can't let that happen.  They won't.  No matter what the cost.   

Lisa McMann knows how to write action-packed, addicting novels.  That's an undisputed truth.  Her skill's especially apparent, though, in her Visions series.  Crash kept me thoroughly engrossed and salivating for a sequel.  I'm happy to report that Bang does not disappoint.  Not at all.  It's just as compelling, just as exciting, just as pulse-pounding as its predecessor.  Jules' pitch-perfect voice makes the series all the more enjoyable, as she manages to be funny, endearing and sympathetic all at the same time.  Is it too early to start begging for another sequel?  I think not.

(Readalikes:  Crash by Lisa McMann; also her Wake series [Wake; Fade; Gone]; and a bit like The Body Finder series [The Body Finder; Desires of the Dead; The Last Echo; Dead Silence] by Kimberly Derting)

Grade: 

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

For 16 years, Jules Demarco has led an unexceptional, even boring, little life.  She drives a totally obnoxious, completely embarrassing food truck to school, always smells like pizza, has few friends and couldn't get Sawyer Angotti to notice her if she set herself on fire.  As pathetic as all that seems, Jules wants it back.  She craves normal, even if her normal kind of sucks.  It's still better than the crazy she's going through now.  Every time she glances at a billboard, window or t.v. screen, she sees a terrifying vision—a crash, flames engulfing a building, nine body bags lined up in the snow.  Seeing things that aren't there can mean only two things:  either she's certifiable or people she knows are going to die.  Either way, she's screwed.  

Jules can't tell anyone about the vision.  Her family's under enough stress—they're struggling to keep their pizzeria open, dealing with Jules' father's obsessive hoarding, and just trying to survive from day-to-day.  Jules refuses to add to the load they're already carrying.  But what else can she do?  As the vision becomes ever more intense, ever more consuming, Jules knows she has to warn the fire's victims.  It's the only way to clear her head, the only way to (possibly) save the lives of nine people.  The problem is convincing the Angottis, the family with whom the Demarcos have been feuding for more than a century, that something terrible's going to happen to them.  The problem is doing it without sounding like a raving lunatic.  The problem is saving the boy she's loved since First Grade without losing him completely.  The problem is ... everything.  Absolutely everything.

While I've enjoyed all of Lisa McMann's YA novels, I knew after a chapter or two that her newest, Crash, would end up being my favorite.  And I was right.  The novel, the first in a new series, keeps the eerie feel that all of McMann's teen books have, but lightens the tone quite a bit.  Which is what made the difference for me.  Crash just has a warmth to it that the other books don't.  Jules' personality definitely contributes to that because even though she's plagued by numerous problems, she keeps her sense of humor.  She's self-deprecating, loyal, and protective—all admirable qualities that contribute to her immense likability.  And, while the idea of a teen using paranormal abilities to solve mysteries/save lives is nothing new in the YA genre, I thought Crash still had a hint of freshness to it.  Overall, it's a fast-paced, engaging story that's compelling, entertaining and surprising (at least at the end).  All that, for me, equaled a very enjoyable start to this new series.  I'm excited to see where it goes from here!  

(Readalikes:  Reminded me of the Wake trilogy [Wake; Fade; Gone] by Lisa McMann and a bit of The Body Finder [The Body Finder; Desires of the Dead; The Last Echo; and Dead Silence] series by Kimberly Derting)

Grade:  B

If this were a movie, it would be rated:  R for strong language (a dozen or so F-bombs, plus milder invectives), sexual innuendo and scary images

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find 

After reading her late mentor's files, 18-year-old Janie Hanagan knows the truth about her unique dream-catching abilities. She knows what her future will look like if she keeps using her "talent" to help the police track down criminals - she'll be a blind cripple before she reaches her 30th birthday. She'll be useless, a lifelong burden to anyone stupid enough to love her. Janie might be able to handle that fate, but she can't doom Cabel Strumheller to a life like that. He deserves someone normal. The best thing to do, the kindest thing, is to break up with him now, freeing him to go off to college and find himself a normal girlfriend.

Janie's still mulling it all over when she gets a frantic phone call from her best friend, urging her to get to the hospital as fast as she can. It's not Janie's alcoholic mother who's been admitted - not this time - but her father. Henry Feingold's a stranger to Janie and, now that he's in a coma, she may never get a chance to know him. Not that she wants to chitchat with the man who abandoned her as a baby. Still, his bizarre dreams beckon to her. In spite of herself, she's drawn into them. As she walks through Henry's injured mind, Janie becomes obsessed with making sense of the man who helped give her life. But when she discovers the shocking truth about her father, Janie's already bleak future begins to look downright dismal. She can't subject Cabel to that. Heck, she's not sure she can subject herself to that. As Janie tries to make peace with it all, she'll have to make some gut-wrenching decisions - about her future, about Cable, about herself.

Although nothing in Gone, the final book in Lisa McMann's Wake trilogy, really surprised me, it still kept me entertained. McMann, I've realized, is a master at pulling readers into her books, seducing them with quick action and snappy chapters that beg to be whipped through as fast as possible. It helps that she writes well, creating sympathetic characters who grapple with problems that are realistic, yet unique enough to be interesting. And then there's the paranormal twist, which gives this story an added intrigue. Still, as much as I liked the first book in the series, I wasn't impressed with the second. As for Gone, even though I found it predictable, I still thought it a satisfying end to Janie's story. Maybe I didn't love, love, love it, but I liked it well enough.

(Readalikes: Wake and Fade by Lisa McMann)

Grade: B-

If this were a movie, it would be rated: R for strong language, sexual content and depictions of underrage drinking

To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find

The town's still reeling from the first disappearance when another local teen vanishes. This time, it's someone much closer to Kendall's heart. This time, she knows it's foul play, because 17-year-old Nico Cruz - her boyfriend - would never leave without telling Kendall. Even with the rumor mill suggesting Nico ran off with the missing girl, Kendall's resolute: Something terrible happened to Nico. It's only when Kendall realizes the two missing teens both used the same school desk that she starts to connect some dots. When she notices messages scratched into the desk's wooden surface, messages that plead for help, she knows she's found a vital clue in the mystery of the lost kids. It's when she starts hearing their voices seeping out of the desk, though, that she begins wondering if she's completely crazy. Because if she isn't, then she's dealing with something old, something evil, something not of this world. It's all tied to a dark Cryer's Cross secret - one that no one wants to acknowledge, let alone let out. The closer Kendall comes to figuring it out, the closer she comes to becoming the next victim ...

Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann is a creepy little tale, with some original touches that make it memorable (I don't know about you, but I've never read a story about a haunted desk before). It moves quickly, keeping the reader interested, if not surprised. Kendall's a sympathetic character, whose OCD makes her unique, while giving her personality added depth. Predictability and a rather anticlimatic ending did sour this one a little for me - overall, though, I found the book entertaining, albeit in a Halloween-ish, nightmare-inducing sort of way. Which is why I read it during the day. With the lights on. While hiding under my bed. Ahem. You know you're a wimp when ...

(Readalikes: Um, I should be able to think of lots, but nothing's really coming to mind. Ideas?)

Grade: B-

If this were a movie, it would be rated: R for language (a few F-bombs plus milder invectives) and violence

To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find

Of what, exactly, are dreams made? Memories? Fantasies? Hopes? Fears? Regrets? Desires? A little of each? Seventeen-year-old Janie Hannagan has seen every kind. She's not sure exactly where this special talent came from - the one that lets her roam through other people's dreams - but she's sick to death of it. She's encountered enough monsters, enough lust, enough falling, enough secret wishes to last her ten lifetimes. All she wants is to be normal for once. But with an alcoholic mother, an absent father, and her crazy little secret, Janie's life is about as mundane as a Tim Burton film.

Then, a chance encounter takes her into the terrifying nightmares of a classmate. The violent images in his head shake her to the core. Even more horrifying is the fact that sexy Cabel Strumheller sees her in his dream. And remembers seeing her. That never, ever happens. Janie's terrified of the monster in Cabel's head, but even more frightened that he'll realize what a freak she is. She can't let anyone know the truth. Cabel doesn't seem to be the secret-spiller type - after all, he's hiding some big ones of his own - but she can't be sure. As her dreamwalking intensifies, endangering Janie's job, schooling, life and future, she searches desperately for answers. How can she stop herself from entering the dreamworld? Why does it happen in the first place? And why her, of all people? An offhand experiment will give her clues and show her the real power she possesses. The only question left is: What will she do with it?

I've always been interested in dreams and their meanings, so the premise of Wake by Lisa McMann caught my attention immediately. I loved the whole idea behind the story. I'm not sure what I expected to find inside its pages, but I was taken aback by the book's rawness. Although Janie's a vulnerable, sympathetic character, she's got very sharp edges. Especially in the beginning, Wake is dark, erotic and bleak - so much so that I almost put it down. But, it had that premise. That fascinating, hypnotizing premise. Coupled with interesting characters, a heart-pounding storyline and McMann's compelling writing style - well, let's just say, I kept reading. As Janie learns more about herself, the tone of the novel brightens, until it climaxes with a somewhat predictable, almost cheesy, conclusion. It ends on a hopeful note, something that's weirdly incongruent with the first half of the book. I didn't love the ending, but the rest of the story had me whipping through pages fast enough to cause injury.

(Readalikes: I can't think of any. Can you?)

Grade: B

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

To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find