(Image from Barnes & Noble)

I must be tired because, for the life of me, I can't write a coherent plot summary for Breathe, a new YA dystopian by Sarah Crossan.  How 'bout if I cheat a little?  All in favor, say "Aye!"  Look at that—a unanimous vote.  Sweet.  Here you go:

Inhale.  Exhale.

Breathe.

Breathe.

Breathe ...

The world is dead.

The survivors live under the protection of Breathe, the corporation that found a way to manufacture oxygen-–rich air.

Alina has been stealing for a long time. She's a little jittery, but not terrified. All she knows is that she's never been caught before. If she's careful, it'll be easy. If she's careful.

Quinn should be worried about Alina and a bit afraid for himself, too, but even though this is dangerous, it's also the most interesting thing to happen to him in ages. It isn't every day that the girl of your dreams asks you to rescue her.

Bea wants to tell him that none of this is fair; they'd planned a trip together, the two of them, and she'd hoped he'd discover her out here, not another girl.

And as they walk into the Outlands with two days' worth of oxygen in their tanks, everything they believe will be shattered. Will they be able to make it back? Will they want to?

Although the premise isn't anything we've never seen before, Breathe at least delivers with some solid writing.  Not exceptional writing, but decent enough that I didn't spend the whole book wanting to claw my eyeballs out.  The story's also pretty action-packed, which helps to move its not-so-original plot forward.  So, while Breathe never really surprised me or made me swoon, it definitely kept me entertained.  I'd recommend it to YA dystopian lovers who don't mind reading the same ole same ole.    

(Readalikes:  Reminded me a little of Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi)

Grade:  B-

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

To the FTC, with love:  I received an ARC of Breathe from the generous folks at Harper Collins.  Thank you!

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Lanesha can see ghosts.  It's an ability the 12-year-old has had since the day she was born.  Her guardian, an 82-year-old midwife named Mama Ya-Ya, attributes Lanesha's "sight" to the unusual circumstances of her birth.  Lanesha figures it's because her entrance into the world caused her mother's exit.  Now, she can see not just the ghost of her mother, but also those of the other unsettled spirits who walk the streets of New Orleans.  The apparitions don't scare Lanesha—they're just there, gazing at her with confusion in their blank, empty eyes.  Still, she's learned not to mention the ghosts to other people.  She gets mocked enough as it is.

Mama Ya-Ya also has The Sight.  As Hurricane Katrina gathers strength, preparing to bear down on New Orleans, she's beset by visions of destruction and death.  Lanesha's frightened by Mama Ya-Ya's predictions, but what can she do?  She has no money, no place to go.  Even if she could convince Mama Ya-Ya to evacuate, the elderly woman wouldn't last long in the overcrowded Superdome.  The only solution is to prepare for the monster storm as best she can and pray that Katrina will have mercy on their poor souls.

As the hurricane blows and the levees break, drowning her home in foul floodwater, Lanesha will be in for the fight of her life.  It's up to one terrified girl to save not just herself, but also her frail guardian.  In Ninth Ward, one of the areas most devastated by Katrina's brutality, the indomitable Lanesha will experience terror, sorrow, and ultimately, the will to go on in the face of unimaginable tragedy.

Ninth Ward, a new middle grade book by adult author Jewell Parker Rhodes, captures the horror unleashed by Hurricane Katrina in a vivid, atmospheric story that will haunt readers long after they finish reading it.  Lanesha's a wholly sympathetic character, one who earned not just my pity, but my admiration.  I rooted for her from the first page of her harrowing story to the last.  And she did not disappoint.  Although the ending of Ninth Ward isn't as happy as I wanted it to be (all too realistic, unfortunately), I found the tale as a whole to be an engrossing, inspiring and very fitting tribute to all the people who defied Katrina by resisting, rebuilding and restoring hope to a devastated city ironically called The Big Easy.

(Readalikes:  Although I haven't finished Salvage the Bones, a gritty YA novel by Jesmyn Ward, it's similar [in subject matter, anyway] to Ninth Ward.)

Grade:  B

If this were a movie, it would be rated:  PG for scary images/scenes of peril


To the FTC, with love:  I borrowed a finished copy of Ninth Ward from the library at my children's elementary school as part of my volunteer work with the school's reading program.  

(Image from author's official website)

When a Navy SEAL battling PTSD kidnaps his former squad mate, Detective Claire Michaels insists on handling the hostage negotiations.  Her brother died while fighting in Afghanistan—she won't let more soldiers die.  Not on her turf.  What Claire doesn't realize is how much more complex the situation is than it seems.  One of Osama bin Laden's top dogs is behind the kidnapping and he's as deranged as his late boss. It's not just the soldiers that need saving, but the entire country.  If Claire and her team can't catch the maniacal terrorist before it's too late, there's no telling what could happen.  

Rafe Kelly never expected to run into his old enemy, Bez Ruhallah, in his hometown of Hartford, Connecticut.  But it's happened and, now, the madman has Rafe's brother hidden away in some unknown corner of Afghanistan.  If Rafe doesn't bring a secret encryption key to Bez Ruhallah in three days, his brother will die.  And the country he's worked so hard to protect will, once again, be vulnerable to attack by a power-hungry al-Qaeda operative.  Rafe doesn't want to involve Claire—who's obviously dealing with her own issues—in such a dangerous mission, but he's not sure who else he can trust.  Can he and the pretty detective really match wits with a man like Bez Ruhallah?  Or will they, along with Rafe's brother and every other American, become victims of the terrorist's wrath? 

I should make it clear right up front that romantic suspense really isn't my thing.  Outside of Whitney Award judging, I don't read it.  At all.  But, when Lexi over at The Book Bug offered a copy of Julie Coulter Bellon's new novel, All Fall Down, for review, I wavered.  The novel's plot sounded engrossing enough to keep me interested.  And it was, more or less.  Enough bombs exploded throughout the novel that I never really got bored.  Still, the characters never developed into anything more than empty cliches, the plot seemed very far-fetched, the insta-love romance bugged, and the poor copyediting kept pulling me out of the story.  The writing itself was better than I expected it to be, but considering all my other issues with the book, I just couldn't give All Fall Down anything higher than a C.  It's entertaining, sure, I just wanted more substance, more polish, more development.  Since I say this exact thing every time I read a book of this kind, I should probably face the facts—romantic suspense is not my genre.  Never has been, never will be.  Lesson learned.   

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of other romantic suspense novels by LDS authors, although no specific titles are coming to mind.)

Grade:  C

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

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of All Fall Down from Julie Coulter Bellon via Latter Day Books Blog Tours.  

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

After being bounced from foster family to foster family for sixteen years, Bron Jones barely knows the meaning of the word home.  Until he gets to St. George, Utah, where he meets Mike and Olivia Hernandez, his new foster parents.  The couple, who own a cattle ranch that seems to be as down-to-earth as they are, wants to adopt Bron.  He only sees one problem with the arrangement:  Olivia.  Bron's mom-to-be is certifiable.  There's no other way to explain her panic upon being approached by some random guys in Best Buy.  And then there's the car chase, the weird weapons Olivia has hidden in her glove compartment, and the woman's absolute refusal to consult the police.  Olivia's insane, that's the only conclusion that makes sense.

When Olivia finally tells Bron the truth, he's convinced—she needs to be locked in a padded cell.  Except that her words make a weird kind of sense.  Olivia explains that she and Bron are different than other people.  In fact, they're not people at all.  They're Aels, supernatural creatures with special abilities.  Bron's powers are especially rare, so rare that the Aels' ancient enemies will stop at nothing to control them (hence the confrontation at Best Buy).  While the Draghouls hunt for him, Bron has to do his best to stay under the radar—not an easy task when you're a guitar prodigy attending an elite performing arts academy.  

Trying to understand who—and what—he is is only part of the conflicts Bron faces in his new home.  He's got several girls falling all over him, an angry classmate who's eager to put him in his place, and a mysterious past that holds important clues to his present situation.  Survival will require everything Bron's got—and more.

Since I had a monster cold while reading Nightingale, a new YA novel by adult sci fi/fantasy author David Farland, I lugged the book with me to the doctor's office when I went to beg for death antibiotics.  Because she somehow missed the fact that my throat hurt every time I opened my mouth to breathe, let alone talk, the doctor asked me what the book was about.  When I told her it concerned a teenager who discovers he's a paranormal creature of some kind, the doctor rolled her eyes and said, "Ugh, another one of those?"  I laughed (even though it hurt) because that pretty much summed up my thoughts on Nightingale.  Not only is the story unoriginal, but it's also plotless, melodramatic and just not very well-written or edited.  It zigzagged all over the place, making the whole thing feel unfocused.  Then, there's Bron.  Our hero is sympathetic to a point, but his macho attitude and constant lusting after anything female (including his foster mother—eeeewww!) make him difficult to like.  Bottom line on this one?  If I hadn't agreed to review this book for a virtual tour (with a company I'd already bailed on once), I wouldn't have read past the first chapter.  

Now, this may be another case of me just plain getting it wrong because Nightingale has actually won a number of awards (whether this is for the print version or the enhanced e-version I'm not sure).  It also gets great reviews on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Goodreads.  Just not from me.  Oh well.

(Readalikes:  Reminded me of Twilight and every other teenager-finds-out-he/she-is-a-werewolf/pixie/angel/mermaid/paranormal creature of choice type book)

Grade:  D

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

To the FTC, wit:h love:  I received a finished hardcover copy of Nightingale from East India Press via Rachelle Christensen's blog tour company.  Thank you!