(Image from Barnes & Noble)

At a suburban mega-mall in Westchester County, New York, thousands of shoppers weave in and out of 150 different stores and restaurants.  It's just another Saturday at the mall.  Until a teenage bus boy finds an odd-looking device in the shopping center's HVAC room.  Authorities lock down the enormous mall, imprisoning a very large crowd of shoppers.  While police comb the place trying to understand the nature of the threat, the people grow restless.  As what was supposed to be a few hours of detainment turns into an overnight stay, they become scared.  Angry.  Suspicious.  Then, people start to get sick.  Really sick.  So sick it's obvious that the detainees have been exposed to something much more sinister than just a bomb threat.  There's something in the mall's air that authorities don't want released.  Which means none of the people trapped in the mall are going anywhere anytime soon.

As hours turn into days, the people inside the mall must learn how to adapt to their new society.  With babies wailing, teenagers roaming wild, and people of every age collapsing from illness, it's barely-controlled chaos. How long will it take before the food runs out?  Before there's no clean water?  Before the mall's pharmacy runs out of meds for diabetics and others who are chronically ill?  Will the detainees be released before there's outright anarchy?  Will they be released at all?

In the middle of the mess are four teenagers:  bus boy Marco Carvajal; senator's daughter and computer geek, Lexi Ross; football hotshot, Ryan Murphy; and Shay Dixit, a lonely Indian-American girl, whose only goal is to keep her elderly grandmother and mischievous younger sister safe.  As the four interact, friendships will develop, rivalries will grow, plans for escape will be made and answers will be sought.  With more and more people dying, it's up to the teenagers to find a way out of their dangerous prison—before it's too late for them all.

No Safety in Numbers by Dayna Lorentz is the chilling first book in a YA dystopian series about Marco, Lexi, Ryan and Shay's adventures inside a locked-down mega-mall.  The premise intrigued me from the start.  It's a creepy idea, sure, but one that definitely feels more realistic than an impending zombie apocalypse.  That being said, the book lacks something in character development, plot intricacy and the overall quality of writing.  The novel is fast-paced and exciting, an entertaining read if not a particularly well-crafted one.  I'll read the sequel because I happen to have it on my shelf; otherwise, I probably wouldn't continue.  So, yeah, here's my assessment in a nutshell:  interesting premise, weak execution, entertaining enough to keep me reading, but not necessarily clamoring for more.  

(Readalikes:  its sequel, No Easy Way Out (available July 16, 2013).  Also, although this series has no supernatural elements, it still reminds me a bit of the Gone series [Gone; Hunger; Lies; Plague; Fear; Light] by Michael Grant)

Grade:  

for language (no F-bombs), violence and sexual innuendo/content

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find 

Top Ten Books at the Top of My Summer TBR List

1.  The Distance Between Us by Kasie West—I'm reading this contemporary YA romance right now (it comes out on July 2, I believe) and, although it's pretty fluffy, I'm enjoying it.  It's a classic rich boy meets poor girl love story, set in a beach town in California.  Although it's set during the Fall months, it's the kind of light, fun book that's perfect for summer reading.

2.  Bones of the Lost by Kathy Reichs—I always get excited when a new Temperance Brennan novel comes out.  This is one of my favorite adult series.  Since the book doesn't come out until August, I was thrilled to get an ARC of this one via Edelweiss.  I can't wait to see what adventures Tempe has this time around.

3.  The Newcomer by Robyn Carr—Adult romances really aren't my thing, so I generally avoid them like the proverbial plague.  Unless, of course, they're written by Carr.  She's a warm, lovely person whose personality really shines through in the books she writes.  They're romances, yes, but they're also stories about communities, families and people who value things like integrity, fidelity and loyalty to one's family, friends and country.  Carr's newest series, set on the Oregon Coast, is just as appealing as her Virgin River and Grace Valley books.  The Newcomer is the second installment in the series and it looks like a perfect summer read!  The novel comes out in about a week, but thanks to the generous Robyn Carr, I already have a copy sitting on my shelf.  

4.  Matilda by Roald Dahl—Believe it or not, I've never read Matilda.  So, when the good folks at Penguin asked if I'd like to review it as part of the celebrations for the book's 25th Anniversary, I could not resist the opportunity.  Look for my review soon!

5.  World War Z by Max Brooks—Even though it's not really monster season, I love a good zombie yarn.  I just got this one from the library and hope to get to it soon.

6.  The Lucy Variations by Sara Zarr—Zarr's books are kind of hit and miss for me and her newest has gotten mixed reviews, so we'll see what I think of this one.


7.  The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman—I pre-orderd this one from Amazon because, well, it's Neil Gaiman.  People are saying it's really weird, though, so know I'm really interested to see what it's all about!


8.  Amity & Sorrow by Peggy Riley—I'm not sure why this novel about escaping polygamy sounds so intriguing to me, but it does.  It sounds a little heavy for the easy, breezy days of summer and yet, it's one I definitely want to get to soon.


9.  Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein—I've been seeing this one advertised on Amazon and I think it looks excellent.  It's a MG book about a kid who's trapped in a new library created by a genius game master.  He has to find clues and solve puzzles to find his way out.  It's being billed as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory meets Night at the Museum, which just totally intrigues me.  The book comes out on June 25th.  I can't wait to see what it's all about.


10.  The Kill Room by Jeffery Deaver—Deaver's books are pretty hard core, but I enjoy his series about quadriplegic forensic expert Lincoln Rhyme.  Rhyme's a brilliant character and his adventures are always fast-paced and compelling.  I hope the hold list at the library moves fast because I can't wait to read this one.  

Have you read any of these?  What did you think?  And, what's at the top of your summer reading list?      

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

(Note:  While this review will not contain spoilers for Light, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from earlier Gone novels.  As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.)

More than a year has passed since everyone over the age of 14 vanished from Perdido Beach, California.  Those left behind, residents of a domed area dubbed the FAYZ, have learned to fend for themselves—and not just for food, water and shelter.  They've had to battle a deadly plague; giant, bloodthirsty worms; feral coyotes; and, worst of all, each other.  While some have used their strange new superpowers to do good, others have caused only destruction.  Chaos is what The Gaiaphage—a horrifying, control-hungry monster—wants and that's exactly what it's getting.  Now that the dome has turned opaque, spectators can see what's happening in the FAYZ.  They're outraged, not just because there are children trapped inside, but because of what those children have become.

Despite the news helicopters buzzing around outside the dome, the fast food signs glowing in the night, and the hundreds of people gathered to peer inside, nothing much has changed in the FAYZ.  Sam's group is hunkered down at the lake; Cain and his cronies rule the town; Astrid's autistic brother, Little Pete, is MIA; and Diana's stuck with the psycho baby that emerged from her own womb.  Gaia's gaining strength by the hour.  She's bent only on destruction—of her nemesis, Little Pete; of the FAYZ and everyone in it; and of the world beyond.  Fighting Gaia is impossible.  The kids can't survive against her mighty power, especially if they can't learn to stand together.  Even if they do, even with their strongest mutants on the front lines, even then, there's a good chance none of them will make it out of the FAYZ alive.  And yet, Sam refuses to go down without a fight.  Can Sam and his friends foil the Gaiaphage and save the world or will their efforts all be in vain?

Call me a sadist, but I'm sad to see the FAYZ end.  It was inevitable, of course, and truly, I'm impressed at how Michael Grant was able to up the ante in each of the books until, finally, bringing the series to a dramatic, yet satisfying, conclusion.  I've enjoyed all the novels and Light is no exception.  It's got all the action, drama, suspense, and even humor that I expect from these books.  And while I didn't absolutely love the ending, it felt right.  

(Readalikes:  Other books in the Gone series [Gone; Hunger; Lies; Plague; Fear] by Michael Grant; as well as other YA dystopian novels)

Grade:  B

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

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Danielle Levine's used to feeling like an outcast, even at her special school for "high-potential kids with learning disabilities."  Even there, her OCD makes her a total freak.  How does the 18-year-old with the unruly red hair deal?  By chronicling everything she thinks and feels in exhaustive detail.  She collects her writings—school essays, e-mails, letters, personal "me-moir" entries, etc.—in a perfectly organized, color-coded binder she hides under her bed.  

Since Danielle doesn't have much of a life in the first place, she's not expecting anything different from her senior year of high school.  She'll do what she always does—blend into the scenery, lust after gorgeous Jacob Kingston from afar, and, above all, keep her weird, obsessive rituals to herself.  The one place she can't seem to restrain herself, though, is in the essays she writes for English class.  That's how she ends up in an off-campus social skills class with kids who are even less communicative than her.  Her last year of high school cannot possibly get any worse, can it?

It can.

Danielle has a place to vent all her anger, humiliation, self-loathing and fear, not to mention a cool aunt who always gives excellent advice.  But, Danielle still longs for a real friend, someone her age who understands her.  Jacob would do very nicely.  Too bad that option's about as likely as Danielle fitting into a pair of size 2 jeans.  Fortunately, friendship is closer than it seems.  So is happiness.  Even for a chubby ginger with a major case of OCD. 

The first thing that drew me into OCD, The Dude, and Me, a debut novel by Lauren Roedy Vaughn, is the voice.  Vaughn's a high school teacher English teacher, who's definitely got the lingo down.  Danielle feels authentic, like a real teenager struggling with all the problems with which real teenagers struggle every day.  But, it's her painfully distorted view of herself that makes her so sympathetic.  Because I found Danielle such a compelling heroine, I enjoyed all her jottings about life, love and The Big Lebowski.  In fact, I was loving everything about the novel—until Daniel came along.  Not only does he embody one of the biggest clichés in contemporary YA lit, but he also has some disturbing quirks and illegal hobbies.  Why those things needed to be mentioned is beyond me, since honestly, they contributed nothing to the story and made me think less of both Daniel and Danielle.  Call me a prude, but there you go.  Overall, I found OCD, The Dude, and Me engrossing, but the Daniel thing really derailed my enjoyment of the book.  Which is a real bummer.  

(Readalikes:  Reminds me a little bit of The Fault in Our Stars by John Green)

Grade:

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of OCD, The Dude, and Me from the generous folks at Dial (an imprint of Penguin Books) via those at Pump Up Your Book Promotion.  Thank you!