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Tuesday, February 18, 2014
The Killing Woods Another Taut, Haunting Thriller from the Author of Stolen
5:45 AM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Life for the Shepherd Family hasn't been the same since Jon returned from the war. Suffering from paranoia and crippling flashbacks, the PTSD-riddled soldier has become someone his wife and daughter barely recognize. He spends all his time hiding in a bunker deep in the Darkwood Forest Nature Preserve, reliving the horrors of combat in his head, day after day after day. It's bad enough that 16-year-old Emily can't rely on her dad, but her mom's been coping with his illness by drinking too much, leaving Emily feeling at odds with everything and everyone. Then, comes the night when Jon brings something in from the woods.
No, not something, but someone.
It's Ashlee Parker—one of Emily's classmates—and she's dead. Jon Shepherd is charged with the murder, making his daughter an instant pariah. Emily refuses to believe her father's guilty. He's always been a gentle soul; even now, with all his problems, he can't be capable of that kind of violence. Can he? Emily can't stand the thought of her dad rotting away in jail, especially for a crime he didn't commit, so she vows to find out what really happened that night in the woods. With the help of a very unlikely ally, Emily begins to unveil the ugly truth behind Ashlee's death. Only one question remains: What part did her dad play in the girl's demise? Is he the killer everyone says he is? Or the innocent hero Emily needs him to be?
With The Killing Woods, Welsh author Lucy Christopher delivers another taut YA thriller that's just as haunting (although not as original) as her debut novel, Stolen. Not all of the characters in her new book are sympathetic, but they're interesting and well-drawn. The plot of The Killing Woods feels a little too familiar; still, it's compelling. All in all then, I found the story to be an absorbing thrill ride, albeit a dark, depressing one.
(Readalikes: The PTSD parts reminded me of The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for strong language, violence, sexual content and depictions of illegal drug use
To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of The Killing Woods from the generous folks at Scholastic. Thank you!
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Skinny: It's About More Than Just The Pounds
10:02 AM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Ever Davies knows she's fat. The 15-year-old weighs over 300 pounds, so it's not like she's surprised when someone calls her an elephant or a whale or a freak or whatever. Not that the words don't wound—of course they do—but she's so used to hearing the labels that she hardly notices anymore. Besides, if real people aren't calling Ever names, she's got Skinny—the constant, nagging voice in her head—reminding her that she's an out-of-control blob who will never be loved. Ever's so used to living (if you can call it that) this way, she's almost given up trying to change things. What's the point? As Skinny is so quick to note, Ever is too pathetic and helpless to do anything right.
After a humiliating experience at school, Ever's finally had enough. Determined to gain some control over her life, she embarks on a risky journey to slim down, get healthy and prove to the world that she's someone worth noticing. And yet, even as the pounds melt off, Ever can't stop hearing Skinny's snarky criticism. Is it possible that Skinny's been right all along? Is Ever destined for failure, no matter how hard she works? Is she really too worthless to bother with—or can Ever find something inside herself that's worth saving, even celebrating? Most importantly, what will happen when she reaches her weight loss goal? Will Ever Davies finally be happy?
I mentioned a few weeks ago that I wanted to read more books about obesity, especially about teens who struggle with the issue. An author friend of mine mentioned that she'd heard good things about Skinny, a debut novel by Donna Cooner. Cooner, who's written picture books, textbooks and children's television shows, is also a former gastric bypass patient—obviously, weight loss is something with which she's intimately familiar. That insider's view makes Ever's fight for control over her body an authentic and poignant one. Cooner's personal experience with bariatric surgery also makes for a story peppered with interesting details about the process. All of that kept me interested. What annoyed me about Skinny, though, is its lack of a well-defined central conflict. Ever's goal is to lose weight, yes, but since the pounds are "magically" disappearing via surgery, she achieves what she wants a little too easily for my tastes. I want to see a hero or heroine really struggle to attain the story goal, and Ever really doesn't that much. Yes, she still has to banish the voice in her head (which, really, is the point of the story), but still ... the central conflict didn't feel like that big of a conflict, in my *humble* opinion. In the end, while I appreciated Cooner's realistic look at a teen undergoing weight loss surgery, Skinny just didn't quite satisfy me.
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for brief, mild language
To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of Skinny from the generous folks at Scholastic. Thank you!
Friday, February 14, 2014
A Love-Filled Valentine's Vlog
1:00 AM
Happy Valentine's Day!
I hope all of you are having a wonderful holiday full of love. As a special V-Day treat, I have Holly Schindler visiting today. I talked about the author yesterday, so we're just going to continue on with the Holly-love. Holly's prepared a little vlog for us about the part love plays in her new middle grade book, The Junction of Sunshine and Lucky. Since she does a great job explaining what the story's all about, I won't bother with a plot summary. You get to hear it straight from the author herself!
I haven't had a chance to read The Junction of Sunshine and Lucky yet, but it sounds like a sweet, empowering story. I'm excited to see what it's all about!
Holly's put together a blog tour for the book that's full of fun posts. Click on the icon below to follow along:
I hope all of you are having a wonderful holiday full of love. As a special V-Day treat, I have Holly Schindler visiting today. I talked about the author yesterday, so we're just going to continue on with the Holly-love. Holly's prepared a little vlog for us about the part love plays in her new middle grade book, The Junction of Sunshine and Lucky. Since she does a great job explaining what the story's all about, I won't bother with a plot summary. You get to hear it straight from the author herself!
I haven't had a chance to read The Junction of Sunshine and Lucky yet, but it sounds like a sweet, empowering story. I'm excited to see what it's all about!
Holly's put together a blog tour for the book that's full of fun posts. Click on the icon below to follow along:
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Cover Reveal: Feral by Holly Schindler
1:00 AM
I first heard the name Holly Schindler back in 2010, when the generous folks over at Flux sent me an ARC of her debut novel, A Blue So Dark. The taut YA drama about a teen dealing with her mother's schizophrenia touched me, while convincing me that this author was one to watch. Schindler's sophomore novel, Playing Hurt, also impressed me. Tomorrow, I'm going to talk a little about her recently published middle grade novel, but today I'm excited to be a part of the cover reveal for Schindler's fourth novel, Feral:
Sounds like a perfect Halloween read. I don't know about you, but I can't wait. I love the always versatile Holly Schindler and I'm anxious to see what she does with this newest book!
What do you think about the cover? The plot? Does it look and sound like something you might find interesting?
If it does, be sure to add it to your Goodreads bookshelf and pre-order yourself a copy from Amazon or your favorite bookstore.
Oooh, it's so mysterious and intriguing. I love it!
And here's a plot summary for Feral, which will release from Harper Collins on August 26, 2014:
It’s too late for you. You’re dead. Those words float through Claire Cain’s head as she lies broken and barely alive after a brutal beating. And the words continue to haunt her months later, in the relentless, terrifying nightmares that plague her sleep. So when her father is offered a teaching sabbatical in another state, Claire is hopeful that getting out of Chicago, away from the things that remind her of what she went through, will offer a way to start anew.
But when she arrives in Peculiar, Missouri, Claire quickly realizes something is wrong—the town is brimming with hidden dangers and overrun by feral cats. And her fears are confirmed when a popular high school girl, Serena Sims, is suddenly found dead in the icy woods behind the school. While everyone is quick to say Serena died in an accident, Claire knows there’s more to it—for she was the one who found Serena, battered and most certainly dead, surrounded by the town’s feral cats.
Now Claire vows to learn the truth about what happened, but the closer she gets to uncovering the mystery, the closer she also gets to discovering a frightening reality about herself and the damage she truly sustained in that Chicago alley.
With an eerie setting and heart-stopping twists and turns, Holly Schindler weaves a gripping story that will make you question everything you think you know.
Sounds like a perfect Halloween read. I don't know about you, but I can't wait. I love the always versatile Holly Schindler and I'm anxious to see what she does with this newest book!
What do you think about the cover? The plot? Does it look and sound like something you might find interesting?
If it does, be sure to add it to your Goodreads bookshelf and pre-order yourself a copy from Amazon or your favorite bookstore.
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