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

After spending a year at a boarding school in the middle of Nowhere, Indiana, 15-year-old Viola Chesterton is thrilled to be back in New York.  Brooklyn just feels right.  It's home—the place where people get her clothes, get her shoes, get her.  Sure, she misses her roommates from Prefect, but here she has her family and her original BFFAAs, Andrew Bozelli and Caitlin Pullapilly.  Viola can't wait to spend the summer with her besties, eating at all the restaurants she's missed, bicycling in Prospect Park, and sunbathing at Rockaway Beach.  It's going to be perfect.

Then, Andrew announces that he'll be spending most of the summer at a sleepaway camp in Maine and Caitlin mentions her new, full-time job at a dental office.  Suddenly, Viola's perfect summer is looking a little ... lonely.  When a cute British teenager moves into the Chesterton's downstairs apartment, she perks up—oooh, the possibilities—but Maurice has someone else in his sights, someone whose parents don't want her even going near a boy.  Before she knows it, Viola's summer has become a whole lot more exciting than she ever dreamed it could be, just not necessarily in a good way.  She's running interference for Caitlin and Maurice, interning for a cranky lighting director, and trying to figure out what exactly is making Andrew act so weird around her.  Viola's cracking under all the pressure.  She can't help asking herself some uncomfortable questions:  Was coming home the right thing to do?  Does she fit in in Brooklyn anymore?  Did she leave her heart—not to mention her true friends—back in Indiana?  Viola's going to have to decide where she really belongs.  If, of course, she survives what is turning out to be a very interesting summer ...

As much as I adore Adriana Trigiani's adult novels, I haven't loved the author's YA series.  I'm not sure why, since its filled with the same kind of warmth as her other books.  It's just that our heroine—Viola—doesn't quite do it for me.  She's funny, for sure, but she's also kind of self-centered and whiny.  Plus, Viola in the Spotlight doesn't offer much in the way of a plot.  So, while the book's entertaining enough, it's not going to stick out in a crowd of contemporary YA novels.  I really want to love this series, but it's more ho-hum than I would have expected from an author like Trigiani.  In the end, I found Viola in the Spotlight, like its predecessor (Viola in Reel Life) to be just okay.  Bummer.  

(Readalikes:  Viola in Reel Life by Adriana Trigiani)

Grade:  B-

If this were a movie, it would be rated:  PG for nothing offensive, just content most suited for readers aged 12 and up

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of Viola in the Spotlight from the generous folks at HarperTeen.  Thank you!

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In 1936, Louis Zamperini—a California boy born of two Italian immigrants—was on top of the world.  After breaking records in his home state and beyond, the 26-year-old runner traveled to Berlin to compete in the Olympics.  He didn't medal, but that didn't dim his dream at all—he simply trained harder, his sights set on the 1940 games.  Little did Zamperini know that that competition would never occur.  Or that a few years later, he'd be trapped in a Japanese prison camp, his finely-toned body wasting away from the effects of starvation, dehydration and frequent beatings.  Louis Zamperini's journey from one extreme to the other is a tale so incredible, so inconceivable, so totally unbelievable that it can only be fiction.

Except it's not.

It's easy to see why journalist Laura Hillenbrand chose Louis Zamperini's story to be the subject of her second book.  The tale has all the daring, desperation and drama of the most action-packed thriller.  The fact that Zamperini is a real person just makes it more affecting.  As she did in Seabiscuit—her best-selling debut—Hillenbrand breathes vivid life into her hero, drawing readers into Zamperini's story with subtle, but significant skill. I'd put off reading Unbroken, despite fervent recommendations from family and friends, because it just didn't sound like "my" kind of book.  Here's the thing, though:  It didn't matter one whit.  Unbroken hooked me from the very first page, stunning me with each new detail, mesmerizing me with every word, every scene.  Absorbing doesn't begin to describe this one.  Stunning, epic, sweeping—I don't even know which words to use.  Except for these two:  read it.  

(Readalikes:  Other books about WWII and the prison camp experience, although no specific titles are coming to mind.  Help?)

Grade:  A

If this were a movie, it would be rated:  PG-13 for language (one F-bomb, plus milder invectives), violence, and disturbing scenes/subject matter

To the FTC, with love:  I bought a copy of Unbroken from Changing Hands Bookstore with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger.  Ha ha.  

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Sofia "Fia" Rosen knew she was different, even from the beginning.  Her super reflexes—always perfectly honed—just weren't natural.  In her 17 years on God's green Earth, she's never met another person with the same infallible instincts.  Perhaps, she is the only one.  They certainly believe so.  They see her vast potential as a spy, a weapon, an assassin.  They will not let her go.  They know Fia won't resist them, not when they hold that which is most precious to her hostage.    

Annie Rosen's not as "gifted" as Fia and thus not as useful to her captors.  Still, her abilities as a Seer come in handy—for them and for her.  Mostly, Annie's visions leave her trembling and terrified; in them, Fia's always in danger.  Annie may be blind, but she can see what's happening to her little sister.  And she doesn't like it, not one bit.  But, as much as she's encouraged it, Annie knows Fia will never try to escape Them, not as long as They have Annie.  

Caught between two impossible choices, Fia must decide how far she's willing to go to keep her sister safe.  How much can she risk before she no longer recognizes the girl in the mirror?  Can she sacrifice Annie to save herself from becoming a monstrous killing machine?  Is there no escape for the two girls?  Fia's instincts are flawless, but even she can't see a way out of this one ...

Mind Games, the newest paranormal offering from Kiersten White (available February 19, 2013), takes a darker turn than the author's Paranormalcy trilogy.  In her latest, White uses stark, staccato prose, to create a tense, action-packed story that grabs the reader's attention from paragraph one and just doesn't let go.  It's exciting, for sure, but also confusing as it vacillates between past and present.  In the end, I enjoyed this fast-paced read, without totally loving it.  With a little more background, a little more build-up, I probably would have liked it more.  Still, you better believe I'll be reading the sequel, if only to find out what the fierce, unpredictable Fia does next. 

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of other books about teenagers in possession of deadly powers, I just can't think of any specific titles.  Ideas?)

Grade:  B-

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

To the FTC, with love:  I received an e-ARC of Mind Games (via Edelweiss) from the generous folks at HarperTeen.  Thank you!

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Aggie Winchester's got better things to worry about than who'll be elected Prom Queen.  Goths don't care about that kind of stuff anyway.  And she is a Goth.  Kinda.  She's got the heavy makeup, the black clothes and the don't-mess-with-me glare—it's just that sometimes she feels like a goody-to-shoes playing dress-up.  Still, Prom's the least of her concerns.  Especially when she's dealing with her mother's cancer, her ex-boyfriend's stupid games and news of her best friend's pregnancy.  Who has time to waste on a lame-o school dance?  

Then, the unthinkable—or, at least the totally unbelievable—happens:  Sylvia Ness is nominated for Prom Queen.  Sylvia is Aggie's BFF.  Her fierce, Goth girl BFF.  The one who's going to be a mother in less than a year.  It's a controversy that sets the whole school, the whole community ablaze.  Weirdest of all, Sylvia actually wants to win.  And while she's courting votes, Sylvia's cozying up to the popular crowd, ignoring Aggie, who's supposed to be her best friend.  Aggie needs Sylvia now more than ever, but all she's got is goofy, bass-fishing Fitz Peterson.  

Aggie doesn't know how to solve any of her problems.  Heck, she can't even figure out what should be the easiest question of them all—Who is she, really?  A goody-goody?  A Goth?  Neither?  Both?  She doesn't know anymore.  But, as Aggie tries to figure it all out, she'll learn some important lessons about family, friendship and, believe it or not, fishing.  

It's hard not to relate to a heroine as confused and conflicted as Aggie Winchester.  She may not be the most likable girl out there, but she's definitely sympathetic.  She's also funny, tough and, in spite of herself, tender.  Still, her story drags a little, especially at first.  When it picks up, though, the novel becomes engrossing, thoughtful and real.  While I didn't absolutely love The Implosion of Aggie Winchester by Lara Zielin, I liked it well enough.  The writing's solid, the characters are interesting and the plot kept me entertained.  So, all in all, a decent read.  

(Readalikes:  Hm, I can't think of anything.  Can you?)

Grade:  B-

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

To the FTC, with love:  I received an ARC of The Implosion of Aggie Winchester from the generous folks at G.P. Putnam's Sons (a division of Penguin Young Readers Group).  Thank you!