The Babysitter Murders by Janet Ruth Young

Genre: YA contemporary
Pages: 304 (hardcover)
To Be Published: July 26th by Atheneum
Recommended for: someone looking for a different, intriguing contemporary read
*I received this book from Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review, and this is no way affected my review, and yada yada*

My Take:
Dani Solomon loves her after-school job babysitting Alex, a sweet if spoiled little boy whose mother is often preoccupied with work.  Yet slowly but surely, Dani comes to dread babysitting for Alex, because she just can't shake the feeling that she's going to kill him.

Dani is appalled by her own horrible thoughts of killing Alex and knows she would never do such a thing, yet the disturbing mental images and thoughts continue.  As the repetitive and horrifying thoughts begin to interfere with other aspects of Dani's life, including her friendship with her BFF Shelley, Dani makes the mistake of turning to Alex's mother for help.  When she confesses her thoughts about killing Alex, his mother calls the cops on Dani-- and begins a community-wide "witch-hunt" against Dani, as parents and former classmates alike turn against her, sickened and convinced that she is a serial killer waiting to happen.  Meanwhile Dani struggles to deal with the war which is being waged in her own mind-- the crushing effects of her specific brand of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.  But when an extremist group targeting community violence-- who don't mind resorting to violence themselves-- set their sights on Dani, her very life may be at stake. 

OCD is a funny little thing.  Almost 1% of the population have some noticeable form of it, and it manifests in so many different ways.  Yet the phrase OCD, for many, brings to mind someone obsessively scrubbing their doorknobs clean of germs and vacuuming six times a day.  I'm not one to get into too much personal information, but I have quite a few OCD behaviors myself, so I was very interested to read this book about a girl whose OCD gets her into a whole world of trouble on the wrong side of citizens' arrest.

Our protagonist Dani is really a sweet girl, even despite her gory thoughts, and her struggles against her own mind and what she feared she might do were heart-felt and painful.  There were plenty of times when I wanted to scream at her for speaking about her impulses with other people.  (Yes, sharing is good, dear Dani, but sharing our urges to kill people's children with them is something that we should probably avoid.)  I liked the subplot with Dani's friend Shelley and it was nice to read about a YA heroine who was well-supported by her family-- or her mom, anyway.  Beth Solomon rocked.  I can only hope that, should I be suddenly targeted by the local newspaper and a crazy, extremist citizens' militia group as a possible child killer, my own mom would be there to pull me out of the fray.  This book is a quick read, and actually held my attention despite the fact that my copy was an e-book and I typically find it difficult to get into e-books.  In short, The Babysitter Murders is a very good, thought-provoking book.

Cover: 3/5

Premise: 5/5

Characters: 4/5

Plot: 4/5

Overall Rating: 4/5 

Friday Following & Hopping (#26)

Happy Friday!!!  Hello to everyone stopping by my blog via Follow Friday (hosted by paranormal blogging queen Parajunkee).  I'd also like to welcome any of my old followers just dropping in to say hi. 

This Friday and Saturday I'm participating in an awesome read-a-thon event, hosted by Squeaky Books. (Trying to wind down and, most importantly, cut down that TBR pile!)  Saturday is also my 17th birthday, so yeah, I'm going to be a bit busy, but as always I will endeavor to return your follows and visits.  Leave your links! :)


This week's featured blogger over at FF is: Rhiannon Paille.

And the question is:

Genre Wars! What's your favorite genre and which book in that genre made it your favorite?

My answer: Anyone who reads the blog (or indeed just my bio) knows I love, love my dystopia.  I've been on a huge dystopian kick this past year, said kick having been inspired by The Hunger Games.  But I'm also crazy about fantasy-- I really grew up reading books like Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings and the Dragonlance Chronicles and books like Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Coraline.  Anything Neil Gaiman.  I also love science fiction-- steampunk reads and YA series like the Uglies series.  And historical fiction is just fascinating to me, especially novels about the Tudors and Ancient Egypt...

Yep, it seems I have definite commitment problems when it comes to book genres.  If I have to pick (it's kinda like I imagine picking a favorite child must be), I'll have to go with fantasy.  Anything speculative, like dystopia and steampunk, is built up from fantasy, anyways.  This is a fun question-- can't wait to see what genre is most popular among everybody else!  I'm betting on dystopia, considering recent trends.  :)
 
 
I wish you all happy blog hopping and a fantastic weekend!!

Spring into Summer Readathon (June 17th-18th)

This post is to announce to the world that I'm participating in the Spring into Summer Read-a-thon hosted by Enna Isilee of Squeaky Books!

This read-a-thon is going to be a hundred kinds of awesome. It's basically two days where you try do NOTHING but read. It's a great chance to get rid of some of those books that have been sitting on our TBR piles forever.

But that's not all! There will also be awesome mini-challenges and a TON of giveaways! In fact, just for signing up you are entered to win a $25 gift card to Amazon! SO GO SIGN UP! And if you say that Kat @ A Myriad of Books (or any other participant) sent you when you sign up, you'll get 5 extra entries to win that gift card! CLICK HERE to enter to win, and learn all there is to know about the read-a-thon.

OK, so here are my personal goals for the Read-a-thon:

The 18th is actually my birthday, so how much reading I actually get done on the 18th depends largely on birthday plans, though honestly I can't think of any way I'd rather spend my birthday than reading out by the pool!  ;)  So,

I plan to read: 1000 pages minimum-- a lot of the books on my TBR are simply GINORMOUS, so I'll just see how far that takes me

Books on my reading list: 

Yes, I know, what a decadent bunch of books.  I'm so looking forward to this read-a-thon, and can't wait to share my reviews of these books with you guys-- they are some of my most anticipated books of 2011!  I wish all of you the best of luck in tackling your TBRs! 

Well, have you signed up for the Read-a-thon yet? DO IT NOW!

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP

Cleopatra Confesses by Carolyn Meyer

Genre: YA historical
Pages: 288 (hardcover)
Published: June 2011 by Simon & Schuster

Synopsis:
It is the first century B.C.  Cleopatra, the third of the pharaoh's six children, is the one that her father has chosen to be the next queen of Egypt. But when King Ptolemy is forced into exile, Cleopatra is left alone to fend for herself in a palace rife with intrigue and murder. Smart, courageous, ambitious and sensuously beautiful, she possesses the charm to cause two of history's most famous leaders to fall in love with her. But as her cruel sisters plot to steal the throne, Cleopatra realizes there is only one person on whom she can rely--herself.
 
My Take: 

Cleopatra VII, Egypt's most famous Queen.  The name inspires such powerful imagery: a sensual and imperial woman riding in a golden boat along the Nile, regarding her prostrated subjects with a shrewd eye from beneath the crown of her two kingdoms.  I've read quite a few fascinating and engrossing books about Cleopatra's life and legacy.  To be fair, I also did an extensive thesis project on her a few years ago-- I know her story very well, whereas author Carolyn Meyer seems to have assumed in writing this that her audience knows nothing about Cleopatra at all.  The brief version of this review is that the book failed to captivate, though it was historically accurate and told from the first person POV of Cleopatra herself.  


The story begins when Cleopatra is about ten, shortly before her father, King Ptolemy "Auletes" leaves Egypt to be exiled for many years.  There are descriptions of palace life and the royal family's voyages on a royal boat whilst the country is deep in famine and in even deeper debt.  We grow to hate Cleopatra's older sisters-- cardboard-flat characters, but they serve their purpose.  The narrative is told in brief chapters divided by years, as Cleopatra schemes to outwit her conniving sisters and become Queen-- co-regent beside her younger brothers.  The story ends very abruptly soon after Cleopatra has herself delivered to Julius Caesar in the carpet... the final chapter jumps forward in time to describe her suicide and Antony's death, but none of it is very moving, considering we hardly get to meet Antony in the book at all.  It skims conveniently over her affairs with Antony and Caesar and the births of her children, as well as the Battle of Actium, and winds up being a very short read.  Overall, this book reads much like a textbook-- a well-written, colorful, accurate textbook-- but a textbook none the less.  There are so many fantastic books, both YA and adult, which have been written about Cleopatra, and several more coming out this year.  I would definitely hold out for another book.

Cover: 4/5

Premise: 4/5

Characters: 2/5

Plot: 2/5 

Overall Rating: 3/5

Special Guest Review: Gone by Michael Grant

 Yes, my good friend and sisterly accomplice Pinky has returned to the blog at last.  This time she's giving us her take on the first book in the phenomenal, intensely fast-paced Gone series.  Take it away, Pinky!...

Genre: YA dystopian
Pages: 558 (paperback)
Published: 2008 by Harper Teen
Recommended for: fans of dystopian series

Synopsis:

In the blink of an eye. Everyone disappears. GONE.
Except for the young. Teens. Middle schoolers. Toddlers. But not one single adult. No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. Just as suddenly, there are no phones, no internet, no television. No way to get help. And no way to figure out what's happened.
Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents—unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers—that grow stronger by the day.
It's a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen, a fight is shaping up. Townies against rich kids. Bullies against the weak. Powerful against powerless. And time is running out: On your birthday, you disappear just like everyone else... 

Pinky's Take: 

In a phrase, this book pretty much 'rocks socks'.   The nonstop action, suspense, cliffhangers, and even a little romance helps this book appeal to every type of audience.  Even so, it is not for the faint-hearted.  However addictive the novel can be, I was on the verge of tears several times throughout.  I would never describe it as a 'happy' book, although there are many cheerful parts that simply make you smile.  

Most people would describe the beginning of Gone as a bit slow.  This is probably because all of the characters are in shock from the disappearance of everyone over the age of fifteen.  The big disappearance actually happened before the book even began.  On the first page, it describes the main character, Sam Temple, in his classroom right after his teacher has vanished.  He glances around the room, looking at his classmates, and notices how a couple students are missing as well.  This is because they were already fifteen years old.  Sam, being fourteen himself, and now considered an elder in the town of Perdido Beach-- "Fallout Alley"--, the only place affected by the strange disappearance, naturally takes charge.  Sam, being a hunky surfer dude and the guy who saved two dozen kids' lives in a horrific school bus accident, is immediately looked to for guidance by toddlers and teens alike.  Along with his new girlfriend, nicknamed 'Astrid the Genius', and his surfing partner/best friend, he does everything possible to keep the delicate situation under control. 

This turns out to be harder than it sounds.  With the cell phones and internet down, and a strange reflective barrier surrounding the entire city and forests beyond that hurts to the touch, Sam has a big responsibility on his hands.  And things get especially difficult when the students from Coates Academy, the rich kids' private school outside of town, make an entrance and claim the FAYZ (Fallout Alley Youth Zone) as their own.  I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fast-paced, action-filled series that you can't stop reading once you start.

Cover: 2/5

Premise: 5/5

Characters:4.5/5

Plot: 4/5

Overall Rating: 4.5./5

~Pinky

Cover VS Cover: Wolves of Mercy Falls Series

Cover VS Cover is a semi-weekly meme at A Myriad of Books that I started because I've long been fascinated with the differences between international covers.  Today we're looking at the different covers for the Wolves of Mercy Falls series by Maggie Stiefvater (aka Shiver and its sequels).  Seriously, this series has so many gorgeous covers in so many different countries, it was almost impossible to pick which one I liked best.  As always, let me know what you think!

US                   UK                 French

 These three are the only countries to have a complete set of covers thus far. (Linger hasn't been released in many countries, and Forever, of course, hasn't come out anywhere.)  The US and UK sets have similar themes, and though I like the more eerie feel of the UK covers, the series doesn't have that sinister feel at all, despite the fact that it's about werewolves.  I think the US cover of Shiver remains one of my very favorite covers-- it's just simple enough, just intriguing enough to work.  The French set are very interesting as well, though for me personally, they don't quite compare.  Fusion is my favorite of those three.

 German

 The titles translate to After the Summer and Rest of the Light, respectively.  Interesting.  These covers are very cute-- I like the silhouette-like figures of the girl and the wolf, and the intricate vines... they're definitely a different take than the US and UK covers, though the elements themselves are quite similar. 

 Italian

 These are neat.  The design is simple but unlike any other I've seen, despite the fact that hearts are wayy popular when it comes to YA book covers. 

 Bulgarian

 Smallish Bulgaria boasts some interesting covers, many of which contain strong influences from other covers, as we saw a few weeks ago in the Cover VS Cover for the Mortal Instruments series.  The first cover is a combination of Fallen and The Sight (check out their covers and you'll see what I'm babbling about).

 Indonesian

 Shiver is the only book of the series to be released so far in Indonesia, but what a beautiful cover it has been gifted with there!  I love the sweet sketchiness of this cover, even though the girl seems a bit too young to scream 'Grace', exactly.

In summary, that's 16 covers from 7 different countries.  I hope you guys enjoyed checking all of them out!

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Genre: YA contemporary
Pages: 372 (hardcover)
Published: December 2010 by Dutton
Recommended for: everyone on the planet who hasn't read it already

I know none of you book bloggers and bookish people have ever heard of this little-known book before, have you?  Well, here's my take on it, anyway, because I simply couldn't resist. ;)

  When Anna Oliphant's newly-filthy-stinking-rich father, who made a fortune penning the world's most heartbreakingly pointless romance novels, announces that he's sending her to the American Academy of Paris for her senior year of high school, Anna could not be less thrilled.  She's an Atlanta girl, a Southern belle sans the accent, and can't stand the thought of being ripped away from her best friend and her job at the local theaters-- not to mention the guy she's been crushing on for forever.  But it's Daddy's orders, so off to Paris Anna goes, an American girl who speaks hardly a word of French and has not yet realized that French fries are not even, in fact, French. (Personally, I felt betrayed when I found that out, but they're technically Belgium fries.)

At the American School, Anna falls in with a ragtag group of international best friends-- including the charismatic and devastating Étienne St Clair, who stakes his claims in being French, English, and American.  Anna feels an instant connection with St Clair as she struggles to adjust to her new life in Paris, but even as she begins to fall in love with him, she cannot ignore the fact that St Clair has a serious girlfriend already.  With both of them are determined to remain best friends, Anna's school year turns out to be a series of hilarious antics and time spent with St Clair as much as one of deep-felt sadness and longing.  But Paris has a reputation as the City of Lights and Romance, and it's doubtful that Anna and St Clair can possibly fail to realize a love as strong and sweet as theirs.

One of the coolest things about this book, for me, was that I've actually visited the American Academy of Paris when I saw a play there, which featured one of my cousins, two summers ago.  I remember thinking that my small-town high school was dull and homogeneous in comparison, and it was fun to read about Anna's adventures in the boarding school.  The setting of Paris is parfait for a love story such as this, and I loved Anna and her friend's various excursions through the city and its lovely parks, as well as the Cemetery (which has to be the most enormous cemetery in the world-- I'll never forget seeing it roll by the train into the city).  Anna is a fantastic heroine, genuine and emotional without being one of those whiny girls I loathe so much in contemporary.  I have noticed that contemp seems to be moving faraway from those whiny girls, actually, so yay for that!  St Clair ties with Virgil (see my review of Revolution, another book set in Paris, actually) for the Favorite Guy Character of 2011 Award.  I loved how he had flaws, like chewing his thumb, and I loved how he was shorter than Anna and had a drawing of himself as Napoleon above his headboard, and I especially love how he wanted to become a history professor. (Me, too!)  He and Anna were perfect for each other-- that much was obvious from their first meeting.

All in all, this is the kind of book best read while quietly sipping coffee in a cafe, or else relaxing on the beach as you chug down a few pina coladas.  I hope everyone who hasn't already experienced this book will find some time to enjoy it this summer.


Overall Rating: 5/5 all around

Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead

Genre: YA fantasy
Pages: 489 (paperback)
Published: 2010 by RazorBill/ Penguin
Recommended for: those who, like me, enjoy the Vampire Academy series
SPOILER ALERT: This review contains mild spoilers from the first four books in the VA series.

My Take:

Dhampir Rose Hathaway has (narrowly) survived her escapades in Russia, where she endeavored to track down Dimitri, her former lover turned Strigoi-- those are the 'bad', nasty, immoral, super-strong corrupt vampires, for those who are new to the series.  Now Rose is faced with the series of infamously difficult trials which will grant her status as an official Guardian-- protector of the aristocratic Moroi vampires-- at last.  After having staked dozens of Strigoi in Russia and during the siege of St Vladimir's, these final exams aren't much of a challenge for Rose's mad skills.  But the fact that Dimitri seems to have followed her to the High Moroi Court might well be her undoing, because this time Dimitri doesn't have an eternal partnership with Rose on the brain... more like he wants to savor killing her before any number of Rose's newfound enemies can perform the deed themselves.

Rose knows she can't evade Dimitri forever-- her only options are to stake the love of her life, or else somehow, find a way to do what everyone says is impossible and restore a Strigoi to life.  Rose's BFF and powerful spirit user, Dragomir Princess Lissa,  thinks she knows someone who might know the secret to saving Strigoi: Victor Dashkov, the mentally unstable and conniving Moroi whom Lissa once adored for his charisma... before Victor's torture of her and betrayal of his own daughter landed him a cell in a secluded Alaskan prison.  Rose and the gang are forced to plan a high-security jail break, one whose consequences could be devastating if the truth ever got out...

And that's not even half of their problems!  I feel sorry for whoever has to blurb the Vampire Academy series-- those short summaries can become quite extensive due to all the complex characters and relationships.  Not to mention all of those subplots!  I really enjoyed this fifth installment in the Vampire Academy series, though not as much as Blood Promise.  Once again the book was impossible to put down and the action never stalled, though I do have a few complaints this time around.  Everything, from the jail break to the Guardian trials, felt a bit too easy-- I never really felt like Rose was in any danger of failing.  Even the scenes with Dimitri lacked the sheer intensity of the previous books; his character as a Strigoi seemed a little inconsistent to me as well, though I guess he was probably pretty sick of trying to convince Rose to 'join him on the Dark Side' and just wanted to slit her throat and get her out of the way.

Not that this book was really about Rose and Dimitri (you know, the kick-ass couple who were the main draw of the series?)  I'm half-convinced the guy Rose is snogging on the front cover must be Adrian, because, man, do they do a lot of snogging in this installment.  I've actually half-heartedly switched to Team Adrian, mainly because I think he deserves a chance with her after everything he's done to help her and Lissa.  But I'm not so hopeful as to think that Adrian and Rose will actually, ultimately end up together after all the extensive trouble she's gone through to save Dimitri's soul and whatnot.  I like Adrian, though: he's the ultimate bum-ish boyfriend who never does anything (except, okay, loan out his money and walk around in Rose's dreams wearing a bathrobe), yet we somehow knew from the start that he has a heart of gold.  The ending of this book absolutely (though not literally, obviously ;) killed me-- I didn't see it coming at all, and would have read Spirit Bound if only for its shocker of an ending.  All in all, a pretty good book, but definitely not the strongest of the series.

Cover: 3/5 (I hate carrying around covers with people kissing on them-- it's awkward when people ask you what you're reading)

Premise: 5/5

Characters: 4/5

Plot: 4/5

Overall Rating: 4/5