Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Title: Thirteen Reasons Why
Author: Jay Asher
ISBN: 9781595141712
Publisher: Razorbill
Page #: 288
Source: My public library

Summary:
"Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a strange package with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker - his classmate and crush - who committed suicide two weeks earlier.

Hannah's voice tells him that there are thirteen reasons she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out why.

Clay spends the night crisscrossing his town with Hannah as his guide. He becomes a first-hand witness to Hannah's pain, and learns the truth about himself - a truth he never wanted to face."
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First Lines:

"'Sir?' she repeats. 'How soon do you want it to get there?'
I rub two fingers, hard over my left eyebrow. The throbbing has become intense. 'It doesn't matter,' I say."
Page 1
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Review:

This book is a doozie. I have been told by numerous people - teens and adults alike - to read this book. I guess I'm glad I did, but holy hell! It totally grabs you by the throat from the beginning and really doesn't let go.

I read this book in less than 24 hours. Very similar to how the main character (Clay) spends a whole night listening to all of the tapes - which may have made this story even more powerful for me. It's the story of a boy receiving these 13 recordings on cassette tapes from a girl who recently committed suicide. The tapes explain what was going on in her life and they were sent to all the people who had a hand in making her life miserable.

This is the most powerful book I've read in a long time. It is just so honest and raw that you feel like you're living the life of Hannah. Her voice is really familiar and normal-seeming. There's just something about it that really struck my heart. The book is super emotional - yet I'm not sure that it made me cry. A little toward the ending, but it's more anger at teenage stupidity (not Hannah's) and how easy it seems to give up.

All you can do is sit back and watch the house of cards fall. It's hard to not think about what you'd say on tapes if it were you. Who would you send them to? Would you send some to the people you love too? Or just the ones you feel are responsible?

This book also opens up the very serious discussion of suicide. I can't help but think that it would be an awesome read for a peer group or just one on one with someone having trouble. As you read through, you think about how Hannah's problems and miseries don't have to add up to suicide. And then thinking about what could have brought about a different outcome - which is something that Clay really gets into as well. Enough that he's almost rooting for someone to change what happened.

It's a hell of a book, and I think it will be great for the right readers. I can't imagine anyone it would be bad for, honestly. But it's such a heavy topic, I'm not sure how easy it will be to recommend it. But I really do. I recommend it highly. The writing is real and honest... the story is gut wrenching... just all around wonderful. Fine, everyone needs to read it. Adults especially, because I think it's as close as you can get to a teen brain at the moment.

The author's blog is linked above, but also check out the website for the book. There's lots of good stuff there.
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Other Blog Reviews:

I'm Booking It
Typing With My Toes
Capricious Reader
The Book Lady's Blog
Flight Into Fantasy
Bewitched Bookworms
The Book Whisperer
This is only the first page of google results. Lots of reviews to read out there. Check them out.

Hexbound by Chloe Neill

Title: Hexbound (Dark Elite #2)
Author: Chloe Neill
ISBN: 9780421230799
Publisher: Signet Books
Page #: 246
Source: My public library

Summary:
"They say absolute power corrupts absolutely. Turns out that even a little magic can turn you to the dark side. That's why Lily has to learn how to control her newly discovered paranormal abilities, on top of avoiding the snobs who think they run her school, nursing a crush on a cute sophomore with a big werewolf-y secret, and fighting the good fight with her best friend, Scout, as they take on Chicago's nastiest nightlife - including the tainted magic users known as Reapers.

Then one night Lily and her friends are attacked by creatures like nothing they've ever seen before. And in the aftermath, she realizes she'll have to use her growing powers sooner than she thought - because she's smack in the middle of a paranormal turf war that could tear Chicago apart..."
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First Lines:

"I stayed absolutely still, my eyes closed, the sun warm on my face. As long as I didn't fidget too much, the noon sun was just strong enough to cancel out the chilly October breeze that blew through our part of downtown Chicago."
Page 1
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Review:

My review for Firespell.

I've decided that this Dark Elite series is quickly becoming one of favorites. It's the story of a girl who was shipped off to boarding school in Chicago while her parents do some mysterious research across the globe. She finds out that she's magically inclined and becomes part of a group of "Adepts" who battle the evil magical creatures for control of the night. Basically. :)

One of the things I really like about this story is the difference of abilities for each character. No one is exactly the same. One person can do spellbinding, one can manipulate any technology, one can communicate with spirits, and so on. Everyone has something different to offer the group - making it a stronger group than if everyone had the same thing. I think that makes for an interesting story. Especially when your main character is just trying to figure out how to use hers.

I really thought I was gonna be lost on where we were in the story. I couldn't fully remember the first book, but it took me less time than I thought. It was so easy to get back into the flow of the story and the author does a great job reminding you where you've come from. The setting is so clear and visual, it makes jumping back in easy.

There are a few more relationship aspects to this book than the first one (if I remember correctly). You have some budding romances and some friendships that are turning into something else. There's some drama around these, but they are totally secondary to the main run of the book. I think that gives the story the right touch of romance without fully giving into it.

Honestly, I stayed up last night finishing this book. I realized too late that I probably shouldn't have. The author writes some things in such a spooky way, it totally freaked me out. Darn book! :) She did a great job giving descriptions of the new evil in their world - it's super gross and creepy. Doesn't help with the sleep factor though.

I've been recommending Firespell to many of my teens, and I know my copy is already requested at the library. Go figure. So I won't have to do much selling of this book, but I still will give it out. Anyone who is into paranormal books - with a hint of romance - will really like this series. I'm definitely a fan and I can't wait for the third book to come out! Not that it's been announced or anything (possibly August '11). So stalk over to the author's page to bug her about the next one :).
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Other Blog Reviews:

I Read to Relax!
The Book Smugglers
The Bibliophilic Book Blog
Books with Bite
Rex Robot Reviews
Blkosiner's Book Blog
Pure Imagination
There are so many reviews out there, I can't list all of them. But go give them a look, because it seems that most are positive. See? It's totally worth a read :).

Waiting on Wednesday (48)

"Waiting on Wednesday" is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. Here's what I'm waiting on this week:

The Magnolia League
by Katie Crouch
To be released: May 03, 2011

Summary from Baker and Taylor:
"After the death of her free-spirited mother, sixteen-year-old Alex Lee must leave her home in northern California to live with her wealthy grandmother in Savannah, Georgia. By birth, Alex is a rightful, if unwilling, member of the Magnolia League, Savannah's long-standing debutante society. She quickly discovers that the Magnolias have made a pact with a legendary hoodoo family, the Buzzards. The Magnolias enjoy youth, beauty and power. But at what price?"

This book sounds amazing. I think the author is a debut in YA - but she has other adult novels. I think the premise sounds really cool. And set in Savannah? Sign me up. Not to mention that the cover is beautiful.

The Year We Were Famous by Carole Estby Dagg

Title: The Year We Were Famous
Author: Carole Estby Dagg
ISBN: 9780618999835
Publisher: Clarion Books
Page #: 246
Source: ARC from the author
To be published in April 2011

Summary:
"With their family home facing foreclosure, seventeen-year-old Clara Estby and her mother, Helga, need to raise a lot of money fast - no easy feat for two women in 1896. Helga wants to tackle the problem with her usual loud and flashy style, while Clara favors a less showy approach. Together they come up with a plan to walk the 4,600 miles from Mica Creek, Washington to New York City - and if they can do it in only seven months, a publisher has agreed to give them $10,000.

Based on the true story of the author's great-aunt and great-grandmother, this is a fast-paced historical adventure that sets the drama of Around the World in Eighty Days against an American backdrop during the time of the suffragist movement, the 1896 presidential campaign, and the changing perception of a 'woman's place' in society."
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First Lines:

"I arranged a dozen winter-blooming Johnny jump-ups in a tall pill bottle and set them on tray along with three biscuits and coffee in Ma's best teacup. As if it might bite, I took a deep breath and lifted the letter by one corner and laid it across the top of the tray."
Page 3
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Review:

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book. I don't know that I've read many novels that are based on a real story. But what an amazing story this is! I couldn't believe that it really happened - and at the time it happened. Not to mention the awesomeness of this author writing about her ancestors.

This is the story of a mother and daughter who get sponsored to walk from Washington state to New York City. They do it all to save their farm because of money troubles. The woman in NYC offers them $10,000 to do the trip and write a book about it in the end. This is their story of traveling across snowy mountains, hot lava fields, through Indian reservations, and much more. It's the story of the people they meet and what they learn about themselves along the way.

I was a little worried about how much time the book covers - and how much you might miss (because the book is fairly short), but the author does an amazing job pulling out the really important parts and giving you the main story line. There is a lot of time not covered, but you can imagine that not much happened... besides being tired and finding a place to sleep and eat for the night.

That was one thing that really surprised me - Helga and Clara depending completely on the kindness of strangers to take care of them. I guess I have a hard time believing it because of the time we live in now. Can you imagine taking someone in for the night because they are weary travelers? I don't think so. Even if they had a letter from the governor like they did. It's just amazing to me that people were so trusting.

This book is also set in a time where women's suffrage is just becoming a huge topic. So part of this story is about how women are just as good as men - and how they can do anything they set their minds to. I loved that aspect. I think that gives the book a whole other level of interest. Many of the people they meet along the way are women who are fighting to equal rights - and even women living in a home where she's fighting to be seen as equal. A very cool look at that part of history.

Speaking of history, I'm not exactly well-versed in all things history. In fact, I'm not very good at knowing historical facts and all that. But there were a few parts of this story that I found myself questioning the accuracy. Just phrases or words used that seem a little more modern to me. Again, I have no idea... it just might bother someone who is more well-read on history topics.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book. It was a super-fast read and I've already handed it off to one of my coworkers and mentioned it to someone else. I think this is a great book for teens. I have a lot who come in looking for historical fiction for classes, and this one is the right length and interest for that. I'll definitely be recommending it. It's an amazing adventure, so I think boys will be able to get into it as well.

The author is a debut this year and I look forward to reading more from her in the future. Well done! Her website has lots of historical information, as well as info on the author. Check it out.
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Other Blog Reviews:

Damsels in Regress
Well, we have a couple of months until this one comes out. So not many people have reviewed it yet. I look forward to reading others when it comes out!

Offering Excuses

I come offering excuses for my lazy-seeming blogging lately. See, I do have a legit reason. I just didn't want to admit that I'm bogged down at the moment. But it's to the point where I'm not sure how regular the blog is gonna be updated in the next few months.

Here's my super-legit reason:

I'm getting married on April 9!!!

Yeah. So, I'm stressed.

We're looking at less than six weeks now.

39 DAYS! Holy crap, I shouldn't have looked at that.

I'm buried in flower decisions, meetings with everyone we've hired, and doing all this while being in another state. It's more than I was hoping it would be. Of course, I was the dumbo thinking it would be easy.

All this to say, yes... I'm still reading. Yes, I'm still blogging about each book I read. But it feels like I'm slowing down a lot. I can't spend my time at home getting lost in a book (even though I do sometimes to de-stress). But the posts may be slowing down a little. I'd like to think they won't, but I wanna post a warning in case:

Warning: Stressed Librarian Blogging!!!

Okay, I feel better now.