Review: "Poison Study" by Maria V. Snyder

Title: Poison Study
Author: Maria V. Snyder
Publisher: Luna, 2005
Where I got it: Hooray for the library and taking books out for free. Also, as a side note, I like this cover, which was the cover for the edition I read. I think it is real nifty and way better than the other ones out there. (In one she has blonde hair, which is SO wrong. What's up with that? Also, they are totally white washing the covers. She's supposed to have bronze skin. NONE of the ones I saw did.)

Yelena is scheduled to die. Sentenced to execution for the murder of her benefactor's son, she is fully prepared to face the consequences of her actions one year later—but she is given an unexpected choice. She is offered the position of food taster to the Commander, leader of Ixia. Choosing the possibility of life over certain death, Yelena is trained to detect poisons in each of the Commander's meals; yet she is constantly looking for a way out. But things get complicated as she forges friendships, discovers betrayal, and unearths several state secrets; all the while, she pushes away her feelings for the impassive and cold Valek, her trainer and the Commander's right-hand man. All she wants is to get out of this situation alive, but at every turn that seems impossible.

I enjoyed Yelena's story. She is an incredibly strong woman, who has undergone and continues to endure pain, torture, abuse and the threat of death. Though her situation vastly improves once she is released from the dungeon, she still lives the nightmares of her past in her mind. Her strength and determination are the only way she is able to live through the initial horrors that led to her imprisonment, her position as food taster and constant target for violence and assassination, and her memories.

I really liked Valek too—incredibly loyal and compassionate beneath his stony exterior, he ended up gaining my trust by the end of the book despite his ease with killing and questionable motives for helping Yelena. I loved watching his and Yelena's relationship slowly develop; neither are sure if they can trust one another, yet a friendship begins to blossom between them without their realizing it.

Most of the secondary characters were just fantastic, too. Rounded and three-dimensional, they all had their faults even if they were good guys. And the Commander is fascinating—though this is a military dictatorship, it seems to work pretty well (at least at the time the book takes place) and he is well-respected and liked for the most part. Though not everyone is happy with the regime, the Commander is not evil as one might expect, and I was very interested in all his personality quirks that are revealed along the way.

As for the plot, I certainly wanted to know where this was all going. There is intrigue, espionage, fighting and mystery-solving going on all over the place. Little twists here and there kept me guessing, though some points were a little predictable (though not much).

I read this for a book group, and though there were only three of us we kept a pretty good discussion going, aided by discussion questions in the back of one of the editions we had. There is a lot going on in this, especially in how the cultures work and why the Commander chose to do certain things over others. A thought-provoking and thoroughly enjoyable read, I will most likely pick up the sequels at some point (when I find the time, hooray).

Review: "The Ask and the Answer" by Patrick Ness

Title: The Ask and the Answer (Chaos Walking Book Two)
Author: Patrick Ness
Publisher: Candlewick Press, 2009
Where I got it: My library.

**Spoilers for The Knife of Never Letting Go**

After a terribly hangy cliffhanger, Ness continues the story of Todd and Viola on New World, this time as they process their new surroundings and situation in the colony of New Prentisstown, under the direction of Mayor (now President) Prentiss. Kept separate by the new regime, Todd and Viola both narrate their own stories and experiences; Todd as a prisoner and then worker under Mayor Prentiss, and Viola in the healing house under the formidable and strong Mistress Coyle. Things aren't as terrible as they feared at first, but as time goes by they both notice things that aren't humane or right. It doesn't take long before they must choose what side to support, whether they agree with everything going on or not.

This second installment of the Chaos Walking trilogy is no disappointment. Though not as heart-poundingly intense as the first, it is still chock-full of tension and twists that I wasn't expecting. Ness is more subtle in this one, and that's not a bad thing.

Though the plot certainly kept me turning the pages, this is very character-driven as well. We see a lot of development in certain characters, especially Davy Prentiss, that I never would have imagined after reading the first book. There is also a little development in Todd and Viola's relationship, despite the fact that they are separated for most of the book.

The way Ness portrays the Mayor is truly terrifying. An ally, or a foe? He is alternately kind and maniacal, and I was never quite sure which way it would go; I always wanted to believe everything he stood for is evil, but Ness wrote him in such a way as to confuse me enough to wonder. Mistress Coyle is similarly handled. I was never sure if I should trust her motives or not. For those of you who read Mockingjay, I was reminded of Snow and Coin by these characters, respectively. I'm not saying they're the same by the way, I'm just saying that these two characters put me in mind of those two.

It was interesting to hear Viola's point of view in this book. Part of why I loved The Knife of Never Letting Go so much was Todd's voice and the way Ness wrote him and his vernacular. That was lost when Viola narrated, as she is from a more educated background than Todd, and she has no Noise. Todd's stream-of-consciousness style is still beautifully written here, but I missed it when I read Viola's portions. That said, I am glad we get to hear her story as well.

Ultimately this is a story about the cause, effect and practice of warfare. Ness goes into the decisions made during war, and the ethics involved on both sides, yet he is not black and white about it. There is some very philosophical debate within the pages, and it will certainly raise some discussion questions if you read this for a book club or in a class.

And the ending? Be prepared for another massive cliffhanger. I think I'll take my time before reading the third book (which I have taken out of my library already), just to recover a bit from this one, but I fully intend to find out what happens.

Review: "Dash and Lily's Book of Dares" by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Title: Dash and Lily's Book of Dares
Authors: Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Publisher: Knopf, 2010
Where I got it: I received a SIGNED copy from my awesome Secret Santa, Em of Love YA Lit!

Dash is not one for Christmas. He'd much rather spend his vacation wandering around the stacks in the Strand, his favorite bookstore, than out reveling in the joys of the season. He doesn't even have his parents around (through some ingenius misleading on his part). So when he finds a red Moleskin notebook tucked among the volumes, of course he's game to the dares that go with it. He's intrigued. Besides, what else does he have to do?

Lily love Christmas. She loves everything about it: the caroling, the food, the baking, the presents, the songs and the wardrobe. That's why she is not so pleased when her parents end up spending the holiday in Fiji and disrupting the holiday traditions she loves so dearly. But she has one red Moleskin, a brother's plan to keep her busy, and someone who answers the dare, unexpectedly with one of his own.

In the days before Christmas leading up to New Year's, Dash and Lily find themselves leading each other all over the island of Manhattan on one dare after another that not only force them to discover new things about each other, but about themselves as well.

After all the hype surrounding Dash and Lily, I was really looking forward to reading this as a Christmasy read to get me in the spirit. Unfortunately, because this was the mindset in which I approached it, I was disappointed. It didn't seem like a Christmasy book to me, despite Lily's over-the-top love for the holiday. It's not that it wasn't good, I just set myself up for something that this book wasn't.

I liked all of the characters well enough, though I found Lily to be irritating at times. Some people seemed a little unbelievable, but I could overlook that fact in order to allow myself to enjoy the story and where it was going. Boomer is probably my favorite character—he was always so excited and positive, and I thought all of his little personality quirks were fantastic, especially following mommy bloggers just to see their cattiness. And I also really liked Sofia, Dash's ex. She had this quiet wisdom that didn't seem off-putting, and I like that.

I enjoyed the pseudo-tour of NYC, even though I don't particularly like the city. It was a good way to get to see it without actually having to be there, plus I had two expert guides. And the tasks Dash and Lily set up for each other? Outstanding. I wish I had half the imagination Levithan and Cohn have. It must have been great fun to pass the manuscript back and forth to each other, not knowing what to expect next (this is information I get from Jamie at The Perpetual Page-Turner, by the way).

As for the romance, it was very sweet and happy. This is one of those instances where the two lovebirds aren't madly attracted to each other for no reason; they truly like the other for their beliefs and thoughts and personalities and their ability to share them with one another. Though they get to know each other through the notebook, they have a relationship that is more real than many I see in YA nowadays.

Not to mention most of it was hilarious. I especially liked Dash's sections (the chapters alternate between Dash and Lily's narration). Also, not that I'm one to talk about this too much, but I love this cover. A lot.

Don't expect a heartwarming Christmas story when you pick this up, because you'll be disappointed if that's what you're anticipating. But if you just want a fun book set during the holidays that tells a funny and cute story about two teens falling for each other through clues they leave for each other all over Manhattan, this is it.

Review: "Let It Snow" by 3 awesome YA authors

I know it's a little late for this, but I DID finish the book on Christmas, which was my goal all along.

Title: Let It Snow
Authors: Maureen Johnson, John Green and Lauren Myracle
Publisher: Speak, 2008
Where I got it: The library!

Let It Snow is made up of three novellas written by three different authors, all big names in the YA book world. And let me tell you, it's for a reason. Each holiday romance takes place mostly in Gracetown on Christmas Eve during one of the biggest snowstorms of the decade. Though all are focused on different characters, in the end they all come together, and along the way characters and events are intertwined in a way that always made me excited to recognize a name or realize how everything was fitting together.

The first was Maureen Johnson's "Jubilee Express," which tells the sweet story of a girl who, despite all signs pointing the other way, thinks she's in a perfect relationship with a perfect guy. But when her parents land in jail and she ends up stranded in a small town, will she be able to see she deserves better? Despite how well-written this is, I didn't find too much that made it stand out for me. It was funny and touching, but it was pretty predictable with no real twists. (Except for the beginning.)

The next story, John Green's "The Cheertastic Christmas Miracle," definitely reminded me that I totally need to read more John Green, and own more of his stuff. He creates the best, quirkiest, most likable characters I've encountered in a while. Here, he picks up the story of a secondary character in Johnson's story and continues to write a cute little romance between old friends (which is one of my favorite kinds) written in a completely believable teen male voice. The situations he creates for his characters are so wacky and unexpected that he completely won me over. I give his story 5 stars, for sure, and this was by far my favorite of the three.

The last story of the three is Lauren Myracle's "The Patron Saint of Pigs," which brings all three stories together. The mysterious Jeb, briefly mentioned in the other two stories, finally gets his own fleshed out. Told from the perspective of his slightly self-absorbed sort-of-ex-girlfriend Addie, we see how one person's obliviousness and selfishness can completely backfire for everyone involved, and how it can be fixed with some effort, and the arrival of a teeny tiny piggy. (You will want a teacup piggy after reading this, just fair warning.) All of the characters in Myracle's contribution have multiple sides and are people I can see existing in real life; they're all flawed and try to fix things that go wrong because of their personalities. Plus, this story tied them all together in the end, much like the Christmas pageant in Love Actually brought all those characters and their stories together in that lovely Christmas movie (which you should watch if you haven't yet).

All in all, John Green carried this one for me. I did enjoy the other two stories, but they completely pale in comparison to Green's story and writing. It was a nice Christmasy read, and I'm glad I found the time to finish it before December 25 ended.

My very first readalongs!

A third post in one day! How crazy! I just wanted to share with you all another development in my reading life today.

I've decided to participate in two readalongs, both hosted by Allie at A Literary Odyssey, and both starting in January. These are my first readalongs ever, so I'm kind of excited about it.

The first is a January readalong of Wilkie Collins' The Woman in White, a book I've been wanting to read for at least a couple of years. Finally I have a reason to get started on it, and I'll be able to talk about it with others.

The second is a readalong that will span January and February, thank goodness. That's because we'll be reading the very large and very long War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. This will be my second book by him, and I'm looking forward to it. I just hope I can finish it without falling (too far) behind!

Do you have any desire to read either of these? Join us! C'mon, it'll be fun. :)

Top Ten (well, Eight) Books of 2010

For today's Top Ten Tuesday (as always, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish), we are reviewing our favorite reads of 2010. But I've come across a problem that I'm pretty sure will not be an issue for most people. I can only think of eight.

1. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver: One of the best YA authors out there right now. This book was fantastic, and so well written.
2. The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness: Blew me away. I need to read these sequels and keep procrastinating. I have no idea why.
3. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie: Okay, this was a reread, but it's still one of the best books I read this year, and ever.
4. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson: See above.
5. Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli: I listened to this one on CD. Part of the reason I loved it so much is because John Ritter narrated it. In fact I love it so much, I just ordered it.
6. Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon Hale: A fantastic fairy-tale fusion of a graphic novel. A little steampunk, a lot of fractured fairy tales, some Western stuff going on—all of it's good.
7. Paper Towns by John Green: I need to read more of John Green's stuff. I loved this, but I think I especially loved it because I listened to it on audio. Dan John Miller, the narrator, was absolutely unbelievable. I HIGHLY recommend this audiobook, especially for people who need to have a good experience listening to one.
8. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor: Finally got around to reading (well, listening) to this one. Another great audiobook, narrated by Lynne Thigpen.

That's all I can think of, honestly. I'm sure I've read other fantastic books this year but unfortunately I haven't kept track of them all. I think I'll do that in 2011. What are yours?

For those of you who are wondering...

I did not get any books for Christmas, outside of my totally awesome Secret Santa gifts from bookish friends. That is sad, some of you might think. But wait. It's not so bad.

Why?

Because I totally got a nook for Christmas.

I'm super excited about this, as I've been collecting free ebooks from bn.com for months in anticipation of this event. And now I have more than 100.

So who knows when I'll have all the time to read my enormous number of classics I got for free, or the Free Friday books I downloaded. Who knows when I'll read the cheapy-cheap deal books I got for under $5. But someday, if I want to read them, they'll BE THERE.

Also, can I say how incredibly excited I am that I can actually use NetGalley now? Thank you for Delirium, my friend. I will get there as soon as I can, I promise you.