Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe, by Preston Norton ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Bullying, Child Abuse, Contemporary Fiction, Drug Abuse, High School, Homophobia, Humor, Religious Fanaticism, Suicide, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: June 5th, 2018

400 Pages

Synopsis: Cliff Hubbard is a huge loser. Literally. His nickname at Happy Valley High School is Neanderthal because he’s so enormous—-6’6” and 250 pounds to be exact. He has no one at school and life at his trailer park home has gone from bad to worse since his older brother’s suicide.

There’s no one Cliff hates more than the nauseatingly cool quarterback, Aaron Zimmerman. Then Aaron returns to school after a near-death experience with a bizarre claim: while he was unconscious he saw God, who gave him a list of things to do to make Happy Valley High suck less. And God said there’s only one person who can help: Neanderthal.

To his own surprise, Cliff says he’s in. As he and Aaron make their way through the List, which involves a vindictive English teacher, a mysterious computer hacker, a decidedly unchristian cult of Jesus Teens, the local drug dealers, and the meanest bully at HVHS—-Cliff feels like he’s part of something for the first time since losing his brother. But fixing a broken school isn’t as simple as it seems, and just when Cliff thinks they’ve completed the List, he realizes their mission hits closer to home than he ever imagined.

Neanderthal Opens the Door To The Universe is one of those books that took me by surprise in regards to how much I liked it. While some of the dialogue is a little awkward and it’s intentionally filled with high school cliches, because of the well-rounded and relatable characters, interesting plot, and positive message, it has a certain charm to it that I think will appeal to a wide audience. The story tackles many social issues: suicide, drug abuse, religious fanaticism, homophobia, bullying, and child abuse. But it never devolves into an annoying after school special/soap opera. This is partly due to the dry humor that pervades the story, but also because the darker themes are balanced by the inspiring responses from the teenage characters.

In the end, Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe is quite uplifting and it’s a story I won’t forget anytime soon. Because of the colorful language involved and dark topics, I wouldn’t recommend this for older teens. I think it’s a wonderful choice for high school classrooms, forthcoming summer reading lists, and book discussion groups.

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Hearts Are Like Balloons by Candace Robinson ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Contemporary Romance, Death of a child, Death of a parent, Suicide, Teen Pregnancy, YA Fiction

Thanks to Candace Robinson for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

234 Pages

Synopsis: May Falkner’s  past two years have been a rough road. When her father suddenly passes away, May needs to find a job to help out her mom and regain some control over her life. Working at the bookstore helps her heal, laugh, and hope again. It also leads her to cross paths with Nico Evitts, who begins as just a co-worker, but becomes so much more.

When it all becomes perfect, because there is no perfect, life steps in to prove once again that it all can crash down harder than before. This is a story about finding yourself, love, and the things in life that are still here.

Hearts are like balloons. Sometimes they inflate…Sometimes they deflate…

Hearts Are Like Balloons is the second novella I’ve read by author and fellow blogger, Candace Robinson. A YA contemporary romance, this short yet magical story had me laughing and crying on more than one occasion. It touches on so many issues including: death of a parent, suicide, teen pregnancy, and infant death. Each of these can have a devastating effect on a person’s life, and this story could have buckled under the weight of them, but instead, the characters are able to overcome these tragedies in a messy, yet realistic way.

May is someone who teen readers will instantly relate to. She’s a flawed character who makes mistakes, yet learns from them instead of repeating them. She ultimately turns these experiences around for the better. The other characters are quirky and equally well-written and help bring this story to life.

The romance between May and Nico is lovely, although they go through some tough times. Their relationship is realistic and emotional, and I was rooting for them the entire time I was reading. As I reached the end, I found myself reluctant to say goodbye.

In the end, Hearts Are Like Balloons is a beautifully told tale of love, loss, and new beginnings. It’s a perfect read that I HIGHLY recommend for older teens and adults. 

 

 

Breaking (Burning), by Danielle Rollins ~ 3.0 Stars

Tags

Dysfunctional Relationships, Horror, Mystery, Suicide, Supernatural, Suspense, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA Childrens for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

352 Pages

Synopsis: Charlotte has always been content in the shadow of her two best friends at the prestigious Underhill Preparatory Institute. Ariel is daring and mysterious. Devon is beautiful and brilliant. Without Charlotte never lived up to the standards of the school–or her demanding mother–her two best friends became the family she never had. When Ariel and Devon suddenly commit suicide within a month of each other, Charlotte refuses to accept it as coincidence. But as the clues point to a dangerous secret at Underhill Prep, Charlotte is suddenly in over her head. There’s a reason the students of Underhill are so exceptional, and the people responsible are willing to kill to protect the truth…

Breaking is the “companion book” to Burning, which means that technically you could read this as a standalone, but I personally think you’ll get more out of it if you read the books in order. 

Breaking has more mystery to it than the previous book, as it opens with the main character, Charlotte, dealing with her two best friend’s suicides only a month apart. She discovers that one of them has left a clue behind, and she determinedly sets out to find out what really happened. None of the characters are very likable. There are flashbacks to when Ari and Devon were still alive, and they both gave off that stereotypical “mean girl” vibe, with Charlotte being the follower. But, there’s a twist near the end of the book which gives a creative twist to this trope which is why I changed my mind about the 2 star rating I was considering giving this. I had mixed feelings about Charlotte. She came across as self-pitying and insecure throughout much of the book, but the more you find out about the relationship she has with her mother, the more understandable this is. And, as the story progressed, she did get stronger. There’s a big build-up to the romance that develops between Charlotte and Jack, but for me, there wasn’t enough chemistry between them.

The plot itself is interesting and kept me guessing for the majority of the story. It’s the last 100 or so pages though, where things get truly exciting and the events from Burning are tied into what’s been happening here. 

Overall, I though Breaking was an okay sequel that could have used more character development. The ending leaves no doubt that there’ll be a third book, and I’m interested in how things will turn out. Because of the darker themes and some brutally graphic scenes, I’d recommend this for older teens who are looking for contemporary fiction with a hint of the supernatural.

Cursing Fate (The Fated #2) ~ By Brenda Drake – 4.5 Stars

Tags

Bullying, Coming of Age Stories, LGBT Relationships, Paranormal Fiction, Romance, Suicide, Suspense, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Teen Crave for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

220 Pages

Release Date: November 22nd, 2016

Synopsis: There’s something strange about the Layne sisters, and Wade Diaz wants nothing to do with them. Especially the one who ripped his heart out and set it on fire before tossing it in the garbage several months ago. Iris. He can’t even think her name without unconsciously rubbing the spot in his chest where she left a gaping hole. But now her sisters are claiming some evil spirit is after his soul, and Iris is the only one who can save him. Well, at least his heart would stop hurting, right? Didn’t sound so bad.

Iris Layne has always been the sweet sister. She’s kind to everyone, including her best friend Wade… Until she makes a horrible mistake and breaks his heart. All she wants is to go back to before ‘the dumping’. Of course, Wade would rather see her in hell first. But then Iris touches her sister’s tarot cards and unleashes an evil curse intent on playing a deadly game where no one Iris loves is safe, especially Wade.

How do you convince someone they need your help when you’re the one who hurt them the most?

After reading Touching Fate, I was curious as to where this series was headed next. I was hoping that Cursing Fate would continue to build upon the intriguing mythology of the first book, and I’m happy to say it exceeded my expectations. Unlike her older sister Aster, Iris isn’t a fate changer, but after finding Aster’s tarot cards, she unwittingly unleashes the cursed spirit who has brought such tragedy to the Van Buren family for decades. My main complaint with the first book was that the characters, especially the secondary ones weren’t developed enough. Although the sequel is even shorter in length, somehow the author completely makes up for this and I enjoyed it even more. In the first book, Iris was mostly an indistinct figure, but what I did see of her I didn’t really like. She came across as being flighty and shallow. Here she came across much more sympathetically and I was surprised at how much I liked her. She’s entirely aware of her flaws and she’s determined to correct them. She admires her twin Violet and aspires to be more like her. The romance between her and Wade is sweet and believable and is the heart of the story. While the main theme concerns the curse, Drake also explores bullying, suicide, and LGBTQ relationships in a thoughtful manner. Overall, Cursing Fate was a quick and fun read and its left me looking forward to reading more about the Layne family. I think this series will have wide appeal with teen girls.

It Looks Like This ~ By Rafi Mittlefehldt – 4.0 Stars

Tags

Contemporary Fiction, Family Relationships, Gender Identity, Homophobia, Self-Acceptance, Suicide, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Candlewick for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

336 Pages

Synopsis: A new state, a new city, a new high school. Mike’s father has already found a new evangelical church for the family to attend, even if Mike and his plain spoken little sister, Toby, don’t want to go. Dad wants Mike to ditch art for sports, to toughen up, but there’s something uneasy behind his demands.

Then Mike meets Sean, the new kid, and “hey” becomes games of basketball, partnering on a French project, hanging out after school. A night at the beach. The fierce colors of sunrise. But Mike’s father is always watching. And so is Victor from school, cell phone in hand.

I have to admit my feelings are a little all over the place about this novel. From the very first chapter, which was two pages long, I was completely hooked. It made me smile, it made me angry, and it made me cry. Before I get to the good stuff though, I want to warn you that there are no quotation marks used for dialogue. Some readers may not mind this, but it did drive me a little crazy. There were times that I found it hard to differentiate between a Mike’s inner thoughts and actual conversations. In a way, I think because the rest of the book was so well-written, that this was even more jarring to me. So, speaking of the good stuff, lets begin with the amazing characters. Mike is your quintessential underdog. He has a few friends, but is the victim of frequent bullying. He’s an introvert, and a lot of the story focuses on his inner thoughts about school, family, friends, and his struggles over his sexuality. Making matters worse is that his family is extremely religious, particularly his father and grandmother. This leads to some of the more tragic moments of the book. I absolutely loved how Mike and Sean’s first meeting is sweetly awkward. This definitely isn’t a case of insta-love, which made it even more believable. Instead, their relationship slowly develops as they work on a school project together. Oh God. Just thinking about them again is making me teary, and I finished this 5 days ago! I also LOVED the relationship between Mike and his eleven-year-old sister Toby. She is absolutely adorable and funny, and wise beyond her years. She understands and supports her big brother more than anyone else in their family. What makes this story so compelling is that you know there are a multitude of versions of this playing out in the real world. While there are more than a few tear-jerking moments, this book is also filled with hope and inspiration. I have to be honest though and say there’s some tough topics in this including homophobia, conversion camps, and suicide. It’s not done in an “after school special” kind of way though. While there are many YA novels out there that focus on how acceptance of LGBTQs is becoming more prevalent, let’s face it. There’s still a lot of work to be done before we can say that this community is treated with respect and considered equal. There were moments that even shocked me as an adult, so while I highly recommend this, I’d say this is more for older teens and adults. It Looks Like This would lend itself beautifully to book discussion groups and family reads. I’m certainly going to be on the lookout for future books by Rafi Mittlefehldt.

The End of Fun ~ By Sean McGinty – 2.0 Stars

Tags

Dysfunctional Families, Mystery, Science Fiction, Suicide, YA Fiction

 

Thank you NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for providing an e-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: April 5th, 2016

Synopsis: FUN®–the latest in augmented reality–is fun but but it’s also frustrating, glitchy and dangerously addictive. Just when everyone else is getting on, seventeen-year-old Aaron O’Faolain wants off.

But first, he has to complete his Application for Termination, and in order to do that he has to deal with his History–not to mention the present, including his grandfather’s suicide and a series of clues that may (or may not) lead to buried treasure. As he attempts to to unravel the mystery, Aaron is sidetracked again…and again. Shadowed by his virtual “best friend” Homie,  Aaron struggles with love, loss, dog bites, werewolf pills, community theater, wild horses, wildfires, and the fact (deep breath) that actual reality can sometimes surprise you.

Despite it’s intriguing premise of virtual reality insidiously taking over the world, combined with a coming-of-age story, ultimately I was disappointed by The End of Fun.

There are two big problems here. The first is the world-building. You’re just thrown in with no real explanation of what’s going on. I was able to surmise that the story takes place in the not too distant future, but there isn’t any real information given about what led up to the creation of this rather sinister virtual reality. Adding to the confusion is FUN® itself. By the end of the book I still wasn’t sure of of what exactly it was, and it’s never explained who is behind it and what their endgame is. The second problem is the main character Aaron. He’s supposed to be seventeen, but he acts more like a thirteen-year-old. He’s inclined to act on his impulses rather than thinking things through, and he’s so self-involved that it borders on narcissism. There are some decent passages that go back in time through Aaron’s memories and reflect on his childhood and his relationship with his grandfather but they’re not enough to deflect from the other deficiencies and inconsistencies that are so prevalent in the rest of the book. 

The End of Fun tries to be too many things: a coming-of-age story, a cautionary tale of reality vs virtual reality, a mystery, an exploration of dysfunctional families and even some environmentalism involving the extinction of birds due to the technology that’s been created. The latter is brought up but then goes absolutely nowhere. All of these themes stand completely separate from one another and never join into one cohesive thread, and it made it extremely difficult to finish the book. There might be some teens that will enjoy the virtual reality aspect of this, but honestly there are other books out there such as Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline that are more well written. 

 

Shades of Darkness (Ravenborn Book One) ~ By A. R. Kahler – 2.0 Stars

Tags

Boarding Schools, Norse Mythology, Rape, Suicide, YA Fiction

Thank you NetGalley and Simon Pulse for providing an e-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: March 3rd, 2016

Synopsis: Islington Arts Academy is not your average high school. Nestled in the forests of Michigan, surrounded by trees and nature and virtually no evidence of civilization, it’s an oasis for those looking to get away. Perfect for a student like Kaira Winters, who wants nothing more than to put her past behind her and focus on the present…and her looming graduation, just a few months away. But the past has a way of returning when least expected.

Kaira knows that what happened before, at her old school, wasn’t normal. She knows what happened to her ex-boyfriend wasn’t natural. But she refuses to believe that the recent death on campus, the one that has everyone on edge, has anything to do with her. She refuses to believe that she could be at fault again.  But just as the past always returns, the truth can never stay hidden for long. 

Even if Kaira didn’t cause the first death at Islington, or the second, or the third, she has the ability to find out who did. She has the obligation to stop whatever is coming to campus. To end the darkness that is falling with the same snow that once blanketed the woods in beauty.

But to embrace this power–to relinquish herself to the ancient entity that has been lurking in the corners of her mind–is to let go of her humanity…and Kaira doesn’t know how far she can go before she loses herself completely.

Shades of Darkness is one of those books that has so much potential but becomes mired in too much melodrama and confusion which makes for a frustrating read.

The first problem is how the book begins. I felt as though I was dropped in the middle of a story and it was difficult to get a grasp of what was going on. There’s multiple hints as to Kaira’s traumatic past, but nothing is really explained until the end of the book. All you know is that something terrible happened and Kaira has exiled herself as far away from her home as she can. She has so many issues and secrets she’s hiding that it makes it hard to relate to her at all. Even when the truth of what happened to her is revealed, I found myself not caring by that point. Further muddying the waters were the supernatural aspects. While from the beginning it’s obvious they have something to do with Norse mythology, it’s unclear for the majority of the book what they have to do with Kaira and the mysterious deaths that are suddenly occurring on campus. I will say the characters are diverse with Kaira describing herself as being an “unknown blend of Native American bloodlines”, but even this I felt was just dropped in there with no further explanation. Kaira’s best friend, Ethan is gay and the exchanges between him and his boyfriend Oliver, provide for the most enjoyable moments of the book. 

For being a relatively short book at 303 pages, the story dragged and I had to force myself to keep reading. While everything is explained in the end, for me it was too little, too late. This is going to be a series, but sadly I don’t think I’ll be giving it another try. It has received some good reviews though on Goodreads, so maybe I just wasn’t in the right mood. 

 

The Feathered Bone ~ By Julie Cantrell – 5.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Depression, Domestic Abuse, Human Perseverance, Human Trafficking, Kidnapping, Suicide

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for providing an e-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: January 26th, 2016

Synopsis: In the pre-Katrina glow of New Orleans, Amanda Salassi is anxious about chaperoning her daughter’s sixth grade field trip to the Big Easy during Halloween. And then her worst fears come true. Her daughter’s best friend, Sarah, disappears amid the magic and revelry–gone, without a trace.

Unable to cope with her guilt, Amanda’s daughter sinks in to depression. And Amanda’s husband turns destructive as he watches his family succumb to grief. Before long, Amanda’s whole world has collapsed.

Amanda knows she has to save herself before it’s too late. As she continues to search for Sarah, she embarks on a personal journey, seeking hope and purpose in the wake of so much tragedy and loss.

Set amidst the murky parishes of rural Louisiana and told through the eyes of two women who confront the darkest corners of humanity with quiet and unbreakable faith, The Feathered Bone is Julie Cantrell’s master portrait of love in a fallen world.

Feathers–no matter what size or shape or color–are all the same, if you think about it. They’re soft. Delicate. But the secret thing about feathers is…they are very strong.

The Feathered Bone is not an easy book to read, yet it’s a hauntingly memorable one that you won’t soon forget. Julie Cantrell has done an incredible job weaving a mesmerizing tale about people who are faced with unimaginable loss, and how they react. It invokes feelings of shock, outrage, sadness and anger, yet in the end, I am so glad I read it.

The story follows both Amanda and her family, and friends as they try to cope with the devastating loss of Sarah as well as Sarah herself as she desperately tries to survive the hell she’s put into. Although the plight of Amanda, and her daughter Ellie, each of whom struggles with feelings of guilt, are difficult to read, it’s the innocent and ever hopeful journal entries of Sarah that are the most gut-wrenching. One of her captors gives her some notebooks and pens. She’s at her lowest when she thinks Ellie is also being held captive. It’s her writing and a little sparrow outside her window that keeps her going. Just to give you an idea, here is an example:

Hello, Sparrow, I asked The Man if I could see Ellie. He hit me. He said I wasn’t being good enough, and that Ellie was going to be put in the box because of me. I didn’t cry, even though blood was all around my eye. He said The Boss is mad at me. I have to do everything they all tell me, even when the other men come to visit. I have to stop fighting. I will try.

Things I Am Thankful For:

1. My sparrow (that’s you)

2. My notebooks

3. My pen

4. Turkey and mashed potatoes (even though they were cold)

5. The Man didn’t come see me today

6. The Lady is nice sometimes

7. I don’t have to stay in the box anymore

8. I am still alive

9. God is with me (I think) I know

Heartbreaking right? But despite the horrific topics explored in this book including: human trafficking, teenage depression, suicide, and domestic abuse, the story’s true message is that we are all deserving of love, and to always hold on to hope.

So many novels tackle big, weighty issues with varying degrees of success. Julie Cantrell’s book though, is in a class of it’s own. This isn’t a book that gratuitously feeds off the news. Rather, it’s an intimate look at its characters who are representative of far too many in our society. The issues explored are not rare, but they’re ones we prefer not to talk about. I personally feel these are subjects we all should be discussing which is why I think this is a perfect book to share with friends, co-workers, and in book groups.  The Feathered Bone may not be for everyone, but it’s one I highly, highly recommend.

The Suffering ~ By Rin Chupeco – 4.0 Stars

Tags

Aokigahara, Horror, Japanese Legends, Suicide, YA Fiction

 I received this e-Arc from NetGalley and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: September 1st, 2015

Synopsis: It’s been two years since Tark Halloway’s nightmare ended. Free from the evil spirit that haunted him all his life, he now aids the ghostly Okiku and avenges the souls of innocent children by hunting down their murderers. But when Okiku becomes responsible for a death at his high school, Tark begins to wonder if they’re no better than the killers they seek out. 

When an old friend disappears in Aokigahara, Japan’s infamous “suicide forest”, both must resolve their differences and return to that country of secrets to find her.

Because there is a strange village inside Aokigahara, a village people claim does not exist. A village where strange things lie waiting. 

A village with old ghosts and an ancient evil–one that may be stronger than even Okiku.

“Over the last year I’ve gone against faceless women, disfigured spirits, and grotesque revenants. Some people keep dangerous hobbies; skydiving and driving at monster truck rallies and glacier surfing. Me? I cast myself into the churning waters of potential damnation and wait for a bite.”

Despite The Suffering and it’s predecessor being billed as horror, there has been some criticism that they’re not scary enough, but I have to respectfully disagree. Both of them scared the heck out of me! After I finished this latest one, I had a terrifying nightmare involving killer dolls and–well, you don’t really want to hear about my scary dreams. Let me just say that as I’m a doll collector, this hit close to home. 

Despite a bit of a slow and awkward beginning which introduces the conflict between Tark and Ki, the action really takes off once they’re in Japan to find their friend Kagura (who was also in the previous book) who has disappeared along with a group of American ghost hunters she was taking on a tour of the suicide forest.

For those of you who are like me and have never heard of Aokigahara Forest aka “The Suicide Forest”, it’s a real place. It’s located at the northwest base of Mount Fuji and has the unfortunate destinction of being the second most popular place in the world to commit suicide (the first being the Golden Gate Bridge). Over the years hundreds of people have journeyed to this remote area to kill themselves. Here are a couple of pictures to give you more of a sense of the desolate nature of this forest.

 

Like with her research into the suicide forest, Chupeco has done amazing work in further developing the character of Okiku, who is based on the Japanese legend of the same name. As her counterparts in The Grudge and The Ring, Okiku is an Onryo which means “vengeful spirit”. Part of Japanese mythology these spirits are usually women who share the similar appearance of pale features, long unkempt hair, and traditional white burial clothes.

Tarkin (who is now seventeen) is an amazing character. He has suffered so much in his young life yet he retains a snarky sense of humor. A loner, he is intensely loyal to the few people he lets in his life: his older cousin Callie, his father, Kagura, and of course Okiku, who saved his life in the previous book and continues to protect him in this one. While mature beyond his years in some respects, Chupeco never lets the reader forget he still is a teenager. He makes some truly foolish decisions based on emotions and his craving for adventure, yet at the same time, he acknowledges these mistakes. It’s the aforementioned loyalty which lead Tark and Okiku to Aokigahara to rescue their friend Kagura. Accompanying them is Callie, although she doesn’t play such an integral role as she did in the first book. This time, Chupeco focuses much more attention on the relationship between Tark and Okiku. While there is no real romance between them as of yet, there are hints of the possibility of one in the future. The ending, while not a cliffhanger, definitely leaves you believing there will be at least one more book about Tark and Okiku. 

I think I’ve mentioned before that I consider a book a success if it gives me nightmares (in the case of a horror story), and if it makes me want to do my own research into the background, setting, etc. Both were the case after I finished The Suffering. Chupeco draws the reader in with her expertise in Japanese mythology and culture. This and The Girl From the Well are great scary reads and I highly recommend them for older teens as well as adults who are fond of the genre.