Borgs before Boys

 Title: The Lunar Chronicles:
                                             
                                                Cinder
 
                                                Scarlet

                                                Cress

                                                Winter

                                         Author: Marissa Meyer
                                         Previous Work: None

                                         Summary: 

                                         Cinder- Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a
                                         second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her
                                         stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But
                                         when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome
                                         Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of
                                         an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction.
                                         Caught  between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal,
                                         she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect
                                         her world’s future.

                                         Scarlet- Cinder’s trying to break out of prison—even though
                                         if she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted
                                         fugitive. Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s
                                         grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things
                                         Scarlet doesn’t know about her grandmother and the grave
                                         danger she has lived in her whole life.

                                         Cress- Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run,
                                         with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to
                                         overthrow Queen Levana and prevent her army from
                                         invading  Earth. Their best hope lies with Cress, who has
                                         been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only her
                                         netscreens as company. All that screen time has made
                                         Cress an excellent hacker – unfortunately, she’s being
                                         forced to work for Queen Levana, and she’s just received
                                         orders to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

                                         Winter- Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and
                                         her  allies, Winter might have the power to launch a
                                         revolution and win a war that’s been raging for far too long.
                                         Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and
                                         find their happily ever afters?

                                         Rating: A 5. I absolutely LOVE this series.
                                         Awards: 

                                         (For Cinder)
                                         2012 YALSA Teens Top Ten
                                         2012 Goodreads Choice Awards Best Debut Goodreads
                                         Author Nominee
                                         2012 Goodreads Choice Awards Best Young Adult Fantasy
                                         & Science Fiction Nominee

                                         (For Scarlet)
                                         New York Times Besteller
                                         2013 Goodreads Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science                                                                            Fiction Nominee
                                       
                                         (For Cress)
                                         2014 Goodreads Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science                                                                            Fiction Nominee

                                         (For Winter)
                                         2015 Goodreads Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science                                                                            Fiction Nominee

                                         Opinion: I love the Lunar Chronicles. There is nothing like
                                         them. The characters are complex and the author layers so
                                         many of the aspects of their fairytales into the story. For
                                         example, their names are perfectly chosen. Take Cress and
                                         Thorne, who represent the story of Rapunzel. Rapunzel was
                                         so named after a type of lettuce. Cress, similarly, could be
                                         short for watercress, although in the story it is short for
                                         Crescent Moon, a nod to Cress's Lunar heritage. Thorne is
                                         so named because in the original story, the prince falls into
                                         thorns and is blinded. The stories are riddled with such
                                         careful allusions, enough to cause a thrill in the reader
                                         when they find them, but not so much they take over the
                                         story. I recommend this series to any teen girl.

Yellow Bird

 Title: Conversion
                                   # of Pages: 420

                                   Author: Katherine Howe
                                   Previous Work: 
                                                         The Penguin Book of Witches

                                                          The House of Velvet and Glass

                                                          The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane

                                   Summary: "Are there any questions?" Father Molloy said,
                                   folding his arms over his chest and looking at us. I inclined 
                                   my head over to Emma, about to ask if she had any idea 
                                   what he meant, but she didn't seem to be listening. She was 
                                   staring at the front corner of the room, her cheeks flushed a 
                                   splotchy pink, and gripping her pen so hard, her knuckles
                                   were turning white. My gaze swiveled, following Emma's 
                                   stare over the heads of my classmates to the hallowed corner 
                                   where Clara Rutherford sat, her desk practically bearing a 
                                   little reserved card written in calligraphy. And that was the 
                                   first time that I saw Clara Rutherford twitch.

                                  After the Salem witch trials Ann Putman finally prepares to
                                  give her confession to the new reverend, as to her role in the
                                  events. In modern times an epidemic breaks out at Colleen's
                                  school with no apparent cause. As she investigates the events
                                  surrounding he strange illness Colleen discovers something
                                  startling. Her town is located where Salem used to be. Could
                                  the Salem witch trials be repeating themselves?

                                  Rating: This book is a 3.5.
                                  Awards: 

                                  2015 Young Adult Massachusetts Book Award

                                  Opinion: I really enjoyed the way the book effortlessly changed
                                  between present day and the past.  Anne's story was just as
                                  engaging as Colleen's. That being said, the stories seemed to
                                  reach a climax where they should have become intertwined, and
                                  instead, Anne's story and character arch seemed unresolved.
                                  Colleen's situation was left up to the reader to decide, but at
                                  least it felt finished. Overall, the story had a great presence with
                                  an eerie feeling, and enough history and suspense to keep the
                                  plot interesting.

A Happy Holiday Whodunit

 Title: Greenglass House
                                      # of Pages: 373
                                      Author: Kate Milford
                                      Illustrator: Jaime Zollars
                                      Previous Work: (For the author)

                                      Bluecrowne (Companion to Greenglass House)

                                      The Boneshaker

                                      The Broken Lands

                                      The Kairos Mechanism

                                      Summary: Milo was looking forward to an event free
                                      Christmas vacation at his adoptive parents' smuggler hotel,
                                      filled with holiday traditions, not guests. Unfortunately for
                                      Milo, luck was not on his side and the hotel filled with odd
                                      guests with strange habits and even stranger motives. As
                                      Milo and the cook's daughter Meddy set off to investigate a
                                      map one of the guests dropped, they became their alter-egos:
                                      Negret and Sirin. Could they figure out the mystery of the
                                      hotel? Or were they left out in the cold?

                                      Rating: I'd give this a 4.
                                      Awards:

                                     2014 Agatha Award Nominee for Best Children's/ YA Novel

                                     2014 National Book Award Nominee for Young People's
                                     Literature Longlist

                                     2014 Kirkus The Best Children's Books

                                     2015 Edgar Award for Best Juvenile

                                     2016 Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Nominee

                                     Opinion: Greenglass House is the companion to Bluecrowne,
                                     but you can definitely read it by itself. That's what I did.
                                     Bluecrowne is about the ancestors of some of the characters in
                                     this book, so while it might provide some interesting
                                     connections, it isn't necessary.  Greenglass House draws you
                                     in from the very beginning. The author is very good at giving
                                     you a clear picture of what is going on. At times, I saw a vivid,
                                     beautiful movie in my head. I really hope this book is made
                                     into a movie at some point. The story is riddled with folktales
                                     that relate to the main story, as well as ones that are
                                     mentioned but not told. In my opinion those were almost
                                     better than the book, and I wished I could have read the ones
                                     that weren't written. The story was complex and realistic with
                                     a hint of whimsy. It was amazing. However, there's a reason I
                                     only gave this book a four. The first issue with the book was
                                     the illustrations. They're small and don't really add anything
                                     to the book. Not to mention, that while beautiful, they are
                                     actually kind of jarring. Some of them don't quite fit the
                                     descriptions in the book and I didn't like how the characters
                                     looked. The other issue was the end of the book. I won't give
                                     anything away, but the ending became seemingly more
                                     juvenile and less realistic. It almost seemed like a cop-out. If
                                     it weren't for the end, I could love this book without
                                     hesitation.


                                       

Be Thankful Part 2

 Title: Six Months Later
                                         # of Pages: 326
                                         Author: Natalie D. Richards

                                         Previous Work: This was her first book, but since then
                                         she has written "Gone Too Far" and "My Secret to Tell".
                                     
                                         Summary: When Chloe falls asleep in study hall, she is an
                                         average student, with an amazing best friend named
                                         Maggie, and a huge crush on Blake, who is way out of her
                                         league. When she wakes up, six months have passed and
                                         she's on track to become valedictorian. Blake is her
                                         boyfriend, and Chloe is super popular. Chloe knows she
                                         should be thankful that her life is suddenly perfect, but
                                         some things just don't add up. Maggie is no longer her best
                                         friend and Blake fills her with dread. What happened in
                                         those six months that she can't remember?

                                         Rating: I'd give this book a 3,5,
                                         Awards: 2014 Yalsa Teens Top Ten Finalist

A Paige Turner

 Title: Page by Paige
                                        # of Pages: 192
                                       Author/Illustrator: Laura Lee Gulledge
                                       Previous Work: She was an artist, but this is her first
                                       graphic novel.

                                       Summary: When Paige Turner moves from Virginia to
                                       New York, she isn't sure of who she is, or how to fit in. With
                                       the help of her sketchbook, Paige is determined to make new
                                       friends and discover who she is.

                                       Plot Rating: 1.
                                       Art Rating: 5.
                                       Awards: 

                                       Eisner Award Nominee

                                       ALA Teen Top Ten Debut Graphic Novel Nominee

                                       Opinion: Okay, honestly, the plot was the most boring,
                                       overused thing I have ever read. There was nothing unique
                                       about it, and it had some rude humor. It boils down to a new
                                       move, first love, and teen angst. If you like those things,
                                       good for you. The only reason I'm even reviewing this is for
                                       the art. The art really shows all the things you've felt but
                                       didn't know how to express. The picture below is not my
                                       favorite picture in the book, but it was the best I could find
                                       online. What I like about the art is that most of the time it
                                       isn't literal, and it tells the story much more clearly than the
                                       words ever could. The graphic novel shows the author is
                                       more of an artist. I would read this book for the pictures, not
                                       the story.

I Spy a Lie Part 2

 Title: The Agency Novels/Mary Quinn Mysteries:

                                                 A Spy in the House

                                                The Body at the Tower

                                                The Traitor in the Tunnel

                                                Rivals in the City

                                      Author: Y.S. Lee
                                      Previous Work: None

                                      Summary: When orphan Mary Quinn is sentenced to the
                                      gallows for thievery, she is instead rescued and educated at
                                      Miss Scrimshaw's Academy for girls. She finds out the
                                      organization is more than they seem, and agrees to start
                                      spying for them. Between her new job, London's general
                                      mistrust of foreigners, and a growing attraction to a man who
                                      seemingly appears at every turn, can Mary satisfy her need
                                      for freedom? Or will the constraints of England in the 1800's
                                      cripple her spirit forever?

                                      Rating: I'd give the series a 4.
                                      Awards:
                                      (For A Spy in the House)

                                      2011 CCBC's John Spray Mystery Award

                                      2011 Agatha Award Finalist

                                      2011 Red Maple Award Finalist

                                      (For The Traitor in the Tunnel)
                                     
                                      2013 Arthur Ellis Award Nominee for Best Juvenile/YA
                                      Crime Book

                                      Opinion: I love this series. You can't help but root for Mary,
                                      and it's nice to read a historical fiction where women have
                                      opportunities. The story has a real yet unreal feeling. The
                                      only issue I have is that while the characters always stayed
                                      with me, sometimes the finer details of the plot didn't. That
                                      said, I'm still sad the series is over. This is definitely a series
                                      worth reading.

                                                                       

Save Yourself. Save the World.

 Title: Paradox
                                      # of Pages: 240
                                     Author: A.J. Paquette
                                     Previous Work:

                                    Nowhere Girl

                                    Rules for Ghosting
    
                                    Summary: Ana wakes up in a ship with no idea of who she is
                                    or why she is there. Her only clue is a set of instructions
                                    saying she has surgical retrograde amnesia, and her task is to
                                    observe and survive. Ana is confused as to the purpose of
                                    sending someone with amnesia into space, but she sets off
                                    with three other teens anyway. What she finds will shock her.

                                    Rating: This book is a 3. I loved the story, hated the ending.
                                    Awards:
                                    
                                    2013 Cybils YA Speculative Fiction Nominee

                                    Opinion: The story was good, but it was the arrangement
                                    that was interesting. The story was told in the third person,
                                    but you knew all of Ana's thoughts. She also receives
                                    snippets of memories that aren't hers. In addition to those
                                    quirks, the book included newspaper excerpts and three
                                    appendices. These aspects really moved the story along,
                                    giving background as to how Ana came to be on the planet.
                                    The plot was fast paced and amazing, but then it ended. The
                                    story didn't seem over, and there will be no sequel. It felt like a
                                    cop-out in what was an otherwise amazing book.

Magnificent Monsters

 Title: The Foundling's Tale/ Monster Blood Tattoo Series

                                                  Foundling

                                                  Lamplighter

                                                  Factotum

                                      Author/Illustrator: D.M. Cornish
                                      Previous Work: None

                                      Summary: Rossamünd is an orphan boy with a girl's name and 
                                      some unusual quirks. He lives in the Half Continent where 
                                      everymen and untermen (humans and monsters) live locked in 
                                      constant battle. The monsters kill humans and the humans, in 
                                      turn, kill the monsters and make a tattoo from their blood called a 
                                     cruorpuxnis. As Rossamünd goes on a journey to start his new life,
                                      he begins to suspect not all monsters are evil. But to think such a
                                      thing is a great crime, and could put Rossamünd's very life in
                                      danger.

                                     Rating: A 4.5 because the series feels unfinished.
                                    Awards:
                                    (For Foundling)
  
                                    2007 Aurealis Award Winner

                                    (For Lamplighter)

                                    2009 Aurealis Award Nominee

                                    2009 Locus Awards Top 15

                                    2009 Andre Norton Award Finalist

                                    (For Factotum)
                                    2011 Locus Awards Top 15

                                    Opinion: These books were interesting because I didn't feel like I 
                                    was reading about a made up world or fake people. The author has 
                                    a way of transporting people there, as if he lives there and wants to 
                                    tell you about it. I understood the struggles of the people, and 
                                    while it was a fantastical world, it didn't seem so perfect it couldn't
                                    be real. He even included a glossary and gorgeous illustrations (as
                                    shown below) to increase the reality of the land. However, the 
                                    author did one thing that really annoyed me. You would get 
                                    attached to characters and then they would just disappear. 
                                    Rossamünd would get a letter from them once in a while and 
                                    wonder about them constantly. My favorite character, Threnody, 
                                    was a victim of this method. She appeared in the second book then
                                    disappeared except for one letter in the third book. The author
                                    ended the series making a character disappear; the finale was                   
                                    very unsatisfying. Other than that issue, the books were great.

From Left to Right- Europe the Branden Rose, Rossamünd, and Threnody

Shark Girl

 Title: 
                                                 Shark Girl

                                                 Formerly Shark Girl

                                      Author: Kelly Bingham
                                      Previous Work: None

                                      Summary: Jane Arrowood has her life pretty much figured
                                      out. She has a huge crush on a guy named Max (which she
                                      knows won't ever lead to anything) and she's going to be an
                                      artist when she grows up. Then she is attacked by a shark,
                                      forcing the doctors to amputate half of her right arm. Jane
                                      starts to doubt her goals in life, and begins to wonder if it
                                      isn't time to be more realistic.

                                      Rating: 3.
                                      Awards: (For Shark Girl)
                                   
                                     Oprah's Book Club for Kids

                                     Best Books For Young Adults Nominee

                                     The Schneider Family Book Award Nominee

                                     Iowa Teen Choice Book Award Winner

                                     And many more!

                                     (For Formerly Shark Girl)

                                     Bank Street's Best Books For Children List

                                    Opinion: I normally don't like books that are written as
                                    poetry.At all. I usually find them incredibly depressing with
                                    plots that are hard to follow. The poems just don't lend enough
                                    substance. However, I make an exception for these particular
                                    books. The poems actually tell what is happening, not just
                                    Jane's feelings. I like the plot line, and Jane's struggles with
                                    herself and those around her. These were good books; they just
                                    lacked something to make them great.
                               

Birthday Part 3

 Title: Willow Falls Series:
                                               
                                               11 Birthdays

                                                Finally

                                               13 Gifts

                                               The Last Present

                                      Author: Wendy Mass
                                      Previous Work:

                                                       Twice Upon a Time Series

                                                       A Mango Shaped Space

                                                       Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life

                                                       Every Soul a Star
  
                                                       The Candymakers 

                                                       And too many more books to list

                                       Summary: 
                                     
                                      11 Birthdays- Amanda and Leo have been best friends
                                      their entire life, but they have a horrible fight for a year
                                      before their eleventh birthday. Amanda just wants to get
                                      her first birthday without Leo done and over with. When
                                      she wakes up the next day, it's her birthday again. What's
                                      going on?

                                      Finally- Rory has been waiting her whole life to turn twelve.
                                      When she turns twelve she can do all the cool things she
                                      wants to. Like sitting in the front seat, or getting her ears
                                      pierced. But seemingly, everything on the list goes wrong
                                      and Rory is beginning to think growing up isn't what she
                                      thought it would be like.

                                      13 Gifts- When Tara tries to steal her school's goat, she's sent
                                      to Willow Falls to do her penance. She finds herself indebted
                                      to Angelina D'Angelo, who gives her a list of wacky items to
                                      gather. With the help of new friends David, Rory, Amanda,
                                      and Leo, she might find the items she needed- and possibly
                                      more.

                                     The Last Present: Amanda and Leo need to travel to the past
                                     to save Grace, who is in a coma. They must place a
                                     benediction on her three times to save her- or so Angelina
                                     D'Angelo says. All is not as it seems, and the two must
                                     decide what is the right thing to do.
                                     Rating: This series is (overall) a 4.
                                     Awards: 
                                     (For 11 Birthdays- wins, not nominations)

                                     2010 Northborough  Southborough Children's Book Award

                                     2011 Massachusetts Children's Book Award

                                     2011 The Black Eyed Susan Award

                                     2011 Dorothy Canfield Fisher Book Award

                                     2012 South Carolina Children's Book Award

                                     2012 Oregon Readers’ Choice Award

                                     2012 Louisiana Young Readers’ Choice Award

                                     2012 Pacific Northwest Young Readers Choice Award

                                     2012 Tennesee Volunteer State Book Award

                                     2012 Young Hoosier Award

                                     2012 William Allen White Children’s Book Award

                                     2012 Alabama Camellia Children’s Choice Book Award

                                     2013 Maud Hart Lovelace Award

                                     (For 13 Gifts)

                                     2014 Garden State Children’s Book Award

                                     Opinion: These books were really popular when I was
                                     younger, but I was never interested in reading them. Their
                                     popularity dimmed and I stopped hearing about them.
                                     One day I was in the library, and saw Finally. I thought,
                                     "Why not?". I read it  and never went back. Wendy Mass
                                      has a way of weaving memorable stories and characters
                                      that grab you and don't let go. I've now read seven of her
                                      books total and can't recommend them more.

                                   

Repousser

 Title: Belle Epoque
                                      # of Pages: 336
                                     Author: Elizabeth Ross
                                     Previous Work: None.

                                     Summary: Maude Pichon feels trapped in her life in
                                     Brittany. She runs away to Paris, only to find she can't make
                                     enough money to live. The Durandeau Agency provides
                                     interesting opportunities for plain or ugly women- of which
                                     Maude is.  They can be paid to be a companion to a socialite,
                                     called a foil, making them seem more attractive. Maude
                                     becomes a companion to Isabelle Dubern, but Isabelle doesn't
                                     realize Maude is being paid to be her friend. The longer the
                                     deception goes on, the more Maude has to lose.

                                     Rating: 2.
                                     Awards: 

                                     Junior Library Guild Selection

                                    2014 William C. Morris Award Finalist

                                    Opinion: This book was just okay. The premise was
                                    interesting.The historical timing was nice (who knew people
                                    thought the Eiffel tower was an eyesore?). The characters
                                    and ending, however, were predictable and forgettable. This
                                    can pass a rainy day, but you won't remember much about it
                                    afterwards.

Pandora's Box

 Title: Doomed
                                     # of Pages: 472
                                     Author: Tracy Deebs
                                     Previous Work: 
                                                    
                                                      Tempest Series

                                                      The International Kissing Club
                                                      (As Ivy Adams with Shellee Roberts and Emily
                                                      McKay)

                                     Summary: With a mom in Alaska and a dad who's been
                                     absent most of her life, Pandora is craving birthday wishes.
                                     So when she finds an attachment with pictures and birthday
                                     wishes from her dad, of course she opens it. This unleashes
                                     a computer virus on the world, which can only be solved by
                                     playing a virtual reality game made by Pandora's dad. Is he
                                     a genius or a maniac? Pandora needs to find out.

                                     Rating: This is a 3.
                                     Awards: 
                                     YALSA
                                     Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Readers Nominee, 2014

                                    Opinion: This book was nerve-racking, romantic, and
                                    really good.  I didn't like that Pandora
                                    didn't carry her own weight. She keeps telling Eli and Theo
                                    that she can take care of herself, but she really can't. I also
                                    disliked a heavy environmentalist message and way too
                                    many characters from Greek Mythology. The author really
                                    needs to get her own monsters. If it weren't for those facts,
                                    this would be an exceptional book.

Love and Loss Part 2

 Title: Legend Trilogy-
                                            Legend
                                            Prodigy
                                            Champion
                                   Author: Marie Lu
                                   Previous Work: She has not written any other books.

                                   Summary: The United States has been split into two countries,
                                   the Republic and the Colonies. June is born into privilege and
                                   Day is a legendary criminal. When they fall in love, can they
                                   work together to save each other- and the Republic?
                                 
                                   Rating: This is a 5.
                                   Awards: (For Legend)

                                   New York Times Best Seller

                                   (For Prodigy)
                               
                                   Goodreads Choice Award Top 20

                                   (For Entire Series)

                                    Best Books of 2013 Kirkus Reveiw

                                    Opinion: This series was amazing. It holds your interest
                                    the entire time and has a wonderful bittersweet ending.
                                    You need to read this series!