Review: Happy Families by Tanita S. Davis

Title: Happy Families

Author: Tanita S. Davis site

Format: eARC, 237 pages

Release Date: 5/8/2012

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (Random House)

Source: Netgalley

Challenges: Ebook Reading Challenge (hosted by Workaday Reads), Standalone Reading Challenge (hosted by Icey Books), and the Completely Contemp Challenge (hosted by Chick Loves Lit)

“Teenage twins Ysabel and Justin Nicholas are lucky. Ysabel's jewelry designs have already caught the eyes of the art world and Justin's intelligence and drive are sure to gain him entrance into the most prestigious of colleges. They even like their parents. But their father has a secret—one that threatens to destroy the twins' happy family and life as they know it.

Over the course of spring break, Ysabel and Justin will be forced to come to terms with their dad's new life, but can they overcome their fears to piece together their happy family again?”

-Goodreads

Basic Summary:

Twins Ysabel and Justin had the perfect, happy, Christian family. But things change when their father is discovered to be transgender. Their father moves out of the house, and things fall apart. Ysabel and Justin are then forced to spend spring break with their father in an attempt to mend their broken family.

Characters:

Justin and Ysabel’s narrative voices were too similar, they needed to be more differentiated. It was often hard to discern whose point of view I was reading. Neither character came off the page for me; they were both kind of bland and flat.

One of the highlights of the book for me was when Ysabel would do her torchwork. It was an art form I hadn’t ever heard of, and I thought it was really cool. The way it was described, I could perfectly picture it in my head. It totally made me want to learn to make glass beads.

Plot and Story:

What really had me interested to read Happy Families was the subject matter. YA fiction about transgender individuals and their families aren’t all that common. I really liked it for the first half of the book, but toward the end it got kind of strange.

The ending seemed to be both Ysabel and Justin deciding they were okay with their father, and then suddenly changing their minds over and over again. And I feel like there wasn’t a lot of closure in the ending either. Now, I don’t need things tied up in a tidy bow but there were a lot of things left up in the air. Such as what Justin planned to do about his girlfriend.

Overall:

I really liked the premise of Happy Families, but it just didn’t come together for me.  The characters didn’t seem “real” enough. I liked the first half of the book, but it kind of went downhill from there.  Final verdict, 3 of 5 stars.

Future Release Review: Struck by Jennifer Bosworth

Title: Struck

Author: Jennifer Bosworth site

Format: eARC, 385 pages

Release Date: 5/8/12

Publisher: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux Books for Young Readers

Source: Netgalley

Challenges: Ebook Reading Challenge (hosted by Workaday Reads)

“Mia Price is a lightning addict. She's survived countless strikes, but her craving to connect to the energy in storms endangers her life and the lives of those around her.

Los Angeles, where lightning rarely strikes, is one of the few places Mia feels safe from her addiction. But when an earthquake devastates the city, her haven is transformed into a minefield of chaos and danger. The beaches become massive tent cities. Downtown is a crumbling wasteland, where a traveling party moves to a different empty building each night, the revelers drawn to the destruction by a force they cannot deny. Two warring cults rise to power, and both see Mia as the key to their opposing doomsday prophecies. They believe she has a connection to the freak electrical storm that caused the quake, and to the far more devastating storm that is yet to come.

Mia wants to trust the enigmatic and alluring Jeremy when he promises to protect her, but she fears he isn't who he claims to be. In the end, the passion and power that brought them together could be their downfall. When the final disaster strikes, Mia must risk unleashing the full horror of her strength to save the people she loves, or lose everything.”

-Goodreads

Characters:

Let’s be honest, an unwilling heroine is nothing new in YA fiction. It’s a character that has been done countless times, and, in all probability, will continue to be done. And Mia is no exception. She doesn’t want to jump into all the action; she’s not trying to be courageous. She just wants her family together and safe. Mia’s character is by no means original and probably not realistic, but I still liked her.

The rest of the “cast” also had the same problems. They weren’t very original and didn’t seem real. The adjectives that come to mind are “okay” and “fine”, I just couldn’t get excited about the characters.

Plot and Story:

Struck is centered around these two feuding cults, the Followers and the Seekers. The Followers are a religious cult who believe that the coming end of the world is a sort of cleansing brought on by God, and that in following “Prophet” they will be spared and brought to heaven.

The Seekers take the opposite view. They believe that the Followers are being controlled by Prophet’s supernatural power, and that the end of the world needs to be stopped.

Both sides try to lure Mia to their side by different means, and Mia really just wants to stay neutral. But it’s really hard when both of her other family members have chosen the opposite side.

Although there were some twists and turns in the book I didn’t see coming, I found some large parts of the plot obvious. Like Jeremy’s true identity for example. Again, there isn’t anything out-right wrong about the book I just wish it could have been more unique and original.

Overall:

Struck ended up being one of those books that after I read it I thought I liked it, but when I go to review it I ended up seeing it in a new light. Unfortunately, this new light wasn’t as flattering. Having a main character that’s a “lightning addict” was such a cool idea, and the cover really intrigued me. I’m sad to say that, in the end, I was left disappointed. I give Struck 3 of 5 stars.

 I don’t mean to sound harsh. Struck is a fine post-apocalyptic YA novel and it kept me entertained. It was well structured and paced, but it is very similar to countless others of its kind. My blog isn’t about just finding enjoyable books; it’s about finding books that break the mold. Books that stand out for all the right reasons. 

Future Release Review: My Awesome/Awful Popularity Plan by Seth Rudetsky

Title: My Awesome/Awful Popularity Plan

Author: Seth Rudetsky site

Format: Ebook, 220 pages

Release Date: 1/24/2012

Publisher: Random House BYR

Source: Netgalley

Challenge: Ebook Reading Challenge (hosted by Workaday Reads), Standalone Reading Challenge (hosted by Icey Books), and the Completely Contemp Challenge (hosted by Chick Loves Lit)

“Justin has two goals for sophomore year: to date Chuck, the hottest boy in school, and to become the king of Cool U, the table in the cafeteria where the "in" crowd sits. 

Unfortunately, he has the wrong look (short, plump, Brillo-pad curls), he has the wrong interests (Broadway, chorus violin), and he has the wrong friends (Spencer, into Eastern religions, and Mary Ann (who doesn't shave her armpits). And Chuck? Well, he's not gay; he's dating Becky, a girl in chorus with whom Justin is friendly.

But Justin is determined.

In detention one day (because he saw Chuck get it first), Justin comes up with a perfect plan: to allow Becky to continue dating Chuck, whom Becky's dad hates. They will pretend that Becky is dating Justin, whom Becky's dad loves. And when Becky and Justin go out on a fake date, Chuck will meet up with them for a real date with Becky. Chuck's bound to find Justin irresistible, right? What could go wrong?”

-Goodreads

Characters:

The main character and narrator, Justin, is portrayed as the lovable yet totally clueless underdog of the high school hierarchy. The guy that would unfortunately never fit in socially at the top, but whose goal is to be popular. Justin’s superficial-ness is balanced out by his all knowing best friend Spencer, who is also gay and the only person Justin has ever come out to. Becky is the ever so sweet girl who is unfortunately in the way, being girlfriend to Justin’s desire Chuck. Chuck is the guy of Justin’s dreams. He’s model gorgeous and the quarterback of the football team, but of course everyone but Justin can tell that they wouldn’t be a match made in heaven.

Plot:

The plot of this book left a lot to be desired. Things progressed exactly as they appeared early on in the story, **KIND OF A SPOILER ALERT** (Highlight section to read) Boy is at the bottom of the high school food chain and just wants to be popular, by some coincidence he comes up with a scheme to be popular (and get the guy of his dreams), the boy’s plans fail but finds the silver lining (the actually perfect guy that was in front of him the whole time), boy learns life lesson and lives happily ever after, the end. ** There’s no doubt that the plot is clichéd, I just wish that the author would have put some kind of a unique spin on it.

Writing Style:

The narrative is Justin reiterating the more major events of his sophomore year very soon after the fact, almost like sporadic journal entries.  The only thing that really bothered me about the writing was the almost constant reminder that Justin is both Jewish and gay. It was almost as though the author thought the reader would keep forgetting. I heard you the first time!

Overall:

My Awesome /Awful Popularity Plan is exactly as it appears, a fluff book, plain and simple. It’s not a book that will give you a new idea to ponder, or a plot that will leave you on the edge of your seat with a million unthinkable twist and turns. . Although I would have loved a bit more originality, it’s a book that does what it’s supposed to do. It’s meant purely as a fun, and short, story that may put a smile on your face. This type of story isn’t really my cup of tea, but it wasn’t a completely disappointing change from the norm. I’m giving it 3 of 5 stars, though I probably wouldn’t reread it.

Future Release Review: Everneath

Title: Everneath

Author: Brodi Ashton site

Format: ARC, 370 pages

Release Date: 1/24/2012

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Source: Received from a friend

“Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever. 

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists. 

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen. 

As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's...”

-Goodreads

How it starts:

Cole, an Everliving, has been Feeding off of Nikki for one hundred years in the underworld of Everneath. Instead of becoming a shriveled old woman, as happens to all Forfeits, Nikki survived intact. Nikki could become an Everliving. However, she decides to go back to the Surface and live out her six months before the Tunnels come for her. On the Surface, only six months have gone by in her absence. All Nikki wants to do is live out her remaining time in peace. But Cole has other ideas. He comes back to the Surface to try to convince Nikki to back with him, and rule over Everneath.  

Characters:

Nikki, the protagonists, character was kind of flat. There wasn’t much of a personality there. Nothing that made her seem like a real live human being. And she did one thing I can’t stand characters doing, she continually chastised herself about being too “selfish”, just for interacting with people. Because not doing so would “save them from future grief” or something.  

Jack, the love interest, has some serious *PCD. Even though there are a million times when it seems like he’s walking away, and understandably so, he stays completely faithful and understanding of Nikki, no matter what happens. He seems not to have any flaws, other than being self sacrificing toward Nikki. No one is that perfect.

I’m not really sure how to categorize Cole. He’s kind of posed as a love interest and/or villain. But Nikki makes it clear from the beginning that she’ll never be interested, and he’s not really villainous material. He comes off as just trying to help Nikki make the decision he thinks is right. I liked him best out of the three, though if he’s going to be considered the opposition, he needs to grow a back bone and do something to make the audience dislike him more. Like kicking puppies or something. That would really get some hate mail.  

Plot:

The plot did have a few surprises up it’s sleeve. And it wasn’t as riddled with clichés as many other supernatural romances out there, though Everneath did have it’s moments. The ending however was very disappointing. It was way too predictable, and cliché. (I just noticed I use the term “cliché” a lot. I’ll have to look up some synonyms.)

Point of View:

Just the tried and true First Person.

Overall:

I didn’t get anything special from the characters, and the plot was kind of give and take. What really kept me reading from the get-go was the unique world that was created.  It is for that reason alone that I would recommend reading Everneath. I’m giving it 3 of 5 stars for being very in the middle.

Emma-isms:

*PCD stands for Perfect Character Disorder. I usually use this term when a character is portrayed as unrealistically perfect. (i.e. always understanding, hansome/beautiful, without fault, ect.)

Review: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Title: Shatter Me

Author: Tahereh Mafi site

Format: ARC

Release Date: 11/15/2011

Publisher: Harper Teen

Source: Pre-publication tour

“Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days. The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color. 

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now. 

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.” 

-Goodreads

How it starts:

Juliette is a cell. She has nothing but a small notebook and a broken pen. Alone except for 1 window, 4 walls, 16 square feet of space, and the far off screams of the asylums other inhabitants. We don’t know much about her, we don’t even know her name (but the synopsis gives it away), except that anyone she touches feels excruciating pain that can be lethal. She has been alone in her cell for 264 days. One day, she’s told she’s getting a cellmate. Juliette hasn’t seen anyone since her parents gave her up to the Reestablishment. Her new cellmate turns out to be Adam, a boy from her past.

Characters:

Juliette, protagonist, kind of stumps me. I loved that she has such a strong moral compass. That, even though others treated her like an animal, she still tried to be nice to others. Maybe it’s a little unrealistic, but I liked it. However, I didn’t like that some of the time (a lot of the time), Juliette just curls up into herself, terrified. She just seems to crumble.

But when she’s faced with Warner, the villain, she all-of-the-sudden grows a pair. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good kick ass heroine as much as the next guy, but usually a character is consistent. And when Juliette is with Adam, she kind of turns into some kind of temptress. All she was missing was a black, leather cap and whip. It almost seemed as if Juliette was suffering multiple personality disorder.

Adam, the romantic interest, was likeable enough. I liked that he wasn’t the usual jerk male character the protagonist hates, but for some reason falls in love with. And he’s a family man, just trying to do the right thing.

I really liked Warner, the villain. He definitely is a guy who immediately gives you the “heeby jeebies”. Yet you can almost understand why Warner acts the way he does, which is always important when creating a good villain.

Plot:

As for plot, I didn’t find Shatter Me predictable or boring. There is still plenty of action, especially toward the end of the book. There just wasn’t anything about the plot that stood out to me. That isn’t necessarily a good thing or a bad thing. It just is what it is.

Writing Style:

Tahereh Mafi’s writing style is definitely unique. Many of her descriptions are beautifully poetic, although, some of her figurative speech went over my head. Which isn’t surprising, sometimes I can be incredibly dense.

Overall:

 Even though I didn’t love this book, I’m glad I read it. Mafi’s writing style alone is a good reason to read this book. Shatter Me is a good escapist read, and very heavy on the romance. But it is also a debut of an incredibly unique writing style. I’m giving it 3/5 stars.

What about you? What did you think of Shatter Me? You know how much I love comments!