Here’s a small amount of new stuff (no book covers though, as the server’s currently down). The little hooks are how we rate the first sentence.
Fade, by Lisa McMann (248 pages) – the sequel to Wake. Cassandra Clare calls the book “shuddersome”, which is kind of a cool word. The dream catchers Janie and Cabel must expose something horrid that’s going on at Fieldridge High.
First sentence: Janie spirits through the snowy yards from two streets away and slips quietly through the front door of her house.
Hate List, by Jennifer Brown (408 pages) – Val’s boyfriend, Nick, uses a list he and she created (of things and people they hate) to mow down their classmates in the cafeteria. The story is about Val coming to grips with her role in what has happened, the loss of her boyfriend, and how to move on.
First sentence: The scene in the Garvin High School cafeteria, known as the Commons, is being described as “grim” by investigators who are working to identify the victims of a shooting spree that erupted Friday morning.
Killer, by Sara Shepard (A Pretty Little Liars novel, 321 pages) – the sixth book in the series, the first paragraph on the dust jacket says it all: “In picture-perfect Rosewood, Pennsylvania, ash-blond highlights gleam in the winter sun and frozen lakes sparkle like Swarovski crystal. But pictures often lie – and so do Rosewood’s four prettiest girls.”
First sentence: What if, all of a sudden, you could remember every single second of your entire life?
When Irish Guys are Smiling, by Suzanne Supplee (211 pages), and The Great Call of China, by Cynthea Liu (246 pages) – these two titles are part of the series S.A.S.S., or Students Across the Seven Seas, about girls (mostly I think) who go on exchange, experience culture shock, learn about themselves, meet cute guys, and all the other things you’d expect.
Ember Fury, by Cathy Brett (232 pages) – Ember Fury’s parents are celebrities, and they are more interested in their own rise to the top than they are in Ember. So Ember – who hates the whole celebrity world – is a pyromaniac.
First sentence: ‘Fizzzzz … crack … whoosh … It was a tiny tongue at first, then it spread like a rippling, orange blanket over the floorboards and poured itself up the walls.’
Brainjack, by Brian Falkner (438 pages) – Sam Wilson, brilliant teenage computer hacker, has a go at the computer systems of the White House. This reckless obsession leads Sam into a dangerous world of ‘espionage and intrigue; of cybercrime and imminent war.’ Dangerous, sure, but pretty exciting you must admit.
First sentence: ‘On Friday, on his way to school, Sam Wilson brought the United States of America to its knees.‘
Mwah Mwah, by Chloe Rayban (263 pages) – Hannah’s plans for the holidays are foiled by her mother, who sends her off to Paris for a fortnight. Hannah isn’t too happy as she will have to stay with the unpleasant Matthilde (although I think we’d all like to grin and bear it if it means a couple of weeks in Paris).
First sentence: ‘”Mayjesweesewer. Annaseraravy! Weegrobeezoo. Abeeantow.”‘
Swerve, by Phillip Gwynne (228 pages)
Trashed (A Year in Girl Hell), by Meredith Costain (151 pages).
At long last – the latest, newest books. In no particular order.
Stargazer, by Claudia Gray (329 pages) – This is a sequel to Evernight. Bianca’s parents are vampires, and she’s destined to become one (they’re glam vampires, rather than the scarier, cadaverous vampires, probably). But she falls in love with a vampire hunter, which throws a spanner in the works.
First line: ‘Frost began to creep up the walls.‘
Twenty Boy Summer, by Sarah Ockler (290 pages) – Sixteen-year-olds Anna and Frankie go to California for a holiday. They conspire to find a boy for Anna’s first kiss, but Anna has a secret – she’s already had a boyfriend, and it was with Frankie’s brother Matt who died tragically a year ago. Quite sad.
First line: ‘Frankie Perino and I were lucky that day.‘
Faketastic : A Frenemies Novel, by Alexa Young (244 pages) – Halley, Avalon, and Sofee (!) are all friends. Then enemies! Then friends! This is the second Frenemies book, and it looks like there will be more.
First line: ‘“Isn’t it amazing?” Avalon Greene breezed up behind Halley Brandon and gave her best friend’s shoulder an affectionate squeeze.‘
The Warriors of Ethandun, by N. M. Browne (371 pages) – the third and final book in The Warriors Trilogy. Unfortunately, we don’t have the second book, but we do have the first. Two time-travellers return from King Arthur’s era to the present, but are unable to fit back in. So back they go! This time they’re up against Vikings and something more …
First line: ‘Dan stepped out of the Veil of mist.‘
Bridge of Tears : Usagi Yojimbo vol. 23, by Stan Sakai (246 pages) – This is the latest Usagi Yojimbo collection. It’s a graphic novel, and the series is outstanding, even if you don’t usually like comics. I promise.
Zelah Green, Queen of Clean, by Vanessa Curtis (245 pages) – Zelah Green has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and is always, always on the watch out for dirt and germs. Her stepmother sends her to a camp to try to help her, and there Zelah meets Sol, who is gooorgeous. He doesn’t speak however.
First line: ‘My name is Zelah Green and I’m a Cleanaholic.‘
After Dark : A Vamps Novel, by Nancy A. Collins (180 pages) – The third in The Vamps series. The ultra-rich and ultra-dead girls of the exclusive Bathory Academy in New York are a little Gossip Girl, and a little Twilight, if that makes sense.
First line: ‘Cally had been to Rauhnacht parties before, but none as elaborate as this.‘
Renegade : Hell’s Underground 3, by Alan Gibbons (359 pages) – ‘Entertainingly gruesome’, ‘definately scary’, gripping, action packed story’. The book has a very creepy skull on the cover also. We’d love someone to review this for us!
First line: ‘Chaim Wetzel learned at an early age that the streets of London were as likely to be paved with horror as with gold.‘
New Girl : a Secrets at St Jude’s novel, by Carmen Reid (331 pages) – Gina spent all her money on clothes and failed at school, so her mother sends her to a boarding school in Scotland. Which is quite a contrast to California.
First line: ‘Gina Peterson didn’t hear the electric gates slide open, or the silver Mercedes convertible purr through into the drive.‘
Thirst No. 1, by Christopher Pike (564 pages) – This collects the first three books of a series originally published in the mid-90s, the The Last Vampire.
First line: ‘I am a vampire, and that is the truth.‘
Tuck, by Stephen Lawhead (443 pages) – The third book in the King Raven series, which are based on the legend of Robin Hood. Good historical fiction!
First line: ‘King William stood scratching the back of his hand and watched as another bag of gold was emptied into the ironclad chest: one hundred solid gold byzants that, added to fifty pounds in silver and another fifty in letters of promise to be paid upon collection of his tribute from Normandie, brought the total to five hundred marks.‘ phew
Revolver, by Marcus Sedgwick (219 pages) - The Arctic Circle, 1910; Sig, a teenaged Swede, is stuck in a cabin with the frozen corpse of his father. Sound grim, and can only get worse before it gets better. Full of twists! Here’s a glowing review.
First line: ‘Even the dead tell stories.‘
The success of the Gossip Girl series has led to a number of similarly-themed series. They tend to have several things in common: the main characters are girls, who are rich, or share the same social circles as the über-rich, and they go to an exclusive private school; the books are usually set in (or near) New York; and most of the characters favour style over substance (afterall, it’s difficult to be friendly towards someone in a denim skirt). Sometimes they’re undead, or even just dead.
So here’s a list (in no particular order):
1. The Gossip Girl - The series so popular it’s now a television series! It’s set on the Upper East Side of Manhatten, which is New York’s Oriental Parade, only vastly more wealthy and stylish. No beach, however. The books are about a group of friends/enemies, their designer clothes and parties. The Gossip Girl herself anonymously writes about them. The school is called the Constance Billard School for Girls. There’s a gazillion books in the series.
2. The It Girl - The ‘It Girl’ in the title went to the Constance Billard School for Girls but was so poorly behaved she was sent to the very exclusive Waverly Prep boarding school. She will do anything – anything! - get to be one of the Waverly elite. This series is one of the two Gossip Girl spin-offs (all were created by Cecily von Ziegesar, but most are written by other people).
3. Gossip Girl: The Carlyles - The Carlyle triplets move from Nantucket to NYC after the death of their grandmother. They go to Constance Billard (and St. Jude’s School for Boys, for one of them is a boy) and quickly prove to be even more vicous – and fabulous - than Serena, Blair, etc. (Official website for Gossip Girl.)
4. The Ashleys, by Melissa De la Cruz - At Miss Gamble’s Preparatory School for Girls the three reigning princesses of popularity are all named Ashley; hence ‘The Ashleys’. New-comer Lauren is determined to enter their group. This series is set in San Francisco, and not New York, which is a shame but there you have it. (Official website.)
5. The Clique, by Lisi Harrison - The Clique are a group of girls who are the top of the popularity food chain at their private school. The books are notable (according to the Library School Journal) for the characters’ cruelty. Awesome! It’s set in Westchester County, New York, where the X-Men hang out (incidentally). Who would win in a fight? The first book was made into a direct-to-DVD film, newly arrived at the library. (Official website.)
6. Inside Girl, by J Minter – Fourteen-year-old Flan Flood’s family are all incredibly beautiful socialites, but she decided to break with tradition and goes to a typical public school. It’s a spin-off from another series by J. Minter, The Insiders, which is more in keeping with the other series in this list. Set in and around lower Manhattan. (Official website.)
7. Pretty Little Liars, by Sara Shepard - Three years ago the leader (Alison) of a group of girls disappears. Now someone calling themselves ‘A’ is threatening to expose the secrets of the group, who all fit the Gossip Girl mold. With a bit of mystery thrown in, the series has been called ‘Desperate Housewives for teens.’ (Official website.)
8. Blue Bloods, by Melissa de la Cruz – Set amongst Manhattan’s elite teens, Blue Bloods throws vampirism into the mix. (Official website.)
9. Vampire Academy, by Rachelle Mead – St Vladimir’s is a private academy (in Montana, not NY) for vampires and the half-vampires who protect them. The series is notable for being set in a gritty and dark world which doesn’t hold back. Perhaps not so in keeping with this list, but the academy is about as exclusive as it gets and one of the main characters is a princess. A vampire princess. (Official website.)
10. The Luxe, by Anna Godberson – Most reviewers remark that this series is essentially Gossip Girl - Manhattan, rich glamorous people, and so on – set in 1899. I’m not sure what the ‘Luxe’ in the title refers to, but funnily enough 1899 was the year that Lux soap was launched in the UK. (Official website.)
This is probably part 1 for this week’s new YA titles.
What World is Left, by Monique Polak (215 pages) – Anneke and her family are removed from Holland to Theresienstadt, a concentration camp in Czechoslovakia. Anneke manages to survive through the darkest horrors by doing whatever it takes.
First line: ‘My bed is warm and cozy.‘
Sharp Beats : A Mickey Sharp Novel, by Dominic Barker (235 pages) – Mickey Sharp is a private eye for teenagers, but this time he may have bitten off more than he can chew. This is the latest in a series.
First lines: ‘Dum. Da da dum. Da da dum. Da da dum.‘
Envy : A Luxe Novel, by Anna Godbersen (403 pages) – This is the third Luxe novel, which are essentially ‘Gossip Girl set in the 19th century’. In Envy Miss Diana Holland, whose family’s fall from grace two months previously so shocked New York’s corset and crinoline-clad elite, has begun again to stir the waters of Victorian prudery.
First line: ‘“Surely a girl as lovely as you, a girl who personifies loveliness itself, should not be hidden away on a night like this, on a night when everyone wants to see a fine figure and starry eyes, and where yours are the starriest of all.”‘
Intensely Alice, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (269 pages) – It’s summer and Alice McKinley has a lot planned – she volunteers at a soup kitchen, does something wild and wonders about her visit to Chicago to see her boyfriend, Patrick. This is – I think! – the 24th Alice book.
First line: ‘“We’ve got to do something wild this summer.”‘
Along For The Ride, by Sarah Dessen (383 pages) – From the library catalogue’s description: ‘When Auden impulsively goes to stay with her father, stepmother, and new baby sister the summer before she starts college, all the trauma of her parents’ divorce is revived, even as she is making new friends and having new experiences such as learning to ride a bike and dating.’
First line: ‘The e-mails always began the same way. “Hi Auden!!!”‘
Dope Sick, by Walter Dean Myers (186 pages) – From the library catalogue’s description again (sometimes it’s easier to copy & paste) – ‘Seeing no way out of his difficult life in Harlem, seventeen-year-old Jeremy “Lil J” Dance flees into a house after a drug deal goes awry and meets a weird man who shows different turning points in Lil J’s life when he could have made better choices. ‘
First lines: ‘My arm was hurting bad. Real bad.‘
Dido, by Adele Geras (259 pages) – This is a retelling of a classical story, about a queen and a servant who both fall in love with the same chap. Adele Geras has written two other, similar retellings; Troy and Ithaka.
First line: ‘You knew that you were in a dream when the edges of everything you gazed at were blurred and when figures bent and blended into the background and arrived and disappeared magically, moving in a way that wouldn’t be possible in normal life.‘
Siggy and Amber, by Doug MacLeod (226 pages)
Taking The Plunge, by Helen Bailey (297 pages) – The fourth book about Electra Brown.
All book titles link to their catalogue entry.
Wicked : A Pretty Little Liars Novel, by Sara Shepard (310 pages) - This is the fifth in the Pretty Little Liars series of books. See the official website for more information, or look for it on central library’s revamped series shelves in the YA area.
First line: ‘Wouldn’t it be nice to know exactly what people are thinking?‘
Reality Check, by Peter Abrahams (330 pages) – College football star, Cody, has everything. An injury puts an end to the season’s sport and his girlfriend, who has gone to boarding school across the country, disappears. Cody then discovers his inner detective when he attempts to find her.
First line: ‘Except for football fridays, Cody Laredo’s favourite day of the school year was always the last.‘
Adored : An It Girl Novel, created by Cecily von Ziegesar (224 pages) - This is the eight It Girl novel, and having not read any of them I can not even begin to summarise it. But! Don’t hesitate to look for them in the Central library’s wonderful new series area!
First line: ‘Jenny Humphrey leaned against a dark oak window frame in Dumbarton 303 on the Tuesday evening after Thanksgiving break.‘
Some Kind of Wonderful : An Inside Girl Novel, by J. Minter (242 pages) – Fran Flood, fabulous Manhattan socialite, heads to the beach to work for the summer at a resort. He ex-best friend is also going, unfortunately. Stink! See the new YA series area at the central library for the others in the series etc. etc.
First line: ‘Like it or not, my life changes fast.‘
The Phoenix Files : Arrival, by Chris Morphew (295 pages) – The first book in a ‘thrilling new series’. Luke moves to a town called Phoenix, where there are no cars, phones, or Internet. He discovers that someone is planning to wipe out the human race in 100 days … and Phoenix is the safest place in the world.
First line: ‘The end of the world is one of those things that you never really expect to end up being your problem.‘
The Awakening : Book 2 of The Darkest Power, by Kelley Armstrong (360 pages) – Chloe is able to see and raise the dead, thanks to being genetically altered by some sinister scientists at birth. She’s on the run now with three similarly gifted teens; a sorcerer, a witch, and a werewolf.
First line: ‘When the door to my cell clicked open, the first thought that flitted through my doped-up braind was that Liz had changed her mind and come back.‘
Carter Finally Gets It, by Brent Crawford (300 pages) – From the catalogue: ‘Awkward freshman Will Carter endures many painful moments during his first year of high school before realizing that nothing good comes easily, focus is everything, and the payoff is usually incredible.’
First line: ‘In the back room of the Pizza Barn, with only two weeks before the start of high school, my boys and I are at the Freshman Mixer.‘
Love is Hell, by Melissa Marr, Scott Westerfield, Justine Larbalestier, Gabrielle Zevin, and Laurie Faria Stolarz (263 pages) – A collection of short stories about love – with a touch of the supernatural.
Everything is Fine, by Ann Dee Ellis (154 pages)
Starclimber, by Kenneth Oppel (390 pages) – This is the sequel to Airborn and Skybreaker. Matt and Kate travel are astralnauts on board the spaceship Starclimber. An exciting race to the stars turns ‘into a battle to save their lives.’
First sentence: ‘Rising into the wind, I flew, Paris spread before me.’
Twilight : Director’s Notebook, by Catherine Hardwicke (163 pages) – The story of how they made the film. We wrote about it here.
Revelations : A Blue Bloods Novel, by Melissa de la Cruz (264 pages) – The third novel in the Blue Bloods series about vampires. Is Schuyler Van Alen a Blue Blood, or a sinister Silver Blood? ‘Romance, glamour, and vampire lore …’
First sentence: ‘On an early and bitterly cold morning in late March, Schuyler Van Alen let herself inside the glass doors of the Duchesne School, feeling relieved as she walked into the soaring barrel-ceiling entryway dominated by an imposing John Singer Sargent portrait of the school’s founders.‘
Glass Houses : The Morganville Vampires Book One, by Rachel Caine (247 pages) – This was the runner-up to the Selector vote-for-a-new-series thing we ran not so long ago. It seemed pretty good (and is very popular in the US) and worth getting. The Texas town of Morganville is home to a large number of vampires, who lived in peace with the resident mortals. Until the evil Bishop arrives, that is …
First sentence: ‘On the day Claire became a member of the Glass House, somebody stole her laundry.‘
Alligator Bayou, by Donna Jo Napoli (280 pages) – Set in Tallulah, Louisiana, the US, in 1899. A Sicilian family is caught in the middle of tensions between the black and white communities. Disaster dogs their family at every turn.
First sentence: ‘The night is so dark, I can barely see my hands.‘
Perfect Match : An Inside Girl Novel, by J. Minter (227 pages)
Inside Girl : An Inside Girl Novel, by J. Minter (229 pages)
Girls We Love : An Insiders Girls Novel, by J. Minter (215 pages)
The Inside Girl series won our Selector competition a few months ago, and they’re finally in! The third title is part of the parent series that a reader recommended we get.
The Vanishing of Katharina Linden, by Helen Grant (342 pages)
The Good Daughter, by Amra Pajalic (314 pages)
The Lucky Ones, by Tohby Riddle (211 pages)
Cracked Up To Be, by Courtney Summers (214 pages)
Wintergirls, by Laurie Halse Anderson (278 pages) – Lia’s best friend Cassie has died from anorexia, and now Lia faces the same fate. ‘One girl’s chilling descent into the all-consuming vortex of anorexia.’
First sentence: ‘So she tells me, the words dribbling out with the cranberry muffin crumbs, commas dunked in her coffee.’
Because I am Furniture, by Thalia Chaltas (352 pages) – Anke’s father is abusive, though only to her sister and brother. She gradually learns that she can be heard when she joins the volleyball team. Written in poems.
First sentence: ‘I am always there.‘
Hero Type, by Barry Lyga (295 pages) – Kevin heroically (though accidently) saves someone’s life, and during the unwanted publicity he is photographed being ‘unpatriotic’.
First sentence: ‘ Everywhere you go, it seems like there’s a reminder of what happened, of what I did.‘
Diary of a Chav: Keeping it Real, by Grace Dent (233 pages) – This is the fourth book in the ‘Diary of a Chav’ series.
The Ant Colony, by Jenny Valentine (215 pages) – from the author of Finding Violet Park. The Ant Colony in question is 33 Georgiana Street in London, a house populated by a disparate bunch of people who seem to get on with their lives without disturbing others, but it doesn’t take much to stir the pot.
First sentence: I saw a girl.
The Bone Tiki, by David Hair (303 pages) – Matiu steals a bone tiki from a tangi (which you think would be a bad place to start). Soon he’s running for his life, in reality and in a world where myths and legends are real and terrifying.
First sentence: ‘Dear Mum, I hope you are OK, and liking it in Taupo.’
Inside Girl: All That Glitters, by J. Minter (229 pages). The series that won our Selector vote-off earlier this year. Flan’s been ’slumming it’ at a downtown school. When she’s back in her uptown neighbourhood she finds the experience has changed her, and tensions run high.
First sentence: ‘Repeat after me,’ SBB said.
Take a Chance on Me (Gossip Girl: The Carlyles), by Annabelle Vestry (240 pages) – the third in the series, and it looks like the triplets’ love lives need sorting out, which will be well documented by the gossip girl, no doubt. The book begins with a quote from Hamlet.
First sentence (from the non-GG bit (which was waaay too long for me)): ‘Ow!’ Owen Carlyle grunted as a bagel hit him hard, square in the center of his broad shoulders.
Extreme Kissing, by Luisa Plaja (327 pages) – Bethany and Carlota go on a crazy life-changing adventure in London using their favourite magazine as a guide. Kissing is involved, among other things.
First sentence: Are you stressed to the max?
Fire Song, by Libby Hathorn (141 pages) – Ingrid’s family has imploded, and when her mother asks her to do something she knows is wrong, Ingrid finds herself isolated, trying to help her mother and stick to her principles.
First sentence: From the back verandah, Ingrid Crowe watched her dog Blackie chase a stray bird across the garden.
Changeling, by Steve Feasey (266 pages) – the book finishes with a rather menacing “to be continued”. Trey is about to discover – if the back cover is anything to go by – that his friend Lucien is a vampire and he himself is a werewolf.
First sentence: Trey Laporte opened his eyes, wincing against the assault of the late-morning sunshine on his retinas.
One-Way Ticket, by Iona McNaughton (198 pages) - Meg’s happy in Toronto, but when her grandparents send one way tickets to New Zealand for her and her father she finds herself having to adjust to a new country, new school… and a new woman in her father’s life.
First sentence: It’s the same every year.
Also in: a new copy of Nicola and the Viscount, by Meg Cabot, first published in 2002.
The latest additions to the YA DVD collection;
Mirror Mirror (PG) – There are 20 episodes in this double-disc DVD about two girls, separated by 100 years, who can travel through identical mirrors to the other’s time.
Doctor Who – The Next Doctor (PG) – This is the 2008 Xmas special. Cybermen stalk through Victorian London and the Doctor encounters another Doctor.
Archies (G) – A collection of the first series of the Archie animated show. It’s from 1976!
The Clique (PG) – A group of rich girls + one new not-so-trendy girl = this Tyra Banks produced series.
Scary Movie 3.5 (M) This is the ‘longer, funnier’ version of Scary Movie 3.
ReBoot : Daemon Rising & My Two Bobs (PG) – ReBoot was the first full-length CGI television show and ran from 1994 to 2001.
There aren’t too many new books this week. So sorry!
The Anachist’s Angel, by Gareth Thompson (232 pages) – Samson, scarred by a farm accident and teased by everyone he knows, takes to hiding in an ancient charcoal-burning hut in the woods. He meets and befriends a beautiful gyspy girl who sees past his appearance.
First sentence: ‘I came round to the noise of a grim reaping machine.‘
Evermore, by Alyson Noel (306 pages) – Sixteen-year-old Ever Bloom (that’s her name) is in a car accident that takes the lives of her family. Afterwards she is able to see people’s auras, read their minds and know their life story. Sounds quite useful, but for her it’s a nightmare. She meets another, similarly gifted teen, Damen, who is able to help silence the noise in her head, and she falls in love with him. But who is he really?
First sentences: ‘”Guess who?” Haven’s warm, clammy palms press hard against my cheeks as the tarnished edge of her silver skill ring leaves a smudge on my skin.‘
Bones of Faerie, by Janni Lee Simner (247 pages) – Liza’s mother disappears, and Liza travels through to Faerie – which was once at war with humanity, a war that has left both sides devasted. Liza herself begins to exhibit abilities and powers that only a faerie should have, and her quest may be the key to healing both worlds.
First sentences: ‘I had a sister once. She was a beautiful baby, eyes silver as moonlight off the river at night.‘
Tribal Ash : Chronicles of Stone book 3, by Vincent Ford (239 pages) – Having survived the warring tribe of the North, Trei makes his way back home, leaving his twin sister Souk with the Northmen. After struggling through snowy mountains, he is taken in and looked after for a time by the sea people, before he heads off again on his journey to find his own tribe, the People of the Canyons.
The first book in this series, Scorched Bone, is one of the NZ Post Book Award finalists in the teen category.
First sentence: ‘The Mountain Tribesmen travelled silently, the dark stain of their tattoos blending into the growing night.‘
Oh look, two new DVDs!
Junkers Come Here (PG) – This is an anime about a young girl, Hiromi, whose schnauzer (that’s a breed of dog) named Junkers who can speak, and whose friendship with Hiromi will help her through her parents’ divorce.
Wild Child (M) – Sixteen-year-old poppy is a rich and spoilt American girl, whose father sends her off to an English boarding school to sort her out. She tries to get herself expelled, and in the process learns some responsibility (and meets Alex Pettyfew’s character). Stars the late Natasha Richardson.
Remember This, by S. T. Underdahl (282 pages) – Lucy’s looking foward to summer. But she embarrasses herself when trying out for the cheerleading team, ends up dating a boy she previously disliked, and has to watch her grandmother suffer from the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
First sentences: ‘Remember this: I love you. It was the special saying my Nana Lucy and I had for each other, ever since I was tiny.‘
Sword : A Novel, by Da Chen (232 pages) – Martial arts expert Miu Miu turns fifteen and is told by her mother about her father’s violent death. Miu Miu is asked to avenge her father, and to find her fated true love, all in the faraway city of Chang’an. The Emperor has ‘other plans’.
First sentence: ‘On the morning of Miu Miu’s fifteenth birthday, her mother did not arrange a visit by a matchmaker, as all the mothers of Goose Village did when their daughters reached marriageable age.‘
The Bloodstone Bird, by Inbali Iserles (326 pages) – Sash finds a riddle in his father’s study, which leads him – and his enemy, Verity – on the search for a magical bird. Their search takes them to a dazzling new world.
First sentence: ‘“In the beginning, Aqarti was a lush paradise surrounded by endless sea.”‘
Sharp Shot, by Jack Higgins and Justin Richards (297 pages) – Twins Jade and Rich are kidnapped and find themselves at the centre of a deadly plot, involving the first Gulf War and explosives. This is the third book in a series.
First sentence: ‘John Chance raised his powerful binoculars and focused on the low building on the other side of the sand dune.‘
The Other Side of the Island : A Novel, by Allegra Goodman (280 pages) – Honor and her family move to Island 365, where the weather is always nice, there’s no unhappiness or violence, and everyone prays to Earth Mother and her Corporation. Honor and her family don’t fit in, however, and she meets Helix; together they uncover a terrible secret about the island.
First sentence: ‘All this happened many years ago, before the streets were air-conditioned.‘
Crushed : A Year in Girl Hell, by Meredith Costain (137 pages) – It’s Lexi’s first year of high school and life is changing fast. Her friends split up and Lexi has to choose between her old friends and her new, cooler friends. And she develops a crush on Jack, one of the cool kids. For younger teens.
First sentence: ‘“Lexi, can you hurry up please?”‘
Undiscovered Country : A Novel, by Lin Enger (308 pages) – Seventeen-year-old Jesse is out hunting with his father in Minnesota on a cold, wintery day. His father is shot; and it looks like he had killed himself. His father’s ghost begins to haunt Jesse, and he soon uncovers family secrets and his own, new responsibility. This book is a ‘bold reinvention’ of Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
First sentence: ‘As I write this, I am sitting in the kitchen of the small house where we’ve lived now for a decade.‘
Fouth Comings : A Novel, by Megan McCafferty (310 pages) – This is the fourth Jessica Darling book and it will be very difficult to summarise in my usual two or three sentences. But if you’ve read the others you will be hanging out for this (I know Grimm will probably be first to read it).
First sentence: ‘”Waiting sucks.” The voice was male and came from behind my right shoulder.”
Bliss, by Lauren Myracle (444 pages) – Bliss has grown up in a Californian commune, and is sent to live with her strict grandmother and to study at Crestview, an exclusive school for the rich with an old, dark history. There she is targetted by Sandy, a girl obsessed with the occult. A ‘contagiously creepy tale of high school horror.’
First sentence: ‘Grandmother won’t tolerate occultism, even of the nose-twitching sort made so adorable by Samantha Stevens, so I’m not allowed to watch Bewitched.’
In brief:
The Beginner’s Guide to Living, by Lia Hills (248 pages)
A Small Free Kiss in the Dark, by Glenda Millard (225 pages)
Dead is a State of Mind, by Marlene Perez (175 pages)
Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote, retold by Martin Jenkins and illustrated by Chris Riddell (347 pages)
Saving Sam, by Susan Brocker (192 pages)
New DVDs:
Skykids (Rated M) – Two friends sneak aboard a plane for a look and it takes off. They discover a bomb and then – to compound the dire situation further – realise that they’re the only ones left on board.
Grange Hill Series 1 & 2 (Rated PG) – Grange Hill was a British drama series about a group of kids at a high school. It lasted from 1978 until late last year. This DVD collects the first two series. Very retro. Maybe.
Some new books. Not too many, but not too few; it’s just about the right number of books. I lie – loads more have come in.
Impulse, by Ellen Hopkins (666 pages) – A truly ominous number of pages, you might think. But it’s a story told in poetry, so you’ll read this book quickly. It’s about three young people whose failed suicide attempts bring them all to a hospital, where they meet and heal one another.
Sister Wife, by Shelley Hrdlitschka (269 pages) – Fifteen-year-old Celeste was born and raised in a religious cult called The Movement; women are expected to marry young and obey their husbands, and everyone dresses like Anne of Green Gables. Celeste wants to do something for herself, but breaking away would bring shame to her family.
First sentence: ‘I am consumed with impure thoughts.‘
Pretty Monsters : Stories, by Kelly Link (389 pages) – This collection of nine short stories are all ‘weirdly wonderful and a touch macabre’, featuring aliens, dueling librarians (yes!), pirates, an undead babysitter, and Tennessee Fainting Goats.
First sentence: ‘All of this happened because a boy I once knew named Miles Sperry decided to go into the resurrectionist business and dig up the grave of his girlfriend, Bethany Baldwin, who had been dead not quite a year.’
Teen Inc., by Stefan Petrucha (244 pages) – Jaiden Beale’s folks were killed by some faulty equipment when he was younger. He was adopted by NECorp, the makers of the faulty equipment, and he’s been raised by committee ever since. However! He begins to rebel, uncovers scandal concerning NECorp, and may need to choose to bring the company down.
First sentence: ‘Ever wondered what’d happen if everyone just stopped believing in money?’
The Faerie Queen’s Deception, by Maggie Stiefwater (325 pages) – Shy and introverted Deirdre discovers that she can see faeries, and is soon drawn into their dangerous worlds. The old Faerie Queen herself is at the centre of the intrique involving Deirdre and her pal, James.
First sentence: ‘”You’ll be fine once you throw up,” Mom said from the front seat.’
Vidalia in Paris, by Sasha Watson (282 pages) – Vidalia wins a scholarship to study art in Paris for the summer. While is Paris she meet two guys who fancy her; Julien, who works in a bookstore, and Marco, who turns out to be a bit of a criminal. Is it too late for Vidalia? I shan’t tell you.
First sentence: ‘”Um, that’s my seat.“‘
The Vampire Diaries - The Return : Nightfall, by L. J. Smith (586 pages) – This is the first in a long-awaited new Vampire Diaries trilogy. It will be very popular, no doubt; the Vampire Diaries are still being read, and the Twilight series has proven that vampires are more popular than ever. Zombies will be big in ‘09, I reckon.
First sentences: ‘Ste-fan? Elena was frustrated. She couldn’t make the mind-word come out the way she wanted.’
Jet Set, by Cassie Karasyov and Kill Kargman (243 pages) – The Van Pelt academy in Switzerland has the richest girls, cliques, royals, and Lucy Peterson, an average American teen with a scholarship.
First sentence: ‘Imagine a school with endless gilded hallways that rival Versailles.‘
Cycler, by Lauren McLaughlin (250 pages) – Jill McTeague is a normal smart senior who just happens to turn into a boy, Jack, for four days every month. It’s just a secret at this stage, but Jack’s getting restless, and he’s beginning to appear more often …
First sentence: ‘”I am all girl.”‘
The Lady Grace Mysteries : Keys, by Grace Cavendish (196 pages) – Young Grace Cavendish, Lady Pursuivant to Queen Elizabeth I, once again is determined to solve a most heinous crime. The Queen’s clockmaker has been found murdered, clasping a key. What can it all mean?
First sentence: ‘We arrived at Hampton Court Palace just this morning and already something terrible has happened.‘
Shadow Kiss : A Vampire Academy Novel, by Richelle Mead (444 pages) – This is the third book in an ongoing series. St. Vladimir’s Academy for young vampires is attacked by the Strigoi, Rose starts having dark thoughts and seeing ghosts, all the while determined to testify against the nasty Victor Dashkov.
Numbers, by Rachel Ward (285 pages) – Jem can look into someone’s eyes and will see the date that they will die. Her life isn’t a walk in the park, but she meets someone who makes life brighter – until she ‘forsees a chain of events that will shatter their lives for ever …’
First sentences: ‘There are places where kids like me go. Sad kids, bad kids, bored kids and lonely kids, kids that are different.‘
Exposed, by Susan Vaught (330 pages)
Girl Next Door, by Alyssa Brugman (280 pages)
Love Ya, Babe, by Chris Higgins (291 pages)
Busted : Confessions of an Accidental Player, by Antony John (253 pages)
The Bad Tuesdays : Twisted Symmetry, by Benjamin J. Myers (329 pages)
Just Jealous, by Anne Cassidy (281 pages)
Fearless, by T. E. Berry Hart (391 pages)
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