Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side, by Beth Fantaskey (354 pages) – Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess, according to new exchange student, Lucius Vladescu. So now Jessica must transform herself from ‘average American teenager to a glam European vampire princess’. It sure ain’t easy.
First line: ‘The first time I saw him, a heavy, gray fog clung to the cornfields, tails of mist slithering between the dying stalks.‘
Witch and Wizard, by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet (329 pages) – This is the first in Patterson’s latest series. Whit and Wisty Allgood are accused of witchcraft and are thrown into prison, along with thousands of other young people. The New Order are out to get all users of magic and crush all expressions of art and liberty. It’s 1984 meets Harry Potter! At last!
First line: ‘It’s overwhelming.’
Homestretch, by Paul Volponi (151 pages) – Seventeen-year-old Gas runs away from his abusive father and finds work on a racetrack in Arkansas. His new job challenges his racism and he also becomes a jockey! He is short.
First line: ‘I’ve always been small – the shortest kid in my class, from kindergarten through the end of my junior year in high school.‘
The Chosen One, by Carol Lynch Williams (213 pages) – Kyra is thirteen, and lives in a religious community where men have lots of wives. She’s been told she will have to marry a 60-year-old who already has six wives. She’s been reading forbidden books (from a library! yay, libraries) and knows she’s got to get out. But how?
First line: ‘“If I was going to kill the Prophet,” I say, not even keeping my voice low, “I’d do it in Africa.”‘
Fire, by Kristin Cashore (491 pages) – A companion book to Graceling (there is one common character). So! If you liked that you will like this, according to Grimm. ‘Cool cover,’ she adds.
First line: ‘Larch often thought that if it had not been for his newborn son, he would never have survived his wife Mikra’s death.‘
Cupid’s Arrow, by Isabelle Merlin (336 pages) – Fleur’s mother inherits a ‘magnificant’ library that belonged to a famous French author, so they head to the ancient French town of Avallon. That sounds like the best thing ever! Mais non! ‘Fleur’s nightmare is just about to begin …’
First lines: ‘I’m running. Running very fast. Running for my life.‘
Secrets at St Jude’s : Jealous Girl, by Carmen Reid (226 pages) – Gina is from L.A. and spends her time in pools, malls, and so on. But she also has to go to school in Scotland, where it rains and is probably a little less glamorous although there are castles and the Edinburgh festival, surely? But it’s all good, and Gina has loads of friends at St Jude’s.
First line: ‘”Gina, you can NOT go back there! You just can NOT leave us again!” Ria was lying back on a lilo in the pool, dangling a tanned arm into the cool turquoise-blue water.‘
Leviathan, by Scott Westerfeld (440 pages) – This sounds pretty great, I think! ‘In an alternate 1914 Europe, fifteen-year-old Austrian Prince Alek, on the run from the Clanker Powers who are attempting to take over the globe using mechanical machinery, forms an uneasy alliance with Deryn who, disguised as a boy to join the British Air Service, is learning to fly genetically-engineered beasts.’ The book has terrific illustrations throughout.
First line: ‘The Austrian horses glinted in the moonlight, their riders standing tall in the saddle, swords raised.‘
Exam Stress? No Worries, by Su Dorland (254 pages) – Here’s a guide to overcoming the anxiety that many feel before exams. There are techniques you can use to relax, and – AND! – it comes with a CD with ‘visualisation and relaxation tracks to help you stay calm and focused, and sleep well at exam time.’ Very timely.
Raewyn’s latest book review!
Devil’s Kiss, by Sarwat Chadda – A Knights Templar! Who would have guessed that she could be one of them? Billi had thought it was a wonderful thing to be chosen as one of this elite fighting group when she was only 10 but now at 15 she has bruises everywhere and her Ordeal is to kill a boy of 6! Well actually it is a demon inside the body of a 6 year old boy but you have to be up really close to tell that. Then her friend Kay returns from Jeruselem and she is having to learn a lot more about how much evil there is in the world. When Kay looks into the Cursed Mirror and opens a portal to the other side things start to get weird. But when she is asked out on a date with a handsome young man she starts to think about doing normal things for a change – or is this just the beginning of the end?
There are only six, which is less than usual! Never mind.
The Wednesday Wars, by Gary D. Schmidt (264 pages) – This came out in 2007 and won a Newbery Honor Medal in 2008. It’s about a boy growing up in 1967 on Long Island, in the U.S. A pretty tumultuous time.
First line: ‘Of all the kids in the seventh grade at Camillo Junior High, there was one kid that Mrs. Baker hated with heat whiter than the sun.‘
Pink, by Lili Wilkinson (288 pages) – Ava takes on a new image – she doesn’t want to wear black and she doesn’t want to like girls, so she takes to wearing pink and acting perky and even tries to get a boyfriend. Her new ’shiny reinvented life is far more fragile than she imagines.’
First line: ‘”You’re leaving?’ Chloe dropped my hand. “I know, it sucks,” I lied. ‘My parents think I’ll get better marks at a new school.” Another lie.’
Troubadour, by Mary Hoffman (290 pages) – Set in France during the Crusades. Elinor, a young noblewoman, is told she must marry a much older man. So she scarpers and becomes a troubadour, a wandering poet, like the guy she’s in love with, Bertram.
First line: ‘A small group of monks was making its way down to the river crossing.‘
King of the Screwups : A Novel, by K. L. Going (310 pages) – After getting in trouble yet again, popular high school senior Liam, who never seems to live up to his wealthy father’s expectations, is sent to live in a trailer park with his gay “glam-rocker” uncle [Catalogue description].
First line (well, of the second chapter): ‘“You’re a screwup, Liam. Do you think being Mr. Popularity will be enough to get you by in life?”‘
Time of Trial : The Fourth Volume of The Laws of Magic, by Michael Pryor (427 pages) – I’ve not read these and it’s difficult to find out the story’s premise. It looks cool! If anyone has read the series please comment.
First line: ‘Aubrey Fitzwilliam braced himself for the next attack from his young, tall and menacing adversary.‘
Raw Blue, by Kirsty Eagar (273 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.‘
If you liked Graceling by Kristin Cashore then you really should reserve Fire now. Due to be published in October this year (that’s like just two months now), Fire is described by Kristin Cashore as the “prequel-ish companion book” on her blog, which also now says that her third book will be about Bitterblue (the princess in Graceling), so there you go.
New books for the week - part two.
Eagle Day, by Robert Muchamore (405 pages) – The much-awaited latest book in the Henderson’s Boys series. Charles Henderson is a British spy, who leads some kids in actions against the Germans during WWII (it’s not set in the present, obviously). There’s an official website with all kinds of interesting content and downloads.
First line: ‘It was eleven at night, but the port of Bordeaux crackled with life.’
Goldstrike, by Matt Whyman (265 pages) – Teen hacker Carl is being pursued by a bounty hunter and an al-Queda assassin. His only recourse is to hide out in a warehouse guarded by Cleo, a hyper-super-computer that doesn’t like intruders …
First line: ‘In black suits and dark glasses, the three men stand out among the throng.‘
Stolen, by Vivian Vande Velde (158 pages) – On the same day that a child-stealing witch is supposedly immolated in a house-fire, a girl appears in the forest with no memory of where she’s from. Could she have been taken by the witch six years earlier?
First line: ‘The old witch saw that she had gone too far.‘
Eternal, by Cynthia Leitich Smith (307 pages) – Miranda’s life is saved by her guardian angel, Zachary, but she’s consequently converted into a vampire. She is adopted by the King of the Mantle of Dracul, and Zachary pretends to be her assistant in an effort to save her soul. Has werewolves and romance also.
First line: ‘I may be heaven-sent, but I’m not perfect.‘
The Bower Bird, by Ann Kelley (196 pages) – Twelve-year-old Gussie has many plans; she wants to be a photographer, loves animals, and needs to cope with her parents’ divorce. Alas! She also needs a heart and lung transplant, and time isn’t on her side.
First lines: ‘We’ve been here for two weeks. I’m still not well enought to start at the local school.‘
Plague of the Undead : Chronicles of Blood, by Gary Cross (300 pages) – It’s 1650, and Lucius’ father – a newly-made vampire – has just killed his family. Lucius survived, and joins an elite band of vampire hunters, tracking down the master vampire who wants to turn the world into a vampire race. Written by a NZer!
First line: ‘The boy knew his father was going to kill him.‘
Fat Hoochie Prom Queen, by Nico Medina (290 pages) – Margarita “Madge” Diaz is ‘fat, foxy, and fabulous’; she and her rival, student-body president Bridget Benson, decide to compete with one another be named prom queen. The loser will back off, for good. Both will do whatever it takes to win.
First line: ‘I hate Bridget Benson.‘
Saving Rafael, by Leslie Wilson (410 pages) – Jenny and Raf are in love, but they live in Nazi-ruled Berlin – and Raf is Jewish. They join with others who must try to stay alive and eventually flee from immense danger.
First line: ‘We were in a cow byre, ten of us, cleaning out the stalls in our thin striped calico skirts and jackets.‘
Blood Sun, by David Gilman (400 pages) – This is the third in the Danger Zone series of books about eco-hero teen Max Gordon. Official website here!
First lines: ‘Darkness devoured him. Eyes wide with terror, he saw only the gaping void, heard his desperate breathing hammering through his skull as the rasping one-eyed monster pursued him.‘
Raven Rise : Pendragon Book Nine, by D. J. Machale (544 pages) – book nine is the second to last in the series and finds Bobby Pendragon trapped and the final battle for Halla about to begin. Can he save the world? The book cover says this is The Lord of the Rings for the Alex Rider generation. Discuss.
First sentence(s): “Ibara!” The tunnel remained silent.
Ghost Medicine, by Andrew Smith (357 pages) – After the death of his mother, Troy just wants to spend the summer hanging out with his friends and being sort of invisible, but life gets in the way with complex, dangerous twists and turns.
First sentence: I can see myself lying in the dirt, on my back, on a warm, starry night, with my feet up on those rocks, ringing a swirling and noisy fire, listening, laughing, seeing the sparks that corkscrew, spinning above me into the black like dying stars, fading, disappearing, becoming something else; my hat back on my head so I can just see my friends from the corners of my eyes.
Half Way to Good, by Kirsten Murphy (320 pages) – from the back cover: “A funny and moving novel about dealing with love, death and everything in between.”
First sentence: Waiting wasn’t anyone’s idea of fun.
The Stepsister Scheme, by Jim C. Hines (344 pages) – Cinderella (real name Danielle) is attacked by her stepsister Charlotte shortly after her (Cinderella, that is) marries Prince Armand. Martial arts expert and fairy-blessed Talia – or Sleeping Beauty – comes to the rescue, but not before Armand is taken to the Realm of the Fairies. Talia, and Snow White, both part of the Queen’s Secret Service, join with Danielle to get Armand back.
First line: ‘Danielle Whiteshore, formerly Danielle de Glas, would never be a proper princess.‘
The Poison Garden, by Sarah Singleton (284 pages) – Thomas’ recently deceased grandmother leaves him a magic box that enables him to enter a mysterious garden. He encounters her ghost there, where she reveals that she belonged to arcane guild of chemists. She was poisoned during a struggle for power, and now Thomas must find the murderer before he himself becomes a victim.
First line: ‘High in the tower the bell tolled, counting out eleven hours.‘
Bang, Bang, You’re Dead, by Narinder Dhami (247 pages) – A gunman is rumoured to be somewhere in Mia’s school, and the place is being evacuated. Mia has a dreadful feeling that the gunman is her brother, Jamie, who has been acting very weird lately. Can she get to him in time? This book has a terrific twist at the end that’s right I read the end first
First line: ‘The scene is normal: a family at breakfast on Monday morning before the kids go off to school.‘
In brief:
Brown Skin Blue, by Belinda Jeffrey (211 pages)
Butterfly, by Sonya Hartnett (214 pages)
Lunch with Lenin and Other Stories, by Deborah Ellis (169 pages) – a collection of short stories about teens whose lives are affected by the drug trade.
Grimm embedded the trailer to the Avatar film (The Last Airbender) last week, and as I liked it I decided to get out the award-winning and highly-rated Avatar : The Legend of Aang DVDs to watch a couple of episodes. I ended up watching sixteen episodes over two days – it’s that good. So very, very good. If you like Studio Ghibli films you will like Avatar (obviously inspired by Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, and so on). There are three series in total, but only the first series is available on DVD; the final two have only been released in the US, unfortunately, so it will be a while before we can watch them.
In the meantime you can visit the official website, which has games, clips, weekly comics, and so forth. The UK site has some similar content, but some of it is different. There’s an Avatar wiki. There is a browser-based MMO called Avatar : Legends of the Arena that is free-to-play.
The film, The Last Airbender, has a fansite (the official site is here).
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)
Usually set in the 19th century (where steam was the superpower), but containing elements of fantasy or science fiction, steampunk stuff features a lot of machinery with cogs, knobs, levers and most importantly steam. Think magnificent flying machines and infernal devices (courtesy of Philip Reeve, K W Jeter and soon, worryingly, Cassandra Clare)… Leonardo-type contraptions without the linseed oil.
And some movies:
Interested in doing some research? Start by checking the links on the Wikipedia page.
Well better late than never, here’s the promised next batch of new books.
Dark Calling, by Darren Shan (216 pages) – this is Book 9 of The Demonata. The series will reach an earth-shattering conclusion next year with Hell’s Heroes, says the back pages. Can you wait? In Dark Calling Kernel Fleck is in a personal hell worse than hell – can he resist?
First sentence: A small, wiry, scorpion-shaped demon with a semi-human face drives its stinger into my right eye.
Dark Angels, by Katherine Langrish (346 pages) – Wolf has run away from the monastery where he was raised and finds himself on Devil’s Edge, a dark hillside infested with evil supernatural figures and haunted by ghosts. Set in and inspired by the world view of the Middle Ages.
First sentence: The first time the horn sounded on the hill, Wolf mistook it for a sheep bleating or a bird crying, and thought no more of it.
Falling, by Sharon Dogar (344 pages) – a love story with a twist: Neesha has overwhelming, repeated fragmentary nightmares about a girl falling in what appears to be the past. When she meets Sammy he appears to be her “rescuer”, and they are drawn to each other, but are they both repeating an old, nightmarish love affair that ended very badly?
First sentence: I saw a picture once.
Last of the Braves, by Archimede Fusillo (233 pages) – the back cover says “Under the influence of his idol. the hot-headed seventeenth-century Italian painter Caravaggio, Alex draws his mate Ces into an uncontrollable cycle of destruction and hurt.”
First sentence: Alex drew the serrated knife heavily along the bottom of his empty plate, his eyes fixed on a spot right at its centre.
Hell Week, by Rosemary Clement-Moore (327 pages) – Maggie Quinn fights supernatural baddies (demons and the like), but has she met more than she bargained for in the hellish cesspit that is sorority rush on a college campus?
First sentence: Bright teeth flashed; I fought the instinct to recoil.
Blue Flame, by K M Grant (241 pages) – Book One of the Perfect Fire trilogy. Set in the 12th century, the Blue Flame is a treasure everyone wants, and having it means power, but nobody seems to know its true meaning. Parsifal (an Occitanian knight) must enlist the help of Raimon (the son of a weaver) in order to prevent the destruction of the Occitanians.
First sentence: Last night I thought I saw them again: Raimon, throwing out his arms to the wind; Yolanda, delighting in the clear water running between her toes; and Parsifal, sitting near Yolanda, polishing his father’s sword.
Fen Runners, by John Gordon (136 pages) – another horror story for you. Tom Townsend lost the blade of his skate in an accident on the frozen fens years ago, and since then has been plagued by nightmares. His granddaughter, Jenny, is haunted too, and then her friend Kit pulls something out of the fen water.
First sentence: They stood with their toes curled over the edge of the bridge and looked briefly into the distance.
Pop Princess, by Isabelle Merlin (326 pages) – the cover of this book is all Chick Lit, but I’m not judging. Lucie Rees is an ordinary Australian teenager until she finds herself living in Paris working as a companion to Arizona Kingdom, a troubled pop star. Danger is involved.
First sentence: The most important moments of your life aren’t the ones you plan for.
Wings, by Aprilynne Pike (360 pages) – Laurel thinks she’s ordinary, but she’s about to find out that’s not the case: the subtitle of the book says “A new kind of faerie tale.”
First sentence: Laurel’s shoes flipped a cheerful rhythm that defied her dark mood.
The Musician’s Daughter, by Susanne Dunlap (317 pages) – a story of murder and perhaps love set in the Esterhazy court in eighteenth-century Vienna. The musician’s daughter is Theresa, who becomes Haydn’s copyist after her father dies mysteriously.
First sentence: The night it all began I dreamt that Papa returned from the concert with a new violin for me.
Fate, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (354 pages) – the sequel to Tattoo, this is set two years later. Bailey Morgan continues to lead a double life; ordinary high school student by day and “ancient mystical being” by night. Senior year may be complicated, but it’s nothing compared to her other life as the third Fate.
First sentence: Life.
There are new books in this week. (The old books may be in the library’s booksale which is on right now.)
Theodork, by Jessica Green (177 pages) – On his first day in year seven Theo is rather cruelly labelled a dork, and all his efforts to reverse this only make things worse. A comedy.
First sentence: ‘I’m lying here in hospital, one arm in plaster, two legs hanging from a frame, and bruises fading in places I’d rather not think about.‘
Keepinitreal, by Don Henderson (229 pages) – A bike gang war is started when Kid Kabula knocks Fatts Charvetto into a pond display at the local mall. Whichsoundsabitroughbutshouldbeokayintheend.
First sentence: ‘Because this is pretty much a story about how I stopped being an egg-heaed idiot, I might as well start at the moment Kid Kabula exploded through the upstairs doors of the Victory Garden Mall.‘
Fever Crumb, by Philip Reeve (321 pages) – A new book in the Infernal Engines world; huge, armoured fortresses that move across the wastelands. The book has a neat cover!
First sentence: ‘That morning they were making paper boys.‘
Gauntanamo Boy, by Anna Perera (339 pages) – Khalid, a British teenager, goes to Pakistan to see his family. There he is kidnapped and forced into a prison in Cuba called Guantanamo Bay, which you may have heard about in recent years.
First sentence: ‘ Sometimes, Khalid things as he drags himself home after another boring day at school, I’d rather be anywhere but here.’
Nathaniel Wolfe and the Bodysnatchers, by Brian Keane (197 pages) – Ghost hunter, Nathaniel Wolfe, must travel to the Other Side to vanquish whatever it is that the bodysnatchers plundering the graveyard have stirred up.
First sentence: ‘Lady Huntercombe was a thin woman with a pointed nose and rather distrustful expression.‘
The Game of Triumphs, by Laura Powell (308 pages) – Fifteen-year-old Cat enters a dangerous world called The Arcanum, where a deadly card game is played out in this mix of reality of fantasy.
First sentence: ‘It was his breathing that she noticed first: the hoarse, ragged wheezes of someone who has been running hard.‘
The Madman of Venice, by Sophie Masson (293 pages) - A vengeful Venetian Countess, a girl accused of witchcraft, a horde of pirates, murder and secrecy, and a madman that haunts the city - Venice, 1602, has it all, and English merchant Matthew Ashby, his daughter and his young assistant must investigate.
First sentence: ‘The city is a riot of laughter and parties and noise.‘
Love, Lies and Lizzie, by Rosie Rushton (216 pages) – This is the fourth of Rosie Rushton’s Austen adaptions. This time she’s updated Pride and Prejudice for the 21st Century. Lizzie Bennet and her sisters are ’swept up in a glamorous life of partying and country pursuits’.
First sentences: ‘“So you dumped him? Just like that? In the middle of the school trip? Are you crazy?”‘
The Forest of Hands and Teeth, by Carrie Ryan (310 pages) – From the catalogue – Through twists and turns of fate, orphaned Mary seeks knowledge of life, love, and especially what lies beyond her walled village and the surrounding forest, where dwell the Unconsecrated, aggressive flesh-eating people who were once dead. Creepy!
First sentence: ‘My mother used to tell me about the ocean.‘
Solar Nation, by Erica Blaney (344 pages) – Solly and Lalune must lead the people of Clandoi out of the darkness and into the sun. Sci fi! A sequel to Cyber Nation.
First sentence: ‘”Ruined!” bellowed the cook, hurling a pan of scalded soup out of the door.‘
Being Nikki, by Meg Cabot (336 pages) – This is the second in Cabot’s Airhead series of books, about Emerson Watts, a ‘braniac in the body of a teenage supermodel’ – a mixture of sci fi, romance, mystery, and chick(en) lit.
First sentence: ‘I’m cold.‘
The book with the cool, long title, Flora’s Dare: How a Girl of Spirit Gambles All to Expand Her Vocabulary, Confront a Bouncing Boy Terror, and Try to Save Califa from a Shaky Doom (Despite Being Confined to Her Room) by Ysabeau S. Wilce, has been acknowledged at the annual Nebula Awards, being given the Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy (a suitably long award title).
Flora fans will be chuffed to hear this. If you’re a Flora fan and you feel so moved, you can send us a review. We’re curious to hear about the books (the other is Flora Segunda, being the magickal mishaps of a girl of spirit, her glass-gazing sidekick, two ominous butlers (one blue), a house with eleven thousand rooms, and a red dog).
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)
Has the lost city of Atlantis been found? No, probably not, but it’s still pretty cool and allows me to link to this remotely related Google Map image of New Zealand perched atop a tectonic plate.
That’s right – new books (and a few DVDs)! All can be reserved or – if you’re quick – taken from the shelves.
Heroes of the Valley, by Jonathan Stroud (389 pages) – An epic fantasy novel by the author of the Bartimaeus Trilogy. Halli loves stories about the past, when heroes were heroes and adventure was everywhere. So when he gets the chance to go on a daring quest of his own, he’s dead keen.
First sentence: ‘Listen then, and I’ll tell you again of the Battle of the Rock.’
3 Willows : A New Sisterhood Grows, by Ann Brashares (318 pages) – This is the fifth Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants book, and now there is a new sisterhood; Polly, Jo, and Ana. And of course the pants, which can’t be washed and are magical. A bit like my old Levi 528s.
First sentence: ‘The last day of school was a half day.’
Eon : Rise of the Dragoneye, by Alison Goodman (429 pages) – Another epic fantasy, Eon is inspired by the myths of Ancient China. Eon has the potential to become a Dragoneye, an apprentice to the terrifying Rat Dragon. He – or rather she, as Eon is in fact Eona – finds herself in the dangerous and opulent Imperial court.
First sentence: ‘No one knows how the first Dragoneyes made their dangerous bargain with the twelve energy dragons of good fortune.‘
Call me Mimi, by Francis Chalifour (178 pages) – Mimi lives in her own fantasy world; she loves beauty, the Queen, and chocolate. She doesn’t think she is beautiful, however, thanks to all the chocolate. Leaving her doting mother, Mimi heads to Toronto to try to find her father, and ends up finding much, much more. ‘Poignant, funny, and real.’
First sentences: ‘Call me Mimi. I used to be a pretty normal kid (I think) until high school, when I was accepted at St. Mary’s Academy for Girls.‘
Isabelle’s Boyfriend, by Caroline Hickey (185 pages) - Fifteen-year-old Taryn befriends Isabelle, the girlfriend of the guy Taryn thinks is perfect and has a crush on, so that she can steal him. Probably not the best plan, as Taryn quickly finds out.
First sentence: ‘When I get home from school, the dog is scratching at the back door, demanding to go out and pee.‘
Deadville, by Ron Koertge (212 pages) – Ryan’s sister died from cancer two years ago, and since then he’s been floating through life, doing as little as possible. When a popular senior has an accident and falls into a coma, Ryan finds himself visiting her daily. While at the hospital he encounters a boy who claims he can speak with the dead.
First sentence: ‘I’m washing my hands in the bathroom a couple of doors down from the principal’s office.‘
Winter Song, by Jean-Claude Mourlevat (420 pages) – Four teenagers flee across icy mountains, trying to escape a pack of dog-men sent by the regime that had imprisoned them and searching for a secret resistance movement. This novel, about a despotic not-too-distant future, is translated from the French.
First sentence: ‘At a sign from the supervisor, a girl in the front row rose to her feet and went over to press the metal switch.‘
In brief:
Parsifal’s Page, by Gerald Morris (232 pages) - Book 4 in The Squire’s Tales series.
Blade : Breaking Free, by Tim Bowler (145 pages) -
A Beautiful Place for a Murder, by Berlie Doherty (147 pages) – Murder/mystery.
The Long Weekend, by Savita Kalhan (180 pages) – Thriller.
New DVDs:
The Tribal Eye : The Complete Series – David Attenborough looks at tribal art around the world.
Gossip Girl : The Complete First Season – This series is very popular with librarians.
Beast Wars : Transformers (Season One) and
Beast Wars : Transformers (Season Three) - This came out about 10 years ago, and its use of CG and well-written stories ‘brought fans back to the Transformers!’
Ahem, right.
Burn, Suzanne Phillips (234 pages) – “What makes a killer?” asks the cover of the book. Burn examines what might push a school student to kill: an uncomfortable cautionary tale.
First sentence: Cameron’s mother’s new family thing is that you have to tell her everything you did with your day.
Ten Out of Ten, Meg Cabot (384 pages) – Mia’s last hurrah. At 384 pages it’s quite chunky for a Princess Diaries book, so there’s obviously a lot of tying up of loose ends.
First sentence: teenSTYLE chats with Princess Mia Thermopolis on what it means to be royal, her upcoming high-school graduation and prom, and her fashion must-haves!
What They Always Tell Us, Martin Wilson (293 pages) – James and Alex are brothers, but they’re quite different. James has it all together and Alex is a bit of an outcast, but this year things will change: Alex starts cross country running which leads him along an unexpected path, and both brothers befriend Henry, a smart 10 year old neighbour. Critics call this book “beautifully realised”, which is rather a nice compliment for a writer.
First sentence: On a Saturday morning in November, Alex finds himself alone for the weekend, so he decides to break a few rules.
Wondrous Strange, Lesley Livingston (327 pages) – Seventeen year old Kelley Winslow learns that faeries are not make believe when she meets Sonny Flannery, who guards the Samhain Gate that connects the mortal world with the Otherworld.
First sentence: Puck’s tortured words rang in Kelley’s ears as she lifted her head, struggling against the darkness that threatened to descend upon her.
How to Ditch Your Fairy, Justine Larbalestier (304 pages) – go figure, two fairy books in a row. In New Avalon everyone has a personal fairy that acts like a good luck charm for some specific piece of good luck. Charlie has a parking fairy, which sucks because she’s fourteen and the school bully drags her around like his personal parking space finder. Strange things happen when she decides to ditch her fairy…
First sentence: My spoffs looked funny in the top, which is odd because my spoffs are tiny.
The Spell Book of Listen Taylor, Jaclyn Moriarty (500 pages) – a weighty hot pink tome (don’t let that put you off on either count). Listen Taylor’s father is dating a Zing. The Zings are a wacky family that “lives in a world of misguided spell books, singular poetry, and state-of-the-art surveillance equipment” (thank you Amazon). Listen Taylor, despite the name, is a relatively normal, isolated girl. How will her world merge with the zany Zing world?
First sentence: After midnight the apartment waited, still in the moonlight and the heat.
The Reckoning, James Jauncey (346 pages) – Fin lives on an island and dreams of escaping to the mainland. He sees a girl fall off a bridge and goes to help her but she dies in his arms. The verdict is suicide but Fin isn’t sure about that. The mystery surrounding the death of the girl will lead to discoveries about his own missing sister. Trivia: this is a very popular book title.
First sentence: It was like two worlds.
The Sniper, James Riordan (226 pages) – Based on actual events that took place during the Battle of Stalingrad, the story is about a teenage sniper whose job it is to shoot German officers. The Stalingrad snipers are legendary. If you’re interested in World War II history and you like action then read this.
First sentence: Night and day those eagle eyes search the city.
Also in:
New copies of the first three of the Squire’s Tale books by Gerald Morris: The Squire’s Tale, The Squire, His Knight and His Lady and The Savage Damsel and the Dwarf. The Squire in question is Sir Gawain’s squire, Terence… set in Camelot.
Kiss My Math : Showing Pre-Algebra Who’s Boss, by Danica McKellar (335 pages) – This is a user-friendly guide to algebra (or pre-algebra, but I think we just have algebra here). It’s written by Danica McKellar, who is not only a math genius but also an actress from the telly.
Love You Two, by Maria Pallotta-Chiarolli (298 pages) – Pina reads an email from her mother that she shouldn’t have seen, and quickly her life – which was pretty idyllic – unravels. She runs away to stay with her uncle in another city, and discovers another, unexpected world.
Jackdaw Summer, by David Almond (219 pages) – David Almond is an award-winning UK writer, whose YA books are critically acclaimed. This one seems to get lots of good reviews. Its blurb isn’t easily summarised, however, so I can’t go into details. Involves feral children.
The Big Splash, by Jack D. Ferraiolo (277 pages) – Matt Stevens is a seventh-grade private eye who has reluctantly taken a job from Vincent “Vinny Biggs” Biggio, kingpin of the school. The book is written like a hard-boiled detective story; it’s endlessly entertaining.
First sentences: ‘He approached me as I made my way into the caf for lunch. He was small and wiry, with a face that would’ve been more at home on a rodent.‘
Jack Flint and the Spellbinder’s Curse, by Joe Donnelly (328 pages) – This follows on from Jack Flint and the Redthorn Sword. Jack and his friends must battle to save the land of Eirinn from an eternal winter, all the while searching for his father.
First sentence: ‘Corriwen Redthorn had vanished.‘
Out of my Depth, by Helen Bailey (291 pages) – Synopsis swiped from Amazon (I’m lazy): ‘Electra’s totally out of her depth. Freak Boy’s dad wants to know whether he’s being bullied. Sorrel’s interrogating Electra about Lucy’s private life. Even her dad is cross-examining her about her mum’s love-life, over his Deep Pan Super Supreme. And all Electra can think is, How far can you get a piece of melted cheese to stretch without it breaking?’
First sentence: ‘Dad puts down his knife and fork and leans across the table towards me.‘
Love (And Other Uses for Duct Tape), by Carrie Jones (284 pages) – This is the follow-up to Tips on Having a Gay (ex) Boyfriend. Belle is in her last few months of High School and all her friends keep changing who they are. And to make matters worse her seizures are returning.
First sentences: ‘“So.” Em flips back her hair, slams herself into the seat next to me at the cafeteria. “How’s the problem?”‘
Soulless, by Christopher Golden (310 pages) – Three mediums attempt to contact the dead on live television, and instead of the usual TV seance, they awaken all the dead in and around Manhatten. The dead ain’t the friendly kind, either. ‘A cozy horror tale’, according to Amazon.
First sentence: ‘Curtains of punishing rain fell upon the sea of dark umbrellas populating the Manhatten sidewalks, commuters hurrying to get to work on time.‘
The Mysterious Edge of the Heroic World, by E. L. Konisburg (227 pages) – Amedeo and William find themselves working on a garage sale for Amedeo’s neighbour, eccentric Mrs Zender, whose every possession has a story. One item – a painting – has a story about a secret going back to Nazi Germany.
First sentence: ‘In the late afternoon on the second Friday in September, Amedeo Kaplan stepped down from the school bus into a cloud of winged insects.‘
In brief:
Surf Sisters, by Laurine Croasdale (226 pages)
A Perfect Ten, by Chris Higgins (266 pages)
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