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Teen Blog

Reading, Wellington, and whatever else – teenblog@wcl.govt.nz

Month: June 2014

Speed Freak giveaway!

We have TWO copies of Speed Freak by Fleur Beale to give away! Speed Freak was a finalist in the Young Adult category of the NZ Post Children’s (and YA) Book Awards (the winners have only just been announced – check them out here) and it has been highly praised by many readers, critics and otherwise. Tierney Reardon says “it is exactly the sort of book you might expect from award-winning author Fleur Beale; captivating, honest, and completely unique.”

Book cover courtesy of SyndeticsFifteen-year-old Archie Barrington is a top kart driver, aiming to win the Challenge series and its ultimate prize of racing in Europe. He loves the speed, the roar of the engine, the tactics and the thrill of racing to the limits. Craig is his main rival, and there’s also Silver, who drives likes she’s got a demon inside. Archie knows he’ll need all his skill and focus to win. But sometimes, too, you need plain old luck. Can Archie overcome the odds and win? (library catalogue)

All YOU need to do to be in the draw to win is to comment on this post and tell us what your favourite Fleur Beale book is and why! You must enter before 5pm on Friday 11th July to be in the draw – that’s two weeks from today! If you win, you must also be able to collect your prize from your choice of one of our Wellington City Libraries branches.

We must also say a HUGE thank you to Random House NZ for providing us with these books to give away to you!

Over on the Tumblr: New Mockingjay trailer!

Yes, the first trailer for Mockingjay Part 1 has appeared, guest-starring on the library tumblr. Note also the truly amazing print ads for each district – you can see them on the official Capitol website.

NZ Post Children’s (and YA) Book Award WINNERS!

Well that crept up on us – the winners of the NZ Post Children’s Book Awards have just been announced! The overall winner of the Margaret Mahy Book of the year prize went to The Boring Book by Vasanti Unka! The Boring Book also won its category of Best Picture Book.

Book cover courtesy of SyndeticsThe winner of the young adult category was Mortal Fire by Elizabeth Knox! I know we have a number of Elizabeth Knox fans among our readers – hurrah!

“Mortal Fire is an incredibly well-written and engaging book. The story is like a jigsaw that slowly slots together and leaves the reader satisfied but haunted by the events and the characters. It is a book that operates on a supernatural, fantastical level, while still containing the core young adult material about finding out who you are,” says Barbara Else.

The other winners were Dunger by Joy Cowley (Junior Fiction), The Beginner’s Guide to Hunting and Fishing in New Zealand by Paul Adamson (Non-fiction), A Necklace of Souls by R L Stedman (Best Debut) and The Three Bears…Sort Of by Yvonne Morrison and Donovan Bixley (Children’s Choice). We have all of the winners in our collection – click on the links above to reserve them!

New fiction

Book cover courtesy of SyndeticsThe Mark of the Dragonfly, Jaleigh Johnson (386 pages)Piper has never seen the Mark of the Dragonfly until she finds the girl amid the wreckage of a caravan in the Meteor Fields. The girl doesn’t remember a thing about her life, but the intricate tattoo on her arm is proof that she’s from the Dragonfly Territories and that she’s protected by the king. Which means a reward for Piper if she can get the girl home. The one sure way to the Territories is the 401, a great old beauty of a train. But a ticket costs more coin than Piper could make in a year. And stowing away is a difficult prospect–everyone knows that getting past the peculiar green-eyed boy who stands guard is nearly impossible. Life for Piper just turned dangerous. A little bit magical. And very exciting, if she can manage to survive the journey. (Goodreads)

First lines: Micah brought the music box to her on the night of the meteor storm. Piper never slept on these nights, when debris from other worlds feel from the sky. Restlessness kept her awake in bed, staring at the slanted ceiling of her tiny house.

Book cover courtesy of SyndeticsThe ring and the crown, Melissa De La Cruz (372 pages)Princess Marie-Victoria, heir to the Lily Throne, and Aelwyn Myrddn, bastard daughter of the Mage of England, grew up together. But who will rule, and who will serve?
Quiet and gentle, Marie has never lived up to the ambitions of her mother, Queen Eleanor the Second, Supreme Ruler of the Franco-British Empire. With the help of her Head Merlin, Emrys, Eleanor has maintained her stranglehold on the world’s only source of magic. She rules the most powerful empire the world has ever seen. But even with the aid of Emrys’ magic, Eleanor’s extended lifespan is nearing its end. The princess must marry and produce an heir or the Empire will be vulnerable to its greatest enemy, Prussia. The two kingdoms must unite to end the war, and the only solution is a match between Marie and Prince Leopold VII, heir to the Prussian throne. But Marie has always loved Gill, her childhood friend and soldier of the Queen’s Guard. Together, Marie and Aelwyn, a powerful magician in her own right, come up with a plan. Aelwyn will take on Marie’s face, allowing the princess to escape with Gill and live the quiet life she’s always wanted. And Aelwyn will get what she’s always dreamed of–the chance to rule. But the court intrigue and hunger for power in Lenoran England run deeper than anyone could imagine. In the end, there is only rule that matters in Eleanor’s court: trust no one. (Goodreads)

First lines: In 1429, the English army and its formidable magicians were led to victory by their Merlin, Emrys Myrddyn, defeating Charles VI of France and his dark Witch, Jeanne of Arkk. Henry VI was crowned King of England and France. Since the fifteenth century, the sun has never set on the Franco-British Empire.

Book cover courtesy of SyndeticsAfterlife: Book 3 in the Parallon series, Dee Shulman (427 pages)Eva is on the brink of death. Ripped from her own world she’s woken in another, only to discover the devastating truth about the lethal fever she’s been fighting – and the enemy that’s chased her and Seth through time. Now the reckless twenty-first century girl and the fearless Roman gladiator must face the final battle. But it’s not just their love at stake; the fate of the universe is in their hands. (Goodreads)

First lines: “No!” Zackary stared at the cage in horror. How could this be happening to him now? He thought he’d finally cracked this thing. In fact he was so sure this time that he’d virtually written his Nobel Prize acceptance speech. So what the hell was happening to that rat? It was definitely sick.

Book cover courtesy of SyndeticsBurn: Book 3 of the Pure trilogy, Julianna Baggot (418 pages)Inside the Dome, Patridge has taken his father’s place as leader of the Pures. His struggle has led him here, intent upon bringing down the Dome from the inside, with the help of a secret resistance force. But things are not as simple from his new position of power and he finds himself tempted by his father’s words: perhaps if the world is to survive it needs the Dome – and Partridge – to rule it…As Partridge’s resolve weakens, Pressia and Bradwell continue piecing together the clues left to them from the time before the Detonations. It is their hope that they will be able to heal the Wretches, and free them from their monstrous fusings and the Dome’s oppression once and for all. But everything depends, too, on Partridge. Separated by distance and history, can they still trust their friend and ally? Or is the world doomed to an eternity of war and hardship?

First lines: He knows the ending. He can see it almost as clearly as he saw the beginning.
“Start there,” he whispers into the wind. His wings are bulky. The quills ruffle; some drag behind him. He has to tighten his wings against the wind as he walks through the stubble fields toward the stone cliff. He wants to go backward, to tunnel and dig to the little boy he once was.

Book cover courtesy of SyndeticsFat Boy vs. the cheerleaders, Geoff Herbach (311 pages)When the high school cheerleading team takes over a soda vending machine’s funds, which were previously collected by the pep band, Gabe Johnson, an overweight “band geek” tired of being called names and looked down on, declares war. (Publisher’s summary)

First lines: Ripping off the pop machine last night wasn’t meant to be funny. It was my duty to all the geeks, burners and oddballs in the school because that machine sucks. Robbing it was serious business, okay? Why are you laughing, Mr. Rodriguez?

Book cover courtesy of SyndeticsWe were liars, e. Lockhart (225 pages)A beautiful and distinguished family. A private island. A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy. A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive. A revolution. An accident. A secret. Lies upon lies. True love. The truth. (Goodreads)

First lines: Welcome to the beautiful Sinclair family. No one is a criminal. No one is an addict. No one is a failure. The Sinclairs are athletic, tall and handsome. We are old-money Democrats. Our smiles are wide, our chins square, and our tennis serves aggressive.

Book cover courtesy of SyndeticsFree to fall, Lauren Miller (469 pages) Fast-forward to a time when Apple and Google have been replaced by Gnosis, a monolith corporation that has developed the most life-changing technology to ever hit the market: Lux, an app that flawlessly optimizes decision making for the best personal results. Just like everyone else, sixteen-year-old Rory Vaughn knows the key to a happy, healthy life is following what Lux recommends. When she’s accepted to the elite boarding school Theden Academy, her future happiness seems all the more assured. But once on campus, something feels wrong beneath the polished surface of her prestigious dream school. Then she meets North, a handsome townie who doesn’t use Lux, and begins to fall for him and his outsider way of life. Soon, Rory is going against Lux’s recommendations, listening instead to the inner voice that everyone has been taught to ignore — a choice that leads her to uncover a truth neither she nor the world ever saw coming. (Goodreads)

First lines: It came in a plain white envelope, which made both more and less of its significance. More, because their decision was printed in ink, on thick cotton paper, which felt a little like they’d carved it in stone. Less, because there was nothing about that nondescript rectangle to imply there was life-changing information inside.

Nik’s picks: Graphic Novels

Book cover courtesy of SyndeticsIn 2011, DC comics announced a massive overhaul of its superhero titles. All existing titles were cancelled, and 52 new titles were announced This was a controversial move, for many reasons, which you can read about on the wikipedia page. I’m hoping I’ll be able to take you through the continuity changes of both the Marvel and DC universes this year, but to start out, I’ll be discussing a few standalone titles that don’t require you to have extensive knowledge of the Marvel or the DC universes to enjoy. First up: The Demon Knights series, which was started by Paul Cornell. There are three volumes in the series; sadly it was cancelled in 2013. Smaller titles like this one often have a hard time reaching the sales numbers of the “classics” like Batman and Superman. That doesn’t mean that it’s not worth picking up!

The heart of the “Demon Knights” is the character of Jason Blood AND the demon Etrigan. Two separate men, bound together by the great wizard Merlin to contain the latter’s infernal power. They, along with six other characters, ranging from an Amazonian fighter to a barbarian to a Knight of Camelot, are called together to protect a small village that stands in the way of an evil horde’s path.

What I like about this title is that the “heroes” all have to face the consequences of their actions; the damage they do to the people of this new land is not brushed aside. They often struggle against the differences between their “home” worlds and the new land in which they find themselves, as well as cultural differences between them. These are not the shining, pure heroes of much of the DC universe; the characters have done truly evil things and the question of redemption hangs over their heads. Are they better than those they are fighting? There are no easy answers. Definitely worth picking up if you see it in our graphic novel collection. It’s in DC under “other”.

#TheFaultInOurStars Giveaway


To celebrate the cinematic release of the much anticipated film adaptation of John Green’s celebrated book Wellington City Libraries in association with 20th Century Fox New Zealand are giving away 10 double passes to The Fault In Our Stars. To enter click here.

Hazel and Gus are two extraordinary teenagers who share an acerbic wit, a disdain for the conventional, and a love that sweeps them – and us – on an unforgettable journey. Their relationship is all the more miraculous, given that they met and fell in love at a cancer support group. The Fault In Our Stars, based upon the number-one bestselling novel by John Green, explores the funny, thrilling and tragic business of being alive and in love.

John Green is the bestselling author of many titles including Looking For Alaska, An Abundance Of Katherines, and Paper Towns.

TFIOS is nearly here!

The wait is nearly over!! The Fault In Our Stars movie comes out on Thursday! That’s just TWO DAYS away! And we even get it before the USA does. Time differences rule sometimes. I’ve collected together some TFIOS facts for all you excited people out there across the interwebs – have you got anything interesting to add to this list?

1. John Green was trying to get an international release date for TFIOS so that all his fans would be able to see it at the same time. It kind of worked – NZ, Australia and the Netherlands are the first to be able to see it on June 5th, it comes out in the USA on June 6th and the UK gets in on June 19th. Amazingly we are one of the first to see it instead of having to wait a few months after the USA release!

2. The TFIOS trailer had over 3 million views on it just 24 hours after it was released.

3. Shailene Woodley (Hazel) and Ansel Elgort (Gus) already appeared in the Divergent movie together earlier this year, and in it they played siblings. Hmm.

4. TFIOS is the 4th solo novel by John Green.

5. John and his brother Hank run a Youtube channel called vlogbrothers where they upload videos three times a week.

6. John Green took the time to cast all the character of TFIOS as US presidents.

And just in case you forgot, here’s the trailer again:

Aaaaaand the special extended trailer as well:

So who’s coming to the see it with me on Thursday? Or do I have to go and bawl my eyes out in the cinema alone? Let us know your thoughts on the movie down in the comments!