Nearly Gone Review (The Unofficial Version)

I have to say, I was really dreading reading Nearly Gone by Elle Cosimano, which is the book I needed to review for SLJ this month. I don't usually do thrillers/horror, and the cover is more than a little bit creepy. But I absolutely loved it. Usually for my SLJ books, I'll wait to post my review on the blog until they're published, but I thought this book was so good that I would do an unofficial review of it here too. The book doesn't officially come out until March of 2014, but I wanted to throw it out there anyway to hopefully help it gain a little early exposure. 

Nearly Gone Summary:
Bones meets Fringe in a big, dark, scary, brilliantly-plotted urban thriller that will leave you guessing until the very end.

Nearly Boswell knows how to keep secrets. Living in a DC trailer park, she knows better than to share anything that would make her a target with her classmates. Like her mother's job as an exotic dancer, her obsession with the personal ads, and especially the emotions she can taste when she brushes against someone's skin. But when a serial killer goes on a killing spree and starts attacking students, leaving cryptic ads in the newspaper that only Nearly can decipher, she confides in the one person she shouldn't trust: the new guy at school—a reformed bad boy working undercover for the police, doing surveillance. . . on her.

Nearly might be the one person who can put all the clues together, and if she doesn't figure it all out soon—she'll be next.

Nearly Gone Review:
I was definitely reading outside of my genre with this book, which can definitely be a good thing, but I don't usually like being scared when I read (especially late at night when my husband is already asleep), but this murder mystery thriller had the perfect balance of tension and moments of easiness. And it wasn't especially scary at most points in the book. It was just good.

There were quite a lot of characters introduced at the beginning of the novel, and I had a little trouble keeping all of the side characters straight, but it definitely made the story stronger in the end. After all, if you're trying to figure out who the killer is, and you only have three options to choose from, it's not as fun. And by the end of the book, I definitely didn't know what to think.

The writing was incredibly eloquent, and I thought the author did an excellent job of nailing the descriptions and the dialogue. And she had a really good balance between the two, which is something that I struggle with as a writer. I also loved Nearly's character, but didn't really care for the two best friend side characters. Which was most likely done intentionally by the author to cast suspicion on them. And it if was intentional, it worked wonders, because throughout the entire book I was thinking it was one of them who was the killer. But I won't tell you if I'm right or wrong. If you're looking for a really gripping read that will keep you up late at night pushing through to the end, then definitely keep an eye out for this one when it comes out in March.

The Taming of the Tights Review

This last post will officially catch you up on all of my published reviews to date. There is one more that is written, but will not be published for two more weeks, so you'll have to hang tight for that one. And I'm a little bit anxious about the next book I have to review because it's a horror novel, which as a general rule, I avoid like the plague. So we'll have to see how it goes.

But without further ado, here is my latest book review, which finally has me all caught up. Yay!

The Taming of the Tights
by Louise Rennison

Gr 9 Up--In this fun and quirky installment in the series, Georgia Nicolson's 15-year-old Irish cousin, Tallulah Casey, is about to begin her third term at a performing arts college in England. She is excited to be reunited with her friends, the Tree Sisters, and hopefully bump into Charlie-the cute boy with the "tiny girlfriend" who she snogged not too long ago. And of course there's bad-boy Cain, the Dark Black Crow of Heckmondwhite, who Tallulah swears she won't have anything to do with after having her first proper snog with him out on the moors. But trouble abounds once school starts, as her teacher, Dr. Lightowler, is out to get her yet again and Cain won't stop getting in Tallulah's way of finding her first real boyfriend. Told in the entertaining style that readers have come to love, Rennison's story is sure to guarantee more than a few laughs. While the pacing is a bit slow in the middle, girls will find themselves pushing through to the end, eager to see how Tallulah works herself out of predicament after predicament. It is not necessary to have read the first two books to enjoy this one. Fans of the "Confessions of Georgia Nicolson" series (HarperCollins) are sure to fall in love with Tallulah and her crazy antics, and will be eager to devour her next misadventure.--"Candyce Pruitt-Goddard, Hartford Public Library, CT" Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Six Months Later Review

Of all the books I've reviewed for the School Library Journal, this one was perhaps my favorite. It kept me on the edge of my seat (figuratively, of course) until the very end. The review was published in October, and just a couple of weeks after it was published, the marketing director for the book sent me a copy of the published book along with a hand-written card thanking me for the nice review. If you're reading this, you're very welcome, and I look forward to reading the author's next book. I hope you guys enjoy this one as much as I did.

Six Months Later
by Natalie Richards

Gr 9 Up--Chloe leads a mediocre life as a high school junior in a small Ohio town-until the day she falls asleep in study hall and wakes up to find it's six months later. She now has exceptional SAT scores, the perfect boyfriend whom she's been crushing on for years, and a buzzing social life. However, Chloe can't remember anything about her previous life. Nor can she remember why her best friend, Maggie, isn't speaking to her, or why her heart races whenever she sees bad-boy Adam, with whom she seems to be all too familiar. She knows that she should be happy about her new life, but everything feels wrong. As she tries to figure out what happened to her, she uncovers a chilling conspiracy surrounding her memory loss, and the only person she can trust is the one who won't take her calls. The story is well paced and beautifully written, with fully developed characters teens can easily relate to. This romantic thriller will leave readers on the edge of their seats until the very last page. Recommend it to fans of Gayle Forman's "If I Stay" (Dutton, 2009) and Lissa Price's "Starters" (Delacorte, 2012).--"Candyce Pruitt-Goddard, Hartford Public Library, CT" Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

The Namesake Review

Normally when I review a book, I either love it or feel neutral about it. But the book I discuss below I really didn't care for. You know how when you read a really good book, it only takes you a few days to find time to race through it (or one day if it's really good)? This book took me almost the full month to get through it, because at no point did I ever think, "I really want to find out what happens next." In fact, I dreaded reading this book. And I procrastinated as much as I possibly could. But when it came down to it, I had to finish it before the submission deadline. If the author of the book is reading this, I'm really really sorry for the negative review.

I also have to say that the first time I saw this book where I work at Barnes & Noble, judging from the cover I had thought it was a horror book. I guess that's true to a certain degree.

The Namesake
by Steven Parlato

Gr 9 Up--Fifteen-year-old Evan Galloway is struggling to deal with his father's recent suicide, but going to the same Catholic school that his father attended and dealing with his mother's emotional detachment don't make it any easier. So when his grandmother gives him a footlocker that belonged to his father, Evan is all too eager to discover some answers to his nagging questions. He expects to find old posters and mementos, but what he doesn't count on is finding his dad's old journals. As Evan goes on a journey to connect with his late father, he makes a chilling discovery that as a boy, his father was sexually molested by a Catholic priest, and Evan is able to slowly piece together the role this played in the man's suicide. The story is powerful, and the plot is well crafted, but the writing alternates between choppy and engaging, and the dialogue often feels forced. The story is slow to unfold, and reluctant readers are unlikely to push past the first few pages. Committed and patient readers, however, will take something away from this thoughtful coming-of-age story.--"Candyce Pruitt-Goddard, Hartford Public Library, CT" Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

The Distance Between Us Review

After loads of work, I've finally made it two-thirds of the way through my current round of editing. I'm actually at the point where I feel fairly confident in my current draft (or at least I will be after I finish this round of revisions). That being said, I've decided to go through one more time for spelling/grammar checks, and then I will be trying my hand at submitting to agents. I know I've said this before and never actually worked up the courage, but I think it will finally be ready. Hopefully.

And to further catch you up on my published book reviews, this review was published back in August about a YA romance novel. If you decide to pick it up, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

The Distance Between Us
by Kasie West

Gr 8 Up--Seventeen-year-old Caymen Meyers works in her mother's shop selling porcelain dolls to wealthy patrons. Even though she and her mom know that the rich can't be trusted, they rely on them to keep the store afloat. Then charismatic Xander walks into the store and seems to understand cynical and sarcastic Caymen better than anyone else, and she begins to wonder if maybe she and her mother were wrong. That is, until she's mistreated by Xander's friends and, after reading a tabloid, discovers that he may already have a girlfriend. Ultimately, however, Caymen realizes that she has a love worth fighting for, and the star-crossed lovers end up together. Despite the predictable ending, the charming story is beautifully written, and the characters are well developed. Similar in feel to books by Susane Colasanti, West's novel is sweet and captivating.--"Candyce Pruitt-Goddard, Hartford Public Library, CT" Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Dare You To Review

I've spent the last few months away from the blog-o-sphere because I more or less took a break from editing. I edited a few things here and there, but nothing super substantial. But now I'm back, and in the next few weeks will be catching you up on all of the book reviews I've had published in the School Library Journal.

The following review was published back in July. Let me know what you think.


Dare You To
by Katie McGarry

Gr 10 Up--Narrated from alternating viewpoints, this contemporary novel tells the story of 17-year-old Beth, a troubled "skater girl" with a hard past, and Ryan, a high school jock with a seemingly perfect life. It all starts at a Taco Bell in Louisville, Kentucky, when Ryan's friends dare him to get Beth's phone number, and she turns him down. Their lives become intertwined after she is uprooted from her abusive home by her uncle and is forced to move to a small town and transfer to Ryan's school. At first he sees it as an opportunity to win the dare, but she resists his offers of friendship. Nonetheless, the two gradually fall in love and learn to trust each other with their secrets, which is equally difficult for both of them. The characters are well developed. The use of drugs, profanity, and violence make this title edgier than a typical teen romance. The plot often feels drawn out, and Beth's constant attempts to run away throughout the book will likely frustrate readers. However, young romantics should find the story engaging.--"Candyce Pruitt-Goddard, Hartford Public Library, CT" Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Book Expo of America

For any of you who have never heard of the Book Expo of America, it's a place where people in the book world (i.e. authors, librarians, booksellers, and publishers) come together to celebrate books. Not to mention there are lots of free books given away at the event. Many of them are advanced readers and many are books recently published.

Best $85 I've ever spent. I came home with over 80 free books, and had the experience of meeting a bunch of amazing authors. Some of them I even stood in line for over an hour to meet. It was amazing. I've decided to make it my goal to be one of the authors signing at the Book Expo in the near future. We'll see if it actually happens.

Now to Segway into Desiderium, I've recently come to a shocking realization of what was so wrong with one of my secondary characters and what I need to do to fix him. I hope. Now that I see this character in this new light I can't quite seem to think of why I never thought of it before. It's going to take a while to go through and revise the draft to reflect this character change, but I have a feeling it will be worth it. Wish me luck.

June 2013 Book Review

Sorry I've been away for so long. Between work, flying home to visit my family, and going to the Book Expo in New York City, I haven't had much free time. The same goes for my writing. I plan to get back on track with revisions starting this week. In fact, I had an epiphany this past weekend about something that wasn't working with my book, and I've realized how to fix it. Or at least make it better. So I'm ready to move forward with my revisions, and I'm really excited about the changes I'm going to be making.

But in the meantime, I also have more exciting news. My second review for the School Library Journal was published last weekend, and I wanted to share it with you guys. Here it is:

Gr 9 Up--After high school graduation, Ella and Sydney are looking forward to their last summer with their friend Astrid. Then Astrid commits suicide, and their world is shattered. The teens each find different ways to cope and slowly begin to drift apart. Sydney resorts to drinking away her sorrows, while Ella suffers from sleepless nights afflicted with nightmares about Astrid's death. When she begins to receive messages and phone calls from their dead friend, Sydney thinks she's crazy, but Ella grows determined to solve the mysteries surrounding their friend and the reasons behind her death.

The characters' background information is sporadically revealed and poorly integrated, and the plot is excessively drawn out. The choppy writing and underdeveloped relationships make the story difficult to get through. The ending has some redeeming qualities, but teens are unlikely to keep reading past the first few chapters. The plot is reminiscent of varying aspects of Sara Shepard's "Pretty Little Liars" (HarperCollins, 2006) and Laurie Halse Anderson's "Wintergirls" (Viking, 2009), but does not live up to either.--"Candyce Pruitt-Goddard, Hartford Public Library, CT" Copyright 2013 School Library Journal

Check back later this week. I'll be posting some stuff about the Book Expo.

Published!

I have some exciting news to share. I am officially a published writer! But don't get too excited. It's not a novel or anything. I've been writing reviews for the School Library Journal, which is a publication written for librarians to read about different books coming out and make decisions regarding what to purchase for their library.

This is a small step in my writing career, but now, whenever I query agents, I'll be able to list it under my writing credentials, which will be a big plus. I'll be reviewing books every month, and my next review is already written and scheduled to come out in the June publication.

So, without further ado, here's my review for the new YA book The Program by Suzanne Young that just came out a couple of days ago:

Gr 10 Up--Four years ago, teen suicide became an epidemic, affecting one in every three teens. To combat it, a school district in Oregon developed "The Program," where teens are treated for their depression by erasing their memories and secluding them from their peers. As an increasing number of her classmates are taken away for treatment, 17-year-old Sloane Barstow knows better than to show emotion to anyone other than her boyfriend, James, especially since her brother drowned himself two years earlier, leaving her parents constantly on edge. But when her friend commits suicide and James is taken away, Sloane begins to slip into a depression that forces her into The Program, where she is gradually stripped of all memories of James and her past. As she struggles to start over, she finds herself questioning the integrity of The Program and why she is inexplicably drawn to a troublemaker named James. The story is intriguing, and while a little slow at times, teens will find themselves racing to the finish to see what happens to Sloane and James. Young has created strong characters that readers will fall in love with and has developed a captivating world that will not soon be forgotten. Recommend this one to fans of Lauren Oliver's "Delirium" and Veronica Roth's "Divergent" (both HarperCollins, 2011).--"Candyce Pruitt-Goddard, Hartford Public Library, CT" Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

SLJ Review: The After Girls

I recently received my second advanced reader copy to review for the School Library Journal (yay!). My review of The Program will be in the may issue of the School Library Journal, and it will be exciting to see my writing in print. I just finished reading The After Girls, and I have to say, it was challenging to get through, but I will give you more information after the review is published in June. In the meantime, here's a summary of the book:

The After Girls Summary:
Ella, Astrid, and Sydney were planning the perfect summer after high school graduation. But when Astrid commits suicide in a lonely cabin, the other girls' worlds are shattered. How could their best friend have done this--to herself and to them? They knew everything about Astrid. Shouldn't they have seen this coming? Couldn't they have saved her?

As Ella hunts for the truth, and Sydney tries to dull the pain, a chilling message from Astrid leaves them wondering whether their beloved friend is communicating from the after life. The girls embark on a journey to uncover Astrid's dark secrets. The answers to those questions--questions they never dreamed of asking--will change their lives forever.

Endlessly Review

In a time crunch to get to my next book review for SLJ, I just finished reading Endlessly by Kiersten White, which is the third in the Paranormalcy trilogy. I finished the second installment, Supernaturally, a few weeks ago, and started right onto the third one, but for some reason I found it really hard to get through. I was so close to the end of the series though, that I had to plow through. All in all I think it just needed to be majorly edited before being published.

Endlessly Summary:
Evie's paranormal past keeps coming back to haunt her. A new director at the International Paranormal Containment Agency wants to drag her back to headquarters. The Dark Faerie Queen is torturing humans in her poisonous realm. And supernatural creatures keep insisting that Evie is the only one who can save them from a mysterious, perilous fate.

The clock is ticking on the entire paranormal world. And its fate rests solely in Evie's hands.

So much for normal.

Endlessly Review:
The author's voice in this book was still really good, but not quite as excellent as it was in the first two books in the series. I was still interested in finding out how Evie's story ended, but getting there was a bit of a challenge. The book was almost 400 pages, but could have easlily been weeded down to 300 pages without missing out on much.

One thing that also irked me a little about the book was that throughout the first half, paranormals were pushing Evie to open this intergalactic gate for them to go through, and she was stubbornly refusing even though she didn't have the facts. It make sense for her to initally refuse, but after awhile, her refusal didn't make much sense anymore.

All in all, I'm glad I read it because I really wanted to know how Evie's story ended, but it didn't quite live up to my expectations. For anyone who really enjoyed the first two though, I would definitely recommend it.

Ruby Red Review

I finished reading Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier a few months ago, and fell in love with it. The plot is fairly simple, but the characters and story are both so engaging that I had to go to Amazon as soon as I finished it and purchase the sequel.


Ruby Red Summary:
Gwyneth Shepherd's sophisticated, beautiful cousin Charlotte has been prepared her entire life for traveling through time. But unexpectedly, it is Gwyneth, who in the middle of class takes a sudden spin to a different era!


Gwyneth must now unearth the mystery of why her mother would lie about her birth date to ward off suspicion about her ability, brush up on her history, and work with Gideon--the time traveler from a similarly gifted family that passes the gene through its male line, and whose presence becomes, in time, less insufferable and more essential. Together, Gwyneth and Gideon journey through time to discover who, in the 18th century and in contemporary London, they can trust.

Ruby Red Review:
This book was originally translated from German, so I was worried the translation would leave the writing feeling a bit choppy, but the translation was very well done. Gwen is a really great character, and Gideon is a character readers will love to hate in the beginning, but be rooting for Gwen to end up with in the end.

What struck me as so great about this book is that the plot is very simple, but the writing and the characters carry the reader to the end of the book. Now that I've finished the sequel, I'm really looking forward to reading Emerald Green when it comes out in October. The one thing I didn't really care for about the first two books is that between the first two books, only 2-3 weeks pass, which feels odd. So much is packed into those couple of weeks. It also makes the romance feel a little less real, but overall I still thought it was excellent.

I would highly recommend this book to fans of YA time travel novels, or anyone who enjoys a good romance.

Paranormalcy Review

I recently read the first two books in the Paranormalcy series by Kiersten White and loved them. I even managed to get one of my co-workers hooked. Not to mention a few teens who frequent the library.

Paranormalcy Summary:
Evie's always thought of herself as a normal teenager, even though she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she's falling for a shape-shifter, and she's the only person who can see through paranormals' glamours.

But Evie's about to realize that she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

So much for normal.

Paranormalcy Review:
Rigth away, even after reading the dust jacket, I knew the author had a really strong voice. If any of you have ever wondered what exactly voice is, it's the author's personality shining through the writing. A voice can be snarky, funny, sarcastic, etc. If any writers have yet to find a great example of strong voice, read this book. It's a great example.

For one thing, the premise of this book is so new and refreshing, especially when you consider that the paranormal genre is mostly vampires, angels, and werewolves these days. But this book introduces many new paranormal creatures, and paints old creatures in a new light.

On top of that, I fell in love with Evie, the main character, and loved the love story that White told. I was hooked until the very end and would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun, fresh read.

Beginnings

I've spent the last few months editing the first chapter of Desiderium, and while I still have a bit more work to put into it, I think I may have finally nailed the first paragraph of the book. My husband keeps asking me why I'm spending so much time on the first chapter. The answer: because beginnings are so hard. Not only is it hard to start the story in the right place, but also to gradually give information to the reader at the correct rate, and introduce the right number of characters at the right time. And on top of that, it's the first thing prospective agents will see, so it's important to get it right.

With that being said, sometimes I feel like this lady who seems very frustrated with her laptop. At any rate, I've decided to post the  first paragraph of my book.

Desiderium Opening:

A flickering yellow light draws my gaze to the steel band clinging to my wrist. It’s been weeks since I set off my bracelet, but it was bound to happen again sooner or later. Especially since I can’t seem to stop obsessing over how many things I have to do, and how little time there is to do them. Then before I know it, those thoughts quickly become something more—almost, just almost, wanting more time. The next thing I know, the dopamine in my bloodstream is dangerously close to the legal limit. I really need to be more careful. 

Feel free to give feedback of what you think. I'll be back later this week to give another book review. Back to writing...

School Library Journal Review

I recently received some good news (hopefully). I've been accepted to write reviews for the School Library Journal on a trial basis. I just submitted my first book review, and we'll hopefully be seeing it in the April edition, as long as the writing is up to snuff. If and when the review is published, I'll be sure to post it here, but in the meantime, here's a sneak peak at the book I'm reviewing, which is scheduled to come out in April. Cross your fingers for me that my review makes it into the journal.

 

The Program Summary:
In Sloane’s world, true feelings are forbidden, teen suicide is an epidemic, and the only solution is The Program.

Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories.

Under constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person Sloane can be herself with is James. He’s promised to keep them both safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other, it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker. Depression is setting in. And The Program is coming for them.

Pitchapalooza

After spending hours working on a pitch for a Pitchapalooza event, I thought I would share my pitch with you. Summing up my book has been one of the hardest things for me to do, and I have to say, I'm finally happy with what I came up with. Let me know what you guys think.

Desiderium Pitch:

At any given time, there is exactly one Desiderium walking the Earth with the power to turn desires into reality. With the world constantly at the mercy of one person's whims, governments around the world are forced to outlaw desire and execute anyone suspected of having the ability. The only problem: as soon as the Desiderium is killed, the ability is passed onto another, and no one, not even the new Desiderium, is aware of their identity until they desire something so strongly it actually happens.

Preoccupied with covering up her own secrets, seventeen-year-old Rhiley Winters has little trouble suppressing her desires. Usually. And like everyone else, she is more than eager to let the government monitor her desires in exchange for protection. That is, until one morning when she wishes for more time and finds it standing still around her.