The Only Thing to Fear Review

Here's my latest book review to be published by School Library Journal. Let me know what you think.

The Only Thing to Fear Review:

School Library Journal (07/01/2014):
Gr 9 Up--Sixteen-year-old Zara St. James lives in a dystopian futuristic society in which the Nazis won World War II and now control the world alongside their Axis allies. Ever since Zara's mother and best friend were killed by the Nazis, Zara has been living with her uncle who is one of the leaders of the Alliance, a rebel group attempting to overthrow the government. Outraged by everything the Nazis have done to her friends and family, Zara is eager to join the Alliance, but her overprotective uncle won't allow it. Because of Zara's special ability to control wind, however, she feels she would be an invaluable asset, and spends the majority of the book complaining that her uncle won't allow her to do more to help. But when she meets Bastian, a Nazi soldier eager to join the rebels, she seizes her opportunity to defy her uncle and aid the Alliance in overthrowing the Nazi Empire. The romance that sparks between the two teens feels forced, and neither character is particularly likable or sympathetic. Zara's supernatural abilities seem misplaced considering the premise, and while the premise is intriguing, its distant third-person point of view and less-than-stellar writing make it a poorly executed story. Readers are unlikely to get past the first few chapters.--"Candyce Pruitt-Goddard, Hartford Public Library, CT" Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Cracks in the Kingdom

A few months ago I reviewed A Corner of White by Jaclyn Moriarty, and loved it. I finally managed to get to my NetGalley copy of the sequel Cracks in the Kingdom, and loved it just as much. Before I picked it up, I was impressed that it got four starred reviews. For those of you not familiar with the library world, that pretty much means four of the literary review magazines thought it was exceptional, and marked it as such. It's not all that often that so many different publications will star the same book, because usually each publication only stars a few each month.

Goodreads Summary of Cracks in the Kingdom:
The second in Jaclyn Moriarty's brilliant, acclaimed fantasy trilogy, THE COLORS OF MADELEINE!

Princess Ko's been bluffing about the mysterious absence of her father, desperately trying to keep the government running on her own. But if she can't get him back in a matter of weeks, the consequence may be a devastating war. So under the guise of a publicity stunt she gathers a group of teens -- each with a special ability -- from across the kingdom to crack the unsolvable case of the missing royals of Cello.

Chief among these is farm-boy heartthrob Elliot Baranski, more determined than ever to find his own father. And with the royal family trapped in the World with no memory of their former lives, Elliot's value to the Alliance is clear: He's the only one with a connection to the World, through his forbidden communications with Madeleine.

Through notes, letters, and late nights, Elliot and Madeleine must find a way to travel across worlds and bring missing loved ones home. The stakes are high, and the writing by turns hilarious and suspenseful, as only Jaclyn Moriarty can be.

My Review of Cracks in the Kingdom:
This installment of the series was equally as magical and captivating as the first. I've said this before in my review of the first book, but I love the amazing and creative world-building Moriarty has done. If you're sick of reading the same story over and over, and you're looking for something original, look no further. With dual viewpoints, she's able to offer the best of both worlds: Madeleine who's based in the real world, and Elliot, who's based in a fantastical world.

This series is full of humor, and rich, colorful characters. The setting is also beautifully described and incorporates highly original Color Attacks that affect Elliot's world in strange and interesting ways. This story of missing persons is full of fun twists and turns, and promises readers a fun, exciting, and original read.

I only have two complaints about this book. The first one is that Madeleine is not given equal screen time in this book, which sort of throws off the balance a little. It would have been a little better if, like the first installment, Madeleine and Elliot were given equal screen time. My second, and perhaps slightly bigger complaint is that the story drags on at certain points, and should have been edited down a little. I love long books if they're gripping throughout, but sections of the story were lagging and could have been pared down to speed up the story a little.

Overall, however, this is an amazing fantastical read that teens and adults of all ages will fall in love with. Readers are sure to be left salivating for the third installment.

Happy reading!

Summer State of Mind Review

Summer State of Mind Review

School Library Journal (06/01/2014):

Gr 8 Up--In this coming-of-age story, 15-year-old Harper is the spoiled daughter of a wealthy music producer. Her plans for the summer consist of shopping, hanging out with her mean-girl besties, and attending all of the hot parties. But after charging one too many frivolous purchases to her dad's credit card, he decides to ship her off to summer camp to remind her of who she was before they struck it rich. Harper has a difficult time adjusting to the environment and alienates most of the other campers with her obsessive vanity and her dependence on electronics. As the summer progresses, she slowly begins to win some of them over, manages to save the day, learns a little bit about herself, and begins a romance with a camp "lifer" who goes to her high school. Her romance with Ethan feels a little forced and shallow, and the plot is somewhat anticlimactic, but teen girls who can't get enough summer-romance novels may enjoy it. Purchase only where beach reads fly off the shelves.--"Candyce Pruitt-Goddard, Hartford Public Library, CT" Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

On the Fence Review

Last year I had the pleasure of reviewing a sweet contemporary romance novel called The Distance Between Us by Kasie West, so I was really excited this year to find her next book On the Fence in my mailbox to review this year. It was every bit as good as The Distance Between Us, in fact, I would maybe even go so far as to say I enjoyed it more. Check out my review below.

On the Fence by Kasie West
Gr 8 Up--West crafts a beautiful story that will hook lovers of contemporary teen romance. Ever since her mom died, Charlie, a 16-year-old tomboy who loves all things sports, spends most of her time playing pick-up games with her three brothers and next-door neighbor Braden. But when Charlie's dad makes her get a job to pay off a speeding ticket, she lands a job at a clothing store where she must model make-up and be more feminine than she's ever cared to be. Soon she's in over her head with lies--lying to her dad, her boss, and a cute boy who's never seen the tomboy side of her. The only thing that saves her are her late night fence chats with Braden, who she is slowly beginning to fall in love with but can't risk losing. This tale is eloquently written and goes deeper than most teen romances dare to go. For fans of Susane Colasanti and Stephanie Perkins.--"Candyce Pruitt-Goddard, Hartford Public Library, CT" Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC

Those Pesky Summaries

So you've finished off the latest revision of your manuscript, and have decided it's time to try sending it out. "That's great," you might think. And the excitement might even last for a few hours. But then, when it's time to proof your query letter and make sure that summary is absolutely perfect, the excitement starts to wear off. There's so much pressure put on the summary you write for your book. (Although much of it may be self-inflicted.) I still don't know if the summary is perfect, but I think I'm getting close to something, so I've decided to post it and see what some of you may have to say about it. Feel free to leave any suggestions/comments in the comments box at the bottom. I'd love to hear from you!

Summary of Desiderium:

At any given time there is exactly one Desiderium walking the Earth. And no matter what anyone might think they saw, that person absolutely cannot be seventeen-year-old Rhiley Winters. No way. The Desiderium, after all, has the power to make her strongest desires a reality—literally. The last one wished for a baby with every fiber of her being, and minutes later a screaming infant appeared out of thin air. And that’s nothing like what just happened to Rhiley in history class. Not even close.

But let’s just say Rhiley was the Desiderium (hypothetically speaking, of course). She would be the reason no one on this planet is allowed to feel desire. Plus there’s the tiny detail of finding herself at the top of every government’s most wanted list. After all, there’s no telling what kind of havoc she could wreak on society with her newfound ability. And if they do execute her (which would be highly unnecessary because she’s definitely not the Desiderium), as soon as she dies the ability would be passed on to someone else, and Rhiley would be nothing but a black mark in history books for generations to come.

So, really, the fact that she just wished for more time and time is now literally frozen around her doesn’t mean anything. And the fact that the hot new student witnessed everything doesn’t matter. Because there has to be another explanation. Her life depends on it.

Lost Girl Found Review

Here's my latest review for SLJ. It was a starred review, and a really good book, so check it out if you get the chance.

School Library Journal (04/01/2014):
Gr 8 Up--This poignant and gripping story follows Poni, a young girl growing up in a Sudanese village. The emotional tale depicts the challenges of Poni's everyday life before the war. Against all odds, she must find a way to stay in school, deflect any young boy's attention, and fight for her life to survive malaria. But then the war comes, and everything changes. After her entire village is wiped out following an airstrike and her family is presumed dead, she must flee Sudan with a group of refugees to the safety of a refugee camp far away. Many die along the way, but Poni survives the long journey. Once she gets there, she discovers the horrors going on at the refugee camp and must escape. After she's free, a nun in Nairobi offers her shelter, the continuing education the teen has been longing for, and, ultimately, help getting to America, the land of opportunity. This book does an excellent job of evoking strong emotions from readers through its graphic depictions of life in war-torn Africa. Many are familiar with the Lost Boys of Sudan, but these authors set out to tell the stories of the Lost Girls of Sudan, and have succeeded with flying colors. This short, quickly paced narrative will stay with readers for the rest of their lives.--"Candyce Pruitt-Goddard, Hartford Public Library, CT" Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

World After by Susan Ee

I reviewed Angelfall by Susan Ee when it came out back in 2012 and I loved it. I'm always a bit wary of books that started off as self-published e-books (i.e. Fifty Shades of Gray), but finally caved in and read Angelfall after one of my co-workers browbeat me into it. And I'm glad I did. It was an amazingly well written angel post-apocalyptic tale with all the necessary elements of a good YA book. So I had to read World After the second it came out last November, but am just now finally getting around to blogging about it.

World After Summary:
In this sequel to the bestselling fantasy thriller, Angelfall, the survivors of the angel apocalypse begin to scrape back together what's left of the modern world.

When a group of people capture Penryn's sister Paige, thinking she's a monster, the situation ends in a massacre. Paige disappears. Humans are terrified. Mom is heartbroken.

Penryn drives through the streets of San Francisco looking for Paige. Why are the streets so empty? Where is everybody? Her search leads her into the heart of the angels' secret plans where she catches a glimpse of their motivations, and learns the horrifying extent to which the angels are willing to go.

Meanwhile, Raffe hunts for his wings. Without them, he can't rejoin the angels, can't take his rightful place as one of their leaders. When faced with recapturing his wings or helping Penryn survive, which will he choose?

World After Review:
At first when I read the description I immediately thought, wait, this sounds exactly like the first book. But the description is misleading. It couldn't be any more different from the first book if it tried. But in a good way. The author has done an exceptional job of creating romantic tension between Penryn and Raffe, without creating a full-blown romance between the two. Yet. The angel laws prevent Raffe from being with Penryn, so they keep a nice safe distance, but there's still that tension that makes you wonder if they will or won't at the end of the series.

Another reason why I love this series is that the plot is so original. It's nothing like any other book I've ever read. Yes, it has angels, which are a dime a dozen in YA literature right now, but it's done so differently than any other angel series. It has lots of action and violence, and quite a few other-worldly creatures that Penryn discovers something very interesting about. I don't want to spoil it, but if you haven't read this series, you really need to. The first book is fast throughout the entire book. The second book is a little slow to start, but once it gets going you're just about guaranteed to be hooked.

What I Thought Was True Review

My March review for SLJ was just published this week about a book called What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick. Here it is:

Gr 10 Up--Seventeen-year-old Gwen Castle has lived in Seashell, Connecticut her whole life, waiting hand and foot on the rich clientele who come to the island every year for a picturesque summer. And she's tired of it. The summer means getting to spend time on the beach, but it also means working long shifts at her dad's restaurant, being the third wheel to her best friend Vivien and her cousin Nico who are madly in love, and taking care of her younger brother with special needs. Suddenly, Gwen is given the opportunity to work as a caregiver for a rich elderly woman, and everything starts to change. She's forced to spend more time with the well-off and charming Cass, with whom she had a one-night stand last year. Gwen knows she should hate him after everything that happened, but the more she gets to know him, the more sparks fly. The teen begins to question what she thought was true-about Cass, about her family and friends, and about herself. This novel tells a beautiful story of first love and although some of the background information is slow to be revealed, Gwen's character has the kind of depth and voice that will enchant teens. Those with regrets of their own will find hope in this coming-of-age romance that will appeal to fans of Deb Caletti and Sara Zarr.--"Candyce Pruitt-Goddard, Hartford Public Library, CT" Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Shadow Throne Review

I've recently discovered NetGalley.com, which allows librarians and booksellers access to Advanced Reader Copies of books. And I'm glad I did. When I had the chance to get my hands on an advanced copy of The Shadow Throne by Jennifer Nielsen, I jumped at the chance. I loved the first two books in the series The False Prince and The Runaway King, and was eager to see how the trilogy finished. If you've read the first two books in the series, this book is a must. And if you haven't, then you need to :)

Shadow Throne Summary:
One war.
Too many battles.
Can a king save his kingdom, when his own survival seems unlikely?

War has come to Carthya. It knocks at every door and window in the land. And when Jaron learns that King Vargan of Avenia has kidnapped Imogen in a plot to bring Carthya to its knees, Jaron knows it is up to him to embark on a daring rescue mission. But everything that can go wrong does.

His friends are flung far and wide across Carthya and its neighbouring lands. In a last-ditch effort to stave off what looks to be a devastating loss for the kingdom, Jaron undertakes what may be his last journey to save everything and everyone he loves. But even with his lightning-quick wit, Jaron cannot forestall the terrible danger that descends on him and his country. Along the way, will he lose what matters most? And in the end, who will sit on Carthya's throne?


Rousing and affecting, Jaron's adventures have thrilled and moved readers in The False Prince and The Runaway King. Journey once again with the Ascendant King of Carthya, as New York Times bestselling author Jennifer A. Nielsen brings his story to a stunning conclusion with The Shadow Throne.

Shadow Throne Review:
I reviewed The False Prince when it first came out, and I loved it. Nielsen's writing is so smart, witty, and fun that I was hooked. And her writing in The Shadow Throne is no different. King Jaron is up to his usual mischievous antics, and has a way of getting himself into sticky situations when he's trying to save his kingdom. And at times I was again left wondering how he would ever get out of them. But he always finds a way.

One of the greatest things about the first book in the series was that Nielsen and her protagonist were able to keep such a huge secret from the reader, and did an excellent job shocking readers with the big reveal. And I loved that she found a way to do that in this book too. It's not as big of a reveal, but there are two shocking twists near the end of the book that help make this book so much better. One of them was expected (or at least hoped for), and the other was a total shock. It was awesome.

And I can't emphasize enough how smart her writing is. King Jaron is very witty, and at times laugh-out-loud funny. Recommend this series to anyone (boys or girls) who enjoy a good story filled with action, wit, and twisty plots.

Into the Still Blue Review

I would have to say that Veronica Rossi's Under the Never Sky trilogy is one of my favorite teen series. I couldn't wait to read the final installment: Into the Still Blue, and I definitely wasn't disappointed. In fact, I'm really sad it's over. But I can't wait to see what Rossi works on next.

Into the Still Blue Summary:

Their love and their leadership have been tested. Now it's time for Perry and Aria to unite the Dwellers and the Outsiders in one last desperate attempt to bring balance to their world.

The race to the Still Blue has reached a stalemate. Aria and Perry are determined to find this last safe-haven from the Aether storms before Sable and Hess do-and they are just as determined to stay together.

Meanwhile, time is running out to rescue Cinder, who was abducted by Hess and Sable for his unique abilities. And when Roar returns to camp, he is so furious with Perry that he won't even look at him, and Perry begins to feel like they have already lost.

Out of options, Perry and Aria assemble a team to mount an impossible rescue mission-because Cinder isn't just the key to unlocking the Still Blue and their only hope for survival, he's also their friend. And in a dying world, the bonds between people are what matter most.

In this final book in her stunning Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi raises the stakes to their absolute limit and brings her epic love story to an unforgettable close.

Into the Still Blue Review:

If you've read the first two books in the series, you probably have a pretty good idea of why I feel in love with Aria and Perry. They strike a perfect balance between being likable and strong characters, but being flawed at the same time. And their romance has been rocky throughout the series, but remained pretty steadfast in this book. In fact, one of the things I liked most about this book was that Aria and Perry knew they had a huge obstacle to overcome in their relationship, and instead of ignoring it as is the case in many YA novels, they communicate about it and make a conscious effort to fix it. So Kudos to Rossi for that.

Another thing that I really enjoyed about this series is the plot. Yes, it's a dystopian, which the market is flooded with, but it's an original storyline, with a very unique and well-described world. Half of the population (the Dwellers) live in Pods, while the other half (the Outsiders) have to rough it on the outside, where there are cannibals roaming around, and the ever-increasing threat of the Aether storms. The Aether storms in and of themselves are a really unique element Rossi designed that helps make the story even more intriguing. One problem I have with the series, although minor, is that cannibals are a fairly big threat roaming around the Outside in the first book, but aren't mentioned at all in the second or third books. But Aria and Perry have more than enough to deal with, so it's definitely something I'm willing to look past. 

Overall, this book was an excellent ending to this amazing series!