DPL Teens

BOOK READ RECENTLY:

Title: If I Stay

Author: Gayle Forman

Other books in series or Standalone: It has a sequel/companion called Where She Went

First Impressions: I picked this one up because it sounded like a pretty interesting story.  A 17-year-old girl named Mia is riding in the car with her parents and little brother when they are in a horrific car accident.  With her parents dead and her little brother’s life hanging in the balance, Mia has an out-of-body experience while comatose.  She can see what is going on around her and realizes that she has to make the decision herself:  should she live or die?

Last Impressions: I really liked this book!  At first I wasn’t sure how it would work with the whole thing going on while the main character is in a coma, but the flashbacks very nicely give us backstory on Mia and her family and helps to get to know them as lovable characters.  The flashbacks also provide plenty of light and humorous moments, which helps break up the saddness of the whole situation Mia is in.  I also really liked how passionate Mia is about playing the cello.  I enjoyed that uniqueness about her, and it even kind of made me want to listen to some cello music!

Favorite Moment (POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT):  Mia’s flashback to her first date with her rocker boyfriend Adam.  Really cute and romantic.

Least Favorite Moment:  The description of the accident scene.  But then again, I might have a weak stomach where blood is concerned.

Thoughts on the bookcover:  Very simple and pretty.  I love the colors, and the dying tree with one bloom left on it seems like it fits Mia’s situation well.

Dream Cast:  Kat Dennings (Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist) as Mia, Reid Ewing (Modern Family) as Adam

People who should read this:  If you like realistic fiction or more serious books.  Music lovers will also appreciate what a big role music plays in the book (Mia is a cellist, her boyfriend Adam is in a rock band, and her parents were avid music lovers).

If you like this book, you may also like:  Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver, one of Sarah Dessen’s many books (like What Happened to Goodbye), either Speak or Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

BOOK READ RECENTLY:

Title:  Incarceron

Author:  Catherine Fisher

Other books in series or Standalone:  Has a sequel called Sapphique

First Impressions:  This sounded like a really unique story.  Finn is trapped in a futuristic prison called Incarceron.  He has always been told that he was born there, but he can’t remember anything before the past three years and he’s sure that he had a life on the outside.  Things start to piece together for Finn when he comes into ownership of a device that lets him communicate with someone on the outside: Claudia, the daughter of the Warden.

Last Impressions:  Once it gets going, this book is great!  I had the hardest time at first trying to figure out when and where it is set, but once things started coming together, it turned into a really exciting and thought-provoking story.  The technology involved is super cool and it’s fun to imagine it alongside the 18th century style of clothing.

Favorite Moment:  I can’t say because it’s a HUGE spoiler, but I’ll say that I really liked the ending.

Thoughts on the bookcover:  Very cool.  It’s so mysterious because you don’t know how all the objects on it are going to come into play in the book.  And the crystal key looks so pretty!

Dream Cast:  A movie is already in the works starring Taylor Lautner as Finn, and I can see him filling this role perfectly!  No one else is confirmed for the cast yet, but I could totally see Emma Watson as Claudia.

People who should read this:  With the dual viewpoints of Finn and Claudia, both guys and girls could enjoy this book.  It’s great for anyone who likes dystopian lit or books about cool futuristic technology.

People who should not read this:  It kind of takes awhile for the story to pick up and for you to figure out what exactly is going on, so if you’re impatient, you might get frustrated.  But seriously, hang in there, it gets really good!

If you like this book, you may also like:  The sequel, Sapphique, of course!  Also The Maze Runner, Gone, and The Knife of Never Letting Go.

BOOK READ RECENTLY:
Title: Bright Young Things

Author: Anna Godbersen

Other books in series or Standalone: First book in a series! The second book, Beautiful Days, will be released in September!

First Impressions: I have always been fascinated with the 1920′s, but I have been especially obsessed with that particular decade after reading Sophie Kinsella’a Twenties Girl. And although I have not read the books in Anna Godbersen’s other series, Luxe, they have always been on my to-read list.

Last Impressions:Smashing good time, darlings! I love how all three girls, Astrid, Letty, and Cordelia, live very different lives, but all still have their highs and lows–I am super excited to see how their stories continue to interweave with each others’!

Favorite Moment: Whenever they describe the sparkly, silky, delicate, beaded, luxurious, beautiful dresses! Here is a polyvore set of some Flapper Girl style so you can visualize the loveliness:

Modern Flapper…. by Black*Orchid

Least Favorite Moment: Lets just say that the moments that lead up to Letty adopting her greyhound, Good Egg, were horrifying and I wanted to look away (which is a weird sensation while you are reading because, of course, you CAN’T look away. If you do, then the story just pauses at the bad part!) Learn about greyhound adoption at Quad Cities Greyhound Adoption: http://www.qcgreyhoundadoption.org/

Thoughts on the bookcover: G.L.A.M.O.R.O.U.S. This was definitely a I-picked-up-this-book-because-I-judged-it-by-the-cover situation.

An ideal place to read this book: while waiting for the train (or plane) that is about to take you someplace fantastic

Dream Cast: Dakota Fanning as Astrid, Miranda Cosgrove as Letty, and Emma Roberts as Cordelia

If you like this book, you may also like: Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella, the musical Chicago and the amazing film version starring Renée Zellweger & Catherine Zeta-Jones, the BBC series The House of Eliott and of course, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

BOOK READ RECENTLY:

Title:  Matched
Author:  Ally Condie

Other books in series or Standalone: First in a trilogy.  The second book, Crossed, will be released in November 2011 and the third (still untitled) is due out in November of 2012

First Impressions:  I was SUPER excited for this book.  From the description, it sounded like it was going to be right up my alley, a dystopian tale filled with romance and rebellion.  Cassia lives in a world where The Society dictates every aspect of your life, leaving you no choice or real free will.  Everything is chosen for you, including who you marry.  At her Match Banquet, Cassia is shown the face of the boy she is to marry, and it turns out to be her best friend Xander.  But then for a brief moment, another face flashes before her (the face of her friend Ky), leading her to question the choice that has been made for her and what exactly The Society is up to.  The book had a ton of buzz, so I figured it would be pretty great.

Last Impressions:  One of the things I found most interesting about this book was how choice was so completely taken away.  It’s not just that you can’t choose who to marry; The Society has also limited the culture so as not to “overwhelm” the people with too many choices.  They have narrowed things down to The Hundreds, meaning that there are now only 100 songs, 100 movies, 100 poems, and so on.  It was interesting to watch Cassia go from thinking that this isn’t a bad thing to raging against it after her beloved grandfather gives her a poem that isn’t one of the 100 and is therefore forbidden.  I really liked their relationship and what she learns from it.

Favorite Moment (POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT):  Ky teaching Cassia to write.  Very sweet, and yet another reminder of how The Society restricts people’s actions (no one is allowed to write, only type into their Scribes).

Least Favorite Moment:  I don’t want to say because it’s a big spoiler!  But it involves someone getting his/her heart broken, and it made me sad.  And that’s all I will say.

Thoughts on the bookcover:  LOVE the cover!  Such a pretty picture, and with the girl in the bubble it’s a good visual image of what the book is about (because Cassia is very much trapped in the safe protective bubble of the Society).

People who should read this:  Anyone who likes a good love triangle or enjoys dystopian stories filled with rebellion and intrigue

If you like this book, you may also like: The Giver by Lois Lowry, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Incarceron by Catherine Fisher, and Delirium by Lauren Oliver (read my review HERE!)

BOOK READ RECENTLY:

Title:  Delirium
Author:  Lauren Oliver

Other books in series or Standalone:  First in a trilogy.  The sequels will be titled Pandemonium and Requiem, but no release dates are available yet.

First Impressions:  I read the summary and thought that it sounded really interesting; it’s a dystopian society where love is considered to be very dangerous, so people get a vaccine when they turn 18 that prevents them from ever falling in love.  Lena is anxious to get it since love caused some serious pain in her family many years back….that is, until she meets Alex….

Last Impressions:  I need the sequel to come out soon.  Like, yesterday, please.  Even though I thought that the worldbuilding was kind of weak (I’m still not totally sure of the origins of this fear of love), I thought that the love story and the feelings that Lena and Alex have for each other were quite powerful, and it really sucked me in.  I also loved seeing the transformation in Lena; she goes from being a girl who does what she is told and tries to please people to a rebel with a mind of her own.  Awesome and empowering.

Favorite Moment (POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT):  Lena and Alex fall asleep together in his roofless trailer, looking up at the stars.  Swoon.

Least Favorite Moment:  Turning to the last page and realizing that I’m facing a cliffhanger.

Thoughts on the bookcover:  I know they say “don’t judge a book by its cover”, but I totally only picked this book up because it has such a pretty cover!  I just really liked the color and design, so it made me curious to see what it was about.  I think it fits the mood of the story very well.

Dream Cast:  Alexis Bledel as Lena (true, she probably just popped into my head because that’s the name of her character in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, but I could totally see her in this part!), Alex Pettyfer as Alex (I think he has that rebel look down), and Amanda Seyfried as Hana.

People who should read this:  Anyone who likes a good love story, fans of dystopian lit

People who should not read this:  I don’t know if boys would identify with it as much, since it’s from the perspective of a girl and it’s all about love and whatnot, but I could be wrong, so give it a try anyway!

If you like this book, you may also like:  some other dystopian lit that involve a love story, like Matched by Ally Condie, Uglies by Scott Westerfeld, and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.  After reading Delirium I also decided to try Lauren Oliver’s first book, Before I Fall, and while it’s fairly different from Delirium, it is also EXCELLENT!

Title: Tsubasa –Reservoir Chronicle–
Author: CLAMP
Publisher: Del Ray
Volumes: 28 (completed)
Publication: 2003-2009
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Romance, Crossover
Anime: 2 seasons, 52 episodes (completed)

[Forgive the long review, dear blogee—the following paragraphs encompass several works, and take some time to explain!]

I’ll tell you something about myself: I hate starting a series with no end in sight. So when the last volume of Tsubasa came out recently, there was finally an end to the six-month+ long cliffhangers (imagine the happy dance, if you will). Of course, I didn’t learn about my extreme aversion to cliffhangers until after I had already started in on the series many a year ago. Frankly, even if I had, I probably would have started reading it anyway; after all, it’s CLAMP!

I trust you’re familiar with the Japanese power-quad mangaka (comic artist) group? No? Run, don’t walk, to the library and grab any of their previous series: Chobits, X/1999, Tokyo Babylon, Cardcaptor Sakura, Clover, Magic Knight Rayearth, RG Veda—just to name a few. Each series offers gorgeous art, compelling storylines and characters you’ll never forget.

In fact, the characters are so memorable, almost all of them show up in Tsubasa! The two main characters, Sakura and Syaoran, star in—as you may have guessed—Cardcaptor Sakura; one of CLAMP’s most popular series, and a steadfast member of the magical girl genre. Although this Sakura and Syaoran look exactly the same as in CLAMP’s previous series, it soon becomes apparent they do not occupy the world we’re used to seeing them in.

However, their attachment to each other has reached across universes; something you’ll find is a common theme with characters from other series. When Sakura loses her memories and is put into a catatonic state, Syaoran visits the Dimensional Witch, Yūko (from CLAMP’s parallel series, xXxHolic), and pleads with her to save Sakura. Two other original characters, under varying circumstances, show up at the same time and place to make a request of their own. However, no wish can be granted without giving up what they cherish most. In order to fulfill the trio’s wishes, they must journey to various dimensions, in order to regain Sakura’s memories and restore her to her former self.

Confused? Don’t worry, CLAMP tells the story much better than I do. If you’re apprehensive about reading Tsubasa without first going through all their previous material—don’t be. It’s definitely not essential to be a guru in all things CLAMP in order to enjoy the series. Although you’ll miss out on all your fangirl/boy squeals when your would-be favorite characters show up in the group’s travels (X/1999’s Sorata and Arashi? I don’t normally partake of the fangirl colloquialisms, but *squee*!!—read the series; you’ll understand why it’s a big deal). My only complaint with the series was that it was a bit hard to follow at times. Likely reading it all at once would remedy this—yet another reason to love finished series!

As you’re reading through Tsubasa, don’t forget to keep up with its sister series, xXxHolic. It follows Watanuki Kimihiro, who, despite his somber appearance, is typically quite energetic, though not in a happy-go-lucky way. Possessing the unwanted ability to see spirits, Watanuki stumbles upon Yūko’s wish-granting shop, where he promptly finds himself employed in order to work off his wish of one day being normal. The art has a very dark and smoky vibe, which I absolutely adored. The spastic Watanuki and the life-loving, sagely Yūko make a great team for a great read. So far 16 volumes are out in English. It’s unknown when the series will be completed, but I’ll keep gobbling it up anyway!

tl;dr (too long; didn’t read): Everything CLAMP makes is awesome, so by Transitive Property, Tsubasa is awesome!

BOOK READ RECENTLY:
Title: Anna and the French Kiss
Author: Stephanie Perkins

First Impressions: Honestly? I didn’t think I would like it! I had two friends LOVE the book and another friend LOATHE the book, and after reading their arguments about whether or not St. Clair was a jerk for leading on both Anna and his girlfriend or about whether Anna was weak/whiny for obsessing over him, I thought I would be on the disliking team.

Last Impressions: LOVED it! I could not put it down. And funnily enough, I still agree with a lot of my friend-who-loathed-it’s comments, except the part where she thought Anna and St. Clair’s actions made them (and thus the book) unlikable. I agree that they didn’t always handle the situation the best, but they handled it exactly how I imagine I would if I was Anna. She is such an amazing character because she makes mistakes and then learns from them–and yeah, she obsesses over a boy who is “off-limits,” but haven’t we all? (Hellooooo, Justin Timberlake.) And she never loses her individual personality; she is a neat-freak, sneaker-wearing, film-loving, future movie critic whether St. Clair likes her or not. And double yeah, this is a book about a romance, but it feel it is much more a coming-of-age novel about a girl who learns the pros and cons of growing into an independent woman. in Paris. with a hot, curly-haired guy who has a British accent. and they fall in love. squeeeeel

Favorite Moment (POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT): When Anna and St. Clair hung out over Thanksgiving, running and screaming around the dorms while everyone else was gone for the holiday–so many lovely goosebump moments! I also loved every time Anna blushed because I am a total blusher, too.

Least Favorite Moment: Anna’s low low point. Where it all spins outta control. You’ll know the part I mean when you read it. Lets just agree that mean people are the WORST. I just wanted to call her up and be like “ummm, you don’t me, but I read about what is happening right now and I just wanted to give you a hug.”

Quote from the book:

Time passes quickly for an eight-hour flight.

We don’t talk about what waits on the other side of the ocean. Not his mother. Not Toph. Instead, we browse Skymall. We play the if-you-had-to-buy-one-thing-off-each-page game. He laughs when I choose the hot-dog toaster, and I tease him about the fogless shower mirror and the world’s largest crossword puzzle.

“At least they’re practical,” he says.

Thoughts on the bookcover: Cute…but how come publishers never want to make the girls on covers look like the actual characters? where is Anna’s tooth gap? where is the bleached streak in her hair? Although the whole image of the unknown guy sitting just out of reach is perfecto.

An ideal place to read this book: in an outdoor cafe! or maybe in a movie theater while you are waiting for a movie to start! or in Paris!!!

Dream Cast: Emma Stone for Anna (I think Emma Stone should be in EVERY movie.) and Aaron Johnson for St. Clair.

People who should read this: Anyone who likes romances, or books set in Europe, or stories about friendships, or any combination of the above

People who should not read this: well there is not much obvious boy appeal, but I can see it enjoyed by boys who do appreciate smart romances with lots of snarkiness (I have several guy friends who love chick-flicks like When in Rome, etc–they would totally love this!). Also, my friend who LOATHES it should not re-read it.

If you like this book, you may also like: 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson, Heist Society by Ally Carter, I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith