Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

Amazon Description:
Orphan Train is a gripping story of friendship and second chances from Christina Baker Kline, author of Bird in Hand and The Way Life Should Be.
Penobscot Indian Molly Ayer is close to “aging out” out of the foster care system. A community service position helping an elderly woman clean out her home is the only thing keeping Molly out of juvie and worse...
As she helps Vivian sort through her possessions and memories, Molly learns that she and Vivian aren’t as different as they seem to be. A young Irish immigrant orphaned in New York City, Vivian was put on a train to the Midwest with hundreds of other children whose destinies would be determined by luck and chance.
Molly discovers that she has the power to help Vivian find answers to mysteries that have haunted her for her entire life – answers that will ultimately free them both.
Rich in detail and epic in scope, Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline is a powerful novel of upheaval and resilience, of unexpected friendship, and of the secrets we carry that keep us from finding out who we are.

My Review:
I liked Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline, but not as much as I was expecting to. The characters were relatable and the relationships were somewhat believable. I felt the pain of both Vivian and Molly as I was reading.

Yes, the storyline is predictable, but it was a heartwarming tale of two people of different generations going through life as orphans. I liked the way Vivian and Molly connected.

There wan definitely something lacking in this book. While the writing was beautiful, I really wanted more of Molly's childhood. Also, I kept waiting for a current conflict, but it never came. All the conflict was in the past by years or decades depending on the person. Molly had some current "stumbles" but nothing I could consider a real conflict.

I rate Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline 3 stars. It was a good read, but nothing I would read again. I would recommend it for young adults looking for an interesting piece of historical fiction.

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher - Book Review

Amazon Description:
Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a strange package with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker - his classmate and crush - who committed suicide two weeks earlier. Hannah's voice tells him that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out why. Clay spends the night crisscrossing his town with Hannah as his guide. He becomes a firsthand witness to Hannah's pain, and learns the truth about himself-a truth he never wanted to face.

My Review:
With all the hype over this book, I had pretty high expectations and I felt a  little let down. I thought the concept was interesting. Thirteen people in some way contributed to the reason Hannah committed suicide. Instead of a suicide note, Hannah gives the reasons on a series of cassette tapes that are to be passed from one person to the next on her list of those she holds responsible. If they don't pass it along, a second set of tapes that someone else is holding will be played for everyone to hear.

The book was told through Clay's perspective who is on Hannah's list and is currently listening to the tapes. The whole story would have been more compelling and impactful if told from the person who holds the second set of tapes. 

There's no urgency in the book. You know Hannah commits suicide, so her story is over. There's no saving Hannah. Some of the reasons she had people on her list were just ridiculous and was irritating that it contributed to the decision to end her life. Is this supposed to be a warning that people should watch what they say all the time? I didn't get it.

Overall, I rate Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, 3 stars. It was written well in that it does grab your attention, so I'd like to read something else by Jay Asher. This book just didn't hold up to the hype.

Hooked by Catherine Greenman - Book Review

Thea is just seventeen when she falls in love with Will and everything seems perfectly in place ith her upcoming graduation. hen she becomes pregnant, she chooses to have an abortion but can't go through with it and decides to keep the child.

I chose to read Hooked because I thought it would be a realistic look at what life is like when a seventeen year old decides to keep their child. It wasn't even close. The relationship between Thea and Will rings true as time goes on but I was disappointed that 290 pages didn't even begin to describe how hard it can be to raise a child.

There are a few problems that Thea had to face but the solutions were unrealistic and seemed to glorify a fantasy teen-pregnancy situation. I kept waiting for a real problem that her well-off parents wouldn't bail her out of -  but it never came. The solution that Thea comes up with to support her new family was so unrealistic it made me cringe.

Overall, I rate Hooked by Catherine Greenman 2 stars and I don't see myself recommending it.

Season of Lies by Monica Shaughnessy Book Review

Amazon Description:
Robin Calloway has always been "special"--a misfit who lives more in her own head than the real world. Some, including her father, even think she's crazy. So when her brother is found murdered, Robin's father suspects her of the crime and sends her to a mental institution for observation. With the help of Dr. G, Robin begins to untangle memories of the killing, but admits a terrible truth about herself in the process: she can both hear and speak to animals, and this cursed ability forces her to "sleepwalk"--or blank out--for most of her day.

Fearing both the local sheriff and the label of "schizophrenic," Robin escapes the hospital and flees into the Texas Hill Country. To survive hunting season in the woods, however, she must accept her unique senses and gain the help of a whitetail deer herd. But Robin soon finds herself in the path of a killer desperate to hide the truth.

My Review:
Robin can speak to animals in her head, or at least she believes she can. She is a resident in a psychiatric hospital and is accused of the murder of her brother while he was hunting. She knows she is innocent but can't prove it without escaping the hospital and using her gift of speaking with the animals to retrace her step of the night her brother was killed.

I enjoyed this novel quite a bit. Although the bulk of the book is too peaceful for me to consider it a "thriller" it as definitely suspenseful. Robin is believably portrayed as an innocent soul. The way her gift is written felt so realistic I wondered (almost) if it were really possible to speak to animals like Robin.

The ending was filled with some twists which was surprising considering how straight forward most of the book seemed to be. It as a pleasant surprise to see how the characters were connected.

My biggest complaint was the slang that as used in the narrative sections. Words like "nekkid" and "woulda" really bothered me and made Robin come off as uneducated.

Overall, I rate Season of Lies by Monica Shaughnessy 4 stars and would recommend it to someone looking for a unique read.

44 by Jools Sinclair: Book Review

Amazon Description:

Last year after falling through the ice, seventeen-year-old Abby Craig woke up from death.

But she woke into a world she barely recognizes. She can't see colors, memories have been erased, and her friends all hate her. And then there's Jesse, who she loves, but who refuses to forgive her the one mistake she made long ago.

Just when she thinks it can't get any worse, the visions begin. In them, she sees a faceless serial killer roaming the streets. While the police believe that there have been a lot of accidents in town lately, Abby knows differently. And she soon realizes that it's up to her to find him.

But to stop him, she'll have to confront more than just the killer. She'll have to face something else that was lost in those dark waters. The truth.

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My Review:

I quite enjoyed 44. The characters and plot are well developed and intriguing. I was pleasantly surprised at how fast-paced this mysterious and ominous book was to read.

The plot focuses around the faceless killer in Abby Craig's night-time visions and her close relationship with her best friend Jesse. While I found the killer storyline interesting, in my opinion, it was much too obvious who the murderer was.  There were one or two twists and turns that allowed me to look beyond the fact that I knew who the killer was before getting halfway through the book.

There are currently 7 books in the 44 series the author is working on book 8 and seems to be releasing them fairly quickly. All of the books are around 200 pages. I would like to finish the series that I'm assuming (based on the name) will be 44 books, but I will wait until all of the books are released because these are quick-reads and I think I would be impatient waiting for the next installment.

Overall, I thought 44 was an excellent start to the series and I rate it 4 stars. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a paranormal series with a lot of action. This first book is free so definitely give it a try!

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Wanderlust by Karen McQuestion (Book Review)

Wanderlust is an amazing sequel to Edgewood. Mallory, Russ, Jameson and Nadia travel to Peru under the protection of the Praetorian Guard to search for David Hofstetter who has been presumed dead for sixteen years. Although they know the search is going to be a challenge and quite possibly dangerous, they are ready to face whatever obstacles The Associates might put in their way to prevent them from succeeding. However, what will they do when they aren't so sure the Praetorian Guard truly has their best interests at heart?

Several questions from Edgewood were answered while creating more questions about what's going to happen next with these four kids dealing with much more than they should at barely sixteen years old. There was a perfect balance of supernatural and real-life emotions which allowed me to connect even more with these characters. This sequel is much more than The Associates vs. the Praetorian Guard. For the first time I got to see a little bit of Jameson's vulnerability and Mallory's manipulations. Nadia's insecurities and Russ's compassion are still evident but on a much deeper level than in Edgewood and I was incredibly pleased with the way they connected in this book.

While these four are on this mission to find David who might not even be alive, they are simultaneously deciding if they want to commit themselves to the Praetorian Guard. Some realize pretty quickly that they might not be able to say no even if they wanted to.

I devoured this book in a day. It's one of my favorite thing about Karen McQuestion's writing...you don't realize you've been reading for hours until the sun starts to set and are shocked when you look at the clock. I liked Wanderlust even more than Edgewood and I didn't know if that was even possible! I can't wait for the next book in the Edgewood series!

Pretty Amy by Lisa Burstein (Book Review)

Pretty Amy is a contemporary YA novel centered around a girl named Amy who is hanging out with the wrong crowd. She's the quiet one of the group and tends to go along with what her so-called friends do just to fit in with them. Their prom night changed the course of their friendship and possibly the course of Amy's life.

Pretty Amy was highly recommended to me and after seeing the beautiful cover, I had to add this book to my collection and I am glad I did. Amy is a well-developed character who doesn't have such a positive attitude about her life. In general, she's a perfectly normal teenager trying to figure out who she is and when she falls into a sticky situation she has a hard time dealing with it.

Pretty Amy is written from Amy's perspective and a lot of times she is making a mountain out of a mole-hill but that is such a realistic teenage voice. Don't most teens feel incredibly lonely and frustrated when they lose a friendship they depended on? I know I did.

Lisa Burstein has a great way with one-liners that had me laughing throughout the book. I like how her characters are real and nothing is sugar coated with beautiful looks, money or straight A's. Amy could be the poster girl for the average teen in today's world.

There are some topics in the book that could be considered controversial so if you're sensitive to things like drugs and alcohol, you might want to choose a different book. That being said, I don't feel as though any of the issues are glorified and they made me understand Amy better.

One issue I did have with Pretty Amy was the pacing of the book. There were times where I didn't feel like it was going anywhere but right when I was ready to take a break from Pretty Amy, there was a new detail thrown in that made me keep reading.

I do feel like this is a great book for mother-daughter reading as it can open up conversations about things that aren't easily brought up around the dinner table. It is definitely one I will be reading again with my daughter when she's a little older. (She's only 10 right now.)

I rate Pretty Amy 5 out of 5 stars and would recommend it for any teenager who's looking for a main character they can really relate to. If you're out of high school or have trouble channeling your inner teenager, you might not be able to appreciate the book as much as I did, but it doesn't hurt to try the sample and see if you can relate.

Edgewood by Karen McQuestion

Edgewood, the first book in the Edgewood Series by Karen McQuestion, features 15 year old Russ Becker who has a very hard time falling asleep.  He often goes for a walk around town late at night and it's during one of those walks that he witnesses a series of fast moving lights in the sky that fall to the ground in a spiral of blue and gold embers.

Shortly after this phenomenon, Russ realizes that he has supernatural powers and discovers he's not the only one who's been affected by the lights. Nadia, Mallory and Jameson have a little more information about what has happened to them but Russ is hesitant to believe any of it until certain events make it impossible to deny.

I want to preface my review of Edgewood with the fact that I read a lot of YA fiction and fantasy so I tend to be critical of this genre. It takes a lot to please me but Edgewood has more than met that challenge.  The way the book is written, you are discovering things along with Russ and are just as wary of the people who come into Russ's life as he is. All of the characters are intriguing and I couldn't help but want to know more about all of them including Jameson, who's not the most welcoming to Russ.

The dialogue and internal streams of consciousness felt extremely natural for a 15 year old boy.  There was never a time that I thought Russ's character was too adult for his age, even when faced with enormous obstacles. His sense of humor is fantastic and not over the top for the context of the story.

Although Edgewood is considered a YA paranormal fiction, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good read with strong character development and action sequences.  Even if you tend to stay away from any book labeled "paranormal" I think you will enjoy Edgewood. I read Edgewood in one sitting because I just couldn't put it down. Even more exciting is that my 10 year old daughter also read this book and loved it just as much as I did.

I rate Edgewood 5 out of 5 stars and I am eagerly awaiting the second book in the series, Wanderlust, which Karen McQuestion is anticipating a February release.