Ink and Bone~ Reviewed by Hailey Hinrichs

"There is no place in the world for librarians who lack the will to defend books against wars, rebels, and Burners. Books cannot fight for themselves."

             In a world where personal ownership of books is forbidden, Jess Brightwell and his family are involved in a thriving black market where illegal books are sold. The Great Library is the main source of knowledge in every major city and it is where any literature in all of history can be obtained instantly on a blank, which is like a tablet where any book can be sent for you to read.

             Jess has been used as a delivery boy for his father for years to deliver illegal books to his customers. But when Jess begins to decide against taking over his father’s business, he is sent by his family to be a spy in the Library's service. When he meets new friends and begins to understand the worth of the library more, his loyalties are put to the test. Especially his loyalties to the people who control the Great Library. When a member of his training group creates a new device that could destroy the foundation of the Library, Jess realizes that the leaders of the Library will do anything to preserve the knowledge of the Library, even if that means sacrificing human lives.

             This book was very interesting so I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. I loved that the topic of this book was about all books being virtual because I feel like it is something that may very well happen. Technology is advancing and SO MANY things are on a computer that most people don't even think to pick up a book anymore. I liked this new world Rachel Caine created and I definitely think that the whole process of the Library was very well developed. There were a few twists in the book that I didn't expect but I really did like and it definitely got me to keep wanting to read more to find out what would happen next. I would recommend this book to any of my friends and I would definitely recommend this book be bought for our library. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series Paper and Fire!

This Is Where the World Ends-- Reviewed by Sarah Roberts

“We knew each other to our fingertips. No, that's not right. We only knew each other in our fingertips, and that was nothing at all, and for a while that was okay. We could have been a love story, a fairy tale, an indie film about high school and selective insanity featuring a boy of angel parts and a girl made of dreaming. We could have been all the best things: bracelets sliding down arms while shots slid down throats, laughter and crashing music in dark and flashing rooms, kisses that started hesitant but didn't stay that way.”  

Do you have a person in your life that you could never separated from? If they disappeared you would go completely insane? That's Janie and Micah.

Janie and Micah are always together. That's the way it's always been since elementary school, when Janie moved next door.  Janie and Micah are total opposites. Where Janie is outgoing, Micah is shy. Micah loves music, and Janie is more into art.

It's a perfect friendship- as long as it's kept a secret.

Everything is perfect. That is until Janie goes missing. Now, as Micah looks for his beloved best friend, things begin to get colored with doubt.

What was once so clear to Micah, now becomes a little blurry. The friendship that was once the realest thing in his life, becomes something to doubt.

I thought this book was wonderful! The characters were amazing. I enjoyed the mystery this book had to offer, and had my attention grabbed in many scenes throughout this book. Although, a little slow in points during the story, I still thought it was a great read. The mystery behind Jill's disappearance I found quite interesting. All in all this was a great book that I would recommend to my friends and family.

With Malice--Reviewed by Sarah Roberts

"Simone was dead, and I had no idea how it had happened."

Have you ever woken up and not remembered what you did the day before? It's slightly scary, but once you see an image you immediately remember. Well, that is not the case for Jill Charron.

Eighteen year old Jill Charron, wakes up only to find herself in a hospital bed. The worst part is, she can't remember how she got there. Jill can't even remember the past 6 weeks of her life.

Jill later discoveries that she was involved in a fatal car accident, which explains the cast on her leg and the stitches. The car accident occurred during the school trip to Italy. Jill was jetted home by her rich father, so that she could receive the proper care. Only problem this care involved a lawyer...and a press team?

Maybe this accident...wasn't an accident.

Jill tries to figure out not only what happened, but what she did. She works to figure out what happened in the six weeks that she can't seem to remember, before she loses what's left of her perfect life.

I thought this book was amazing! I adored the storyline. This was YA, but at the same point seemed to have adult aspects to it. I loved how we saw Jill struggle to recover her memory, and that it seemed real and not fictional. I also enjoyed how there were interruptions in chapters that showed us police reports and interviews with people. This book had a kind of detective feel to it that just made this book so much fun to read. It felt like I was interacting with the characters myself, and I enjoyed that a lot. I would recommend this book to all my friends and family.

I would like to thank NetGalley for allowing me to review this book as well as a the publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group for allowing me to read and review this book as well.

In Real Life-- Reviewed By Sarah Roberts

“We were ghosts. Ghosts didn't exist in real life. You couldn't touch a ghost.”  

Best Friends are always seen as something unreplaceable. They are always there for you when you need to laugh, or just someone to talk nonsense with. That is case for Hannah Cho and Nick Cooper. They have been best friends since 8th grade. The only problem is...they haven't actually met before.

Hannah Cho and Nick Cooper have been best friends since 8th grade. They talk on the phone for long periods of time, send each other presents, and know every little detail about each other.

Only issues is...they have never met in person before.

Hannah has always done what she is asked to do for her entire life, but when her spring break plans are ruined, she decides it's time to break a few rules. Hannah decides to take a trip to Las Vegas to surprise Nick and confess her more-than just friend feelings. Who better to tag along with Hannah than her older sister and best friend.

Hannah's romantic gesture fails however, when she finds out that Nick has been keeping some pretty big secrets. She knows that the real Nick can't be all that different from the Nick she knows and loves online. With only one night in Las Vegas to figure out how she really feels, Hannah's about to figure out how breaking the rules can alter life.

I loved this book! I thought the storyline was really well written. The story at first seemed like it was going to be insanely cliché, but once I got into it I couldn't put it down. This book had romantic aspects, comedic scenes, and a wonderful adventure. I would definitely reread this book. The romance aspect was cute, and I loved how each of the characters interacted with each other. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends and family because not only did it touch on teen romance but it also touched on family relationships as well.

The Way I Used To Be -- Reviewed by Sarah Roberts

 

" I don't know that these images flashing through my mind-a movie of someone else, somewhere else-will never really go away, will never ever stop playing, will never stop haunting me."

 

 

 

Sexual assaults happen all over the world. The perpetrator could be your father, uncle, mother, or even your older brother's best friend. Many victims don't speak out, or only gain the courage to speak out when another victim has. That is the case of Eden McCrorey.

 

Eden was always okay with being good. She was in band and loved reading books. Nothing could change that, not even high school. Or so she thought...

 

One night changes everything. One night makes Eden's whole world turn upside-down. What is this fateful night? It's the night that her brother's best friend rapes her. What was once so clear is now complex. What Eden once loved-the person she loved- she now hates with everything in her. Everything she believed to be true, turns out to be nothing but lies.

 

Eden has never felt so alone in her entire life. She knows that she has to tell someone, but she can't seem to bring herself to do that.

 

So she locks it all inside. And she buries the girl she used to be.

 

I thought this book was amazing! I loved how the author chose to tell Eden's story in four parts. We get to go through Eden's freshman year, sophomore year, junior year, and senior year with her -- which is a really brilliant idea. This book will definitely make your emotions run high. You will go from loving Eden, to hating her occasionally, to hating her best friend, and then to understanding her best friend in a sense. I also like how Amber Smith made this book seem realistic. I think that probably some people who have experienced what Eden did, probably have handled it the way she did at first. The only thing that left me on a little cliffhanger was that I wanted to see how Eden's parents handled the whole situation. This is because Kevin ,brother's best friend, was seen as part of the family. He basically became the second son. So I would like to know how the parents handled that betrayal of trust and loyalty. I also would have enjoyed a longer confession to Caelin, Eden's brother. Yes, we see him get pretty emotional, but we don't see that huge talk. So I would've appreciated a little more interaction between the two. All in all, this book was amazing and I would definitely recommend it to all my friends and family.

 

After the Woods~ Reviewed by Hailey Hinrichs

 



"I become very still, trying to make myself shapeless so he'll forget I'm a GIRL, because that feels the most dangerous of all."

     Julia and her best friend Liv beat the odds. When a man jumped on top of Liv, Julia did what any best friend would do. She tried to pull Donald Jessup off Liv and ended up taking Liv's place so Liv could get away. After she is found after two days of running from Donald, everyone she knows tries to make her believe that she should just forget about it. Julia begins to just bury it deep down and move on, like Liv begs her to do.

     Fast forward one year.

     Another girl's body is found in the same area Liv and Julia were attacked. When hearing about it, memories that Julia has tried to bury finally resurface.

     While Julia struggles trying to contain these awful memories, Liv starts hooking up with Shane Cuthbert and starving herself. Is it because she feels guilty for getting away from Donald Jessup while Julia took her place?

     When Julia finds out the truth about Liv, will they ever be able to get back to how they were?

     Will anything ever be the same after the woods?

     

      I really liked this book so I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. I felt so bad for Julia's character. Her therapists were crazy. They literally didn't do anything to help her. Her family and best friends tried to make her forget everything when obviously she should've tried talking about it. Bottling things just doesn't help. At some point, it'll all come out. I also in a way felt bad for Liv because her mother was extremely hard on her and I think if I had a mother like that, I'd be like her. Obviously since I haven't been in that situation I couldn't necessarily connect with Julia's character but I feel like I would've handled it like her. I would recommend this to any of my friends.



The Girl Who Fell--Reviewed by Sarah Roberts

                                       “Darkness doesn't have fingers that twist into my flesh."

We all want the guy that we fall in love with to be perfect, or at least perfect for us. We hate when we don't see the warning signs that our friends see, or at least when we do see them it could be too late. Well that is unfortunately the case for Zephyr Doyle.

 Zephyr Doyle is focused on two things. First is leading her field hockey team to the state championship. Second, is getting into Boston College, her dream school.

But love decides it wants to intervene in the form of Alec. He's cute , he's charming, and most important he doesn't judge Zephyr. He understands all her weaknesses and even shares them. Soon their relationship becomes bigger than Zephyr, something she can't control, something she doesn't really want to control. 

Zephyr believes it has to be love. Love is powerful and....terrifying?

But love should not make you abandon your friends or your dreams. And it shouldn't make you feel guilty or ashamed. 

So when Zephyr final sees the person Alec really is she decides to take control back.

Only problem is it might be too late.

I absolutely loved this book!!! It made my emotions change so many times. The characters were well developed, and the plot line was superb. I loved how it seemed like this story could happen in real life. I love the whole story and was hooked by the first word. The plot of this story will grab you and leave you wanting more after each chapter. During each chapter of this book, you will be able see each character develop and grow. Zephyr will definitely develop throughout this story. S.M. Parker did an outstanding job of making the storyline feel realistic and even added points of advice that will help each reader through relationships that are similar to Zephyr and Alec's. I would highly recommend "The Girl who Fell" to each and everyone of my friends and family members. It is a must read.



Zodiac-- Reviewed by Sarah Roberts

"Inside the arenasphere, hundreds of holograms drift overhead, a circus of pixilating colors."

We see Zodiac signs as a cool way to represent our birth months. Romina Russell, author of Zodiac, sees them as  names for different houses of Academy.

Rhoma Grace is a 16-year old Academy student from the House Cancer. She has an unusual way of reading the stars. Rather than take steps that will help create accurate predictions, Rhoma seeks out stories in the sky.

When a devastating blast strikes one of Cancer's moons, sending the ocean planet turning and killing thousands of innocent citizens, including the beloved Guardian, Rhoma is shell shocked to find herself chosen as the new leader of House Cancer.

Rhoma is willing to protect her House with her life. The tragic events don't stop there however, House after House begin to fall victim to the bizarre weather occurrences. This causes Rhoma to suspect Ochus, the exiled 13th Guardian of the Zodiac. Rhoma believe Ochus has returned to take his revenge across the Galaxy.

Rhoma must now travelto warn the the other Guardians with the help of Hysan Dax, a young envoy from House Libra, and Mathias, a major in the Cancrian guard.

I absolutely loved this book! The plot line was amazing and I thought all the characters were well developed. I loved how Rhoma was an independent girl character, and did not seem to rely on the male characters so much. I also enjoyed how this book was set in space. I don't think this book would have been as good if it was place in some other setting. I would definitely recommend this book to all my friends and family. All in all it was a great read. 

Blood and Salt~ Reviewed by Hailey Hinrichs

 

 

 

"When you fall in love, you will carve out your heart and throw it into the deepest ocean. You will be all in- blood and salt."

 

 

            After Ash Larkin's mother goes back to a spiritual commune that she had left long ago, Ash follows her to Quivira, Kansas. A dead girl always seems to haunt Ash but she finds out it's because the dead girl who is connected to her mother from when she was in Kansas. Soon after coming to Kansas, Ashlyn realizes there's something evil hidden in the community. She is haunted by memories of an ancestor who was involved in a tragic love story and murder. Soon, Ash begins to be drawn to a boy she meets, the secretive Dane. When the town starts preparations for a ceremony 500 years in the making, Ash has to fight to save her mother. These past 500 years will unravel because of the sacrifice of love.

 

             I liked this book so I gave it 3 1/2 out of 5 stars. I really did enjoy how the plot was set up and I thought it had interesting characters. The only thing was that there were times where it did get slow and it just dragged on, and that can really hurt a book sometimes. I did like parts of the book and I really liked how Liggett put in flashbacks from Ashlyn's past to help tie in things. I think anyone who enjoys romantic horror stories and thrillers would really enjoy this book. I would recommend this to my friends and I think for the most part it was a good book.  

Forget Tomorrow~ Reviewed by Hailey Hinrichs

 

 

 

 

          In a world where your future has already been decided for you, Callie anxiously awaits her 17th birthday to see what her destiny holds for her. But when she sees that her future only holds trouble, she's dumbstruck watching her future self kill her little sister. Shortly after, she's placed in Limbo which is a prison for future criminals.

          When she escapes from Limbo, she tries to change events to alter her future so she doesn't end up taking her sister's life. In trying to run from the government and hoping she can change the future, she sets up events that she hopes will create a new future. If she can't, she will have to find a way to save her sister from the biggest threat of her life; herself. 

            I really enjoyed this book so I gave it 4 stars. I really enjoyed how Callie progressed throughout the book and her actions. I really like Dunn's choice of writing and how she didn't rush the events to get through the book. I liked that each event was very well thought out to help the progression of the book. What I loved most about the book was the dystopian society and being able to see your future right before you. That is extremely interesting to think about because I know a lot of people want to see how their future will play out and what direction they should go in. All in all I really enjoyed this book, and I would recommend it to any of my friends.



Illuminae~ Reviewed by Hailey Hinrichs

                                                

               The year is 2575. The morning before Kady’s planet was invaded, she thought breaking up with her boyfriend Ezra would be the hardest thing about the day to come. Soon after two rival corporations declare war on each other, she realizes she was very wrong. Now that her planet is invaded, she is forced to evacuate with Ezra on a warship. As she thinks things can’t get any worse, a plague breaks out. As Kady tries to find answers, she can’t seem to learn anything because the people in charge don’t want to talk about what’s really going on. She soon resolves to hacking into the database to find the truth. What she comes to find is that Ezra seems to be the only one who can really help her. Can they overcome their awkward past to help save their planet?

                I liked this book so I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. I usually am not into outer space books or a lot of books that have to do much with science. But I really enjoyed this one. I LOVED the layout of it. (Mostly because of reminded me of The Dead House). I like the different fonts and styles of the pages, which always helps with such long books. I loved all the plot twists which I did not see coming. I also love books that are realistic and I really thought events and ways the characters reacted to things really was realistic, unlike other books where things are instantly perfect again and all is well. Because come on, we all know it doesn’t happen like that. This was a good read and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys books about outer space and fantasy.

Dreamland~ Reviewed by Hailey Hinrichs

“All that we see or seem Is but a dream within a dream”

–Edgar Allan Poe

            Odea Donahue is not like most kids her age. Traveling from town to town with her mother her whole life and not knowing her father aren’t the only strange things about her.

            She has the ability to walk through people’s dreams.

            After being able to walk in people’s dreams since she was six years old, she knows that there are rules that she MUST follow. Never be seen, never interfere in the person’s dream, and never walk through someone’s dream more than once. Her mother was able to enforce these rules until she meets Conner, a new kid who has secrets of his own. Conner’s past makes her even more interested in him and she begins to break the rules in hopes that she’ll uncover the truth behind Conner’s past. But the rules were made so that the monsters would never find her. Once the rules were broken, they found her and took her mother hoping that it would lure her to their world. In her journey to find her mother, she uncovers more about Conner’s past, and her own.

            I really enjoyed this book so I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. I loved the whole plot of the book. I think the author did an amazing job creating a good view of the world she created in the book. The plot twists were ones I did not see coming at all. One thing that wasn’t so great about the book was that it took a little bit to really get into. Although I liked that some parts did leave you questioning something and made you what to read even more. Also, I liked the originality of the book. There aren’t any many books that I’ve seen about people dream-walking and other worlds being created from the monsters that are in nightmares. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys thrillers.

The Appearance of Annie van Sinderen-- Reviewed by Hailey Hinrichs

                19 year-old Wes Auckerman has just moved to New York City to attend a filmmaker summer program at NYU. While helping a friend film a séance in the Bowery, Wes and his friend, Tyler, see a beautiful girl with a satin bow in the way of the camera frame. As the night progresses, Wes can’t seem to find her again. Due to his curiosity to find out more about her and Tyler’s need to find this mysterious girl to sign a release paper, Wes goes to find her. Once he finds her and they start spending more time together, Wes tries to uncover parts of Annie’s past. Also, how is she connected to Maddie, the other mysterious girl Wes met at the séance? As Wes and Annie travel around NYC trying to find her missing ring, Wes learns more about her past and why she seems otherworldly.

                I really enjoyed this book so I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. I love Katherine Howe’s writing style and I thought this book was very good. I really liked the characters and how bizarre some of them were. I also liked the dual POV’s and that some parts were from Wes’ POV and other were from Annie’s. Sometimes it doesn’t work very well and it gets confusing when authors do that but I think it went along smoothly in this book. If you have ever read Katherine Howe’s other book Conversion I think you would like this book as well. It has that thriller/mystery twist to it that really keeps you wanting to read more. I really enjoyed this book all together.

The Dead House-- Reviewed by Hailey Hinrichs

“Either the Darkness alters- or something in the sight adjusts itself to Midnight- and Life steps almost straight.”

                It has been 20 years since a fire destroyed part of Elmridge High that killed 3 people. After the fire, Carly Johnson disappeared. The fire was believed to have been started by Kaitlyn Johnson after her diary was discovered years later, giving hints as to what really happened in the days leading up to the accident where she is caught in the middle of it. But the thing is Kaitlyn doesn’t technically exist because she is the alter ego of Carly. She gets the night while Carly gets the day. Many people believe that Kaitlyn appeared after her parents had died, but she had been around long before. Carly was always the good child while Kaitlyn was the reckless one. But one day Kaitlyn wakes up during the day and cannot feel Carly anymore and Kaitlyn, with the help of Carly’s best friend Naida, has to find a way to search through the Dead House if she ever wants to find Carly. But the Dead House holds the power to completely ruin the lives of anyone who dares to enter it.

                I absolutely loved this book so I gave it four and a half stars. I loved the plot to this book and I loved that it NEVER got boring. There was always something going on and things were never slow. I also loved the character developments throughout the book. I would definitely recommend this to all teens who enjoy more paranormal type books. Those kind of books usually aren’t what I read but this book was amazing and it makes me want to look into more books like this. This book was pretty good as a stand alone, although I wouldn’t mind finding out more about their childhood and their parents and when exactly Carly began having an alter ego. All in all, I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone.

Panic - reviewed by: Portia Rockers

                                      

Heather is a young girl in her teens who lives in a town called Carp. Carp only has a population of 12,000 people, and is in the middle of nowhere. Since there isn't much to do in Carp the graduating seniors play a game called panic. Heather has never found interest in the game but, the thought of the large cash prize starts to change her mind. Even though the game is dangerous and her sister is paralyzed from last years game she decides to play. Dodge who isn't afraid of the game enters as well, and even though Heather is seen as one of the weaker competitors he and her form an alliance. And maybe something more. 

I thought this book was great and I really liked it. I gave the book four stars because I thought the concept of the game was a bit like Hunger Games, but the author was able to make it different and unique. I really liked the chemistry between Dodge and Heather, they were so cute. Heather was a really unique voice and you can really feel the emotions she goes through as the book progresses. I also like how the book is realistic, it takes place in modern times, and I like how she shows the flaws that the characters have. I would recommend this book to people who like thrill, action, and some romance. They are also making this book into a movie, which I'm excited to see how it will turn out. 

Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands - reviewed by Maggie Devero

Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands by Chris Bohjalian

Reviewed by Maggie Devero

When your whole world comes crashing down around you, can you ever find the will to live on?

Emily Shepard is on her second to last day of junior year at Reddington Academy, when the school receives some devastating news -- the nuclear power plant called Reactor One, located on Cape Abenaki in the Northern Kingdom, had exploded and caused a radiation blow to the entire area. Now known as the Exclusion Zone, with radiation levels unfit for an living being, has left Emily homeless and orphaned, with her parents being the main directors of the plant and obviously killed in the explosion. Instead of seeking the help that would have reached out to her at the time, she chooses to avoid the general public who blames her parents for coming to work inebriated and causing this problem, and lives on the streets. She takes on the alias Abby Bliss, friend of her idol Emily Dickinson, and roams the streets taking up stealing and some others destructive habits. She struggles between survival and suicide...that is until she meets Cameron, a nine year old runaway who gives her a reason to live for.

I did in fact, like this book very much. Emily was the most accurately portrayed teenage girl in a disastrous situation, unlike characters in the many other YA books I've read before. Her panic and struggle, the solace she finds in the poetry and life of Emily Dickinson was very relatable to the reader,  and the sisterly love she gives to Cameron is one of the most endearing aspects of the story. Even so, she still makes mistakes like a human being (leaving Cameron while he's sick, doing drugs, cutting) which enhances the realistic aspects of her character. How Bohjalian depicts the setting gets you right there on the streets with Emily, in her garbage bag igloo. Beautiful wording, and accurate usage of modern social networks brings the story up to date, and puts you right in it. It was an amazingly written novel, and even without the perfectly happy ending it's an enjoyable read. Five out of five stars.

The Ask and The Answer - Reviewed by Maggie Devero

Chaos Walking Series; Book #2

The Ask and The Answer by Patrick Ness

Reviewed by Maggie Devero

What is one supposed to do when their safe Haven....doesn't end up being that safe after all?

In this continuation of Chaos Walking trilogy, Todd and Viola have made it to their destination; a city called Haven in which they are supposed to find safety from the impending army of Prentisstown, and welcome the next set of settlers from the Old World into their new life. But even before they manage a step into this place, it's already not what it's supposed to be: Mayor Prentiss has beat them there and removed the old leader from his position, declaring himself the Mayor of NEW Prentisstown, and even better yet the PRESIDENT of the entire New World. Todd and Viola are separated, and must face their own struggles separately. Viola learns the trade of being a healer, and also how Mistress Coyle the head healer, is plotting against Mayor Prentiss as her old position of leader of revolutionary group the Answer. Todd is forced to work for Mayor Prentiss alongside the Spackle, original inhabitants of the New World and slaves of the settlers, doing hard labor and realizing just how much they hate their masters. He eventually works his way to right-hand-man of Mayor Prentiss, just as Viola joins ranks with the Answer to take him down. The two believe they have joined opposite sides, and must act accordingly. But once reunited, everything changes, and takes another turn for the worse....

Aaaaaand I'm back with the review for the second amazing book in this trilogy.  As expected, this book was just as amazingly written as the first; none of that second book let down I have experienced a lot in the past. As before, the writing style just absorbs you into the New World, right into Haven/New Prentisstown and all the changes they're having to adapt to, due to horrible Mayor Prentiss. The POV of the story goes back and forth between Todd and Viola, accentuating the separation of the two and the different sides they've taken. I also really like the way Ness plays these two together; in need of one another, but hasn't brought it completely into the romantic spectrum yet. God forbid he's almost making me want a romance between the two, hinting at it like he does, but not making the whole story rely on the fact that they are romantically involved with each other. Love it. I also adore how completely different the setting is from the first book to this one. The first in the swamps, and then to an actual civilization in this book. The contrast between the two and how they affect the story is striking. I cannot explain how much I'm loving this series...I've already worked my way into the final book before even posting this review! If you've read the first book, and loved it continue on, my friend. A great adventure awaits you. Five stars without a doubt.