Gone by Kathleen Jeffrie Johnson

Title: Gone
Author: Kathleen Jeffrie Johnson

Publisher: Roaring Book Press

Release Date: March 6, 2007

Date Read: May 26 - 28, 2011

Rating: 2/5 stars 

Goodreads

Summary

That first day of class, her eyes had flickered over him the way a teacher's will. But hers had come back to rest. Before flitting away again.
It was too late. She had seen him.
Connor pretended she hadn't, but she had. It terrified him. It made his blood sing.
His history teacher, Ms. Timms.
Corinna.
What had he ever thought about, before he thought about her?
At last, Connor understood that his life was his to live. No more pity love. Not from aunts and neighbors. Not from missing mothers and fathers. Not from drunks. The real thing was his this time; he just needed to take it.

Kathleen Jeffrie Johnson, known for 'riveting' fiction (Kirkus), digs deep into the heart of a forbidden relationship. Sometimes, she tells us, loneliness can send a boy down a lonely path. Sometimes, it can take a while to find the way back

Review

Meh. I borrowed Gone from the library due to it's intriuging cover and the fact that a friend had specifically not recommended it to me, saying I'd hate it. I decided to read it anyways, going in with a positive attitude and hoping to prove her wrong. Unfortunately, she knew me too well.

As I've mentioned several times in previous reviews, I love original and refreshing plots and characters. Gone lacked both of these. Knowing that the novel was about a student-teacher romance I expected high-stakes and angst but instead it was causal, bland, and boring. I ended up finding Connor's neighbours' and friends' lives more interesting than Connor's. His mother's alcoholism was random and didn't really affect the plot other than to isolate Connor from his family, which I guess may have led Connor to seek companionship in Corrina? One of the most poorly written aspects was the romance between Corinna and Connor. I didn't understand the initial attraction or the sexual tension. I thought it was really juvenile and unrealistic that they'd fall in love with each other in only a week and become so intimate so quickly. This was definitely not an accurate representation of how relationships, let alone studen-teacher relationships evolve.

I think Kathleen Jeffrie Johnson tried to tackle too many issues in such a short novel and it ended up as a jumble in the end. Alcoholism, death, teenage romance, sexuality, student-teacher relationships, drug abuse, loneliness, abuse, etc. are all very controversial and tough issuse to conquer individually let alone all in th same novel. I wish that Connor's thought process had been more clearly explained, for example if he had compared his relationship to Zach and Risa's and seen the differences for him and Corrina the reader might have understood why he wanted to move with her so badly. In novels like this it's so hard to write an ending that applies to each of these topics so in the end Kathleen focused on isolation (hence the title "Gone") which may have worked as a final chapter if there weren't so many other pressing issues and logistics left unfinished.

Despite not liking the overall novel there were a few points I did enjoy. I thought it was very creative to have the student-teacher romance not take place during the school year or on school property but rather in the summer, where the chances of being caught and the repurcussions were a bit different. I liked how Corinna was an average formally-troubled woman who happened to fall in love with a student as opposed to a sensual provocative woman lurring every male at school. The fact that she was as isolated and naive as Connor made her seem more like a fellow student than someone almost 10 years older than him.

Quote: "If you don’t deal with the past, the past deals with you."

Recommended: Teach Me (R.A. Nelson), Prey (Lurlene McDaniel), Target (Kathleen Jeffrie Johnson)

Love Inc. by Yvonne Collins & Sandy Rideout

Title: Love Inc.
Author: Yvonne Collins & Sandy Rideout

Publisher: Hyperion Books

Release Date: January 4, 2011

Date Read: May 19 - 26, 2011

Rating: 4/5 stars 

Goodreads

Summary

Zahra, Kali, and Syd would never have met if their parents' marriages hadn't fallen apart. But when the three girls collide in group counseling, they discover they have something else in common: they've each been triple-timed by the same nefarious charmer, Eric, aka Rico, aka Rick. Talk about eye-opening therapy.

Cheerful, diplomatic Zahra is devastated. Rico had been her rock and sole confidant. How could she have missed the signs? Folksy, flirtatious Kali feels almost as bad. She and Rick had only been on a few dates, but they'd felt so promising. Hardened vintage-vixen Syd is beyond tears. She and Eric had real history... Or so she'd thought. Now all three girls have one mission: to show that cheater the folly of his ways.

Project Payback is such a success, the girls soon have clients lining up for their consulting services. Is your boyfriend acting shady? Dying to know if your crush is into you? Need match-making expertise? Look no further than Love, Inc.

Review

Wow! I was really excited to read Love Inc. because it's my first 2011 debut Canadian author novel of the year. It did not disappoint. While I originally read it for it's Canadian-ness and cute cover, I stuck with it for it's awesome plot. 


In most contemporary romances boy and girl meet, fall in love, have some sort of problem and overcome it. Not in this book! Zahra dates several boys throughout the novel and is never quite satisfied with them. I rarely see novels where the female doesn't absolutely adore her crush/boyfriend so it was refreshing to see such a feminist and strong character that could look at a boy and say "Meh, I can do better". Also in most romances if the boyfriend cheats on the girl she'll just mope around or take him back. Zahra, Kali, and Syd teaming up to take revenge on Eric was awesome! 


There is a lack of multicultural or coloured characters in YA literature, a fact that has prompted Diversity in YA. I was really excited to read about Zahra's culture and how it influenced her behaviour and relationships. I found it sort of typical that she had rejected most of her Muslim traditions and as a result her overbearing immigrant grandparents tried to force them back on her. I'd love to read a novel with more liberal elders or a character accepting her ethnicity rather than ignoring it. I really appreciated all the details Yvonne & Sandy researched about Islamic festivals and food, it made the novel more realistic. I didn't really understand how Zahra ended up Caucasian with red hair when her Mother is Pakistani and had hoped that it was just a poor cover choice, but it was referenced several times that Zahra was "fair-skinned". Hmm.


One of my favourite aspects of the novel was it's humour! While some of the plot was unrealistic or unoriginal, Yvonne & Sandy made up for it in laughable quotes and hilarious scenarios. They took the typically tragic event of a divorce and turned it into an awesome tale of teenage love and payback. Another point that lent well to the humour was a cast of quirky characters. From Zahra's sister Saliyah to Syd's Dad's girlfriend to Dieter the cousellor, there's something for everyone! If you're single, engaged, or recently ex-ified, you'll feel a connection to this awesome story about love and framily.


Quote: "Shopping for love at the big box store, shopping for someone I can adore. I asked you for paint you said satin or glossy..." Kali muses, "What should come next?" "That's when I noticed your teeth were all mossy?"

Recommended: The Year of Secret Assignments (Jaclyn Moriarty), A Match Made in High School (Kristin Walker), Miss Match (Wendy Toliver), Flavor of the Week (Tucker Shaw)

Wonderland by Joanna Nadin

Title: Wonderland
Author: Joanna Nadin

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Release Date: August 3, 2009 (UK) / February 22, 2011 (US)

Date Read: May 15 - 18, 2011

Rating: 3/5 stars 

Goodreads

Summary

Sixteen-year-old Jude has to get out of tiny Churchtown. She has to escape her outcast status and her pathetic dad, who hasn’t gotten past her mother’s death. The one bright light is drama, her way out, if only she can get into the Lab, a prestigious program in London. Then Stella, Jude’s childhood best friend, swaggers in after years away. With bold and magnetic Stella by her side, Jude knows she’s capable of anything. But Stella’s influence extends well beyond the theater. Soon Stella’s wild and dangerous streak begins to cause trouble for Jude -- yet Jude can’t bring herself to abandon Stella and the attention she’s always craved. And besides, now that Stella’s back, there’s no stopping her. In Jude’s dark and tangled story, British author Joanna Nadin plumbs the aftermath of loss and the consequences of becoming the person you always wished you were.
She’s back. Jude’s childhood friend -- sexy, daring Stella-- returns to their stifling hometown, and life will never be the same again.

Review

I'm struggling to write this review because Wonderland has such a complex plot, I wouldn't want to taint, ruin, or spoil anyone's reading experience with my review. I'm going to veer away from analysing plot logistics and just stick to my favourite parts.

As someone who's pursuing theatre studies post-secondary I deeply empathized with Jude and her confusion about the future. Joanna Nadin perfectly captured the struggle arts students encounter when asked "Are you sure you want to do this forever?" While I wished that more drama rehearsal scenes had been included I still felt satisfied with how accurately the world of theatre schools and auditions was portrayed.

One aspect of Wonderland I didn't like was the bullying. Many authors these days choose to write their protagonists as bullied yet uber cool teenagers who need to overcome their insecurities in order to finally stand up to their bullies. Seeing as this novel was so different from many that I'd read I had expected the bullying scenes and scenarios to be unique or original but instead followed the same beautiful-popular-girl vs boring-protagonist-girl. Hopefully other authors in the future will branch out and look at other ways of writing bullying.

I love novels that cover so many different topics without being "about" any single one of them. Some people would classify Wonderland as a contemporary novel but I disagree because it could have been set at any time and still been as effective. Other would say it's a novel about suicide or teen sexuality or romance or death, but those are all just things that Jude experiences rather than things that her life revolves around. In truth Wonderland is just a book about a girl and  what happens to her one summer in England. 

Favourite Quote: Unfortunately I returned the book to the library with my favourite quote sticky note still inside! Ah! I'll try to come back and re-add the quote later.

Recommended: Choker (Elizabeth Woods), Crank (Ellen Hopkins), Leftovers (Laura Wiess)

You Killed Wesley Payne by Sean Beaudoin

Title: You Killed Wesley Payne
Author: Sean Beaudoin

Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Release Date: February 1, 2011

Date Read: May 11 - 14, 2011

Rating: 5/5 stars 

Goodreads

Summary

He's come to do a job. A job that involves a body. A body wrapped in duct tape found hanging from the goal posts at the end of the football field.

You Killed Wesley Payne is a truly original and darkly hilarious update of classic pulp-noir, in which hard-boiled seventeen year-old Dalton Rev transfers to the mean hallways of Salt River High to take on the toughest case of his life. The question isn't whether Dalton's going to get paid. He always gets paid. Or whether he's gonna get the girl. He always (sometimes) gets the girl. The real question is whether Dalton Rev can outwit crooked cops and killer cliques in time to solve the mystery of "The Body" before it solves him. 

Review

Wow! You Killed Wesley Payne will be the book to beat this year. I'm hesitantly naming it my #1 Read for Both Genders in 2011. Excellent!

This is probably my favourite male narrator novel I've ever read, mainly because Dalton was such a relatable and realistic character. His Nancy-Drew-like mindset made you laugh while his passionate and brotherly motivation made you stop and pause. Rarely are male protagonists portrayed with such depth as most authors prefer to write them as the "jock", "cute guy", or "nerd" rather than a complex human like most female characters.

I was hesitant after a few chapters about whether or not this was an MG read because it seemed to mimic the TV show Filmore exactly. Instead Sean Beaudoin was just gearing up for the fast-paced smart chapters following the introduction. Most YA novels about teen suicide are depressing and emotional but instead You Killed Wesley Payne was full of teen romance, police corruption, student snipers, cliques, and car chases. Definitely not your typical YA read.

If you love Mean Girls, West Side Story, Grease, or anything by Jaclyn Moriarty or Agatha Christie this novel was written especially for you. The old-fashioned noir feeling juxtaposition with a modern technological setting in Sean's blatant mockery of adult mystery novels and soap operas will have you laughing for hours. I especially loved how Sean created his own universe with hilarious new slang and cliques.

Favourite Quote: "Unless you're a Russian general's daughter who hangs out in the parlor, receives eligible bachelors for tea, and is prone to vapors, fainting isn't a good look."

Recommended: 13 Reasons Why (Jay Asher), The Year of Secret Assignments (Jaclyn Moriarty), The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks (E. Lockhart), 

Falling Under by Gwen Hayes

Title: Falling Under
Author: Gwen Hayes

Publisher: New American Library

Release Date: March 1, 2011 

Date Read: May 6 - 10, 2011

Rating: 3/5 stars

Goodreads

Summary

Theia Alderson has always led a sheltered life in the small California town of Serendipity Falls. But when a devastatingly handsome boy appears in the halls of her school, Theia knows she's seen Haden before- not around town, but in her dreams.

As the Haden of both the night and the day beckons her closer one moment and pushes her away the next, the only thing Theia knows for sure is that the incredible pull she feels towards him is stronger than her fear.

And when she discovers what Haden truly is, Theia's not sure if she wants to resist him, even if the cost is her soul.

Review

I won a copy of Falling Under from Nikki at Wicked Awesome Books. I hadn't heard much about it other than that it was a paranormal romance and with my dislike of that genre I was a bit hesitant to read it. I rated it 3 stars for an interesting spin on demons, originality, and diverse characters.

I loved the diversity of the main characters especially when most YA novels are about born-and-bred Americans. Gwen Hayes did a wonderful job of acknowledging Theia's British upbringing and Amelia's adoption without either of them being the only plot point those characters had. It was so refreshing for Amelia to be a non-book-worm/oppressive-parents Asian-American. I was disgruntled by Theia's father who appeared to be the "cookie-cutter" oppressed Dad tortured by how much his daughter resembles his dead wife, but I really liked how well-rounded he became when he revealed how much he didn't want Theia to be born. Rarely do we see such rejection from a parent in a YA novel. 

I have never read a book about demons or demonology so I was very intrigued by Haden's history and character. Unfortunately most of his background was told in bits and pieces scattered throughout the first half of the novel rather than all at once. I was very confused about the logistics of Under as there were many plot inconsistencies and things left unexplained. I appreciate that Falling Under is the first in a series and therefore more will be explored in future novels but it still left me perplexed.

Falling Under receives an entire star just for Part 2. I don't want to ruin what happens after Part 1 for those who haven't read it yet, but I was so impressed with the unexpected, original, and well-written ending. I'm excited to read the next novel and see where Gwen Hayes takes Haden and Theia next. 

Favourite Quote: "Not abducting you to the underworld as my kidnapped bride is not a rejection, though I can see you take it as one."

Recommended: The Hollow (Jessica Verday), Twilight (Stephenie Meyer), Evermore (Alyson Noel)

Miles From Ordinary by Carol Lynch Williams

Title: Miles From Ordinary
Author: Carol Lynch Williams

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Release Date: March 15, 2011

Date Read: May 2 - 6, 2011

Rating: 3/5 stars 

Goodreads

Summary
Thirteen-year-old Lacey wakes to a beautiful summer morning excited to begin her new job at the library, just as her mother is supposed to start work at the grocery store. Lacey hopes that her mother's ghosts have finally been laid to rest; after all, she seems so much better these days, and they really do need the money. But as the hours tick by and memories come flooding back, a day full of hope spins terrifyingly out of control....

“No one can get inside the head and heart of a 13-year-old girl better than Carol Lynch Williams, and I mean no one," said James S. Jacobs, Professor of Children's Literature at Brigham Young University, of her breakout novel, The Chosen One. Now this award-winning YA author brings us an equally gripping story of a girl who loves her mother, but must face the truth of what life with that mother means for both of them. 

Review

I was excited to read Miles From Ordinary because it was so short and had such a frighteningly beautiful cover. If I had read the back, however, I would've seen that this is technically a middle-grade novel. Oh well!

I absolutely loved how climactic each chapter was. By the end it was pretty redundant and I knew something tragic would happen, but the predictability didn't take away from the overall gloom-and-doom of previous chapters. Most authors would lose suspense by including flashbacks but Carol Lynch Williams seamlessly incorporated them into dialogue and internal monologues. By adding typical "horror-film" elements like never-opened rooms, blood, dead animals, etc. the novel easily became one of the scariest I've read in quite a while.

Mental illness is an incredibly scary thing for a 13-year-old to witness and live with, a concept Williams excellently portrayed through Lacey. While I didn't really connect to her as a character I appreciated how her own mentality was degraded and shaped by her mother's constant paranoia. Few YA novels show how mental illness can negatively impact a family's mental and social health as well as Miles From Ordinary did. I loved how the the typical "ghost" horror element was also a metaphor for haunting memories and an unwillingness to forgive and forget the past.

I was really disappointed with the ending of the novel. I found it really cheesy and predictable compared to the previous elements. I would've liked a few more chapters to wrap up the day and give a sense of closure for Lacey's character. I also think Williams should have considered writing the novel with the final chapters being the prologue, playing the day in reverse, or perhaps a reflection of how Lacey's life turned out in the next few years and how she struggled to put herself back together.

Favourite Quote: "It was almost like Aunt Linda was a part of the books. Made of pages or something. Bits of words. And she had made me a part too, by reading to me."

Recommended: Breathe My Name (R.A. Nelson), Choker (Elizabeth Woods), Bliss (Lauren Myracle)

Vesper by Jeff Sampson

Title: Vesper

Author: Jeff Sampson

Publisher: Balzer & Bray / Harper Collins

Release Date: January 25, 2011

Date Read: April 30 - May 1, 2011

Rating: 4/5 stars

Goodreads

Summary

Emily Webb is a geek. And she’s happy that way. Content hiding under hoodies and curling up to watch old horror flicks, she’s never been the kind of girl who sneaks out for midnight parties. And she’s definitely not the kind of girl who starts fights or flirts with other girls’ boyfriends. Until one night Emily finds herself doing exactly that . . . the same night one of her classmates—also named Emily—is found mysteriously murdered.

The thing is, Emily doesn’t know why she’s doing any of this. By day, she’s the same old boring Emily, but by night, she turns into a thrill seeker. With every nightfall, Emily gets wilder until it’s no longer just her personality that changes. Her body can do things it never could before: Emily is now strong, fast, and utterly fearless. And soon Emily realizes that she’s not just coming out of her shell . . . there’s something much bigger going on. Is she bewitched by the soul of the other, murdered Emily? Or is Emily Webb becoming something else entirely— something not human? 

As Emily hunts for answers, she finds out that she’s not the only one this is happening to—some of her classmates are changing as well. Who is turning these teens into monsters—and how many people will they kill to get what they want?

Review

Finally, a paranormal book I liked! After reading countless romances for years I've found one that doesn't have an overbearing romance. My long search has finally ended! 

I have never read a werewolf novel mainly because I was hesitant to be disappointed by rip-offs of Big Wolf on Campus. Instead Vesper was quite a surprise with it's refreshing and original take on werewolves. It reminded me a lot of the Uglies series in that everything is based on science and realism rather than fantasy, and that eventually questions will be answered rather than just having readers suspend their belief for the whole series. I also enjoyed how Emily didn't just wake up one day, find out she was a werewolf, and go hunt; the stages, the revelation, the hesitation, the disbelief were all so beautiful written. 

My favourite aspects of Vesper were it's originality and realism. It was so refreshing to read a fantasy/paranormal novel that didn't have a crazy romance, instead offering a simple, realistic scenario. Most novels these days (and most of the ones I read) are written by females, so it was really cool to delve into a male author's perspective of a teenage girl. Also most authors forget parents and other restrictions teenagers may face and I was impressed with how Emily wasn't able to just "sneak out" and not be caught every night, but rather faced repercussions by her family and friends. Paranormal books are known for their uncharacteristic violence, passionate romance, but never for their humour, which Vesper had plenty of.

Vesper is a mystery novel, a forgotten genre in today's world of contemporary romances. By prefacing each chapter with a futuristic interview and revealing plot points bit-by-bit, readers are drawn into the characters and storyline quite easily. The ending was suspenseful and I'm incredibly excited to read the next book!

Favourite Quote: "Forget my giant DVD case filled with movies about teenagers getting murdered - I'd seen so much CGI and makeup and red-dyed corn syrup that when it came to the idea of another teenager dying it never seemed real. I'd never really considered that one day I could walk outside and get shot, and it would all be over."  

Recommended: City of Bones (Cassandra Clare), Got Fangs? (Katie Maxwell), A Certain Slant of Light (Laura Whitcomb), Wake (Lisa McMann)