Review of "Exposed"

"Exposed"

by Kimberly Marcus

My Rating:

Pub. Date: February 22, 2011

Pages: 272

Publisher: Random House Children's Books

Source: Borrowed From Library

Edition: E-book

Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Liz is Photogirl—sharp, focused and confident in what she sees through her camera lens. Confident that she and Kate will be best friends forever.

But everything changes in one blurry night. Suddenly, Kate is avoiding her, and people are looking the other way when she passes in the halls. As the aftershocks from a startling accusation rip through Liz's world, everything she thought she knew about photography, family, friendship and herself shifts out of focus. What happens when the picture you see no longer makes sense? What do you do when you may lose everything you love most? Told in stunning, searingly raw free verse, Exposed is Kimberly Marcus's gut-wrenching, riveting debut and will appeal to fans of Ellen Hopkins, Laurie Halse Anderson and Virginia Euwer Wolff.

I picked up "Exposed" hearing great things, but, to be honest, not having high expectations.  I am presently surprised to say that it is a great book.  It is an extremely fast read.  I was reading it on my droid, which I tend not to read books solely on my phone, but it was such a fast read I flew through it only a couple of hours.

I've read a decent number of books written in verse, yet I foolishly didn't think "Exposed" would be able to tell a rape story in a fulfilling way; however, I was completely mistaken (and happy about it btw).  After reading this book I immediately had to tell my boyfriend (bless him for listening to me) about it.  I wish I could say I beautifully formulated a description that truly expressed the soul of the book, but I'm pretty sure I said something along the lines of "OMG!  THAT BOOK WAS RIDICULOUS!"  I was so pumped up that he thought I disliked the book and was shocked when I said I thought it was great!  I love when books get me so pumped up at the end that I have to blog about them immediately, jump out of bet, shout "OH SNAP!", talk to someone about it, or post something on Facebook- unless the book had a horrible ending that enraged me, but that should go without saying.

"Exposed" is able to tell a compelling story without using a lot of words.  Even though the book is technically about 272 pages, there is probably closer to 150 pages of actual writing.  I was so impressed with how emotionally invested I felt in the book in such a short amount of time.  Obviously I felt bad for Kate, but my heart ached for Liza.  She was stuck in an impossible position between everyone she loved in life.   This book truly shows how rape effects more than just the victim.   

"Exposed" is a great book, but I do warn that it is difficult to read.  Liza loses so much that I felt helpless while reading this book.  Even after I was finished I was shocked at how sad the story was.  I know the story is about rape and I shouldn't have been as surprised as I was at the end of the book, but I didn't expect a second hand account to be so depressing.  Foolish me!  This wasn't my favorite book of 2011, but it is one I highly recommend reading.  It is such a fast read you don't have anything to lose by trying it.  I really hope Kimberly Marcus continues to write.  

Review of "Blood Red Road"

Blood Red Road 

by Moira Young

My rating

Pub. Date: June 7th 2011

Pages: 459

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry

Source: Library

Edition: Hardcover and Audio CDs

Synopsis: Saba has spent her whole life in Silverlake, a dried-up wasteland ravaged by constant sandstorms. The Wrecker civilization has long been destroyed, leaving only landfills for Saba and her family to scavenge from. That's fine by her, as long as her beloved twin brother Lugh is around. But when a monster sandstorm arrives bearing four cloaked horsemen, Saba's world is shattered. Lugh is captured, and Saba embarks on a quest to get him back.

Suddenly thrown into the lawless, ugly reality of the world outside of desolate Silverlake, Saba is lost without Lugh to guide her. So perhaps the most surprising thing of all is what Saba learns about herself: she's a fierce fighter, an unbeatable survivor, and a cunning opponent. And she has the power to take down a corrupt society from the inside. Teamed up with a handsome daredevil named Jack and a gang of girl revolutionaries called the Free Hawks, Saba stages a showdown that will change the course of her own civilization.

Overall, I really enjoyed "Blood Red Road". The characters were great and the plot was fantastic. My major problem with the book is that I found it difficult to read because of the punctuation. I know this sounds kind of weird, but the fact that quotation marks weren't used really took a while for my brain to get used to. I kept getting confused about what was being said and what was an action. It also didn't help that I left my book at work and then started a new one while I was in the middle of "Blood Red Road" so I had to get used to the lack of quotation marks all over again. I know it shouldn't be that difficult on people, but my brain can get confused easily when it comes to reading. My other problem was that I just didn't like Saba for about a fourth of the book. I thought she was just cruel to her sister. My option completely changed by the end, but it was difficult for me to get over.

I like how “Blood Red Road” didn’t just focus on Saba’s search for Lugh. Saba learned a lot on her journey about both the world around her and herself. She was put in situations where she was forced to make tough decisions. Her journey to find her brother became so much larger as she learned more about the world around her. Even while fighting for her life, Saba couldn’t help but notice the plight of the people surrounding her. Whatever Saba thought of her father while he was alive, she had to realize that he was able to protect his children from horrors they couldn’t even imagine. I liked being able to see Saba grow through the book as her journey developed and morphed. Her original goal stayed the same, but as her social consciousness and self-awareness grew, Saba realized that she had a chance to drastically alter the course of humanity.

“Blood Red Road” has a great mix that will be a winner for many readers. It has action, adventure, mystery, violence, a bit of romance, a strong female character, a civilization full of evil, and great characters. Once I got into the book, I was able to fly through it in only a couple of days. I got so hooked on the book that I was actually listening to the audio book in the car and at the gym, reserving the book for every other free moment. I would recommend “Blood Red Road” to readers who enjoy dystopian fiction, especially to fans of grittier novels like “The Hunger Games”, “Maze Runner”, and “Ship Breaker”.

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Review of "Blood Magic"

"Blood Magic"
Tessa Gratton


 

2

Pub. Date: May 24th, 2011
Pages: 405
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers


Synopsis: It starts off simply.

Draw a circle ... place a dead leaf in the center ... sprinkle some salt ... recite a little Latin ... add a drop of blood ...

Maybe that last part isn't exactly simple. Yet somehow it feels right to Silla Kennicott. And nothing in her life has felt remotely right since her parents' horrific deaths. She's willing to do anything to uncover the truth about her family—even try a few spells from the mysterious book that arrived on her doorstep ... and spill some blood.

The book isn't the only recent arrival in Silla's life. There's Nick Pardee, the new guy next door who may have seen Silla casting a spell. She's not sure what he saw and is afraid to find out. But as they spend more time together, Silla realizes this may not be Nick's first encounter with Blood Magic. Brought together by a combination of fate and chemistry, Silla and Nick can't deny their attraction. And they can't ignore the dark presence lurking nearby—waiting to reclaim the book and all its power.


I had high expectations for "Blood Magic", but sadly it did not live up to them.  I almost stopped reading this book multiple times, but then something would happen that kept me reading and I kept hoping it would get better.  I have to say the last 100 pages were pretty decent, but the pace was just too slow through the rest of the book.  There was too much switching between Nick and Silla's Point of view.  I think I would have liked this book better if it had been strictly told by Silla, I was not a huge fan of Nick as a character and his narration didn't help.  Nick may have been nice and patient with Silla, but he was an a-hole to everyone else.  If the duel narration didn't slow the book down enough, there were plenty of flashbacks and old journal entries to break us out of the immediate story.  Yes I did actually enjoy the journal entries at first, but after a while it just felt like the book wasn't going anywhere.  On top of that, I didn't really fear for the characters lives when they were "in danger" because there was so little action. 

What did I like about this book?  I liked Silla as a character; she was strong and I liked how she used masks to cope.  I liked the Gothic elements at first, but that only kept me interested for the first 200 pages.  The same goes for the use of blood.  I like how the book dealt with the dangers of too much power, it gave the book more depth than just a paranormal romance.  I am wondering if my problem with this book was that there was so much going on, but the plot didn't move forward.  It almost seemed like there were just too many elements forced into this book. 

There are a lot of great reviews of "Blood Magic" out there, but I just struggled through the first 300 pages of this book.  Maybe my expectations were too high, it is a possibility.  If you are really looking forward to this book, then give it a go.  I am definitely not continuing with the rest of this series.  I felt satisfied with the end of the book.  There is one question that remains unanswered, but I don't feel compelled to read anymore.  If you agree or totally disagree with my review, feel free to comment.

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Review of "The Latte Rebellion"

"The Latte Rebellion"
by Sarah Jamila Stevenson


2

Pub. Date: January 8, 2011
Pages: 327
Publisher: Flux

Synopsis:  When high school senior Asha Jamison gets called a "towel head" at a pool party, the racist insult gives Asha and her best friend Carey a great money-making idea for a post-graduation trip. They'll sell T-shirts promoting the Latte Rebellion, a club that raises awareness of mixed-race students.

Seemingly overnight, their "cause" goes viral and the T-shirts become a nationwide fad. As new chapters spring up from coast to coast, Asha realizes that her simple marketing plan has taken on a life of its own-and it's starting to ruin hers. Asha's once-stellar grades begin to slip, threatening her Ivy League dreams, and her friendship with Carey is hanging by a thread. And when the peaceful underground movement turns militant, Asha's school launches a disciplinary hearing.  Facing expulsion, Asha must decide how much she's willing to risk for something she truly believes in.

I really wanted to like "The Latte Rebellion", but the book just didn't do it for me.  I originally got into the book thinking it would be an interesting read about girls banding together to make a difference in the world, but there seemed to be very little of this.  It didn't really bother me that Asha and Carey's plan stemmed from a marketing scheme to help them plan a summer trip, the fact that they did believe in what they were putting on the shirts made it okay for me.  What I didn't like was how Asha and Carey fought the entire book.  I get not wanting to lose an important friendship, but when your friend only has contact with you when it is beneficial for them, then that is a one sided relationship.  I kind of felt like Carey was only Asha's friend to bum rides off of her to school, help her study for tests, and so she had somewhere to sit at lunch.  Asha's character was also driving me nuts.  She kept ignoring her schoolwork and then was shocked when she got back grades.  It was also annoying because she kept whining about how unfair her parents were being, but she is the one who let her grades slip.  There was a lot of time spent on Carey and Asha's friendship, on Asha's grades, and on love interesting- this just really detracted from the overall story to me.

Another thing I really didn't like was the portrayal of adults in the book.  Almost every single adult thought the Latte Rebellion was a terrorist group or that teenagers were wasting time on something that wasn't important.  I have to say that if my child were to start a group to raise awareness of important social issues, I would be so proud of them.  I would not be ashamed and disappointed.  I would of course warn them that sometimes acting on your beliefs could cause trouble, even if you have the best of intentions, but I would still stand up for them if the school tried to expel them.  I can't believe no parent stepped in to talk to the school about how exclusive they were being to groups of students.  I know this is a teen book and maybe teens wouldn't like adults taking charge, but that is usually what happens.  Especially in a circumstance such as this where the school system is overreacting to a peaceful group trying to bring social awareness about mixed races.  The schools reaction was actually pretty disgusting; I'm surprised more wasn't done in this area.

Overall, the book was okay, but honestly I could have skipped reading this one.  Even though Asha did seem to want to bring awareness about mixed races to the world, I just thought "The Latte Rebellion" would have been a more successful book if more focus had been spent on the issues instead of Asha's personal life.  I know that other people have really enjoyed this book, but I'm just not one of them.

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Review "Where Things Come Back"

"Where Things Come Back"
 John Corey Whaley

 

4

Pub. Date: May 3, 2011
Pages: 240

Publsiher: Athenuem


Synopsis:  Just when seventeen-year-old Cullen Witter thinks he understands everything about his small and painfully dull Arkansas town, it all disappears. . . .

In the summer before Cullen's senior year, a nominally-depressed birdwatcher named John Barling thinks he spots a species of woodpecker thought to be extinct since the 1940s in Lily, Arkansas. His rediscovery of the so-called Lazarus Woodpecker sparks a flurry of press and woodpecker-mania. Soon all the kids are getting woodpecker haircuts and everyone's eating "Lazarus burgers." But as absurd as the town's carnival atmosphere has become, nothing is more startling than the realization that Cullen's sensitive, gifted fifteen-year-old brother Gabriel has suddenly and inexplicably disappeared.

While Cullen navigates his way through a summer of finding and losing love, holding his fragile family together, and muddling his way into adulthood, a young missionary in Africa, who has lost his faith, is searching for any semblance of meaning wherever he can find it. As distant as the two stories seem at the start, they are thoughtfully woven ever closer together and through masterful plotting, brought face to face in a surprising and harrowing climax.

Complex but truly extraordinary, tinged with melancholy and regret, comedy and absurdity, this novel finds wonder in the ordinary and emerges as ultimately hopeful. It's about a lot more than what Cullen calls, "that damn bird." It's about the dream of second chances.

Even though the synopsis didn't appeal to me that much, I found myself hooked on this book and stayed up very late reading.  I am so glad I received a review copy because I would have missed out on a great book!  I liked all the characters and had to know about what happened to Gabriel.  He was such a unique character and it felt unreal when he went missing.  Whaley did a fantastic job of showing the reader how Cullen's world fell apart.  It wasn't just in the obvious change of his family dynamic, but also in how Cullen reacted to situations.  Things he wouldn't have considered doing before, he now seemed to jump right into.  I liked that numerous character in the book surprised me- some in great ways and some in terrible ways.

What really kept me reading "Where Things Come Back" was Whaley's writing style.  His character development was great, but Whaley really knows how to tell a story.  At first I wasn't in love with the multiple narratives, I just didn't see how on earth they could fit together.  Of course now it seems so obvious, but I just didn't see what possible link there could be.  This has a lot to do with Whaley's writing and giving the reader enough to be interested at the beginning, but not giving everything away upfront.  The whole woodpecker part of the story is what made me kind of iffy about reading it, but honestly it added a lot of amusement.  It seems completely out of place in a book dealing with grief, but Whaley pulls it off.  I was also happy that there was a nice balance between the tragic and the comedic elements.  It could have easily gone too far in either direction, but Whaley was able to keep the tone from becoming overly depressing and inappropriately hilarious.

I recommend this book to readers and add not to be turned off by the synopsis.  It may not sound like your cup of tea, but it is definitely worth picking it up.  I'm trying to think of a book to compares this to and the only thing I am coming up with is "Dust of 100 Doges".  This is mainly due to the multiple narratives coming together to form a complete story.  With that said, "Where Things Come Back" was a much more enjoyable book.

*I did receive a free copy of this book for review.

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Review of "Here Lies Bridget"

"Here Lies Bridget"
Paige Harbison


3


Pub. Date: January 18th, 2011
Pages: 224
Publisher: Harlequin


Synopsis:  Bridget Duke is the uncontested ruler of her school. The meanest girl with the biggest secret insecurities. And when new girl Anna Judge arrives, things start to fall apart for Bridget: friends don't worship as attentively, teachers don't fall for her wide-eyed "who me?" look, expulsion looms ahead and the one boy she's always loved—Liam Ward—can barely even look at her anymore.

When a desperate Bridget drives too fast and crashes her car, she ends up in limbo, facing everyone she's wronged and walking a few uncomfortable miles in their shoes. Now she has only one chance to make a last impression. Though she might end up dead, she has one last shot at redemption and the chance to right the wrongs she's inflicted on the people who mean the most to her.

And Bridget's about to learn that, sometimes, saying you're sorry just isn't enough….

When I first heard about this book I was very excited because it reminded me of "Before I Fall", but "Here Lies Bridget" did not live up to my hopes.  The book was good, but it just didn't captivate me like "Before I Fall".  I had two problems with this book.  The first was the fact that I didn't really sympathize with Bridget until the very end of the book.  She was too cruel and naive about how her actions affect others.  She took advantage of EVERYONE in her life and wasn't nice to anyone.  She really just came across as the biggest, most spoiled brat character.  This wouldn't have been so bad, except for the fact that the book spent way too much time showing how terrible of a person Bridget was.  I wanted to see more of her realizing her faults and getting to know the real Bridget, but there just wasn't enough of this for me.

The book did move pretty quickly and it was enjoyable watching all the drama unfold, but I just had problems connecting with Bridget's character for most of the book.  Even though it was hard to read, I liked the scenes with Bridget’s stepmother.  She just seemed very genuine.  Something I really did like about the book was the complex relationship between Bridget and Liam.  I liked that it slowly unwrapped through the book.  I feel like her interactions with Liam were some of the only moments where I saw the real Bridget.  Getting to see the true thoughts of Bridget's closest friends was also another part of the book I really enjoyed.  Bridget was just so disconnected from other people's perceptions of her.

Overall, the book was good, I just wish more time was spent on Bridget learning about her flaws.  I would recommend this book to readers who enjoyed "Before I Fall" and "The Ghost and the Goth".  I wish I liked this book more, but it just didn’t meet my expectations.


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Review of "Across the Universe"

"Across the Universe"
Beth Revis


5

Pub. Date: January 11, 2011
Pages: 416

Summary: A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone-one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship-tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

I LOVED "Across the Universe"! I heard so much hype about this book, making me a bit nervous to be completely honest, but it totally lives up to all the amazing reviews. Beth Revis does a fantastic job showing the dangers of living in a society controlled by only one man, especially in a situation where people’s emotions are being stifled. I liked how the secrets of Godspeed were slowly unraveled throughout the book; there was always one more secret that needed to be exposed.

I'm not usually a fan of split narratives in a book; they tend to slow down the story for me. I like when one characters tells the story from beginning to end, but I wasn't bothered by it in this case. I liked knowing what Elder was thinking because I don't think I would have liked him as a character. I don't know if I could have trusted his actions. Amy perspective was necessary because I don't think I would have understood her actions. As someone who is not a runner, I wouldn't have understood why she had to run all the time. I also wouldn't have understood her acceptance at the end of the book without incite into her thoughts.

I love books that reveal the problems of a Utopian society where everyone is the same and they live without choices or freewill. If you are a fan of sci-fi or books that discuss freewill, then this is a must read. There is a bit of romance in the book, but for me it didn't overpower the real purpose of the book. It was just enough to make the characters real, while not detracting from the overall mystery of the book. I can see this being one of the top books released in 2011; I hope that this just one of many fantastic books released this year!
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2011 Debut Author Challenge

I am so excited that Kristi (The Story Siren) is hosting another year of the Debut Author Challenge! I read some amazing books in 2010 that I wouldn't have picked up if it hadn't been for the challenge. I recommend everyone join because it really pushes you to read books you may not have picked up on your own. The challenge is pretty easy, just read 12 book in 2011 by debut authors in 2011.
Here is the list of books I plan on reading... I may add titles in the next couple of days:

Across The Universe- Beth Revis
Blood Magic- Tessa Gratton
Between Shade of Gray- Ruta Sepetys
A Touch Mortal- Leah Clifford
Angelfire- Courtney Allison Moulton

For more information about the challenge just click here.