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Up for review this week are three YA titles: Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma, The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter, and Bumped by Meghan McCafferty. Because there are three, these will be mini-reviews. I do want to advise that I review YA based on the intended audience, not as high literary fiction :), BUT I also keep in mind the parents' viewpoint.
Author: Tabitha Suzuma
Publisher: Simon Pulse, an imprint of Simon and Schuster
Release Date: June 28, 2011
Hardcover, 464 pages / ISBN 10: 1442419954 / ISBN 13: 9781442419957
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Sensitive Reader: This is NOT a spoiler, as the description tells you this. This book is about an incestuous relationship between siblings, AND there are scenes that might be rather racy no matter who was in them - when I read them, I felt almost guilty.
I remember reading V. C. Andrews' Flowers in the Attic series when I was MUCH younger, and although there will be inevitable comparisons between those books and this one, the only thing they really have in common is the target subject.
The scene is London: Maya and Lochan are a brother and sister made parents to their younger brothers and sister well before their time by a mother so coldly irresponsible that THIS parent wanted to reach into the book and slap her dead in her face.
Suzuma's writing is impeccable as she tells a story of the almost inevitable relationship that surfaces and the price that is paid. I must admit to being very disturbed by the relationship as I thought (well, tried to think, since thinking about it almost made me throw up in my mouth) of the possibility of me and my own brother ... ugh .. can't even write it out (Love ya, bro'! Just never THAT much). Even though you know it's wrong, you hope against hope that things will somehow work out, and I found my heart in my throat at some scenes.
This is an intense, absorbing, at times horrifying (at least to this reader) reading experience. An excellent book, but definitely for the OLDER YA set and above.
QUOTE (from a galley; may be different in final copy):
We're not like that. We're not sick. We're just a brother and sister who also happen to be best friends. That's the way it's always been between us. I can't lose that or I will not survive.
Book Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Review by Aisle B
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| This book was recommended to me by P K Reeves at Aisle B and is part of my 3 R's Challenge |
Author: Aimee Carter
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Released: April 19, 2011
Paperback, 293 pages / ISBN 10: 0373210264 / ISBN 13: 9780373210268
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Kate Winters is 18 years old, and she and her mother, who is dying, have traveled back to her mother's hometown of Eden, MI, in order for her to live her last days out.
As the new girl in town, Ava quickly becomes the target of a jealous girlfriend, who lures her out to Eden Manor, an old mansion at the edge of town, where Kate meets Henry. She finds out that Henry is really Hades, God of the Underworld, and they strike up a bargain which means that Kate will spend half of her year at Eden Manor with him. Although Kate thinks it's a joke, she soon finds out that the bargain was meant in earnest.
If you like Greek mythology (I do), you'll appreciate the references in this novel. I liked Kate; she is an independent heroine with a great love for her mother and a great sense of humor. Although I was never fully drawn in to the story, I WAS entertained by it. More seasoned readers may find the storyline predictable, but I felt that there were enough twists and turns to keep the average YA reader wanting to know more.
QUOTE (from a galley; may be different in final copy):
"I think you're pretty."
I blinked. Or maybe not.
"But you're at least an eight, and I'm a four. We're not allowed to date. Society says so."
Book Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Author: Meghan McCafferty
Publisher: Balzer and Bray, a division of Harper Collins
Released: April 26, 2011
Hardcover, 323 pages / ISBN 10: 0061962740 / ISBN 13: 9780061962745
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I found much of this book confusing; there was a lot of unfamiliar slang written in a context with no explanation. Example: The trubie gears make her an easy target for anyone but especially for bitter obsolescents. Huh? By the time I was able to figure most of the language out, the book was almost over.
Harmony and Melody are twin sisters raised apart in a world where HPSV (Human Progressive Sterility Virus) makes almost everyone infertile sometime between their 18th and 20th birthdays. In this world where prepubescent girls buy baby bumps (that actually move as though a baby is moving around inside) as a fashion statement, some young people have gone "pro", signing contracts to give older couples babies. Melody and Harmony have recently found out about each other, and their lives couldn't be more different. Harmony leaves her Church with the intention of persuading Melody to leave the sinful world and come back with her.
The premise - original. The presentation - rather confusing for much of the novel. The ending - as though the author just decided to stop writing. I expected to keep going, but there was no book left (and that TOTALLY affected my rating; I hate it when there's no real resolution of anything, AND it keeps me from wanting the next book out of sheer spite).
QUOTE (from a galley; may be different in final copy):
There's a lot of tension between amateurs and pros at school. Like, amateurs look down on pros for bumping with strangers, not boyfriends. Or they pity us for missing out on all the partner-swapping fun at the masSEX parties. And pros say amateurs are jealous because they aren't good enough to pregg for profit. And even if they were, they probably wouldn't have the willpower to keep their legs closed until it was time to fulfill their contractual obligations.
Book Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
(I almost forgot to include this) Parents: Lots of references to gratuitous sex; probably not for your younger YA reader.
That's all for this week. As always, you can click the Amazon or Goodreads links to find other reviews.
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Disclosure: I received complimentary eGalleys of these titles through the publishers to facilitate my reviews. No other compensation was received and I was not required to post positive reviews.
These books are listed as titles for my 2011 ARC Reading Challenge
4 comments:
I have been hearing a lot about Forbidden - it sounds like an intense, thought-provoking read. Bumped doesn't sound like a good read especially because of the unresolved ending.
Thanks for the reviews!
I just wrote up my review for FORBIDDEN last night. I read it over a week ago and am still torn up by it. I agree, you want so badly for things to work out for them. I just wanted them to be happy! I agree with your review of BUMPED as well. I just couldn't get into it. Not for me. Part of me wants to read the 2nd one to see where it goes, but another part just wants to leave it.
I too despised the lack of ending to Bumped and it played into the low rating I gave the book.
Can you send me a link to your review? I can't get to your website from
your Disqus profile.
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