Shiver, by Maggie Stiefvater

One of the big books of the moment.  Shiver has been on every (teen) award list I've seen lately.  It's a poetic and evocative take on the urban fantasy/supernatural romance genre.  

I find myself without a strong opinion on this one, perhaps because it is presented very well despite being too romantic for my personal tastes.  I appreciate the understated sorrow simmering beneath the surface of the love story.  Sam is defined by language and loss (and the loss of language).  He's a beautiful character, displaying integrity and compassion without seeming too perfect.  Grace is shallow in comparison but has lived a much more sheltered life.  She is independent and self-assured, with convincingly realistic teenaged gripes.  There are a few minor characters who I expected more of in this book.  Their stories felt unfinished so  I'm wondering if they have a role in the sequel.

I like Stiefvater's re-imagining of werewolf mythology.  Her wolves are rendered powerless over their lives; quite apt in a novel for teens.  They are just as passionate and wild, but more tragically sympathetic than the traditional werewolf is.  The book will appeal to Twilight fans as well as those with more cultivated tastes.

Just the Right Size, by Nicola Davies

Animal facts for fascinated young minds.  This book explains the physical rules that limit the size, strength, habits and habitats of various kinds of animal life.

With engaging illustrations and clear but not simplistic text,  this is one well-done information book.

The Elephant and Piggie books, by Mo Willems

I'm on the hunt for stories that can be adapted into puppet plays.  They're fun to tell at storytimes or class visits.  Mo Willem's Elephant and Piggie books have potential.  They're short, funny, entirely told with dialogue and actions, and usually feature two speakers.

So far, "Pigs Make Me Sneeze!" looks most promising; it's ready-made for audience participation.  I'm halfway through reading/rereading the rest to see which others feel ripe for retelling.

Books in this Series (So Far):
Today I Will Fly!*
My Friend is Sad *
There is a Bird on Your Head!*
I Am Invited to a Party!*
I Love My New Toy! *
I Will Surprise My Friend!*
Are You Ready To Play Outside?*
Watch Me Throw The Ball!*
Elephants Cannot Dance!*
Pigs Make Me Sneeze!*
I am Going!*
Can I Play Too?*

* Titles I've read

How to Train Your Dragon, by Cressida Cowell

I hesitate too long before reading popular children's lit, fearing that I'll find it shallow or bland.  I know I'm a critical reader, but I really want to like books.  I just need them to be well written, believable (for whatever world they're placed in), and respectful enough of the reader not to leave gaping plot holes.  It's maddening how often a book fails to meet those criteria.

I was relieved and delighted by how much fun I had reading How to Train Your Dragon. The absurd humour, simple pen and ink illustrations, ridiculous adults, and underdog nature of the protagonist are joyfully reminiscent of Roald Dahl.  I was willingly charmed into forgetting that Hiccup's thoughtfulness and creativity were always going to save the day where his fellow vikings' dumb brute strength could not.  Hiccup's achievements are well won and the story is a  playful well-paced romp. 

My only question: Where are all the girls and women?

The Dead-Tossed Waves, by Carrie Ryan

I read this because I am addicted to stories.  Once begun, it is difficult to let something go.  Even when the first story does not leave me particularly satisfied.

This companion novel to The Forest of Hands and Teeth begins in the town  Mary arrived in at the end of the story and follows her daughter Gabry through similar emotional territory.  We have the love triangle, the childhood crush, the growing apart from the childhood best friend, the fear and fascination with the outside world, the absent/aloof parents, and the dangerous journey.  It's true that these elements resonate with teen existence, but didn't I already read this story?

We also have a girl whom multiple boys love and will incomprehensibly sacrifice themselves for even while she yoyos between them.  I was profoundly unconvinced when she finally decided that one of them was resolutely the one.  This is sinking into Twilight territory here.  Mary, though selfish, was braver, stronger, and more independent.  Gabry wants others to solve her problems for her.  While there is a glut of unattainably strong females in teen lit these days, this flipside of damsels is not the answer.

The New Brighton Archeological Society, by Mark Andrew Smith

Their parents lost during an expedition, four children are sent to an old manor house to live.  There, they uncover secrets their parents had kept and begin to pursue their legacy.

I found this story predictable, characters flat, and plot contrived.  All problems are solved too easily and with too little thought, as though no alternatives exist.  While children are less likely to be bothered by structural blandness, I'm unlikely to recommend this widely.  There are better stories available.

Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love, by Chris Roberson & Shawn McManus

My impatience for the next volume of Fables to be published was somewhat tempered by the release of Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love.  This single-volume spin-off is a Fables take on the spy genre, complete with fancy gadgets, fancier parties, and elaborate plots.  With more humour than romance (but a little of that too), Cinderella dons the public face of a shoe-store proprieter and frequent holidayer while privately protecting the interests of Fabletown around the globe.

Cinderella is a breath of fresh air after the Jack spin-off which always leaves me gritting my teeth over just how much I dislike the title character.  Cindy is smart, likeable, and offers a refreshingly new perspective on the Fables universe.  I still prefer the regular series, whether due to Bill Willingham's writing or the presence of my favourite characters, but this was a pleasant read.  And now it's back to the waiting game.  Only three and a half months until the next Fables.

Rampant, by Diana Peterfreund

The two word booktalk: "Killer Unicorns"*

Another new teen novel about a seemingly-normal young woman who turns out to be more than she seems.  In the post-Buffy era there is a whole bevy of powerful girls battling, dating, and/or becoming supernatural creatures.  We've seen it with vampires (House of Night, etc), fairies (Tithe, Wicked Lovely), demons (Demon's Lexicon), werewolves (Shiver), angels (Blue Bloods), and all-of-the-above (City of Bones).  I love strong women, but I'm growing a little tired of the same old thing.  I probably wouldn't have picked this up if a free copy hadn't fallen into my lap. 

These unicorns are as far from innocent and gentle as you can get.  They're bloodthirsty man-eaters with fangs and venomous horns.  Only virgins from particular bloodlines are capable of defeating them in battle, which is where our heroine comes in.

The book set off a few of my pet peeves as a reader.  Details of the premise are not always consistent with history or character behaviour, and it's unclear what can be explained by science and what is simply "magic".  Certain conflicts are wrapped up too easily, and loose ends are ignored at the conclusion.  I hope that some of these will be addressed in the upcoming sequel, Ascendant.  Less demanding readers will simply enjoy the adventure and the love story.

* Not coined by me.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson, by John Green & David Levithan

My interest was piqued when I heard that Will Grayson, Will Grayson was the first book with gay protagonists to make the New York Times bestsellers list for children.  The novel is a collaboration by two award-winning authors, John Green (Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines) and David Levithan (Boy Meets Boy, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist).  They write alternating chapters from the perspective of two high schoolers named Will Grayson. 

Both Will Graysons are complex and believable though not always likable, which is how I prefer my teen characters.  Since most teens are at least a little self-centred and/or oblivious, I respect authors who address this quality.  The Graysons are both hindered by social fears, but are dragged toward acceptance through their friendship with Tiny Cooper, a very large, very proudly gay, football player who writes and stars in a musical about his own life.  Tiny Cooper is one of the best characters I've read in a long time.  He completely steals the show and is on his way to becoming a beloved and iconic character. 

I loved this book, and relished the ride, up until the cheesy-hollywood-ending made me roll my eyes.  I suppose I can forgive that.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8, by Joss Whedon

When Buffy the Vampire Slayer ended it's television run in 2003 creator Joss Whedon still had stories to tell, so he relaunched the show as a comic book.  This has been so successful that other cancelled tv shows (Pushing Daisies, Charmed) have followed suit.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 8 picks up sometime after Sunnydale's destruction at the end of the show's seven season run.  There are now hundreds of slayers worldwide with more than enough trouble to keep them all busy.  Buffy has evolved into a General of sorts, overseeing squads of slayers across the globe. 

The series maintains the feel of the show with consistent characters and villains old and new.  I've been enjoying getting my fix of kick-ass women and sarcastic quips, but I've found the plotlines jump around a little.  It may just be that reading comics is faster than watching tv shows, so everything seems to go by at double speed.  There is less narrative time to reflect and observe character development.  Also, with the comic starting a year or so after the show ended, there are gaps in continuity.  This break allowed characters to grow up a little in the time gone by, but as a reader it left me feeling behind on the action.

Scott Pilgrim's Finest Hour, by Bryan Lee O'Malley

Scott Pilgrim continues to obliviously sleepwalk through most of his life, but is a fine fighter when necessary.  I appreciated Ramona taking up arms alongside him this time around.  I also found myself relieved to see that she could be equally oblivious and thoughtless as it makes their romance seem far more plausible and deserved.

A consistent conclusion for this surreal, slacker comic series.

Unwind, by Neal Shusterman

Unwind is another dystopian adventure.  The premise: the United States had a second civil war over the abortion issue.  The war eventually resolved with an agreement that from conception to age 13, no child could be harmed.  However, when children are between 13 and 18 years old their parents can choose to unwind them.  This involves harvesting every part of their body for transplantation.  They are not considered to be dead as every part of them will be alive.  I don't need to go into how impossibly silly this all is.

The three protagonists are runaway teenagers trying to remain whole until their 18th birthdays when they can no longer become unwound.  Relying on themselves and each other, they learn about friendship, love, regret, anger, forgiveness, and despair.  Once you get over the premise, it's a pretty nice story about growing up and accepting yourself. A straight-forward adventure story with some likeable characters.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth, by Carrie Ryan

The Forest of Hands and Teeth is far better than I expected a zombie survival story to be.  Also, far more romantic.

Mary lives in a small village surrounded by a tall fence.  Outside that fence is the Forest of Hands and Teeth, a no man's land inhabited by their undead neighbours.  Inside, the villagers believe that they are the last bastion of humanity in a world overtaken by the unconsecrated.  They live simple lives, farming, patrolling the fences, and building up the human race, as they are instructed to do by their religious leaders. Mary dreams of a life beyond the fences, but it is only after a series of tragedies that she seriously considers leaving all that she knows.

Typical to this dystopian adventure genre, Mary uncovers hints that all is not as it seems, and that their leaders may not be entirely benevolent.  Complicating matters is her love for Travis who is betrothed to her best friend Cassandra while she herself is betrothed to Travis' brother Harry who may be in love with either her or Cassandra or both.  It's all quite dramatic, but social customs keep everyone frustratingly impotent until the unconsecrated attack and everyone goes into survival mode.

While the romantic angst dragged on a little too much for my sensibilities, this book is perfect for readers who have finished Twilight but like a little surreality in their love stories.  Besides, it's better written, the protagonist is stronger and smarter, and there are sequels for the story addicts.

Lips Touch: Three Times, by Laini Taylor

A trio of short stories/novellas involving the supernatural and some life-changing kisses.  Each section begins with a series of lush illustrations that sets the scene for the tale to come.  The stories are sensual and teasingly dark, drawing the reader in to each of three very different worlds.

I liked this book far more than I expected to.  I feared that it would be heavy on the romance, but it's very gentle, like reading fables.  It deserves all the accolades it's received.  Well done.

Incarceron, by Catherine Fisher

This may be one of the next big things in teen lit.  At the very least it will attract readers of other popular series like the Hunger Games and Uglies.   The New Yorker recently discussed these and other teen novels representing the recent trend of  dystopian speculative fiction. I've been working my way through the books they mention.

Incarceron is an enormous self-sufficient prison in which it's residents have been trapped for generations.  Only its warden knows the location or extent of the place.  In the outside world Incarceron is believed to be a paradise, but those inside know it to be a hell. The setting in the outside world offers a twist on the semi-historical court motif.  The society has technology far in advance of our own, but lives as though it is the 17th century due to laws established by a paranoid monarchy seeking to avoid rebellion.  The premise is flawed, but at least it's creative.

The plot elements are familiar.  The warden's daughter wishes to escape an arranged marriage, and to solve the mystery of Incarceron while a band of prisoners attempts to escape the place.  All are intelligent and resourceful, but no one knows the true story of Incarceron except for the scheming warden. 

I enjoyed the book as a fun read, but wasn't particularly inspired by it.  However, I know a number of my local teen readers will eat it up, so I'll be sure to display it prominently.

Dragon's Heart, by Jane Yolen

I may not have known  it, but I've been waiting for this book since I was ten or twelve years old.  Dragon's Heart concludes Yolen's Pit Dragon Chronicles, a fantastic series that had been left with a somewhat weak conclusion.  This book answers lingering questions, wraps up some very loose ends, and gives readers a glimpse of the repercussions of the dramatic events that took place in the second and third books of the series.

Jakkin and Akki return from their exile in the mountains to find society altered, and their place therein uncertain.  They carry with them a secret that could mean the end of the dragons of Austar IV if they aren't careful with the information.  While tormented with this uncertainty and fear they are once again dragged into political machinations and unforseen consequences. 

Fans of the original trilogy will be satisfied that the characters, plot, setting, and overall narrative feel right, true to the series despite the twenty-two year break between the third and fourth novels.  New readers should be able to enjoy this book with help from the introduction, but would do better to find the earlier books first.