Review: Never Have I Ever

Never Have I Ever by Sara Shepard
Series: The Lying Game (Book 2)
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 320
Release date: August 2, 2011
Format: Hardcover
Website
Summary (from Good Reads): My perfect life was a lie. 

Now I’d do anything to uncover the truth.

Not long ago, I had everything a girl could wish for: amazing friends, an adorable boyfriend, a loving family. But none of them know that I’m gone—that I’m dead. To solve my murder, my long-lost twin sister, Emma, has taken my place. She sleeps in my room, wears my clothes, and calls my parents Mom and Dad.

And my killer is watching her every move.

I remember little from my life, just flashes and flickers, so all I can do is follow along as Emma tries to solve the mystery of my disappearance. But the deeper she digs, the more suspects she uncovers. It turns out my friends and I played a lot of games—games that ruined people’s lives. Anyone could want revenge . . . anyone could want me—and now Emma—dead. 

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I am addicted to The Lying Game series. I love it. At this point, I can't decide which series I love more: Pretty Little Liars or The Lying Game.

I love it that Sara Shepard always keeps me guessing. I learned from Pretty Little Liars that just because the characters think they've figured out the mystery, and just because they make convincing arguments for their reasoning, doesn't mean they're right. It's the same for The Lying Game. Just when Emma thinks she knows what happened to Sutton, something happens that changes everything. And even though it's disappointing in ways when she doesn't figure out what happened to Sutton, I also love it that she hasn't figured it out yet, because it means there's more to look forward to.

Aside from the mystery aspect, I love watching Emma develop relationships with her sister's friends and family, and with people her sister normally wouldn't have talked to. By that, I mean Ethan. I love Emma's developing friendship with him. I also love watching Sutton develop as a character, through her thoughts that interrupt the story every now and then. She's definitely changing as a character, and it's awesome.

I can't wait for the next book to come out. If you haven't checked this series out yet, you definitely should. It is so worth it.

Overall rating: 5/5

Cover rating: 5/5

Reviews. . . or the lack of them

It's been a while since I've posted a review. I've read some books that I loved during the past couple of weeks, but every time I think about posting a review for any of them, I find that I can't. I just don't know what to say about them, except that they were amazing. I wish I could come up with more than that to say, but apparently, I'm in a slump.

On top of that, classes start on Monday, which means I'll have less time to read YA and post reviews (or just blog in general). I'll try to post something at least once a week, whether it's a review or book news, but if you don't see me around much, it's because I'm studying and working.

Sequel: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

I'm excited to announce that Quirk Books will be releasing a sequel to Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, set to be released in spring 2013!!! I read and loved Miss Peregrine's; you can check out my review here. I can't wait for the sequel! It's pretty much guaranteed to be amazing, and I can't wait to see what photographs Ransom Riggs is going to include in it. Here's the official press release:

Quirk Announces the Untitled Sequel to Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

August 17, 2011 (Philadelphia, PA)—Quirk Books is pleased to announce the sequel to Ransom Riggs’s best-selling young-adult novel MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN, which has 325,000 units in print across all formats and has been translated into 13 languages with more to come. The book has been on the New York Times Best-Seller List for 9 weeks (as of August 21, 2011) and is #1 on the IndieBound Bestseller List for the week of August 14. Film rights to both books have been sold to 20th Century Fox, with Chernin Entertainment producing.
 
"We are thrilled that Ransom and Quirk Books will be working together again to take readers and fans deeper into the world of Miss Peregrine,” says David Borgenicht, president and publisher of Quirk Books. “Ransom is an incredibly talented writer and visionary, and there's a lot more to explore together. I, for one, can't wait to see where the second installment leads."
 
Slated to be published in spring 2013, the untitled sequel to Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will continue the story of the children on the remote Welsh island, incorporating a new set of vintage photographs to guide the story. “Ransom draws inspiration from photography, and he’s already collected more than a thousand images to help illuminate the story of the sequel,” says Jason Rekulak, Quirk’s creative director.  “Based on what he’s shared so far, I think we’ll be following these characters to some very peculiar places.”

The vintage photos are just one element of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children that has garnered the book critical acclaim and has led it to be chosen as one of Amazon’s Best Books of the Year So Far as well as an IndieBound Summer Pick. “The vintage-photo bug bit me hard while I was writing Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children,” says author Ransom Riggs, “and I've been collecting like a madman ever since. I think the photos in the second book will be even better than those in the first, and more exotic, too. It looks like the peculiar children have quite a journey ahead of them!”

In My Mailbox: 33

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. Check out her blog for more info.

I got a lot of goodies this week.

Purchased:

It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han
MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
Can summer be truly summer without Cousins Beach?

It used to be that Belly counted the days until summer, until she was back at Cousins Beach with Conrad and Jeremiah. But not this year. Not after Susannah got sick again and Conrad stopped caring. Everything that was right and good has fallen apart, leaving Belly wishing summer would never come. But when Jeremiah calls saying Conrad has disappeared, Belly knows what she must do to make things right again. And it can only happen back at the beach house, the three of them together, the way things used to be. If this summer really and truly is the last summer, it should end the way it started--at Cousins Beach.

We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han
MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
It's been two years since Conrad told Belly to go with Jeremiah. She and Jeremiah have been inseparable ever since, even attending the same college-- only, their relationship hasn't exactly been the happily ever after Belly had hoped it would be. And when Jeremiah makes the worst mistake a boy can make, Belly is forced to question what she thought was true love. Does she really have a future with Jeremiah? Has she ever gotten over Conrad? It's time for Belly to decide, once and for all, who has her heart forever.
All Unquiet Things by Anna Jarzab

Vixen by Jillian Larkin
Jazz . . . Booze . . . Boys . . . It’s a dangerous combination.
Every girl wants what she can’t have. Seventeen-year-old Gloria Carmody wants the flapper lifestyle—and the bobbed hair, cigarettes, and music-filled nights that go with it. Now that she’s engaged to Sebastian Grey, scion of one of Chicago’s most powerful families, Gloria’s party days are over before they’ve even begun . . . or are they? Clara Knowles, Gloria’s goody-two-shoes cousin, has arrived to make sure the high-society wedding comes off without a hitch—but Clara isn’t as lily-white as she appears. Seems she has some dirty little secrets of her own that she’ll do anything to keep hidden. . . . Lorraine Dyer, Gloria’s social-climbing best friend, is tired of living in Gloria’s shadow. When Lorraine’s envy spills over into desperate spite, no one is safe. And someone’s going to be very sorry. . . . 

The Latte Rebellion by Sarah Jamila Stevenson

Our philosophy is simple: Promote a latte-colored world! —from the Latte Rebellion Manifesto

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.

The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove by Lauren Kate
A steamy Southern beauty makes one fatal mistake
Natalie Hargrove would kill to be her high school's Palmetto Princess. But her boyfriend Mike King doesn't share her dream and risks losing the honor of Palmetto Prince to Natalie's nemesis, Justin Balmer. So she convinces Mike to help play a prank on Justin. . . one that goes terribly wrong. They tie him to the front of the church after a party - when they arrive the next morning, Justin is dead. From blackmail to buried desire, dark secrets to darker deeds, Natalie unravels. She never should've messed with fate. Fate is the one thing more twisted than Natalie Hargrove.

Invincible Summer by Hannah Moskowtiz
Noah’s happier than I’ve seen him in months. So I’d be an awful brother to get in the way of that. It’s not like I have some relationship with Melinda. It was just a kiss. Am I going to ruin Noah’s happiness because of a kiss? Across four sun-kissed, drama-drenched summers at his family’s beach house, Chase is falling in love, falling in lust, and trying to keep his life from falling apart. But some girls are addictive....



Received as a gift:

Never Have I Ever by Sara Shephard
MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
My perfect life was a lie. Now I’d do anything to uncover the truth. Not long ago, I had everything a girl could wish for: amazing friends, an adorable boyfriend, a loving family. But none of them know that I’m gone—that I’m dead. To solve my murder, my long-lost twin sister, Emma, has taken my place. She sleeps in my room, wears my clothes, and calls my parents Mom and Dad.
And my killer is watching her every move. I remember little from my life, just flashes and flickers, so all I can do is follow along as Emma tries to solve the mystery of my disappearance. But the deeper she digs, the more suspects she uncovers. It turns out my friends and I played a lot of games—games that ruined people’s lives. Anyone could want revenge . . . anyone could want me—and now Emma—dead. 

That's it for me this week. What did you get? Happy reading!

Review: All That Matters

All That Matters by Youseph Tanha
Publisher: Youseph Tanha
Pages: 98
Format: eBook
Release date: July 27, 2011
Website
Summary (from Good Reads): Ethan Wright is just like any other high school kid that is one day lucky enough to meet the girl of his dreams. Throughout the course of high school the young couple learn to cope with incredibly difficult odds to discover all that matters.

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I think the best thing about All That Matters is the conversational tone of the novella. While I was reading it, I felt like I was listening to someone tell me a story--like I was listening to my grandfather tell me about growing up in Ohio, or my dad telling me about growing up in our hometown. I loved that. It made the story so enjoyable for me.

I thought the story was great. It reminds me a little bit of Nicholas Sparks's A Walk to Remember, which I adore. In some places, Amanda actually reminded me of one of my closest friends, with her positive and kind nature. Ethan's dedication and loyalty to Amanda was amazing. The things he was willing to do for her, and the things he was willing to sacrifice in his own life, was incredible. His love for her was so obvious. I liked the fact that for the most part, Amanda and Ethan's story wasn't overshadowed by any subplots. There could have easily been other subplots--like Ethan and his band recording a demo tape and Ethan's brother winding up in the hospital--but the main focus was on Amanda and Ethan and their story. I did wonder what happened with the other things that came up briefly, and there is a part of me that wishes those things had been further explored, but I liked it that I was able to get wrapped up in Amanda and Ethan's story.

All That Matters is a great little story. I think fans of Nicholas Sparks will especially enjoy it; I know I did.

Overall rating: 3.5/5

Cover rating: 3.5/5

Liebster Blog Award

Karen at I read to escape has nominated my blog for the Liebster Blog Award. Thank you, Karen!!!


The goal of this award is to recognize new bloggers who have less than 200 followers. Here are the rules for this award:


1. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you.
2. Reveal your top 5 picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
3. Copy and paste the award on your blog.
4. Have faith that your followers will spread the love to other bloggers.
5. And most of all - have bloggity-blog fun!


I really wish I could pick more than 5 blogs for this award, because I have been following some awesome blogs lately. But since I can only pick 5, I thought about it for a long time and decided to nominate the following blogs for this award:


1. In a library of tattered spines
2. Me on Books
3. Confessions of a Readaholic
4. Denim-Jacket Librarian Dishes
5. Blabbing Books

Cover Reveal: In Honor

Jessi Kirby announced on her blog today that her newest novel, In Honor, finally has a cover. For your viewing pleasure, here it is!

And here's the blurb from her blog/Good Reads about the book:

Honor receives her brother's last letter from Iraq three days after learning that he died, and opens it the day his fellow Marines lay the flag over his casket. Its contents are a complete shock: concert tickets to see Kyra Kelly, her favorite pop star and Finn's celebrity crush. In his letter, he jokingly charged Honor with the task of telling Kyra Kelly that he was in love with her.

Grief-stricken and determined to grant Finn's last request, she rushes to leave immediately. But she only gets as far as the driveway before running into Rusty, Finn's best friend since third grade and his polar opposite. She hasn't seen him in ages, thanks to a falling out between the two guys, but Rusty is much the same as Honor remembers him: arrogant, stubborn. . . and ruggedly good looking. Neither one is what the other would ever look for in a road trip partner, but the two of them set off together, on a voyage that makes sense only because it doesn't. Along the way, they find small and sometimes surprising ways to ease their shared loss and honor Finn--but when shocking truths are revealed at the end of the road, will either of them be able to cope with the consequences?

In Honor will be released in May 2012. I can't wait. Jessi Kirby is one of my new favorite authors; I adore Moonglass. I love books about road trips, so I can't wait to read In Honor.

Review: The Dark and Hollow Places

The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan
Publishier: Delacorte Books
Pages: 384
Release date: March 22, 2011
Format: Hardcover
Website
Summary (from Good Reads): There are many things that Annah would like to forget: the look on her sister's face before Annah left her behind in the Forest of Hands and Teeth, her first glimpse of the Horde as they swarmed the Dark City, the sear of the barbed wire that would scar her for life. But most of all, Annah would like to forget the morning Elias left her for the Recruiters. Annah's world stopped that day, and she's been waiting for Elias to come home ever since. Somehow, without him, her life doesn't feel much different than the dead that roam the wasted city around her. Until she meets Catcher, and everything feels alive again. But Catcher has his own secrets. Dark, terrifying truths that link him to a past Annah has longed to forget, and to a future too deadly to consider. And now it's up to Annah: can she continue to live in a world covered in the blood of the living? Or is death the only escape from the Return's destruction?

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I loved The Dark and Hollow Places just as much as I loved The Dead-Tossed Waves. There was never a dull moment in this book, and the characters, some who were in The Dead-Tossed Waves, just get better and better.

When it comes to Annah and her twin sister, Abigail (who goes by another name that I won't say, because of spoilers), I have to admit that I like Annah more. She seems tougher, more of a fighter, I think. Annah did have many moments were she felt sorry for herself, and I understood where she was coming from, but it did get annoying after a while. I wanted her to move past it, and she had a hard time doing so. Still, I enjoyed her character so much. I was rooting for her throughout the novel.

The Recruiters play a role in this novel, too, and they are fantastic. They're terrifying and cruel and so well-depicted. I loved seeing their group develop further in The Dark and Hollow Places.

I didn't think about The Dark and Hollow Places after I finished it as much as I thought about The Dead-Tossed Waves when I finished that one, but this trilogy has definitely left an impression on me. I didn't care for the first novel too much, because it seemed like a typical, slow, boring zombie story. But as the story progresses, Carrie Ryan moves away from the zombies and toward the characters of the story and their lives, and in the process, she changes everything I've known about zombie stories. I can't wait to see what Carrie Ryan has in store for us next. I wish it were another novel in The Forest of Hands and Teeth series, but I'm excited to see what other stories she comes up with that may or may not involve zombies.

Overall rating: 5/5

Cover rating: 5/5

Review: Gone

Gone by Michael Grant
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 576
Release date: June 24, 2008
Format: Hardcover
Website
Summary (from Good Reads): Except for the young. Teens. Middle schoolers. Toddlers. But not one single adult. No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. Just as suddenly, there are no phones, no internet, no television. No way to get help. And no way to figure out what's happened.

Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents—unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers—that grow stronger by the day.

It's a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen, a fight is shaping up. Townies against rich kids. Bullies against the weak. Powerful against powerless. And time is running out: On your birthday, you disappear just like everyone else...

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Gone was awesome. I like novels that explore what people will do in extreme situations, especially when the people in question are all under the age of fifteen. Gone fascinated me in terms of human behavior. The lengths people will go to in order to survive are amazing.

Gone actually seems like a combination of Stephen King's Under the Dome and King's The Regulators/Desperation, even though it was written before Under the Dome. It was similar to those novels in some regards, but very different in other aspects, and I love what Michael Grant did with the world he created.

The characters are incredible. I loved some and hated others, but they were all so well-created. I especially liked Lana--her courage and willingness to live was amazing. I think she was one of the most interesting characters in the novel, and I really hope we get to see more of her in the other novels. That said, I hated Quinn. He annoyed me to no end. He was a great character because he's realistic--there will always be someone who wants to side with the person who seems to be in control or has the most power, and will be quick to turn against the people he was supposedly loyal to. But while I think Grant did a great job creating Quinn's character, I just hated him for the reasons he's a great character. I hated how weak he was, and how he was willing to turn against Sam when he had the opportunity to do so. Quinn is the type of character I don't trust no matter what he does.

I did feel at times like the story was dragging on, but for the most part, I was eager to turn the pages and see what would happen next. I can't wait to read the rest of this series.

Overall rating: 4/5

Cover rating: 3/5

Review: Thirteen Reasons Why

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages: 304
Release date: October 18, 2007
Format: Hardcover
Website
Summary (from Good Reads): Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers thirteen cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, his classmate and crush who committed suicide two weeks earlier.

On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list.

Through Hannah and Clay's dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers.

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I thought about not reviewing Thirteen Reasons Why. I read it a few years ago and decided to re-read it again recently. I loved it the second time around just as much as I did the first time around. But, I finished reading it a few days ago, and still haven't quite figured out what to say in my review.

It's an emotional read. Jay Asher did a wonderful job how suicide affects the people who are left behind, and also how people who commit suicide can be affected by so many people in their lives. I liked getting Hannah's side of the story through tapes, to find out more about her and what happened that made her decide to commit suicide. I also liked being able to experience Clay's reaction to everything--Hannah's suicide and the tapes she left behind. 

The narration is seamless. The alternating sections between Hannah's story on the tapes and Clay's narration while he listens to the tapes are perfectly done. The transition from one section to another is excellent. Asher's writing is fantastic.

I can't say enough good things about Thirteen Reasons Why. I love books that tackle serious issues, and Jay Asher does a wonderful job doing just that. 

Overall rating: 5/5

Cover rating: 5/5

Review: Jars of Glass

Jars of Glass by Brad Barkley and Heather Hepler
Publisher: Speak
Pages: 272
Release date: October 15, 2009
Format: Trade paperback
Brad Barkley website
Heather Hepler website
Summary (from Good Reads): Teenage sisters Chloe and Shana recall fondly the days when their mother wove stories about kingdoms under the sea. Now that Mom is “away,” Chloe does not allow herself to believe in fairy tales. She is too busy caring for her adopted brother, Micah, because Dad has become withdrawn. Shana copes by escaping every night under the cover of Goth garb. The day the family visits Mom for the first time is the day Chloe learns why Shana will never allow their mother to return. It is up to the sisters to pull together and form a new definition of family.

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Jars of Glass is the type of novel that makes me want to get rid of my rating system, because I'm kind of on the fence about how I feel about it. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it. I enjoyed it well enough, but it's not the type of book that I feel like I need to tell everyone about.

The best of this novel, for me, was the family dynamic. I enjoyed Chloe and Shana's relationship. I liked Micah, and I wanted to see a little bit more of him in the novel. I liked seeing how all the members of Chloe and Shana's family related to each other, from an absent mom to a physically present but emotionally/mentally absent father, and three kids who are for the most part, on their own. I liked switching back and forth between Chloe's point of view and Shana's point of view to see how they reacted to their life in different ways, whether it was by what they thought or how they acted and spoke. I liked it that I could feel the absence of Chloe and Shana's mom, and how her absence affected everyone.

The biggest problem I had was that I felt like I was in the dark for much of the novel. I knew that Chloe and Shana's mom was in a mental institution, and based on what they say about her, I was able to figure out why. But Shana was very protective of Micah, blaming her mother for doing something throughout the majority of the novel, and you don't find out what that something is until almost the end of the book. I didn't like that. This is the type of novel that I think it's significant to know what the mother did that was horrible enough to make Shana act the way she did and not want to have anything to do with her mom. Chloe didn't know the truth about what happened, so I'm okay with the truth of things not showing up in her chapters until the end of the novel, when she learns the truth. But with Shana's chapters, I think the truth of what happened needed to be there, otherwise, Shana's anger toward her mother doesn't quite seem justified.

I like novels that tackle difficult issues like mental illness, and Jars of Glass does a decent job of doing just that.

Overall rating: 3.5/5

Cover rating: 3.5/5

Go BZRK with Michael Grant

Yesterday, I posted about a new YA series/multimedia experience from author Michael Grant. Today, I have new details to share about this experience:


The missing son of a U.N. diplomat... the reemergence of a strange organization... a pair of society twins caught in the middle... this is just the beginning of "Go BZRK," a new transmedia experience from author Michael Grant.

If you're ready to take the plunge in an interactive story like you've never experienced before, visit societytwins.com and register with nexushumanus.com to take your first steps in a strange and compelling universe.

Filled with video, puzzles, community collaboration, and more, "Go BZRK" put YOU the player right in the middle of the action as you join Nexus Humanus and unravel a mystery that may hold the key to the fate of all mankind.

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Want to know more? Check out this Q&A with Michael Grant:

What is “Go BZRK”? Is this a book or some kind of interactive story?

Both. The book comes out this winter, but the interactive part starts now.  One leads up to the other, but they're part of a complete package.

Why “transmedia”?

There are different approaches to transmedia.  Most people take a single story and reproduce it on various platforms.  My philosophy has been to make each element - ARG, app, web, book - a thing unto itself, each revealing some aspect of the world of BZRK.  I've been fascinated with this is as a new way to tell stories.  The book remains central, but now I can reach beyond the book and create a much more complete world.  I can tell stories that enhance the book, and stories that parallel the book, and stories that are offshoots of backstory.  I guess the answer to "why" is "because it's fun."

Is this the future of publishing?

I began a few years ago reaching out to publishers and saying we collectively needed to understand that the old models were dead or dying.  I want publishing to survive, and of course I'd like my own career to thrive.  So Egmont Publishing and my partners and I certainly hope this is a part of the future of publishing. 

How long is this running? Is this part of a larger picture?

We'll be running this in several chunks between now and the book release this winter. Because these things have a hard start/stop point, August is a ramp-up phase. There'll be a lot of content coming out, but the experience really gets underway at the end of the month… just in time to distract the kids from their schoolwork.

What if someone wants to follow the story but doesn’t want to participate?

You don't have to do anything.  You can do one thing and not another.  But the deeper you plunge the wetter you get.  I think every part of this is fun, I think people will enjoy the ARG, the app, the site and the books. 

App? You've mentioned that a couple times now.

Just wait and see.

What can you tell us about the story? What is “BZRK”?

It's a battle for the soul and freedom of the human race carried out simultaneously in the world we know, and in a world that you're not going to expect. It's a world where if you make a false move, you're going to lose your mind.

Insanity… is this something you have a personal familiarity with?

The line between writer and crazy person is very thin.  Both go around holding long, involved conversations with people who aren't there.

What’s this other world thing all about?

Do you really want spoilers? I'll tell you this. We'll be going "down in the meat." It's going to be vast, bloody, and beautiful.

Wait… isn’t this supposed to be for kids?

Adults like to flatter themselves that kids won't get, won't understand, won't be able to handle, more intense, more complex stories. That's nonsense.  It's the adults who are easy to creep out or scare.  Say the word "biopsy" in a room full of adults. Or "audit."  See?  Easy to scare.  Kids are a tougher audience because kids think they're immortal.

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I don't know about you, but after reading all this, I'm even more excited to participate in this. Don't forget to check out The Society Twins and Nexus Humanus to see what happens next and to join in all the fun. Based on everything I've seen, I can tell you that you definitely don't want to miss out on being a part of this experience.

Where is Davis Morgenstein?

Davis Morgenstein is missing. Twin sisters Sylvie and Sophie are pretty worried. Want to know more about the sisters and their brother? Head over to their blog. I've been reading some of their posts, and I love them, especially Sophie.

Sophie, Sylvie and Davis are characters in a new YA series by Michael Grant, author of the GONE series (which I admittedly haven't read, but I've heard so many good things about it that I'm not sure why I haven't read it yet). Want to know what you have to look forward to?

"This winter, Michael has a new series coming out that was conceived not only as a book, but also as a “transmedia” experience.  This may not be a familiar term to YA fans, but essentially a transmedia story is an interactive narrative told through the written word, video, puzzles, and more. But most importantly, it encourages fans to become part of the action."

You can also check out another website, Nexus Humanus, which is part of the game (for lack of a better team). I've been browsing on it, but I haven't registered for it yet. I actually haven't decided if I will or not.

What I do know is that I am incredibly excited about this project. I love the idea of getting to be a part of the story as it unfolds. It looks like other bloggers are excited, too. Brodie at Eleusinian Mysteries (whose blog I just discovered) wrote a much better post about this project than what I've written.

What do you guys think? Are you excited about this new series and participating in it, considering it is, as Brodie pointed out, like a role-playing game? Or would you rather just read the books and not participate in the interactive portion?

Review: The Dead-Tossed Waves

The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan
Publisher: Delacorte Books
Pages: 416
Release date: March 9, 2010
Format: OverDrive eBook
Website
Summary (from Good Reads): Gabry lives a quiet life. As safe a life as is possible in a town trapped between a forest and the ocean, in a world teeming with the dead, who constantly hunger for those still living. She’s content on her side of the Barrier, happy to let her friends dream of the Dark City up the coast while she watches from the top of her lighthouse. But there are threats the Barrier cannot hold back. Threats like the secrets Gabry’s mother thought she left behind when she escaped from the Sisterhood and the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Like the cult of religious zealots who worship the dead. Like the stranger from the forest who seems to know Gabry. And suddenly, everything is changing. One reckless moment, and half of Gabry’s generation is dead, the other half imprisoned. Now Gabry only knows one thing: she must face the forest of her mother’s past in order to save herself and the one she loves.

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I was pleasantly surprised by The Dead-Tossed Waves. I read The Forest of Hands and Teeth months ago, and I couldn't get into it, so despite the fact that people have recommended I continue reading the series, I thought I wouldn't be able to get into The Dead-Tossed Waves, either, especially since Ii'm not a fan of zombies. As it turns out, I enjoyed it more than I expected to.

The world Carrie Ryan created really opens up in The Dead-Tossed Waves. The characters get to experience more than just one place, the way they did in The Forest of Hands and Teeth. There's more than just the ocean or the forest. But the world also opens up with new characters and new groups of people. It's no longer about the humans versus the Unconsecrated. Ryan introduces new groups like the Recruiters and the Soulers, and this creates another dimension of conflict and survival, one that I find more interesting than the conflict with the zombies.


I started reading The Dead-Tossed Waves yesterday, and when I went to bed last night, I couldn't stop thinking about it. Of course, I was wondering what was going to happen next, and I couldn't wait to start reading again. But more than that, I was thinking about some of the issues that are raised in the novel--issues such as, how similar are humans and zombies? How different are there? I don't want to say much more than that, because I don't want to give anything away, but something happens in The Dead-Tossed Waves that changes everything you think you know about Unconsecrated and about people like Gabry.


I really enjoyed the characters in this novel. I loved Gabry's courage and her loyalty to her friends and family. I feel like she's so different than Mary was in The Forest of Hands and Teeth, and I really like Gabry more than I liked Mary. Gabry is a fantastic heroine in this novel. The supporting characters were equally amazing, each with their own strengths and weaknesses that fit into the novel perfectly.


I'm really glad I decided to keep reading this trilogy. I can't wait to find out what happens in The Dark and Hollow Places.


Overall rating: 5/5
Cover rating: 5/5