Free to Fall by Lauren Miller

Published: May 13th

Publisher: Harper Teen

Pages: 469

Copy: courtesy of Harper Teen

Summary: Goodreads

What if there was an app that told you what song to listen to, what coffee to order, who to date, even what to do with your life—an app that could ensure your complete and utter happiness? What if you never had to fail or make a wrong choice?

What if you never had to fall?

Fast-forward to a time when Apple and Google have been replaced by Gnosis, a monolith corporation that has developed the most life-changing technology to ever hit the market: Lux, an app that flawlessly optimizes decision making for the best personal results. Just like everyone else, sixteen-year-old Rory Vaughn knows the key to a happy, healthy life is following what Lux recommends. When she’s accepted to the elite boarding school Theden Academy, her future happiness seems all the more assured. But once on campus, something feels wrong beneath the polished surface of her prestigious dream school. Then she meets North, a handsome townie who doesn’t use Lux, and begins to fall for him and his outsider way of life. Soon, Rory is going against Lux’s recommendations, listening instead to the inner voice that everyone has been taught to ignore — a choice that leads her to uncover a truth neither she nor the world ever saw coming.

I can be a bit of an old fogey and I am sometimes a little slow to get with the program, at least according to my children - case in point, I don't tweet and I don't do Pinterest.  As far as I am concerned they are time stealers, and I don't have enough time in the day to accomplish everything I want to as it is.  Don't get me wrong, I can understand the appeal alright, but I know myself, and I would lose hours in the day if I succumbed to their siren lure.  So when I read Free to Fall, my first though after finishing it was - thank God! That will never happen to me, but I can really see it happening - and that positively alarmed me.

Lauren Miller has written a futuristic thriller that is so utterly plausible given today's environment that it is incredibly scary.  The idea that we could become slaves to a phone app - never gonna happen, r i g h t! It's already happening now, albeit to a much lesser degree.  Rory has to fight to maintain her independence, separate from her Gold - a new micro mini tablet that virtually everyone is becoming totally dependent upon, and she doesn't know who she can trust.  She was an interesting character that I found easy to like and root for and her relationship with North was real.  North's cageyness was a little surprising, but also rang true and I enjoyed watching their relationship develop. It was suitably confusing as to which adults could be trusted, if any and there were plenty of false trails to follow to confuse the true issues.

Although this story is set in an elite boarding school, which makes it perfect for teens, I could easily see it as an adult thriller, with only a few minor changes. There is a degree of tension that starts slowly and builds to a lovely crescendo, with a surprising little twist of a medical nature that I didn't see coming.  Free to Fall illustrates beautifully that the bogey man doesn't always come crashing through the door wielding an axe - sometimes he just slips quietly into your life through your phone!

Thanks so much to Megan at Goldberg McDuffie for sending me a copy of Free to Fall.  I probably wouldn't have picked it up on my own, and I would have missed a winner.

Waiting on Wednesday - Brazen by Katherine Longshore

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine,  that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating or books that are in our TBR pile.  This week’s “can’t-wait-to-read” selection is

Summary (by Goodreads)

Mary Howard has always lived in the shadow of her powerful family. But when she’s married off to Henry Fitzroy, King Henry VIII’s illegitimate son, she rockets into the Tudor court’s inner circle. Mary and “Fitz” join a tight clique of rebels who test the boundaries of court’s strict rules with their games, dares, and flirtations. The more Mary gets to know Fitz, the harder she falls for him, but is forbidden from seeing him alone. The rules of court were made to be pushed…but pushing them too far means certain death. Is true love worth dying for?

Ahhh...YA Historical Fiction.  I love it. When is the last time you read a book from this genre?

- Christinabean

In Case You Missed It - Eyes of Crow by Jeri Smith-Ready

 

Published: November 1st, 2006

Publisher: Luna

Pages 480

Copy: My own

Summary: Goodreads

 

 

For Rhia was bound to the Spirit of Crow, gifted with the foresight of Death's approach and doomed to the isolation of one feared and set apart.

There must always be one whose magic can ease the passage of the people of Asermos to the Other Side. But to be the guide her people require, to truly know the depth of her gift--her curse--Rhia must surrender herself to the wisdom of the Great Forest…and drink deeply of Death itself. And though two powerful men stand ready to aid her, even to love her, the Aspect of Crow demands unthinkable sacrifices from one who walks its path.

I was browsing the 'for sale' truck at work the other day and found this one.  I am a huge fan of her Shade series (YA) and WVMP radio series  so I thought to myself 'Self, you can surely afford the $1.50 for these three books!'  Two days later, I have the first one read and I'm ready to start on #2.

The blurb above is a little dramatic for the actual story I think, which was really a coming of age story.  The main character, Rhia, has to come to terms with her 'gift' - which is a little macabre to say the least- and she keeps putting off her apprenticeship.  Rhia keeps trying to escape her future, but she knows she can't and acts like many teens by thinking about it later.  Add in two good looking guys - Arcas and Marek - who are more than willing to offer Rhia a shoulder to cry on and the steam starts rising.  I kept imagining Marek as a younger Gerard Butler because that was his name in the movie 'Timeline'.

A really interesting factor in this story is that all inhabitants of Asermos and Kalindon have magic that is in some way related to animals.  But there are phases, or aspects to this magic.  The first is the 'Bestowing' when each person fasts for three days and meets their animal.  The second more involved aspect arrives when that person becomes a parent, and the third when they become a grand parent.  Cool eh!  Complications can arise with the magic if the 2nd Aspect is  reached before the person is 'ready'  (a lovely nod to having safe sex) and we see that with Marek  The way he overcomes those complications is interesting.

Eyes of Crow is a fantasy with a well explored mythos, relatable characters and good sex.  Yep, this one is not for teens, but it falls squarely into what is now being called New Adult - or it would if NA had fantasy, which it might but I haven't seen anything yet- and in 2006 when this was published, an NA designation was still just a spark in some unknown persons mind.

I thoroughly enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to following Rhia as she finds out more about what she is capable of.  Great story.

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves allows us to share the books we have added to our collections - physical, virtual, borrowed, bought or received. 

This week I received - 

Summary (by Goodreads)

There are whispers of a ghost in the slaughterhouse where sixteen-year-old Wen assists her father in his medical clinic—a ghost who grants wishes to those who need them most. When one of the Noor, men hired as cheap factory labor, humiliates Wen, she makes an impulsive wish of her own, and the Ghost grants it. Brutally.

Guilt-ridden, Wen befriends the Noor, including their outspoken leader, a young man named Melik. At the same time, she is lured by the mystery of the Ghost and learns he has been watching her … for a very long time.

As deadly accidents fuel tensions within the factory, Wen must confront her growing feelings for Melik, who is enraged at the sadistic factory bosses and the prejudice faced by his people at the hand of Wen’s, and her need to appease the Ghost, who is determined to protect her against any threat—real or imagined. She must decide whom she can trust, because as her heart is torn, the factory is exploding around her … and she might go down with it.

I received this one from Simon and Schuster Canada (thankyou!) and it sounds SO interesting!  Unlike anything I have read before.  I haven't read many teen fiction novels based on Asian culture and ghosts so this one could be right up my alley!

Deception by C J Redwine

 

Published: August 2013

Publisher: Balzer & Bray

Pages: 480

Copy: Library

Summary: Goodreads

Baalboden has been ravaged. The brutal Commander's whereabouts are unknown. And Rachel, grief stricken over her father's death, needs Logan more than ever. With their ragged group of survivors struggling to forge a future, it's up to Logan to become the leader they need—with Rachel by his side. Under constant threat from rival Carrington's army, who is after the device that controls the Cursed One, the group decides to abandon the ruins of their home and take their chances in the Wasteland.



But soon their problems intensify tenfold: someone—possibly inside their ranks—is sabotaging the survivors, picking them off one by one. The chaos and uncertainty of each day puts unbearable strain on Rachel and Logan, and it isn't long before they feel their love splintering. Even worse, as it becomes clear that the Commander will stop at nothing to destroy them, the band of survivors begins to question whether the price of freedom may be too great—and whether, hunted by their enemies and the murderous traitor in their midst, they can make it out of the Wasteland alive.

In this daring sequel to Defiance, with the world they once loved forever destroyed, Rachel and Logan must decide between a life on the run and standing their ground to fight.

There are some series that we read without rushing into them, This Defiance series by C J Redwine is one of those for me.  I thoroughly enjoyed Defiance, but was in no hurry to read this sequel.  When I eventually picked it up a few weeks ago, I couldn't for the life of me work out why it had taken me so long to pick it up - it was just so good.

The story continues almost immediately after the end of the first book, about 2 weeks later.  The characters are still reeling from what has happened and are struggling with what to do next.  When they are forced to flee, we follow the characters through continued growth and boundless determination.  Rachel is such a broken character - so strong outwardly, yet inside she is just falling to pieces.  She experiences tragedy after tragedy and each one makes it harder for her to cope.  I had tears in my eyes on more than one occasion.

Logan, who is only 19, is in charge and is determined to get his people to safety.  I just love the 'tech' aspect of things that are so definitely his forte.  We find out that many years previously, miners tunnelled into something/somewhere and unleashed subterranean 'dragons' which destroyed everything.  At this point in the story, only one 'dragon' is left and the 'tech' that Logan is trying so desperately to protect is what can control it.

The deception from the title was absolutely brilliant.  In hindsight, I should have picked up on the several clues, but I missed them all, so I was pretty much taken completely by surprise.  I don't think there is anything about this series so far that I dislike and I'm really looking forward to reading the next book 'Deliverance' which comes out around August 26th.  I don't think I'll be waiting so long to read it.  In the mean time we can look forward to a short novella (96 pages) called Outcast, that is due out in July.  Just a little something to whet the appetite. It's about Quinn, one of the more mysterious and enigmatic characters, and also one of my personal favourites.

Deception is a tense and suspenseful journey with a host of captivating characters. There is a slight fantasy feel to this basically dystopian series that I will be recommending with delight.  If you haven't tried it yet, you have time to read Defiance and Deception before August.

The Body in the Woods by April Henry

Published: Henry Holt

Publisher: June 2014

Pages: 272

Copy Provided by: NetGalley

Summary: by Goodreads

Summary:
In this new series told from multiple perspectives, teen members of a search and rescue team discover a dead body in the woods.

Alexis, Nick, and Ruby have very different backgrounds: Alexis has spent her life covering for her mom’s mental illness, Nick’s bravado hides his fear of not being good enough, and Ruby just wants to pursue her eccentric interests in a world that doesn’t understand her. When the three teens join Portland County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue, they are teamed up to search for a autistic man lost in the woods. What they find instead is a dead body. In a friendship that will be forged in danger, fear, and courage, the three team up to find the girl’s killer—before he can strike one of their own.

This first book in April Henry’s Point Last Seen YA mystery series is full of riveting suspense, putting readers in the middle of harrowing rescues and crime scene investigations.


Review:

I was expecting to love this mystery because it seemed to run a similar vein as The Body Finder (without the intuitive aspect).  However to be honest, I felt that it ran a little flat.  A Body in the Woods centers around Alexis, Nick and Ruby, all outsiders in their own way who are brought together by volunteering for SAR (Search and Rescue).  While searching for someone lost in the woods, the group stumbles upon a body.  Their shared experience leads them to create a loose Scooby Doo group and they try to solve a murder mystery on their own.

What I liked about this book was the diversity in the characters. They all seemed to come from different backgrounds and had a plethora of family issues.  Ruby started to get on my nerves a little bit because I found her a tad too pushy.  The plot was a teeny bit predictable but not a bad start to a mystery series.  I would recommend this one to a pre-teen to teen range.  Hoping that the series begins to get a little trickier in terms of plot.  I haven't read April Henry's other books but I would definitely venture into this author's other titles.  :)

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine,  that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating or books that are in our TBR pile.  This week’s “can’t-wait-to-read” selection is

Summary (by Goodreads)

From the remarkable imagination of acclaimed artist Jim Di Bartolo and the exquisite pen of bestselling author Kiersten White comes a spellbinding story of love, mystery, and dark conspiracy, told in an alternating narrative of words and pictures. 

Cora and Minnie are sisters living in a small, stifling town where strange and mysterious things occur. Their mother runs the local boarding house. Their father is gone. The woman up the hill may or may not be a witch. 

Thomas and Charles are brothers who’ve been exiled to the boarding house so Thomas can tame his ways and Charles can fight an illness that is killing him with increasing speed. Their family history is one of sorrow and guilt. They think they can escape from it . . . but they can’t.

I am a big fan of Kiersten White and love to see her taking on different avenues of the YA genre.  I put this one on my TBR list just because of my love for her writing style and her ability to stretch the imagination.  

-Christinabean