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Book Shop Blog
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Reviews are every Monday, Wednesday, & Friday, from staff, local writers, and from our fantastic Teen Picks reviewers. Agree with our picks? Disagree? Suggestions of your own? To comment on any post, just click on the title!
We're excited to say we're now all set with six Teen Pick reviewers. We're really gearing up this program to get Advanced Reading Copies of books into their hands ahead of time, so you can read about these books the second they come out.
Check out their favorite books on GoodReads here: Clare, Chase, Jenny, Marybeth, Kathryn, and Cynthia.
They're doing a super job staying on top of the freshest new books out there.
Our other reviewers can also be found on GoodReads, and they include local writers K. Bird Lincoln and Tina, former SHBS owner Luanne, and of course, other staff picks from the St. Helens Book Shop.
Firelight by Sophie Jordan, Teen Pick from Kathryn T.
New Release!
4 of 5 stars
After she breaks the most important rule of her kind, and almost gets killed in the process, Jacinda Jones and her family are forced to flee into the mortal world. Jacinda is miserable in her new life until she meets Will, the beautiful hunter who saved her life.
But even as she gets to know him, and even begins to fall in love with him, Jacinda knows that what she's doing is dangerous. After all, his family hunts draki, Jacinda's kind.
Yet no matter how hard she tries, Jacinda can't seem to stay away from him, no matter how dangerous it is.
Twilight fans will latch onto to this well-written paranormal romance, which draws you in, holds your attention, and leaves you thirsty for the sequel.
Firelight (Hardcover)
$16.99
ISBN-13: 9780061935084Availability: Special Order - Subject to Availability
Published: HarperCollins, 09/01/2010
Halo by Alexandra Adornetto, Teen Pick from Marybeth T.
New release!
When three angels come to a small coastal town - Gabriel, the warrior, Ivy, the healer, and Bethany, the youngest and inexperienced of the three – chaos soon ensues. How could the covenant (of angels) know that Bethany would fall into an emotion trap, caught in the webs of love? No one could have seen what happens when Bethany and Gabriel go to school, and Bethany meets a very beautiful boy, who seems to be everywhere she looks, and then some. But there’s more to the story than the relationship between Bethany and the boy. Because, where angels go, demons are sure to follow.
I absolutely loved Halo, and can’t wait for the next book in this breath-taking series. It was such a cliff-hanger, I was so frustrated and in awe at the same time! I couldn’t believe it when on the back of the book it said that author was 17. She has such a great way of expressing things and telling Bethany’s unique story. I recommend reading Halo and the books that will follow; I’m sure you’ll think angels have written this book!
Halo (Paperback)
$16.99
ISBN-13: 9780312656263Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Feiwel & Friends, 09/01/2010
Everlasting by Angie Frazier, Review by K. Bird Lincoln
Pretty New Release!
Camille is going for one, last trip with her father on one of their shipping lines before facing marriage to a wealthy and eligible man in San Francisco society.
A storm changes all her plans.
Along with Oscar, the not-so-eligible, but ever-so-much-more-attractive first mate, they will weather thugs, Australian outback, and magic to find Camille's birth mother and Umandu, a mythical stone.
I never got into this book very deeply. At first look, it has many elements I thought I would love: a forbidden love, a quest in a historically interesting time period of Australia with nice details, and a magic element.
However, while I can't really point to the writing (fine) characters (interesting) or plot (has mystery but nothing special) and say this is where the book fell down for me, as a whole, I found myself not really invested in the characters or their quest.
Camille and Oscar had some nice interactions, but their coming together was so predicable despite his lack of money that I didn't enjoy their dance all that much. Camille's interaction with the mother she never knew was too quick to be satisfying, as well as the abrupt about face of her half brother from "I don't trust you" to "I'll save you now." The gimmicky tendency of Ira (their guide) to spout strange exclamations didn't work for me.
Still, I did find that Camille's POV, especially when encountering flora/fauna of Australia she had no knowledge of was very convincing.
This Book's Food Designation Rating: Macaroni and Cheese for a reliable but not-quite-as-exciting as you would think read.
Everlasting (Hardcover)
$17.99
ISBN-13: 9780545114738Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Scholastic Press, 06/01/2010
What I Meant by Marie Lamba, Teen Pick from Clare K.
What would you do if your Evil Aunt moved in? If your best friend suddenly hates you? If your own parents don't believe a single word you say? If you're Sangeet, you'd try to fix it.
Sangeet, or Sang, is 15. She's half Eastern-Indian and half American,("exotic" as her long-time crush, Jason, has said). Sang's la-di-da life changes drastically, but she discovers things that are better unhidden and learns just how strong she can be.
This comedy about a teenage girl navigating her crazy life is happy and funny on the outside, but the morals are actually pretty deep. Enjoyable, meaningful, and comical, there's no reason why you shouldn't read this book!
What I Meant... (Hardcover)
$16.99
ISBN-13: 9780375840913Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Random House Books for Young Readers, 07/01/2007
The Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea M. Campbell, Teen Pick from Marybeth T.
Pretty New Release!
On the sixteenth birthday of a select few, your thumb transforms into either an H or a V. V for Villain and H for Hero. You also receive your “powers”.
So, when Damien finds himself at his sixteenth birthday, he totally expects a V. And why not? His mom is a retired Super-Villain and his best friend Kat already has a V. Damien is not prepared for what happens to his thumb. The unheard of happens: he receives an X.
Which means it’s undecided if he a villain or hero, which equals not good. Damien was planning to get into the super-villain academy, and this infuriating sign has ruined everything. Upon further investigation, Damien finds out his dad was a super-hero. Which immediately sets his life a-whirl. And he’s taking the whole city with him.
This fast-paced, traditional “Marvel” story is a wonderful tale of finding your true self, with a few romantic and exciting twists and turns thrown in there too. I found it’s very easy to get caught up in this super-villain/super-hero fantasy. Don’t be afraid to face the X!
The Rise of Renegade X (Hardcover)
$17.99
ISBN-13: 9781606840603Availability: Special Order - Subject to Availability
Published: EgmontUSA, 05/01/2010
Healing Spell by Kimberley Griffiths-Little, review by K. Bird Lincoln
Pretty New Release!
5 of 5 stars
The book begins with Livie's Pa bringing her mother home from the hospital- in a coma.
While Livie's sisters care for her Mother and the home, Livie is busy catching frogs at night with her Pa, poling around the bayou in her pirogue, and risking the wrath of her Aunt to do anything but touch her Mother.
Livie's got a secret, and the weight of that secret, as well as her complicated feelings based on her being a tomboy and not understanding her "girlie" mother or sisters, colors everything she does.
In a desperate attempt to help her mother, Livie goes deep into the bayou to find the shack of a traiteur, a healing creole healer, to find a spell to help her mother wake up.
The spell forces Livie to change the way she sees herself and the love in her family.
The flavor of this book is incredibly believable, the language, the food, the customs described here really come alive, forming a picture of life in the Louisiana bayou that was authentic-seeming to non-expert me.
Livie was sometimes a bit too angsty emotional for me, but totally believable as a teenager. What I really appreciated about Livie's journey is how we get to see how she goes from feeling inadequate and conflicted about her Mother to rethinking the way she can act and how other people's actions have different motivations than she once thought. It was a journey about allowing yourself to love your family, and allowing their love for you.
Very nice.
This Book's Food Designation Rating: Jambalaya for all the spicy local flavor and the delicious mix of characters and setting
The Healing Spell (Hardcover)
$17.99
ISBN-13: 9780545165594Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Scholastic Press, 07/01/2010
Book Hero
Come in and be a Book Hero!
Now through Sept. 30, choose from a wide selection of books for local schools. The schools put together wish lists for their libraries, all they need is a Book Hero to buy the books. You'll get a 20% discount on every book you buy to support your local school, and your name will appear in the book.
Here are some sample titles:
Zorgamazoo (Hardcover)
$15.99
ISBN-13: 9781595141996Availability: Special Order - Subject to Availability
Published: Razorbill, 10/01/2008
See You Later, Gladiator (Paperback)
$4.99
ISBN-13: 9780142401170Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Puffin, 04/01/2004
Here's How I See It--Here's How It Is (Paperback)
$6.99
ISBN-13: 9781416997733Availability: Special Order - Subject to Availability
Published: Atheneum, 05/01/2010
The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han, Teen Pick from Clare K.
A lovely and quick summer read, I was sucked into Belly's world as quickly as you can say "let's go to the beach!"
Every year for as long as she can remember, Belly has been going to the coast with her family. They stay in her mother's best friend's house with Conrad and Jeremiah, her brother figures and off-and-on crushes. When this summer comes, Belly feels like it'll be one of the best.
She's both right and wrong. Things change, and even though some of the changes are difficult, are they really for the better?
I enjoyed this book thoroughly, and I felt that Belly was a believable character, along with all the rest.
The Summer I Turned Pretty (Paperback)
$9.99
ISBN-13: 9781416968290Availability: Special Order - Subject to Availability
Published: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 04/01/2010
Voyage of the Dawn Treader by CS Lewis, Teen Pick from Chase P.
Narnia: a land of talking animals, magic spells, and an enchanting atmosphere almost everywhere.
It had been a long time since any of the four Pevensie children had set foot in Narnia. On their last visit they helped Prince Caspian gain the land’s throne. After that grand adventure the two elder children learned that they will never again enter this magical realm.
Now the younger two, along with their snobby cousin Eustace, will have to save this magical land once more. Stepping through a magic picture frame onto Caspian’s ship, the Dawn Treader, the three must help the boy king find the 7 lords exiled by his evil Uncle Miraz. Sailing east they battle magical curses, dishonest legislators, and deception. Can they get Eustace to believe in Narnia? Can they reach Aslan’s country at the end of the world? And how will the three ever get home?
The 5th book in a classic series, “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” is fun for everyone who reads it. This Tolkien-like story is full of action, adventure, and mystery. This is another 5-star book. Watch for the movie in December!
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (rack) (Mass Market Paperback)
$6.99
ISBN-13: 9780064471077Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: HarperCollins, 07/01/1994
Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready, reviewed by K. Bird Lincoln
5 of 5 stars!
Shade is the story of Aura, a young teenager whose boyfriend fronts an Irish rock band in Baltimore. More importantly, she is a post-shifter, a person born after a curious event 16 years ago causing all who were born afterwards to be able to see ghosts. The world is still working out the kinks of how to handle children who see ghosts, and adults who do not.
Shade hit all my buttons in a good way. Angst from Aura when her boyfriend becomes a ghost, espionage and secrets for her to delve into as she discovers circumstances surrounding her own birth that have greater implications for society, side characters who have their own problems, and tension-filled romance as she begins a school research project with a new guy at school, who just happens to be Scottish and hot.
One of the best things about this book for me, though, is that it delves into how the world might react to having ghosts visible to kids. "Translators" at court cases (kids who repeat what ghosts say), areas that are Blackboxed (covered in a thin layer of obsidian that keeps ghosts out), and whole generations of people who wear red all the time (red being an anti-ghost color.) It's apparent that this author has taken time to work out the implications of the world described here.
Another best thing, of course, is the Irish music references (Pogues, Flogging Molly, etc) and Aura's worship of the Scottish guy's accent. Great beginning to a series (and its obviously a series as it ends somewhat unresolved.)
This Book's Food Designation Rating: Beef Stew with soda bread for the just plain deliciousness of the relationships depicted here, topped off by the Foamy sweet bitterness of a perfectly-drawn Guinness for the angst and love
Shade (Hardcover)
$17.99
ISBN-13: 9781416994060Availability: Special Order - Subject to Availability
Published: Simon Pulse, 05/01/2010
