From "Grim" to Great

TITLE: Knightley Academy

AUTHOR: Violet Haberdasher

REVIEWED BY: JPL TeenLink

BRIEF SUMMARY: Henry Grim is a servant boy at the Midsummer School until he passes the elite Knightley Academy exam, a test that every Midsummer boy has mysteriously failed the past five years. Henry suddenly finds himself one of the first commoners studying at the Academy, alongside the cleverest and bravest -- and most arrogant -- young aristocrats in the country. But someone isn't too happy about Henry, and two other commoners, who have been let into the prestigious school. And that someone is out to sabotage the three from becoming full-fledged Knights of the Realm -- the goal of every student at the Academy. As Henry and the two other boys try to ward off their classmates' attempts to thwart their paths, they soon uncover a conspiracy that violates the Hundred Years' Peace treaty -- and could lead to war! Can Henry manage to save his school and country from their enemies -- and continue to study at the Academy?

WHY I PICKED IT UP: One review I read described it as "Lemony Snicket meets Harry Potter." Although there is no magic in this book, Knightley Academy and Hogwarts do seem to share some similarities, and yes, the narrator is a bit Snicket-ish. (Is that even a word?) 

WHY I FINISHED IT: Although the book did drag in a few places, the story kept me interested, Henry and his friends are great fun, and the ending was a bit of a surprise. Theobold Archer is truly a villain in the Draco Malfoy mold -- one you simply love to hate.

WHO I'D GIVE IT TO: Anyone who likes stories about underdogs. And yes, I would recommend it to the Harry Potter and Lemony Snicket fans, albeit with a warning not to expect magic. (Or a series of unfortunate events, for that matter; one or two unfortunate events, yes -- but not a series.). Still, it's a good read, and there's a sequel, The Secret Prince, if you want more.

ADDITIONAL NOTES: If "Violet Haberdasher" sounds just a bit too British to be true, that's because she is... Violet is really American-born videoblogger Robyn Schneider!

See you at the library!

"When you spend your whole life living in a hole, the only way you can go is up."

TITLE(S): Holes / Small Steps

AUTHOR: Louis Sachar

REVIEWED BY: JPL TeenLink

BRIEF SUMMARY:  

Holes: Stanley Yelnats is under a curse. A curse that began with his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather and has since followed generations of Yelnats. Now Stanley has been unjustly sent to a boys' detention center, Camp Green Lake, where the warden makes the boys "build character" by spending all day, every day, digging holes: five feet wide and five feet deep. It doesn't take long for Stanley to realize there's more than character improvement going on at Camp Green Lake. The boys are digging holes because the warden is looking for something. Stanley tries to dig up the truth in this inventive and darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment -- and redemption.  

Small Steps: Two years after being released from Camp Green Lake, Armpit is home in Austin, Texas, trying to turn his life around. But it's hard when you have a record, and everyone expects the worst from you. The only person who believes in him is Ginny, his 10-year old disabled neighbor. Together, they are learning to take small steps. And he seems to be on the right path, until X-Ray, a buddy from Camp Green Lake, comes up with a get-rich-quick scheme. This leads to a chance encounter with teen pop sensation, Kaira DeLeon, and suddenly his life spins out of control, with only one thing for certain: he'll never be the same again.

WHY I PICKED IT UP: I first read Holes several years ago. I had watched the movie and felt compelled to read the book. I enjoyed it and left it at that for several years. This past year, I decided to read the sequel, Small Steps, which focuses on Armpit, one of the other Camp Green Lake boys.

WHY I FINISHED IT: Holes is a quick, fun read, and Louis Sachar did a wonderful job of tying together three different stories in three different time periods. Small Steps, while a bit harder to get into, was just as rewarding in the end. You get to see a different side to Armpit than you get in Holes.

WHO I'D GIVE IT TO: Anyone who likes mysteries, adventure stories, humor and good old-fashioned fun. While lessons are certainly taught (and learned), the books aren't preachy, but they do stick with you.

ADDITIONAL NOTES: While Holes is probably suitable for younger readers, Small Steps is definitely aimed at teenagers. There are some mature themes in both books, but while Holes is generally rated PG, Small Steps pushes further into PG-13 territory. Both are worthwhile reads.

See you at the library!

Rock On, Honorable Ones!

TITLE: Perry's Killer Playlist 

AUTHOR: Joe Schreiber

REVIEWED BY: JPL TeenLink

BRIEF SUMMARY: When Perry ends up in Venice on a European tour with his band Inchworm, he can’t resist a visit to Harry’s Bar, where Gobi told him she’d meet him someday. The last time he saw Gobi, five people were assassinated one crazy night in New York City. Well... Gobi shows up, and once again Perry is roped into a wild, nonstop thrill ride with a body count. Double crossings, kidnappings, CIA agents, arms dealers, boat chases in Venetian canals, and a shootout in the middle of a Santa Claus convention ensue.

WHY I PICKED IT UP: It's the sequel to Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick. I had to read it.

WHY I FINISHED IT: Once again, the book started with a bang and never let up. It was great to see Perry and Gobi again, and Joe Schreiber did a great job joining the two stories seamlessly.

WHO I'D GIVE IT TO: Anyone who likes action/adventure stories. People with a good sense of humor. Anyone who liked Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick and wanted more.

ADDITIONAL NOTES: Like the first book, this one comes with a PG-13 level language warning, and a handful of sexual references (not explicit). Gobi is still an assassin, and people still die in violent ways. Definitely aimed at the older YA reader.

See you at the library!

10 YA Novel to Film Adaptations That Kept Their Edge

Flavorwire has listed its 10 YA Novel to Film Adaptations That Kept Their Edge.

Do you agree? Disagree? Have any to add?  

We have many of these books in our collection already.  If we don't have the book you want, ask at the desk about Interlibrary Loan, or submit a request through the Interlibrary Loan link at the bottom of our main Website at http://www.jacksonvillelibrary.com. (It's the box labeled "Search the Texas Group Catalog".)


See you at the library!

Hey, where's Perry?

TITLE: Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick

AUTHOR: Joe Schreiber

REVIEWED BY: JPL TeenLink

BRIEF SUMMARY: What if the quiet, mousy, mild-mannered foreign exchange student that your family took in turned out to be a cold-blooded assassin?

WHY I PICKED IT UP: Seriously. How can you resist a title like that?

WHY I FINISHED IT: The book started with a bang and never let up until the end. The characters of Perry and Gobi were so well drawn that you connect with them immediately. Yes, Gobi is a trained assassin, but Schreiber takes such great pains to create a fully-realized character that you can't help but love her. This is a very cinematic novel, and I was already trying to cast the characters while reading it.

WHO I'D GIVE IT TO: Anyone who likes action/adventure stories. People with a good sense of humor. The book description on Amazon calls this "Ferris Bueller meets La Femme Nikita", and that's a fair comparison.

ADDITIONAL NOTES: PG-13 level language warning, and a handful of sexual references, although nothing explicit. Also, given that Gobi is an assassin, people do die, often in violent ways. Gobi's back story may be a bit upsetting for some. Definitely aimed at the older YA reader. Still, I would not hesitate to recommend this book to anyone I felt was mature enough to handle it.

See you at the library!

Jay Asher Two-fer

TITLES: Th1rteen R3asons Why and The Future of Us

AUTHOR: Jay Asher / Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

REVIEWED BY: JPL TeenLink

BRIEF SUMMARY: Th1rteen R3asons Why: Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a strange package with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker -- his classmate and crush -- who committed suicide two weeks earlier. Hannah's voice tells him that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out why. Clay spends the night crisscrossing his town with Hannah as his guide. He becomes a firsthand witness to Hannah's pain, and learns the truth about himself -- a truth he never wanted to face.


The Future of Us: It's 1996, and Josh and Emma have been neighbors their whole lives. They've been best friends almost as long - at least, up until last November, when Josh did something that changed everything. Things have been weird between them ever since, but when Josh's family gets a free AOL CD in the mail,his mom makes him bring it over so that Emma can install it on her new computer. When they sign on, they're automatically logged onto their Facebook pages. But Facebook hasn't been invented yet. And they're looking at themselves fifteen years in the future...

By refreshing their pages, they learn that making different decisions now will affect the outcome of their lives later. And as they grapple with the ups and downs of what their futures hold, they're forced to confront what they're doing right -- and wrong -- in the present.

WHY I PICKED IT UP: I grabbed these for the Kindle one day when I wanted something new to read. They both sounded interesting. I read Th1rteen R3asons Why first -- I was so impressed by Jay Asher's writing that as soon as I finished it, I absolutely had to read The Future of Us.

WHY I FINISHED IT: The writing, the story, the characters -- all of them are astounding. I was hooked from the first page of Th1rteen R3asons Why, and I simply had to keep reading.

WHO I'D GIVE IT TO: People who like true-to-life stories. There is a lot going on here, and not all of it is pretty, but it all rings true.

ADDITIONAL NOTES: These books are strongly, STRONGLY recommended only for mature teens. The subject matter, and the way it is handled, is definitely hard PG-13 area, sometimes venturing over into R-rated territory (moreso in Th1rteen R3asons Why than in The Future of Us). The occasional swear word appears, and sexual matters are discussed, sometimes bluntly.

See you at the library!

May the odds be EVER in your favor...

TITLE: The Hunger Games Trilogy

AUTHOR: Suzanne Collins

REVIEWED BY: JPL TeenLink

BRIEF SUMMARY: In a future North America, where the rulers of Panem maintain control through an annual televised survival competition pitting young people from each of the twelve districts against one another, sixteen-year-old Katniss's skills are put to the test when she voluntarily takes her younger sister's place. Thus begins an intense saga that leads to a stunning finale that will continue to haunt you long after you've finished reading.

WHY I PICKED IT UP: The trailer for the film (http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2402131481/) piqued my interest. By the time I was into the third chapter of the first book, I was hooked.

WHY I FINISHED IT: The story grabs hold of you and won't let go. Katniss is one of the best narrators I've come across, and even though she herself is conflicted sometimes about what's going on and who can be trusted, you won't be lost.

WHO I'D GIVE IT TO: People who like adventure stories, love stories, war stories -- there's a little bit for everyone.

ADDITIONAL NOTES: This series is very intense, and might not be appropriate for younger readers. When the main battle in the first book involves twenty-four teenagers in a fight to the death, this isn't a fairy tale. But if you're mature enough to handle it, you'll find yourself in for a thrilling time.

See you at the library!