The nitty-gritty: Potential not quite realized, but a fantastic premise full of hilarious dialogue and some hard-hitting emotional moments near the end. And once again a cool cover and a really good idea grab my attention and I immediately hit that “request” button! Down with the Shine does have a great concept: a girl is […]
The nitty-gritty: An instant classic, Railhead deserves a spot up there with some of the best young adult fantasy/science fiction ever written. The train was gone, but he could still see her, striding along beside him in the sodium glow from the trackside lamps. The smell of space clung to her, rich and smoky. What […]
The nitty-gritty: A refreshingly original YA fantasy with pirates, sea monsters and deeply developed and complex relationships. They can try to kill me all they want, but I’m the girl who stands on the backs of the beasts of the NeoPacific. The Minnow blazes from within, promising life and warmth and villainy, but out here […]
The nitty-gritty: A fast-paced sci-fi adventure, with one of the coolest concepts I’ve ever run across, and a twist that you won’t see coming. I’ve heard so many wonderful things about Will McIntosh’s adult novels (Love Minus Eighty and Defenders) but this is the first book of his I’ve read. In his YA debut, McIntosh has come […]
The nitty-gritty: A twisty and addictive mystery with cool science fiction overtones, full of atmosphere galore. I’ve read two outrageous stories in the past week, and this is one of them. (The other being Burning Midnight which I’ll be reviewing later in the week.) And when I say “outrageous,” I mean crazy plots that blew […]
The nitty-gritty: A nail-biting, realistic portrayal of one of American history’s most influential events, the California Gold Rush, told by a girl with a talent for finding gold. I had seen so many glowing reviews of Walk on Earth a Stranger, that I knew I just had to fit this in before the end of […]
The nitty-gritty: A cleverly constructed story that blends contemporary and fantasy YA fiction in a completely new way. There’s so much crazy in this world, my counting and hand-washing and door-locking and checking and tapping can seem like raging mental health by comparison. Jared’s crazy is way crazier than mine, though I don’t think his […]
The nitty-gritty: A clever story of alternate history that answers the question, “What led Mary Shelley to write Frankenstein?” Mary was kneeling on the other side of Oliver’s body, her face still spattered with cemetery dirt. We were a sight, the pair of us, Mary with her muddy dress and wild hair, me with the […]
The nitty-gritty: A mind-blowing presentation of an exciting space adventure, and one of the most unique books I’ve ever read! I was lucky enough to land one of the nifty hardcover ARCs of Illuminae, and that made all the difference in my reading experience. This is definitely a book you’ll want to read in physical […]
The nitty-gritty: A poignant and magical tale of feuding families and forbidden love, perfectly written. Embers clung to the edges, dense as a band of stars. The fabric burned and thinned. It glowed translucent, and then crumbled to ash. The thin wood of the porcelain vines released the scent of their blue berries, and the […]