Book Title: Insomnia
Author: J.R. Johansson
Release Date: June 8, 2013
Publisher: Flux

Find the book at Goodreads|Amazon|Barnes & Noble

It’s been four years since I slept, and I suspect it is killing me.

Instead of sleeping, Parker Chipp enters the dream of the last person he’s had eye contact with. He spends his nights crushed by other people’s fear and pain, by their disturbing secrets—and Parker can never have dreams of his own. The severe exhaustion is crippling him. If nothing changes, Parker could soon be facing psychosis and even death.

Then he meets Mia. Her dreams, calm and beautifully uncomplicated, allow him blissful rest that is utterly addictive. Parker starts going to bizarre lengths to catch Mia’s eye every day. Everyone at school thinks he’s gone over the edge, even his best friend. And when Mia is threatened by a true stalker, everyone thinks it’s Parker.

Suffering blackouts, Parker begins to wonder if he is turning into someone dangerous. What if the monster stalking Mia is him after all?

Insomnia had a very refreshing, interesting premise. Parker can’t get a good night’s sleep because he winds up inside someone else’s dream. He sees more than his fair share of things no teen should see, and it starts to take his toll on him. When Mia enters the picture he finally manages to get a full night of sleep. He continues searching for this fix of a good night’s sleep, when things start to go horribly wrong.

Despite the refreshing, interesting premise, Insomnia was a bit of a snooze. I liked the story, but felt that it wasn’t developed to its fullest potential and was kind of all over the place. I really enjoyed Parker and found myself reading so I could see what was going on in this “did he or didn’t he” story. Finn was a fun addition as the on and off best friend sidekick complete with goofy t-shirts with witty slogans.

I would have liked to have seen a bit more development. It was a bit disappointing that a lot of resolution wasn’t given until the very end of the book. There was a lot of build up and not a lot of pay off at the end. I’m not quite sure if I was invested enough in the story to read a sequel.

Book Title: Night School
Author: C.J. Daugherty
Release Date: May 21, 2013 (US Version)
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Allie’s world is falling apart…
She hates her school. Her brother has run away. And she’s just been arrested.
Again.
Now her parents are sending her away to a boarding school where she doesn’t know a soul.
But instead of hating her new school, Allie finds she’s happy there. She’s making friends. And then there’s Sylvain, a suave French student who openly flirts with her. And Carter, the brooding loner who seems to have her back.
Soon, though, Allie discovers Cimmeria Academy is no ordinary school. Nothing there is as it seems. And her new friends are hiding dangerous secrets

After a series of arrests and unfortunate incidents with authority, Allie is sent to Cimmeria Academy where there’s no cell phones, no computers, just good old fashioned education. She makes friends quickly with Jo, and we can’t forget the boys Sylvain and Carter who both have warnings about the other for Allie. Despite all the rules, Cimmeria soon feels like home to Allie but not long after mysterious things start to happen and people even end up hurt.

Night School was absolutely nothing like I thought it would be. For some reason I had the pre-conceived notion that this was going to be a paranormal type book with ghosts, vampires or other other wordly creatures. There was a ton of intrigue and suspense, and was a fantastic YA thriller. The characters felt real and relatable. Nothing in this came forced or cheesy which is honestly what I expected.

There were some things that I felt were lacking. I felt that for the first book in a series I was strung along a bit longer than what made me comfortable. At times, even though things were always going on, the pacing of the book felt a little ho-hum. There were these hints of a secret underground group, The Night School, but we didn’t find out much about it until the book was almost over which left me feeling a bit disappointed.

Regardless, I still felt that this was an interesting read. This book was absolutely thrilling and haunting for the majority of it and I’m looking forward to reading the sequel.

Book Title: Towering
Author: Alex Flinn
Release Date: May 14, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen

At first, I merely saw his face, his hands on the window ledge. Then, his whole body as he swung himself through the window. Only I could not see what he swung on.
Until, one day, I told my dream self to look down. And it was then that I saw. He had climbed on a rope. I knew without asking that the rope had been one of my own tying.

Rachel is trapped in a tower, held hostage by a woman she’s always called Mama. Her golden hair is growing rapidly, and to pass the time, she watches the snow fall and sings songs from her childhood, hoping someone, anyone, will hear her.

Wyatt needs time to reflect or, better yet, forget about what happened to his best friend, Tyler. That’s why he’s been shipped off to the Adirondacks in the dead of winter to live with the oldest lady in town. Either that, or no one he knows ever wants to see him again.

Dani disappeared seventeen years ago without a trace, but she left behind a journal that’s never been read, not even by her overbearing mother…until now.

A #1 New York Times bestselling author, Alex Flinn knows her fairy tales, and Towering is her most mind-bending interpretation yet. Dark and mysterious, this reimagining of Rapunzel will have readers on the edge of their seats wondering where Alex will take them next!

The very first thing that I loved about Towering is the cover. I think it’s absolutely gorgeous and pulled me in right off the back. The second thing I loved is the books setting. It’s a fictional town in New York, but is situated where a lot of my family lives in New York. I love when I can identify with a story based on its vacation, so I knew we were off to a good start.

Rachel has lived in a tower for most of her life, not spotting anyone other than her mother. Wyatt is sent off to live with a friend of his mother’s, Mrs. Greenwood and from his first night there things go from weird to weirder. He finds a journal of his mother’s high school friend, Dani, and he thinks he can begin to hear her voice calling to him.

Flinn takes us on a journey of mystery and intrigue as we try to figure out exactly what is going on in this town. Personally, things got a little weird for me, and I felt removed from the story towards the end as things just got unbelievable weird. Despite this, Flinn has crafted an amazing retelling of the classic Rapunzel fairy tale. Her characters were charming, and I couldn’t help but get pulled into the story thanks to them.

This was my first book of Flinn’s that I’ve experienced, and after reading Towering I definitely plan on going back and reading her others.

Title: Openly Straight
Author: Bill Konigsberg
Release Date: May 28, 2013
Publisher: Author A. Levine Books

Rafe is a normal teenager from Boulder, Colorado. He plays soccer. He’s won skiing prizes. He likes to write.

And, oh yeah, he’s gay. He’s been out since 8th grade, and he isn’t teased, and he goes to other high schools and talks about tolerance and stuff. And while that’s important, all Rafe really wants is to just be a regular guy. Not that GAY guy. To have it be a part of who he is, but not the headline, every single time.

So when he transfers to an all-boys’ boarding school in New England, he decides to keep his sexuality a secret — not so much going back in the closet as starting over with a clean slate. But then he sees a classmate breaking down. He meets a teacher who challenges him to write his story. And most of all, he falls in love with Ben . . . who doesn’t even know that love is possible.

This witty, smart, coming-out-again story will appeal to gay and straight kids alike as they watch Rafe navigate being different, fitting in, and what it means to be himself.

Openly Straight tells the story of Rafe while he’s on the cusp of some big changes. In Boulder, CO he’s known as the gay kid. His mom is the president of PLAG and his dad will smother you with his charm. Rafe sees his admittance to Natick as his blank slate, which he uses as a way to live label free.

As a lesbian myself, I feel ashamed to admit that this is my first LGBT themed book. Sure, I’ve read books with notions of LGBT-ness, but this is the first one I’ve had the pleasure of reading with a gay main character. I couldn’t have imagined a better book to introduce me to this genre either. I truly understand where Rafe was coming from. You see, I am a lesbian that doesn’t believe in Pride Parades, rainbow stickers on cars, etc. I know we have had a hard past and we have a road to go, but I don’t see or like all the pomp and circumstance in these things. I just want to be Audra, the married lesbian, no different from anyone else I know.

So, I see where Rafe is coming from, but it seems like things went pretty far downhill from there for him. One thing that continued to bother me was his denial about the fact that he was putting himself back in the closet. The closet is a scary place to be, where lots of bad things can happen. Rafe doesn’t see it as this, and it got me rather worked up about it. I wanted to scream at him- “You’re being an idiot and stuffing yourself back in the closet!” But, he’s a young guy who thinks he knows what’s best and of course thinks that means everything is going to turn out okay. And I’m sure it’s easy to guess how things will end up for him.

I loved Konigsberg use of Rafe’s English teacher to explore his past to show us more his reasons for how things ended up this way. We get to delve a bit deeper into the relationship with his parents, and his best friend Claire Olivia. Konisberg did an excellent job with all these characters- especially Rafe and Ben. I would have liked to have seen more development with characters like Bryce, but I can see why there wasn’t more.

Overall, this was a great coming of age sort of tale, and I’m thrilled I was able to dip my toes into the LGBT genre with this one. I can’t wait to read my next!

Title: The Lucy Variations
Author: Sara Zarr
Release Date: May 7, 2013
Publisher: Little, Brown

Lucy Beck-Moreau once had a promising future as a concert pianist. The right people knew her name, her performances were booked months in advance, and her future seemed certain.

That was all before she turned fourteen.

Now, at sixteen, it’s over. A death, and a betrayal, led her to walk away. That leaves her talented ten-year-old brother, Gus, to shoulder the full weight of the Beck-Moreau family expectations. Then Gus gets a new piano teacher who is young, kind, and interested in helping Lucy rekindle her love of piano — on her own terms. But when you’re used to performing for sold-out audiences and world-famous critics, can you ever learn to play just for yourself?

National Book Award finalist Sara Zarr takes readers inside the exclusive world of privileged San Francisco families, top junior music competitions, and intense mentorships. The Lucy Variations is a story of one girl’s struggle to reclaim her love of music and herself. It’s about finding joy again, even when things don’t go according to plan. Because life isn’t a performance, and everyone deserves the chance to make a few mistakes along the way.

Time for a confession. This was my first Sara Zarr book I’ve ever read. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting her in person, and I have been wanting to read her books, but I think fate wanted me to read The Lucy Variations first. I started reading this, and starting judging how much I wouldn’t be able to get into this book before I gave it a chance. Although I’m from a musical family, I’ve never cared too much about music. It gives me background noise, but I’ve never been obsessive about a certain musician or band. If it’s possible to have negative musical talent, I would have it.

I quickly started putting my music issues on this book. Around the second chapter I realized what I was doing and let my guard down and just absorbed this book. Once that happened I began living and breathing The Lucy Variations. I absolutely couldn’t put it down!  Lucy has a lot on her plate. She was given heavy expectations from her mother and grandfather, and when she lets them down, her world sort of crumbles. Things that should be easy, like getting up on time for school, become difficult tasks for her.

Lucy has to readjust to life without performing. It’s been eight months and she has to navigate problems with family, friends, crushes and ultimately even herself. I found myself identifying more with this story than I thought I would. I really enjoyed the character interactions and the obstacles they all need to overcome. I don’t think I realized how much I needed to read this book. I’ve been reading way too much dystopian/sci-fi and The Lucy Variations was not only a perfect break to that monotony but also a great introduction to Zarr.

Book Title: Reboot
Author: K.A. Amy Tintera
Release Date: May 7, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen

Five years ago, Wren Connolly was shot three times in the chest. After 178 minutes she came back as a Reboot: stronger, faster, able to heal, and less emotional. The longer Reboots are dead, the less human they are when they return. Wren 178 is the deadliest Reboot in the Republic of Texas. Now seventeen years old, she serves as a soldier for HARC (Human Advancement and Repopulation Corporation).

Wren’s favorite part of the job is training new Reboots, but her latest newbie is the worst she’s ever seen. As a 22, Callum Reyes is practically human. His reflexes are too slow, he’s always asking questions, and his ever-present smile is freaking her out. Yet there’s something about him she can’t ignore. When Callum refuses to follow an order, Wren is given one last chance to get him in line—or she’ll have to eliminate him. Wren has never disobeyed before and knows if she does, she’ll be eliminated, too. But she has also never felt as alive as she does around Callum.

The perfect soldier is done taking orders.

Wren spent 178 minutes dead after being shot three times in the chest. Lucky (unlucky?) for her she came back as a Reboot with only a gnarly scar. Reboots are kind of like zombie’s in that they are alive after they die, but most similarities stop there. Reboots are  taken in by HARC where they become soldiers. After training they go out into the field to retrieve criminals, reboots, the sick and dying, etc. Basically the dirty work that the human officers don’t want to do.

Wren is a Reboot trainer and since her death number is so high, she gets to pick which newbie she wants to train. Usually this means she picks the highest number as they seem to have a higher survival rate. Her reasoning is that they are less emotional, more stable. Enter Callum who’s number is a whoppingly low 22. Wren doesn’t even eat lunch with numbers that low, let alone train them. Calum is here to change all that.

He manages to  make her think a bit more about why she chooses the higher numbers, and maybe why the lower numbers are out to fail. So, she decides to take on Callum as her her trainee. Training Reboots isn’t easy. It involves way more bone breaking than I am comfortable with, especially when bones end up popping out of skin- yuck.

Overall, I really enjoyed this Reboot. I feel that Amy really nailed the characters. Wren was a great heroine, who shines despite her faults. It was also refreshing to see the girl saving the guys. There is romance, and I think it was done well. Not overpowering, not too cheesy. On that note though, I feel that this is a book that could have been done without the romance and would still be just as amazing. Some points it seemed that things were being done by the characters because of their love interest, which bothers me when it’s characters that have known each other for such a little amount of time. I almost would have preferred this to be an all action no romance book, but despite this it’s still an amazing book.

Reboot has a pretty unique storyline and I feel fans of series such as Divergent and Matched will love Reboot. Amy set up a great first book, there will be a sequel, and ended the first book at a perfect point. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for Wren and the rest of the Reboots in the sequel!

Book Title: The End Games

Author: T. Michael Martin

Release Date: May 7, 2013

Publisher: HarperCollins

It happened on Halloween.

The world ended.

And a dangerous Game brought it back to life.

Seventeen-year-old Michael and his five-year-old brother, Patrick, have been battling monsters in The Game for weeks.

In the rural mountains of West Virginia, armed with only their rifle and their love for each other, the brothers follow Instructions from the mysterious Game Master. They spend their days searching for survivors, their nights fighting endless hordes of “Bellows”—creatures that roam the dark, roaring for flesh. And at this Game, Michael and Patrick are very good.

But The Game is changing.

The Bellows are evolving.

The Game Master is leading Michael and Patrick to other survivors—survivors who don’t play by the rules.

And the brothers will never be the same.

T. Michael Martin’s debut novel is a transcendent thriller filled with electrifying action, searing emotional insight, and unexpected romance.

The cover and synopsis for The End Games pulled me in, and the amazing story kept me reading. Michael and Patrick have been through a lot, although Michael is really the only one who carried the burden of how serious their journey was. Thanks to some quick thinking, Michael is able to project an idea of safety for his brother Patrick. In keeping his brother safe from the Bellows and at some points even Patrick himself, Michael is able to move them closer to their ideal “safe zone” that the Game Master promises.

This was a Walking Dead meets Virtual Reality come to life book that delivered a solid action-adventure zombie thriller. The characters were identifiable, the setting was perfect for this kind of scenario, and some of the scenes were down right scary. The scenes were so well written that I could see myself in them, watching it all unfurl almost like a scary movie.

The End Games is a solid 5 star story. The relationship between the two brothers is strong and comical at times, and absolutely heartbreaking during others. The West Virginia country settings add an extra element of creepiness that left me on the edge of my seat from start to finish.

Book Title: Loki’s Wolves
Author: K.A. Armstrong and M.A. Marr
Release Date: May 7, 2013
Publisher: Atom
In Viking times, Norse myths predicted the end of the world, an event called Ragnarok, that only the gods can stop. When this apocalypse happens, the gods must battle the monsters–wolves the size of the sun, serpents that span the seabeds, all bent on destroying the world.

The gods died a long time ago.

Matt Thorsen knows every Norse myth, saga, and god as if it was family history–because it is family history. Most people in the modern-day town of Blackwell, South Dakota, in fact, are direct descendants of either Thor or Loki, including Matt’s classmates Fen and Laurie Brekke.

However, knowing the legends and completely believing them are two different things. When the rune readers reveal that Ragnarok is coming and kids–led by Matt–will stand in for the gods in the final battle, he can hardly believe it. Matt, Laurie, and Fen’s lives will never be the same as they race to put together an unstoppable team to prevent the end of the world.

I first heard about this new series at the Portland Smart Chicks Kick It Tour in Portland. I had never read anything by Melissa Marr at that point (I’ve since read Graveminder and liked it quite a lot!). She mentioned that she was teaming up with Kelly Armstrong to write a middle grade book based on Norse mythology and I was immediately intrigued. So when I saw this book at ALAMW my interest was immediately piqued. I absolutely love this cover.

Something isn’t quite normal in Blackwell, South Dakota. It seems almost everyone is related to the mythical gods Thor and Loki. Matt Thorsen is of course a direct descendant of Thor, but also just happens to be chosen to be the one to fight in Ragnarok, basically the end of the world. Fen has and knows about mythological powers that he and others have. Matt has to live up to his family’s reputation which makes him uncomfortable. He’s a little unsure of himself and he doesn’t want to be the typical sheriff’s kid and have to tell his cousins what to do. After Matt discovers that it’s up to him to save the world from Ragnarok he’s off on a scavenger hunt of sorts in order to find the other descendants to help him win.

Matt doesn’t seem to waste a single second before he’s off to save the world. Loki’s Wolves isn’t short on adventure and action. The pacing evens out  and the characters were endearing. I was a little disappointed in the ending, but I’m not one for having to be left hanging!

Everything I’ve ever learned about Norse mythology came directly from the Thor movie, so I was grateful to have the smallest bit of knowledge about Norse mythology. To be honest, I was a little lost the first couple of chapters. It was really information heavy without much payback. Things did balance out a bit though and I had no trouble becoming completely engrossed by the story. I will definitely be reading the rest of the series, can’t wait to see what happens to these characters next!

Book Title: Eleanor and Park
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Release Date: February 26, 2013
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

“Bono met his wife in high school,” Park says.
“So did Jerry Lee Lewis,” Eleanor answers.
“I’m not kidding,” he says.
“You should be,” she says, “we’re sixteen.”
“What about Romeo and Juliet?”
“Shallow, confused, then dead.”
”I love you,” Park says.
“Wherefore art thou,” Eleanor answers.
“I’m not kidding,” he says.
“You should be.”

Set over the course of one school year in 1986, ELEANOR AND PARK is the story of two star-crossed misfits – smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you’ll remember your own first love – and just how hard it pulled you under.

It’s the 80′s. Eleanor is the new girl who sticks out like a sore thumb. Park is Korean American, who does what he can not to stick out. So of course on Eleanor’s first day she chooses the seat next to Park on the bus. Their relationship unravels very slowly, which sounds awful but was absolutely amazing. First, they don’t speak with one another. Then Eleanor sneaks peeks at Park’s comic books. Then he silently offers the books to her. Then they bond over music and next thing you know they’re holding hands.

I finished this book with a heavy heart. I could see the pages running out, feeling the ending of the book getting close and savoring every little bit I could. I’ll be comepletely honest with you, this book tore me to shreds. I have a love/hate relationships with books where I can really identify with the characters and boy could I identify with these folks. Rainbow really nailed the voices for every single one of these characters. Every single scene felt real. I felt like I was sitting on that bus, that gym class and even Eleanor’s crowded bedroom. I’ve never quite had the experience of actually feeling the emotions that the characters were going through as I read a book. With Eleanor and Park, I felt worry as Park did when he didn’t want to be noticed with Eleanor. I felt his shame when he realized he had those feelings. I felt the wanting they had for each other when they wouldn’t get to see one another all weekend.

I’ve never so completely identified with a character, yet at the same time not. I loved getting to reminisce about the 80′s- the big hair, the bad clothing and the lack of all the technological gadgets we have today. I remember what a danger zone school could be; what a danger climbing onto the school bus could be and reading about Parks want to blend in reminded me all to well about what life was like in middle and high school. I couldn’t wait to get a drivers license and a car so that I wouldn’t have to go through the stress of daily bus life. I couldn’t help but relive all the anxiety of my youth.

This wasn’t exactly the cheery book I thought it would be. Of course, a lot of adorable things happen. But there’s also a lot of bad things happen between the pages of this book. I was left completely drained after finally reaching the end of the book. I’d been through the ringer emotionally. I feel like I’ve experienced every emotion possible. Nervousness, terror, glee, hope- all of them. If a book could ever be my spirit animal, this would be it. If I never read another book in my life, that’s okay because I’ve read Eleanor and Park. It really is that good.

If there’s one book you read this year, I beg of you, please make it Eleanor and Park.

Book Title: The Fifth Wave
Author: Rick Yancey
Release Date: May 7, 2013
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Source: ALAMW
After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

Cassie is a girl on a mission- to face the odds and stay alive after most of the human population has been wiped out by an invasive species of alien. She’s survived the first four waves and after her brother Sammy is taken on a bus filled with children she’s determined to be reunited with him. The story switches points of view and even travels between past and present tense, but it wasn’t too difficult to keep up once you realized what was happening. The Fifth Wave is told through multiple perspectives, and it enables us as readers to see the full scope of what is going on, which by the way, is terrifying.

This book has a lot of hype built into it, and at first I was hesitant to even read it. I’ve had both good and bad experiences with “hype” books and I wasn’t sure which category The Fifth Wave would fall into. I was SUPER happy that the book did indeed live up to the hype. The storyline felt new and unfamiliar and I really loved the characters. I couldn’t help but get wrapped up in what was going on- one minute thinking I know for sure what was going on, the next realizing I was completely wrong.

It’s hard to write about this book without spoiling it, but I was not disappointed one bit. Yancey did a fantastic job with the character’s voices which really enabled me to become completely absorbed into the book. Cassie has been through a lot. It’s amazing she’s able to make it through, but it’s also great to see her struggles and see how she reacts to every trying situation she’s forced into.

The Fifth Wave is an extremely intense book that I happened to read while on vacation at a secluded beach area without television or internet and I think that made this story resonate so much more. It was creepy, action packed and thrilling with a bit of love thrown in. This was a complete package book. I was sad when I finished because I thought it was a standalone, so I’m much happier now that I know a trilogy is planned!