Books and Sensibility

We're an Open Book

Young Adult Fiction

Book Review : Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

     7 Comments

 

  • Release Date: June 12, 2012 
  • Genre: Fantasy/High Fantasy
  •  Pages: 358  
  • Publishers: Henry Holt and Co. (Macmillan)

Synopsis: Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.


 I heard a lot about this book in the YA blogging community and was ready to jump on the bandwagon. I really like Macmillan’s Fierce Reads novels, but Shadow and Bone was a lukewarm book for me. I could never get caught up in the story and it took me a while to really sit down and finish this one.

…

Read this Post

Book Review: Altered by Jennifer Rush

     5 Comments

  • Genre: Science Fiction
  • Pages: 323
  • Publisher: Little Brown, Books for Young Readers 
  • Release Date: January 1st 2013 

Synopsis: Everything about Anna’s life is a secret. Her father works for the Branch at the helm of its latest project: monitoring and administering treatments to the four genetically altered boys in the lab below their farmhouse. There’s Nick, Cas, Trev . . . and Sam, who’s stolen Anna’s heart. When the Branch decides it’s time to take the boys, Sam stages an escape, killing the agents sent to retrieve them. Now on the run, Anna soon discovers that she and Sam are connected in more ways than either of them expected. And if they’re both going to survive, they must piece together the clues of their past before the Branch catches up to them and steals it all away

Altered isn’t a book I’d usually pick up since I’m more of a contemporary/dystopian reader, but when Jennifer Rush came to a signing near me, I went ahead and bought a copy. One of the first things Jennifer said was that she writes for the boys. And it’s pretty obvious what she means by this once you get into a book.

In  the basement of Anna Mason and her father’s farmhouse, four boys suffering from amnesia are confined to glass cells. The boys are being held there by The Branch, the clandestine organization her father works for.

…

Read this Post

Audio Book Review: Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

     7 Comments

Release Date: May 4th 2010

Pages: 344 Pages

Audiobook: 10 hours and 8 minutes

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Genre: Contemporary


…

Read this Post

Audiobook Review : Poison Princess by Kresley Cole

     4 Comments

  • Release Date : October 2nd 2012
  • Audiobook Length : 12 Hours and 36 Minutes
  • Genre : Paranormal/Mystic, Post-Apocalyptic
  • Publisher : Simon & Schuster Audio
  • Narrators : Emma Galvin and Keith Noobs

I’ve been hoarding Audible credits for a while, and while searching for a good YA audiobook, I turned atAudible’sBest of 2012.  Poison Princess was the only one on the list I wasn’t familiar with. I mean sure I’d seen the book with its business as usual brooding male/female in pretty dress Paranormal Romance cover, but I never thought much of it….

Read this Post

Book Review + Giveaway : Prodigy by Marie Lu (Legend #2)

     3 Comments

Release Date: January 29th 2012

Pages: 384

Genre: Dystopian

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

Synopsis: June and Day arrive in Vegas just as the unthinkable happens: the Elector Primo dies, and his son Anden takes his place. With the Republic edging closer to chaos, the two join a group of Patriot rebels eager to help Day rescue his brother and offer passage to the Colonies. They have only one request—June and Day must assassinate the new Elector.


Meeting Marie Lu and snagging Prodigy were two of my top priorities at BEA and I was so happy to accomplish both ! It’s seems so long ago, but here I am with a Prodigy review. Sequel reviews can be hard, but I promise a review that is spoiler-free for Prodigy and only slightly for Legend…

Read this Post

Audiobook Review: Everybody Sees The Ants by A.S. King

     1 Comment

Release Date: October 3, 2011

Pages: 279

Audiobook hours: 7 hours 44 minutes

Genre: Contemporary/Magic Realism

Publisher: Little Brown Books For Young Readers



Lucky Linderman didn’t ask for his life. He didn’t ask his grandfather not to come home from the Vietnam War. He didn’t ask for a father who never got over it. He didn’t ask for a mother who keeps pretending their dysfunctional family is fine. And he didn’t ask to be the target of Nader McMillan’s relentless bullying, which has finally gone too far.…

Read this Post