Mini-Reviews for YA Titles.

In the last few months of 2012, I was flying through some YA titles like it was my job. Since I normally don't review YA, I always feel awkward posting big posts devoted to those titles. I also get a bit a apprehensive about writing about books by people who are still alive and kicking (perhaps due to the hilarious comments on my post about Christopher Paolini's Inheritance cycle-the comment in all caps slays me. I died when I first read it).

Anyway, the best way to touch on some of the YA titles I read is to do some mini-reviews (mainly just my thoughts on each book) so that I can remember what I read, and see if you shared my thoughts. :)

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

I enjoy John Green, but hadn't gotten around to buying and reading this title. After talking to a few students about Green, they told me I needed to go read this one, so I bought it. I wasn't sure what to expect being that it is a compilation novel between two writers (and I haven't read anything else by Levithan), but I definitely wasn't expecting what I got.

In many ways I was surprised by the novel. It seemed a lot more...aggressive than the other work I've read by Green, but the characters were pretty true to what I'm used to. As for the story, it was hopeful, sad, and funny all at once. Tiny Cooper is one of those characters that sticks with you because of the insane amount of eccentric, but he was still real because I knew a kid just like him in high school. :) I also like both Will Graysons to varying amounts. In all, it was a fun and fast read, but not one of my favorites for the year.

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

This was one of those books that I saw everywhere on the blogs a couple years ago, and I marked it down as a title to read at some point in the future. I managed to read it in one long sitting one weekend night after I impulsively downloaded it to Homer (my Nook).

I've read Oliver's Delirium and Pandemonium (and I'll read the third book this year, even though book 2 ended with a cheap ending), so I was familiar with her writing style. I was really curious about her ability to tackle a contemporary style.

I was not prepared for how much I enjoyed the novel. Working with teenagers...I see all too often how their poor decisions change the way others view them. That's one of those things about being a teen-struggling through the perceptions of those around you and living with the consequences of your actions. I particularly liked how Oliver tackled that issue by having the main character relive her last day alive over and over again until she learned...and I also think she was successful in transforming that main character from someone I despised to someone I cared about. And, if I recall, Oliver got me to stay up past 2 to finish the book, so that's something. :)

Let it Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle

Matt and I went up to his parents' log house for a few days after Christmas, so I went to the bookstore the morning we left to spend my gift cards. This happened to be in the used section, and it was a complete impulse buy. I figured it would be a fast read while we were on vacation, and I was completely right.

The only author in the collection I was familiar with was John Green, but Maureen Johnson is an author I've been wanting to read (I follow her on twitter and she is hilarious). Of the three mini-stories in the collection, I actually enjoyed Johnson's the most. That was also a disappointment since hers came first.

Anyway, the premise of the collection is fun-the characters weave in and out of the three stories and actions done by one have an impact on the others. They were cleverly woven together, but I wasn't in awe of the final product. Johnson's story was by far my favorite. It was funny and spot on, and while there were some things I was questioning in the plot, I liked the characters and story the best.

Green's story was funny. The best scene in the entire book is with his three main characters as they attempt to drive their car up a snowy and icy hill. I had to read it out loud to Matt. However, I started to get bored as the story went on...it just felt too familiar to me. I figured out during the course of the story that Green always manages to write about a trio of characters...and I even stopped reading to google it on my phone. Looks like I'm not the only one to come to that conclusion!

Lastly, Myracle's story just grated on my nerves. I felt no sympathy for the main character and wanted to smack her upside the head for most of her story. I also felt the pacing was off and imbalanced.

In all, it was a good diversion, but I'm glad I only paid a couple dollars for the collection.

The Heroes of Olympus (The Lost Hero, The Son of Neptune, and The Mark of Athena) by Rick Riordan

I read the Percy Jackson series a couple years ago and enjoyed them, so I've been collecting these (and the Kane Chronicles which I have yet to read) for the last couple of years.

I have to say that I enjoyed these a LOT more than the Percy Jackson books. Not only are the characters more mature, I think Riordan's writing is better. However, I still have some issues with some of the pacing and the same plot techniques used in the books. Granted, I know these are usually labeled MG and that kind of formula works for that age group, but as an adult reader, I wanted to say enough already! I say that in jest because I really did enjoy the stories!

I think Riordan is very skilled at what he does. He manages to weave the mythology into the books so seamlessly that it makes me smile (as someone who is teaching mythology). I enjoyed the fact that he brought in the Roman version of the gods and that the problems and characters are more complex. I can't really say more than that without giving away big plot points!

These were definitely some of my favorite fun reads from the year, but I'm a bit bummed that the fourth book won't be out until the fall. I can't wait to see how it ends. :)

If I Stay and Where She Went by Gayle Forman

A student was reading If I Stay for her book project, and since it was one of those books I had written down at some point, I figured I should read it.

I was not at all prepared for the emotional depth of these two books. I knew the premise (Mia and her family are in a massive car accident. Her parents and younger brother die in the accident, but she is in a coma and must decide to either stay or leave to be with her family), but I was not prepared for how sniffly and choked up I became as I read. The story was heartbreaking and as Mia reflected on her life and the decision she had to make, I was pulling for her, but in which direction, I can't say. I also felt for her boyfriend as he struggled to see her and speak with her. The second novel takes place a couple years later and is from her boyfriend's point of view. In it, he struggles with what happened and the result of "where she went."

Both novels were incredibly moving and touching. And, I can't believe I'm saying this, I think I actually preferred Where She Went over If I Stay. It also grabbed me and made me weep like I haven't in some time. I think it is a true testament to Forman's writing ability to pull out that kind of emotion in a reader! I know she has a new book coming out this month, and I will be definitely reading it.

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

Donnelly won me over a few years ago (I think right before I started blogging) with her book called A Northern Light. The writing was incredibly beautiful and intricate for a YA novel, and it was an instant favorite. So, I've been meaning to read this one since it came out, so it was another purchase in my day after Christmas book shopping spree (I do wish I had purchased it earlier, since I'm really not a fan of the cover-big faces don't appeal to me-but that's petty).

I was not disappointed. In fact, Revolution was one of my favorite books of the year, and a great way to end 2012 (I finished at 9pm on the 31st). The story is about two girls-Andi and Alex-who live 200 years apart from one another, but that have a lot in common. Andi's story (the modern character) was one that grabbed me instantly. She was a perfect "angry teen" protagonist, but with good reason. I also enjoyed her connection to classical music and the emotion she felt whenever she played (I feel the same way when I play). I also loved the historical elements of the novel and the diary from Alex. I think it was a new and different way to have that realization for Andi without the influence of a therapist or close friend (or boy. Because teenage boys are all kinds of sensitive, don't you know). And while the novel definitely went there near the end, it was well-done and interesting. I also have some ideas about whether Andi really went there (I don't think she did, but I can't say more without plot spoilers). But, by the end, I was in love and I am ready to go buy all of Donnelly's adult titles because I need more of her beautiful way with words. She is a must-buy for me and an author I need to recommend to my students.

Review: The Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series by Rick Riordan

I am probably one of the last people to read this series. :) Okay, that may be a slight exaggeration, but it certainly feels that way! The first three books in this series have been on my bookshelf since 2008. I picked them up at a Scholastic warehouse sale, hearing that they were good from some of my students (I was student teaching at the time). However, the sat, unloved, on my shelf.

I picked up the fourth title when it was released in paperback, but after hearing that a fifth book would complete the series, I decided to wait for that one too. When it finally came out in paperback, I finally bought it to complete the set.

A couple weeks ago when I had two snow days in a row, and was stressed to the max, I wanted something to relieve all that pressure. After asking on Twitter, I settled on this series and dove into the first title, The Lightning Thief.

I was immediately hooked. The storyline was fun, original, and surprisingly accurate to the original myths. My knowledge of Greek mythology is limited, but after researching some things I didn't remember, it turns out Riordan knows his stuff! After a while, I began to trust him and quit looking things up on Wikipedia.

The first book introduces us to Percy Jackson, a young boy who always has strange things happening to him. He eventually winds up at Camp Half-Blood where he learns the truth about his parentage. His father, turns out, is an Olympic God. Apparently the gods get a little frisky for human mates, creating half-blood children with powers. Percy is thrust in "hero-dom" and must save the day. Of course, there is a prophecy about his future, which adds to all the mystery and suspense.

Part of me wanted to not like this. After all, it was fun literature and not overly deep. I was gaining a great appreciation for literature like I do when I am reading War and Peace, but I love it anyway. Every moment of it was wonderful and exciting and captured my imagination.

The second book, The Sea of Monsters, picks up a year later. This was my second favorite of the series, since the storyline was so familiar. We see a lot of the myths and legends rampant in Odysseus' tale from The Odyssey, and since we all know that I love Homer, I loved every moment of this. It was excited and captured the essence of the monsters and villains perfectly. When Percy encounters Circe? I was in love with that chapter.

The third book, The Titan's Curse, was my favorite of the series. It picks up the story later on, and we begin to see a new maturity and strength in Percy. I am always bothered by series where the main character shows little growth, especially over a period of time. But Riordan made sure to have his characters grow, and that is clear in this novel. There are scenes where Percy is challenged to do things he never thought he could-that shows growth.

We also get to meet Atlas (just in time for my Atlas Shrugged readalong? Is there a big connection there?). That was a myth I was unfamiliar with beforehand, so I am glad Riordan threw it in. :)

The fourth book, The Battle of the Labyrinth, was my least favorite of the series. While the writing was certainly good and captured my attention, I had a hard time getting into the story. Perhaps it was the way they story developed, but in certain areas, I felt the story was rushed. In other places, I wanted more action. I also was not a fan of the character Rachel. I think she took away from the action and pace of the story. I was also unhappy with the fact that I didn't get the answers I thought I deserved. I wanted more.

The last book, The Last Olympian, was the perfect ending to a superb series. It made up for the last book with powerful passages and gripping action. I was flipping pages as fast as I could read them. I couldn't wait to see what would come of the prophecy, who would win in the last major battle, and what would happen to Percy. I was sucked in.

The battle scenes and action were non-stop. It comes close to the Battle of Hogwarts for my favorite fictional battle of all-time. I loved the scenes in New York City. But more than anything else, I LOVE how Riordan brought his series to a close. The answer to the prophecy was perfect and fitting to the growth and change Percy underwent throughout the series. I couldn't have asked for a more satisfying ending.

So if you have been avoiding this series thinking they won't be any good, or that they're silly, or that they're trying too hard, you need to set those thoughts aside and give them a try. I found them to be fun, action-packed reads that did something original. And did it WELL.

And if that recommendation isn't enough for you, I read all five books in four days. THAT is how hooked I was.

If you've read this series, what did you think? What was your favorite book?