“Unwind” by Neal Shusterman

This book is on the Florida Teens Read list for this year. Ms. Mathews from Poinciana High School told me this was one of the better ones on the list this year, so I made sure to get my hands on a copy.

The story follows Conner, Risa, and Lev as they try to avoid their Unwinding. The novel takes place in the future, where every part of the body can be used on other people – there are no more amputees, bald guys, or people with dentures anymore. All those people have accepted parts from the Unwinds. Between the ages of 13 and 18, a parent can choose to have their child Unwound. It’s a way of not killing the person but also getting rid of them – the government calls it an altered state of consciousness. Conner and Risa have been forced in to this, while Lev is a tithe (so he’s doing it voluntarily). Will they be able to outsmart the law and stay under the radar, or will they wind up at a harvest camp and be Unwound?

I was worried for Conner and Risa the whole book. I loved how Shusterman told each chapter from a different point of view, as it really helped to develop all the characters. It’s quite a fascinating concept (though when Shusterman takes a chapter to describe what happens during an Unwinding, I got really queasy – by law they are required to keep every Unwind conscious throughout the entire procedure.) It really makes you feel for these teens, who have no say about their bodies and their future. The government really believes (or pretends to really believe) that it’s not actually killing a person. A scary glimpse into how complete and utter denial can turn into something so dangerous. I give it an 8.5 out of 10.

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“Sucks to be me: the all-true confessions of Mina Hamilton, Teen Vampire (Maybe)” by Kimberly Pauley

I came across this one when I was looking for books for our Twilight parties back in October. I didn’t have a chance to read it until now.

Mina is the daughter of two vampires. (Well, they weren’t vampires when she was born, but they were turned soon after). She’s been living under the radar of the Northwest Regional Vampire Council for all of her life, but now they know about her and she has to decide if she is going to become a vampire like her parents or not. To assist her in this decision, the Council has mandatory classes to talk about vampirism. As if this (literally) life-changing decision wasn’t enough, Mina has to worry about school, her friends, and of course, prom.

I liked Mina’s character, and I loved her little lists throughout the book. I thought it was an interesting twist on the whole vampire thing, but I was disappointed by the end. Not in why she made the choice she did (I liked the why), but more like the when. And maybe that’s because I was reading this one as an adult. Overall, a charming story with vivid characters, and a 7 out of 10 from me.

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“Vampire Kisses 3: Vampireville” by Ellen Schreiber

This third book in the Vampire Kisses series was a little slower than the first two, which brings my rating of it down to a 6.5.

Raven and Alexander spend the entire book looking for Jagger and Luna, to keep them away from Trevor so they won’t turn him into a vampire. While Raven’s humor continues to crack me up, it felt like treading water for most of the book. Raven continues to push Alexander to turn her into a vampiress of the night, he continues to resist, and Trevor continues to antagonize Raven. In the last few pages, a surprise hits Raven, and she and Alexander must continue in their quest to keep Dullsville safe from vampires.

I hope the next book has a little more action in it. I was almost bored during this one, and while I still love Raven as a character, she’s starting to sound like a broken record. I’ve put the fourth one on hold in the hopes that it’s a little more interesting than this one.

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“The Grand Tour” by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer

This delightful book is the sequel to Sorcery and Cecelia, or the Enchanted Chocolate Pot. I picked up the first one because of the title alone – the enchanted chocolate pot just sounded like so much fun to me. When it turned out to be great, I got the second one.

This series follows cousins Cecelia and Kate, who married their sweethearts in the last book. The story takes place in the year 1817 and is written in the Victorian style, which means it’s a little wordy and not too explicit – after all, mixed company might be reading the book! In this story, Cecy and Kate are on their honeymoons in Europe together when strange happenings start to occur around them. Soon enough they are swept up in the adventure and must try to stop the bad without making Society suspicious. It wouldn’t do for a Marquess to be raising a scandal!

I loved this book. It was full of adventure and humor, especially if you like subtle humor where you have to read between the lines to catch it. Kate and Cecy are entirely likeable and I like how they were such well-defined characters, I felt like I was their friend. I wasn't able to figure out the mystery before the end, which is always nice, and I recommend it to teen who like to read. A 9 from me for this enchanting tale of mystery, adventure and travel.

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“The Corset Diaries” by Katie MacAlister

This is an adult romance novel, recommended to me by Haley at Veterans Memorial over the summer. It took me a while to finally read it, but it was totally worth the wait.

Tessa is a normal woman asked to play a duchess in a TV reality show. She will wear the clothes, run the manor, and act just like a duchess from 1879 – which means no cell phones, no aspirin, and no reading materials published after 1879. The man playing the duke, Max, is incredibly attractive and Tessa soon finds herself wanting to know him better.

The first word that comes to mind after reading this book is “funny”. I was laughing out loud at parts, which is rather unusual with adult romance books. I liked the straightforward language of the intimate scenes, also a rarity with romance books, and I really liked how Tessa and Max were feisty with each other – they were willing to have arguments and stand up for what they believed in rather than just tiptoeing around each other. Overall, an 8.5 from me and I’ll definitely be checking out other books by Katie MacAlister!

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“Snakecharm” by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

This is the second book about Danica Shardae and Zane Cobriana, and it was just as interesting as the first one, Hawksong.

Danica and Zane have been working hard to keep the peace between the avian and serpiente peoples. For the most part, they are succeeding – while the two peoples aren’t jumping into each other’s arms with joy, they are no longer hostile to each other, and some have even taken up residence in the opposing court. Then Syfka, a messenger from the falcons, arrives with news that a falcon criminal is hiding in the midst of one of their courts. Will Zane and Danica be able to keep the peace between their peoples when the falcons are trying to stir up trouble?

For the most part I enjoyed this story. Atwater-Rhodes still has the annoying habit of naming everything with mysterious names, with a new name both in the avian languages and serpiente languages, making everything 3 times as complicated, but the essence of the story is still thoroughly enjoyable. I give it a 7 out of 10.

“Catching Fire” by Suzanne Collins

This is the second book in the Hunger Games series, and yes, the series doesn’t end with this one. I’m only saying this because I got all the way to the last page before I realized that there would have to be a third book, and I was really mad!

Katniss has been trying to deal with the aftermath of the horror in the Arena – her family is safe, they have food and money, and things with Gale have (almost) gone back to normal. She hasn’t seen Peeta much in the past 6 months since the Games, but that’s about to change, as they have to go on the Victory Tour, another reminder to the Districts that the Capital owns them. The Victor of the previous Game is paraded around in each of the Districts, rubbing their life in the faces of the dead tributes’ families. Katniss and Peeta are under extreme pressure to defuse the rebellious undercurrent of the nation, but they don’t succeed. When a sick twist of fate puts Katniss and Peeta back in the Arena for the next Games, she has decided to keep Peeta alive at all costs – even if it means the loss of her own life.

This one was a little slow in the beginning/middle when Katniss is still in District 12 and trying to work out her feelings for both Gale and Peeta. Once the Games began, however, it’s non-stop action, with fresh new horrors for the tributes. I give this one an 8.5 and I can’t wait for the next in the series (whenever that may be).