Hiatus: ALA Annual

From Thursday July 9th through Tuesday July 14, I'll be attending the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago. Therefore, the blog will be on hiatus for the next two weeks. If you'd like to see my stream-of-consciousness thoughts about the conference, check out my Twitter. Thanks, and I hope to be back with lots of books to discuss!

Review: Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side
Beth Fantaskey
2009; Harcourt; 978-0-15-206384-9 (hardcover)

Summary: Jessica is looking forward to a good senior year. Hanging out with her friend Mindy, avoiding the villainous Faith Cross, and maybe getting closer to Jake Zinn: Jessica's got it all planned out. But then, a strange exchange student named Lucius Vladescu arrives, all pale and exotic. And Lucius isn't in America to experience an American high school. He's actually a vampire prince, and he wants Jessica to live up to the terms of a pact signed between their families. Jessica, who knew she was adopted, finds out that she's from a family of vampires, and is now the princess of the Dragomir clan. And if that wasn't bad enough, that pact? It bethrothed Jessica to Lucius. There goes senior year . . .


Two Things to Know about Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side

#1: Is it nature or nurture?

When Lucius arrives in her life, Jessica is a typical American teenager: she follows trends even though they don't suit her, is vocal about making her own choices, and disagrees with her parents' lifestyle. Slowly, as she learns more about her heritage and her birth mother, Jessica begins to realize the power she has in being herself, even if it means she's different from everyone else. Indeed, it is her uniqueness that helps give her power. But she still has that sense of herself as Jessica, and still values her freedom. By the end of the novel, it's clear that Jessica is drawing upon her natural talents and her learned behaviors to achieve what she wants.

#2: Vampires don't have to be supernatural.

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side plays with the conventions of vampirism, creating individuals that aren't that different from humans. Lucius and Jessica both are able to control their vampire natures except in times of high emotion or stress, and even then, they remain civilized. It's hard to picture Lucius just ripping open someone's throat. Instead, these vampires seem to be much more tied to the metaphorical roots of the creatures. After all, vampirism has long served as a metaphor for sex and intimacy, a connection that Lucius directly makes: sex is one thing, but sharing blood is the most intimate act between two people. In this way, Fantaskey ups the romance and removes some of the spookiness from vampires. Certainly it seems that Jessica falls for Lucius not because of his vampire nature but because of the romantic, passionate behavior he exhibits.


An enjoyable twist on the cliched vampire romance, Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side will definitely appeal to teen readers. The princess in disguise plot is fully explored over the course of the novel, anchored by the likable, believable Jessica. And her vampire suitor is equally realized, thanks in part to the letters he writes that are sprinkled through the text. Supporting characters like Mindy, Faith, and Jessica's parents also get their moment to shine. Moving along at a brisk pace, the novel wraps up the romance between Jessica and Lucius without trying to unnecessarily prolong it. Recommend this romance to any teen left cold by the Twilight frenzy.

Teaser: Catching Fire

Catching Fire
Suzanne Collins
September 2009; Scholastic; 978-0-439-02349-8 (hardcover)
ARC lent by Liz of Tea Cozy

Since Catching Fire won't come out for nearly two months, and since Scholastic has asked people not to give away any major details of the story, I won't taunt you.

What I will say is that Catching Fire improves and expand upon the world created in The Hunger Games, something I was really struck by since I re-read the first book in the trilogy prior to reading the middle volume. And if you thought the cliffhanger at the end of The Hunger Games was bad? Be prepared for the end of Catching Fire.

Aside: I thought this on a subconscious level when I originally read The Hunger Games, but re-reading it confirmed it: is there anyone out there who thinks Gale is the right person for Katniss? He just seems so . . . undefined to me. It seems his only concern is feeding his family. Which is admirable and important, but otherwise, what does he like? What are his dreams? Compared to Peeta, Gale just feels like a mystery to me. And this impression didn't change after reading Catching Fire.

Yet that's a minor quibble at this point. Suzanne Collins continues to hook readers with a thrill-a-minute story, full of twists and action. There's also quiet moments, where you can sense the weight of everything that's happened pressing down on Katniss. For this series is really about Katniss: her choices, her life. Readers will be happy to enter the arena of Catching Fire, and be left waiting eagerly for book 3.


For anyone going to ALA Annual, if you spy anyone wearing a t-shirt that looks like this one, it just might be me. Come and say hi!

Review: Jane in Bloom

Jane in Bloom
Deborah Lytton
2009; Penguin; 978-0-525-42078-1 (hardcover)

Summary: In the Holden family, Lizzie was a star. Beautiful, smart, popular--Lizzie seemed perfect to everyone. The only person who didn't see it was Lizzie. When Lizzie's eating disorder spirals out of control, her accidental death wrecks her family. For Lizzie's younger sister Jane, it's hard to accept the loss of her sister and the way her life has changed. She always thought her parents loved Lizzie more, and now they're stuck with plain Jane. But slowly, Jane begins to recover from her grief, thanks in part to a puppy, an older woman's wisdom, and a camera.


A sensitive, quiet study of grieving, Jane in Bloom shows the impact of loss on a family. Jane's story and emotions are the main focus, but we also see change in both of her parents as they grieve Lizzie. In addition, there are memorable characters, both human (Ethel, the woman who helps care for Jane) and canine (Kona, Jane's new puppy). These individuals help Jane start to grow stronger, enabling her to start using a camera to work through her grief and discover all the beauty there is in the world, even though Lizzie is gone. Sad but hopeful, this debut novel by Deborah Lytton will appeal to readers who have enjoyed Lurlene McDaniel's novels.

Review: If the Witness Lied

If the Witness Lied
Caroline B. Cooney
2009; Delacorte Books; 978-0-385-73448-6 (hardcover)

Summary: The Fountain children have no desire to be on television ever again. They've been caught by cameras too many times. It started when their mother chose her unborn baby over chemotherapy to treat her cancer. Then there was her funeral. The worst of all was their father's funeral two years later, after he died in an accident: an accident thought caused by their little brother. Ever since then, Jack has tried to protect his little brother Tris, to let him be a normal boy. His sisters Madison and Smithy might have deserted him, leaving the brothers with their stepaunt Cheryl, but Jack will be a good brother. So when he finds out that Cheryl wants to create a television show around Tris, Jack refuses to let that happen. Suddenly, questions about the day their father die start occurring to the siblings. What if the death wasn't an accident? What if Tris is blameless? What if Cheryl, the only witness, lied?

Four Things to Know About If the Witness Lied

#1: We see what we want to see.

Many of the adults who knew the Fountain children let themselves be persuaded by Cheryl's deceptions. The family minister, old friends, even the children's grandparents--they all accept what Cheryl tells them. Many of these people are too ready to see Cheryl as a deliverance: she will take care of the chidlren, manage things so that the four children can stay together in the same house. No one wants to look too closely at a family dealing with grief, because it's too personal, too intimate a sight. Whatever small misgivings these adults had, they thought the family should handle the situation in their own way. We all feel a need not to intrude, especially during great tragedy. That reticence nearly risked the wellbeing of Tris and his siblings. Fortunately, in the nick fo time, the Fountain grandparents are alerted and can save the day.

#2: Any family has a chance for reunion.

The events of If the Witness Lied begin to unspool as a result of each teenage Fountain remembering their father's birthday. It's the first birthday since his dead, and it serves as a wake-up call for the Fountain sisters: running from their brothers, from each other, from the only family they have left, is wrong. Both Madison and Smithy return home, arriving precisely when Jack and Tris need them. During the course of the novel, there isn't enough time to heal all the cracks in their relationship. But by coming together to protect Tris, the Fountains are able to reform themselves into a new family unit. What's more, they are able to expand family to mean anyone who cares for them, anyone who wants to protect Tris. So both existing family members, like their grandparents, and family friends like neighbor Diana, are drawn into the Fountain family.

#3: A mystery is solved by the most insignificant of details.

Everyone thought that Mr. Fountain's death was a horrible accident: he left his car running with the parking brake set, while he got out of the car and went underneath it. Then, Tris climbed out of his car seat, into the front seat, and knocked off the parking brake. This story starts to unravel when Madison realizes that she can barely release the parking brake on the same kind of car that her father had. And if she couldn't do it, how could a toddler like Tris? At first, Madison thinks she's clutching at straws, doing a bit of wishful thinking. Yet it's enough to get her really thinking. The only word they have for the sequence of events is Cheryl's. And there's just something about Cheryl--something that has made all the Fountains subconciously distrust her since she arrived after their mother's death. Slowly, bit by bit, the Foutnains start to figure out what really happened. And it's both too horrible for words . . . and makes perfect sense.

#4: Grief and faith go hand in hand.

The Fountains had been a religious, church-going family before the death of their mother. Afterwards, especially after the death of their father, the Foutnains drifted away from religion. Smithy hated the God that took her mother but allowed Cheryl to live. Madision couldn't remain the laughing, popular leader of her church youth group, pulling away from her friends and the Church. And Jack focused himself on school and Tris. But when the three siblings start to realize what Cheryl did and how they ran from their grief, they all find that their faith gives them strength and hope. By speaking to God again, praying and asking for help, the Fountains were able to find that help from several sources in their lives. Perhaps that explains the cover illustration: faith is like a candle in the darkness.


A gripping page-turner, If the Witness Lied is a perfect example of a YA thriller. From the slowly unfolding solution to the final confrontation, the reader is not given a chance to breath. What's more, the teenage characters act like teens, making mistakes and trying to act rationally as best they can. Adding richness to the story is the different ways Jack, Madison and Smithy dealt with and still deal with the death of their parents. Caroline B. Cooney crafts a thrill ride of a book and a sensitive study of loss and recovery, all in the same novel. Pass this one to teens who are fans of sad stories or families in peril.

Review: Surface Tension

Surface Tension: A Novel in Four Summers
Brent Runyon
2009; Knopf; 978-0-375-84446-1 (hardcover)

Summary: Every summer, Luke's family spends two weeks at their lake cottage. Over the course of four summers, from thirteen to sixteen, Luke hunts for luckystones, talks to neighbors, and discovers the appeal of girls in bikinis. So many things change from year to year. The only thing that doesn't is the lake itself. And that's just how Luke likes it.

In a character study of a novel, we see a boy begin to grow into a man. Every summer, Luke gets wrapped up in neighborhood discussions and small squabbles, causing small ripples in his life. But at the end of the two weeks he leaves, knowing that he'll be back next summer and the lack will be there. Brent Runyon perfectly captures the teenager's contradictory desires: for constancy and for change. Portraying a typical boy's development, Surface Tension would be appreciated by serious-minded readers who liked Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie or Be More Chill.

Photo Story Booktalk: Geektastic

Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd
Edited by Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci
August 2009; Little, Brown; 978-0-316-00809-9 (hardcover)

Geektastic won't be published until August 2009, and the ARC I received at ALA Midwinter is sadly lacking quite a lot of material. So instead of doing a review, I thought I'd offer up a Photo Story booktalk for the book. Hope you enjoy this--and based on what I've read so far, Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci have served up an intriguing short story collection, one that will entice any geek reader.