"The Row" by J.R. Johansson

Being an author, even an unpublished one, has its perks. For example, not only am I friends with incredible published authors who let me read an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) before their book comes out and review it, but sometimes I go to a writer’s conference and win/buy ARCs too. So when “The Row” by J.R. Johansson was part of a charity auction, you can bet I bid until I got it.

It’s no secret that I’m a total Johansson fan. I love the way she brings characters to life, and I’m amazed at how she can draw emotions out of me as a reader. “The Row” has both of these characteristics that make me continue to love her work and be amazed.

First of all let’s check out this YA thriller’s cover and what it’s about:

A death sentence. A family torn apart. One girl’s hunt for the truth.
Seventeen-year-old Riley Beckett is no stranger to prison. Her father is a convicted serial killer on death row who has always maintained that he was falsely accused. Riley has never missed a single visit with her father. She wholeheartedly believes that he is innocent.

Then, a month before the execution date, Riley’s world is rocked when, in an attempt to help her move on, her father secretly confesses to her that he actually did carry out the murders. He takes it back almost immediately, but she cannot forget what he’s told her. Determined to uncover the truth for her own sake, she discovers something that will forever change everything she’s believed about the family she loves.



Poor Riley. Poor, poor Riley. This girl goes through the ringer in all the right ways. The conflict drives the pace, making this a page-turner, but also gives you the ability to breathe in the right places. The first two chapters were a tad slow. I think that’s because the setup of the book is written on the back of the book and then really shown in the first two chapters. They’re great chapters, but a little slow.

Chapter three is where we really get to see Riley and a couple of other characters who I adore. By this point, I’m hooked and can’t wait for my kids to nap so I can read more. Matthew has to be the cutest kid in the literary world. I love his honesty, his bluntness, how easy it is to be his friend. If you like cars and give him attention, you are in the club, my friend!

His older brother, Jordan, is both funny and daring. Jordan and Riley’s banter made me jealous of that quick wit and reminded me of the fast and fun conversations of my beloved television series, Gilmore Girls. Jordan and Riley both have motivations and goals, which continue to propel the plot and pace through the rest of the novel. The romance is cute with real reactions and problems without overtaking the plot.

I love figuring out twists. It’s part of why reading is so fun for me, to see if I can figure out the puzzle by the end. “The Row” was complicated and clever enough that I could never think, “Oh, this is the answer.” Twists left me second-guessing myself until the end, and even then, I only got a piece of it.

One of the reasons I will always buy Johansson’s book, even before reading it, is her ability to draw emotions out of me. “The Row” pulled at my sympathy and fear, my worry and heartstrings, all for characters who don’t actually exist. I love living in the world with Johansson’s characters, even though they are typically in mortal danger.

Don’t miss this book, which comes out today. This book is better than chocolate.

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

I’ve heard a lot about this book, so I was excited to read it. Half the people I talk to love it and the other half have a hard time with the content.

Summary:

"Speak up for yourself--we want to know what you have to say." From the first moment of her freshman year at Merryweather High, Melinda knows this is a big fat lie, part of the nonsense of high school. She is friendless, outcast, because she busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops, so now nobody will talk to her, let alone listen to her. As time passes, she becomes increasingly isolated and practically stops talking altogether. Only her art class offers any solace, and it is through her work on an art project that she is finally able to face what really happened at that terrible party: she was raped by an upperclassman, a guy who still attends Merryweather and is still a threat to her. Her healing process has just begun when she has another violent encounter with him. But this time Melinda fights back, refuses to be silent, and thereby achieves a measure of vindication. In Laurie Halse Anderson's powerful novel, an utterly believable heroine with a bitterly ironic voice delivers a blow to the hypocritical world of high school. She speaks for many a disenfranchised teenager while demonstrating the importance of speaking up for oneself.

I liked this book overall. I loved the main character even though she has so many flaws. As a reader, I felt for her. Most of these flaws came because she was raped. She’s in pain but she doesn’t know how to say anything. She loses her voice, her willingness to speak. And then, some things start to happen that help her slowly gain it back.

The style is different than most books, reading a little like a diary. I had to adjust to it, but after a few pages, it was easy. There were also some “chapters” that did not further the plot, which makes for a slower pace.

I know that some people are concerned with the rape part when Melinda thinks about what happened. It’s descriptive enough that you, as a reader, know only the basics of what happened. It’s not graphic by any means. It puts you through the horror with Melinda, without experiencing a literary rape. I thought it was executed well.

The metaphors in Speak are beautiful. I found myself jealous of Laurie’s ability to use these metaphors to show what Melinda was feeling so perfectly.

I thought this book was a great read. You may need some chocolate to get through it. 

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

            Okay, I’ll admit that I picked up this book years ago, read the first page, and put it back. This may sound harsh, but when you have a book list to read as long as mine, there isn’t time to waste on a book that doesn’t catch you in the first page or two.

            Now, in this case, I was wrong.

            I’ve been trying out the first full chapters before turning a book away, and since this whole series has gotten a lot of praise, I decided to give it another try.

            Cinder is fairy tale retelling of Cinderella as a cyborg. Yep, she’s about 1/3^rd machine.

           

"Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.


Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future."

            I’m not into robot stuff, so when I read the first page all those years ago with the emphasis on her being a cyborg, I picked another book to read that caught my attention more. However, this time, as I read the first full chapter, Cinder’s personality and her relationship with an adorable little android, made me eager for more. I vow to always read at least the first chapter before making a decision. This is proof that you don't have to be a science fiction lover to love this book. :)

            Cinder has a great personality, and so do many of the other characters, even the ones we hate. Their roundness does well to bring them to life. And the complicated relationship between Kai and Cinder adds to their likability. I sometimes wanted to throttle Cinder for what she says and does to the prince, but I also understood it.

            I love retellings, and this Cinder is one of the best I’ve read. It takes a basic story like Cinderella that has been retold so many times over and gives it fresh life. There are things that don’t happen how you expect them too, and yet all the key points are there. Oh hey, and lets add a plague, some death, and a colony on the moon. It sounds too crazy to be put together in the same story, but it’s done so well.

            There wasn’t a big twist, which is hard to do in a retelling, but even with that, I would still rather read this than eat chocolate. I’m so excited to read the rest of the series. 

Burning Glass by Kathryn Purdie

I’ve been excited to read this book since it was announced over a year ago. Part of that excitement stemmed from meeting the author, Katie, before she was published. She’s so lively and hilarious, I expected her book to reflect that. The other part was because it just sounded soooo good!

Summary:

Sonya was born with the rare gift to feel what those around her feel—both physically and emotionally—a gift she’s kept hidden from the empire for seventeen long years. After a reckless mistake wipes out all the other girls with similar abilities, Sonya is hauled off to the palace and forced to serve the emperor as his sovereign Auraseer.

Tasked with sensing the intentions of would-be assassins, Sonya is under constant pressure to protect the emperor. But Sonya’s power is untamed and reckless, and she can’t always decipher when other people’s impulses end and her own begin. In a palace full of warring emotions and looming darkness, Sonya fears that the biggest danger to the empire may be herself.

As she struggles to wrangle her abilities, Sonya seeks refuge in her tenuous alliances with the charming-yet-volatile Emperor Valko and his idealistic younger brother, Anton, the crown prince. But when threats of revolution pit the two brothers against each other, Sonya must choose which brother to trust—and which to betray.

            I was sucked in from the first pages of this book. When I thought things couldn’t get worse, they did, and I almost couldn’t handle all the feels the first few chapters took from me. So amazing. Fantastic writing and a beautiful character full of both promise and tragedy.

            As a Young Adult Fantasy novel, I’m used to more “magic.” This actually reads something more like the CW TV series, Reign, but is still uniquely its own. I really loved the Russian-esque feel that’s not done all the time, and the struggles at court kept my interest.

            Burning Glass reads a little slower and longer than a typical young adult novel, but I was never bored. There was always something intriguing going on, and the main character’s inability to handle her own abilities as an empath kept putting her into dangerous situations that left me not caring so much about getting enough sleep that night. I needed to know more.

           The romance was great, and without spoiling anything, I was absolutely satisfied with the ending. And while it does not leave on a cliff hanger (so grateful for that), I’m excited to read the next installment. Definitely better than chocolate. 

"Resist" by Ilima Todd

By Kathy Lipscomb

            I’ve been waiting for this YA Dystopian Romance sequal since I finished the last page of “Remake.” It was well worth the wait, and you only have to wait until July 5^th! J

            Theron, my poor Theron. Ilima Todd certainly knows how to stick her characters in a tree and throw rocks at them. Theron goes through the ringer both in “Remake” and now “Resist,” but I love it. Don’t get the wrong idea—Theron is my favorite character in this series. It’s not that I want him to suffer, but instead about the conflict and pacing of the book. Conflict drives a story, and Ilima Todd does this well. The pacing kept me reading well past my self-imposed curfew of nine. Guys, I stayed up until 11:00 pm the first night and then 12:00 am the next night. That’s right, me up at midnight. Unbelievable, right? That's how much I couldn't put this book down.

            Theron and the other characters are as lovable (and sometimes realistically frustrating) as ever. They stay true to themselves in all situations, and their flaws make them feel real. Characters have always been what gets me in a story. If there is a book where I can tell the ending from the beginning (NOT this book), I’ll still read and love it if the characters are fantastic. I loved reading about Theron and Pua, and some of the more minor characters.

            The romance was adorable. There’s an initial spark and then the relationship grows at a believable rate. Theron and Pua’s interactions are cute and fun. The only spot that felt a little too forced for me was their kissing scene later in the book. *takes cover in case anyone starts throwing things at me* Okay, so there’s a LOT going on in this scene, like life and death things, and there’s been a huge sense of urgency. Right? Like any climax. But then Theron and Pua take their sweet time. I mean, yes, I want some amount of a kiss here, but it felt too long and like they were no longer in danger. Which they were.

            The other thing I didn’t love was the cliff-hanger. I’m all for a cliff hanger. There’s a huge one in “Mark of Athena” by Rick Riordan that had me all, “Wait? WHAT? What the heck was that? When does the next book come out!?” and etc. It solved the main arc of that book and then whacked me over the head with a major thing left not finished. I’ll admit that I loved it. I’m okay with cliff-hangers. “Resist” felt like I got to the middle of a climax and then figured out I’m missing the last twenty pages of the book. Don’t get me wrong—the book and the climax is still fantastic. I just would’ve liked a tiny bit more resolution. That could be because I have an unhealthy love for Theron. J

Usually when I hear the word “world-building,” I think high fantasy, and sometimes world-building can be a little, well, boring. But I’ve learned through authors who do it well, that world-building is anything but. It’s about how the facts are presented in the book. I loved learning all the aspects of the world in “Resist.” I soaked them in and wanted more. Ilima doesn’t throw the information at you like a textbook, but instead weaves the elements throughout the story in a way where I couldn’t get enough. And the world itself? Awesome. It was one of my favorite aspects of the book.

            Then, as with the first book in the series, there’s that emphasis on the importance of family. I don’t think there are enough books out there that show families for who they are supposed to be, especially in young adult books. Showing how important having family is for each member, how it’s in place to help us learn, grow, and be happy, is an element that takes a great book series and makes it outstanding. I promise, it won’t beat you over the head with preachiness. It’s a fictional book that weaves it in with grace and beauty.

            I loved this book, this whole series, and can’t wait for the final one. Way better than chocolate, my friends. 

The Princess in Black by Shannon and Dean Hale

I first found out about this book at a writer’s conference. Shannon read a little excerpt from it, and I instantly thought my son would love it. Here is a story about a “perfect” princess who seems dainty and in need of saving, but she’s actually…wait for it…The Princess in Black! She’s a monster fighting princess who inspires others simply by doing. She’s a super hero who my kids can relate to.

So I bought the book for my birthday (yes, for my birthday), and the day it came in the mail, I read it to my son. He was hesitant at first, because he wanted me to read one of his already favorite books. I promised to read that one to him after, and despite his grumpiness (hey, he’s three), I started to read. 

My son went silent, captivated from the first page. The voice in the book is not only darling, but daring, adventurous, and funny. My husband, an avid reader like myself, kept looking up from cooking dinner (isn’t he awesome?) and chuckled over the awesome dialogue and adventurous story. My husband even looked through the book later on his own because he missed out on the incredible illustrations.

“The Princess in Black” captivated my whole family. It’s a great transition book from picture books to chapter books, and it’s something we can read again and again. We look forward to adding the rest of this series to our book collection as well. This book is totally better than chocolate. 

Sky Jumpers by Peggy Eddleman

Twelve-year-old Hope lives in White Rock, a town struggling to recover from the green bombs of World War III. The bombs destroyed almost everything that came before, so the skill that matters most in White Rockk—sometimes it feels like the only think that matters—is the ability to invent so that the world can regain some of what it’s lost.

But Hope is terrible at inventing and would much rather sneak off to cliff dive into the Bomb’s Breath—the deadly band of air that covers the crater the town lives in—than fail at yet another invention.

When bandits discover that White Rock has invented priceless antibiotics, they invade. The town must choose whether to hand over the medicine and die from disease in the coming months or to die fighting the bandits now. Hope and her friends, Aaron and Brock, might be the only ones who can escape through the Bomb’s Breath and make the dangerous trek over the snow-covered mountain to get help. Inventing won’t help them, but the daring and risk-taking that usually gets Hope into trouble might just save them all.



Sky Jumpers is a fun, quick read for any ages eight and up.

First of all, I appreciate any great Children’s, Middle Grade, or Young Adult novel that has both parents of the main character alive. This is a hard thing to do, since the main character, a minor, needs to be the person who solves the conflict. Peggy Eddleman does this well with both parents alive. Without giving anything away, both parents are realistically out of the picture for Hope to accomplish what she needs to.

The characters are fantastic. Hope is a well-rounded character with a lot of depth and drive. She’s really easy to relate to. Society often has expectations of all of us, especially of children, and it’s difficult when they feel like they’re failing because they aren’t good at a particular thing. Hope shows that we can succeed in our own ways. I love that this is portrayed to a younger (and older!) audience. Although I wouldn’t consider Aaron a flat character, he was the typical best friend who would do anything for Hope. Don’t get me wrong. I love Aaron. I’ve seen this in many books and in my own writing as well. He’s not a flat character—It’s just done a lot. Brock is a fun character who is Hope’s rival. His mysterious backstory adds to his characterization and makes me love him all the more. He has strong motivation and goals that I can also relate to.

The pacing was perfect. There is conflict from the beginning with clear goals and motivation. Peggy Eddleman also did a fantastic job with letting Hope, a minor, play an important part throughout the entire novel. It’s easy to let the adults fix things, but it’s so much better when the kids learn to do it themselves. I was impressed with how it all played out.

There weren’t twists and turns that surprised me, but the story was an excellent read without being too complicated. I think that’s perfect for the age group that is the author’s main target audience, and as an adult, I really enjoyed reading it as well.

The world-building is well-done and not over descriptive. I was interested in all the aspects, and I didn’t get bored with too many details. There were also exciting aspects of the world that are fun and unique—like sky jumping.

Overall this book was a fun read. I will definitely add it to my collection and read it to my children. It’s better than chocolate, and I’m excited to read the next book in the series.


Kathy Lipscomb