Wavelength by A.J. Betts

Title: Wavelength
Author: AJ Betts

Release Date: 2nd August 2010

My Rating: 4/5

Blurb:
Oliver’s world has shrunk. It’s all about Year 12 finals. It’s about that magic 80% average he needs to get into uni, get his dream job and get cashed up. If only he can find a quiet place to study – away from the chaos and mess of living with two small kids and his Mum’s booming muffin business.

A study break in a small coastal town seems just the ticket. But Sunny Haven Recreation and Leisure Centre is like some weird parallel universe. He arrives cashless, bookless, phoneless and fuming in the back of his Dad’s clapped out Cortina only to find his new study space is home to an array of elderly citizens.

They’ve each got their own opinions on Oliver’s life plans and he “doesn’t wanna hear it!” But gradually, with their help, Oliver’s universe expands.

My Review:
I was really interested in reading this book because it is set in Perth (where I live) and Busselton (where I have holidayed). In other words, I am familiar with the scenery which is rare as not alot of books are set in Perth so a big shout out to local author AJ Betts! I briefly met Betts once when she came into the book store I was working in. This was before Wavelength had been released which is a pity because now that I have read it, I would have loved to have had the opportunity to tell her how much I enjoyed it!

The topic of Wavelength is something we can all identify with, our final exams, our TEE. For those of you not familiar with the Australian school system, the mark we get on this determines if we can get into the university course we want. Oliver's frustration is all too easy to identify with and I can remember back to when myself and my friends took our TEE exams and the stress we felt we were under to get great scores. If I remember correctly from our little chat, Betts is a high school teacher so she would be very familiar with Oliver's position, having witnessed it many times over. I also think that showing Oliver's home life reaches out to other teens because he is constantly having to take on other responsibilities due to his mum's job. This helps show that teenager's can have other things in life to worry about besides school. Being a teenager can sometimes be a very lonely time, and, one of the fantastic things about alot of young adult fiction, is that it helps teens understand they are not alone.

For those of you who have read the book, I personally can relate most to the character of Emma. While our circumstances were different, we both ended up going down the same path. I really admire the overall message in the book (well it's what came through the strongest to me anyway) and that's DO SOMETHING YOU LOVE. SOMETHING YOU HAVE A PASSION FOR. I could go on and on about this but it will probably get a little too personal and bore you all to tears so I shall stay on track shall I?

The character development was great and the teasing and banter between Oliver and Emma was really well done. I thought it was important to have Emma's character and her gradual feelings towards the exams revealed because, while Oliver does represent a large portion of year 12 students, not everyone views the exams as the be-all, end-all (because they're not) and I think this is a very important point to keep in mind. That said, this is not an anti-TEE review/book, more a reminder to do what makes you happy.

As a side note, I loved the scene where Oliver is learning how to make coffee for the first time. Very well written!

Sometimes I felt the language was a little off, that some of the words used would not be used by a 17-year-old boy, but ultimately this was a very enjoyable story that I would recommend and that I hope goes into high school libraries.

A Major Case of Bad Luck

I would like to share with you what I see as complete and utter bad luck that I have stumbled over. As most of you know, I am currently traveling around the US and at the moment I am in New York. One of the things I wanted to do while here was go to a book signing of an author I like. There was no one in particular but I knew there would have to be at least one that I would want to attend, especially since it is extremely rare for me to find one in Perth (where I live).

As it happens I was looking through this weeks Time Out magazine and came across the launch of David Levithan and Rachel Cohn's new book next Thursday. Dash and Lily's Book of Dares is one of my most anticipated releases of the year. I started hyper-ventilating until I discovered that it is on the same day that I have booked to go to Niagara Falls (and i had only just booked the flights the previous night!). Desperately I tried to find out how much it would cost me to change my return flight to an earlier time. This proved too expensive, especially since I would have to change my friends flight also. If it was just me I would have said, "screw the money" and booked another flight, but I can't expect her to throw her money away as I would.

My next step was to find out if there were going to be any other signings in Manhattan or Brooklyn before I leave. Unfortunately, there are quite a few, but none that I can make it to due to other events that I can't cancel. I am so so so so so gutted. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, one of Levithan and Cohn's collaborations, is one of my all time favourite books and I have recently read Levithan's collaboration with John Green, Will Grayson Will Grayson, and it was so brilliant. My next step is to find out if the book shop will get a copy signed for me as we do that in Australia, but I'm not holding my breath.

For those of you who are interested in attending, you can find their tour schedule on Rachel Cohn's website.

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares
by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Release Date: 26th October 2010

“I’ve left some clues for you. If you want them, turn the page. If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.”

So begins the latest whirlwind romance from the New York Times bestselling authors of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?

Waiting For You by Susane Colasanti

Title: Waiting For You
Author: Susane Colasanti

Release Date: 11th August 2010

My Rating: 2/5

Blurb:
At the beginning of her sophomore year, Marisa is ready for a fresh start, and hopefully her first real boyfriend. Could it be popular dreamy Derek? Or geeky Nash, who just might have a crush on her? Then there's the underground, anonymous DJ, whose podcasts are the hottest thing at school and who seems to totally understand Marisa. But she doesn't know who he is...or does she?

My Review:
I have mixed opinions about this book. My initial thoughts were that I didn't like the style of writing. There is a lot of teen-speak such as the number of times 'like' is said and how all the verbs are annoyingly repetitive.

For example:
"What?" Stirling goes.
"I'm just saying,"Andrea goes.
Sterling's like, "Could it be any hotter?"

It's as bad as saying he said or she said after every sentence. Keep in mind these are not all in the same paragraph, although they are from the same page, but they are a small example of the language I found irritating. I'm not sure if this is because I'm Australian or because I am no longer a teen but either way it was annoying. The story itself was predictable. I was able to pick the ending within the first few pages.

What I did like was that our main character Marisa suffers from anxiety and depression. I don't think these are subjects that get discussed a lot in YA literature, especially anxiety. Marisa has her highs and lows and we as the reader get to experience these with her. We also see how she pulls herself out of her slumps and how those around her effect her moods.

Other issues Marisa has to deal with include her parents' surprise separation, her best friends' online boyfriend who may be a creepy old man, an old friendship rekindled and a new relationship with her crush. Marisa's journey comes full circle when she learns to live in the now and stop waiting.

A recurring theme is the age-old don't judge someone before you get to know them. You never know what may be happening in their life or why they act the way they do. This is universal and such an important message.

By the end, I felt the language had changed a bit, or maybe I just wasn't noticing it anymore, but it was easier for me to read without getting annoyed. The story finished just how I predicted it would but somehow that was ok with me because Marisa grew as a person and there were lots of important messages that got addressed. This is very much a teen read and I do not think it will be enjoyed by those who have finished high school.

Six Impossible Things by Fiona Wood

Title: Six Impossible Things
Author: Fiona Wood

Release Date: 1st August 2010

My Rating: 4/5

Blurb:
Fourteen-year old nerd-boy Dan Cereill is not quite coping with a reversal of family fortune, moving house, new school hell, a mother with a failing wedding cake business, a just-out gay dad, and an impossible crush on the girl next door. His life is a mess, but for now, he's narrowed it down to just six impossible things...

My Review:
I have had a really hard time trying to review this book. I loved it and I was pretty sure I would as I had read so many fantastic reviews of it. But my mind is in holiday mode and words are not working for me right now so here is the jist of what I think...

Six things I loved about it:

*It was very funny with plenty of irony and sarcasm
*All the characters were developed fantastically and there was someone for everyone to identify with
* Dan's situation is common in real-life but not common in the YA literary world so it felt like a breath of fresh air and something teens would be able to relate to
*The story is age-appropriate. Dan is fourteen, and the events and milestones are that of a fourteen-year-old
*Dan Cereill is an anagram of Cinderella
*The book is full of cliches but it JUST DOESN'T MATTER

The ending is predictable but in a good way and I would definitely read this again, maybe not straight away, but definitely again.

Matched by Ally Condie

Title: Matched
Series: Book 1 in the Matched trilogy
Author: Ally Condie

Release Date: 2nd December 2010

My Rating: 3/5

Blurb:
Watched by society.
Trapped by rules.
Freed by love?

On her seventeenth birthday, Cassia meets her match. Society dictates he is her perfect partner for life. Except he's not. In Cassia's society, officials decide who people love. How many children they have. Where they work. When they die.

But, as Cassia finds herself falling in love with another boy, she is determined to make some choices of her own. And that's when her whole world begins to unravel.

My Review:
Cassia is the kind of girl who has always followed the rules, always done whatever society has deemed best for her. But all that changes when she starts to rebel and question parts of her life. While this is a story set in a dystopian society where someone has decided to go against the rules, this is not an action based story (although I can't speak for the sequels). Rather, it focuses on one girl and her moral/internal battle that she has over what she has always believed is right, and what happens when she starts to question it and think for herself. It is the kind of story that you get caught up in and you find yourself feeling so angry at the society on behalf of the characters. They are so oppressed and I found myself hoping for more and more instances of rebellion but it just didn't really happen. I think I wanted Cassia to take more action rather than her just worrying about it. I think the ending has set up the sequel for more aggressive action but I'll just have to wait and see.

Obviously the main focus of the story is Cassia's relationship between her match, her best friend Xander, and Ky, the quiet outsider. Unfortunately, I couldn't get into either of the relationships. I felt Xander's feelings for Cassia but her feelings towards him didn't feel real. Neither did Ky and Cassia's feelings towards each other. They just kind of suddenly decide they are in love. There wasn't really an in-between and it didn't feel real enough.

I do like each of the characters individually; Cassia's parents, her grandfather, her younger brother Bram, her friend Em and, once separated from their romantic entanglements, Xander and Ky. There is a lot of potential for her family in the sequel because, as you will find, their lives take some dramatic turns as well.

In some ways this story is reminiscent of The Hunger Games but only on a small level. I don't feel Matched will appeal to boys. It is a love story, a story of secret rebellion but without much action. I am very interested to see what Condie does with the sequel, but I guess I now have quite a while to wait.

Hyperventilating, but self-inflicted...

As most of you know, I am Australian and I am currently travelling around the United States for a few months. In Australia, we don't get a lot of books until a couple of months after they are released in the US.

Such is my addiction to books, I have been walking into every Borders or Barnes and Nobel, even little independent bookshops like Booksmith in San Francisco (my current adopted city) to have a look at all the books that are over here. I want to buy every book I see, and I keep seeing all the books that I have read reviews of in everyone's blogs and then I realise that I can't buy any at the moment because my luggage is already way to heavy. Then I start hyperventilating because I really want them and I freak out that by the time I will be able to buy them, I wont be able to find them.

So, I have a really long list and the bookshops in Boston, one of my final stops, are going to love me so much.

Grace by Morris Gleitzman

Title: Grace
Author: Morris Gleitzman

Release Date: 1st August 2009

My Rating: 4/5

Blurb:
Eleven-year-old Grace only knows one world - the world of her mum and dad and twin brothers, and the strict religious community they belong to. But when her dad is thrown out of the church for asking questions, Grace is torn. How can she stay in the church and keep her family together?

My Review:
Eleven-year-old Grace has been brought up in a very strict religious community where questions and individual thinking are not allowed. This has become a problem for Grace as she is starting to grow up and be curious about life. She is also stubborn and independent and this is absolutely frowned upon by the Elders in her community.

This book is not anti-religion but deals with themes such as tolerance, family, authority, closed-mindedness and freedom. It will provoke discussion about prejudice and how we treat those who are different to us.

I believe children will be able to relate to Grace, not from her up bringing but from the frustration of having grown ups ignore them or not listen to their view or opinions. I would not recommend this for those under eleven unless they have quite a broad view of the world, otherwise, be prepared for a lot of 'why' questions.

I grew up reading Gleitzman, from Blabbermouth and Two Weeks With the Queen to Worry Warts. He has such a brilliant writing style and has the amazing ability of being able to write about tough subjects and current affairs in a way that reaches out to children (for example, Toad Rage, Boy Overboard and Once). Grace was released this time last year, and while the topic was not something I would have usually chosen to read, I picked it up anyway because Gleitzman had written it. Because of the subject matter, this book will not be everyone's cup of tea, but it is a damn good book!

Immortal Beloved by Cate Tiernan

Title: Immortal Beloved
Series: Everlasting Life Book 1
Author: Cate Tiernan

Release Date: 1st October 2010

My Rating: 4/5

Blurb:
New name, new town, new life. Nastasya has done it too often to count. And there's no end in sight. Nothing ever really ends ...when you're immortal.

'After some of the events I've witnessed I felt like I was a shell with nothing alive left in me. I hadn't been going around killing people, but people were hurt -- the memories just kept trickling in like rivulets of fresh acid dripping into my brain until I wanted to scream. It was in my blood, I knew. A darkness. The darkness. I had inherited it, along with my immortality and my black eyes.'

My Review:
I was very skeptical when this title arrived on my desk as I thought it would be another story where "a 'normal' high school girl finds out she is a vampire/witch/wolf and then meets the mysterious boy who also happens to be a vampire/witch/wolf. Blah blah blah" The only reason I picked it up, the blurb didn't really appeal to me and neither did the title, was because I had read Tiernan's Sweep series when I was younger and thought I would give her new writing a try. Boy am I glad I did because what I found was an original take on the life of an immortal.

Nastasya, Nasty to her friends, has lived every kind of life possible in her 450 years. She's not a vampire, she's just... immortal. Yes she can tap into some magikal abilities but she rarely does and prefers to have her fun the 'old fashioned' way; partying with her friends, hooking up with random people and drinking herself into oblivion.

After witnessing her friends conduct unspeakable acts of in-humanity, Nasty has a wake up call. She decides to disappear, and, remembering the kindness of a stranger in a chance meeting decades ago, she heads off to River's Edge in Massachusetts. Here she finds a kind of immortal boot-camp/rehab/retreat; so not her thing, but where else can she go?

Nasty has a mysterious past that she does her best to block out and we slowly (but not too slowly) peel back the layers to discover her secret. We get to see back to different decades of her life and I love the little snippets of finding out what she has been doing for the past 450 years. As usual, there is major sexual tension between Nasty and another character, we get to see Nasty developing a conscious, there is good old fashion rivalry, an interesting cast of characters that you care about, and also the tension of the friends she left behind as they close in on her.

I'm not really a fan of the title and I think it is pretty unoriginal but maybe that's just me. There are quite a few loose ends but that's what you get in a series but it doesn't matter as the sequel is going to be amazing! I can not wait to read it!

Up, Up and Away!

Just a little update on what I like to call My Life.

Today I am flying to America for 3 months of travelling fun. But never fear, I have my trusty net-book with me and will still be posting reviews as well as little bits and pieces from book events I hope to find while I am over there.

If anyone knows of any book signings, release parties, or would like to meet up, please let me know.

My itinerary is:

Los Angeles 6-12 Sept
Las Vegas 12-16 Sept
San Francisco 16-23 Sept
Vancouver 23-26 Sept
Seattle 26-30 Sept
Chicago 30 Sept-4 Oct
Washington D.C. 4-10 Oct
New York 10-30 Oct
Boston 30 Oct-12 Nov
New York 12-16 Nov
Colorado - New Mexico - Arizona 16-21 Nov
Indiana 21-28 Nov

If anyone would like to read my travel blog, please feel free.

Tomorrow When the War Began is here!

Some of you may remember I blogged a couple of months ago about the extremely exciting news that the amazing Australian YA series Tomorrow When The War Began by John Marsden, was being made in to a movie. Well...it's out!

Last night, accompanied by some very special people (including Linda over at So Much To Tell You), I finally saw my most anticipated movie release of the year. All of us are mega fans of the series and we thought it was AMAZING! We were so happy they didn't screw it up and the move from book to screen was done so well and it stayed true to the book. I was really impressed with the casting which I think says a lot because as you all know, you always have your own image as to how the characters look. Oh and there is also an awesome Australian soundtrack as well.

When it finished, all of us wanted to stay in our seats and watch it again and again. We really hope that all 7 books get made into films, and all in quick succession. I have read that there is talk, if the movie is received well (!!), to make the first three books into movies and then the remaining books into a TV show. I vote all 7 into movies!

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG

If you have not read these amazing books, you should go out right now and buy the first. If you are a fan and are skeptical about seeing the movie, don't be, it's awesome.