2012 Text Prize for Young Adult and Children’s Writing

I would like to say a massive congratulations to Perth author AJ Betts, who has won the 2012 Text Prize for Young Adult and Children's Writing, for her novel Zac and Mia!

Zac and Mia is the story of two teens who meet and form a relationship on a cancer ward, but who find life outside the hospital much more complicated.

AJ has previously written Shutter Speed and Wavelength, both published by Fremantle Press.

From the Text website:

The Text Prize is awarded annually to the best manuscript written by an Australian or New Zealander for young adults.

Both published and unpublished writers of all ages are eligible to enter with works of fiction or non-fiction. Judged by a panel of editors from Text Publishing, the winner will receive a publishing contract with Text and a $10,000 advance against royalties.

The previous winners are:

2011: Fire in the Sea - Myke Bartlett
2010: The Bridge - Jane Higgins
2009: This Is Shyness - Leanne Hall
2008: The Billionaire’s Curse - Richard Newsome

Zac and Mia will be published August 2013

Fated by Alyson Noel

Title: Fated
Series: Soul Seekers #1
Author: Alyson Noel

Release Date: 1st June 2012

My Rating: 4/5

Blurb:
Strange things are happening to Daire Santos. Crows mock her, glowing people stalk her, time stops without warning, and a beautiful boy with unearthly blue eyes haunts all her dreams. Fearing for her daughter’s sanity, Daire’s mother sends her to live with the grandmother she’s never met. A woman who recognises the visions for what they truly are—the call to her destiny as a Soul Seeker—one who can navigate the worlds between the living and dead.

There on the dusty plains of Enchantment, New Mexico, Daire sets out to harness her mystical powers. But it’s when she meets Dace, the boy from her dreams, that her whole world is shaken to its core. Now Daire is forced to discover if Dace is the one guy she's meant to be with...or if he’s allied with the enemy she's destined to destroy.

In A Nutshell:
A great read set in New Mexico and featuring a plethora of Native American legends.

My Review:
I haven’t read any books by Alyson Noel, and I hadn’t read any reviews of Fated prior to reading it which allowed me to read Fated in a completely unbiased way.

Personally I loved it. I love that it was set in New Mexico and partly Morocco as these are not common locations for teenage fiction (just like I loved Laini Tayor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone being set in Prague). I loved that it drew upon the beliefs of the Native Americans. I love that Daire was strong and liked to do things her way but still felt unsure of herself enough to be a believable teenage girl who has never had a place to call home. Daire’s powers were an ancient birth right and they become something that provides her with a purpose and some sense of stability, something that her life has always lacked.

I’ve always enjoyed when myths and legends are intertwined into books, movies and TV shows and Fated was no different. Having actually spent some time in New Mexico I felt a little more connected to the story than I would have had it been set in a location I haven’t visited.

I became completely caught up in the story of Daire and the ancient connections that shaped the story. All the characters were well written and likeable, in particularly Xotichl and Chay. I will admit that I had trouble with some of the names, particularly those whose pronunciation I was unsure of, but that is really my ignorance more than anything else. Daire’s mother was rather irritating and it will be interesting to see what will become of their relationship in the sequel and if her mother will ever become aware of what has influenced her daughter’s life.

I really look forward to Echo, the sequel, and hope it is not too far away because unfortunately, with series, my urgency to read and my love of the story often fades. I usually forget just how much I loved the book at the time of reading and how desperate I was to get hold of the next one, the longer the space of time between them is.

I’m not a big fan of the fact Daire and Dace are supposed to be ‘fated’. I would have preferred that they found each other and that they had a connection rather than the added fact that they are fated to be together. I think the story and their potential relationship could have ‘held its own’ without this ‘destiny’ stream added. The story sounds a little cliché, as though it has been done before, but I feel that once you start reading, those thoughts will disappear, like they did for me.

Thankyou to Pan Macmillan Australia for this review copy.

Adorkable by Sarra Manning

Title: Adorkable
Author: Sarra Manning

Release Date: 24th May 2012

My Rating: 4/5

Blurb:
Jeane Smith is seventeen and has turned her self-styled dorkiness into an art form, a lifestyle choice and a profitable website and consultancy business. She writes a style column for a Japanese teen magazine and came number seven in The Guardian's 30 People Under 30 Who Are Changing The World. And yet, in spite of the accolades, hundreds of Internet friendships and a cool boyfriend, she feels inexplicably lonely, a situation made infinitely worse when Michael Lee, the most mass-market, popular and predictably all-rounded boy at school tells Jeane of his suspicion that Jeane's boyfriend is secretly seeing his girlfriend. Michael and Jeane have NOTHING in common - she is cool and individual; he is the golden boy in an Abercrombie & Fitch T-shirt. So why can't she stop kissing him?

In A Nutshell:
I loved Adorkable and found it to be lots of fun at the same time as trying to show readers that all that matters, is to be true to yourself.

My Review:
Adorkable’s alternating chapters tells us the story of Michael and Jeane from each of their points of view. It was really interesting because my opinion of each of them kept changing from when I saw them do something through their own eyes, and then see it counteracted through the other. This is especially so since their relationship begins as a love-hate relationship and continues that way throughout the book. I was particularly judgemental of Jeane but I slowly began to see her from not only her and Michael’s point of view, but the way I interpreted her from the comments made by Michael’s mother. I went from thinking she was self-absorbed and so full of it, to respecting her for making her life about something and for being smart and sassy, and somewhat independent, but also feeling sorry for her for growing up in such an unhappy, soul-sucking family.

For Jeane, being adorkable is who she is. If someone doesn’t like her, then that’s their problem. But, she also puts up a shield to protect herself from getting hurt and being rejected in a way similar to when she was growing up, it is a somewhat false bravado. It is ok to be different and you are certainly not alone. You just have to remember to let people in because not everyone is out to hurt you.

Adorkable is a story about being true to yourself. That no matter how geeky, dorky, fashionable, or unpopular you are, you are not alone. It’s about being who you are and not giving a damn what anyone else thinks. High school is one of the hardest places to survive mentally and sometime physically but it is important to remember that it doesn’t last forever. When you leave, you discover that there is a big, wide world out there and there are people just like you. People you want to be friends with because they have the same interests, beliefs and/or values as you and people will want to be friends with you for you. High school is just one tiny part of your life and once you leave, it does get easier being yourself.

In short, I loved Adorkable and found it to be lots of fun at the same time as trying to show readers that all that matters, is to be true to yourself.

Ages 15+ (for sexual content).

For fans of Geek Girl, The DUFF, Lola and the Boy Next Door

Chaos by Megan Duncan

Title: Chaos
Series: Agents of Evil #2
Author: Megan Duncan

Release Date: 30th June 2012

My Rating: 4/5

Previous Book: Released #1

Blurb:

Is any shot at living, worth dying for?

They thought they’d be safe, but a world ruled by chaos doesn’t die easily.

When Max turned on the radio transmissions assuring safety, they came. But, it wasn’t just survivors of the demon apocalypse that crawled their way into the abandoned military base. A myriad of beastly demons unlike any they’ve ever seen, came as well. Abby, and her companions, struggle to survive as the evil around them grows. Desperate to endure, and to defend their fellow survivors, Abby and a squad of fierce fighters, take on a dangerous mission that has deadly consequences.

In A Nutshell: An excellent sequel to Released.

My Review:
In post-apocalyptic America, small groups of survivors hide amongst the ruins in an attempt to live through each day as demons destroy the world they once knew. After finally reaching the military compound, only to find it deserted, Abby, Max, Taya and Carter make it their base, welcoming newcomers as they trickle in, creating some sort of home for those who have already lived through more than anybody should have to in a lifetime.

Abby is tough and doesn’t like to show weakness, mostly because she recognises that as a leader, she needs to stay strong for those around her, otherwise the life they have tried to maintain for themselves will crumble. Like most people, though, Abby has a breaking point and she can only stay strong with the help of Max, Carter and Taya by her side. Along with newcomers Drew, Grant and Remie, the group fight to keep their new charges safe and survive the demons that have decimated their lives.

On a routine outing to scout for supplies, things go horribly wrong when the group accidentally exposes the hiding place of other survivors to a territorial group of spider demons, destroying the safe haven and injuring the group’s leader. Abby offers them safe haven and medical treatment at their compound but it quickly becomes apparent that their basic medical supplies won’t be enough to heal the wounded. Abby’s promise to do everything she can to help the injured, results in Abby and her group ignoring warnings about a potential new breed of demon and entering a deserted hospital in search of medical supplies. When you’re at war with demons, surprises are around every corner and once again, the group run into trouble that not only surpasses anything they have seen before, but proves fatal.

With death always a possibility, our characters learn to appreciate the little, simple things in life and have to wrestle with the possibility that every time they venture out of their base for supplies, someone may not return. Many characters still have their own personal demons to sort through as everyone has lost someone they loved or was important to them. No matter how much danger there is on the outside, internal demons need to be addressed before they resurface at crucial times. In the first book we saw the memories that plague Abby, Max, Carter and Taya and this time the readers are given the opportunity to get a glimpse of Drew, Grant and Remie, which provides depth and heart to their tough, warrior-like personas.

There is plenty of action and suspense with a focus on helping other survivors and doing what they can to improve their shocking living conditions. The return of a character from Released is welcome and provides some comfort for our heroes in such a chaotic time.

Blog Tour: Love Notes From Vinegar House Giveaway

You may remember I reviewed Love Notes from Vinegar House last week. Well today, as part of Karen Tayleur's blog tour, I'm giving away a copy of Love Notes, curtsey of Walker Books.

The giveaway is open internationally and entires close 19th July at midnight AWST. You must be a follower via Google Friend Connect and fill out this form. To make it a little more interesting, since we are talking ghosts in Love Notes from Vinegar House, I'm asking you to tell me what you are scared of. Personally, I'm petrified of cockroaches *shudders*



“There are some things you should know about me if we are going to be friends. Like I don’t believe in ghosts.”

Freya Jackson Kramer has done some stupid things before, but this is the first time they’ve been splashed across Facebook. When she escapes to Vinegar House for the holidays, she thinks she’s leaving her troubles behind. But Freya’s troubles are just beginning.

How will she deal with her manipulative cousin, Rumer? How can she avoid the ex-love of her life, Luke Hart? And what secrets lie in the locked attic? This is a book for readers who believe in ghosts, for readers who disbelieve, and for those who are still sitting on the fence.

Click here for my review

New Jaclyn Moriarty Announced

Acclaimed Australian author Jaclyn Moriarty, arguably best known for Feeling Sorry for Celia and Finding Cassie Crazy, has a new book coming out! A Corner of White, the first in the Colours of Madeleine trilogy, will be released 18th September 2012.

Described as mesmerising, extraordinary, poetic and deeply moving, A Corner of White is sure to have a spot on your TBR pile in the lead up to September.

Madeleine Tully lives in Cambridge, England, the World – a city of spires,
Isaac Newton and Auntie’s Tea Shop.

Elliot Baranski lives in Bonfire, the Farms, the Kingdom of Cello – where
seasons roam, the Butterfly Child sleeps in a glass jar, and bells warn of
attacks from dangerous Colours.

They are worlds apart – until a crack opens up between them; a corner of
white – the slim seam of a letter.

A mesmerising story of two worlds; the cracks between them, the science
that binds them and the colours that infuse them.

And if that isn't enough to pique your interest, in the words of Markus Zuzak...

‘Perfectly strange, and absolutely comical and heartfelt ... Jaclyn Moriarty is one of the most original writers we have.’

Love Notes from Vinegar House by Karen Tayleur

Title: Love Notes From Vinegar House
Author: Karen Tayleur

Release Date: 1st June 2012

My Rating: 3/5

Blurb:
“There are some things you should know about me if we are going to be friends. Like I don’t believe in ghosts.”

Freya Jackson Kramer has done some stupid things before, but this is the first time they’ve been splashed across Facebook. When she escapes to Vinegar House for the holidays, she thinks she’s leaving her troubles behind. But Freya’s troubles are just beginning.

How will she deal with her manipulative cousin, Rumer? How can she avoid the ex-love of her life, Luke Hart? And what secrets lie in the locked attic? This is a book for readers who believe in ghosts, for readers who disbelieve, and for those who are still sitting on the fence.

In A Nutshell:
The kind of book you should pick up if you like ghost stories, solving mysteries, and dreaming about the boy-next-door. Suitable for the younger YA market.

My Review:
Love Notes from Vinegar House is the kind of book you should pick up if you like ghost stories and solving mysteries. Also, if you like dreaming about the boy-next-door, although in this case, he lives across the road.

Under the watchful eyes of Mrs Skelton and Grandma Vinegar, and while avoiding her insufferable cousin Rumer and her long time crush Luke, Freya attempts to uncover the secrets of the attic at Vinegar House, which has been out of bounds for as long as she can remember. As Freya spends her school holidays by the sea, she encounters mysterious flashes of light, the suspicious plumbing of an old house, deceptive love notes, a possible murder mystery, a midnight burglary and a potential ghost.

For the most part, Freya was an endearing character. There were a few moments however, where I just wanted to slap some sense into her, although this seems to be a common occurrence for me when the character is in their early teenage years. I suppose in hindsight someone probably wanted to do the same thing to me when I was fourteen!

In regards to the ‘stupid’ thing Freya did that was ‘splashed across Facebook’, it wasn’t really addressed that much. It was more a passing thought to explain why Freya had no problem with staying at Vinegar House. I think it served more as a warning that gossip is always blown way out of proportion and you should always seek the truth from the people involved rather than trust gossip and comments on Facebook that can blow things way out of proportion. I’m showing my age here but I am so glad Facebook wasn’t around until after I left high school!

While I enjoyed the story, I can’t help but wish there had been a little more to it. The novel was filled up with a lot of back story and descriptions of the place and the goings on at Vinegar House and its occupants including cranky Mrs Skelton, depressed Mr Chilvers and flippant Rumer, but not a huge amount of excitement until the last third of the book as the story picked up and we really got to the heart of the story. The end was satisfying and I liked the way the love notes and the mysteries all fitted together at the end.

Ages 12+

Thou Shalt Not Road Trip by Antony John

Title: Thou Shalt Not Road Trip
Author: Antony John

Release Date: 12th April 2012

My Rating: 3/5

Blurb:

When sixteen-year-old Luke's book, Hallelujah, becomes a national bestseller, his publishing house sends him on a cross-country book tour with his older brother, Matt, as chauffeur. But when irresponsible Matt offers to drive Luke's ex–soul mate, Fran, across the country too, things get a little crazy. On the trip, Luke must loosen up, discover what it truly means to have faith, and do what it takes to get the girl he loves.

Told with Antony John's signature wit and authenticity, and featuring smart, singular characters who jump off the page and into your heart, this story is a spiritual awakening and rockin' road trip in one.

In A Nutshell:
A compelling story about a boy who thinks he has his life all together but who is just, if not more, as screwed up as most teenagers.

My Review:
Christian fiction is not exactly my thing to say the least but, I loved Five Flavours of Dumb so I was still eager to give Antony John’s latest offering a try, plus I love road trips. While the religious aspect did get on my nerves to a degree, it wasn’t so over the top that I wanted to stop reading. I found it to be a compelling story about a boy who thinks he has his life all together but who is just, if not more, as screwed up as most teenagers.

Sixteen-year-old Luke has written a religious self-help book, aimed at children and teenagers, after he took part in a writing task at his youth group. Somehow the book became a major success and Luke is sent on a promotional book tour by his publicist, with his older brother Matt as chaperone. Luke blindly goes along, trusting that his older brother will get him where he needs to be on time. What Luke doesn’t realise is that Matt has other plans and he semi-hijacks the tour by inviting his girlfriend, Alexis, along, as well as her sister Fran, who happens to be Luke’s ex-best friend and ex-crush. As Matt and Alexis take the group on random detours along Route 66, Luke is faced with his own conscience concerning the content of his book and also the constant company of Fran. Neither Fran or Luke are particularly happy to be stuck on a road trip together but it provides Luke with an unexpected, and somewhat unwanted, opportunity to see Fran up close for the first time since she went through a mysterious transformation from good Christian school girl to an antisocial, tattooed teenager with purple hair. As Luke discovers who Fran has become, or who she still is, he learns that the greatest betrayals are often by those who you are closest to.

Society’s most common mistake is judging someone for what they look like, rather than who they are inside. There is always more than meets the eye and you should never take what someone says as gospel. Investigate it for yourself and then make your own decision.

I found the character of Luke rather annoying. He makes lots of mistakes because he is rather naïve about life and it takes him a while to figure out what is going on and to stand up for himself. The character of Fran was my favourite. She is so well written, the most real, and was easy to relate to. While she may have appeared to be the most screwed up of all the characters, to me, she was actually the most switched on of them all.

Taste by Kate Evangelista

Title: Taste
Author: Kate Evangelista

Release Date: 1st May 2012

My Rating: 5/5

Blurb:
At Barinkoff Academy, there's only one rule: no students on campus after curfew. Phoenix McKay soon finds out why when she is left behind at sunset. A group calling themselves night students threaten to taste her flesh until she is saved by a mysterious, alluring boy. With his pale skin, dark eyes, and mesmerizing voice, Demitri is both irresistible and impenetrable. He warns her to stay away from his dangerous world of flesh eaters. Unfortunately, the gorgeous and playful Luka has other plans.

When Phoenix is caught between her physical and her emotional attraction, she becomes the keeper of a deadly secret that will rock the foundations of an ancient civilization living beneath Barinkoff Academy. Phoenix doesn’t realize until it is too late that the closer she gets to both Demitri and Luka the more she is plunging them all into a centuries old feud.

In A Nutshell:
Taste is a reworking of the zombie mythology in a medieval setting complete with swords, corsets, a deadly virus and a government conspiracy. Throw in some smouldering-hot boys, sexual tension, a mad scientist and a hidden city, and you have one unputdownable novel.

My Review:
Taste is dark, hot and sexy, and I’m not just talking about the guys. If you’ve read the samplers then you know it is an enticing story that pulls you into the world of those who yearn to taste flesh. Don’t worry, this isn’t another vampire or werewolf story, it’s a zombie, sorry Zhamvy, novel.

I’m warning you now, there is quite a bit of talk about flesh eating so if that’s something you don’t want to hear about, then this probably isn’t the book for you. I wouldn’t classify it as horror, but it’s not Disney either.

There is, however, a secret city hidden from human eyes, and a reworking of the traditional zombie mythology in a medieval setting complete with swords, corsets, a deadly virus and a government conspiracy. There is also a love triangle but it doesn’t leave you hating either of the guys and the book finishes with a satisfying outcome concerning them both.

I love the Zhamvy world that Kate Evangelista has created. It is beautifully imagined and made me want to be part of the story. I love that our main character Phoenix is gutsy and stubborn, but smart, and it really made me want to be best friends with her. I love the mad-scientist, the ex-princess who likes to fight in lace and ribbons, and god did I love the sexual tension between Phoenix and Demitri. Yikes I blushed a lot.

I discovered Kate almost two years ago and have been following her progress as she found an agent, got herself a publishing deal with Crescent Moon Press, and finally released her debut novel Taste. I am so happy for her and can’t wait to read her future books.

You can buy Taste at The Book Depository or on Amazon in a paperback edition or as an eBook.

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Title: Wonder
Author: R.J. Palacio

Release Date: 14th February 2012

My Rating: 5/5

Blurb:
I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse.

August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school—until now. He's about to start 5th grade at Beecher Prep, and if you've ever been the new kid then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie's just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, despite appearances?

R. J. Palacio has written a spare, warm, uplifting story that will have readers laughing one minute and wiping away tears the next. With wonderfully realistic family interactions (flawed, but loving), lively school scenes, and short chapters, Wonder is accessible to readers of all levels.

In A Nutshell: A heart-warming story that everyone should read!

My Review:
Nothing I could possibly say would do Wonder justice. It is such a beautifully written, heartbreaking, but heart-warming, story.

Wonder follows ten-year-old August Pullman as he experiences his first year at school, having been home-schooled until now. What makes his story worth reading is that Auggie has severe facial deformities, and for a world that continues to judge people on their appearance, this new experience will not be an easy one. Told from multiple perspectives including August’s sister Via, his new friends Jack and Summer, Via’s boyfriend Justin, and August himself, we are able to see how other people view August and how he has impacted and influenced their lives, and vice-versa.

Wonder is a story about bullying, acceptance, respect, friendship, sacrifices, self-esteem, love and family. It is a story of enormous courage, as one little boy grows up over the course of a year, and touches so many people’s lives in the process. From a social outcast to someone who brings his whole school together, over the course of a year, August Pullman is a boy who used to hide, but now stands front and centre.

This is a novel everyone should read; children (9+), teenager and adult, and you will particularly enjoy it if you liked North of Beautiful, Skin Deep, Five Flavours of Dumb and/or Beautiful Monster.

********

I know I’m not a normal ten-year-old kid. I mean, sure, I do ordinary things. And I feel ordinary, inside. But I know ordinary kids don’t make other ordinary kids run away screaming in playgrounds. I know ordinary kids don’t get stared at wherever they go.

If I found a magic lamp and I could have one wish, I would wish that I had a normal face that no one ever noticed at all. I would wish that I could walk down the street without people seeing me and then doing that look-away thing. Here’s what I think: the only reason I’m not ordinary is that no one else sees me that way.

But I’m kind of used to how I look now. I know how to pretend I don’t see the faces people make. -August, Ordinary

********

Does August see how other people see him, or has he gotten so good at pretending not to see that it doesn’t bother him? Or does it bother him? When he looks in the mirror, does he see the Auggie Mum and Dad see, or does he see the Auggie everyone else sees? Or is there another August he sees, someone in his dreams behind the misshapen head and face?

I wish I could ask him this stuff. I wish he would tell me how he feels.
-Via, August Through the Peephole

********

It’s like some people you see sometimes, and you can’t imagine what it would be like to be that person, whether it’s somebody in a wheelchair or somebody who can’t talk. Only I know that I am that person to other people, maybe to every single person in that whole auditorium.

To me, though, I’m just me. An ordinary kid.
-August, Floating

Second Opinions
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