Author Signing

Hey all! Happy Valentines Weekend.

The Literati went to meet author Bree Despain at her signing at a local Barnes and Noble. We have had the fun opportunity of being part of her 'Underground Street Team' just before and after her debut novel, The Dark Divine, came out in December. It's a fabulous paranormal romance. (Read our review here.)

It was very exciting to meet this author we'd done so much work with and to hear her read from the book. We gave her some presents and some 'twisted valentines': letters from Twilight characters to her characters and from her characters to her. We had a blast writing these quirky valentines and going over the top on the smoochiness, but they quickly turned a little creepy. :) She's posted a picture of all of us who could attend as well as links to some of the letters we wrote. Feel free to visit her blog and check it out!

One of our favorite poems:

from Edward Cullen to Grace Divine

Roses are red,

You're veins are blue;

I'll slit my wrists

If I can't be with you.

P.S. What characters would you like to see write letters to one another? (The Literati girls always love a good writing challenge; maybe we'll try our hand at some!)

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Story

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker–his classmate and crush–who committed suicide two weeks earlier.

On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list.

Through Hannah and Clay's dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers.

Review

A suspenseful read that held my attention from the first page to the last.

The quickly-switching points of view between Hannah and Clay were confusing at first, but by the second chapter I'd figured out who Hannah was addressing as she spoke. (It changed with each side of the tape.) As Hannah began listing the reasons why she had committed suicide, I worried this was going to be an "everyone was mean to me so I killed myself" book. But it was much, much deeper than that. Jay Asher did a good job making the reader understand why Hannah ended her life. And he did a great job having Clay come to the realization that Hannah's suicide was a choice...and she could have chosen differently.

Jay Asher can write like a teenage boy. (Of course, since he was one.) BUT he can also write convincingly like a teenage girl. I love the fact that Clay turns out to be a good kid - and a really good friend.

Book-a-Likes

The Secret Year by Jennifer Hubbard

Paper Towns by John Green.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

A must-read. One of a kind.

Profanity: Mild as far as I can recall... (I tend to not notice it.)

Drugs and Alcohol: Yes, but in a context to be educational.

Sexual Content: Mature, but alluded to.

Violence: Mild.

~Suzette~

The Hunger Games By: Suzanne Collins

Story: Twenty- four are forced to enter. Only the winner survives.
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Each year, the districts are forced by the Capitol to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the Hunger Games, a brutal and terrifying fight to the death – televised for all of Panem to see.
Survival is second nature for sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who struggles to feed her mother and younger sister by secretly hunting and gathering beyond the fences of District 12. When Katniss steps in to take the place of her sister in the Hunger Games, she knows it may be her death sentence. If she is to survive, she must weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

Review: The book The Hunger Games Is a must read book, Cut and dried. I didn't need a bookmark while reading this book because i would just have to flip through the pages and find the most recent drool marks on the page I was on when Mr. Sandman finally gave up on the sand and moved on to using boulders. I found most of the characters believable, and the alloy of highly advanced technology, survival, and primal instincts, is perfect. If you want to read it is recommended by the surgeon general that you have book two close at hand and there should be a written warning that you will suffer from withdrawals and stress due to suspense till book three comes out in August.

Book A-Like: Enders Game, by Orson Scot Card; The Arena, by Fredric Brown.

Profanity: None

Drugs and Alcohol: Alcohol, but not in good light.

Sexuality: None

Violence: This book isn't for the squeamish or faint of heart, to put it simply.

2010 Debut Author Challenge

Great news! The Literati group is participating in the 2010 Debut Author Challenge! We'll keep a list here of the books we will be reading. For now our goal is 12, but that number may grow.

For a book to qualify, it must be an author's debut, and it must fall under the Middle Grade or Young Adult categories. Visit The Story Siren to join in the fun!

Here are some places you can go for book suggestions:

The Tenners

Authors Now

Class of 2K10

2010 on Goodreads

If you are a 2010 debut author and would like us to review your book, send me an email:

SuzetteSaxton (at) gmail (dot) com.

Happy Reading!

Evermore

by Alyson Noel

Story:

Since a horrible accident claimed the lives of her family, Ever can see auras, hear people's thoughts, and know a person's entire life story by touch. Going out of her way to avoid human contact and suppress her abilities has branded her as a freak at her new high school—but everything changes when she meets Damen.

Damen Auguste is gorgeous, exotic and wealthy. He's the only one who can silence the noise and random energy in her head—wielding a magic so intense, it's as though he can see straight into her soul. As Ever is drawn deeper into his enticing world of secrets and mystery, she's left with more questions than answers. She has no idea just who he really is—or what he is. The only thing she knows to be true is she's falling deeply and helplessly in love with him.

Review:

Evermore is a very easy read and very fun. I read it and the sequel, Blue Moon, in an evening each. While the book captivated me and kept me reading much later than I should have, I did find myself wanting to skim through certain parts. Ever is an interesting character and I enjoyed her personality. The relationship between Ever and her younger (more dead) sister Riley is also well-written and layered. It reminded me much of my relationship with my younger sister.

However, I did find some of the other characters hard to like. Ever's friends in particular were difficult to appreciate. I'm not sure exactly how much they actually qualify as friends. I was actually annoyed by them occasionally. Also, some of the characters seemed to act without reason. While their actions are explained at the end of the book, it just takes too long for sense to be made of certain story elements. I found the lack of clarification a little frustrating and wished it had come sooner. But despite these few rough spots, I thought the books were still a very good read. I did, after all, read 2 of them in 2 days!

Book-a-Likes: you'll like this if you like most paranormal YA novels, particularly The Mortal Instruments and Vampire Academy.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Profanity: None

Drugs and Alcohol: Some teenage drinking

Sexual Content: Mild, none specifically but plenty of references to it and whether or not it will happen

Violence: Mild

Reviewer:

Julie

Vampire Academy Series, Books 1-3

by Richelle Mead

Description:

Book #1: VAMPIRE ACADEMY

ONLY A TRUE BEST FRIEND CAN PROTECT YOU FROM YOUR IMMORTAL ENEMIES...

Lissa Dragomir is a Moroi princess: a mortal vampire with an unbreakable bond to the earth's magic. She must be protected at all times from Strigoi; the fiercest and most dangerous vampires - the ones who never die.

The powerful blend of human and vampire blood that flows through Rose Hathaway, Lissa's best friend, makes her a Dhampir. Rose is dedicated to a dangerous life of protecting Lissa from the Strigoi, who are hell-bent on making her one of them.

After two years of illicit freedom, Rose and Lissa are caught and dragged back to St. Vladimir's Academy, hidden in the deep forests of Montana. Rose will continue her Dhampir education. Lissa will go back to being Queen of the elite Moroi social scene. And both girls will resume breaking Academy hearts.

Fear made Lissa and Rose run away from St. Vladimir's - inside the Academy's iron gates, their world is even more fraught with danger. Here, the cutthroat ranks of the Moroi perform unspeakable rituals, and their secretive nature and love of the night creates and enigmatic world full of social complexities. Rose and Lissa must navigate through this dangerous world, confront the temptation of forbidden romance, and never onece let thier guard down, lest the Strigoi make Lissa one of them forever...

Book #2: FROSTBITE

WHEN LOVE AND JEALOUSY COLLIDE ON THE SLOPES, WINTER BREAK TURNS DEADLY...

Rose's love life is all messed up. The man she likes has his eyes on someone else, her friend has a crush on her, and she keeps getting stuck in Lissa's head while she is making out with her boyfirend.

Then when a Massive Strigoi attack puts St. Vladimir's on high alert, the school is crawling with guardians. And one just happens to be Rose's formidable, long- absent mother, Janine Hathaway.

But this only provides the illusion of safty. When some students run away to strike back at the Strigoi, Rose must rescue them. Only this time, Rose - and her heart - are in more danger than she ever could have imagined...

Book #3: SHADOW KISS

WHAT IF FOLLOWING HER HEART MEANS ROSE COULD LOSE HER BEST FRIEND FOREVER? THIS TIME, ROSE WILL HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THEM.

Rose knows it is forbidden to love another guardian, and that her best friend Lissa - the last Dragomir princess - must always come first. Unfortunately, when it comes to Dimitire Belikov, some rulse are meant to be broken...

But since her first Strigoi kills, Ros hasn't been feeling right. Something dark has begun to grow in her mind, and ghostly shadows warn of a terrible evil drawing near. Tensions in the Moroi world are higher than ever.

Lying to Lissa about Dimitri is one thing, but suddely there's way more than friendship at stake. In a Heartstopping battle to rival her worst nightmares, Rose will have to choose between life, love and the two people who matter most...but will her choice mean that only one can survive?

Review:

There were a alot of good parts in these books. Richelle Mead has done a wonderful job in writing them. In this amazing series of novels you will find: love, friendship, inner trials, excitement, action and adventure. It is a fast paced read, one thrill after another. But I have to admit that some parts in the middle are a little slow, but it won't last long if Rose Hathaway has anything to say about it.

The character development and story line are so well done that I think I am a student at St. Vladimir's Academy myself. The book is told from Rose's point of view. And while you might be able to predict the smaller happenings of the plot, it's not that easy with the bigger picture. I can tell you one thing, I did not expect half those things to happen.

Rose is a seriously independent, handle it on her own, never let a fight go unchallenged kind of girl. While Lissa on the other hand, is a kind of moody, dependent and slightly annoying. (The annoying part is my own personal opinion though...no offence.)

Book-alikes: ~I would recomend these books for anyone who is a fan of Vampires, the Twilight series, the House Of Night series, etc.~

Profanity: Mild

Drugs & Alcohol: Mild

Sexuality: Mild, it is suggested but never in detail

Violence: Mild

Rating: **** 4 out of 5 stars.

Reviewed by :

Lisa

The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

Summary:

So basically, the book is about fighting the evil side with in all of us. Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared--the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in his own blood--but she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night held.The memories her family has tried to bury resurface when Daniel returns, three years later, and enrolls in Grace and Jude's high school. Despite promising Jude she'll stay away, Grace cannot deny her attraction to Daniel's shocking artistic abilities, his way of getting her to look at the world from new angles, and the strange, hungry glint in his eyes.The closer Grace gets to Daniel, the more she jeopardizes her life, as her actions stir resentment in Jude and drive him to embrace the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind the boy's dark secret...and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it--her soul. (Summary by goodreads.com)

Review:
The Dark Divine was surprisingly quite a good book! At first I was a little apprehensive to read it, because it sounded like just another spin off of Twilight, but I found the character development to be much better. I actually liked the realistic way Bree made her characters feel, though I feel that her male characters were stronger then the female ones.

I did find the main heroine of the story lacking in some personality. It's not that Grace was not likeable, I just think that you expected her to grow more as the book progressed. Her growth was stunted, I think, because the author was trying so hard to capture Daniel and his struggle that she forget to continue to develop Grace in the same ways. I wish she had gone a little bit deeper into Jude's side of the story as well, so you could really see what was going on between both of these very compelling characters. I feel Jude hung there for a long time not being used. Over all I liked the book a lot: it portrayed some very human emotions, it was not "CHEESY", it moved well, and had great humor. Bree makes you fight to love these characters, as much as the characters in the book are fighting to love each other. I loved the end. It showed that you do have to sacrifice, and I think that's one element love stories tend to leave out. A very nice read over all!!!

Profanity: Mild
Drugs & Alcohol: Medium, talked about, and a scene where a guy is high, but nothing really bad.
Sexuality: Mild, there is some kissing :)
Violence: Medium, but really nothing gory.
Rating: **** 4 out of 5 stars.