I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga

Jazz's father is the most notorious serial killer to date, and he spent his life training Jazz to be his successor.  It's a job that Jazz doesn't want, but he isn't sure he can refuse. His father's voice is constantly in his head, even after he has been in jail for 4 years.  Now, a new problem has popped up for Jazz, a local murderer that Jazz is convinced is a serial killer.  Determined not to become what his Dear Old Dad trained him to be, he begins to hunt the killer instead.

Gruesome. The entire premise of the book should clue the reader in from the beginning, this is NOT a comfortable read.  The murders are ugly, and the "teachings" forced on Jazz from the time he was little are disturbing.  But, Jazz is genuine, real.  His struggles and his talents are believable. 

As a murder-mystery fan, I enjoyed I Hunt Killers.  As a teacher-librarian, I can see that many young adults will identify with Jazz's hatred of his father and his fight to not be like him.  The first of a trilogy, Lyga's novel definately disturbs.

Girl Parts by John M. Cusick

David and Charlie live in a technology driven community.  They are complete opposites, except for the fact that neither seem able to connect with other people.  Enter girlbot, Rose, as David's companion. 

Girl Parts was disturbing on many levels. I get the irony of trying to teach boys to be more connected with other humans by using a life-like robot. Unfortunately, the contradictions in this book left me really bugged!

Rose, the robot, becomes more human than the humans because the author plays to the stereotypes of jerk, jock David; awkward, smart, loner, Charlie and even the only other girl, Rebecca, as the screwed up, over emotional, theatre girl. I don't think the characters progressed. They had experiences that made them feel and think, but in the end they are the same; they don't change significantly.

Finally, for a book that was supposed to be about human connection in a highly technological world, it treated sex in a very juvenile manner. Sex solved the lack of connection each character had, and the fact that the robot feels complete and whole with her girls parts seemed lame, as if the author was pandering to what he thinks all boys "want," yet another pitiful stereotype.

True Story: Murder, Memoir, Mea Culpa by Michael Finkel

Christian Longo was the father of three.  He had a beautiful, devoted wife.  He appeared successful. Then, his family was murdered, discovered one by one in a river.  Longo sets off for Mexico, where he assumes the name of a New York Times journalist, Michael Finkel.  What he doesn't know is that while he is in Mexico, Finkel is facing the wrath of the press for an unethical story he wrote and submitted for publication.  Finkel goes into hiding, only emerging when a police officer contacts him about his identity being stolen by a murderer.

Disturbing, True Crime left me questioning our ability to tell and to recognize truth.  Longo and Finkel are both adept liars.  One faces the truth about himself, and the other continues to lie. Finkel was likeable even if he was not admirable, and to Finkle, Longo was charming, an evil that was neccessary to  his pursuit to of the truth about Longo and himself. 

Difficult to put down, True Crime made me keep reading.  The style is clear and crisp.  It felt something like driving by a horrible wreck and seeing bodies being removed, wishing you didn't look, but knowing you have to. Propelled through the novel, in the end I am still wondering what to believe about these men. 

Rapunzel Untangled by Cindy C. Bennett

Most girls are fascinated by fairy tales, well the Disney version, where everything turns out beautifully. If you really think about it though, most fairy tales are dark, full of evil and wicked people. Murder is common as is death, in general, and that says nothing about all of the nasty "mothers" that inhabit most of the stories.

So it is with Bennett's modern retelling of the Rapunzel story. Rapunzel is locked in a tower for her own safety. She has an imune deficiency that has kept her in her apartment like room for seventeen years. Thankfully, her mother who is technologically illiterate herself, gets Rapunzel a computer. One Facebook post later, Fane has entered her life awakening her curiousity about the world beyond her room.

While the concept should be a strech, unfortunately, it is not in a real world where children are kidnapped and held against their will for decades. Bennett successfully captures the horror of the situation while still infusing the story with hope. Rapunzel has been naive and continues to be innocent throughout the novel, but she grows. She faces her fears and discovers a better world.

I seriously liked this retelling. Do NOT skip the author's note, it will help with the suspension of disbelief that the story requires.

The Kill Artist by Daniel Silva

     Gabriel Allon, top notch art restorer and part time Israeli Intelligence operative, has been drawn into the hunt for a Palestinian terrorist.  But, the real question is who will cause more damage to Allon: the terrorist, the beautiful agent he must work with or the Israeli Intelligence community itself?
     As a character study, The Kill Artist, is fascinating.  Allon is intriquing, as a spy should be, and his cool, calculating exterior hides a more intricate man.  On the other hand, the plot lacked suspense and action, especially for a spy novel, but the overall effect was intriguing, and Gabriel Allon is a character worth further study.
     Definately an adult book with adult language and situations, Silva's first novel in the Allon series was a New York Time Bestseller.

Confessions: The Paris Mysteries by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro

     Reloacted to Paris, Tandy is now facing threats from Royal Rampling immediately upon her reunion with his son, James, her first love, but the real threat is coming from somewhere else and has something to do with her sister, Katherine's sudden death six years ago. 
     I was seriously disappointed in this novel that read like a bridge to something much more exciting to come.  I really liked Tandy in the first two mysteries.  She was complex and quirky and interesting.  The cases she was solving were twisted and thrilling.  This time around she was a whiny teenager, and I knew how it was all going to work out almost from the very start.  Occaisonally, there was a bit of true suspence, but for the most part the story was predictable.  I doubt that I will give up on the series yet; I am accutally interested to see if the first Tandy returns.

The Four Doors by Richard Paul Evans

I've come to truly appreciate Richard Paul Evans succinct, crisp writing.  That's it.  The concepts behind the four doors aren't new, but the presentation makes them not only accessible but also tangible.  I felt like I had something concrete to work on, a specific way to improve my thinking and my actions.  So, essentially, he accomplished his purpose, and that is worth five stars.

Goners, The Final Hours of the Notable and Notorious

Goners should reside in the bathroom, not because it covers Elvis's death which occured in a bathroom, but because it's one of those books you can pick up and read a section of and then put it down. Oddly enough, I couldn't put it down. Maybe I have an unhealthy interest in death that I never realized, or maybe my brain just needed a break. More likely it is the fact that Kerr writes clean prose with tantalizing tidbits that pull you from story to story.  A fun read for the morbidly curious.

The Map Thief by Michael Blanding

     Frequently, I find non-fiction written by journalists to be well written, efficiently paced, and detailed enough to be intriguing.   Such is the case with The Map Thief.  Blanding investigates the story of E. Forbes Smiley III, an apparently successful rare map dealer who was caught stealing maps from Yale University and later confessed to having stolen nearly 100 maps from other public institutions such as the New York Public Library and the Boston Library.  

     Blanding traces Smiley's rise in the world of rare map dealing, examines Smiley's motivations and personality, and introduces the reader not only to the world of rare maps, but the history of these unique historical artifacts.

     It's a fascinating world, full of meticulous scholars, grandious dealers, and determined collectors.  Smiley had a gift, a talenet for envisioning the way a collection of maps could tell a story, and an increasing need for money.  In the end, though, it is difficult to tell what possesed Smiley to steal from the institutions that trusted and helped him as well as the dealers who supported him.

    An excellent read for the history buff who loves intrigue and peaking into the minds of those who create it. 

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

Don Tilman is not your average professor, well maybe he is your average genetics professor, I don't know many of them. He has decided that it's time to find a wife. Of course, that means he orginates the Wife Project which includes a 16 page survey for women to take. This will save him time, and eliminate awkward dating situations. Then Rosie walks in his office door and changes everything. Totally unsuitable, Rosie and her Father Project have Don doing things he would NEVER do.      I couldn't put The Rosie Project down. A fast and fun read, I was surprised by Professor Tilman's narrative, the fact that he was at once weird and appealing was fascinating to me. I really spent most of the book rooting for him to figure it all out. A second book was hinted at, and I would definately pick it up.      Because it is an adult novel, The Rosie Project has some blunt presentation of adult themes and situations; usually presented in Don's frank and scientific thinking, but some may find the subject matters too liberal for young adult readers.

Send by Patty Blount

At thirteen Kenny clicked "send" and changed lives.  Liam, the target of his bullying, committed suicide. Kenny went to juvenile detention. Kenny's family and Liam's were damaged almost beyond repair. The boy Kenny becomes after jail and after moving and hiding with his family for five years is named Dan.  Dan is different than Kenny, but Kenny lives on in Dan's mind, plaguing him, pouting, threatening, and childlike.  Dan just wants to finish high school at what he hopes will be his last school.  Then he sees Brandon being bullied by Jeff.  Julie sees it too, but it's Dan who acts.  Now he is visible, now he is the hero, but Dan just wants to forget it and figure out what Julie knows.

I had a seriously tough time believing that two damaged kids, Dan and Julie, could fall so deeply in love. Blount did not provide enough substance for the depth of their feelings, largely because Dan was dealing with so much "crap" (in his words). The best support came from the unconditional love of his parents, and in the end that is what made me suspend my disbelief and embrace this story. The ending was AMAZING, and sustained the truth of the story. I am so glad that I read this novel. It shows the damage that we are perpetrating on each other through the anonymity of social media, and the warning is powerful. I will definately be suggesting it to all of my students.

Geek Girl by Cindy C. Bennett

Jen's life hasn't been all fun and games. In fact, the tough exterior she shows the world is all she has left to protect herself. But, being a rebel is getting a little old, and she has gotten bored. Hence, the bet. Jen bets her girlfriends that she can turn geek, Trevor Hoffman, into a bad boy. She captures his attention immediately, but somehow she ends up doing charity work at an old folks home and watching sci-fi movies on Saturday nights instead of Trevor partying with her friends. Hanging out with Trevor isn't so bad, but when he finds out about the bet, nothing is fun anymore.

I liked Jen. She was tough, even mean, but her evolution was believable because she didn't really fit the protective shell she had created. Trevor was a little too good, but his own background, family and values rang true, and his kindness or as Jen would say "Trevor the Polite" was genuine. Overall, I simply enjoyed the ride.

Confessions of a Murder Suspect

Confessions of a Murder Suspect by James Patterson is his splash into the whirlpool of teen literature, and for the most part it's a success.

Tandy Angel and her siblings have always been special.  Each are gifted or brilliant in their own given universe: music, football, academics.  Their parents made their wealth through pharmaceuticals; as a result the kids have all the advantages of wealth, including a private school education and the elite address of the Dakota building in New York City.  But, life for the Angel children unravels when their parents are discovered murdered in their bed and the kids become prime murder suspects.  It's up 16 year old Tandy to solve the case, even if it means that she did it.

Patterson's characters are difficult to relate to.  Tandy is the extreme of "outsider" in a family of odd characters. Her life is extreme, including weirdly controlling parents, but I liked her.  I had to be willing to  struggled with her convoluted memories, sudden emotions, and desire to go back to her "old self," the one who was perfect and perfectly controlled.  Perhaps be creating a character caught in the extremes, Patterson created a relatable character for teens.

Of course, it was the plot, and it's twisted, suspenseful revelations that kept me reading and sent me on to read the second in the series,  Confessions: The Private School Murders.  I would give both novels a 3.5 or 4 star review.

Smoke

Pattyn and Jackie are obviously survivors. What I appreciate most about Smoke, by Ellen Hopkins was the fact that the girls didn't just magically heal overnight, in fact, they are still healing at the end of the book.

As usual, it is the character development that secured my interest, and my admiration of the book which is why I give it four stars, but I have some serious issues with many aspects of the book.

First, smack in the middle of the story, Jackie is suddenly dealing with symptoms of depression and addictive behaviors, a totally plausible situation considering what she has been through. However, Hopkins never really addresses these problems again. In fact, the story implies that Gavin's love and the fact that Jackie finally discovers and deals with the truth were the solutions to these complicated and difficult issues.

Next, she implies that Diedre is psychotic, but the resolution in the end is that she confesses to her crimes. Really?

Finally, I do appreciate the fact that Hopkins is trying to address and reveal the fact that religious people can be hypocrites that hide behind religion, but I have serious issue with her portrayal of the LDS church as cult like, suppressing women into the role of baby spouting, subservient second class citizens. One bothersome passage states, "The idea that a woman --even a chosen by God vessel --might have such power [like that of the Virgin Mary in Catholicism] would never be entertained. A woman's worth is contained within her uterus."

Obviously, this is the case with Pattyn and Jackie's mother's beliefs, but the implication here is that this is not only a commonly accepted view of members of the LDS faith, but that it is the official doctrine of said religion.

Truly, I understand that Hopkins is painting a picture of one family and the views of two young girls whose experiences are limited, but too frequently, I felt like Hopkins was on a personal soapbox spewing misconceptions and misrepresentations of what anti-LDS critics foster as truth. Such is the case when Jackie goes off about birth control being "frowned upon by LDS doctrine." Seriously, for the forty years that I have been affiliated with the LDS church, this topic has never been anything but a private matter between spouses.

Admittedly, the characters in this book were not likely to have balanced perspectives. In fact, as an adult, I know to question the validity of the things they say and believe, such is not the case with Hopkins' targeted audience of young adults who tend to believe what they read. I truly think that in some instances Hopkins could have accomplished her objective without "targeting" the a religion so specifically.

I did read and loved the story of Pattyn in Burned, but I felt similarly about it. In the end, I see these novels as stories that need to be discussed in mixed groups of adults and teens where questions about objectivity, perspective, character, voice and societal issues can be addressed.

Blackmoore

Kate decided long ago that she would never marry.  Her mother has other ideas.  After ruining several proposals, Kate convinces her mother to let her go to India, but only after Kate secures and then rejects three proposals.  Kate agrees and travels to Blackmoore in northern England, where she ends up confused about who she is and what she really wants.

A classic regency romance plot from the author of Edenbrooke, Julianne Donaldson, Blackmoore succeeded in meeting all of my expectations of a romance and then went a little beyond and secured for Kate a future that is uniquely her own.  A must read for any romantic.

Lone Survivor

Marcus Luttrell tells the true and amazing story of his lone survival after an ambush in Afghanistan in Lone Survivor: The Eyewitnees Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10.  The story begins with Luttrell's detailed account of SEAL training.  For me, it got a little tedious at times, but the story required that this part of his life, his training, be presented; so the reader could believe all that would happen in Afghanistan.

I absolutely loved this book.  Written so you feel and see what is happening, the pace of Lone Survivor is breathtaking, and Luttrell is the voice of so many soldiers struggling not only to survive physically, but to also survive the bureaucracy of government and trial by the media.  His story had to be told.

A Breath of Eyre

Eve Marie Mont's A Breath of Eyre  is an interesting look at a young girl's coming of age.  Reading it while longing for the greatness of the Gothic romance that Jane Eyre is would be like reading James Patterson expecting Agatha Christie.  I did not really like the "reading" that Emma placed on Jane Eyre, but as a method of propelling a young woman to become her own person, it worked.