Tuesday, November 19, 2013

A mix of reviews - YA & Adult stand-alone novels

Looking over my pile of un-reviewed books, I realized there are four books I read at the end of the summer/beginning of fall that I never shared here on the blog. They cover a fairly wide range of genres, so there just might be a little something here for everyone!

Somebody Up There Hates You by Hollis Seamon
Series? No
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Date: Sept. 3, 2013
How did I get this book? free Advance Reader's Copy from the publisher via Shelf Awareness for my honest review
My Rating: 5 of 5 stars
GoodReads | Author | Publisher

This one is a contemporary YA novel told from the perspective of a teenage guy dying of cancer. This theme has been done many times and it rarely fails to touch the heart, but this particular book really stands out as unique, if you ask me. While the premise is sad, this book is so full of life. I think it's a real accomplishment that Hollis Seamon has written a book in this genre that didn't make me cry and not because of any failing on her part, but because it somehow manages to be honest and real while also being laugh-out-loud funny. Rich may still be an immature teenager in many ways, but he still handles his situation better than I imagine most of us would. I'm very picky about contemporary YA books and there are many in the genre that don't appeal to me, but this was a real stand-out.
------------------------------------

The Light in the Ruins by Chris Bohjalian
Series? No
Publisher: Doubleday
Date: July 9, 2013
How did I get this book? free Advance Reader's Copy from the publisher via Shelf Awareness for my honest review
My Rating: 4 of 5 stars
GoodReads | Author | Publisher

This is the second book I've read by Chris Bohjalian and it has made me want to read all of his back-list titles. Like right now. A wonderfully written historical fiction novel that switches between the time periods during and after WWII as it takes the reader on an investigation into events during the war that are potentially fueling a serial killer's crimes. The combination of history, mystery, and intrigue was exquisite. This book kept me eagerly turning the pages and I look forward to more from this excellent writer.
------------------------------------

The Never List by Koethi Zan
Series? No
Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books (a Penguin imprint)
Date: July 16, 2013
How did I get this book? free Advance Reader's Copy from the publisher via Shelf Awareness for my honest review
My Rating: 4 of 5 stars
GoodReads | Author | Publisher

This debut novel is great example of a thriller and it truly gave me the creeps. That being said, the book's description led me to believe it might be even more terrifying than it truly was, but it definitely did not disappoint. 10 years after escaping imprisonment in a sadistic madman's basement, Sarah is still struggling to move on with her life and desperately wants to find the body of her best friend who was abducted with her. As with any book of this type, there are always times when you want to scream at the characters because you feel you are watching them head toward their doom, but what is a thriller without a few poor choices? Very suspenseful, and the ending threw me for a loop. Even with a few predictable spots, there's nothing like an ending you don't see coming.
------------------------------------

Letters From Skye by Jessica Brockmole
Series? No
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Date: July 9, 2013
How did I get this book? free Advance Reader's Copy from the publisher via Shelf Awareness for my honest review
My Rating: 5 of 5 stars
GoodReads | Author | Publisher

A reclusive Scottish poet falls in love with an American student and the reader follows the journey of their illicit romance (the poet is married) through a series of letters written during WWI. The story also jumps forward to WWII and follows the story of the poet's daughter who is desperately trying to find out more about her mother's history which she is determined to keep a secret. While there are certain ethical and moral conundrums, I found myself falling in love with these characters and hoping against hope they would be able to find happiness. I haven't read many books in the epistolary style, but I have to say I really enjoyed this one. It was amazing to me to watch a love story unfold based almost entirely in letters - how stongly they could feel for each other before they ever even laid eyes on one another.

______________________________
These books count toward my reading goals for:
2013 ARC Reading Challenge

6 comments:

  1. I'm glad you liked The Never List too! It is one of the best thrillers I've read in a while and it totally gave me the creeps as well!

    Someday Up There Hates You sounds like such a good book! I'm thinking if you liked it I will as well. I am adding that on my TBR pile along with Letters From Sky, which just sounds so good just from the fact that it is told through letters, I love that idea.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I definitely had a good run with these books -- I would recommend them all :)

      Delete
  2. Letters from Skye seems so interesting, plus epistolary novel - it's not overly long as well so I might keep an eye out for this one.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, it's quite a quick read -- I think you might like it!

      Delete
  3. Letters From Skye I've had in mind for a while. I've read one book about teenage cancer and have The Fault In Our Stars still to read, but I wasn't aware it had become a trend of sorts. It's an important topic though, so it's a trend that sounds more... 'worthy?' than some others.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I haven't actually read The Fault in Our Stars yet because it seemed so similar to Before I Die which was a really excellent book. But there was also The Probability of Miracles which recently came out and the Lurlene McDaniels books I remember from middle school, so maybe not a trend exactly, but not exactly a new idea either. It most definitely is a worthy topic though and can be extremely powerful.

      Delete

I'd love to hear what you think :)