Tag Archives: Young Adult

The Year the Swallows Came Early ~ Book Tour

American Literature February 23, 2009 Superfast Reader 3 Comments

I am very excited to be part of the blog tour for The Year the Swallows Came Early by Kathryn Fitzmaurice. This is Kathryn’s first YA book and she’s blogging all about it here. It’s so fun to see her enthusiasm for receiving her first copy of the real book–what a dream come true! Check back here tomorrow for my review, and in the meantime please visit the other bloggers on the tour: A Christian Worldview of Fiction All About Childrenâ€™s Books Beckyâ€™s Book Reviews…

Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry

American Literature January 13, 2009 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: Orphaned Kira is tapped to continue her mother’s work as a weaver with mystical powers, but her glimpses into the world lead her to question everything she’s ever known. Review: Gathering Blue is Lois Lowry’s follow-up to The Giver, her dystopian look at a world without pain. Gathering Blue is a much lighter work, and feels like a bridge to the next book in the trilogy, Messenger. I wasn’t really blown away by this book so I’m not going to say much, other than…

Shelter Me by Alex McAulay

American Literature January 6, 2009 Superfast Reader 4 Comments

Synopsis: Sent to a convent on the Welsh Coast during the Blitz, a teenage girl finds herself on the run and afraid for her life–from the scarred, terrifying Mother Superior. Review: I am hoping that Alex McAulay is planning a follow-up to Shelter Me, because while he wrapped up the plot quite well, I certainly did not feel I was done with Maggie’s story. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll just say that where she winds up at the end is just as…

Be Strong and Curvaceous (All About Us) by Shelley Adina

American Literature January 2, 2009 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: Scholarship student Carly bonds with her titled new roommate when Lady Lindsay starts receiving emails from a stalker. Review: Be Strong and Curvaceous didn’t really do it for me. I have read a lot of series Christian YA and this didn’t do anything new. It’s not bad, I just need more from my reading these days.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard by JK Rowling

British Literature December 27, 2008 Superfast Reader 2 Comments

Synopsis: A collection of traditional wizarding fairy tales translated by Hermione Granger and annotated by Albus Dumbledore–with an introduction by JK Rowling. Review: Why couldn’t Beedle the Bard be twice as long? I loved these stories, which read just like “real” fairy tales, but with a spin that marks them as belonging to the world of Harry Potter and friends. What could be a clever gimmick works because the stories themselves work even if you know nothing of Harry Potter. They’re classic in their execution…

Stop Me if You’ve Heard This One Before by David Yoo

American Literature December 18, 2008 Superfast Reader 2 Comments

Synopsis: After winning the heart of the most popular girl in school, dorky Albert risks losing it all when her alpha ex-boyfriend develops Hodgkin’s. Review: Imagine the dorkiest kid you can imagine–the guy with no social filter, the one who’s never seen talking to anyone, who eats lunch in the cafeteria and never makes eye contact. Now picture the pretty popular girl with perfect calves and bouncy hair and a smile that’s an invitation to share in eternal happiness. Now make them kiss. You can’t…

Life After Genius by M. Ann Jacoby

American Literature December 15, 2008 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: A math whiz blows a huge presentation just days before graduation, and now he’s haunted by the ghosts of his family’s past tragedies and the very real threat posed by his unhinged rival. Review: The afterword says that M. Ann Jacoby toiled at Life After Genius for years. I’m hoping it doesn’t take her as long to get the next one out because she’s got a great writing style and brings a lot of intelligence and originality to her storytelling. The book is reminiscent…

The Secret Story of Sonia Rodriguez by Alan Lawrence Sitomer

American Literature December 10, 2008 Superfast Reader 2 Comments

Synopsis: The only daughter in a big family of Mexican immigrants, Sonia has to take care of everyone but herself, and she’s finding it hard to achieve her goal of graduating from high school. Review: I love a good Cinderella story, and The Secret Story of Sonia Rodriguez hits all the right notes, with funny and appealing Mexican flair. Because her pregnant ama is on bed rest with twins, Sonia has to take care of her three brothers, her 3-job father, and her “drunkle,” who…

Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson

American Literature December 7, 2008 Superfast Reader 5 Comments

Synopsis: A slave girl bent on gaining her freedom finds herself embroiled in the furor of the Revolutionary War in 1776 New York City. Review: It’s simply perfect, that’s all there is to it. Chains is one of the finest examples of a young adult novel you’re likely to find, from one of the genre’s finest authors, Laurie Halse Anderson. I have been reading YA for almost three decades now and while Anderson’s Speak, a fine, fine novel itself, is a classic of a certain…

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

American Literature November 28, 2008 Superfast Reader 4 Comments

Synopsis: After spending time incarcerated in a secret prison after a terrorist attack, a computer-savvy teen decides to fight back in the name of the Constitution. Review: I am so not cool enough for Little Brother. I’ve never hacked, coded, partitioned or flashmobbed. I don’t understand crypto and I’ve never touched an Xbox. I did learn BASIC programming when I was in elementary school, and one time I spent half a day typing in commands that I got from Mad Magazine, promising to render a…

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