Posts Tagged Young Adult

Sarah Dessen Book Club

May 17, 2013 at 6:16 am · Filed under Ages 14 and Up ·Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

If you can’t get enough of Sarah Dessen, her newest book The Moon and More comes out on June first. Get warmed up for the new release by making this summer all about Sarah Dessen. If you buy three or more Sarah Dessen books at Hooray for Books! before July 30th you will be entered into a raffle to win a $10 gift certificate. Any Sarah Dessen book is eligible, just ask a bookseller for the Penguin punch card. The drawing will be held at our Sarah Dessen Book Club Event on July 30th from 6:30-7:30. You’ll have a chance to discuss your favorite Sarah Dessen books, and participate in activities and receive other Sarah Dessen goodies.

My favorite Sarah Dessen book is The Truth About Forever. Macy’s life is structured and predictable. When her boyfriend leaves for Brain Camp all summer long, her summer looks like it will be long, studious, and boring. Then she takes a job at Wish catering, and her wacky coworkers, including a gorgeous guy name Wes, show Macy that predicatbility and perfection isn’t the only way to be happy. This books got it all: romance, fantastic friends, summer job drama, a believable protagonist, and plenty of humor.

Swing by the store to pick up one of Sarah’s many books, and let us know your favorites. 

Happy Summer Reading,

Erin

The Moon and More; Sarah Dessen; Viking; $19.99

The Truth About Forever; Sarah Dessen; Puffin; $9.99

Leave a Comment

This Book Makes Me Happy :)

April 8, 2013 at 11:08 am · Filed under Ages 12 and up, Ages 14 and Up ·Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Are you looking for the perfect summer book? A light romance that is fast-paced AND well-written? This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith is the perfect escape. Fans of Sarah Dessen’s books, or Jenny Han’s The Summer I Turned Pretty will fall hard for this romance.

When teen celebrity Graham Larkin accidentally emails Ellie O’Neill about his pet pig, the two of them start a chain of emails and eventually become friends. Graham falls for Ellie so he manages to renegotiate the location of his newest film to Ellie’s hometown: a small resort town on the Maine Coast

Discovering her online crush is a movie star is actually quite complicated. Can they manage to avoid the paparazzi, keep Ellie’s family secret out of the news, and just get over the awkwardness of teenage dating?

Despite its over-the-top premise, the emotions and relationships are realistic, including complicated, but supportive, relationships with parents and friends. Younger readers, and even adults, will enjoy this clean read. The characters are witty, the romance is satisfying, and the setting is gorgeous. This is What Happy Looks Like is my favorite YA romance this year.

-Erin

This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith; Hachette; $17.99

Leave a Comment

A Perfect Winter Read

March 6, 2013 at 8:41 am · Filed under Ages 12 - 14, Ages 12 and up ·Tagged , , , , , , , ,

tragedypaper

Looking for the perfect young adult novel to curl up with while it’s freezing outside? Try The Tragedy Paper by Elizabeth Laban.

Duncan returns to Irving School for his senior year, hoping to avoid discussing, or even thinking about, his role in the tragic event the winter before. But the previous tenant of his room, an albino named Tim, has graduated and left a stack of CDs for Duncan. The recordings not only reveal the details behind the tragedy, they narrate a secret romance between Tim and the most popular girl in school.

Duncan just wants to forget what happened last year, but as he becomes caught up in Tim’s story, he realizes it is influencing his own. Told in alternating perspectives, The Tragedy Paper is a compelling mystery that evokes the boarding school environment of The Disreputable History of Frank Landau Banks. Laban’s debut novel will keep the reader on edge as the tragedy looms closer and closer.

The Tragedy Paper by Elizabeth Laban; Knopf; $17.99; Ages 12 and up

Leave a Comment

The Madman’s Daughter

February 6, 2013 at 12:05 pm · Filed under Ages 14 and Up ·Tagged , , , , , , ,

images (3)Life in 19th century London is brutal for Juliet Moreau. Her father, once a famous surgeon, scandalized the family and she’s now orphaned and destitute. But when she discovers he’s alive and practicing his experiments on a remote island, she journeys to find him. What she discovers, however, is that his madness may run within her, in alarming ways she doesn’t dare to imagine.

Based on H.G. Wells’ science fiction novel, the Island of Dr. Moreau, Megan Shepherd’s version turns the classic plot into a compulsively readable young adult novel. She crafts a well-written novel that balances scientific horror with an irresistible love triangle. Though the introduction to a new trilogy, the novel stands alone well, and the plot twists and surprises will keep you guessing right up to the last page. 

Megan Shepherd will be at Hooray for Books! this Thursday (Feb 7th) at 6:30 p.m. with three other exciting YA authors: Jodi Meadows, Meagan Spooner, and Lenore Appelhans.

The Madman’s Daughter by Megan Shepherd; Balzar and Bray /Harper Teen; $17.99

Leave a Comment

The Raven Boys

November 26, 2012 at 7:43 am · Filed under Ages 14 and Up ·Tagged , , ,

If you’re looking for a new series to sink your teeth into, this is it. In The Raven Boys, bestselling-writer Maggie Stiefvater (Shiver and Scorpio Races) weaves magic and folklore into an original ghost story.

Blue Sargent, daughter of a clairvoyant, has always known that if she kisses her true love he will die. Good thing Blue doesn’t believe in true love. Besides, she stays away from boys, especially Raven boys.

Each year on St. Mark’s Eve, Blue and her mother go to observe the procession of spirits who will die within the coming year. Blue never sees them, but this year she sees the spirit of Gansey. She’s told it can only mean one of two things: he is her true love, or she will kill him.

Gansey is a Raven Boy, a student at the privileged Aglionby boarding school. He and three best friends are on a mythical quest that Blue can’t help but become entangled in.

This page-turner will keep you guessing until the end, and will make you eager for Stiefvater’s next installment.

-Erin

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater; Scholastic; $18.99

Leave a Comment

Five Flavors of Dumb

October 15, 2012 at 7:03 am · Filed under Ages 12 and up, Uncategorized ·Tagged , , , ,

In search of a funny YA read? Try Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John. It’s anything but dumb.

Seattle’s newest high school band is Dumb. That is literally their name and Piper thinks it fits. But when Dumb wins the battle of the bands, Piper inadvertently becomes their manager. There are just a few problems-they only know one song, one member can’t even play guitar, they don’t have a drummer, and Piper is deaf. But she’s in desperate need of cash and determined to turn Dumb into a real rock band.

This fun foray into rock-n-roll is a great, quick YA read about the world’s most unlikely high school rock band. Antony John sends his characters on a crash course through Seattle’s rock history, while raising some interesting questions about being a deaf teenager.  Piper’s often snarky voice will make you laugh as she tries to transform Dumb into a band that really rocks.   — Erin

Five Flavors of Dumb,by Antony John, Speak, $8.99

Leave a Comment

A Confusion of Princes

August 13, 2012 at 7:50 am · Filed under Ages 14 and Up, Ages 12 and up ·Tagged , , , ,

 It sounds like an obscure collective noun: A Confusion of Princes, by Garth Nix. I thoroughly enjoyed this fun, plot-twisting sci-fi adventure. In an article for the latest issue of The Horn Book Magazine, fantasy writer T.A. Barron claims that the best fantasy has three essential qualities: depth of character, truth of place and richness of meaning. A Confusion of Princes can make a case for having all three.

Khemri is a Prince of the Empire, which means he is genetically altered to be faster and stronger than ordinary humans. He is also likely to be assassinated by other Princes who are competing for the role of Emperor. One of the best parts of the book is how Khemri grows from being a selfish, self-centered and arrogant teen into a compassionate and clever adult, with true depth of character. What teen hasn’t wanted to just get away from school and authority to do whatever you like? Khemri says at the beginning of the novel “I want to enjoy myself…Get a ship–you know, a corvette or maybe something smaller, of course with high automation, head out for some distant stars, see something beyond this moldy old temple, smoke a few Naknuk ships or the like….That’s not going to happen is it?”

No, it isn’t, primarily because Khemri’s Empire is not a safe place, even for a Prince with a Master of Assassins and various priests to see to his every need. The setting bounces between various planets, ships and academies, but the world  that is most fully fleshed out is one where Khemri ends up by accident–Kharalcha Four, a system with limited technology and no love for Princes. The descriptions of space ships, machines and various ‘teks’ or technologies get confusing at points, but Kharalcha Four is given many details that help the reader understand why Khemri feels at home there and decides to save these people, at any cost.

The third essential quality of good fantasy is richness of meaning. While an exciting plot, various narrow escapes and a light touch of romance are all present in this book, the heart of A Confusion of Princes is Khemri’s struggle to recover his humanity from the confusion of tek, special abilities and mind-conditioning he has had as a Prince. The question of what it means to be human and part of a family is the central idea of the novel. Readers will cheer for Khem as he makes up his mind about who, exactly, he wants to be.  — Cecilia

A Confusion of Princes, by Garth Nix, HarperCollins, $17.99, ages 12 and up.

Leave a Comment

Awesome Teen Author Panel!

June 20, 2012 at 2:17 pm · Filed under Adult fiction and non-fiction, Ages 12 - 14, Ages 12 and up, Ages 14 and Up, Events ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

We’ve been so lucky to have a steady stream of YA Authors dropping by the store to share their books with all of you and next week we have 4 more! Come join us at 3:30 on June 30th and welcome Elizabeth Scott, Alethea Kontis, Diana Peterfreund, and Brigid Kemmerer to Hooray for Books!

Elizabeth Scott introduces her latest book, Miracle, the story of a young girl who is the only survivor of a plane crash. Megan is a miracle. At least, that’s what everyone says. Having survived a crash that killed everyone else on board, Megan knows she should be grateful just to be alive. But the truth is, she doesn’t feel like a miracle. In fact, she doesn’t feel anything at all. Then memories from the crash start coming back.  Miracle, Simon Pulse, $16.99

Diana Peterfreund’s book, For Darkness Shows the Stars, features 18-year-old Elliot North, a girl who chose family over love four years ago, refusing to run away from the caste system she grew up in, as the servant, Kai, wanted her to. Inspired by Jane Austen’s Persuasion, For Darkness Shows the Stars is a breathtaking romance about opening your mind to the future and your heart to the one person you know can break it.  For Darkness Shows the Stars, Balzer & Bray/Harperteen, $16.99

Alethea Kontis’ foray into the young adult world is Enchanted. It isn’t easy beign the rather overlooked and unhappy youngest sibling to sisters named for the other six days of the week. Sunday’s only comfort is writing stories, although what she writes has a terrible tendency to come true. When Sunday meets an enchanted frog, the two become friends and the friendship deepens into something magical. Sunday’s love transforms the frog into a prince!

A lovely retelling of “The Frog Prince.”  Enchanted, Harcourt Children’s Books, $16.99


Brigid Kemmerer has written Storm, a fast-paced story with lots of thrills and will definitely have you turning the pages faster and faster!

Ever since her ex-boyfriend spread those lies about her, Becca Chandler is suddenly getting all the guys — the ones she doesn’t want. Then she saves Chris from a beating in the school parking lot. Chris is different. Way different: he can control water– just like his brothers can control fire, wind, and earth. They’re powerful. Dangerous. Marked for death. Storm, Kensington Publishing, $9.95

Come join us as the authors talk about their latest books, answer questions, and sign your copies.

Leave a Comment

If you like Jenny Han, you’ll love Morgan Matson!

May 21, 2012 at 11:43 am · Filed under Ages 14 and Up ·Tagged , , , , , , , ,

We get a lot of customers in the store looking for read alikes. The “I’ve read this book, what should I read next” kind of thing. That’s probably my favorite question from those of you that walk in our doors, because it’s like solving a mystery.

I know we have a lot of fans of Jenny Han’s “Summer” series, myself included, and as I was reading Morgan Matson’s fantastic new book, Second Chance Summer, I couldn’t stop comparing them…in a good way! They’re both perfect get-ready-for-summer reads, with an excellent balance of relationships, family, and emotional impact, as well as the required cute boys and beach time.

Each and every character in Second Chance Summer has a place and you’ll end up caring about all of them.  You’ll sympathize with Taylor as she works through some serious friendship hurtles after returning to her lake house after 5 years of being away and you’ll laugh as her serious brother Warren attempts to wrangle himself a date with the girl from the pet store. You’ll cry as Taylor’s father battles a tragic illness and you’ll cheer when she and Henry finally start to talk to each other again. A rollercoaster of emotions in the best sort of way.

So much is going on in this book, but Matson, like Han, has managed to play out a realistic teen’s life on the pages. It’s like real life: bad things happen, but life also goes on. Funny moments get taken out with tears and vice versa. I loved Second Chance Summer and I think all of those fans of Jenny Han’s books (and Sarah Dessen and Jessi Kirby) will love it too.

Be sure to check out Morgan Matson’s previous book, Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour, which is also one of my favorite get-ready-for-summer books. Can you say road trip?!

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson; $16.99; Simon & Schuster; Ages 14+

Comments (1)

Along for the Ride…a great intro to summer reads!

May 16, 2012 at 5:31 am · Filed under Ages 14 and Up ·Tagged , , , , , , , ,

I really think Sarah Dessen and I could be best friends. She’s fun and quirky and writes amazing books. Plus, I hear she really likes dessert. We’re meant to be! She’s also a brilliant author that can truly channel the teen mind and the need for “real” fiction. Though I love them all, Along for the Ride is definitely my favorite and the perfect book to get teens geared up for summer vacation!

Auden is an incredibly smart girl, a girl with a great head on her shoulders, but also a girl forced to grow up quickly to impress her academic parents, even after they divorced. Always studying, always doing the right thing. This summer, Auden is just sick to death of putting up with her overbearing, uncaring mother and all the graduate students that flit in and out of the woman’s life, so she decides to go spend the summer at her father’s beach house, with his new wife, and new baby sister.

 Taking a job in her stepmother’s fancy beach boutique is about the last thing Auden planned to do, as were falling in love with both a guy and her baby sister, or forgetting to study all summer long. But work, fall in love, and become a “real girl” she does, and the experience is both satisfying and terrifying. Her simple, lonely life has become one filled to the brim with people and emotions and Auden isn’t quite sure how to live anymore.

 In true Sarah Dessen fashion, the reader gets a perfect YA book experience. The characters feel like they could be kids you go to school with (and they all have fabulous names), the situations are ones that teens today really find themselves in, and the connections Dessen makes between plot, character, and reader is truly remarkable.

Plus, cute guys and the beach?? You all need this book.

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen; $9.99; Penguin Group USA; Ages 14+

Comments (2)

Older Posts »
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 844 other followers