Don't Even Think About It by Sarah Mlynowski

Release Date: March 2014

Genre:  Contemporary fiction with a paranormal twist

When and Where: Modern Day, New York

The Story:  When a group of high school students are unintentionally inoculated with a flu vaccine that has some unexpected results, all bets are off.  The strangest side effect?  Students can not only read people's minds, but have entire mental conversations with people who have the same ability.  Suddenly, no one's secrets are safe.  In some cases, having ESP is an incredible benefit, while in other situations, the results are downright devastating for the "listener."  Told from one point of view, while also following a specific set of students, Don't Even Think About It is full of laugh-out-loud and tear-inducing moments.

Reaction:  Let's face it - we have all wondered what someone else was thinking a time or two, and Don't Even Think About It explores these ideas in depth.  Exploring concepts of friendship, romance, and parent-teen interactions, Don't Even Think About It allows the reader to imagine what it would be like if you could know what other people think and how you would feel once you knew.  Thoroughly entertaining!

Rating:  4

Rival (Unholy Alliance #2) by Lacy Yager

Release Date:  November 2013

Genre:  Paranormal Romance

Protagonists:  Emily Santos and Brett Carson, teens

The Story:  As a fifth generation Chaser, Emily has trained in martial arts in the hopes of some day following the family tradition of tracking and eliminating vampires.  Perceived as poorly trained and weak by her family, Emily's determined to prove her strength and worth.  She doesn't have anything to prove to Brett Carson, her sparring partner.  Brett harbors a health issue he is determined to keep hidden, but when the pair join forces to fend of a vampire attack, both Brett and Emily find they will never be the same again.

Reaction: Slow to get moving, the plot in Rival was much more romance than paranormal.  I really liked how Emily was written as a strong female character with a study in martial arts, and I found it refreshing that the boy was more aware of the romance than Emily.  The perspective switches from back and forth, which gives deeper insight into each character's thoughts and feelings.  This one was a little too romance-heavy for me, but it was an interesting addition to the Unholy Alliance series.

Rating:  3

Defy (Defy #1) by Sara B. Larson

Release Date:  January 2014

Genre: Fantasy

Protagonist:  Alexa (Alex) Hollen, 17 years old

The Story:  After the violent death of her parents, Alexa hides her gender, changes her identity, and joins her twin brother as a member of the king's army.  Alex's talent with a sword and her incredible ability to fight land her a special place as a member of Prince Damien's guard.  In extreme proximity to the prince, Alex learns that she is not the only one living a lie.  Along with the prince and a fellow guardsman, Alex is abducted by a powerful sorcerer who is determined to use the prince as a way to coerce the king into changing the outcome of the war between two kingdoms. Alex's identity becomes increasingly more difficult to hide as works to ensure the safety of the prince and the kingdom.

Reaction:  Likely to be classified as high fantasy, Defy is what I like to call "light" fantasy; the structure of the tale has a lot of similarities to "high" fantasy novels, including magic, a quest, and a coming-of-age theme.  Much of the plot focuses on romance, which detracts from some of these "high fantasy" elements.  Despite the heavy handedness with romance, Defy is not a book to be missed by fans of the YA/Fantasy genre.  Reader beware:  this book is written from a female perspective and addresses romance the same way; if you don't want to read about abs and kisses, in addition to sorcerers and magic, look elsewhere. Defy is not so much about an epic physical journey, but instead is about Alex's epic emotional journey as she learns to accept all aspects of herself.  Alex is a serious, kick-butt heroine who is a star of all the action scenes.  Both male protagonists are interesting in different ways, making the love triangle aspect highly engaging. 

If You Liked...  Graceling, Incarceron, Dragonfly, or Grave Mercy, then Defy is a must-read.

Rating:  5 stars

Teacher Notes: This book contains misogynistic characters and abuse towards women. References to abuse towards women  are prevalent.  Recommended for grades 8 and up.

The Dream Thieves, by Maggie Stiefvater

The Raven Cycle #2
Scholastic
ISBN:  978-0545424943
September 2013
Young Adult

THE DREAM THIEVES, by Maggie Stiefvater, is an incredible continuation of The Raven Cycle series.  Told in the same haunting, mysterious voice as THE RAVEN BOYS, book two focuses on Adam’s transformation following his sacrifice to the ley line, Ronan’s ability to remove objects from his dreams, and Blue’s determination to not fall in love.  New characters, The Gray Man and Kavinsky, add tension and unexpected twists to an already complex story.  

Book one in the series, THE RAVEN BOYS, was a complicated novel which focused primarily on establishing background, setting, and purpose for the series. If you have not read THE RAVEN BOYS, I highly recommend you do so before reading the second book, as THE DREAM THIEVES picks up where the first book left off and is grounded in showing the outcome of the young group’s pursuit of the slumbering Welsh king.  As revealed in the previous book, Blue’s connection with the boys who attend Aglionby are centered on her knowledge that Gansey is going to die within the year, and Blue hopes to prevent Gansey’s death.  Befriending the boys is contradictory to Blue’s beliefs, as she doesn’t usually like the wealthy boys who attend the boarding school, but for some reason she fits in nicely with this motley crew.  Trying to avoid a deeper emotional connection to both Adam and Gansey is challenging, despite the knowledge that if she kisses her true love, the boy will die.  However, she finds herself drawn closer and closer to these boys as they seek tomb of the sleeping king. 

 

Unlike THE RAVEN BOYS, THE DREAM THIEVES starts at a much faster pace, and though is purposefully meanders at times, the story definitely hooks you and moves quickly.  Relationships between Gansey and Adam, as well as Gansey and Blue undergo major transformations, and Adam’s role in the group changes drastically.  Ronan’s ability to bring the objects from his dreams into the physical world makes him even more dangerous.  Supporting characters, such as psychic women with whom Blue lives, provide both a sense of normalcy in the lives of the group, but also add mystical elements throughout.  Each character, each action they take, and each thought that is voiced is important and moves the plot forward, however, the reader is still completely unable to anticipate what will happen next.  Stiefvater’s writing is beautiful and complex, and I cannot wait to find out what happens in the third installment of The Raven Cycle.

Rating:  4