Be Creative @ Your Library

Summer Reading Program for Adults 2009

 

Browsing all 'Young Adult' reviews

Monday, August 3, 2009
New Moon
By: Stephenie Meyer

Continuation of Twilight series. If you liked Twilight, you'll like New Moon.

Monday, August 3, 2009
Eclipse
By: Stephenie Meyer

I think this is the best of the Twilight series. Loved inside looks at other characters stories and folklore.

Monday, August 3, 2009
The Tales of Beedle the Bard
By: J.K. Rowling

Great for those Harry Potter fans. Very short, fun summer read. Not as good as the original series but does bring insight into the wizarding world.

Friday, July 31, 2009
Dealing with Dragons
By: Patricia C. Wrede

A delightful quick read with a spunky heroine who's just real enough to want to emulate. Plots to overthrow the current regime are not new, but Dealing with Dragons offers a fun twist. Enjoy!

Thursday, July 30, 2009
What I Call Life
By: Jill Wolfson

Local author who is a great storyteller. It holds interest enough for adults and kids to read together. She creates quirky characters and combines their stories with some creative knitting (including actual knitting instructions).

Thursday, July 30, 2009
The Sea of Monsters
By: Riordan Rick

The most palatable lesson in Greek mythology continues with Book 2. In this book you have your questions answered about the Bermuda Triangle as well as a memorable explanation of hubris. I continue to be bothered by the absent/detached parent theme. I wonder how Mr. Riordan will wrap that up?

Thursday, July 23, 2009
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: A Graphic Novel
By: F. Scott Fitzgerald

Fitzgerald's funny fable of a man born old and grows young is a creative fit for the graphic novel format. Kevin Cornell's sepia watercolors accentuate and enlarge the tale. An afterward gives a wonderful description about the story's origins and history. I'm curious how to see if the movie does it such justice.

Monday, July 20, 2009
Hoot
By: Carl Hiaasen

A young adult novel worth reading. Sweet and innocent with an environmental theme. Wonderful Florida imagery.

Monday, July 20, 2009
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
By: John Boyne

This was an amazing book about the Holocaust through the eyes of a young boy. Definitely a tear jerker.

Thursday, July 16, 2009
Midnighters
By: Scott Westerfeld

This book had promise but did not deliver. The characters were interesting, all very different but the story line was underdeveloped. I wanted the mystery to unfold faster, and the action seemed repetitive. I just couldn't continue on to the next book of the series.

Thursday, July 16, 2009
Glass Houses
By: Rachel Caine

Morganville Vampires Book 1

Great first book, the characters are appealing right away. Michael is a strong character full of mystery. We learn his secret in this book and are drawn into the strangeness of the town. Claire is bullied but shows strength that is unexpected for a young girl.

Thursday, July 16, 2009
The Dead Girls' Dance
By: Rachel Caine

Morganville Vampires Book 2

This book really focuses on Shane and why he seems unmotivated. His character grows once we meet his father. The appearance of Sam helps explain Amelie's problems and why the town is kept so isolated. We learn more about Amelie's reasons for her harsh punishments. Nice setup for the 3rd book.

Thursday, July 16, 2009
Midnight Alley
By: Rachel Caine

Morganville Vampires Book 3

Great 3rd book in the series. I really liked the "spider" character. I think his vulnerability and mad scientist touch was perfect. The story unfolded nicely and all of the characters have grown since the 1st book.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009
The Lightning Thief
By: Rick Riordan

The most fun I've had learning Greek mythology. A delightful premise (hero/half-blood), a reasonable mystery, and vivid contemporary characters. The only reason I don't give the book 5 stars is the sub-theme of killing your opponents to solve the problem. If indeed the Greeks and Greek gods had that approach, then the book is historically accurate and Bravo! I wouldn't mind an aside explanation of that, so current readers don't internalize an inappropriate message.

Thursday, June 25, 2009
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
By: J.K. Rowling

I've read all the Harry Potter novels many times now and they still captivate me. The plot and subplots are complex, and there is foreshadowing in vol. 1 that's resolved in vol. 6 or 7. The characterization is full and delightful, with the characters evolving in believable and satisfying ways. The books are masterpieces.

Thursday, June 25, 2009
Chosen: A House of Night Novel
By: P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast

Excellent book and series. Much better writing than the Twilight series, though it's hard to beat Twilight's struggle of vampires and werewolves. The characters in Chosen are well-rounded, fully drawn, and believable. The struggles are gut-wrenching. Way too much fun. Plan to stay up late finishing it.

Thursday, June 18, 2009
Flight
By: Sherman Alexie

This work is "fiction for young adults" and is suitable for adults of all ages. Alexie's deep understanding of human history is apparent in this novel as in all his works.

In this surreal story, we experience time travel, body shifting, and mass murder contemplation; and ultimately redemption.

This is a disturbing and awareness-inducing work of fiction.