Novel Teen Blog Tour: "Swipe" by Evan Angler

In the ten years since it had been implemented, the Mark had quickly become the capstone of a childhood well spent, the crowning achievement in a young man's or woman's life, the opened door to adulthood and independence. Logan couldn't wait to see how it looked on Lily's wrist when she got back.

"Wish me luck," Lily said as she walked out the door...

That was the last anyone saw of Logan's big sister, Lily.

Five years later, Logan Paul Langly is only a few months away from his thirteenth birthday and getting the Mark himself--and he's terrified. He's not just afraid because his sister, Lily, was what the government referred to as a "flunkee," and the Mark didn't "agree" with her. No, Logan is afraid because he knows...he's being watched.

Erin Arbitor is not happy. She and her father had to move away from her mother and the happening, capitol city of Beacon to the podunk town of Spokie all because of her dad's "government work." Erin is willing do anything to move back home and see her family reunited and happy again, so she decides to investigate the project her dad is working on in the hopes that, if she can help, they can return home faster. With her new, sort-of friend, Logan, Erin uncovers more than she bargained for, and in the process, Logan and Erin realize their lives will never be the same again.

Swipe by Evan Angler unfolds like a movie, following several point of views, though Logan and Erin are the primary characters. The two main groups of focus, DOME, a government agency, and the Dust, a Markless rebel group, each have secrets and motives that make perfect sense to them and they each think they are perfectly right about what they believe in, though their way of handling certain situations may be a bit off. I thought these groups and the characters were handled pretty realistically, though the middle-schoolers sometimes seemed older than they were. However, I think it might be understandable, considering the world they live in, where they have to mature much more quickly. And I have to give Angler props for his world building. It was very clear and interesting to read about his futuristic world and society.

Dystopian fiction for middle-schoolers is a first for me, and I enjoyed it. All of the characters, especially Logan, grow because of their experiences in this book, and Angler has left plenty of room for more development as well. The ending took a sudden twist that I kind of saw coming but also made me realize that Swipe was only the very beginning of an even bigger story that I look forward to diving into.

* I would like to thank the publisher and author for sending me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Genre: Dystopian/Middle School/Mystery

Ages: 12 and up

Pages: 273

Publication Date: 2011

Part of a Series: Book 1

Check out Swipe's awesome trailer:

Team Novel Teen is a group of bloggers dedicated to spreading the word about clean teen fiction. Check out other posts about Swipe by Evan Angler by clicking on the links below, and check out www.NovelTeen.com for more information about Team Novel Teen.

ADD Librarian • Blooming with Books • The Book Fae • Book Nook 4 You • Bookworm Reading • Books I Recommend • Christian Book Review Blog • CTF Devourer • Fiction Fire • Jill Williamson • Labor Not in Vain • Maniacal Bookworm •  Oh, Restless Bird • The Pen and Parchment • Reviews by Jane • Shadow Writer World

Novel Teen Blog Tour: "Failstate" by John Otte

My control shattered.

Fire rippled through me.

Darkness clouded my vision. And destruction flowed out of my body, coursing through every fiber of my being. An invisible, intangible aura that cut through the field. I gasped with equal parts horror and relief. I knew my power was wreaking havoc...destroying everything around me, but I couldn't stop. I'd have better luck stopping a fire hydrant with my hands.

Name: Robin Laughlin

Superhero Alias: Failstate

Age: Sixteen

Ability: Creates a potential failstate within covalent bonds at a molecular level (aka breaks down molecules).

Goals: To win America's Next Superhero so he can become a licensed superhero...and get the pretty new girl at school, Elizabeth Booth, to notice him.

Robin, aka Failstate's, goals undergo a drastic change when one of the contestants on America's Next Superhero is killed. The mystery surrounding the death is a catalyst that unleashes a chain of events and revelations that have Robin's head spinning, and life as he knew it will never be the same.

Oh. But this was a Fun. Read. Superheroes have made a comeback in the last few years, and with the success of the new Avengers movie, I'd say Failstate by John Otte has hit the bookshelves at just the right time. Failstate has an old comic book aura with new heroes introduced that feel as if they've been around as long as Batman and Superman.

The coming-of-age story of Robin/Failstate introduces a gritty yet relatable world where all of the characters made choices that were both good and bad and then had to deal with the consequences accordingly. They each had understandable motives. The good guys and bad guys weren't necessarily purely good or purely evil, just purely human, and they all had room for change. The plot wasn't overly predictable and often I had to change my opinion of what I thought was going to happen next. Also, it didn't just handle the standard "save-the-world-superhero" issues, but like any good story, it was layered, focusing also on family, friendship, crushes, morals, and faith.

I admit it. I didn't think I would like this book that much, but I was taken by surprise by how much I liked the story and how I look forward to seeing what's going to happen next. I even think it would be great to have some comics or graphic novels based on the "old" superheroes and villains in Failstate, like Meridian and Mind Master. I would definitely read those! Failstate is a great start to a series that both guys and girls will enjoy. Now, bring on the movie!

Genre: Contemporary Fantasy/Scifi/YA/Christian

Ages: 15 and up

Pages: 426

Publication Date: April 2012

Book Trailer:

Team Novel Teen is a group of bloggers dedicated to spreading the word about clean teen fiction. Check out other posts about Failstate by John Otte by clicking on the links below, and check out www.NovelTeen.com for more information about Team Novel Teen.

ADD Librarian • The Book Fae • Bookworm Reading • Books I Recommend • Colorimetry • CTF Devourer • Fiction Fire • Gillian Adams • Hornspoon Reviews • My Story Shelf • The Pen and Parchment • Jill Williamson • Virtuous Girlhood

Novel Teen Blog Tour: "Interrupted" by Rachel Coker

I paused and tapped my pen to my mouth. What's a descriptive word for love? I racked my brain. Adoration...affection...fondness...devotion...

I smiled and began scribbling in my notebook again.

Devotion.

After thirteen-year-old Alcyone (Allie) Everly's mother passes away, she is forced to move from her home in Tennessee to the shores of Maine. Her adoptive mother, Miss Beatrice, is nice enough, but Allie is convinced that no one can replace her "real" mother. Bitterness and resentment begin to grow in Allie because of the tragedies that she's experienced. She puts a wall between her and anyone who wishes to get close, and she's convinced that true love doesn't exist.

Several years later, the past suddenly collides with the present when Sam Carroll, an old childhood friend, comes to town. Sam's arrival and the war overseas that's beginning to hit too close to home cause changes in Allie's life that force her to deal with the feelings she's held inside for so many years and to discover the truth about love and family.

Sweet...lovely...touching. Rachel Coker's debut novel is truly all of the above. Allie is a well-developed character with a poetic point of view that I loved. I could also relate with her trying to find the perfect word to describe an object or feeling ("dreamy...alluring...enthralling..."). The whole novel itself was sort of "dreamy." I felt like I was watching an old film from the forties. Only a few times was I jolted out of the past when some of the characters spoke a word or slang that sounded too modern.

I will say, that as much as I liked Allie, I wanted to shake her sometimes to snap her out of her mulish tendencies, though I did forgive her later. And Sam...I loved Sam! He was so endearing and sweet. And finally, can I just mention how gorgeous the cover is? When I received the book, I just stared at it for a little while. It's so pretty and fits the mood of the story perfectly. I have to also agree with the Publisher's Weekly quote on the front: "Coker is one to watch."

* I would like to thank the author and publisher for sending me a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Genre: Christian/YA/Historical Fiction

Ages: 12 and up

Pages: 247

Publication Date: February 2012

--I always love to check out the first chapters of books to see the author's writing style, so here's the first chapter of Interrupted: Life Beyond Words: http://media.zondervan.com/media/samples/pdf/9780310729730_samptxt.pdf

--Rachel is also a vlogger! Check out some of her videos. I especially loved the one when she describes receiving her very first copy of Interrupted in the mail. Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/user/JCoker1960

--Also, here's the link to the book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7MMGPI3q8A

Team Novel Teen is a group of bloggers dedicated to spreading the word about clean teen fiction. Check out other posts about Interrupted by Rachel Coker by clicking on the links below, and check out www.NovelTeen.com for more information about Team Novel Teen.

ADD Librarian • The Book Fae • Book Nook 4 You • Colorimetry • CTF Devourer • Gillian Adams • My Life with a Mission • Jill Williamson • Oh, Restless Bird • Rachelle Rea

Movie Review: "October Baby"

Release Date in Theaters: 3.23.12

Tagline: "Every Life is Beautiful."



Official Summary:

"You saw me before I was born." Psalm 139:16 (NLT)

As the curtain rises, Hannah hesitantly steps onto the stage for her theatrical debut in college. Yet before she can utter her first lines, Hannah—unscripted—collapses in front of the stunned audience.

After countless medical tests, all signs point to one underlying factor: Hannah's difficult birth. This revelation is nothing compared to what she then learns from her parents: she was actually adopted … after a failed abortion attempt.

Bewildered, angered, and confused, Hannah turns for support to Jason, her oldest friend. Encouraged by his adventurous spirit, Hannah joins his group of friends on a Spring Break road trip, embarking on a journey to discover her hidden past … and find hope for her unknown future.

In the midst of her incredible journey, Hannah finds that life can be so much more than what you have planned.

I had the privilege of attending a pre-release screening of this movie. Forget negative reviews saying that it's overly preachy in the Christian sense or the anti-abortion sense. Any Christian themes are woven into the story in a subtle, relevant, and very real way that doesn't beat you over the head. The abortion issue deals with the fact that the main character, Hannah, is a survivor of a failed abortion and how she deals with this revelation. It's simply Hannah's story, not just an abortion story.

The production of this film had me in awe. Everything was so beautiful, and the actors they chose were brilliant. There were times I truly laughed hard and other times I teared up, held my breath, or smiled because it was just that good. The relationships were real, the romance sweet, and the outcome worth it. October Baby is a lovely and powerful story of one young woman's search for who she really is, and I highly recommend it.

*This movie is rated PG-13, but only because of the subject matter dealing with abortion.

Official Website: http://www.octoberbabymovie.net/

View the trailer and two scenes from the movie below (the beach scene with Hannah and her childhood friend, Jason, is one of my favorites :-) ).

Trailer:

Scene #1, "Wrong Turn":

Scene #2, "On the Beach":

Novel Teen Blog Tour: "Halflings" by Heather Burch

"Everyone is in the middle of this war, Nikki. Humans, Halflings, and angels--both fallen and heavenly. You've ignored the battle for seventeen years, but something on the inside of you knows my words are true. You're in a war and it's time to choose a side. If you don't, a side is chosen for you."

Nikki Youngblood has become a prime target in a supernatural war. She's strong and feisty, but those character traits won't save her from the mysterious evil that's bent on hunting her down for some unknown purpose. However, she's not in this fight alone. Nikki has three Halfling--half-human/half-angel--young men sent to protect her. There's innocent, adorable Vine; brooding, complex Raven; and good, protective Mace. As events begin to rapidly unfold, not only the lives, but the hearts and souls, of Nikki and the three Halfling brothers, also known as "The Lost Boys," are at stake.

I'm a huge sucker for anything Peter Pan, and Halflings by Heather Burch has a sort of darker Peter Pan feel with a "Wendy" character and the "Lost Boys" who live in their own type of "Never Neverland."  To be honest, I was a bit wary about the whole "half-angel/half-human" plot, but I believe the author handled it really well. It could almost be viewed in a allegorical sense with the whole sin nature vs. heavenly nature choice.

I was also a bit nervous about the love triangle. I'm not a huge fan of those, but I thought the Mace/Nikki/Raven love triangle was handled pretty well. It was frustrating and addicting at the same time. One moment I would be "Oh, it's sooo obvious she's going to be with him" then "Oh, well, no, maybe it's this guy..." I could totally relate to Nikki's love and confusion over both guys, because even I would really love Mace one moment then all of the sudden be highly irritated with him, or would want to punch Raven one minute and then hug him the next. I have no idea who Nikki is going to choose, which I believe shows some pretty dang good writing on the author's part.

One part of the writing did bother me though. Often when the story switched scenes, it was kind of choppy or abrupt. At one point, I had to pause and turn back a few pages to figure out how one character came to a certain conclusion. Halflings also raised many unanswered questions that left me a bit unsatisfied, like I was reading only half a novel, but the questions also made me even more eager to read the next books. Since this is Heather's first book, the first book in a series, and the story is just plain intriguing and fun, these things are easily forgiven, and the second book is already on my to-be-read list.

Genre: Young Adult/Contemporary Fantasy/Romance
Ages: 15 and up
Pages: 286
Publication Date: January 2012

*I would like to thank the publisher and author for sending me an Advanced Reading Copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

There are alot of fun goodies that go along with Halflings! Check out:

• The FREE ebook prequel, 11:15: The Making of a Halfling. Here's the info:

"In this illustrated prequel to the Halflings trilogy, written by Heather Burch, Mace and Raven are given a mission to stop a catastrophic event. With his halfling abilities still untapped, Vine is allowed to join the mission, but only as a spectator. The clock is ticking and the tragedy is proving difficult to stop. Will Vine be able to sit back and watch, or will the power of heaven unleash just in time?"

• Become a member of The Halflings Network. This is a fun website where anyone can get connected with the world of Halflings.

• The second novel in the "Halflings" series is called Guardian and will be released in October 2012.                                                                        (Isn't the cover simply gorgeous?!)

• Finally, check out the Halflings book trailer:

Team Novel Teen is a group of bloggers dedicated to spreading the word about clean teen fiction. Check out other posts about Halflings by Heather Burch by clicking on the links below, and check out www.NovelTeen.com for more information about Team Novel Teen.

 The Book Fae • Bookworm Reading • Colorimetry • Fiction Fire •  Jill Williamson • Katie McCurdy • Oh, Restless Bird • Rachelle Rea • SLY Games • Terri Harr • Virtuous Girlhood 

Book Review: "The Lady of Bolton Hill" by Elizabeth Camden

Clara was not precisely sure what the future held for them, but of one thing she was certain: Daniel Tremain was the best friend she had ever had, and no distance or class or circumstance would ever tear them apart.

Wealthy, timid Clara Endicott and poor, confident Daniel Tremain have been best friends ever since they discovered a common love for music when they were just children. Just as their friendship is on the cusp of blooming into something more, Clara's father ships her off to England. Seperated by time, space, and misunderstanding, Clara and Daniel's paths merge again twelve years later. Daniel is now a bitter, wealthy businessman, and Clara is an independent, crusading journalist. The old spark and connection is still there, but is it enough to sustain the two changed individuals?

The Lady of Bolton Hill by Elizabeth Camden is a fun, historical, romantic, and surprising ride. Several chapters in, a new character is introduced: Alexander "Bane" Banebridge, and the story takes a sudden twist that had me going, "Whoa! What?" I was a little skeptical how this storyline would work with the main one, but the way the author connects the two made me love the story even more and had my jaw hanging open a few times. I never knew what was going to happen next. And, can I just say, Bane is now one of my all-time favorite book characters. ;-)

Just as a warning for younger readers, there are mentions of opium use, which is not looked at favorably in the story, as well as some violence and other situations hinted or mentioned as happening to some characters off-screen and a couple times on-screen (though these aren't very graphic). These scenes serve a purpose, however, and I believe were necessary in understanding a certain character.

While reading The Lady of Bolton Hill I often wanted to wince, smile broadly, or face-palm myself at some of the things the characters did, but I think that's part of the reason why I enjoyed this book so much. The clever, realistic individuals are people I was rooting for until the very end.

Genre: Historical Fiction/Christian/Romance

Ages: 16 and up

Pages: 331

Publication Date: 2011

*I was ecstatic (literally, I did a mini happy dance in my room) to discover that Alexander "Bane" Banebridge's story is going to be continued in October 2012. This spin-off of The Lady of Bolton Hill is titled Against the Tide.



Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! I hope your day is filled with laughter, joy, and of course, love. I decided to share some quotes about love with you today as my "Valentine" to my blog readers. The quotes are not just about romantic love but friendship love, God's love, and the power of love in general. I hope you enjoy them! Love to you all! <3

Love Quotes

"Love is patient, love is kind.

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

It is not rude, it is not self-seeking,

it is not easily-angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

It always protects, always trusts,

always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails."

                                                                -- 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

"Who so loves believes the impossible." --Elizabeth Barrett Browning

"When one heart opens to another heart, it usually results in love." --from Echoes by Robin Jones Gunn

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.” --from The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis

“There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends. I have no notion of loving people by halves, it is not my nature.” --from Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen



“Sonny, don't you tell me what's worthwhile--true love is the best thing in the world, except for cough drops. Everybody knows that.” --from The Princess Bride by William Goldman

“You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.” --Dr. Seuss

"Love is listening, really listening." --from Love Rules by Dandi Daley McKall

“Love is like the wind, you can't see it but you can feel it.” --from A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks 

        

 "Who shall seperate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: 'For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.'

         No, in all these things we are more than conquerers through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to seperate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

--Romans 8:35-39

“I love you not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you. I love you not only for what you have made of yourself, but for what you are making of me. I love you for the part of me that you bring out.” --Elizabeth Barrett Browning

“Love is a great beautifier.” --from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

“When I fall in love, it will be forever.” --from Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (The Screenplay)

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” --Martin Luther King Jr.

"It's funny whom we end up choosing to love and who ends up choosing to love us. It's rarely the people we think it should be." --from Gardenias for Breakfast by Robin Jones Gunn

“Love is many things none of them logical.” --from The Princess Bride by William Goldman

"Love is a mystery. It can't be planned. It comes on its own schedule. It's inconvenient and organic, but that's what makes it real. Really good relationships are the ones that come naturally and are unforced. Like waves." --from Coming Attractions by Robin Jones Gunn

"God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgement, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us."

--1 John 4:16b-19