YAckers Review - Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan

Published September 11, 2012.

Author website.

Kami Glass loves someone she’s never met . . . a boy she’s talked to in her head ever since she was born. She wasn’t silent about her imaginary friend during her childhood, and is thus a bit of an outsider in her sleepy English town of Sorry-in-the-Vale. Still, Kami hasn’t suffered too much from not fitting in. She has a best friend, runs the school newspaper, and is only occasionally caught talking to herself. Her life is in order, just the way she likes it, despite the voice in her head. 

But all that changes when the Lynburns return. 

The Lynburn family has owned the spectacular and sinister manor that overlooks Sorry-in-the-Vale for centuries. The mysterious twin sisters who abandoned their ancestral home a generation ago are back, along with their teenage sons, Jared and Ash, one of whom is eerily familiar to Kami. Kami is not one to shy away from the unknown—in fact, she’s determined to find answers for all the questions Sorry-in-the-Vale is suddenly posing. Who is responsible for the bloody deeds in the depths of the woods? What is her own mother hiding? And now that her imaginary friend has become a real boy, does she still love him? Does she hate him? Can she trust him?  (goodreads.com)

UNSPOKEN was September's YAck pick.  I had to gracefully bow out since that was during my time of state transition so I have absolutely nothing of value to add about this one.  But you should still check out it's YAck over here.  The response appears to be rather positive.  Except for my evil twin.  I wouldn't expect any less.

Ban Factor: Unknown - I didn't read it.  I have no idea.  Since it deals with head voices and words like 'eerily' I'm going to hazard a guess it might be on a few radars.

YAckers Review: The Cry of the Icemark by Stuart Hill

Published April 1, 2009.

Author website.

The Icemark is a kingdom in grave danger. Its king has been killed in battle, its enemy lies in wait, and its fate rests on the shoulders of one girl. Thirrin Freer Strong-in-the-Arm Lindenshield, a beautiful princess and an intrepid warrior, must find a way to protect her land from a terrible invasion. She will forge an extraordinary alliance of noble Snow Leopards, ancient Vampires, and ferocious Wolf-folk. She will find unexpected strength in her friendship with a young warlock. And she will lead her allies to victory with her fierce battle cry: "Blood! Blast! And Fire!"  (goodreads.com)

Nicole was our Keeper of the Book for this month and she led us woefully astray.  She was the lone brave soul that was capable of venturing to the end of this tome for the rest of us gave up after varying amounts of pages ranging from five to 300.  None of us had too much of an issue with the plot per se but it couldn't seem to get out of its own way and Thirrin just wasn't that likable of a character.  In fact she was a bit of a snatch.  And she's barely fourteen.  Doom on her.

See what we had to say in full on our super awesome website.

Ban Factor: High - Blissfully Christianity free and filled with talking animals, werewolves and vampires, among other woodland creatures.  Not to mention a temperamental teen.  It's all too much!

YAckers Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Published September 27, 2011.

Author website.

Around the world, black hand prints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grows dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages—not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.


When one of the strangers—beautiful, haunted Akiva—fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?  (goodreads.com)

DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE ended up being a mixed bag for us YAcks.  I personally went into it thinking I'd love it so hard I'd slather the book in drool.  I was mistaken.  For many the appearance of Akiva was a total buzzkill and Madrigal is something most of us could have done without.  While the consensus was that the writing was pretty and filled with WORDS there was a bit of distance, to one degree or another, but it was supplemented by lovely world-building and some intriguing characters that require more face time in the sequel.  Lucky for Angie she wasn't the lone downer of this book, as she was totally expecting to be.

Steph (one of Sya's minions) was Keeper of the Book this month but seeing as how the YAcks have spawned their own website, we're all congregating over there now.  LOOK!  And just for visiting you get a bonus YAcked book, inadvertently slaughtered by us.  Sorry, THRONE OF GLASS.  You lose.

Ban Factor: High - Anything that bastardizes Christianity is an automatic fire starter.

YAckers Review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Published June 7, 2011.

Author website.

A mysterious island.


An abandoned orphanage.


A strange collection of very curious photographs.


It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.  (goodreads.com)

'Twas I that was Keeper of the Book this month for the dear YAckers and out of the choices I provided MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN was the ticket.  This book was always a draw for me because, really, anything with creepy ass children on the cover has GOT to be good.  I mean it takes some serious balls to use such a horrifyingly repelling yet car crash-level intriguing book cover.  Truly these are the photos of nightmares.  Especially the children in white wrestler masks with the string.  Goo.  Nightmares.

But it didn't end up going where I thought it was going to go.  That didn't mean it was bad but it was far more fantastical than it was horror.  Here, just take a look at the discussion.

Donna: Almost finished with Miss Peregrine's and it's not what I thought. I was thinking more creepy children-ish but it's far more whimsical than what I was anticipating. Not a bad thing. It's really well-written and I'm enjoying the story but when you show me fucked up photos of old timey-children I'm expecting a fucked up story. Or have I seen one too many horror movies?

Sya: It's a strange book - I loved it and thought it was quite refreshing that he didn't overload the creep/horror factor - the pictures were enough for me.

Donna: See I'm a masochist. I LOVE creep factor. But those clown children are truly horrifying.

Donna: And I'm a little creeper out that the MC is messing around with his grandpa's ex-girlfriend. Keeping it in the family, huh, Emma?

Donna: NOW it's time to Bueller this topic. Since I realized that, for once, I read the book head of my normal four seconds before it's due schedule.

Donna: Bueller? Don't make me talk to myself, guys . . .

Sya: Sorry, I'm only just back from holiday and started a new job and have a big wedding to attend and so HAVE NO BRAIN LEFT! Anyhoo... I really enjoyed this book. The hardback copy (which was stolen from me on a book tour... sob) was gorgeous to hold and look at and the pictures absolutely fascinated me. The story itself was compelling and I particularly liked how the author juxtaposed the more fantastical aspects with very real historical events. Jacob was a good protagonist but I felt that the character I consistently wanted to know more about was Abe, who seemed to haunt the book throughout (which, I suppose, was exactly the point). I read it a while ago and still haven't found anything quite like it since. I also interviewed the (HOT!) author - you can read that (if you wish) here.

Sya: As you will see, I seem to be quite fond of using the word juxtaposition, which is hilarious as I have only the vaguest idea what it actually means.

Steph: I'm with you Donna. I did enjoy it and thought it was brilliantly written but feel slightly misled re. distinct lack of creepy fucked-up old timey kid horror. Beautiful looking book aswell, thought the inclusion of the photos to illustrate specific points in the plot was very clever

Donna: Sya, I only caught a single use of juxtaposition. I think you kept it in check nicely. I too like how he wove his made up elements in with actual aspects of history, his grandfather running from monsters, that kind of thing. It saddened the story a little bit, the historical part but it firmed it up in reality a little more. Not to mention the photographs ground it down yet again. Damn, those kids are creepy. I like how we're on the same page, Steph. If you're going to give me creepy-looking kids there better be some heinously creepy elements to the book as well. I wouldn't say it was whimsical but it definitely wasn't Children of the Cornish either. Yeah they were shut-ins but they weren't feeding people to their corn god. Is it weird that I'm a little disappointed by that?

Sandy: I'm still reading it but I'm enjoying it so far....Jacob's a smart narrator. I was sad when I read what happened to the grandfather :(

Donna: War-wise or beginning of the book-wise? Either way but you're bound to have someone go rogue. I think he was the only person that had to run to that effect though. I liked that he broke away. I can understand how he wouldn't want to be a prisoner yet again even if it was a safehouse.

Sandy: beginning of the book wise. I'm only on chapter five? six? Nowhere near the end. v.v

Donna: Oh, okay. Yeah, it was pretty sad to see him die the way he did and to have everyone think he was totally batty.

Sandy: Yeah...but Jacob figures it out eventually and I'm glad he does. I like that his dad was present too; parents being around are rare nowadays. And I agree with you Donna: I find Jacob making out with Emma kind of gross. Even if she's still "young". It actually reminded me of Rose's relationship with what's-his-face and HIS grandson from A Long Long Sleep.

Sya: Yep. On the sliding scale of Ick, it certainly tickled my gag reflex. Yet key it really didn't detract from the overall storytelling which I thought was accomplished. And not just because the author was hot.

Donna: I'm wondering where authors are getting relationship ideas from. I think they may be reading/watching too much Game of Thrones.

Donna: Any other words of wisdom for MISS PEREGRINE'S?

Laura: This book kept popping up as YA...you know...one of those titles that they randomly throw into the YA category because the book 1) has young people in it and 2) YA is so hawt right now and I've found this amusing from the start because honestly, throwing this book on a table covered in black covered vampire books and books with slutty girls in ball gowns IS FUNNY. It's too good for the association. Don't get me wrong...I love YA and there ARE some good YA writers, but on the whole...well, you know. I'm drawn to YA for lots of reasons, but I can admit that excellent writing isn't one of my expectations. This was a nice break for me. It reminded me that every now and then, it's nice to sit down and read a book with a good story, told by an excellent writer who knows what the hell he's doing. GOD, sometimes it's just nice to READ REAL WORDS.

Donna: Your contribution is appreciated.

Laura: "Stars, too, were time travelers. How many of those ancient points of light were the last echoes of suns now dead? How many had been born but their light not yet come this far? If all the suns but ours collapsed tonight, how many lifetimes would it take us to realize that we were alone? I had always known the sky was full of mysteries—but not until now had I realized how full of them the earth was."

Laura: I MEAN HELL. WORDS.

Laura: My physical treatment of this book was nearly criminal. I dog-ear a page whenever there is a passage I like. This book looks like some sort of origami chicken.

Donna: Truly, MISS PEREGRINE'S should be a standard for YA. I wouldn't be so disappointed all the time if that were so.

Sya: It is beautifully written - here's hoping it heralds more in the way of, well, awesome words in YA.

So generally speaking we loved it.  It stands out from the rest of the YA crowd not only in premise but in sheer awesomesauce writing.  There is a standard here that isn't too far-reaching but blows so much else out of the water that once you finish reading you can't help but declare "YOU'VE SUNK MY BATTLESHIP!"

So it didn't turn out like I thought.  I'm okay with that.  The creepy photos of small children are still epically horrifying and the story was pretty damn good too.  I'm glad MISS PEREGRINE'S lived up to its hype.  In a reading world where where I'm exceedingly hesitant to latch onto anything hype-like I'm glad I did it with this one.  Funky, chilling and at times something resembling whimsical, MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN is a definite must-read for anyone dying for something GOOD.  Just damn good.

Participating YAckers -

Yours truly
Sya at The Mountains of Instead
Steph at The Mountains of Instead (contributing reviewer)
Sandy at Pirate Penguin's Reads
Laura at A Jane of All Reads

Ban Factor: High - A somewhat fairy world where children get to live as children forever because they have special powers except monsters lurking in the shadows are trying to murder them.  Yeah, I think some banner just shat him/herself somewhere.

YAckers Review: I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga

Published April 3, 2012.

Author website.

Jasper (Jazz) Dent is a likable teenager. A charmer, one might say.


But he's also the son of the world's most infamous serial killer, and for Dear Old Dad, Take Your Son to Work Day was year-round. Jazz has witnessed crime scenes the way cops wish they could--from the criminal's point of view.


And now bodies are piling up in Lobo's Nod.


In an effort to clear his name, Jazz joins the police in a hunt for a new serial killer. But Jazz has a secret--could he be more like his father than anyone knows?  (goodreads.com)

Lyga is demented.  And I love him so hard for it.  I HUNT KILLERS is unique and thoroughly disturbing and though all of us who read it, at times, questioned just where Lyga was when he wrote this, we had a lot of good to say about it.  So incredibly well-written, if you don't feel just a little repulsed as what's going on in these pages then something must be wrong with you.  Seriously.  I mean I wasn't as affected as some of my fellow YAckers were but there were moments where I pulled back a little.  I'm only human.  Mostly.

The Keeper of the Book this month was Holly so why don't you come stop by her site, Book Harbinger, and see what we had to say about I HUNT KILLERS.  CORNNUTS!

Ban Factor: High - OMG, are you kidding me?  The banners would burn this one alive.

YAckers Review: Legend by Marie Lu

Published November 29, 2011.

Author website.

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic’s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic’s highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.


From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths—until the day June’s brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family’s survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias’s death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.  (goodreads.com)

Fellow YAcker Emily was our Keeper of the Book for the month of March and of her choices us ladies  unanimously chose LEGEND by Marie Lu.  We were SOOOOOOOOOOOO excited to read this one!  I mean, how could not be?  All the awesome things that were being said about it, all the rave reviews?  How could we go wrong?

. . .

Well, read on to see some wrongness . . .

Laura: Soooo has anyone started Legend?

Melissa: Yeppers. Am I the only one the colored font is driving batty?

Sya: Started today. I have a uk arc so no coloured ink just different fonts.

Me: I'm waiting until the last possible second. But this shouldn't be any surprise by now.

Sya: I finished it last night. Quite impressed although I have a few unanswered questions.

Melissa: I agree, Sya. Interesting, intriguing, but it kind of leaves you hanging. And I never got over my font dislike.

Me: I've started it. The font thing isn't really bothering me but it is pretty noticeable. I'm not far enough into it to have an opinion yet.

Sya: So are the alternating viewpoints printed in wildly different colours?

Me: The type face is definitely different and the color is a brownish instead of black. You can tell against the standard font the other POV is in. I'm still kind of ambivalent about the story. I have just over 100 pages left. I like June for how she kept to character after the shoe dropped but I need to see where this is going first.

Me: Just finished it. I'm still ambivalent. It's a topic I've seen plenty of times, a story I've read in plenty of books and it

Me: dammit

Me: it's really not stand-out to me. A few things: 1) Did I miss the part where it's explained how the US ended up fracturing like it did? 2) Did I missed the part where it explains how SoCal all of a sudden is getting massive hurricanes? 3) Why does the Republic have electro-bombs that disable guns when they're the only ones using them? That's not a wise weapon to use in war since you'd screw yourself, the poor people they're constantly fighting aren't armed like that and it appears to have no other discernible use except to come in conveniently at the end. Why have a weapon that would temporarily make themselves impotent? Why don't they all just give themselves charlie horses at the most inopportune moments? This bothers me. 4) Points for no love triangle.

Me: I hate to say it but I can kind of see how this had a hard time selling to publishers. It's pretty well written but it ultimately blends pretty well with the already desolate dystopian landscape. At the end I'm not pressed to read the next book. I kind of don't care enough. I'm a buzz kill, aren't I?

Laura: I'm having a hard time getting into this book. I'm granting it a further 50 page grace period but as the magic eight ball says, "Outlook not so good."

Melissa: ‎1) no. It was never explained. 2) ditto. 3) No effing idea. and 4) I agree. Huh. I liked it when I first finished it (aside from the font thingy), but I'm having a hard time making it sound interesting. Maybe because it really wasn't??

Sya: Yeah, I feel the same Melissa... I've been trying to write up my review and it's coming across as distinctly meh. BUT... I did really like both June and Day and was intrigued by the society that was being portrayed. Sadly, this was tempered by the fact that I didn't know why everything was actually like that. But then, I've been re-reading The Hunger Games and you don't really find out why THAT society is fractured either. However, Legend rather lacks the wow-factor that THG has. Also, I spent a lot of my time reading it trying to figure out how it was inspired by Les Miserables (which, I admit, was probably tougher having only seen the musical - I was all, "that's Eponine... no... THAT's Eponine" and I'm not even entirely sure who Eponine is...).

Sya: Also, Donna - excellent point re. Electro-bombs. They are an entirely stupid idea.

Melissa: I can see the Les Mis thing going on (I think Tess is supposed to be Eponine; or maybe Day? Whatevers...), but I don't think Legend was thought through enough to be really truly inspired by Les Mis. I think I'm getting tired of dystopian novels now.

Melissa: Or officially tired. Whatever.

Me: THG was an amazing novel/series that is untainted by its own followers so it's going to stand out by default. Aside from the fact that it's awesome. It's because of that awesomeness that I didn't NEED to know why the Earth sharted. I had so much else to occupy me that it was inconsequential and I could easily overlook it. Here it's more of the same and especially when world issues keep getting pointed out (the society as a whole, not sure how that would be avoided but anyway, hurricanes in SoCal) my kinda bored brain is going to gravitate there to occupy itself. I'm cranky about dystopias/post-apocalyptic now too because they're starting to get tired. I think that's one of the reasons I'm gravitating more towards adult vamporn now, just for something different. I'm tired of contemporaries with effed up kids because they're so depressing, keep me away from YA vampires lest I stake them, dystopias/post-apoc are starting to blend and PNR isn't a genre I go near anyway. That would expose me to the likes of Hush, Hush and I may explode. So what's left? Not much more than scrapes.

Me: And seriously, those electro-bombs are driving me insane. The more I think about them the fucking stupider they become. It's like a guy punching himself in the dick when he has a hard on. WHY?

Melissa: Because she needed a plot device. :-D

Melissa: That's a good point, Donna, about THG. Hadn't thought about it that way before. (Though you do have to admit that the series fell apart after the first one. Right?) And you're right about the current state of YA fiction: if there's one book that stands out, everyone's bound to copy it. (No pressure for when it's finally my turn to choose a book for this group....) As a side note, I've noticed that for the first time in YEARS, my total YA reading has been down. There's just not much out there that's grabbing my attention anymore.

Sya: I think you're absolutely write about YA at the moment. The last Dystopian book I really enjoyed was Divergent. I recently read Pieces of Us, a contemporary that has put me off contemporaries possibly for life as it was so brutally depressing. On the topic of THG, I arrived at the party rather late and read Mockingjay in a sulk after it had been spoiled for me in a review. Having just re-read the trilogy as a whole I'm feeling a little obsessed with the whole thing. Absolute brilliance.

Me: I don't think the series took a total tank but I wasn't thrilled with Mockingjay (that was the last one, right?). I don't feel Katniss chose properly so it kind of bombed everything from that point on. But I do like it because it was one of the first of it's kind in this new wave of depressing. If I had the time I'd read it again to see if it still lived up. I'm sure it would.

Laura: Yeah so me and Legend aren't going to happen. I hate to skip a book but I can't even get interested in it enough to hate it and rip it a new one. I AM A BAD BOOK CLUB FRIEND.

Me: Between this and WHEN THE SEA IS RISING RED, you should hang your head in shame. Granted I'm about to set the latter on fire but that's okay. I hated Bella less than the pretentious twat in WHEN THE SEA . . .

Emily: I personally loved it. I thought she did a great job of pitting two good characters against each other, and while I feel like the story wasn't new, it was fun. I look forward to the next book.

Emily: well, after reading all of the comments, I must note that I read an arc that had the same color font and style throughout. As I said earlier, the plot wasn't what was interesting to me, it was the characters. I don't know why there were electro-bombs, except that maybe the rebels or whatever they were called also have guns. I dunno. Laura I hate that you couldn't get into it..what was it?

So I think we evened out.  It was OKAY but it had it's issues and ultimately it read like something we've all read before.  Something to file into the "yet another dystopian" category.

This month's participating YAckers -

• Melissa of The Book Nut
• Sya of The Mountains of Instead
• Laura of A Jane of All Reads
• Me
• Emily

Ban Factor: Medium - Some swearing and, of course, children bucking the system and doing things THAT AREN'T GOOD FOR THEM.  We all know how banners hate that.

YAckers Review: Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Published March 2, 2010.

Author website.

Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father--an elusive European warlock--only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters. 

By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire student on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect. 

As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her.  (goodreads.com)

I went into this one a little apprehensively.  A boarding school book???  I screeched to my fellow YAckers.  Surely you hate me so.  Alas, not true and I was pleasantly surprised at the lightheartedness HEX HALL spits forth.  Almost in the vein of Mari Mancusi with her BLOOD COVEN series, just not nearly as satirical.  Sophie has a great, spunky little voice, the bitches are extra bitchy and there's a dude named Archer.  I'm pretty sure he was born with suede patches grafted onto elbows.  Cal was my guy.  If there's more of him that's a pretty surefire way of getting me to read on in the series.

Find out what the rest of us YAckers had to say over at Melissa's blog, Book Nut, as she was our Keeper of the Book for this past month.

Ban Factor: High - Magic, demons and teen-level sexy times in a musty basement.  I can hear the squealing already.

YAckers Review: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Published January 10, 2012.

Author website.

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind. (goodreads.com)

We read, we cried, we waxed existentialist. THE FAULT IN OUR STARS fell in the midst of a contemporary bender for me that kind of pushed me over the edge when it came to effed up kid stories. I'd had more than my fill so I probably didn't enjoy it to its full potential. I still liked what I was reading when I was trying to block out the existentialism (which is NOT my favorite subject by far) and getting over how ultimately depressing the story was. It's about cancer. No matter the amount of hope, it's going to hurt. But we still enjoyed it.

Head on over to this month's Keeper of the Book, Angie at Angieville, for more details on our inner brain workings. Kinda scary actually . . .

Ban Factor: High - Overly smart kids, difficult subject, sex. Yup. This one's on their radar.

YAckers Review: When She Woke by Hillary Jordan

Published October 4th, 2011.

Author website.

Hannah Payne’s life has been devoted to church and family. But after she’s convicted of murder, she awakens to a nightmarish new life. She finds herself lying on a table in a bare room, covered only by a paper gown, with cameras broadcasting her every move to millions at home, for whom observing new Chromes—criminals whose skin color has been genetically altered to match the class of their crime—is a sinister form of entertainment. Hannah is a Red for the crime of murder. The victim, says the State of Texas, was her unborn child, and Hannah is determined to protect the identity of the father, a public figure with whom she shared a fierce and forbidden love.

A powerful reimagining of The Scarlet Letter, When She Woke is a timely fable about a stigmatized woman struggling to navigate an America of the not-too-distant future, where the line between church and state has been eradicated, and convicted felons are no longer imprisoned but chromed and released back into the population to survive as best they can. In seeking a path to safety in an alien and hostile world, Hannah unknowingly embarks on a journey of self-discovery that forces her to question the values she once held true and the righteousness of a country that politicizes faith and love. (goodreads.com)

This book is meant to incite rage in its readers, whether it's of the feral intolerant side that foams at the mouth when Christianity is questioned or the blaspheming side that has nightmares about such a world as showcased in WHEN SHE WOKE existing. Only Laura and myself waxed poetic about abortion this month. Or maybe we took a cheese grater to it. Either way our feelings were similar, getting all riled up in the right spots and finding the Where's Waldo Dickhead in the Chromed oblivion but we ultimately liked it. For all the anger it induced, it was written phenomenally and without a hint of preaching. How's that for authorial self-control? Read our thoughts at the official Keeper of the Book's place this month, A Jane of All Reads.

Ban Factor: High - Abortion. That word alone would have the banner running with matches blazing.

YAckers Review: Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver

Published October 4, 2011.

Author website.

Liesl lives in a tiny attic bedroom, locked away by her cruel stepmother. Her only friends are the shadows and the mice—until one night a ghost appears from the darkness. It is Po, who comes from the Other Side. Both Liesl and Po are lonely, but together they are less alone.

That same night, an alchemist's apprentice, Will, bungles an important delivery. He accidentally switches a box containing the most powerful magic in the world with one containing something decidedly less remarkable.

Will's mistake has tremendous consequences for Liesl and Po, and it draws the three of them together on an extraordinary journey. (goodreads.com)

Ultimately it ended up being a lovely story but it just felt something was missing. And really I think it was. The characters just weren't built up enough and the story didn't reach it's full potential. But it was still nice. I enjoyed reading it and so did my fellow YAckers. But I think our mindset was so fixed on YA that we kept forgetting this was a middle grade story. Read our thoughts over at our substitute Keeper of the Book's place, Laura at A Jane of All Reads.

Ban Factor: Medium - It's got magic in it but it's almost as light and fluffy as Cinderella so it would depend on how smart the reading banner was. Which is an oxymoron.

YAckers Review: The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

Published September 29, 2011.

The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago.

Soon "Rippermania" takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities. (goodreads.com)

It was a pretty much general consensus that this book was full of love. While we all had our minor quirks with it, overall, we were falling just short of fangirling.

Of course, I think we need to start with the initial reactions. Melissa was all like, "MJ's certainly outdone herself this time... One of my favorites of hers (which means the fact that I impulse bought it so she could sign it wasn't a waste. Thank heavens)." Then I said, "I will say that I want to place this book on the floor, open to the middle, and roll around on it like a dog rolls around in the grass, goofy ass smile and all. Is that weird.?" To which Laura affirmed, "Nope, your reaction is completely normal. There's a hell of a lot of awesome in it." Of course, I was super excited about "No love triangle. OMFGBBQ a YA novel WITHOUT a love triangle!" Melissa backed me up with "OMFG I can figure out but BBQ??? And you're right: I didn't even think of it that way, but that is one bit of awesomeness there."

Laura then wanted to get into the scary - "I DO NOT read scary books, watch scary movies, think scary thoughts or go out in the dark because I am a giant wuss but I wanted to read this book even knowing that it was about Jack the Ripper. AND IT WAS SCARY. Not in a blood and gore way but in a wtf-ghost-of-Jack-the-Ripper-is-killing-people-and-now-I-have-a-NEW-thing-to-be-afraid-of kind of way. I WAS SCARED STUPID WHEN- "Jack" suddenly appeared behind Rory when she was climbing back in through the dorm window. He was so calm and polite and smiling that I think that scared me more than anything. I like my evil to be diabolical and chaotic so that it's easily recognized- I don't want it to be nice to me.

So what part SCARED YOU STUPID?"

Melissa's response - "I think the whole final scene in the subway station. Sure it was the same-old showdown that you see everywhere, but I was terrified. That, and the whole atmosphere of not knowing who the Ripper was. Scared the pants off me."

Then I said - "It takes a lot to actually scare me so I wasn't really scared reading this one but I was waving the horror banner for it. The pivotal moment for me was when Jack swung Boo right in front of the car and he's all like don't lie to me bitch or people will get hurt to Rory. Pure genius. I love authors that are unafraid to do what needs to be done for their story. Up until this point, I felt that Jack had a soft spot for Rory. Nope! It made him all the more terrifying. As if him slicing people up wasn't bad enough. When that element of "no one is safe" finally hits the pages, it elevates the horror story for me into someone amazing." Melissa backed me up again with - "Agreed! MJ said, when I saw her in TX back in Oct, that it's the author's job to make your character suffer. She obviously practices what she preaches." I agreed with - "I love her for making her characters suffer. Nothing says crappy writing like characters getting everything easy. Johnson went above and beyond to make her characters work for their ending."

Sya jumped in with her two cents - "I found the whole thing very creepy, but a lot creepier BEFORE the idea of Shades appeared. Jack The Ripper gives me the willies, anyway and the writing was suitably atmospheric. I liked how MJ combined this with the whole fish out of water thing and I thought the school life side of things was really nicely written. My only complaint would be that it reminded me massively of a series I'd recently re-watched called Whitechapel, which dealt with a Ripper copy cat. Some of the scenes were (inevitably) so similar that I felt I was reading my own copy cat. I understand that when dealing with the whole copy cat thing that's the whole point but it did lead to me feeling it had all rather been done before. However, I suspect that Whitechapel was only shown in the UK (although you should ALL look it out as it's brilliant) and therefore this wouldn't bother US readers."

Of course, where would a discussion be if I didn't get off on a ramble about something technical? "What really pulled me in about Name of the Star was the setting. Having been a study abroad student, I could relate to Rory so well, from the weight of her luggage to being the "only one" with an accent. I think outside of the story, Johnson captured the subtleties of setting perfectly and ended up sucking me in even more. I could still feel the damp rain, taste the weird food (sorry, Sya! some of it is strange, like the Brits' affinity for beans on everything, and they're not the brown sugar beans!) and just the little things that Rory craved from home and cherished, like her cheez whiz. The setting as a whole, for me, just hugged the plot in its tight embrace and blended everything together all seamless-like. Everything just rang true to me.

Anyone else have any thoughts on the setting?"

While I kind of threw a bit of a dud into the questions pot, some of my fellow YAckers did have things to add. Like Melissa, who said "Um. Not that I can put in so eloquent of words. My thoughts are along the lines of: The setting? Yeah, it rocked. Actually I'm not a setting person; I get into plot and characters more and let the setting fade into the background. And I feel like MJ is such a character person: hers pop off the page and into real life. (I seriously have a crush on Spencer from Suite Scarlett) And in this case, I thoroughly loved Rory and Jaz (that was her name, right?), and the setting more than supported that love."

Then Laura proceeded to frighten me a little - "Now, y'all know I like to do the good talkin' when every I can. It don't always come out all eloquent like but when we hicks go cross the pond there we still try to act like we have at least a bit of home schoolin'. MJ was very generous letting Jack be as nice and polite to Rory as he was. We all know that ain't how it would have happened because ain't many dead English serial killers out there that speak southern . . .So no, I don't have much to say about the setting. Well, other than, EVERYTHING is scarier when it takes place in a strange boarding school." Then Jillian jumped in with "I too liked the setting part of the story. It was what mainly pulled me in the story. I do love places with such a rich history!"

Jillian then threw down with a few questions, starting with "Did anyone else read this book MAINLY for the Jack the Ripper-ish premise? I have to be honest; it was what made me even interested in reading it! Sooooo what pulled YOU in the most?"

Sya was the first to get in on that - "I was definitely attracted to the book due to the Ripper premise - I think it's a mystery that still obsesses much of Britain and is truly creepy. I wasn't sure about the whole ghosty mythology - I thought it was a little rushed." Melissa added "I didn't actually know that much about Jack the Ripper before reading this book. I'm not into the whole serial killer thing. If it wasn't MJ, I wouldn't have read it. And even then, I wouldn't have been as interested in reading it if I hadn't heard her speak at the Austin Teen Book Festival. So, really: MJ herself pulled me in the most. Once there, though, I was completely hooked." Jillian came back in and rounded it out with - "I have to agree that I thought the ghost mythology stuff was rushed! I felt like it was just like, 'surprise! this is a story about paranormal stuff!' I sort of wish it was just about Jack the Ripper and an actual and new serial killer on the loose! In my opinion only of course! not that MJ's premise wasn't good.. because it obviously was . . .For some reason Jack the Ripper's one of those figures in history that's always been extra intriguing to me! I mean, how can such an evil person, who did evil things, got away with his crimes? Mystery crimes have always been really interesting to me, so maybe that's why I was highly intrigued with its premise"

Jillian followed up her first question with - "If you could change anything about the Name of the Star, what would it be? And what did you think of the characters? I personally would change the characters and their development! For some reason, I thought they lacked a bit and I couldn't really find myself empathizing with them or even rooting for them!"

Sya was the first off the line - "I'd have more time spent on the mythology of the whole ghostie thing - I thought it all felt a bit rushed. I quite liked the characters, although a few of them (particularly whatserface Ghostbuster/fake student - sorry, I don't have the book to hand and her name for the moment escapes me) seemed a little depthless. I liked Rory, though." I was right behind her with "I don't want to be that person that says I wouldn't change anything so I'm going to say Boo (that's her name, Sya!). She was just a little . . . much to me. Plus it made the segue into the Shades a little brash and abrupt and I think they let Rory in a little too quickly but even that's a reach for me to say. I just loved this book so." Melissa added "My biggest complaint was that the whole ending in the bathroom was a bit... anti-climatic and unconvincing. But that's it. Really." And Laura brought up the rear with "I thought Boo was needlessly annoying and I could have done without her. I was also unimpressed with Rory's "love" interest- if you could even call him that. No chemistry what so ever. I wanted her to fall for the library ghost :) What sold everything for me, aside from it being a really kick ass, freaky serial killer ghost story, was Rory. She was loveable, likeable and extremely cool. I'm currently reading another story by MJ (Let it Snow, Sya Bruce!) and I think writing kick-ass leading ladies may be her strong point."

A good place to end our YAcker review would be with Jillian's final question - "What would be your favorite thing/s about the Name of the Star?"

I was the first eager beaver here - "Just the way it made me feel. I've been in Rory's shoes, an American living in London's East End so I felt everything she did. Plus the story was pretty awesome too." Sya was next with "The whole Jack the Ripper aspect being put into a modern context. Like I said previously, it's been done before but still works. More serial killers in YA - MORE!" Laura was right there with "I liked that it was scary! I never read anything even slightly scary (remember that I'm a wuss) and not only did I read it but I couldn't put it down. Such is the power of its awesome. I'm so big and brave now that I could shovel-decapitate zombies, or better yet, go to Walmart at 5pm." Melissa popped in and said "I find MJ to be hilarious. Seriously. I like all the little asides and snide comments. Character and setting be dammed; I like that MJ makes me *laugh*." Jillian said "My favorite thing would be the Jack the Ripper idea too as well as the setting!" With Sab rounding out the discussion with "I second the Jack the Ripper twist too, specially the first half when you still don't know that there are ghosts involved. It was very exhilarating and thrilling! and scary as hell."

So yeah, you think we all liked it? After the turd that the first book ended up being, it was a wonderful early Christmas gift for us all to get to read this amazing book. If you haven't read THE NAME OF THE STAR yet, put it on your Christmas wish list and FedEx it to Santa ASAP. It's definitely a must read!

YAckers involved in this discussion -

• Sya at The Mountains of Instead
• Laura at A Jane of All Reads
• Sab at YA Bliss
• Jillian at Random Ramblings
• Melissa at The Book Nut

Ban Factor: High - Ghosties will do it. Not to mention the graphic detail of the murders.

YAckers Review: A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan

Published August 6, 2011.

It should have been a short suspended-animation sleep. But this time Rose wakes up to find her past is long gone— and her future full of peril.

Rosalinda Fitzroy has been asleep for sixty-two years when she is woken by a kiss. Locked away in the chemically induced slumber of a stasis tube in a forgotten subbasement, sixteen-year-old Rose slept straight through the Dark Times that killed millions and utterly changed the world she knew. Now, her parents and her first love are long gone, and Rose— hailed upon her awakening as the long-lost heir to an interplanetary empire— is thrust alone into a future in which she is viewed as either a freak or a threat. Desperate to put the past behind her and adapt to her new world, Rose finds herself drawn to the boy who kissed her awake, hoping that he can help her to start fresh. But when a deadly danger jeopardizes her fragile new existence, Rose must face the ghosts of her past with open eyes— or be left without any future at all. (goodreads.com)

DN to the mofo F.

I am going to make a plea to publishers: for the love of whatever god you may or may not worship, can you PLEASE stop publishing such hackneyed, lazily-built books and forcing them upon us simply to continue riding the wave of better-written books? PLEASE? Getting jazzed up by a blurb and then falling face first into a steaming pile of horse shit is not something I like doing repeatedly.

The "science" was drawn out of a text book from 1956 that was gang-raped by lobotomized chimps before hand, getting donkey-kicked by an actual donkey is less painful than the contrived romance, I've seen better worlds built by 6-year-olds with finger paints and I've been able to make more sense out of a wet Rorschach test than I have of the actual plot.

I fart in your general direction. Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries. Now go away or I shall taunt you a second time.

To see our entire review, check out this month's Keeper of the Book, Sya at The Mountains of Instead. She holds the words.

Ban Factor: Unknown - I don't feel I read enough of it to determine if this would end up in the kindling pile or not.