Teen review: The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss

Today's teen recommendation comes from Allie, and is the 2nd in a series that we've heard wonderful things about: The Wise Man's Fear. 

Want to see your own review here? Fill out our What Did You Just Read form today!

What Did You Read? 

The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss (Bk 2 in the Kingkiller Chronicle).

I'd say this book was *mostly* about... 

An adventure, a magical world.

This book's main character(s)...

Had a rough time.

If others were interested in this book, I'd tell them...

Check it out RIGHT NOW.

If I Stay

This month for Shelf Discovery, we read If I Stay by Gayle Forman.
In case you don't know what this book is all about, here's a brief synopsis. Mia has a wonderful family, a love that is rocky at the moment, but strong, a best friend, and is a talented cellist who may be attending Julliard. Then the car accident occurs and she spends 24 hours in coma trying to decide to stay or to go. The story is written in first person present tense with lots of flashbacks telling the back story of the characters and the heartache she is feeling. 

The discussion was a small one, but very interesting. The paperback copy has discussion questions, but they felt very school-oriented which wasn't very satisfying. Instead we discussed how parents are portrayed in teen literature. For the most part, in teen literature, parents are non-entities. In this one and in Fault in our Stars, the parents are strong characters in their own rights. What do you think?

We also discussed the music in the book which is a character in and of itself. Finally, we talked about the upcoming movie. 

Next month we're reading The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. Pick up your copy at the adult service desk if you want to join us!

Guilty Pleasure Reading

I've been meaning to post since I don't know... forever ago. Why has it taken me so long? Busy at work, busy at home, busy, busy, busy. That's no excuse because I've been meaning to post about my current Guilty Pleasure Reading. What, you may ask, is my definition of Guilty Pleasure Reading (yes, I think of the words in capitalized)? Simply put, it's my escapist reading. I don't care how well written the title is, I don't have to justify my reading of it as literature or I'm reviewing it. Strangely enough, my Guilty Pleasure Reading runs the gamut of types of stories. It could be my Harry Potter fanfiction I read on my phone, my manga series that I still pick up on occasion, or that Robert Cormier novel that put me on the path of my career-- The Chocolate War.

Or it could be like the book series I'm currently Guilty Pleasure Reading -- the Jasper Dent series by Barry Lyga. The first book, I Hunt Killers. Jazz knows everything there is to know about serial killers because of his Dear Old Dad. Dear Old Dad was the most notorious serial killer of today. While Dear Old Dad (D.O.D.) wastes away in prison, Jazz fights D.O.D.'s voice in his head daily, hoping, praying that his conscience will be the thing that stops him from being a killer like D.O.D.--or an even better one. Then the murders start happening in his town. Jazz knows that before long someone will start pointing their finger at him, so he tries to help the police in their investigation to stop the Impressionist.

The key to the novel for me was Jazz. What an intriguing character. How does someone who was raised to be the best serial killer not use his brainwashing? How much is nature vs. nurture and really what chance does this kid have? It reminds me of a line from the TV show Criminal Minds about those who have had the horrible scarring childhoods can become the sociopathic killers or the ones who catch them. Jazz will be the hunter to the killers. Lyga kept him interesting through his inner monologue of Dear Old Dad and his own internal battle against said training. Lyga created the right mixture of darkness with a splash of humor to make this dark time easier to swallow. The novel definitely pushes the envelope in terms of graphic violence, but older teens and adults will most likely be fine with it.

I'm one of those people who silently mocks all of you readers who read the last few pages ahead of time to see what happens. I have to admit that this book made me do it. The first time Jazz flashes to the dream/memory "cuts like chicken" I had to know if he was made to kill his mom as a kid. Of course we don't know the answer, but I still had to look.

The second book. The Game, is out and available. I'm trying to get through my pile of books I have to review for review journals before  I pick it up, but it's a tough battle. If you enjoy dark novels about serial killers, which in the teen lit world I can't really think of one, then this one will be up your alley.

Kearsten's Book Club, May and June: Stiff by Mary Roach AND Way to Go by Tom Ryan!

Summer has arrived, and in a public library, that means CHAOS. In all forms. And so, unsurprisingly, I forgot to post about our May meeting. Erp.

In an attempt to remedy that situation, I'm using this blog post to tell you about both our May AND our June meeting book discussions. They were both great books - in different ways - and hopefully you'll take a chance on 'em!

May: Stiff : The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach.

Mary Roach seems like she'd be a pretty interesting person to hang out with. In Stiff, she takes you, the reader, through the world of human cadavers, and all the ways they have been and are now being used to further scientific discovery, safety, forensics, and even plastic surgery.

Our discussion of this book was all over the place. For awhile, we discussed the most disgusting aspects of Roach's storytelling; for example, an hours-long bladder surgery (performed before anesthesia was available) was horrifically described, and the chapter titled "Eat Me" made me gag a couple of times, no lie.

We then made our way to cloning, then to the ethics of scientific research and we traveled all over that map: would you donate your body to science? What would or wouldn't you want it used for? Should family members be notified of the use?

We had a blast discussing this one, and definitely recommend you try it out. Already read it? Try one of these teen-recommended read-a-likes!

The Violinist's Thumb by Sam Kean. "In THE VIOLINIST'S THUMB, [Kean] explores the wonders of the magical building block of life: DNA. There are genes to explain crazy cat ladies, why other people have no fingerprints, and why some people survive nuclear bombs. Genes illuminate everything from JFK's bronze skin (it wasn't a tan) to Einstein's genius. They prove that Neanderthals and humans bred thousands of years more recently than any of us would feel comfortable thinking. They can even allow some people, because of the exceptional flexibility of their thumbs and fingers, to become truly singular violinists."

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer who worked the same land as her slave ancestors, yet her cells--taken without her knowledge--became one of the most important tools in medicine. The first "immortal" human cells grown in culture, they are still alive today, though she has been dead for more than sixty years. If you could pile all HeLa cells ever grown onto a scale, they'd weigh more than 50 million metric tons--as much as a hundred Empire State Buildings. HeLa cells were vital for developing the polio vaccine; uncovered secrets of cancer, viruses, and the atom bomb's effects; helped lead to important advances like in vitro fertilization, cloning, and gene mapping; and have been bought and sold by the billions.

An American Plague by Jim Murphy. It's 1793, and there's an invisible killer roaming the streets of Philadelphia. The city's residents are fleeing in fear. This killer has a name--yellow fever--but everything else about it is a mystery. Its cause is unknown and there is no cure. This [book] traces the devastating course of the epidemic. [The book] offers a ... glimpse into the conditions in American cities at the time of our nation's birth while drawing thought-provoking parallels to modern-day epidemics.

June: Way to Go by Tom Ryan. 

In this historical fiction book set in 1994 (calling a book set during my high school years "historical" breaks my heart, btw), Danny spends the summer before his senior year trying to hide from something he's slowly beginning to realize: he might be gay. Okay, he's pretty sure he is gay, but he can change that, right?

Danny lives in a small town in Canada, and a lot of our conversation was about what that might be like. Our discussion leader mentioned that one of the complaints he'd found in online reviews of the book was that 'coming out' books like this one always seem to have this setting, which led to a ton of questions like: is it tougher to be "different" in a small town? Why might that be? And would we survive in a small town like Danny's? A couple of our teen book clubbers have lived in small towns themselves and shared their own experiences, along with the strangeness of everyone knowing your name (and parents, and grades, and exploits...)

Side note: Alma, Danny's little sister was amazing. One teen mentioned that she was being added to his fictional family, which makes total sense to me! Someday, I need to compile a list of awesome siblings in books...

Overall, we liked this book and recommend it to ya'll. Already read it? Why not try one of these books also about teens in small towns, coming out or otherwise?

Shine by Lauren Myracle. When her best friend falls victim to a vicious hate crime, sixteen-year-old Cat sets out to discover the culprits in her small North Carolina town.

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater. Though she is from a family of clairvoyants, Blue Sargent's only gift seems to be that she makes other people's talents stronger, and when she meets Gansey, one of the Raven Boys from the expensive Aglionby Academy, she discovers that he has talents of his own--and that together their talents are a dangerous mix.

Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley. Seventeen-year-old Cullen's summer in Lily, Arkansas, is marked by his cousin's death by overdose, an alleged spotting of a woodpecker thought to be extinct, failed romances, and his younger brother's sudden disappearance.

Darren Shan

So, I have a hard time reading series. I know, I know--most people love series and want to continue with the characters and all that. And bizarrely enough, I love manga series. But a novel series has to be really good for me to want to continue it. I think that's the reluctant reader in me. I'm just reluctant in a different way than other so-called "reluctant readers". So getting to the point, and yes, I have a point. Darren Shan's teen books (the Demonata series and the new book Zom-B) are exceptions for me. Pause now and re-read our posts on the first book in the Demonata series, Lord Loss.

You're back? Good! Shan's new series has the first book out now: Zom-B. Set in London, B watches on the news as reports of zombie outbreaks in Ireland hit. B laughs it because B's dad does. B's family follows his lead for everything--otherwise, you might get smacked around a bit. Following his lead means pretending to be a racist, but B struggles with the issue of when pretending becomes reality. Keeping focused on the day to day battles within the school and home, zombies are just a thing in the back of B's mind; that is until they invade the school. Then it becomes a fight for survival.

As I stated in my Goodreads review:
The ARC of book starts with a letter to the reader asking to please not give the twists away. I appreciated it. First, it prepared me to be shocked. Second, my anticipation grew as the ending got closer.


The novel starts off with a horrific bang. I'd put it on the level of Lord Loss in terms of gore. The prologue was so hardhitting and good zombie entertainment that I was disappointed that the middle section of the book was steeped in the horror of real life instead of zombies. But now I liked how Shan talked about racism and children being raised in a bigotry filled abusive life. It was uncomfortable in places and god knows you don't LIKE B the protagonist, but still it was well done in the endeavor. I wanted the action to get started though and Boy, when it got started; it really got started.

The only thing I will say about the twists is that they were great and shocking. I didn't see one coming at all. AT ALL. When it happened, I gasped and said "no way!" and promptly looked around since I read this at the car dealership waiting on the service department. When I finished the book, I also spoke aloud about wanting the next book NOW.

I can't wait to give this to my zombie lovin' teen who comes to the library. He'll love it. Kearsten--go pick it up. It's a great Shan horror novel--and it's got ZOMBIES!

Thanks to Victoria at Little Brown for my copy!!

Break My Heart 1,000 Times

I haven't been excited about very many teen books lately. It's something to do with so many new titles sounding the same. i mean first, it was vampires, then anything paranormal, now it's dystopian and all the time it's romance. Blah! I know, I know. I should be lynched for writing that! But hey, the library still buys all those dystopian, paranormal love triangle books!

But then comes along this book, Break My Heart 1,000 Times by Daniel Waters. I picked it up through Net Galley--so hey, thanks to Hyperion for sharing it with me!



After the Event, there are ghosts every where. Seriously, every where. And now instead of getting lesser ghosts around, new ones are popping up like the teacher who appeared in class one day at the chalkboard. Veronica and her friend Kirk investigate and film ghosts who have died to help a teacher with his own hypotheses about the dead and their left behind images. The investigation leads them straight into a man who believes he can make his dead daughter re-appear if he takes matters into his own hands.

Wowzers, I really liked this book. I read it during my tiny breaks at work and I kept having to tell myself to get back to work. There's a great amount of suspense building throughout the book. Waters slowly unveils the different "shocks" in such a manner that because I'm reading an advanced copy, I'd pause and think "Is that a mistake or omg is he that nutty?" (In case you're curious, he's that nutty).

The characters are sooo good in this novel. The side characters aren't forgotten and actually grow throughout it. Veronica and Kirk are good together as they date and ghost hunt. The ghosts themselves are beautifully memorable as well.

I've already talked this book up to my teens at the library--well, it might have been gushing about the book.

Break My Heart 1,000 Times is hauntingly beautiful. If you're looking for something new and different to read this fall--you need to read this one. 

Kearsten's Book Club: Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John.

Once again, Kearsten's Book Club met to discuss, yell, and laugh as we talked about this month's book, Antony John's funny, charming and musically awesome novel, Five Flavors of Dumb.  Eighteen-year-old Piper agrees to help her classmates' band, appropriately called 'Dumb', get a paying gig following a Battle of the Bands win. Unfortunately, Piper knows very little about band management or rock music, and must learn VERY quickly to get the band to work together in time for that gig.

Okay. I'm having a hard time writing this summary of our meeting, mainly because I think this book, with it's love and celebration of the music I loved in high school, its bad-ass female lead, and delightfully snarky characters, is completely EPIC. I loved it when I read it last year, and loved it even more when I reread it this weekend. It's just awesome. Go read it. Now.

As for our discussion: book club really got into Piper's story. Many felt that her parents were way out of line in taking money from her college fund to pay for a cochlear implant for her baby sister (Kyra: "If my parents did that, we would have PROBLEMS"), while Piper's parents' choice - is it okay to hurt one child in order to help another? - reminded me of Jodi Picoult's My Sister's Keeper.  Pretty much all of us loved that Piper, who is deaf and has to rely on hearing aids, lip-reading and signing to communicate, is determined to make Dumb succeed, and not only refuses to let people discount her because of her hearing, but even uses people's prejudices to once or twice manipulate situations to her advantage. We also had a lovely interlude imagining several revenge plots for the much hated pretty-boy lead singer, Josh. He was the worst.

Happily, the author put together a song list at the end of the book, so I created a playlist on the library's YouTube channel (59Square) for your audio enjoyment. Check out a copy of the book to discover the significance of these songs!

Kearsten's Book Club heartily endorses this one, in which several teens come into their own and find their passions. If you've already read Five Flavors of Dumb, try out one of these similar reads!

Of Sound Mind by Jean Ferris. Tired of interpreting for his deaf family and resentful of their reliance on him, high school senior Theo finds support and understanding from Ivy, a new student who also has a deaf parent.

Fat Kid Rules the World by K.L. Going. Seventeen-year-old Troy, depressed, suicidal, and weighing nearly 300 pounds, gets a new perspective on life when a homeless teenager who is a genius on guitar wants Troy to be the drummer in his rock band.

The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin by Josh Berk. When Will Halpin transfers from his all-deaf school into a mainstream Pennsylvania high school, he faces discrimination and bullying, but still manages to solve a mystery surrounding the death of a popular football player in his class.

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly. An angry, grieving seventeen-year-old musician facing expulsion from her prestigious Brooklyn private school travels to Paris to complete a school assignment and uncovers a diary written during the French revolution by a young actress attempting to help a tortured, imprisoned little boy--Louis Charles, the lost king of France