Book Review and Giveaway: Finally Heard by Kelly Yang

Happy Monday Everyone! Today I’m thrilled to share a review of Kelly Yang’s MG contemporary Finally Heard. I’m a huge fan of Kelly Yang’s Front Desk series and her Finally Seen series, which this is a sequel to. Kelly has been an amazing writer since she was a kid and immigrated to the U.S. from China as a middle grader. If you read her author notes at the end of her novels, you’ll learn what an incredible life Kelly has had.

I had hoped to have Kelly here for an interview, but she couldn’t do one given her busy schedule. However, she helped me obtain a book for a giveaway from her publisher. And thanks to her publisher for an ARC of Finally Heard for an honest review.

Here’s a blurb of Finally Heard from Goodreads:

 

From the New York Times bestselling author of Front Desk comes the sequel to Finally Seen in which Lina struggles to separate fact from fiction on social media.

When ten-year-old Lina Gao sees her mom’s video on social media take off, she’s captivated by the potential to be seen and heard! Maybe online she can finally find the confidence she craves. Whereas in real life she’s growing so fast, she feels like microwave popcorn, bursting out of her skin!

With the help of her two best friends, Carla and Finn, and her little sister, Millie, Lina sets off to go viral. Except there’s a lot more to social media than Lina ever imagined,

1. Seeing inside her classmates’ lives! Is she really the only person on the planet who doesn’t have a walk-in closet?
2. Group chats! Disappearing videos! Will anyone comment? What’s that emoji mean?
3. A bazillion stories about what to eat, wear, and put on her face . Could they all be telling the truth? Everyone sounds so sure of what they’re saying!

As Lina descends deeper and deeper into social media, it will take all her strength to break free from the likes and find the courage to be her authentic self in this fast-paced world.

Follower News

Before I get to my review, I have Follower News to share. Follower Sandy Grubb’s MG contemporary Just Like Click was recently released. Here’s a blurb: Eleven-year-old Nick Townley steps off the comic book pages he creates and ventures into the night as an undercover superhero to save his home and his father’s job, which would be a lot easier if he had actual superpowers. When three new kids discover his identity and want to join him, Nick vows to stay undercover…until he realizes even a superhero needs friends. And here are a few links: sandygrubb.com X and IG: @sandygrubb

 

Yvonne Osborne has an adult release Let Evening Come. Here’s a blurb: Let Evening Come is the love story between an Indigenous son displaced from his ancestral home on the Tar Sands of Canada and a motherless farm girl from Michigan who struggles to overcome loss while navigating the pitfalls of young adulthood. Together they combat suspicion and bigotry on both sides of the border and the cultural differences that separate them. And here’s a few links:
Amazon Website Barnes & Noble

 

Finally Heard Review

Finally Heard is a sequel to Finally Seen. While you may enjoy this sequel more if you read Finally Seen first where Lina immigrates to the United States as a middle grader, this can be read as a standalone. Like Kelly’s other books, it’s a riveting story that I had a hard time putting down. I devoured it in a few sittings. Here are a few things I loved about the story:

1. ·      In Finally Heard, Lina deals with problems with social media that many middle graders will relate to.
2. ·      I loved the relationship between Lina and her grandmother. Even though her grandma lives in China, Lina has been able to remain close to her.
3. ·       I really enjoyed how this story highlights what it’s like to immigrate here as a middle grader and how Lina’s whole family is coping with their new life here. We learn how her mom, who is starting an online business, gets entrapped in social media too.
4. ·       Lina is a very compelling character, as are her younger sister Millie and her friends, Finn and Carla.
5. ·       I LOVED the last lines of the book. Those lines are for adults as well as middle graders. I’ve read them many times during a big personal challenge I faced a few weeks ago, and they helped me get through it.

I can’t recommend this and Kelly Yang’s other books enough. They’re all fantastic!

About Kelly:

 

Kelly immigrated to America when she was 6 years old and grew up in Southern California, where she and her parents worked in three different motels. She overcame poverty to go to college at the age of 13 and law school at the age of 17. She is a graduate of UC Berkeley, where she majored in Political Science, and Harvard Law School. After law school, she gave up law to pursue her passion of writing and teaching children writing. She is the founder of The Kelly Yang Project (kellyyang.edu.hk), a leading writing and debating program for kids in Asia. As a writing teacher for 13 years, Kelly helped thousands of children find their voice and become better writers and more powerful speakers. Before turning to fiction, she was also a columnist for the South China Morning Post for many years. Her writing has been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Atlantic. She is the Honorary Chair of the American Library Association for National Library Week. She has three children and lives in Los Angeles.  

 Kelly is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of FINALLY SEEN, NEW FROM HERE, the FRONT DESK series ("One of the 30 Most Influential Children's Books Of All Time" -BookRiot), including FRONT DESK, THREE KEYS, and ROOM TO DREAM, KEY PLAYER, and TOP STORY, YES WE WILL, and young adult novels PARACHUTES and PRIVATE LABEL. FRONT DESK is Kelly's award-winning middle grade debut novel about a 10 year old Chinese American immigrant girl who manages the front desk of a motel while her parents clean the rooms. FRONT DESK was awarded the 2019 Asian Pacific American Award for Literature, the Parents' Choice Gold Medal, was the 2019 Global Read Aloud, and was named an Amazon Best Book of the Year, a Washington Post Best Book of the Year, a Kirkus Best Book of the Year, a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, a NPR Best Book of the Year, and a Publisher's Weekly Best Book of the Year.

You can learn more about Kelly at https://www.kellyyang.com/.

Giveaway Details

Kelly’s publisher is generously offering a hardback of Finally Heard for a giveaway. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower of my blog (via the follower gadget, email, or bloglovin’ on the right sidebar) and leave a comment by April 27th. If your email is not on your Google Profile, you must leave it in the comments to enter the contest. Please be sure I have your email address.

If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog and/or follow me on Twitter, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry for each. You must be 13 years old or older to enter. This book giveaway is U.S.

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday is hosted by Greg Pattridge. You can find the participating blogs on his blog.

Upcoming Interviews, Guest Posts, and Blog Hops

Tomorrow, April 16th I’m participating in the Rain Drop on Roses Giveaway Hop

Monday, April 22nd I have an agent spotlight interview with Hillary Fazzari and a query critique giveaway

Wednesday, May 1st I have an interview with author Stacy Stokes and a giveaway of her YA speculative thriller The Darkness Rises and my IWSG post

Monday, May 6th I have an agent spotlight interview with Miriam Cortinovis and a query critique giveaway

Wednesday, May 8th I have an agent spotlight interview with Jenniea Carter and a query critique giveaway

Monday, May 13th I have a guest post by debut author Sandy Green and a giveaway of her MG novel in verse Ghost Writers: The Haunting of Lake Lucy

Wednesday, May 15th I have a guest post by Rose Atkinson-Carter, a freelance writer for Reedsy

Monday, May 20th I have an agent spotlight interview with Caroline Trussell and a query critique giveaway

I hope to see you tomorrow!

 

 

 

The Other Side of the River Review by Alda Dobbs and Giveaway

Happy Monday Everyone! Today I’m super excited to share Alda Dobb’s new historical MG The Other Side of the River. When Alda emailed me and asked me if I wanted an ARC in exchange for an honest review, I jumped at the chance because I loved her debut book, Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna. You can read my interview with Alda when she debuted here.

Here’s a blurb of The Other Side of the River from Goodreads:

From the award-winning author of Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna, Alda P. Dobbs, comes a compelling new novel about building a new life in America. Strong and determined, Petra Luna returns in a story about the immigrant experience that continues to be relevant today.

Petra Luna is in America, having escaped the Mexican Revolution and the terror of the Federales. Now that they are safe, Petra and her family can begin again, in this country that promises so much. Still, twelve-year-old Petra knows that her abuelita, little sister, and baby brother depend on her to survive. She leads her family from a smallpox-stricken refugee camp on the Texas border to the buzzing city of San Antonio, where they work hard to build a new life. And for the first time ever, Petra has a chance to learn to read and write.

Yet Petra also sees in America attitudes she thought she'd left behind on the other side of the Río Grande―people who look down on her mestizo skin and bare feet, who think someone like her doesn't deserve more from life. Petra wants more. Isn't that what the revolution is about? Her strength and courage will be tested like never before as she fights for herself, her family, and her dreams.

Petra's first story, Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna, was a New York Public Library Book of the Year and a Texas Bluebonnet Master List Selection.

My Review

The Other Side of the River tells Petra’s story after her family and she arrive in San Antonio. You do not have to read Alda’s first book to enjoy this one. I devoured it in two sittings. I totally loved it and can’t wait to read Alda’s next book.

Here are five things I really enjoyed about this book.

1. The setting. I loved learning more about San Antonio in the early 1900s, especially since I’ve visited there on a few occasions. It was so interesting to see what life was like for immigrants coming here from Mexico. They sure didn’t have it easy.
2. Riveting story. Historical fiction has to be factually accurate. But it also has to tell a compelling story. I found The Other Side of the River to be a page-turner because the story and plot were so good.
3. Petra. I already loved Peter from Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna. I love her even more in this story and so admire her tenacity, courage, and strength as she tried to take care of her family and follow her dreams of a new life in America. When I start to get down about my own problems and challenges, I think about all the hardships she and other immigrants have faced and face today.
4. Secondary characters. Alda did a fantastic job creating a cast of secondary characters. I enjoyed learning more about her abuelita, younger sister, baby brother, and other characters that helped and hindered her in her attempts to take care of her family.
5. Ending. I’m not going to spoil things for you by telling you the ending. I’ll just say that the ending was a great one.

 Giveaway Details

 I’m offering my ARC of The Other Side of the River for a giveaway. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower of my blog (via the follower gadget, email, or bloglovin’ on the right sidebar) and leave a comment by October 8th. If your e-mail is not on your Google Profile, you must leave it in the comments to enter the contest. Please be sure I have your email address.

If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog and/or follow me on Twitter s, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry for each. You must be 13 years old or older to enter. The ARC giveaway is U.S.

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday is hosted by Greg Pattridge. You can find the participating blogs on his blog.         

Upcoming Interviews and Guest Posts

Wednesday, October 5th, I’m participating in the Howloween Giveaway Hop

Wednesday, October 5th, I have an interview with debut author Kim Bartosch and a giveaway of her YA mystery/ghost story Ask the Girl

Monday, October 16th, I have an agent spotlight interview with Sarah Stephens and a query critique giveaway

Sunday, October 16th, I’m participating in the Cheeky Pumpkin Giveaway Hop

Monday, October 17th, I have an agent spotlight interview with Eve Adler and a query critique giveaway

Monday, October 24th, I have a guest post by debut author George Jreije and a giveaway of his MG fantasy Shad Hadid and the Alchemists of Alexandria 

Hope to see you on Wednesday, October 5th!

 

 

Lines of Courage Review and Giveaway

Happy Monday Everyone! Today I’m super excited to share Jennifer Nielson’s new MG historical Lines of Courage. It made the New York Times Bestseller list. If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you know she is one of my favorite authors. She writes MG fantasy and historical and YA fantasy.

Here’s a blurb of Lines of Courage from Goodreads:

The stories of five kids living through World War I, each of whom holds the key to the others' futures... if they are lucky - and brave - enough to find each other.

World War I stretches its cruel fingers across Europe, where five young people, each from different backgrounds and nations, face the terror of battle, the deprivations of hunger, and all the awful challenges of war.

Felix, from Austria-Hungary, longs for the bravery to resist Jewish deportations before his own family can be taken.

Kara, from Britain, dreams of someday earning her Red Cross pin and working as a nurse - or even a doctor.

Juliette, of France, hopes her family can remain knitted together, despite her father's imprisonment, as the war's longest battle stretches on and on.

Elsa, from Germany, hopes her homing pigeon might one day bring her a friend from out of the chaos.

And Dimitri, of Russia, wants only to survive the front, where he's been sent with no weapon.

None of them will find exactly what they want. But the winds of fate may cross their paths to give each of them just what they need. 

 My Review

Thanks to Scholastic for providing me with an ARC of Lines of Courage. This is a fantastic story. Here are four things I really enjoyed about it:

1.     The story is set during WWI. While I’ve read a lot of books set in WWII, I have not read many about WWI. I enjoyed learning about this time in history and the trains used by the Red Cross to treat wounded soldiers.

2.     As the blurb states, this story is about the lives of five young people who come from different backgrounds and countries. Jennifer Nielsen does a fantastic job showing us how the war affects their lives and creatively has their lives intersect throughout the story.

3.     I love Jennifer Nielsen’s writing style. It is so clean, and every word matters. Whenever I struggle with some aspect of my writing, I pick up one of Jennifer’s books to see how she handled it. It really helps me to move forward and figure out a solution to my problem.

4.     This fast-paced story kept me wanting to turn the pages. I read it in two sittings, which is unusual for me.

Giveaway Details

I’m offering my ARC of Lines of Courage for a giveaway. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower of my blog (via the follower gadget, email, or bloglovin’ on the right sidebar) and leave a comment by July 2nd. If your e-mail is not on your Google Profile, you must leave it in the comments to enter the contest. Please be sure I have your email address.

If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog and/or follow me on Twitter, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry for each. You must be 13 years old or older to enter. This giveaway is U.S.

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday is hosted by Greg Pattridge. You can find the participating blogs on his blog.

Upcoming Interviews and Giveaways

Friday, July 1st, I’m participating in the Sparkle Time Giveaway Hop

Wednesday, July 6th, I have a guest post by debut author Elisa Bonnin with a giveaway of her YA fantasy Dauntless and my IWSG post 

Monday, July 11th, I have an agent/debut author guest post by Jennifer Unter and Melissa Dassori with a giveaway of Melissa’s contemporary/magical realism JR Silver Writes Her World and a query critique by Jennifer

Wednesday, July 13th, I have an agent spotlight interview with Jazmia Young and a query critique giveaway

Saturday, July 16th, I’m participating in the Hip Hip Hooray Giveaway Hop

Monday, July 18th, I have an interview with debut author M.T. Khan Maaeda and a giveaway of his MG contemporary fantasy Nura and the Immortal Palace

Wednesday, July 20th, I have an agent spotlight interview with Alex Slater and a query critique giveaway

Monday, July 25th, I have an interview with debut author Derrick Chow and a giveaway of his MG retelling Ravenous Things

Hope to see you on Friday!

Book Giveaway: Rescue by Jennifer Nielsen

Happy Monday Everyone! Today I’m thrilled to share Jennifer Neilsen’s new MG historical Rescue, which is set in WWII, with you. I’ve been dying to share it with you since I read an ARC of it last November. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Here’s a blurb from Goodreads:

From New York Times bestselling author Jennifer A. Nielsen comes a thrilling World War II story of espionage and intrigue, as one girl races to save her father and aid the French resistance.

Six hundred and fifty-seven days ago, Meg Kenyon's father left their home in France to fight for the Allies in World War II, and that was the last time Meg saw him. Recently, she heard he was being held prisoner by the Nazis, a terrible sentence from which Meg fears he'll never return. All she has left of him are the codes he placed in a jar for her to decipher, an affectionate game the two of them shared. But the codes are running low, and soon there'll be nothing left of Papa for Meg to hold on to at all.

Suddenly, an impossible chance to save her father falls into Meg's lap. After following a trail of blood in the snow, Meggie finds an injured British spy hiding in her grandmother's barn. Captain Stewart tells her that a family of German refugees must be guided across Nazi-occupied France to neutral Spain, whereupon one of them has promised to free Meg's father. Captain Stewart was meant to take that family on their journey, but too injured to complete the task himself, he offers it to Meg, along with a final code from Papa to help complete the mission -- perhaps the most important, and most difficult, riddle she's received yet.

As the Nazis flood Meg's village in fierce pursuit, she accepts the duty and begins the trek across France. Leading strangers through treacherous territory, Meg faces danger and uncertainty at every turn, all the while struggling to crack her father's code. The message, as she unravels it, reveals secrets costly enough to risk the mission and even her own life. Can Meg solve the puzzle, rescue the family, and save her father?

As many of you know, Jennifer Nielsen is one of my favorite authors. This is an incredibly suspenseful story that I could not put down. It was so interesting to read about Meg, who was involved in the French Resistance. Her story was riveting, and she faced such danger on her mission. It really gave me a sense of the sacrifices and fear that people went through in their lives when living in France when it was occupied, and they were resisting the Nazis.

Here’s a few things about Rescue that I really loved:

1. Meg is such a great character. She’s so brave and smart when going on her mission to save her father. I don’t know if I could have been so strong when going through some of her experiences where she was in real danger of getting caught.
2. I really enjoyed watching her relationship develop with Jakob, a boy who was a part of the family she was taking to safety.
3. I loved watching Meg with the help of Jakob try to break her father’s code, which she needs to know if her mission will be successful.
4. There was a twist I didn’t see coming!
5. There’s a cool section on breaking codes for kids to try on their own at the end of the book. Jennifer always blows me away with how much she knows.

5. This is a great story that I recommend to any kids and adults who like historical fiction.

Giveaway Details

I’m offering a hardback or ebook of Rescue for a giveaway. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower of my blog (via the follower gadget, email, or bloglovin’ on the right sidebar) and leave a comment by May 8th. If your e-mail is not on your Google Profile, you must leave it in the comments to enter the contest. Please be sure I have your email address.

If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog and/or follow me on Twitter, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry for each. You must be 13 years old or older to enter. This giveaway is U.S. for a hardback and international for an ebook from Amazon.

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday is hosted by Greg Pattridge. You can find the participating blogs on his blog.

Upcoming Interviews and Giveaways

Tuesday, May 4th I’m participating in the Life’s a Beach Giveaway Hop

Wednesday, May 5th I have an interview with debut author Daniel Aleman and a giveaway of his YA contemporary about immigration Indivisible and a query critique by his agent Peter Knapp and my IWSG post

Monday, May 10th I have a guest post by author Jessica Lawson with a giveaway of her MG fantasy How to Save a Queendom and a query critique by her agent Tina Dubois

Wednesday, May 12th I have an agent spotlight interview with Joyce Sweeney and a query critique giveaway

Sunday, May 16th I’m participating in the Moms Rock Giveaway Hop

Monday, May 17th I have an interview with debut author Payal Doshi and a giveaway of her MG fantasy set in India Rea and the Blood of the Nectar

Wednesday, May 18th I have an agent spotlight interview with Michelle Hauck and a query critique giveaway

Monday, May 26th I have a guest post with agent Maura Kye-Casella and debut author Sam Subity with a query critique giveaway by Maura and a giveaway of The Last Shadow Warrior, a MG fantasy by Sam

Hope to see you on Tuesday!

JENNIFER NIELSEN'S MARK OF THE THIEF REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

Happy Wednesday Everyone!

Today I'm super, super thrilled to share about Jennifer Nielsen's MARK OF THE THIEF that releases on February 24, 2015. If you've followed my blog for awhile, you already know that Jennifer is one of my favorite authors. So I was super excited to learn that she has a new series coming out. And it's just as fantastic as her The Ascendance Trilogy.

Here's a blurb from Goodreads:

When Nic, a slave in the mines outside of Rome, is forced to enter a sealed cavern containing the lost treasures of Julius Caesar, he finds much more than gold and gemstones: He discovers an ancient bulla, an amulet that belonged to the great Caesar and is filled with a magic once reserved for the Gods -- magic some Romans would kill for.

Now, with the deadly power of the bulla pulsing through his veins, Nic is determined to become free. But instead, he finds himself at the center of a ruthless conspiracy to overthrow the emperor and spark the Praetor War, a battle to destroy Rome from within. Traitors and spies lurk at every turn, each more desperate than the next to use Nic's newfound powers for their own dark purposes.

In a quest to stop the rebellion, save Rome, and secure his own freedom, Nic must harness the magic within himself and defeat the empire's most powerful and savage leaders.
  
I loved how the story combines Roman history with magical elements. This will really appeal to fans of the Percy Jackson series, but it is a totally different story, which is one of the reasons it's so good.  

The beginning lines are fantastic. Here they are:

     In Rome, nothing mattered more than the gods, and nothing mattered less than its slaves. Only a fool of a slave would ever challenge the gods' power.

     I was beginning to look like a fool.

Jennifer then moved immediately into the first scene filled with conflict and action. She artfully weaves

this theme into the chapter and the whole book. One of my critique partners was struggling with her first chapter at the time I started this and I typed out the first few pages of this chapter for her.

Jennifer also does a really good job creating Nic's voice. It's uniquely his, witty, sarcastic, and defiant at times. She's a master at getting her main character's voice right. And Nic is so sympathetic in his mission to find and save his sister.

The plot moves along without a dull moment. Often there is a little middle sag in a book. Not here. This is a real page turn with plot twists I couldn't see coming. 

This is a really good book to read to enjoy and, for a writer, to study for the craft of writing. I mostly just buy books to give away here now. But I'm planning to buy this for myself to learn from it.

I could go on and on, but I won't.

Scholastic generously provided me with an ARC of MARK OF THE THIEF, which I'm offering for a giveaway (Sob, sob!). If for some reason it's not your type of book, I hope you'll enter to win for a kid in your life that would enjoy it. 

To enter, all you need to do is be a follower (just click the follow button if you’re not a follower) and leave a comment through February 21st. I’ll announce the winner on February 23rd. If your e-mail is not on your Google Profile, please leave it in the comments.

If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry.This is for for US and Canada.

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday was started by Shannon Messenger. You can find all the other participating blogs on her blog.

Here's what's coming up:

On Monday I'll have an interview with debut author Laurie McKay and a giveaway of her MG fantasy THE LAST DRAGON CHARMER.

The next Monday I have an interview with debut author Rhiannon Thomas and a giveaway of her YA fairy tale retelling A WICKED THING.

The Monday after that I have a guest post by debut author Karen Bao and a giveaway of her science fiction YA DOVE ARISING.
 
Wednesday that week I have a guest post by debut author Alison DeCamp on marketing middle grade novels and a giveaway of MY NEAR-DEATH ADVENTURES, her MG historical fiction similar to Diary of a Wimpy Kid. 

The Monday after that I have an interview with debut author Victoria Aveyard and a giveaway of RED QUEEN, her YA fantasy/dystopian.


Hope to see you on Monday!

THE YOUNG ELITES GIVEAWAY

Happy Monday Everyone! Hope you're having a great start to the week. I am so very sorry that I did not visit all your blogs last week. But with work, applying for jobs, and a busy swim captain mom week, I ran out of time. This weekend was the swim championships and it was so much fun watching all the girls drop time. Some of them who still had slower times dropped 10 seconds. And Anna Li has a fantastic weekend. She dropped time in her individuals both days and both relays she was on came in 2nd! She's on the state team and in two more weeks she'll finish her swimming career. We're enjoying everything now, but both of us are ready for her to move on.

FOLLOWER NEWS

Sharon Mayhew has started a manuscript editing service. Stop by her blog to learn more and to enter for a chance to win a critique.

I have a few winners to announce.


The winner of The Heir Chronicles is Abby!

And the winner of COMPULSION is C. Lee McKenzie!

Congrats! E-mail me your address so I can send your books to you. Please e-mail me by the end of Wednesday or I'll have to pick another winner.

Today I'm thrilled to share THE YOUNG ELITES, the first book in Marie Lu's new series. Here's a blurb from Goodreads:

I am tired of being used, hurt, and cast aside.

Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.

Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all.

Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen.

Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.

It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt.

Wow! I already loved Marie Lu as an author and now I'm even more of a fan. Marie has branched out into fantasy in this story and does not disappoint.

I loved the world building where the Young Elites have special magical powers caused by an illness and are persecuted for it. I'm always pulled into stories where the characters are fighting discrimination. And the Young Elites all have different, very interesting powers, which I enjoyed.

Adelina is a dark, but sympathetic character. I read that Marie Lu was trying to create a Darth Vader type character in Adelina. She's suffered a terrible life so we can understand where her darkness comes from. And it's tempered by her devotion to her sister who she is trying to save.

This is a fast paced story. I don't seem to be reading as fast these days so it's saying even more when I find a book that hooks me. I read this in a few days. And there were plot twists and revelations I didn't see coming.

Marie Lu's publisher, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers generously donated an ARC of THE YOUNG ELITES for a giveaway. 
To enter, all you need to do is be a follower (just click the follow button if you’re not a follower) and leave a comment through November 29th. I’ll announce the winner on December 1st. If your e-mail is not on your Google Profile, please leave it in the comments.

If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry. This is for US and Canada.

Here’s what’s coming up:

On Friday I’m participating in the Gratitude Giveaway Blog Hop.

And the following Monday I’ll have a guest post by debut author Jennifer Torres and giveaway of THE DISAPPEARING, her MG sci-fi mystery.

I’ll be off the Monday after that. I know it’ll be quiet with the Thanksgiving holiday coming up.

The following Monday (Dec 1st) I have a guest post by debut author Jaye Robin Brown and a giveaway of NO PLACE TO FALL, her YA Contemporary.

Hope to see you on Friday!

INTO THE STILL BLUE/THE ENCHANTER HEIR/FROZEN GIVEAWAY AND ASK THE EXPERT INTERVIEW

Happy Monday Everyone! Hope you all survived the bitter cold and snow last week. Our company actually closed the office on Monday and told us about it the night before. We’ve never closed for snow in the 25 + years I worked there. It was fantastic!

I’ve got a lot to share with you today.

FOLLOWER NEWS

Nutshell Windsor and her co-editor Alana Garraigues are on a blog tour for their anthology, STORY SPROUTS: CBW-LA WRITING DAY ANTHOLOGY & EXERCISES. It sounds like a great book. Congrats, Nutshell & Alana!

Here’s a blurb:

What happens when linguistic lovers and tale tellers workshop together? Inspiration. Wonder. Discovery. Growth. Magic.
Brave and talented, the writers featured in this anthology took on the challenge of dedicating one day to the raw and creative process of writing.
A rare view into the building blocks of composition, Story Sprouts is made up of nearly 40 works of poetry and prose from 19 published and aspiring children's book authors.
This compilation includes all of the anthology writing exercises and prompts, along with tips, techniques and free online writing resources to help writers improve their craft.

KINDLE & PRINT COPIES AVAILABLE THROUGH AMAZON:
http://www.amazon.com/Story-Sprouts-CBW--Exercises-Anthology-ebook/dp/B00G2X3E52/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388179768&sr=8-1&keywords=story+sprouts

LINKS:
Learn more about Story Sprouts at http://www.storysproutsanthology.com/
Join the Children’s Book Writers of Los Angeles at www.cbw-la.org

Today I’m excited to have Eleanor here for an ASK THE EXPERT interview. Eleanor is a 10h grader who reads a lot and you’ll see what else she’s up to book-wise too. I interviewed her sister, Magnolia, in December. Her mom was my critique partner until she sadly moved.

Hi Eleanor. Thanks so much for joining us.

1. Please tell us a little bit about yourself, your school, and what you like to read. Does your mom influence what you read?

Hi, my name is Eleanor. I'm fifteen years old (sophomore), and I go to Herron High School, which is really artsy and encourages lots of reading and drawing stuff. I like to read YA novels of many different kinds (I'm a sucker for romance) and two of my favorite authors are Libba Bray and Rainbow Rowell. My mom is one of the primary sources for what I read, because she's even more up to date on what's going on the YA writing community than I am, so it's kind of like having a guide to the good books.

2. Sounds like a great school for you. And I know how well your mom keeps up with YA books. How do you find out about the books you read? What about new books coming out?

I learn a lot about good and/or popular books from my mom (I didn't even know about Twilight or the Hunger Games until she told me about them) but I also get a lot of good info from the Internet. Fan websites like Tumblr or fanfiction.net can sort of introduce you to other teenagers who like the same books as you do, and therefore can give good recommendations. I'm more likely to pick up a book or series if someone who has read something else I like recommends it online.

3. That’s so awesome you check out books on the Internet. I find out about many of mine from book review bloggers. What are you reading now? What books are you waiting to be released?

I'm reading a few different things right now. I'm on the third book in the Divergent series by Veronica Roth, and on the side I'm working on Guy Langman: Crime Scene Procrastinator by Josh Berk (which is super funny and quirky and awesome). I'm waiting on the conclusion to the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare, which should be coming out in March.

4. I just read ALLEGIANT. Not sure why, but I never started reading Cassandra Clare’s books. Do you buy most of your book or get them at the library? How often do go to a bookstore? 

I buy the majority of my books. I don't go to the library often, but when I go on shopping sprees, they're for books, not clothes. My mom takes me to Half-Price books to browse. We even have a monthly budget just for book-shopping.

5. Wow! That’s so cool you pick book shopping over clothes shopping. And a better choice. Do you read any teen book blogs, author blogs, or author or publisher websites? Become a fan of an author on Facebook? Why?

I occasionally visit LJ Smith and Cassandra Clare's blogs, as well the blogs of Daniel Waters (who wrote Generation Dead), Libba Bray, and Julie Halpern; sometimes even John Green's Tumblr blog. I like to keep track of what they're writing so I can watch for new books coming out, and I like to know more about the authors.

6. I’ve heard John Green has a great rapport with his fans. I really want to read one of his books this year. Has your teacher recommended any blogs or websites to your class or to you?

None of my teachers really recommend any blogs to me, and I think it's because not a lot of teachers at my school are very Internet savvy, but my English teacher will recommend books to ready anytime. He's a huge fan of classic literature.

7. Too bad your language arts teacher isn’t more Internet savvy and into the new YA books. It really helps get kids excited to keep reading like you do. Are there things your favorite authors could do that would make you more likely to visit their website, their blog, or become a fan on Facebook?

Mostly I just go to blogs to check for updates. So if an author keeps me posted on when new books are coming out, or if they plan on writing something new, or continuing a series, I'll be likely to go back often and check for status reports. I also like when I can purchase merchandise from the website (T-shirts or mouse pads or whatever). And I like it when authors post fanart or fan letters for the readers to see.

8. Checking the author’s website is a great way to keep up with what they’re writing. Have any authors visited your school? Who? Is there anything you’d recommend that an author do to make their presentation more interesting to you and other kids at your school?

I don't think I've ever really had an author visit my school or anything -- I wish one would. Something I'd recommend to an author would be to let students ask questions. That way, you can be sure that nobody's bored, because kids are receiving answers they care about. It also involves the audience, which the audience likes.

Thanks for all the advice, Eleanor. I hope you get an author visit at your school one of these days.

Now, onto my giveaways. I’m going to be doing things a little differently this year. I’m getting less print ARCs and more e-ARCs. I want to promote these ARCs too so my giveaways of the e-ARCs will be e-book giveaways to keep my blog costs down. I hope you understand. And I’ll be offering multiple books with one winner winning the book of their choice so I can share more of the books I’m reading without blogging more.

So the blog posts don’t get too long, I’ll just be doing very short reviews telling you a bit about what I liked about these books. And I’ll provide a link to the Goodreads blurb rather than posting it.

The first two books are print books and open to US/Canada for a print book and e-book for International winner. I was so excited when I got THE ENCHANTER’S HEIR because Cinda Williams Chima is one of my favorite authors. Thanks to Disney for sending me this book.

You can read the blurb from Goodreads HERE, This is the fourth book in The Heir Chronicles, but is a total stand alone book. The story line takes a completely different turn with new characters.

I loved that this is an urban fantasy set in the industrial part of Cleveland. And the world building is fantastic with modern day wizards, sorcerers, enchanters, warriors, and sevants, magically damaged people who are the focus of this story and mistreated by the other groups. I always am drawn to underdog stories.

Jonah and Emma are both great characters, damaged and from completely different backgrounds. But they must work together to solve a mystery about a massacre that occurred years ago that could happen again. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Next I have a print ARC of FROZEN. Thanks to Penguin for this. You can read a blurb from Goodreads

HERE.

This was co-written by Melissa and her husband Michael. I really enjoyed the mix of dystopian and magic. Nat basically hires Ryan to take on her on a quest and we get to see different parts of this pretty barren, frozen world. Funny that I read it right before it go so cold. Nat and Ryan are complex characters whose pasts we discover through the story. I found this to be fast paced and am looking forward to book 2 in the series.

Finally, I’m offering an e-book of INTO THE STILL BLUE, the third book in Veronica Rossi’s fantastic series. Or if you are behind in the series, you can win an e-book of wherever you are in the series. Thanks to Edelweiss and Harper Collins for proving me with an e-ARC. You can read the blurb from Goodreads HERE.

OMG, I love this series and this is a fantastic end to the series. Aria and Perry continue to come into their own as leaders. They face plenty of challenges and their worst enemy. It was fascinating watching Aria’s and Perry’s people, who had hated each other, forced to work together. I loved the love relationship between Aria and Perry and that they were a team. I really don’t like couples becoming mad at each other and estranged, in the last book in a serious. This was a total, total page turner that I loved, loved, loved. I can’t wait to read Veronica’s new series.

To enter the giveaway, all you need to do is be a follower (just click the follow button if you’re not a follower) and leave a comment about Eleanor’s interview and tell me what book you want through January 25th. If you’re from outside the US/Canada, please let me know this too. I’ll announce the winner on January 27th. If your e-mail is not on your Google Profile, please leave it in the comments.

If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry. You must be 13 or older to enter.

Here’s what’s coming up:
On Wednesday I’m participating in debut author and friend Stina Lindenblatt’s blog hop to raise awareness about stalking in celebration of the release of her NA contemporary story, TELL ME WHEN. I hope you’ll stop by to read a more personal post than I usually write.

Next Monday, I’m interviewing Rosamund Hodge and giving away an ARC of CRUEL BEAUTY, her fantastic YA fairy tale retelling of Beauty and the Beast.

And Wednesday next week I’m interviewing Stina Lindenblatt and giving away a copy of TELL ME WHEN, her contemporary NA story. Her characters are rich, complex people that I grew to love and even though I don’t read much contemporary stories, I read her book in two days.

The following Monday I’m interviewing MG debut author Rachel Searles and giving away an THE LOST PLANET. I loved the plot of this one. Chase wakes up on an unknown planet not knowing who he is and goes on an action packed space adventure to discover who he really is.

And don’t forget Casey’s Tip Tuesdays and Agent Spotlights.

Hope to see you on Wednesday!