Review: Dash and Lily's Book of Dares

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

4.5 stars

Reasons for reading: 2011 YA Reading Challenge, I loved the authors' other 2 collaborations

Description: "Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?"

First lines: "Imagine this: You're in your favorite bookstore, scanning the shelves. You get to the section where a favorite author's books reside, and there, nestled in comfortably between the incredibly familiar spines, sits a red notebook.

What do you do?

The choice, I think, is obvious:

You take down the red notebook and open it.

And then you do whatever it tells you to do."

My thoughts: I'm so behind with reviews! I love all of the Levithan/Cohn books and was excited to see another one. I loved the Christmassy-ness of it and the device of the scavenger hunt. I probably wouldn't be brave enough to follow the notebook's instructions, but I'm glad Dash was! Lily was so excellently Lily-ish - I'd like to know her - and yet she also grows up a lot in the book and develops into a more mature but still Lily-ish Lily. Dash was great in his own way, even if he was, as Lily's relatives described him, brooding. There are so many weird little touches, from a missing majorette boot to a Dash-Muppet. The book is also a love letter to New York during the holiday season, which I'd love to experience someday. That's about all for this one - read it! (Or save it until Christmas, that would be even better.)

Review: Real Live Boyfriends

 
Real Live Boyfriends by E. Lockhart
4 stars

First line: "A definition: A real live boyfriend does not contribute to your angst."

Description: Ruby Oliver is in love. Or it would be love, if Noel, her real live boyfriend, would call her back. But Noel seems to have turned into a pod-robot lobotomy patient, and Ruby can’t figure out why.Not only is her romantic life a shambles:
Her dad is eating nothing but Cheetos,
Her mother’s got a piglet head in the refrigerator,
Hutch has gone to Paris to play baguette air guitar,
Gideon shows up shirtless,
And the pygmy goat Robespierre is no help whatsoever.

Will Ruby ever control her panic attacks?
Will she ever understand boys?
Will she ever stop making lists? (No to that last one.)

Roo has lost most of her friends. She’s lost her true love, more than once. She’s lost her grandmother, her job, her reputation, and possibly her mind. But she’s never lost her sense of humor. The Ruby Oliver books are the record of her survival."

My thoughts: Just a quickie - another fun book in this series. I think it's the last one, which is good, as I wouldn't want to succumb to series fatigue since I so enjoy Ruby. I do think her mother should have some actual psychotherapy ordered by family services, as she is more of a child than Ruby is, and her dad isn't much help. The crazy mom provides some definite interest in the series, but I find her pretty horrid - it's amazing Roo isn't even more screwed up than she is with that freakshow raising her.

I hope that Ruby goes on to find actual, non-angst-inducing love, does well in college, and lives a fabulous life. And that E. Lockhart gives us another wonderful, funny series to enjoy soon!

Review: Revolution

Apologies, I have literally formatted this 5 times and it still won't work, I give up! Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly 3.25 stars Reasons for reading: I enjoy Donnelly's books; YA Reading Challenge Description: "BROOKLYN: Andi Alpers is on the edge. She’s angry at her father for leaving, angry at her mother for not being able to cope, and heartbroken by the loss of her younger brother, Truman. Rage and grief are destroying her. And she’s about to be expelled from Brooklyn Heights’ most prestigious private school when her father intervenes. Now Andi must accompany him to Paris for winter break. PARIS: Alexandrine Paradis lived over two centuries ago. She dreamed of making her mark on the Paris stage, but a fateful encounter with a doomed prince of France cast her in a tragic role she didn’t want—and couldn’t escape. Two girls, two centuries apart. One never knowing the other. But when Andi finds Alexandrine’s diary, she recognizes something in her words and is moved to the point of obsession. There’s comfort and distraction for Andi in the journal’s antique pages—until, on a midnight journey through the catacombs of Paris, Alexandrine’s words transcend paper and time, and the past becomes suddenly, terrifyingly present." My thoughts: Donnelly really has a gift for historical fiction and this is another well-researched, well-written book. I did find it a bit too long - maybe some of Andi's angst could have been cut out while still giving us what we need to understand her. And that pain and depression is very poignant, I really felt for Andi. I could just maybe have heard a bit less about it. The device of going back and forth between Andi and Alex was well-done - I was right there with Andi wanting to know what had happened to Alex and the little prince. But, as with Andi, I also could have done with a bit less of Alex's struggle out of poverty and burning desire to become an actress and then her quest to be there for Louis-Charles during his imprisonment. The idea was great, but I found it was repeated a few too many times for me. There was a little bit too much...almost magic realism for me. The guy responsible for Truman's death is basically named Robespierre and I fell out of the story somewhat when "the past becomes suddenly, terrifyingly present." Was it a dream sequence? Did she hit her head? Was it magic? It was a bit too much of a gimmick for me. But while those scenes weren't my favourites, Donnelly's descriptions of the filthy, smelly, violent Paris of Robespierre's day overlaid with Andi's knowledge of present-day Paris really work well and have clearly been thoroughly researched, as has everything from the music to the history for this novel. While I'm not all that well-versed in music, I did think the musical history sections, with connections between composers like Handel and Radiohead, were interesting. I've just checked and discovered that the subject of Andi's thesis, Amadé Malherbeau, does not exist, which makes sense given that he had to fit into the story, but seems a bit of a shame when the book contains so many facts about the Revolution and Prince Louis-Charles. Donnelly also has a sense of humour, which is great. Andi's friend Vijay is constantly being interrupted by his hen-pecking mother who feels he should spend every waking moment on his political science thesis, rather than wasting it talking to Andi. And I wonder if Donnelly went to the archives in Paris, as Andi does - as there are some very funny, spot-on-seeming descriptions of the hoops one must jump through to gain access to the materials. Overall, I found Andi's journey from suicidal depression to a functioning life in Paris and Alex's story of the horrors of the Revolution to be worth reading, despite my reservations.

Review: Evermore

Evermore by Alyson Noel
2.5 stars

Reasons for reading: YA Reading Challenge, it's really popular at my library, I've enjoyed some of the author's other books

Description: "Since a horrible accident claimed the lives of her family, sixteen-year-old Ever can see auras, hear people’s thoughts, and know a person’s life story by touch. Going out of her way to shield herself from human contact to suppress her abilities has branded her as a freak at her new high school—but everything changes when she meets Damen Auguste . . .

Ever sees Damen and feels an instant recognition. He is gorgeous, exotic and wealthy, and he holds many secrets. Damen is able to make things appear and disappear, he always seems to know what she’s thinking—and he’s the only one who can silence the noise and the random energy in her head. She doesn’t know who he really is—or what he is. Damen equal parts light and darkness, and he belongs to an enchanted new world where no one ever dies."

My thoughts: This really didn't do it for me at all, though I seem to be in the minority. Teens love it and it got really good reviews. It just seemed so much like all the other vampire-type (now I see that Fallen Angels are taking over) books - sad teen girl and impossibly handsome and perfect immortal guy. I didn't find the explanation of how Damen came to be immortal very satisfying and I didn't understand how Ever was an immortal, too, when she's apparently died dozens of times throughout history. How does Damen keep finding her? The writing isn't bad and Ever is a well-drawn character - her crushing guilt over her family's death and the suffering caused by being able to hear people's thoughts really come through. There are a couple of near-death, heavy-duty-action scenes. And of course smoldering romance with Damen as well as the I hate you-I love you whirlwind every teen girl in love with a supernatural being needs. The addition of the ghost of Ever's little sister, Riley, is a good touch and gives Ever a thread to hang on to in her otherwise sad life. And I liked that Ever could see how people were feeling through their auras. So, I can absolutely see why teens love the series, but it really didn't do it for me.

2011 YA Reading Challenge

Even though I didn't quite complete it in 2010, I'm going to try again. This challenge is being newly-hosted by Jamie, so thanks to her for taking it on!

Here's what I have so far for my "Fun Size" level of 20 books.

1. Evermore by Alyson Noel
2. Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce
3. Loser/Queen by Jodi Lynn Anderson
4. Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
5. Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly
6. Siren by Tricia Rayburn
7. Ascendant by Diana Peterfreund
8. Zombies vs Unicorns by Holly Black
9 Enchanted Ivy by Sarah Beth Durst
10. The Twin's Daughter by Lauren Baratz-Logsted
11. Matched by Ally Condie
12. Cloaked in Red by Vivian Vande Velde
13. Real Live Boyfriends by E. Lockhart
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.