Waiting on Wednesday: Outpost by Anne Aguirre

    This is Breaking the Spine's Waiting for Wednesday, where bloggers post about a book they just can't wait to get their hands on!     

 

  Outpost by Anne Aguirre

September 4th 2012

Deuce’s whole world has changed. Down below, she was considered an adult. Now, topside in a town called Salvation, she’s a brat in need of training in the eyes of the townsfolk. She doesn’t fit in with the other girls: Deuce only knows how to fight.

To make matters worse, her Hunter partner, Fade, keeps Deuce at a distance. Her feelings for Fade haven’t changed, but he seems not to want her around anymore. Confused and lonely, she starts looking for a way out. Deuce signs up to serve in the summer patrols—those who make sure the planters can work the fields without danger. It should be routine, but things have been changing on the surface, just as they did below ground. The Freaks have grown smarter. They’re watching. Waiting. Planning. The monsters don’t intend to let Salvation survive, and it may take a girl like Deuce to turn back the tide.

Even though zombies aren't usually tops on my list I really loved Enclave, and I can't wait to read about Deuce again!

WorldCon Schedule

I've got a few panels at ChiCon that are YA themed:

Fri 1:30 PM-3:00 PM    McCormick
Young Adult Trends
A look at the various current trends in the Young Adult book market, from the dystopias to paranormal romance.
Bryce Moore, Aurora Celeste, Gwenda Bond, Leigh Bardugo, Emily Jiang

Sat 10:30 AM-12:00 PM    McCormick
Girl Power in Young Adult Books
The panel will discuss female characters in YA and what makes them strong.
Aurora Celeste, Michael Levy, Susan MacDonald, Niall Harrison, Bill Willingham

If any of you show up please say hi!

Artemis Fowl (Book 4): The Opal Deception by Eoin Colfer

The evil pixie Opal Koboi has spent the last year in a self-induced coma, plotting her revenge on all those who foiled her attempt to destroy the LEPrecon fairy police. And Artemis Fowl is at the top of her list.

After his last run-in with the fairies, Artemis had his mind wiped of his memories of the world belowground. But they have not forgotten about him. Once again, he must stop the human and fairy worlds from colliding—only this time, Artemis faces an enemy who may have finally outsmarted him.

Opal’s back, and she’s ready for revenge! I loved the fun of this book and watching the Opal vs Fowl battles. Opal really is my perfect foil for Artemis. They’re alike in a lot of ways. She’s smart, a little egotistical, and gets foils Artemis almost as much as he foils her. Even though the book starts in such a tragedy that I almost did not want to continue reading I somehow managed to make it through my sadness (spoilers!). I also really loved the bank robbing scene, it was so technical it was like “Mission Impossible” was playing in the background. That really describes a lot of this book: it has extreme highs and extreme lows, and Colfer masters the roller coaster brilliantly to keep the reader in suspense and wanting to finish the ride. This is my favorite Artemis Fowl book so far, and will be hard to top.



I received a copy of this book free through NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Blood Keeper by Tessa Gratton

    This is Breaking the Spine's Waiting for Wednesday, where bloggers post about a book they just can't wait to get their hands on!     

 

  The Blood Keeper by Tessa Gratton

August 28th 2012

Paranormal romance fans who are looking to up the ante will be drawn to this tale of horror, fantasy, and romance. For Mab Prowd, the practice of blood magic is as natural as breathing. It's all she's ever known. Growing up on an isolated farm in Kansas with other practitioners may have kept her from making friends her own age, but it has also given her a sense of purpose—she's connected to the land and protective of the magic. And she is able to practice it proudly and happily out in the open with only the crows as her companions. Mab will do anything to keep the ancient practice alive and guard its secrets. But one morning while she is working out a particularly tricky spell she encounters Will, a local boy who is trying to exorcise some mundane personal demons. He experiences Mab's magic in a way his mind cannot comprehend and is all too happy to end their chance meeting. But secrets that were kept from Mab by the earlier generations of blood magicians have come home to roost. And she and Will are drawn back together, time again by this dangerous force looking to break free from the earth and reclaim its own dark power.

More fantasy set in Kansas!  I am loving this new trend of setting books in the midwest, it makes me feel as if my life could have been surrounded by magic if only I had looked closer as a kid!  I also really liked Blood Magic, and I am looking forward to learning more about the world.

Waiting on Wednesday: UnWholly by Neal Schusterman

    This is Breaking the Spine's Waiting for Wednesday, where bloggers post about a book they just can't wait to get their hands on!     

 

  UnWholly by Neal Schusterman

August 28th 2012

It’s finally here. The long-awaited sequel to the bestselling Unwind, which Publishers Weekly called a “gripping, brilliantly imagined futuristic thriller.” Thanks to Connor, Lev, and Risa—and their high-profile revolt at Happy Jack Harvest Camp—people can no longer turn a blind eye to unwinding. Ridding society of troublesome teens while simltaneously providing much-needed tissues for transplant might be convenient, but its morality has finally been brought into question. However, unwinding has become big business, and there are powerful political and corporate interests that want to see it not only continue, but also expand to the unwinding of prisoners and the impoverished.

Cam is a product of unwinding; made entirely out of the parts of other unwinds, he is a teen who does not technically exist. A futuristic Frankenstein, Cam struggles with a search for identity and meaning and wonders if a rewound being can have a soul. And when the actions of a sadistic bounty hunter cause Cam’s fate to become inextricably bound with the fates of Connor, Risa, and Lev, he’ll have to question humanity itself.

Rife with action and suspense, this riveting companion to the perennially popular Unwind challenges assumptions about where life begins and ends—and what it means to live.

I really got into Unwind, and I can't wait to see what the characters do next and how society deals with the repercussions of their actions and the truths that the kids have revealed to them.