Genre: Young Adult

The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson ~ Review

18 May, 2016 by in Morgan Matson, The Unexpected Everything Leave a comment

The Unexpected Everything

by Morgan Matson
Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers on May 3, 2016
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
Pages: 519
Format: Hardcover
three-half-stars
Source: Bought
Buy the Book • Goodreads
From Morgan Matson, the bestselling author of Since You’ve Been Gone comes a feel-good story of friendship, finding yourself, and all the joys in life that happen while you’re busy making other plans.

Andie has a plan. And she always sticks to her plan.

Future? A top-tier medical school.
Dad? Avoid him as much as possible (which isn’t that hard considering he’s a Congressman and he’s never around).
Friends? Palmer, Bri, and Toby—pretty much the most awesome people on the planet, who needs anyone else?
Relationships? No one’s worth more than three weeks.

So it’s no surprise that Andie’s got her summer all planned out too.

Until a political scandal costs Andie her summer pre-med internship, and lands both she and Dad back in the same house together for the first time in years. Suddenly she’s doing things that aren’t Andie at all—working as a dog walker, doing an epic scavenger hunt with her dad, and maybe, just maybe, letting the super cute Clark get closer than she expected. Palmer, Bri, and Toby tell her to embrace all the chaos, but can she really let go of her control?

Let’s face it, I picked this one up because of the cover. Summer, ice cream truck and a yellow spine. Andie’s father is a congressman who is being investigated for fraud in his office and has to take a break from their high profile life while they clear his name. Politics has strained his relationship with his daughter, especially since they both lost Addie’s mother to ovarian cancer. They are used to having a campaign manager and intern following them around at all times, a blackberry ringing with texts and the press scrutinizing their every move. Life shifts when neither knows how to fulfill their new role as a father and daughter team instead of passing ships. To make matter more complicated, Addie’s internship at a medical program is cancelled once the dean hears of her father’s fall from political grace. So what is she to do…all the good job are taken! Walk dogs.

After a literal run in with a dog owner, she secures a job walking for Clark, a best- selling teen author. He’s geeky, down to earth and a bit damaged by his own strained relationship with his father. Addie has to learn to let down her guard and be herself, while Clark has to learn how to relate to a new pack of instant friends that come along with his new girlfriend. I had a hard tome telling the four girls apart at times, though the side story of one of them having to use only emojis to communicate was fun. The side BFF’s felt a bit flat for a book over 500 pages long. The only other part that gave me angst was Addie’s flings with Topher, the son of a Senator in her neighborhood. I am sad the two of them never developed more than a kiss and don’t tell friendship. The arc of father and daughter depth was excellent, by the end family relationships had been mended and priorities put in the right place. Exploring boundaries, healing families and what to do when life shifts unexpectedly, The Unexpected Everything is a great summer read!

Content– highlight to reveal drinking, teens making out and pushing boundaries

 

 

 Author Bio

Hi! I’m Morgan. (I’ve always found the third-person biography thing pretty weird.)

I write YA novels, usually about a girl, a summer, a boy, sometimes a dog, and always lots of coffee and ice cream. I love road trips and traveling, old black & white movies filled with repartee, summers, Starbucks, and fountain diet coke.

I’m originally from the East Coast, but I now live in Los Angeles with my dog Murphy, in a house I wish was closer to the beach.

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See How They Run Embassy Row #2 by Ally Carter

17 May, 2016 by in ally carter, embassy row, see how the run Leave a comment

See How They Run

by Ally Carter
Series: Embassy Row #2
Published by Scholastic on December 22, 2015
Genres: Young Adult
Pages: 336
Format: Hardcover
four-stars
Source: Bought
Buy the Book • Goodreads
Inside every secret, there's a world of trouble. Get ready for the second book in this new series of global proportions--from master of intrigue, New York Times bestselling author Ally Carter.

Grace's past has come back to hunt her . . . and if she doesn't stop it, Grace isn't the only one who will get hurt. Because on Embassy Row, the countries of the world stand like dominoes, and one wrong move can make them all fall down.

The twists get twistier and the turns get even more shocking in the second thrilling installment of Embassy Row.

Grace is experiencing trauma from the death of her mother and can only remember bits and pieces of the event she witnessed. Her memories are muddled but all lead to a scar faced man who seems to now be following her. Spending time in Adria with her grandfather, a diplomat on Embassy Row, she’s afraid she is literally going mad. Her friends Noah and Alexi are there to hold things together when she unravels, but the anxiety and flashbacks are coming on stronger and more frequently. A plot driven, action packed story, See How They Run is riddled with past tradition, secret societies and murder. I’ve struggled a bit with this series because it is so much darker than anything else Ally has written. I put it down at one point, then came back after a break to finish it out.

Oh the ending!

You will definitely want to read book one to be able to decipher all that is going on. There are many layers to the story and the cliffhanger left me needing book three! I enjoyed the dynamic between Grace and her brother as well as the sparks. I would recommend the series for older teens as there is some violence and the tone is more dark than the Gallagher Girls or Heist Society series. There may also be some triggers for teens experiencing PTSD or anxiety. There is lots of history woven in to the backstory and I can’t wait to see how this all unfolds.

Author Bio

I was born and raised in Oklahoma. My mother was a teacher and my father a farmer and rancher. I have one older sister.

In high school, I was very active in a number of student organizations and graduated as co-valedictorian of my senior class. I then attended Oklahoma State University and Cornell University and worked for several years in the agricultural industry before writing full-time.

My first novel, Cheating at Solitaire (Berkley) was published in 2005. The following year I published the sequel to Solitaire, Learning to Play Gin. There are no more plans for future books in that series at this time.

My first novel for young adults, I’d Tell You I Love You but Then I’d Have to Kill You was published by Disney-Hyperion in April 2006. Love You Kill You (as we call it) was followed by Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy (October 2007), Don’t Judge a Girl By Her Cover (June 2009), Only the Good Spy Young (June 2010), Out of Sight, Out of Time (March 2012). United We Spy (September 2013) is the sixth–and final–Gallagher Girls novel.

I am also the author of Heist Society (February 2010) and its sequels Uncommon Criminals (June 2011), and Perfect Scoundrels (February 2013).

In January 2013 I published the cross-over novella Double-Crossed that features characters from both the Gallagher Girls and Heist Society. It is available for free at spiesandthieves.com and wherever ebooks are sold.

ALL FALL DOWN is the first book in my new Embassy Row series. It was published on January 20, 2015 and will launch a new three-book series with Scholastic.

My books have been published in more than twenty countries and have appeared on best-seller lists from the New York Times, USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, Barnes and Noble, IndieBound, and Bookscan. They have sold over two million copies in the United States.

I am one of the luckiest people in the world, and today, I’m able to do the job I wanted to do when I was a kid, and I am back living in Oklahoma.

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Breview: This Is My Brain on Boys~ by Sarah Strohmeyer

16 May, 2016 by in balzer & bray, contemp, ya Leave a comment

I received this book for free from Balzer & Bray in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This Is My Brain on Boys

by Sarah Strohmeyer
Published by Balzer & Bray on May 10, 2016
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
Pages: 352
Format: Hardcover
three-half-stars
Source: Balzer & Bray
Buy the Book • Goodreads
Addie Emerson doesn’t believe in love, at least for herself. A straightlaced, brilliant girl, she’s more interested in getting an A than falling in love. But Addie is determined to prove the science of love—because Addie Emerson does believe in science.

Science tells her that “love” is nothing more than the brain’s state under the influence of certain chemicals. And by artificially stimulating those chemicals, the brain can totally be tricked into falling in love. So Addie decides to apply that knowledge—and make her classmates fall in love—to win the coveted Athenian Award for Science in her elite private school. One way to speed up the process—adrenaline—she’ll put her classmates in dangerous, high-risk situations . . . and research the fallout.

But a mysterious new guy keeps messing with her plans. And she kind of can’t stop thinking about his gorgeous brown eyes. With backstabbing competitors—including her former lab partner, the preppy, wealthier-than-thou Dex—and more than one pair of star-crossed lovers—can Addie manage to salvage her experiment and win the Athenian? And what happens if she does the unthinkable—and falls in love?

Addie is on her way back to school on a flight gone bad. Her plane is about to go down when she notices the person seated next to her appears to be hyperventilating in panic. He looks vaguely familiar and he needs oxygen stat!

Kris is a world traveler/ humanitarian who just can’t relate to others his age after a trip to Nepal. So, in search of new neural pathways he transfers to a new top notch school only to find himself in trouble. Wrong group of friends, wrong girlfriend, and a summer to make it up to his dean.

Geek girl meets popular boy in Strohmeyer’s new YA contemporary.

The pacing is fantastic in the beginning and stalls a little though the middle, but in the end it right on track. I found myself smiling and laughing at Addie’s literal sense of humor plus the shenanigans she finds herself in trying to win a prestigious scholarship via science experiment. Overall, a clean teen read with fun characters and scientific jargon.

Content-some teen drinking and a few swear words

Author Bio

After being placed on other “must read” YA lists, SMART GIRLS GET WHAT THEY WANT has recently been chosen by Texas school librarians for the 2013 Lone Star Reading List, a great honor since Texas is a BIG state. Thank you, librarians!

It’s also my fourteenth novel, but my first for young adults after writing mysteries and stand alones, one of which, THE CINDERELLA PACT, became the Lifetime Movie – LYING TO BE PERFECT. Of all these, SMART GIRLS has been my favorite to write because not only was I a “smart girl,” but so were my daughter and her friends who, like me, grew tired of playing second fiddle. I figured the time had come for our kind to receive the kudos, the attention and the boys. The bad girls had hogged center stage long enough.

Before I wrote novels, I was a newspaper reporter of questionable talent for twenty years, never quite serious or responsible enough for the duty of recording all the news that’s fit to print. (My definition of what was fit to print and my editors’ often clashed. Apparently, it was not necessary to describe certain cops as “super cute.”)

Some novelists begin their careers by winning literary contests or writing their first manuscripts while pursuing a masters degree. I began mine by placing Barbie in forty contemporary and historical settings with photos taken by my friend (and awesome photographer) Geoff Hansen. BARBIE UNBOUND: A PARODY OF THE BARBIE OBSESSION became a cult hit, landed me on CBS This Morning and USA Today. It was, briefly, the most shoplifted book in America.
After that, I wrote the Bubbles Yablonsky mystery series featuring a bubble-headed blonde ditzy – or is she? – hairdresser with a gift for gossip who becomes a newspaper reporter. Kind of like a memoir, sure. And then a bunch of novels about women.
Today, I live in Vermont with my husband, a lawyer, and son, Sam, an upcoming high school junior. My daughter, Anna, is a senior at Bryn Mawr College where there are A LOT of smart girls. Also, there’s Fred, my five-year-old basset hound and between you and me, the love of my life.

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Sing by Vivi Greene- Preview

12 May, 2016 by in Uncategorized Leave a comment

I received this book for free from HarperTeen in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Sing

by Vivi Greene
Published by Harper Teen on May 31, 2016
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
Pages: 288
Format: Hardcover
four-stars
Source: HarperTeen
Buy the Book • Goodreads
In this irresistible beach read—perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Zoella's Girl Online—America’s favorite pop goddess flees the spotlight to Maine to recover from her latest breakup. Only to fall head over heels for a down-to-earth local guy and be faced with an impossible decision: him or her music.

After getting her heart shattered for the thousandth time, multiplatinum pop icon Lily Ross is escaping her high-profile, crazy life and heading to an island in middle-of-nowhere Maine with her best friends. She has three months to focus on herself, her music, her new album—anything but guys. This summer is going to be different.

That is . . . until Lily meets sweet and charming Noel Bradley, who is so different from anyone she’s ever dated. Suddenly Lily’s “summer of me” takes an unexpected turn, and she finds herself falling deeper and harder than ever before. But even though Lily loves Noel, she loves her music and her fans, too. And come August when it’s time to leave Maine and go back out on tour, she will be forced to choose between them.

Review

Sing is the perfect summer read. Set in a small fishing town with fresh seafood, yoga, local shops and lobster traps, it’s the story of a pop singer finding herself. Lily has just been ditched again ,this time by a fellow rock star celebrity. Her pattern is to move from one romance to the next without breathing, but this time she decides it’s time to get away from the bustling city and slow down. While “dropping off the face of the earth” to a tiny town in Maine, she discovers her muse in the sea, the sand and a floating island where an old couple made their home. She also meets Noel, who turns her ideas of swearing off boys upside down. Noel is down to earth, homegrown and hard working.

Lily is written as a small town girl as well, besides the first and last chapter which seem like bookends that don’t fit. I was also a bit turned away by the cover of this book which doesn’t seem to fit either, but once I dove in, I found I truly enjoyed Sing. Thanks so much to Harper Teen for the sneak peek! I want to visit New England again after finishing with a smile on my face.

Content- highlight to reveal- one “F” word, some swearing, swimming in underwear, drug addiction, LGBT relationship

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Out of the Ashes by Alicia Buck- Blog Tour

30 Sep, 2015 by in alicia buck, out of the ashes, sweetwater books Leave a comment

I received this book for free from Sweetwater Press in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Out of the Ashes by Alicia Buck- Blog Tour

Out of the Ashes

by Alicia Buck
Published by Sweetwater on September 8, 2015
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Pages: 288
Format: eARC
three-half-stars
Source: Sweetwater Press
Buy the Book •
When Ashelandra’s father dies, she ends up a servant in her own house, instead of the Baroness she was supposed to become. But Ash’s secret sorcery could be the key to winning back her home and following her heart to a future she never imagined. This fantasy-infused Cinderella story puts a magical twist on a classic tale. Riveting and original, it’s a spellbinding read.
Out-of-the-Ashes-Blog-Banner

I should start this review with a disclaimer that I really struggle with fairy tales. In this Cinderella re-telling, the first half outlining the cruelty of an unkind uncle almost made me put the book down. But finally the main heroine Ash broke away from her guardian’s mistreatment and the book picked up. The tale has a twist with two subservient cousins instead of evil step-sisters, and a sorceress set to inherit her home as a servant.

I enjoyed the author’s world building of the enchanted kingdom with healing plants and crystal birds. The romantic relationships are sweet and respectful. After warming up, I dove in to Out of the Ashes and came away glad I stuck with it.

About the Author

Alicia Buck was born in Salt Lake City, Utah on a cold November day and has hated the cold ever since. Luckily, she lives in the desert now with her husband, Jason, and three children. Alicia loves to read, and goes through book craze phases where she reads a book a day until guilt kicks in and she tries to do something productive like get back to work writing and fix the disaster her home has become. She graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor’s in English, and had to constantly defend her major when she had absolutely no desire to teach. Out of the Ashes is Alicia’s second novel.

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The Fill-in Boyfriend by Kasie West ~ Review

15 Jun, 2015 by in fill-in boyfriend, harperteen, kasie west, young adult Leave a comment

I received this book for free from HarperTeen in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Fill-in Boyfriend by Kasie West ~ Review

The Fill-In Boyfriend

by Kasie West
Published by Harper Teen on May 5, 2015
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
Pages: 352
Format: Paperback
five-stars
Source: HarperTeen
Buy the Book • Goodreads
When Gia Montgomery's boyfriend, Bradley, dumps her in the parking lot of her high school prom, she decides to do the unthinkable…convince the cute guy waiting to pick up his sister to pretend to be her boyfriend for the night. The task is simple: two hours, zero commitment, a few white lies.

The problem is that days after prom, she can't stop thinking about her fill-in boyfriend. But can Gia turn her fake boyfriend into a real one without exposing her lie and possibly destroying her friendships and her newfound relationship?

Smartly observed and wonderfully romantic, Kasie West's talent shines in this tale of one girl's unexpected quest to find love…and possibly herself.

First, I love Kasie West.

Second, this was the best summer book ever!

Squeaky clean, full of fun and leaving me with a smile on my face.

Gia Montgomery is the most popular girl in her class, so why is she dumped by her Captain America boyfriend on the night of her prom and left alone in the parking lot? Enter geeky boy sitting in his car reading a book. He’s the perfect fill-in for the night!

Hilarity ensues as his goth sister does not want “miss stuck up” anywhere near her brother who has just suffered a broken heart. YA contemporary at its best with a message of being yourself ( instead of perfect) on the outside and how not to be in with the group of mean girls.

Highly recommend. Take it with you to the beach or on your road trip and prepare to laugh and to swoon!

about_ the_author

Biokasie west

I write YA. I eat Junior Mints. Sometimes I go crazy and do both at the same time. My novels, published through Harper Teen are: PIVOT POINT and its sequel SPLIT SECOND. And my contemporary novels: THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US, ON THE FENCE, and THE FILL-IN BOYFRIEND. My agent is the talented and funny Michelle Wolfson.

Website

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Silence by Deborah Lytton Blog Tour

03 Mar, 2015 by in Deborah Lytton, Shadow Mountain, YA contemporary, young adult fiction Leave a comment

I received this book for free from Shadow Mountain in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Silence by Deborah Lytton Blog Tour

Silence

by Deborah Lytton
Published by Shadow Mountain on March 7, 2015
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
Pages: 320
Format: ARC
four-half-stars
Source: Shadow Mountain
Buy the Book • Goodreads
Stella was born to sing. Someday Broadway. Even though she is only a sophomore at a new high school, her voice has given her the status as a cool kid. But then a tragic accident renders her deaf. She cannot hear herself sing not to mention speak. She cannot hear anything. Silence. What happens when everything you have dreamed of and hoped for is shattered in a single moment?

Enter Hayden, the boy with blonde curls who stutters. He is treated like an outcast because he is not normal. And, yet, Stella feels an attraction to him that she cannot explain. As Hayden reaches out to help Stella discover a world without sound his own tragic past warns him to keep a distance. But their connection is undeniable. Can the boy who stutters and the girl whose deaf find a happily-ever-after?

SILENCE is a story of friendship and hope with a lesson that sometimes it takes a tragedy to help us find beauty and love in unexpected places.

There are so many things to love about Silence by Deborah Lytton. It’s a clean contemporary YA story of a two disabled students who find redemption and healing in their friendship, and then, ultimately find love. Stella is a High School drama student on the rise with a gift that just might be her ticket to popularity–her voice. When an accident leaves Stella deaf, she has to look at how life will change wihout the ability to hear and sing. Enter Hayden Rivers who stutters and is a social outcast. He carries a story of his own involving abuse and selective mutism. The two together, make a wonderful team.

The language of Silence is very poetic,which at times slowed the pace of the story, but by the last half of the book I was completely hooked. I stayed up long past my bed time to finish. I do wish the main protagonist was older than 15. Their relationship seemed to move from friendship to a mature eternal love in a short 17 days and would be more fitting for an older teen. Overall, I loved this one and will pass it on to others highly recommended.

about_ the_author

Deborah Lytton is an established writer who began her work life as an actress at the age of six. She graduated from UCLA debby-lytton-2015-1 and Pepperdine University with a degree in law before becoming a writer. She lives in California with her two daughters and is an active blogger and member of SCBWI. FInd her at http://www.deborahlytton.com/

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Madilyn Paige CD ~Review and Blog Tour

20 Feb, 2015 by in highway records, madilyn paige, music, music review, young adult Leave a comment

I received this book for free from Highway Records in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Madilyn Paige CD ~Review and Blog Tour

Madilyn Paige EP

Published by Highway Records on February 3, 2015
Genres: Young Adult
five-stars
Source: Highway Records
Buy the Book •
This stunning self-titled debut EP features a set of tunes notable for their raw emotion and beautiful soundscapes. Madilyn wrote or co-wrote every song on the album, drawing from her own struggles as a teenager and her heartfelt expressions of the joy she finds in life. The first track, "Irreplaceable," begins with aching introspection and soars to an assurance of self-worth; the following track, "Foolish Game," was written right after Madilyn left the TV show The Voice and gives insight into the inevitability of discouragement in life and the realization that you can rise above the games that people play. An epic movie score string section combines with powerful rhythms on "Undercover," a breathtaking song about overcoming sadness and seeking the light all around you. The final track, "Little Things," playfully reminds us that the little things in life are the source of true joy.

This CD has been our soundtrack for the past month. My whole family loved it and when I went to write the review, it was missing. Whisked away by my son. Madilyn Paige has a mature, beautiful voice for her age, reminiscent of Colbie Caillet. The message of her feature song Irreplaceable teaches youth that they don’t need to fit in, they just need to be themselves. We are irreplaceable. There is only one who can fill our shoes. Absolutely one of our favorite EP’s ever. We listen to it non-stop.

Video

Madilyn lived in Japan as a young child and has taken up singing since moving back to the U.S. She loves making music videos and short films with her friends and has performed in various local competitions.

Follow Madilyn on Twitter at @MadilynPaige or on her web page.

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An Uncommon Blue Blog Tour

16 Dec, 2014 by in cedar fort 1 comment

I received this book for free from Cedar Fort in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

An Uncommon Blue Blog Tour

An Uncommon Blue

by R.C. Hnacock, R.C.Hancock
Published by Cedar Fort on Dec 09, 2014
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Pages: 275
Format: eARC
Source: Cedar Fort
Goodreads
In Télesphore, the glowing color of a person’s palm determines their place in society, and touching hands with another mixes the colors permanently. When sixteen-year-old Bruno accidentally kills a royal soldier, he goes from favored to fugitive. Now Bruno's only chance at survival is to become someone else. That means a haircut, a change of wardrobe, and most important, getting rid of his once cherished Blue. Now he’s visiting parts of town he never knew existed, and making friends with people he would've crossed the street to avoid only weeks ago. At the last minute, Bruno’s parents arrange a deal to clear his name and get his life back. All Bruno has to do is abandon those in the Red slums that look to him as a leader and let an innocent Green boy die in his place.
An-Uncommon-Blue-blog-tour1

My breview:

There is a lot going on in this this book! I jumped in reading thinking surely I’d missed book one. The first page starts off right in the middle of a dystopian world with a bang. Readers are not spoon fed with any world building or background. It is full speed ahead. I was a bit taken aback trying to figure out just what the world was like and how the powers of the character’s fires worked.  Great book for older teen boys.

Themes are discrimination and caste systems, judging and compassion.

YA, dystopian, teenage boy MC

Content: there is a quite a bit of violence in the beginning scene.

 

Win a copy on Goodreads right now!

About the author

RDH
RC (Really Cool) Hancock began his writing career with a story about a dead cat which his second grade teacher thought was brilliant. Convincing others of his literary genius has taken longer than expected, but along the road he has acquired a lovely wife, four entertaining ankle-biters (who, thankfully, look more like their mother), and a degree from BYU in Recreational Management & Youth Leadership (which means he’s really good at having fun.) An Uncommon Blue is his first novel.

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Remake by Ilima Todd ~ Review

09 Dec, 2014 by in dystopian, ilima todd, Shadow Mountain, ya, young adult fiction 1 comment

I received this book for free from Shadow Mountain in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Remake by Ilima Todd ~ Review

Remake

by Ilima Todd
Published by Shadow Mountain on October 14th 2014
Genres: Dystopian, Young Adult
Pages: 304
Format: Hardcover
four-stars
Source: Shadow Mountain
Buy the Book • Goodreads
Nine is the ninth female born in her batch of ten females and ten males. By design, her life in Freedom Province is without complications or consequences. However, such freedom comes with a price. The Prime Maker is determined to keep that price a secret from the new batches of citizens that are born, nurtured, and raised androgynously.

But Nine isn't like every other batcher. She harbors indecision
and worries about her upcoming Remake Day -- her seventeenth birthday, the age when batchers fly to the Remake facility and have the freedom to choose who and what they'll be.

When Nine discovers the truth about life outside of Freedom
Province, including the secret plan of the Prime Maker, she is
pulled between two worlds and two lives. Her decisions will test
her courage, her heart, and her beliefs. Who can she trust? Who does she love? And most importantly, who will she decide to be?

First thing I have to say is that the cover is gorgeous and absolutely fits the plot and character featured. Nine is a teen waiting for her 17th birthday when she will pick her trade and be “remade” as either a male of female. She is free to choose her physical features and ultimately the trajectory of her life according to her society’s laws. But what she does not understand is that there is a whole other reality out there that involves family, fertility and love. This book tested the limits of conventionally accepted values and the turn our society is taking towards gender less definition of youth at the same time. It openly discusses sex, gender, and God but is set in a futuristic dystopian society much like The Uglies by Scott Westerfeld or Divergent by Veronica Roth. I personally would not let my children read it until they are older and had been well exposed to both sex and gender issues. However, as an adult who has read a wide range of similar YA dystopian books, I enjoyed Remake as a fresh take on what could very well be in our near future. The themes are freedom of choice, family, seeking truth and government oppression.

I wish there would have been a bit more character development, especially with the two boys she has to choose between. And, I am hoping there is a sequel ( this was announced as a two book deal) There are a lot of open ends at the conclusion of Remake. Would I recommend it? Yes. Moms and dads, please pre read before passing it on. Adults, this is thought provoking and extremely timely. Well done Ilima. You’ve asked and introduced some very important questions.

about_ the_author
ilima toddIlima Todd was born and raised on the north shore of Oahu and currently resides in the Rocky Mountains. She never wanted to be a writer even though she loves books and reading. She earned a degree in physics instead. But the characters in her head refused to be ignored, and now she spends her time writing science fiction for teens. When she is not writing, Ilima loves to spend time with her husband and four children.

Find her on Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads * Pinterest * Email

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