Review: The Replacement

Title: The Replacement
Author: Brenna Yovanoff

Genre: Young Adult Urban Fiction/Fantasy
Age restriction? 12+ at least, it gets pretty macabre (and gruesome) and there's some cursing.
Published: 21 September 2010
Recommended for: If you're looking for a fresh concept and some dark, grim variety, this is the book for you.
Buy: The Replacement @ Amazon

Excellent concept and lots of grim darkness, though the plot and characters may be a bit cold to some.

DESCRIPTION (via Goodreads): Though he lives in the small town of Gentry, Mackie comes from a world of tunnels and black, murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a little tattoed princess. He is a replacement - left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago when it was stolen away by the fey. Now, because of fatal allergies to iron, blood and consecrated ground, Mackie is slowly dying in the human world. (...more)

REVIEW: I enjoyed reading The Replacements, although at some times it felt like it was trying too hard to imitate something like Donnie Darko (which is referenced). The plot and characters could seem cold and distant to some readers, but was just what I needed after numerous Teen Angst Tee Em books to clear my palate for more.

What I liked:

• It was pretty dark and grim. I loved that.
• The author pulls no punches - vivid, sometimes gruesome imagery and honest descriptions of difficult-to-sympathize-with emotions like the desire to stay safe and unnoticed, apathy and depression was done very well.
• Did I mention dark and grim? This what the Fae should be like! 
• Despite the darkness and grimness, a heartwarming plot with the main character building truely heartfelt relationships.

Disliked:

• The main character, Mackie, is difficult to emphasize with - mostly because he's not human and part of what that entails is a certain distance and aloofness.
• Also, "Mackie"? Seriously?
• The "Big Bad" was just too stereotypically bad, with nothing redeeming at all - no nuance. I found this incredibly disappointing, especially because its counterpart (The "Good Witch", if you will, because Big Good she ain't) was incredibly nuanced and not all goody goody unicorns and rainbows and stars.
  

RECOMMENDED FOR:Anyone looking for something a bit more substantial and grim and/or gruesome on the Young Adult scene.

Review: The Limit

Title: The Limit
Author: Kristen Landon
Genre: Young Adult (Middlegrades?) Dystopian
Age restriction? None
Published: September 7, 2010
Recommended for:Young readers, readers new to Dystopian, readers looking for something easy-going
Buy: The Limit @ Amazon

Good introduction to the Dystopian genre, incredible concept but lukewarm execution.

DESCRIPTION (via Goodreads): In a world not too far removed from our own, kids are being taken away to special workhouses if their families exceed the monthly debt limit imposed by the government. (...more)
 

REVIEW: A fun "quickie" to read when you're feeling a bit nostalgic for the times when you thought one administrator with delusions of grandeur who will stop at nothing, including exploiting children, was villainous and monstrous instead of... pretty damn ordinary.

Liked:

• Fast-paced and action packed.
• This is like Dystopian Lite. It's easy and fast to read and its a fantastic concept that so much more could've been done with.
• Tight writing with some moments of stunning brilliance.

Disliked:

• The plot and characters stay pretty shallow. I don't know if it's because of the target audience (middle school) but it seemed too damn shallow, never going below any surface.
• There were some plotting inconsistencies, the main of which being how did Matt's family overspend in the first place? I'm all about showing how easily one can find oneself buried in a mountain of debt without being a bad, lazy or unorganized person, but well, then that has to be actually shown.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Very young readers or readers new to the Dystopian genre, writers who are aiming at the middle school level maybe, and readers looking for a satisfying yet simple two-hour read.

Review: Before I Fall

Title: Before I Fall
Author: Lauren Oliver
Series: Stand alone
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Age restriction? Teens, 12+
Published: 2 March 2010
Recommended for: All teens, those who like contemporary YA fiction, those looking for a soul-moving read.
Buy: Before I Fall @ Amazon

An unexpectedly fabulous read with a great story and REAL characters that suck you in and won't let go. 

DESCRIPTION: What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life? ...more

REVIEW:  I have to admit, I went into Before I Fall with a very "bleh" attitude. I was still on a high from reading the Vampire Academy books and I did NOT feel like some mushy, anst-ridden, "oh no, existential anxiety plus moral lesson" book.

I was pleasantly surprised, however.  I found in the prologue everything I feared the book would be: Angsty, over-written guiltfest. Ugh. I even thought about just shelving it and trying something else, but I hate leaving books unfinished, so I resolved to stick it out until at least the second chapter or the first twenty pages, whichever came first. I fully expected to have to drudge through that before being able to give up with a sigh of relief and a "at least you tried" backpat.

However, when I started with the book itself, I literally couldn't tear myself away. I didn't take any bathroom breaks, I didn't eat anything, I drank the coffee that my husband brought to me and nothing else. It's lucky for my kids I started reading this on a Saturday morning, because I was incapable of looking after them or even getting them some juice. (Luckily their dad is great, and a reader himself so he understood. Love ya!).

The character of Sam drew me in immediately. I liked her, even though she was everything (and everyone) I hated in high school and after - fake, does anything to fit in with the popular kids, quite frankly a jerkass asshat of the nth degree. I really cannot pinpoint why, exactly - she's just that well-written.

And that's the strength of the story. All the characters but especially Sam is so well written that you happily relive the same day seven times with them all, seeing how they react, how they change, discovering their secrets and their fears.

This book blew me away, although the prose was pretty purple at times and by the sixth day I was getting impatient with Sam's not-getting-it-ness. Still, a great read and one I wish every teenager going through popularity drama (either being unpopular or popular, or just struggling to be themselves in general) would read. I know it would have changed my world as a teenager, and I plan to make it required reading for my three children.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Teens. Even though there's some smoking and swearing and talk about sex, I really don't think it's anything anyone older than 12 or so wouldn't be able to handle. Also, anyone who still sometimes feel their inner teenager/child rebelling, or just plain likes reading damn good books.