Worth It? For the most part.

The Nitty Gritty: Despite having no parents—a mentally ill mother unable to take care of her and an absent father whose name she doesn’t even know—17-year old Lucy Scarborough is doing A-ok. She has friends, good grades and wonderful, loving foster parents. But life takes an unexpected turn when Lucy discovers that her mother’s illness and absentee father are tied to an age old curse inflicted on generations of Scarborough women. The women become pregnant at 17 and go mad after the birth of the baby unless they are able to complete three impossible tasks outlined in a rare rendition of the song Scarborough Fair. Lucy could be next, but she’s determined to fight. Lucky for her, she’s got the help of her very supportive foster parents and family friend turned love interest. If resourceful enough, they just might be able to save Lucy.

The Good: Distinct plot/story. Good tension between Lucy and her family friend turned love interest. Strong, confident, independent female protagonist. Clever way to highlight the importance and meaning of family.

The Bad: Odd shifts in the timeline. Several pivotal moments were “told” and not “shown.” Often lacked sense of immediacy. Not enough information about the history of the curse.

The Ugly: Poor integration/use of the villain. He should have been more present. One minute he’s all over the pages, next he’s all but disappeared—making his character less impactful/effective.

Other Werlin Reads: The Rules of Survival, Double Helix, Black Mirror, Locked Inside, The Killer’s Cousin, and Are You Alone on Purpose?

Worth It? Yup.

The Nitty Gritty: Jennifer Harris has transformed herself into Jenna Vaughn—a popular, well-adjusted, attractive teenager. She is happy with her life until her childhood best friend Cameron returns, dredging up Jenna’s insecurities and bad memories. Memories of Jenna being ostracized, overweight and friendless, save for Cameron. And now that he’s back, he’s throwing her world off-kilter with her boyfriend, friends and family and forcing her to confront their shared and painful past. Jenna must figure out how to integrate Cameron into her new life without sacrificing her old one. She must also figure out if she’s really transformed herself or is she still Jennifer Harris, the girl no one likes or understands.

The Good: Compelling, well-woven story about the true meaning of friendship and love. Likeable protagonist. Good look at the long-lasting impact of childhood, one’s family life and circumstance. Positive female characters. A true-to-life ending.

The Bad: Jenna’s inner dialogue sometimes seemed beyond her 17 years.

The Ugly: Nothing ugly here.

Other Zarr Reads: Story of a Girl and Once was Lost

 Worth It? Eh, don’t put it at the top of your reading list.

The Nitty Gritty: Cameron Wolfe has always lived in the shadow of his brothers, especially Ruben, the one closest to him in age. Ruben is everything Cameron wants to be: handsome, confident, cocky, a girl magnet and awesome fighter. He’s also a womanizer, getting rid of girls as fast as he gets them. This bothers sensitive Cameron who’s desire to be with a girl is full of desperation, bordering on obsession. He gets his wish when he begins dating Olivia, Ruben’s recent ex. Although Olivia is the best thing that’s ever happened to Cameron, their relationship threatens to drive a wedge between the brothers. Being with Olivia has also brought revealed Cameron’s talents and helped to him figure out his place in the world. Will choose his brother, who has seemingly held him back, or the love of his life? And will either one be enough to save himself?

The Good: Original and witty writing. Authentic characters with strong and distinct voices. Funny and poignant passages that ring true. A heart-tugging look at the impact of loneliness and low self-esteem. The desire of love shown through a young man’s point of view.

The Bad: The book’s pacing was slow, with too much time spent on things that failed to move the story along. Seeing more of Olivia and Cameron’s relationship would have helped readers care more about his feelings for her.

The Ugly: Because the book didn’t really get going until about half way through, it would have been easier for readers to put it down after a few chapters.

Other Zusak Reads: The Book Thief, I am the Messenger and the beginning of Cameron’s story Fighting Ruben Wolfe

Worth It? Definitely.

The Nitty Gritty: Marcelo Sandoval is no ordinary teenager. He hears music that no one else can hear, lives in a tree house and is an avid religious scholar. All are tied to his ‘condition,’ which is a higher functioning form of Asperger’s syndrome. Although extremely bright, Marcelo attends a special high school for kids with various cognitive and physical disorders. The summer before his senior year, his father pushes him to try out ‘the real world.’ That means spending the summer working at his father’s law firm and possibly attending a mainstream school. What Marcelo’s father doesn’t know is how much being in the real world will change his son—from finding true-blue romance/friendship to solving a sordid mystery that could save a maimed, nameless girl.

The Good: Insightful examination of cognitive disorder that forces readers to question the meaning of ‘normal.’ Evocative protagonist inner dialogue. Well-written passages. Good and believable conflict. Strong secondary characters that clearly show what it’s like to be viewed as different or an outsider. A main character worth rooting for.

The Bad: It’s uncler—and made for a confusing read—why Marcelo’s father would encourage him to befriend his partner’s son, someone who was clearly an unscrupulous snake in the grass. The ambiguous relationship between Jasmine and Marcelo was wholly unsatisfying and began to undermine the story.

The Ugly: The offensive insults doled out to Marcelo by his father’s employees were so over-the-top, they were extremely hard to believe.

Excerpt: Read an excerpt of Marcelo in the Real World

Other Stork Reads: Behind the Eyes and The Way of the Jaguar

 Worth It? For sure.

The Nitty Gritty: High school juniors Ursula Riggs and Matt Donaghy are on different rungs of the social ladder; Ursula is at the bottom and Matt is near the top. Then Matt is accused of threatening to shoot-up the school Columbine style and his social status plummets. It is not until Ursula comes forward that the truth is uncovered and Matt’s name cleared. Now connected, the unlikely pair begins to form a bond that just might be strong enough for them to overcome their demons and the fallout of the accusation: depression, rage, loneliness, dysfunctional families, death threats and harassment.

The Good: Powerful main characters with strong, distinct voices. Effective use of alternating point of view. Timely subject matter. Clever way to delve into the social stratification of high school. Chocked full of layers and symbolism—all of which serve the story well. Passages that make you laugh and sigh out loud. Solid writing and insightful prose. More than satisfying ending.

The Bad: Some readers may question both the catalyst for and response to the accusation.

The Ugly: It’s not easy to get into this book. The real meat is from the middle of the book on. 

Other Joyce Carol Oates YA Reads: Freaky Green Eyes, Sexy, Small Avalanches & Other Stories and After the Wreck, I Picked Myself Up, Spread My Wings and Flew Away.

Worth It? Save your money. Your time, too.

The Nitty Gritty: Life has taken a radical turn for El Marini. Gone is her privileged life, big house, fancy private school and perfect little family. She’s had to trade all that in for an overcrowded public high school, new friends, a cramped two-bedroom apartment and a single-parent family. Although El is dying to get back to her old life, there are two good things about her new one: two new BFFs and a major crush on school heartthrob Eric Callahan. It seems like El might just get what she wants. But when she befriends Eric’s girlfriend she’s forced to confront reality and separate what’s real from what’s not. If she doesn’t, she risks losing all that she does have.

The Good: Quick read that is easy to get into it. Quirky writing style that lends itself to intended YA audience.  

The Bad: Conflicts presented are extremely weak and not believable for a 15-year old protagonist. The passion and desire behind El’s crush on Eric is always “told” and not “shown,” which lessens the impact of any plot lines related to Eric. Too many one-dimensional characters. Zero depth. Bad pacing. Overall, poorly executed story.

The Ugly: I felt compelled to finish this book only because I paid for it. Even the book’s supposed heart-wrenching ending left me emotionless and bored.

Worth It? The Magic 8-Ball says, “Signs point to yes.”

The Nitty Gritty: Janie Hannagan is no ordinary high school senior. She’s a dreamcatcher: someone who has the ability to enter and alter other people’s dreams. This gives Janie a window into the fears, hopes and dreams of those of around her. Hence the reason Janie is hired to work undercover for the local police; she uses her gift to help solve crimes connected to her high school. Add new boyfriend and first love Cabel, who also works undercover for the police department, and Janie’s plate is pretty full. Janie likes the satisfaction of helping others, but dreamcatching comes with some serious physical side effects—effects that 18-year old Janie is already starting to experience. And when Janie is put on a particularly dangerous case, she’s forced to confront the limitations of abilities and the impact her gift will have on her relationships, health and overall future.

The Good: Strong, likeable female protagonist. Credible, feel-good romance. Pithy writing style that is clear and concise. Good pacing. Intriguing plot. 

The Bad: Various plot points beg for more of an explanation, such as how the now-deceased Miss Stubin is able to visit Janie’s dreams. The total neglect and non-functioning Janie’s alcoholic mother is a bit too out there to be believable.

The Ugly: Although very enjoyable, this book doesn’t have very much depth.

Other McMann Reads: Check out Wake to see how Janie’s story begins.

Worth It? Wait for the paperback, if you can.

The Nitty Gritty: Chloe Saunders is fifteen, a necromancer and on the run—for her life, that is. As if fighting to stay alive isn’t enough, Chloe has to deal with some hard, recently unearthed truths. Necromancy runs on mother’s side of the family and, because of that, her mother and aunt were in cahoots with a dangerous group of supernaturals responsible for genetically engineering and experimenting on supernatural children so as to curb, or eliminate, their powers. But not all of the experiments were successful. In some cases, as in Chloe’s, the experiments accelerated the abilities. And now that she knows the truth, the supernatural group wants Chloe—either locked up in their facility or dead. Lucky for Chloe, she’s not alone. She’s got a powerful team of friends: Derek the werewolf, Simon the sorcerer and Tori the witch. With limited money and resources, the four fight find someone who can help them deal with their powers and stay alive.

The Good: Intriguing mystery that will make readers want to devour the book. Budding love triangle that is both believable and enjoyable. Realistic portrayal of teens on the run.

The Bad: An inordinate amount of time is spent on “the run.” The real action is only at the beginning and the end of the book. The rest often feels like unnecessary fodder and would be better spent answering the large number of questions posed like how much Chloe’s father’s knows about her power and whether or not her mother’s death was murder or an accident. 

The Ugly: Chloe’s ‘nice girl’ personality, which worked well in book one, is downright annoying and far from believable. The girl power heralded in book one is lost with Chloe’s walk-all-over-me persona and inability to stand up for herself when it’s really needed. And, when she does, it’s out-of-place. Hopefully the last book in the Darkest Powers trilogy is more satisfying.

Other Armstrong YA Reads: Book one in the Darkest Powers series, The Summoning.

Worth It? For sure. But be warned: you’re likely to get hooked.

The Nitty Gritty: Chloe Saunders leads a charmed and sheltered life until she’s hit with the final vestiges of puberty and a newfound power: she can see ghosts. But the onset of Chloe’s powers comes at the most inopportune time—during school—which lands her in a group home for troubled teens deemed mentally ill. Chloe will do anything to get out, even it means she has to accept her schizophrenia diagnosis. Until, that is, she realizes that she really can see ghosts and that she’s not the only one in the home with powers. Convinced their being thrown together is no coincidence, Chloe and the other supernatural teens embark on a quest to find the truth—and more importantly, save their lives.

The Good: Engaging story that easily pulls you in. Use of real-world setting and exploration of typical teen issues make supernatural characters and plot accessible to all. Injections of smart and subtle humor. Girl power! Chloe may be sheltered, but she learns fast and always strives for self-reliance. Strong, likeable secondary characters. Hints of a budding romance that promises to be swoon-worthy.

The Bad: Too many characters are introduced at one time, reducing some secondary characters to one-dimensional stick people with unclear motivations. Descriptions of the group home are oftentimes difficult to picture. Although the build-up of tension is well done, it would have been nice to get to the height of the conflict sooner.

The Ugly: The book doesn’t have a proper ending. Yes, it’s part of a trilogy, but ending a novel like this—one full of intrigue and thrills—in mid-conversation/action, is down right rude.

Other Armstrong YA Reads:  The Awakening, book two in the Darkest Powers series.

Worth It? Sure is.

The Nitty Gritty: Life hasn’t been easy for Janie Hannagan. She’s dirt poor, her mother is an alcoholic, her father is MIA and—she can’t stop entering other people’s dreams. For Janie the ability is a curse, not a gift. Anyone dreaming while in close proximity will immediately pull Janie into his/her dream. This happens whenever, wherever—in study hall, while driving, at work. She has to learn to control it before it kills her. She can’t do it alone, but if she can trust greasy-stoner-nerd boy turned hottie Cabel, she may find the strength and know how needed. And she also might find, for the first time in her life, love.

The Good: A light and fun story that makes for an easy read. Short, crisp writing style. The strong, spunky and self-sufficient female protagonist and caring and cute love interest are both worth rooting for.

The Bad: There was no real climax. Pacing was poor and the plot often felt pointless. Too many important questions were left unanswered.

The Ugly: The ending is only satisfying if you take into account the sequel(s).  

Other McMann Reads: Check out the soon-to-be reviewed sequel Fade.