Hacking Harvard by Robin Wasserman

Good deeds go unrewarded all the time, and despite what the song says, that dream that you dare to dream almost never comes true.
Maybe there's no such thing as an offer you can't refuse; maybe you would have had the strength to turn him away.
I didn't.

Hacking Harvard was written by Robin Wasserman, author of the Skinned trilogy (now known as the Cold Awakening trilogy, each book now bearing different titles than before). It quite an interesting story that handles the pressure of graduating high school and finding the right college with witty humor and even an adventure: the hack that the book is all about.

Max Kim's father went to Harvard, as did his mother and both of his sisters. Now he is expected, and even pressured, into attending his family's alma mater, but he has no desire to attend the Ivy League school. He has his own plans for his future, and they don't include the color crimson. He plays by his own rules and shoots for the greatest amount of profit every time.

Eric Roth's mother teaches at Harvard and would love it if her son also attended Harvard, but he already has a plan. He's going to go to MIT, the college whose students played one of the greatest hacks of all time, and he's going to devote his life to helping those who can't help themselves. He is all about fair play and the underdog.

Schwarz is a Harvard freshman, previously home schooled and the youngest of the group. He goes along with whatever Eric and Max put him up to, or anyone else for that matter. Let's just say he hasn't quite developed his "saying no" skills yet. Numbers are his greatest solace. Order is everything to him.

And finally, there's Lex, the one girl who can throw a wrench in all of their plans.

What is their plan exactly? They've made a bet that they can get the bum of their choice, an undeserving candidate, into Harvard, proving the admissions system is flawed and can be easily tampered with. The stakes are high and the hack is more than challenging. But if anyone can do it, these guys can.

Hacking Harvard was a well-written, witty detailing of the antics of four nerds whose lives are rapidly spinning out of their control and they just want to make a difference in it. Life is coming at them in a whirlwind of sights and smells and sometimes it's a little too much to handle. Wasserman managed to capture the emotion of teenagers staring down their futures with pinpoint accuracy and created some memorable characters along the way.

So why was it that I found myself disappointed? I'm not sure. Honestly, I think it was because I wanted it to be what the Cold Awakening trilogy was and this just didn't quite live up to its excellence. Wasserman still proves herself a great author and can create an interesting story, but this one just didn't interest me quite as much as her previous books captured me. Maybe it was the subject material that put me off (I'm not one to put too much stock in college). Maybe it was just my want for something as ground shattering as the series of hers I had already been exposed to.

I was left a bit disappointed, but I still suggest reading her works. Who knows? You might like this book more than I did. Wasserman is a fantastic writer (and quite an interesting person), so don't let this review put her off of her works as a whole. Go pick up the Cold Awakening trilogy instead.

Either way, it was an alright book, but probably the kind you would only read once.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥

"Everything works out, you know." 
"Is that some kind of law of nature, MIT boy?"
He grinned, and a little of the awkwardness faded away. "Sure. First law of thermodynamics: Energy can neither be created nor destroyed. Whatever happens, the universe maintains its equilibrium."
"Doesn't the second law say that entropy increases and the universe is just going to keep falling apart until there's nothing left?"

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

"It's our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."

[Click here to see my review of book 1: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone]

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is the story of Harry's second year at Hogwarts: School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. After spending a terrible summer with the Dursley's, Harry is just about to return to school when a strange creature that calls himself Dobby shows up in his bedroom. Dobby warns Harry that terrible things are going to happen at school this year and he mustn't be there, because it would put his life in grave danger.

Harry, however, refuses to stay with his horrible family and dismisses Dobby's warning as a cruel joke played by someone who doesn't want him back. But things start going wrong from day one: Ron and Harry can't get onto the platform for the Hogwarts Express and have to find other means of getting to school. That's merely the beginning of it.

Then Harry starts hearing voices that no one else can and something starts attacking the Muggle-born students. No one is safe. A rumor about the Chamber of Secrets and Slytherin's heir passes through the student body quickly as fire. Can Harry find out who the Heir of Slytherin is and stop the monster that's attacking the students in the process? Can he protect his friends and convince people that he is not the heir?

Rowling draws us into the sequel to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone with the same eagerness and excitement that made the first book so wonderful. Once again, she manages to knock us off our feet with her masterful storytelling and her way of keeping us hooked from beginning to end.

Not only does she write wonderful characters that you get to grow with and learn to understand as if they were close friends, but the story itself is filled with twists and turns that one wouldn't have expected, yet would never question. When an author can have you coming back to the story time and time again, wanting to delve into it just once more, that's what makes a truly good book. And that's what J.K. Rowling has in this series of books. You'll always come back wanting more.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
[Click here to see my reviews of book 3: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, book 4: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, book 5: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, book 6: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and book 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.]
The ink shone brightly on the paper for a second and then, as though it was being sucked into the page, vanished. Excited, Harry loaded up his quill a second time and wrote, "My name is Harry Potter." 
The words shone momentarily on the page and they, too sank without a trace. Then, at last, something happened.
Oozing back out of the page, in his very own ink, came words that Harry had never written.

Snow by Tracy Lynn

Snow said nothing, tears streaking down her face. He was partially right, and treated her tragedy so easily . . . like it was a common story in the city. What kind of people--or monsters--are these? What would they do to her?
"That's enough, the two of you. She's alone, she's lost--and she's seen us. There is only one thing to do. We have to take her to Chauncey."

I picked up Snow at my local library after having seen it out of the corner of my eye and realizing it was a retelling of Snow White. And who doesn't love a fairytale princess retelling, after all? I snatched it up and expected it to be mildly entertaining, enjoyable at best. I didn't expect it to be nearly as good as it really was.

Granted, I've never read a retelling of Snow White. However, I have just recently seen Snow White and the Huntsman with Kristen Steward and Chris Hemsworth for the second time and, while I did enjoy it, this was immensely better.

The Dutchess Jessica was born to a mother who died shortly after her birth and a father who couldn't love her because of it. For most of her childhood, therefore, she is allowed free reign of the estate she lives in. The servants become her family and she learns to clean and cook from them. She develops a fondness for animals and grows into a tender yet wild girl.

Then her father, needing an heir since women cannot inherit, remarries. At first, Jessica is quite fond of her new stepmother, though she is strict and vain. But as Jessica grows and comes of age, she realizes there is something that isn't quite right about the woman. She is cold and has a strange hold on Alan, Jessica's friend, that worries her.

When Alan warns her that her stepmother has hired someone to kill her, Jessica makes her escape to London, where she hopes to hide and make a living somehow. There, she makes friends with a group of thieves that have their own secrets that keep them hidden from the outside world. Can she figure out how to survive on the unforgiving streets? And when her stepmother suddenly shows up, begging for forgiveness and claiming to be cured of her madness, will Jessica make the right choice in accepting or rejecting her advances?  Her life, and the lives of those she cares about, may hang in the balance.

Snow was quite an interesting take on the story of Snow White and I really enjoyed finding out how each new bit correlated with the classic story. The character of Jessica (or Snow, as she is later called) was both relatable and endearing, as were Alan and Raven, as well as many of the other characters. I found myself wishing for a sequel as the pages drew to a close, if only to revisit some of the characters I had become acquainted with in the last few hundred pages.

Tracy Lynn (or Celia Thomson--her other pseudonym) has created a captivating tale weaving together these compelling characters and an interesting plot to give an exciting new spin on an old tale. I enjoyed this immensely and look forward to reading other retellings in the "Once Upon a Time" series (which is a set of retellings of princess stories by different authors, it seems).  If you get the chance, I definitely recommend picking up this book.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

"Did you help her escape?" The duchess came nearer, rounding on him. "Did you have something to do with this?"
"I am unable to speak of anything you do not wish me to, My Lady. You know that."
She narrowed her eyes, displeased by his evasive answer. "Did--you--help--her?"

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

"Harry--you're a great wizard, you know."
"I'm not as good as you," said Harry, very embarrassed, as she let go of him. 
"Me!" said Hermione. "Books! And cleverness! There are more important things--friendship and bravery and--oh Harry--be careful!"

This is the second time I've read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (the third, if you count listening to the audiobook) and it is no less a magical ride now than before. It is the perfect introduction to an amazing series and some wildly wonderful characters.

Harry Potter is living with his awful relatives, the Dursleys, who mistreat and dislike the boy, when he discovers an amazing truth. He is a wizard, as were his parents before him. Suddenly, his life takes a turn for the better. He is sent to a school for wizards called Hogwarts and, for the first time, manages to find a place where he feels loved and can make friends that are loyal and kind.

Everything is going well, better than he could have imagined, when he and his friends discover a three-headed dog on the third floor, apparently guarding something of great value. At first, they're merely interested, until they find that one of the teachers is trying to steal it. If he manages to do so, it could mean the end of the security the wizarding world has only just gotten used to. It could mean the return of a threat that was thought to have ended eleven years ago, the night Harry's parents were murdered and he received the scar on his forehead that resembled lightning. Nothing is quite as it seems and there are many dangers awaiting Harry and his friends during his first year at Hogwarts. Will they be able to make it through the year's dangers and excitements and still manage to pass their exams? It will take all of their cleverness and all of their loyalty if they even want a chance at succeeding.

It's no secret that I am a major fan of J.K. Rowling's work and it was a sheer pleasure to be able to immerse myself in it again. After LeakyCon, I wanted to reread the books and I'm very excited about continuing on. Even in her first book, Rowling shows a profound ability to draw the reader in and present them with both a believable and simply magical tale that captures their hearts.

Definitely a must-read, this series is very likely one of the greatest fantasy series of our time, on par with the works of Lewis and Tolkien. Whether you're nine or ninety-nine, you'd better go pick this book up right away.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

[Click here to see my reviews of book 2: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, book 3: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, book 4: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, book 5: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, book 6: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, and book 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows]

"After all, to the well organized mind, death is but the next great adventure. You know, the Stone was really not such a wonderful thing. As much money and life as you could want! The two things most human beings would choose above all--the trouble is, humans do have a knack of choosing precisely those things that are worst for them."

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Books since I started Booklist That

Over at The Broke and the Bookish, they have this thing called Top Ten Tuesday. Each Tuesday they give other bloggers a chance to participate in making a top ten list with them. This week's topic is the top ten books you've read since starting your blog. 

This one's going to be fun. Difficult, but fun.

1) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
This book lived up to every raving review I heard about it. Zusak did a wonderful job writing a compelling story from an original perspective. That, and he has such a way with words that I could read a book covering just about anything if it was written by him and still be enthralled.

2) Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
At first, I just wanted to put the whole series on here, but thought it would only be fair if I did my favorite of the series. This book was my all-time favorite of the Harry Potter books (its movie was my favorite as well). I love the story, the villain (Umbridge), and basically everything about it.

3) The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
I pre-ordered this one and my dad ended up reading it before I did. He adored it as much as I did. The book was a work of pure genius. It will make you laugh and cry, all while filling your desire for witty commentary and great characters. Definitely a must-read.

4) The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Upon finishing this book, I immediately added it to the ranks of my absolute favorite books. It was well-written and interesting--an all-around joy to read. I cannot wait for the movie this fall and look forward to lending it out even more than I already have in anticipation of the feature film.

5) Hold Still by Nina LaCour
This book was an emotionally driven book that drew me in from the beginning and left me happily sated at the end. LaCour's understanding of brokenness and her ability to make you feel as if you're not only walking alongside the character, but feeling the same way she does, is beautiful and spellbinding.

6) Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
It is considered a classic and for good reason. Bradbury paints a terrifying yet distinctly plausible world that makes you think and gives you the desire to do anything possible to prevent this fiction from becoming reality.

7) Crusade in Jeans by Thea Beckman
The only book by this Dutch author that I can find that's translated into English, I had to search to find this book, but it was entirely worth it. Beckman proves herself a fantastic storyteller and I would love to read more from her in the future. Hopefully, more of her works will be translated in the future.

8) Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
In this story, Anderson created a truly believable character that has had tragedy impact her in the most damaging of ways who still manages to pick herself up and heal. An entirely inspiring character, a seamless plot, and narrative that is both beautiful and compelling work together to make this book also reach my favorites shelf.

9) The Space Between Trees by Katie Williams
If any word can describe this book in its entirely it's "unexpected". Its plot draws the readers in, but the way the author uses it to deal with the nuances of human nature and to explore the way tragedy affects people was truly wonderful. I eagerly look forward to rereading this one.

10) Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
Fantasy is almost always going to be quite an intriguing read, but Jones definitely nails it in her creation of this book. everything about it was delightful and interesting. I really enjoyed exploring the worlds she created, as well as meeting the lovely characters and creatures that fill the pages.

LeakyCon Lit 2012

Maureen Johnson, Lev Grossman, Stephanie Perkins, Robin
Wasserman, Megan Whalen Turner, and John Green
discussing Boy Books & Girl Books and whether there is
such a distinction.

This past week I had the privilege of being able to attend LeakyCon, a Harry Potter convention that was held in Chicago, Illinois, this year. The convention was fantastic and gave my brother and I the opportunity to meet plenty of others for whom the Harry Potter series has been a treasure and somewhat of an obsession.

One part of the convention that I was very excited about was LeakyCon Lit. LeakyCon Lit is a particular set of panels and events that only those with Rockstar or Lit passes can attend. Headed up by Maureen Johnson, LeakyCon Lit gave those who signed up for it the opportunity to sit in on panels between a select number of Young Adult authors who were scheduled to appear, as well as receive the chance to talk with them or go to signings.

These panels proved to be both informative and highly entertaining. The authors assembled were an eclectic and intelligent bunch that, for the most part, know each other well and deeply enjoy discussing the finer points of books and their own work in the literary field.

Because I enjoyed this particular part of the convention, I thought I would give y'all a little rundown of the panels and what I learned from them. So here we go:

Come to this Panel if You Think You Hate Romance
I don't happen to be a hater of romance, but I thought this would be an interesting panel to attend and it was. The panel was made up of Stephanie Perkins, Laini Taylor, Daniel Ehrenhaft, and Margaret Stohl.  We learned that most romances that people hate are the campy ones with overused phrases and gag-worthy dialogue. When a romance is fresh and new, there is something that draws you to it. Everyone enjoys a good love story, it just has to be done right.

Notable quotes from this panel: 
"Romantic love is the closest thing to magic that we have in real life." -Stephanie Perkins
"Literature is escape, but it's also emotional truth." -Daniel Ehrenhaft

Bad Books and Why We Love Them
In this panel, we discussed what makes a book bad and whether or not we really have the authority to label a book "bad" or not. John Green, Holly Black, Margaret Stohl, Robin Wasserman, Megan Whalen Turner, and Maureen Johnson went back and forth on the difference between books with bad writing, books with bad morals, and books that were so off-the-wall terrible that they turned around and became favorites because of how hilarious it made them.
One very interesting point that was brought up was the fact that we should do our best not to be sticklers about what others are reading because they're doing just that: reading. We should be doing our best to encourage that, even if we aren't very fond of their book choices. Instead of bashing the ones they're already into, we can suggest our own favorites and let them make the choices from there. We don't want to discourage others from reading, and chances are they'll find the really good books on their own if you let them wade around in the water a bit.

Boy Books and Girl Books
This panel may have been the most interesting I attended all week. Hearing from Megan Whalen Turner, Robin Wasserman, Stephanie Perkins, Lev Grossman, John Green, and Maureen Johnson on whether or not there really is much of a distinction between girl books and boys books was simply intriguing.

John Green & Maureen Johnson at a signing. He looked up
just as I took the picture. He wasn't actually glaring at me.
Haha. :P

As an aspiring YA author, I was fascinated and horrified to learn more about the sexism involved in the  book industry: both buying and selling. For years we have been operating under a system where "boy books" are normal books and "girl books" are chick lit. Why is that? What really separates the two? Why are girls encouraged to read whatever we can get our hands on, while boys are told that only these books over here are acceptable?
It isn't fair. Not to authors, not to boys, not to girls. This stigmatizing of certain literature causes boys to think there's something wrong with them if they want to branch out from "boy books" and causes female authors to be set aside in favor of male authors because it's unthinkable that a woman could write something that would interest a man.
Stephanie Perkins referred to an incident when she worked at a bookstore in which a father actually put Harry Potter back on the shelf though his son wanted to read after she casually mentioned that J.K. Rowling was a woman. He actually said "She?" and placed it back on the shelf as if it were suddenly detestable because of the gender of its author.

Notable quotes from this panel:
"I'm not kidding. I would've punched you and then I would've called you a liar, and I would've set fire to your house." -Maureen Johnson [describing her reaction if someone would have told her that she would be writing "girl books" when she was in high school]

Ten Things You Didn't Know About Every Single Harry Potter Novel
This panel was open to everyone, not just those attending LeakyCon Lit. John Granger, known for his in-depth analysis of the Harry Potter book series gave a series of lectures on Christian symbolism, postmodern morality, ring composition, and many other literary devices implemented in J.K. Rowling's books. I only attended one, but it was simply mind-blowing.
Honestly, I walked out of the room both dying to write and never wanting to pick up a pen again, because how could I even come close to the masterful work Rowling did in her series?
Theres no way I can rehash what I learned in only an hour of his class, but I can suggest getting any of his books. If those lectures are any indication, the man is brilliant and should certainly be heard by as wide of an audience as can comprehend what he has to say.
I will definitely be keeping an eye out for his books and now have even greater respect for one of my favorite authors, J.K. Rowling, for her masterful work.

I Was a Teenage Writer
Maureen Johnson is always telling those who want to be authors that one of the key factors is to "learn to let yourself suck". By that, she means that no one is great from the beginning and sometimes you have to put out a lot of bad writing in order to improve enough to make something great. In this panel, John Green, Margaret Stohl, Holly Black, and Kate Schafer Testerman supported her statement by producing some work they created in their teenage years. The result was hilarious. Needless to say, many were comforted by the end of the meeting. They saw how far these authors had come in only a decade or so and knew that if they worked at it, they would likely be able to do the same.

Ask Me Anything: Book Editors
My brother and I chose to attend this panel last minute, but it was definitely worth it. In fact, the panel convinced him to consider becoming a book agent because of how excellent the job sounded and how much the agents present were passionate about what they did.
Rebecca Sherman, Jennifer Laughran, Kate Schafer Testerman, and Daniel Ehrenhaft answered questions that ranged from "What does your job entail?" to "Should I follow book trends and try to produce something along those lines?" Hint (on the second question): a book is generally bought three or four years in advance of it being put on the shelf, so unless you can predict the future, you won't have much luck trying to ride on the coattails of current trends.

My LeakyCon swag. It includes 3 new books I can't wait to
read: Hacking Harvard by Robin Wasserman; Geektastic by
Holly Black and Cecil Castelliucci; and Wizards, Wardrobes
and Wookies by Connie Neal.

Overall, it was a fantastic experience and I'm so glad I got to be a part of it. I look forward to attending more book events in the future and learning even more about the books and craft I adore so much.

I would go again in a heartbeat.

Tithe by Holly Black

"When you do magic, there are two stages: focus and surrender. Surrender is the part that so many do not understand.
"To do magic, you must focus on what it is you want to do, then let go of the energy and trust it to do your bidding."

Not only is the cover of Tithe deliciously creepy (I got quite a kick out of showing it to people just to see their reactions),  but the story is quite unlike anything I've read yet. This is probably more a result of the fact that faeries creep me out and I tend to avoid media about them. Still, the book is intriguing from start to finish.

Tithe is the story of sixteen-year-old Kaye. Kaye has always been considered strange, particularly for the fact that her best friends growing up were three faeries that visited her often and she was always eager to share about the things the four of them did together. When she moves away, the faeries stop visiting her and Kaye does her best to forget.

Then, after her mother is nearly stabbed by her boyfriend, the two move back to Kaye's childhood home. At first, everything seems normal. Perhaps she had imagined the otherworldly beings. When she is finally contacted by the faeries, things are different than her childhood years.

Kaye learns she is a pixie, a changeling exchanged for a human child when she was a baby, and now she has been asked to perform a task that could put her own life in danger, as well as everyone she has come to care about. As she is put to the test, she must discover what her strengths are and whether she's strong enough to save everyone.

Holly Black, author of the Spiderwick Chronicles (for which she is most well-known), has created a tale that draws the reader in and compels them to explore a world that is both terrible and beautiful, intriguing and revolting.

I found the story to be well-written and original. I found myself eagerly looking forward to finding out what happens next. I appreciate unpredictable plot lines that still manage to be entirely plausible and this was one of those stories.

I would recommend this to any lover of fantasy that wants a good series to start up. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what happens to Kaye next.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥

You can break a thing, but you can't always guide it afterward into the shape you want.

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

"It is too bad for you that intelligence does not always attend gifts such as yours, and fortunate for me that it is not your intelligence I am interested in, but your skill. If you are as good as you say you are."
I repeated myself. "I can steal anything."
"Except yourself out of the king's prison?" the magus asked, lifting only one eyebrow this time.
I shrugged. I could do that, too, but it would take time.

The Thief is another book I picked up because the author is going to be at LeakyCon this coming week and I wanted to get a good sampling of her writing style. I found it at the library with the rest of the series that I will soon be getting my hands on, because I enjoyed this one immensely and can't wait to see where else Gen's adventures take him.

In The Thief, we are immediately introduced to Gen: our narrator, main character, and current tenant of the king's prison for stealing his seal and then bragging about it to the public. He has been there for quite a few months when the king's advisor, the magus, decides that his skills as a thief could aid him in the recovery of a treasure that could change the fate of their land forever.

Gen, having no other alternative besides going back to prison, joins the magus on this quest. Along with them are Ambiades, the magus's apprentice; Sophos, the son of the duke; and Pol, the captain of the duke's army. On their travels, they must journey through two neighboring countries with whom their own country is not necessarily on good terms, while trying to keep Ambiades and Gen from killing each other.

Gen has more to worry about than Ambiades's snarling, though. He may not be all he seems to be, but even he wonders if he is up to the task of securing a hidden treasure that hundreds of thieves have died trying to attain.

Turner's story is an entertaining fantasy in a land very much of her own making. The Greek influences are heavy, from the pantheon of gods to the very climate of her fictional countries, but it is still clearly a world unlike any other. I am always interested in discovering new worlds in literature and hers fascinated me immensely.

The characters were interesting and well crafted, none of them turning out quite as I had originally pegged them. I love when an author can give me an ending I hadn't anticipated from the beginning (predictability can only go so far in entertainment), and the fact that Turner could do so with both her story and her characters is a feat she ought to be proud of.

This was a fun journey that may not have wrapped me up the way some of my favorite fantasy series' do, but it was enough to leave me wanting more. I definitely suggest reading this book if you're looking for a new series to enjoy. It's quite worth the read.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

[Click here to see my review of book 2: The Queen of Attolia and book 3: The King of Attolia.]

"Do you think," he stammered, "there's some . . . body in the maze with you?"
I wished he hadn't so obviously substituted "somebody" for "something." Not that I thought ghouls and ghosts were real, but they were easier to believe in when standing in a cold, dark, wet hole in the ground.

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Mr. Freeman thinks I need to find my feelings. How can I not find them? They are chewing me alive like an infestation of thoughts, shame, mistakes.


This is yet another book that I read after seeing the movie, finding out it was originally a book, being frustrated, and rushing out to find a copy. I didn't even realize until I was at the library that I have already read and currently own another of the author's books, Fever, when I was in middle school. I remembered loving it, which made me even more excited for this novel.

When Melinda Sordino enters her freshman year of high school, she had already been blacklisted. Having managed to find her way into a high school party at the end of the summer, she had ended up calling the police and getting several students in trouble or arrested in the process.

But no one thought to ask her side of the story. It never occurred to anyone that she had needed to call the police--that she had been hurt. Now, entering high school friendless and traumatized, she begins to isolate herself. She stops speaking unless necessary. She shuts down.

The only place she feels safe is in art class, where her quirky teacher, Mr. Freeman, both challenges and inspires her. He shows her that, through art, she can breathe again and begin to heal.

Melinda is deeply scarred and feels trapped in the silence that once gave her a sense of comfort. She is still in danger and if she doesn't speak up, someone else could get hurt. But can she overcome her fear and finally speak? She isn't so sure she can--or that anyone will listen if she does.

Speak is a wonderfully written novel about coming of age, healing from deep wounds, and speaking up. Laurie Halse Anderson leaves no doubt through her skillfully crafted imagery that words can create just as well as paint. Her ability to mold the details and the words just the way they needed to give the reader a perfect picture that resonates with them long afterward left me awestruck.

Not only was her capability as a wordsmith one of the things that made this book easily soar to my favorites category, but her ability to capture what it looks like to be a terrified girl who feels trapped in her own emotions left me stunned. Melinda jumps off the page, as real as a character can possibly be without stepping clean out of the book and talking to the reader in person. There isn't a single moment that you find yourself battling with disbelief. Anderson lets you empathize with her character and see what it's like to step inside her mind.

This book is a must read. I cannot express enough how well written and necessary this book is to a generation that has dealt with more pain than any before it. Pick it up immediately. Whether you're in middle school, high school, or even gearing up to cash in that retirement fund: Speak is a book you have to get your hands on.

Rating: ~ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ~


David: "But you got it wrong. The suffragettes were all about speaking up, screaming for their rights. You can't speak up for your right to be silent. That's letting the bad guys win. If the suffragettes did that, women wouldn't be able to vote yet."
I blow a bubble in his face. He folds the gum wrappers into tiny triangles.
David: "Don't get me wrong. I think what you did was kind of cool and getting stuck in MISS wasn't fair. But don't expect to make a difference unless you speak up for yourself."

Wired by Robin Wasserman

We were on our own. Two machines. Two orgs. Four teenagers with no power and no plan.


(Click here to see my review of book 1: Skinned and book 2: Crashed; predecessors to Wired in the Cold Awakening Trilogy)

The final installment of the Cold Awakening Trilogy, a Young Adult Science Fiction series, Wired lived up to every expectation I had for this book. The first two books were wonderful and intriguing; the world Wasserman created were nearly even more so. I was a little nervous that she wouldn't be able to make the conclusion as good as the story had been up to this point. Rest assured, she managed it.

In Wired, we find that things have steadily moved from bad to worse. The Brotherhood of Man is still gunning for the extermination of the mechs and now it looks like they may have found a way to do that. Suddenly the threat is much more than they could ever have anticipated.

As if that weren't enough, Lia soon finds out that things are more complicated than she had first thought. It seems that everyone is lying about something and no one can be trusted.

When everyone Lia cares about come under fire and are put in danger along with her, she must do everything she can to save them. It's clear that the threat must be stopped. The question is: can it? Things have never looked so hopeless.

But Lia has never been more determined.

Wired was the perfect ending to this stunning and intriguing trilogy that had me hooked from start to finish. When I started it, I honestly didn't expect it to be all that good, so it's pretty clear that I've been blown away by its fantastic execution.

Robin Wasserman proved undeniably that she knows what she's doing when it comes to writing fiction--particularly science fiction--and I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more from her. She's one of those authors you don't want to miss, because her work is too good to stay out of the spotlight for long.

I'm very happy I managed to find this series and can't wait to see the author at LeakyCon. I can't express enough how much I enjoyed this series. It makes the reader stop and think. It makes you grapple with moral and ethical issues of great importance all while reading an enthralling story that keeps you wondering just what is going to happen next. Nothing is predictable. Nothing is certain.

Go pick up the first book at your library or your local bookstore. You won't be sorry.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥


"You don't have to do anything you don't want to," Riley said, as we were leaving. "They can't make you."
I kissed him and wondered when he'd gotten so naive.