Review: Skinned by Robin Wasserman

Skinned

by Robin Wasserman

ISBN: 9781416936343

Simon Pulse

http://www.robinwasserman.com

Release date: Hardcover - September 9, 2008

Paperback - August 3, 2009

from the publisher's site:

Lia Kahn was perfect: rich, beautiful, popular -- until the accident that nearly killed her. Now she has been downloaded into a new body that only looks human. Lia will never feel pain again, she will never age, and she can't ever truly die. But she is also rejected by her friends, betrayed by her boyfriend, and alienated from her old life.

Forced to the fringes of society, Lia joins others like her. But they are looked at as freaks. They are hated...and feared. They are everything but human, and according to most people, this is the ultimate crime -- for which they must pay the ultimate price.

my thoughts:

This book was amazing! When I first started reading Skinned I flew through nearly half of the book before I put it down once. After just a few chapters I purchased book 2, Crashed because I knew I'd have to read that one too. The only reason you're just hearing about this book now is because my reading took a break for NaNoWriMo, but last night I was just in the mood for a good read. I finished Skinned in one sitting before falling asleep.

Aside from the fact that I find Skinned to be very original, I love the way it actually made me think. It makes you wonder about what truly makes someone human. I also found the society that Lia inhabits to be fascinating. Technology has taken over so much it makes you wonder if everyone is really better off or if they should be longing for the good old days.

I highly recommend Skinned; I absolutely loved it and I'm sure you will too. I can't wait to read Crashed (though I think I'll need to get a little further through the review pile first). Robin Wasserman has definitely made my author list and I'll be looking for more books from her.

ps: Don't forget to vote in my polls! You can have a say in what gets reviewed at the blog. Skinned is a readers' choice review. :)

I'm Gonna be MIA

Hey all!

During the month of November you may not see much of me. I've decided to join the rest of the crazy nuts for Nanowrimo. All of my free time will be spent trying to catch up on my word count. If you send me an email and don't hear back from me for a bit that's why.

If you've already been waiting for a reply, sorry, aside from Nano I've had a lot going on in real life which is making it difficult to keep up with online stuff.

Don't worry, the blog's not going anywhere. I'll be up and running again, if not in December ( I work retail, it tends to get crazy) than definitely after the 1st of the year. :)

In the meantime, keep on reading and be sure to tell me all about the awesome YA books you find.

Review: Ghost in the Machine - Skeleton Creek #2 by Patrick Carman

Ghost in the Machine

Skeleton Creek Book 2

by Patrick Carman

Scholastic Press

ISBN: 9780545075701

http://www.patrickcarman.com/

Release Date: October 1, 2009

from the publisher's site:

Strange things are happening in Skeleton Creek...and Ryan and Sarah are trying to find out why. Ryan writes down everything in his journal, and Sarah records everything on her videocam. The two move deeper into the mystery they've uncovered, determined to discover the secrets buried in Skeleton Creek, in the conclusion to Patrick Carman's thrilling series. In this groundbreaking format, the story is broken into two parts - Ryan's text in the book, and Sarah's videos on a special website, with links and passwords given throughout the book.

my thoughts:

I absolutely love this book! I read/watched it straight through over the course of a few hours. Which unfortunately left me reading/watching some of the more suspenseful sections while I was home alone in the dark. Not the best idea, but it sure sets the right mood. :)

Patrick Carman's innovative Skeleton Creek series is phenomenal. Both Ghost in the Machine and its predecessor Skeleton Creek held me riveted. I had to keep my laptop handy so I could immediately watch Sarah's videos after reading Ryan's journal entries. There was no read a little bit then check out the video later, for me. I had to know what was happening right now.

I highly recommend both of these books to everyone. Yeah they are suspenseful and some parts are outright freaky, but you can just do what I did, don't turn off the lights and keep a teddy bear nearby. :)

And now for the book trailer:

Author Interview: Shelia M. Goss

Hey all! Sorry I've been so quiet lately. I was out of town for most of last week. Travelling is more exhausting than I thought. :)




Today I have Shelia M. Goss author of the Lip Gloss Chronicles visiting Want My YA. Keep on reading to see what she has to say.





1.Tell us a little about yourself.



The Lip Gloss Chronicles series is my first young adult novel series. I'm the author of six women’s fiction novels. Besides writing books, listening to music is one of my favorite pastimes. Prince is one of my all time favorite artists and if I could live anywhere else in the world, it would be Paradise Island, Bahamas. I'm also a Young & The Restless fan. I usually have it playing in the background in the morning when I’m writing.

2.What got you started writing?

I've been writing since I was 9 years old but didn't decide to do it professionally until after I got downsized from a fortune 500 company. I had originally planned on pursuing writing as a career when I retired, but as fate would have it, my plans got pushed up.

What brought you to YA?

It was a combination of things. I've always wanted to write books in the genre since being a teenager and reading Nancy Drew. I decided to finally do it after hearing my friends complain about their teens reading adult books.

3.Tell us about your most recent/ upcoming release?

The Lip Gloss Chronicles series tackle current issues affecting teens. Each book in the series is told from one of three best friends point of view-Britney, Jasmine and Sierra.



Splitsville - The Lip Gloss Chronicles Vol. 2 is Jasmine's story. Jasmine must deal with her parents divorcing. Jasmine believes she's the reason why her parents are having so many problems. One of the friends learn about the dangers of giving out personal information to strangers on the internet. Teenagers spend a lot of time on the internet. I decided to show the dangers of improper internet usage by allowing one of the characters to communicate with a stranger they met online. Internet safety is important and bringing awareness to this issue will hopefully make teens and their parents think twice about time spent online and on social networks.

4.Do you plot out in advance, or just start writing and see where things go from there?

I usually write a synopsis. The synopsis is used as my guide but I add meat to the story as I start writing it.

5.Many authors have told me their characters talk to them, and sometimes even have different ideas of where the story should go than the author. Do you hear your characters?

Yes. The characters speak to me so that I can tell their stories. If the characters voices didn't come across, it would be difficult to write any of the books I've written.

6.Who is your favorite character (of your own)?

Wow. Hard question. I think that whatever book I'm working on at the time has my favorite character for a variety of reasons. Jasmine, the main character in Splitsville, definitely makes herself stand out from her two friends. I like the fact that readers get to see her grow.

7.What hobbies do you have when you're not writing?

I love to travel and read.

8.If you had not become a writer what would you have done instead?

I have an engineer degree. In my former life, I was a Project Manager and Technical Trainer. I worked in the telecommunications industry and other private sectors. Technology has always been an interest of mine.


9.Where can readers find you online?


To keep up to date about my books and other YA happenings, be sure to stop by my blog at www.thelipglosschronicles.com/blog or visit the main site:
www.thelipglosschronicles.com

You can also find me at the following sites:
www.sheliagoss.com
www.twitter.com/sheliamgoss
www.facebook.com/sheliagoss
www.myspace.com/sheliagoss

10.Your turn. What question do you have for readers of Want My YA?

What top three qualities should a good YA novel have in your opinion?

Thanks for your responses Shelia! It was great having you here at Want My YA today. :) Readers be sure to comment and answers Shelia's question.

Review: You Are So Undead to Me by Stacey Jay

You Are So Undead to Me

by Stacey Jay

Razorbill (Penguin)

ISBN: 9781595142252

http://www.staceyjay.com/

Release Date: January 22, 2009

from the publisher's website:

Megan Berry is a Zombie Settler by birth, which means she’s part-time shrink to a whole bunch of semi-dead people with killer issues. All Megan really wants is to go to homecoming, but when you’re trailed by a bunch of slobbering corpses whenever you leave the house, it’s kinda hard to score a date. Let’s just say Megan’s love life could use some major resuscitation.

Megan’s convinced her life can’t get any worse – until someone in school starts using black magic to turn average, angsty Undead into scary, hardcore flesh-eating Zombies. Now it’s up to Megan to stop the Zombie apocalypse. Her life – and more importantly, the homecoming dance – depends on it.

my thoughts:

I LOVE this book. Yeah I know I always say this, but that doesn't make it any less true. I was hooked from page one. Megan's story was a great read. As with any book I read I really need to feel the characters I'm reading about. Stacey Jay made Megan's voice come through so clearly. I could understand her frustrations with Zombie settling and yet I could also understand the need for a Zombie Settler to exist.

I can't wait for Undead Much? to release. I really want to read more about Megan and Ethan and even see more of Monica. Stacey Jay has gained a loyal reader in me and I'm so excited for more. :)

pssst.....

This book was reviewed thanks to your votes. So if you want a say in what I review on this blog make sure you vote in my monthly polls. There is always at least one, sometimes more, running in the left sidebar.

Review: The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan

The Demon's Lexicon

by Sarah Rees Brennan

Margaret K. McElderry Books (Simon & Schuster)

ISBN: 9781416963790

http://www.sarahreesbrennan.com/

Release Date: June 2009

from the publisher's website:

Nick and his brother, Alan, have spent their lives on the run from magic. Their father was murdered, and their mother was driven mad by magicians and the demons who give them power. The magicians are hunting the Ryves family for a charm that Nick's mother stole -- a charm that keeps her alive -- and they want it badly enough to kill again.

Danger draws even closer when a brother and sister come to the Ryves family for help. The boy wears a demon's mark, a sign of death that almost nothing can erase...and when Alan also gets marked by a demon, Nick is desperate to save him. The only way to do that is to kill one of the magicians they have been hiding from for so long.

Ensnared in a deadly game of cat and mouse, Nick starts to suspect that his brother is telling him lie after lie about their past. As the magicians' Circle closes in on their family, Nick uncovers the secret that could destroy them all.

my thoughts:

Have you ever read a book with a story so intense that the minute you're finished reading it you have to tell someone, anyone, about it to just get it out there? That's what The Demon's Lexicon from Sarah Rees Brennan was like for me. And my boyfriend was in close enough proximity that he got to hear all about it.

There were so many events that I just never saw coming. I was well and truly hooked into this story and I had to know what was going to happen next. Nick and Alan have a true brotherhood bond and it's put to every test imaginable.

I can't wait to see what happens in book two. I really want to see where Ms. Brennan is going to take the story next. Run out and grab your copy today. This is a book not to be missed.

Winners!

The James Patterson promo is now closed and thanks to Random.org the winners have been chosen.

Congratulations to Alexa and Kathy! Please email me at wantmyya at gmail dot com so I can pass your mailing info on to the people with the books.

Thank you everyone who entered and voted in my polls. Keep your eyes open for more promotions and more polls. :)