Review of Delirium

Delirium
by Lauren Oliver
Young Adult science fiction
Pub date February 2011

I think it's a real shame that this book is coming out relatively close to MATCHED by Ally Condie. It's inevitable that people will compare the two books, though they both deserve to be read on their own. That being said, I loved this book and I'm glad it's coming out, regardless of the timing.

DELIRIUM takes place in a world where love is considered a disease--one that is, fortunately, curable. Youths are evaluated, ranked, matched with similarly ranked youths of the opposite sex, and sent to the operating table to undergo brain surgery. After the operation, all strong emotion is gone. You are cured of the disease that causes people to fall in love. But not everyone is cured. Outside the safety of Portland is a wasteland where Invalids struggle to survive. When Lena is caught up in a forbidden romance, she must make a difficult decision: stay in Portland and be cured, or give in to the delirium.

This novel, like Oliver's debut novel (BEFORE I FALL), is extremely well written. She finds a good balance between a compelling plot with plenty of action and a good amount of character development. And the ending--I'll just say that the sequel can't come soon enough.

review of Fixing Delilah

Fixing Delilah
by Sarah Ockler
Young Adult fiction
Pub date December 15, 2010

I was a little nervous to read Fixing Delilah--not because I thought it would be bad, but because Sarah Ockler's first book (Twenty Boy Summer) struck such a perfect balance between sad and sweet and honest. I wanted to like Fixing Delilah just as much, but I didn't know if that was possible.

Delilah Hannaford is a good girl, but lately she's been doing all the things that good girls don't: sneaking around with Finn, her not-boyfriend; (accidentally) stealing lipstick; getting bad grades; and lying to her mother. As a result, Delilah gets to spend the whole summer packing up her grandmother's house for an estate sale. Returning to the lake house brings back the argument that divided her family eight years ago--and took her away from her friend Patrick. No one seems to want to talk about what happened that summer, but Delilah doesn't think she can just let it go.

The things that happen to Delilah in this book never happened to me, but I felt as though they had. It was actually hard to read at points because I had such empathy with Delilah. Even though the plot, characters, and setting are completely different from Twenty Boy Summer, Ockler's books share one major similarity: they are emotionally pitch-perfect. I can't imagine a better follow-up to her debut novel.

Review of Where She Went

Where She Went
by Gayle Forman
Young Adult fiction
Pub date March 2011

I feel like anything I say about this book will be a spoiler, so I'll keep it short. It rocked. In many ways. It's hard to imagine what could possibly follow IF I STAY...no conflict could ever be as wrenching and poignant as the one Mia faces in the first book.

From the first pages of WHERE SHE WENT, we see where Adam and Mia went in the three years since the end of IF I STAY. The question, then, is less where they went and more how they got there, and why. Forman uses the same style of flashbacks alternating with a day in real time, only this time the story is from Adam's perspective, and Adam is far more complicated than Mia was. The characters have grown up, and Forman has dealt with it brilliantly.

As someone who lived and breathed music for several years, I have a special appreciation for the insights into a rock god's life that this book offers. And as someone who has been in Adam's place, I appreciate the honesty in his character.

I'm not going to say any more. It's worth the wait to find out yourself.

Hey, people! Now that the Summer Reading Challenge is over, it's time for some exciting new programs for children at A Great Good Place for Books.

Coming up first is a new GRAPHIC NOVEL WRITING WORKSHOP.

The Graphic Novel Workshop is a 6-week writing workshop, taught by a credentialed teacher (me), that shows kids that reading and writing can be easy and fun. Students will read and discuss their favorite graphic novels during the first part of each class, and the second half will be devoted to building a story with dialogue and narration. At the end of the workshop, students will produce their own 3-page comic.

Who: Kids age 8 and up.

When: Sundays from 5-6:30 p.m., beginning September 12th and ending October 24th.

Where: A Great Good Place for Books, 6120 La Salle Ave, Oakland CA 94611

How much: $180. This includes all supplies, materials, snacks, and a "gallery opening" and pizza party on October 24th.

You can email me at jnhallman@gmail.com to register.

Summer Reading Challenge winner

Congratulations to OLIVIA DUFF, this year's winner of the Summer Reading Challenge!

Olivia will get a list of local authors. She'll choose one, and I'll set up a meeting between them. Way to go, Olivia!

A review by Rebecca

Artemis Fowl 7: The Atlantis Complex

by Eoin Colfer

Young Adult Fantasy

Available now in hardcover

Review by Rebecca Sklar

Artemis Fowl is up to something. And it's not like his old plans. This time, Artemis Fowl is trying to save the world. But something is wrong with our favorite genius. He is showing signs of OCD, paranoia, multiple personalities, and "professions of love for a certain fiesty LEP officer." Artemis Fowl has developed a fairy disease, Atlantis Complex, just when the world needs him most. This seventh installment of Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl brings out a new side of Artemis. Not to mention the hilarious involvment of Holly, Foaly, Juliet, Butler, and of course, Mulch Diggums. This is a must-read book with a definite two thumbs up response for anyone who's itching for a good YA fantasy book. This may be the best Artemis Fowl to date, so don't miss it.

Some Upcoming Events

A big THANKS to Rebecca, Elizabeth, Emily, and Ixchel, who came to the author reading to meet Heidi Kling. We had a great time, and I was really impressed by the questions that were asked.

There's only one more week before the Summer Reading Challenge ends! Are you wishing you'd read more? Are you wishing you'd earned more entries in the Grand Prize Drawing? Well, here's a way to earn two more:

On Sunday, August 8th at 4 p.m. we'll be hosting author Rosemary Graham, who will be reading from her new YA novel Stalker Girl. You'll get an extra entry in the Grand Prize Drawing if you come!

On Wednesday, August 11th at 7 p.m. we'll be hosting author Cameron Tuttle, who will be reading from her new YA novel Paisley Hanover Kisses and Tells. You'll get ANOTHER extra entry in the Grand Prize Drawing if you come to this event too!

And remember, the last two SECRET BONUS TASKS were posted yesterday...scroll down if you missed them.

Last 2 Secret Bonus Tasks

Hey, Challengers--there are only EIGHT more days left in the Summer Reading Challenge! Make sure you turn in your reading records before Friday, August 13th so you can get your last entries in the Grand Prize Drawing.

Here's a special treat: TWO Secret Bonus Tasks at once!

The first is to come to the prize drawing on Friday, August 13th at 6 p.m. We'll be giving away lots of little prizes as well as the Grand Prize: a meeting with a local author!

The second Secret Bonus Task is to write a review of a book that you love. Here are some things that the review must include:

• The title, author, and genre of the book (some genre suggestions: picture book, chapter book, Young Adult fantasy, etc.)
• 2-3 sentences describing the main character and the problem he/she faces
• 2-3 sentences telling us what you liked about the book
• remember, don't give away the ending! You want people to read your review and think, "Hey, I would like to read that," not, "Hey, I don't need to read that because JoJo just told me what happens at the end."
  

You can bring your finished review to the store or email it to me at p1ratewench@hotmail.com . I will post the reviews on the blog for everyone to see!