I Give You Peace by Diane DiSerafino

I Give You Peace by Diane DiSerafino
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Many thanks to Donna Gola for giving this debut author book to read. I really enjoyed the plot and characters in I Give You Peace. There are many universes and Alex and Leonard are experimenting to bring world peace to New Philadelphia located in the Tertius universe. But things are not proceeding as planned for many reasons and as we meet a few of the subjects in this grand experiment the reader roots for "real peace" not enforced peace. I loved all the Philadelphia places, the cover is perfect, and technology must be watched. I look forward to other books by Diane DiSerafino!

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The Hive by Barry Lyga

The Hive by Barry Lyga
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this awesome page turned by one of my fave authors, Barry Lyga, for the Oct twitter chat with #YearofYA which includes any kind of creepy mystery scifi books - come join us Thursday 10/24 at 8PM EST. But about this book---Cassie is deeply angry due to her father's death 6 months ago (he was famous hacker Harlon Mckinney and Cassie spent her life right next to him as a coder, hacker, social media king). In a new school with no friends and still really angry, Cassie spurns a new friend and joins with a mean girl coven, and remains ridiculously callous toward her mom and life. One awful jokes gets Cassie noticed, not in a good way, and in days she is being vilified by the HIVE, loses her few friends, her mother and must run for her life because the HIVE wants her dead. This was a deliciously creepy, thrilling page turner on the world as it exists with social and political upheaval, mob justice, apathy abounding, and violence just around the corner. I ached for Cassie's grief and rooted for her anger to leave, a great book teens will be passing around!

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Spin by Lamar Giles

Spin by Lamar Giles
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Teens will love the music, DJ, and the ins and out of the music world as they are plunged into another thriller from Lamar Giles. Paris (known as DJ ParSec is found murdered by two of her friends; Kya and Fuse have no love for each other than their history with Paris. What was really freaky was the fandom known as ParSec Nation; I could not put this latest book down! I Love Lamar Giles mysteries and this book took it to the next level with the many motives and suspects; high school drama, family drama and friend drama. Teens will be grabbing for this psychological thriller; the mystery and the detective angles are taut with suspense!

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An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this science fiction title by the awesome Hank Green for a twitter chat with #YearofYA Tuesday 1/22/19 at 9PM EST, come join us and we will be discussing great scifi reads! This audiobook was narrated awesomely by Kristen Sieh, Hank Green and the story about twenty something April May finding a transformer like sculpture that turns out to be so much more, talks a lot about social media and the effect of fame on a person. I liked the premise---did not really like April May---she became obsessed with fame, started treating her very loyal friends as less than... the Carls just appeared throughout the world but it is April (and best friend, Andy) who documents it and becomes the symbol.

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Wildcard (Warcross #2) by Marie Lu

Wildcard by Marie Lu
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

OMG, did I love this book & Nancy Wu's narration - Marie Lu and Nancy Wu had me on the edge of my seat throughout this kick ass, suspenseful, scifi/tech gone wrong novel. I loved the drama, angst of the plotline, loved the loneliness/friendship aspect of the Phoenix Riders & Emika, rooted for Emika and Hideo (even though there is so much questionable going on), hated the NeuroLink Algorithm & the Blackcoats and their despicable ends. The new characters were many and varied; the Zero/Suske character-OMG! I was totally satisfied with the ending- Lu is a master storyteller- love all of her books!

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Bloof of a Thousand Stars (Empress of a Thousand Skies #2) by Rhoda Belleza

Blood of a Thousand Stars by Rhoda Belleza
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I listened to this last book in the series, the narrator, Rebecca Soler was stellar but I also found listening to this book more confusing because it jumps and pivots with all the drama, lies, political intrigue. vast technology and the horror that is Nero. He is out to use the overwriter for his own devices- to control anyone (everyone) he wants. Aly, Kara, Rhee (and minor, awesome characters too) are all rushing to head off Nero (which seems almost impossible)- will they succeed? Not to be negative but I did not enjoy this novel as much due to the always changing technology and ever changing fast paced events that were not always explained thoroughly. Violence, lies, cheating are everywhere and the reader is propelled forward, hoping the characters will overthrow Nero which made the narrative seem cut up and rushed.

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The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

The Future of Us by Jay Asher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved the time travel aspect of this book which I read as part of #yearofya twitter chat topic - books from 80s and 90s (written during this time period or about this time period) to be discussed Tuesday 8/29 at 8PM EST. Friends Emma and Josh (but Josh is in love with Emma & has been spurned by her) become involved with an AOL CDrom that takes them from their life in 1996 to Facebook (which is not even around yet) 15 years later. Emma goes through unhappy life and marriages while Josh marries hot girl and remains happily married. But as these teens struggle with 1996 high school, friendship and dating drama, the future causes them to evaluate what they hold dear, could it be each other? LOVED Josh, Emma was struggling with her HS hookups and future troubles - their characters were definitely true to teens and their daily lives. So enjoyed this book by Jay Asher (I don't really think Emma would notice the school librarian School Library Journal, but I loved the homage to school librarians!!!) and Carolyn Mackler- their collaboration was perfect!

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When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh what a great book, full of highs and lows as we get to know and follow feisty Dimple Shah as she embarks on the InsomiaCon program in San Francisco (to prove her coding worth to the world & herself) little does she know her parents have conspired with old friends for an arranged marriage with a nice suitable Indian boy. I loved Rishi Patel; he was the real deal, loved his parents, a pleasing personality and oh so much a romantic! After he sees Rishi and calls her "future wife" (he assumes she knows all about this) indomitable Dimple throws her iced coffee on him & all his hopes down the sink. I just loved Sandya Menon's words- she made me believe in both these teens, their culture, their insecurities, and finally their feelings & unshakable belief in each other's dreams. Highly recommended, you will fall in love with Dimple, Rishi, Celia, Ashish and their life changing time spent together in San Francisco, chasing hopes and realizing dreams can come true!

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The Takedown by Corrie Wang

The Takedown by Corrie Wang
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, Disney Book Group, and Freeform for the ARC, The Takedown by Corrie Wang. I also read this for the March twitter chat on debut authors with #yearofya & it has been highly touted by blogger Kelly Jensen in “Faces of Color on 2017 YA Books”. Wow, what a gripping read! Kyla Cheng is a high school senior ho rules her school, best friends with Sharma, Audra, & Fawn, and friend with benefits (lots of doubt and kissing) to long-time crush, Mac Rodriguez. Kyla’s voice was straightforward as she flatly and to the point, tells of the video that destroys her life. With all kinds of technology (in a near future time) someone releases to her school and administration a video of Kyla and her English teacher having sex. Kyla denies is the person in the video (she has never had sex!!!), over and over again, all the while her friends do not believe her. As the mystery mounts and Kyla chases down clues, her hater sends out her incomplete college applications, Kyla is kicked out of the school clubs, suspended from attending classes, she continues to realize she has somehow disappointed her mother. As the plot thickens, Kyla will accept how invasive technology has become and it is through a concerted effort including Mac, Sharma, & tech geek, Rory, that Kyla tracks the twisted trail towards her hater. That said, I did not really like Kyla for many reasons; she was a mean girl, she refused to look inward at her actions, words, and thoughts; she was self-absorbed and constantly judging Mac and her mother. What I did like about Kyla was her spunk, her loyalty, and her unfolding honesty with her mom. I could not put this book down, teens will love the technology, the suspense, plus the high school and family drama. This book had great characters, plot, and is a totally enjoyable tense psychological whodunit!

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