YA Book Tour- Alabama

Alabama is the next stop on the United States of YA with Rosemary Clement-Moore's The Splendor Falls.

Sylvie Davis was at the top of her game in ballet, at seventeen she had become a principle dancer in the American Ballet Company. Then tragedy struck during a routine position, her tibia broken in a compound fracture and thus ending her ballet career. After an incident at her mother's wedding, she is sent to her father's family in Alabama while her mother and new husband are on their honeymoon.

Sylvie arrives in Alabama with her dog, Gigi, and knowing nothing about her family and their life there.  Her father never told her anything about it while he was alive.  Her cousin Paula and her hottie Welsh guest, Rhys, pick her up at the airport.  Rhys, who Sylvie feels an immediate connect to but doesn't understand why, and yet he seems to be deliberately annoying her.

Once at Bluestone Hill, her family's antebellum plantation, she meets the local teens lead by Shawn.  She knows he is cute, but she can tell that his charm is part of a performance.  Addie, who is Paula's business partners daughter, takes an immediately dislike to her.

As Sylvie learns the ins and outs to this small town, and more about the family her father never spoke of, she finds that it might just be more than the living occupying Bluestone Hill, and the past has a way of repeating itself.

I very much enjoyed this book with its vibrant characters and a bit of Southern Gothic feel to the story.  I feel for Sylvie having to re-evaluate her whole life after her accident, and then having everyone be so uptight about her every move. Girl just lost the dream she had been working toward for most of her life, give her a break. I love Sylvie's determination when she sets her mind to something, and watching her decipher her feelings toward Rhys and Shawn.

Speaking of Rhys and Shawn, both are very interesting characters in very different ways.  Rhys is broody and secretive, but when you get the unguarded him, he is quite charming and caring.  Shawn, on the other hand, is extremely charming from the beginning, and he use his to hide his true colors.  Shawn seems likable enough, but I couldn't help but think that he uses his charm as a misdirection so you can't see what he is really up do.

This story really has a way keeping you interested to the very end, and guessing on what exactly is going on at Bluestone Hill.

Currently Reading:
Delirium
by Lauren Oliver

YA Book Tour- Mississippi

Representing Mississippi on the YA book tour is Jaqueline Woodson's Beneath a Meth Moon. To be honest, not sure why this was picked to represent Mississippi, since the minority of chapters take place there.  Also, so you are warned, this book contains some very heavy subject matters, and might hit too close to home for anyone who has had someone close to them deal with a substance abuse problem.

Laurel, along with her father and younger brother, are starting a new life in a new town after the loss of her mother and grandmother in Hurricane Katrina. She makes new friends, and starts cheerleading.  It is here that she catches the eye of the basketball team co-captain T-boom.  T-boom gives her a kiss and introduces her to meth, which she calls moon.

Laurel live begins to fall apart the deeper she gets into addiction.  It when she meets Moses, the gay boy who paints those who have died from meth, that she even thinks about getting out.  It is Moses that saves her both figuratively and literately from her addiction.

Here is my biggest problem with the book, it does not go in chronological order.  The first chapter is the end, which  could have been fine if she was just introducing her story.  The next chapter skips to somewhere in the middle of story of her addiction, and then it skips back to when she stilled lived in Mississippi before the hurricane, before meth.  It was really annoying that with each chapter I had to establish where it happened within the timeline.

When T-boom gives her the moon to start with, I just wanted to yell at her.  Really who thinks it is a good idea to take an unknown substance from a guy you only recently met. And with a name like T-boom, how trust worthy can he be.

While I have never had to deal with a close loved one with a substance abuse problem, I get that this book can hit very close to home for those who have, so proceed reading with caution.

Currently Reading:
The Splendor Falls
by Rosemary Clement-Moore

YA Book Tour- Indiana

Next stop in the tour is Indiana with John Green's The Fault in Our Stars. Fair warning, have your tissues handy because are going to need it.

At 13 Hazel was diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer which metastasized to her lungs. She was given a experimental drug, while not curing her, it caused the mets to shrink and stop the spread. So now, she knows the end will come eventually, but no idea when.

Every week she goes to a support meeting for children with cancer, which she hates. I think I had to sit through one of those, and listen to leader Patrick, I would be super depressed.  It is at one of these meeting that Augustus Waters pretty much barrels his way into her life.

Augustus has lost a leg to osteosarcoma, and is quite the engaging, lovable character.  It is no wonder that Hazel finds herself falling for him.  She introduces him to her favorite book, and he uses his cancer wish to take her to Amsterdam to meet the author, who turns out to be quite the prick.  Despite that, they have a great time, too bad Augustus gives Hazel terrible news at the end.

The characters are so fantastically written, that I find myself quite emotionally attached to them.  The story was beautiful and heartbreaking, just the way that much of life is. But seriously, you need the tissues. I am pretty sure I spent the last few chapters in constant tears, but I would not have missed this book even if I could have skipped the tears.

Currently Reading:
Beneath a Meth Moon
by Jacqueline Woodson

YA Book Tour- Louisiana

Tara Hudson's Arise represents Louisiana on the book tour, and it is the second book in the Hereafter series. The cover art for this series is one of my favorites.  It really captures the haunting beauty that the story portrays.

Arise continues the story of Amelia, the ghost, and Joshua, the seer.  After the events of Hereafter, Joshua grandmother Ruth has moved back to New Orleans, and the family is planning on visiting her for Christmas.

Amelia is having problems of her own.  She keeps having nightmares, which a ghost shouldn't even have about the demons. She even receives a warning from Eli about the demons wanting her.  She really starts to worry for Joshua's safety, and he seems to be pulling away from the living.  She resolves to leave him after spending Christmas with him.

Once in New Orleans, Amelia meets the rest of the Mayhew cousins, who much to her and Joshua's surprise know all about Amelia.  They can all hear her and their friend, Alex, can see her, too. Alex, who from the beginning, gave me a bad feeling.  In fact, I figured out who he was about half through the story.

Joshua, in an effort to help Amelia, gets a voodoo priestess, Gabrielle, to preform a ceremony on Amelia. The ritual causes some crazy changes in Amelia, including now she can appear to non-seers if she wants, eat, and finally change clothes.  But those perks come with a price, which complicates things.

The book was a great follow up to Hereafter, in fact, I might even like it more than Hereafter.  The setting of New Orleans was so perfect for it, and Ms. Hudson does a fabulous job of introducing the reader to the city and culture.  With the introduction of more seers and Gabrielle (Gaby) and her brother, I felt that we really got to see Amelia grow more as a character.  Definitely can't wait to find out what happens in the next book.

In case you noticed, why yes I did skip over Ohio on my statehood journey.  Hopefully, I will be able to get that one from the library soon.

Currently Reading:
The Fault in Our Stars
by John Green

YA Book Tour- Kansas

So I skipped over a few states and followed the yellow brick road to Kansas for L. Frank Baum's classic The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

This is a story that we all know and love, because who really has never seen the Wizard of Oz with Judy Garland. Since pretty much everyone knows the story, I won't bore you with the usually synopsis.

I will say that Mr. Baum's writing style reminds me a lot of Lewis Carroll's style in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.  The book itself seems targeted to a younger audience than the rest of the YA books on the list, but that may because it is not as recent a book as the rest of the list.

I tell you what, the description of Kansas is not a winning endorsement for moving there. Mr. Baum describes the landscape as grey, the buildings as grey, and even the people are looking grey. Plus you never know when a tornado is going to come around and carry your house off to Oz.

The way Dorothy is describe has me picturing her as younger than Judy Garland's 16 years in the movie.  She and others constantly call her a little girl, which has me thinking no older than like 12.

You do get a little more of a back story to Dorothy's companions than the movie, and they meet more characters along the way. While the extra characters aren't in the movie, some do make appearance and have large roles in Gregory Maguire's Wicked (and also the musical) like Boq.

I think the biggest disappointment for me, was the ruby slippers are not actually ruby in the book, but rather they are silver slippers.  Which if you think about it, are much more practical, fashion wise they well match many more outfits.

Currently Reading:
Arise
by Tara Hudson

YA Book Tour- Tennessee

Tennessee is next up on the YA book tour with Myra McEntire's Hourglass.

Emerson Cole has a little problem, she just happens to see people who are not actually there.  She doesn't call them ghost, but knows they are not of her time.  This caused huge problems for her four years ago when her parents died and she had a mental breakdown.

After a few years at a boarding school, she is back in her home town in Tennessee.  Her brother has found someone from the Hourglass foundation to help her with her problem, Micheal Weaver.  Emerson finds herself immediately drawn to Micheal, even though he really is trying to keep their relationship professional.

Micheal explains to her what she sees are rifs in time.  Emerson only sees rifs from the past, while Micheal can see rifs from the future.  He explains to her that seeing these rifs are only a side effect of her true ability. Turns out, she can time travel to the past, and if she works with Micheal, the possibilities are endless, and who doesn't love a good time traveling story.

I like Emerson's character.  She is spunky and funny, and even though she been through so much, she still has a big heart.  Micheal makes me a little nuts at times.  He can't decide if her wants to give in to his desire for Emerson or keep her at arms length, but still gets jealous of her talking to other guys.

One of the favorite characters was Kaleb.  He was funny and caring, despite being a little bit of a drunk at first.  And good news, it looks like he takes the lead in the next book.  I, also, loved Emerson's best friend, Lily.  She is loyal to Emerson, even when she went through all her issues. Plus she is Cuban, like my vet school bestie.

Oh, and bonus points to Ms. McEntire for both a Dr. Who and Harry Potter reference.

Currently Reading:
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
by L. Frank Baum

YA Book Tour- Kentucky

The Bluegrass state is the next stop on the tour with Alecia Whitaker's The Queen of Kentucky.  It is a book that anyone who has been a 14 year old girl can relate to.

Ricki Jo Winstead is about the start high school, and she is ready to be someone new, someone cooler, and definitely not a Ricki Jo.  She decides that Ericka is a much more sophisticated name. She tries out for cheerleading, and makes new friends.

Her best friend Luke, liked her the way she was before the new clothes and friends.  As Ricki Jo tries to fit in with her new friends, she really starts to loose her best friend. Luke is an all around good guy, who has some serious family issues.

And of course there is a boy, Wolf, cute, popular, and every freshman girls crushes.  He is the guy in high school you had a huge crush on, despite him being a world class jerk.  He is the one you look back on, and wonder why you ever wanted him to ask you out.

Ricki Jo learns to navigate the perils of high school, and just maybe she learns what is truly important.

I loved Ricki Jo, because she really is a good hearted person who gets a little caught up in high school social scenes.  I felt I could relate to her, because that was a lot like myself in middle school.  I even did the whole go by my middle name because my first name was not cool.  Plus, Ricki Jo has a special place for me because of her love of her dog.  I am sucker for a character who loves their animals that much.

This truly was a great story with wonderful characters.

Currently Reading:
Hourglass
by Myra McEntire