Bibliophile Support Group

The Obernewtyn Chronicles is an eight book YA fantasy/sci-fi series by Australian author Isobelle Carmody. For the purposes of this review, I’ll only be reviewing Obernewtyn , the first book, so no worries about spoilers! The sequence goes as such: #1: Obernewtyn #2: The Farseekers #3 and #4: The Rebellion - omnibus featuring both Ashling and The Keeping Place #5 and #6: The Dreamtrails – omnibus featuring both Wavesong and The Stone Key #7: The Sending – not yet available in the USA as far as I can see #8: The Red Queen – also not available in the USA yet, according to my investigation Now for the synopsis for the first book: Since the Great White, an apocalyptic event that killed most people and contaminated large portions of the Earth, a new society has emerged. It’s strict and harsh, careful to avoid any future likelihood of something like that happening again. A big threat to the world’s safety, believed by the governmental group that formed over the years, ...

172 Hours on the Moon is a YA sci-fi novel by Johan Harstad. In 2019, NASA has decided to return to the moon. And this time they’re using a worldwide lottery to pick three everyday teens to join trained astronauts on this amazing journey. It creates a huge media buzz and millions upon millions of teens enter – looking for an experience to last a lifetime. Mia from Norway has no interest in going to the moon, but she does want her band to become famous and successful – and this would be an opportunity to get the word out to hundreds of news outlets. Midori from Japan sees the lottery as a way to get out of the restrained life of her country and find freedom somewhere else. She plans on never going home again – maybe traveling to America. Antoine from France is desperate to get over his broken heart and sees the contest as not only a way to distract him, but maybe a chance for Simone to see him on TV so much that she’ll remember that she once loved him… They all have their o...

The False Prince is a YA historical adventure dealing with political conspiracies by Jennifer A. Nielsen. The kingdom is in turmoil as rumors abound that the king, queen, and prince are dead. If this is true, the land will be struck with a civil war. One man, a nobleman named Conner, knows that the royal family is indeed dead – and he has devised a plan that will keep the country from war. He plans to find an impersonator of the king’s long-lost, long believed dead son and place him on the throne. To pursue this, he picks four orphans of the right age and takes them to his estate to begin their training. One of these boys is Sage, a thief, defiant, and very clever. He knows that Conner’s motives are more than philanthropic. He also knows that he won’t want the remaining three boys to be able to reveal his deception… so being chose as the prince is a matter of life or death. But can Sage ever convince anyone that he is a prince? When I read the synopsis of The False Prince ,...

Above is a YA urban sci-fi/fantasy novel by Leah Bobet. From the moment Matthew found Ariel in the tunnels, her golden hair and iridescent bee’s wings falling away, he loved her. He took her to Safe, an underground refuge for those fleeing the city Above – those that are different. There’s Whisper, who speaks to ghosts, Atticus with his crab-like claws, and Jack Flash who has lightening in his fingers – among many, many others. As much as Matthew tries to give Ariel safety, however, whatever happened to her has made her frightened, withdrawn, and traumatized… One night an old enemy of Safe arrives with an army of Shadows and only a few of Safe’s people escape to Above. While they figure out what happened below and how they can reclaim their Sanctuary, they’re forced to try and blend in Above – the most dangerous place for people like them. It’s here that Ariel was hurt, though he doesn’t know how, and it’s here he fears losing her forever to the past she seems unable to speak ...

Timeless is a YA contemporary fantasy by Alexandra Monir. Michele Windsor has always lived a modest, but content, life with her Mom in LA. She has two best friends and a passion for writing song lyrics. Other than healing a recent hurt over an ex-boyfriend – her life is a happy one. But then tragedy strikes and she’s uprooted to New York City to live with her wealthy, aristocratic grandparents that she’s never met – and who broke her mother’s heart many years ago. When she moves into the historic Fifth Avenue mansion, she can’t help but be amazed by her surroundings. Nothing, though, can lift her from the sadness that has taken hold of her. That is, until she finds an ancestor’s diary that – unbelievably – has the power to send her back in time to 1910. There she finds a distraction from her pain as she travels, ghostlike, amongst the glitz and glamor of the Gilded Age. Because it is there that her eyes meet the sapphire blue eyes of the handsome young man that has haunted her...

Underworld is a YA retelling of the Greek myth of Persephone, and the sequel to Abandon , by one of my favorite authors: Meg Cabot. If you haven’t yet read Adandon , you shouldn’t read a word of this review! This is a series, so there will be unavoidable spoilers of the first book in even the sparsest of a summary for Underworld . Please don’t ruin Abandon , which I loved, by reading the review of Underworld ! Instead, read my review of Abandon here and get a copy of the book! Now, for all of you bibliophiles that HAVE read Abandon … let us continue: The last time seventeen-year-old Pierce Oliviera was in the Underworld she was dead. Not this time. John Hayden, the insanely masculine and terribly hot lord of the Underworld, has taken her there for her own safety – or that’s at least part of the reason. The fact that they’ve been tiptoeing around a rather steamy attraction might also be a factor… But Pierce can’t deny the threat of the Furies who have an insatiable, ir...

The Springsweet is a YA historical paranormal novel, and a companion to The Vespertine , by Saundra Mitchell. I warned you yesterday that my reviews were going to be sequels for a few days! If you haven’t read The Vespertine , you definitely want to avoid this review and seek it out after you’re done. Don’t ruin your experience!!! Instead, read my review of The Vespertine here . Last chance to turn away… Zora Stewart hasn’t been the same since her sixteenth summer. She’s haunted by her fiancés death and the amount of other losses in those few short months. She’s a shell of her former self, and her parents are worried. After an attempt to reorient Zora to Baltimore society goes scandalously wrong, it’s decided that she’ll join her widowed aunt in Oklahoma Territory in the hopes of some good old-fashioned hard work waking her back up to life. It doesn’t take long for Zora to see that the exciting, thrill-ride of an adventure the papers make the West out to seem is a far cry f...

Perception , the sequel to Clarity , is a YA paranormal mystery novel by Kim Harrington. You know the drill. This is a sequel. In fact, the rest of the week is going to reviews of sequels. If you haven’t read the first book in the series – that would be Clarity which I reviewed yesterday – then you should NOT read this review! Don’t ruin the fun by seeing inevitable spoilers. So, turn away NOW ! Got it? Okay… now, assuming the rest of you have read Clarity : Clarity “Clare” Fern is starting a new year of school after a highly publicized summer of using her psychic abilities to solve the murder of a tourist. Because she’s now, apparently, a local celebrity, many of the popular crowd are now trying to assimilate her into their society. No thanks. Clare prefers to be on the outskirts than hang around the people who have made her life a living hell for the past many years. Not to mention she has more than enough to deal with without their ridiculous attempts at conversation… ...

Clarity is a YA mystery novel with a paranormal twist by Kim Harrington. Clarity “Clare” Fern is used to being thought of as a freak. She and her family don’t hide their abilities; in fact it’s the way they make their living. So, living in a small tourist town on Cape Cod means that everyone knows – and not everyone believes. Her particular skill allows her to see visions connected to objects. All she needs to do is touch it. It doesn’t always work – and usually takes some concentration. But it wasn’t too hard to ruin her seemingly solid relationship with Justin Spellman – and her sudden vision of his drunken night with Tiffany Desposito with one light touch of his jacket. Yeah, it’s not really fun to be psychic. But Clare has toughened against the scorn, mocking, and overall exclusion from regular high school society. She’s gotten used to it. Anyway, she has her mom, brother, and brother’s longtime best friend Nate to keep her company. She’s all good. When a teenage female ...

Today we have a special TGIF guest post from Anne Tibbets, the author of SHUT UP . First, so you have an idea about the book, here's a synopsis: Mary's older sister, Gwen, has royally screwed up her life. Not only is Gwen pregnant at seventeen, but she's also decided to marry The Creep who knocked her up. Now Mary is powerless to stop her family from imploding. Her parents are freaking out, and to top if off, The Creep has a gross fascination with Mary, while Gwen enjoys teasing her to tears for sport. Despite her brother's advice to shut up, Mary can't keep her trap closed and manages to piss off Mom so much it comes to blows. Mary doesn't know what to do, and all her attempts to get help are rejected. When she finally plans her escape, she fails to consider how it could destroy them all. And a quote quote about SHUT UP from NYTimes Best Selling author, Christine Wiltz: "Twelve-year-old Mary is running away from home. She's sick of h...

Irises is a YA contemporary fiction novel by Francisco X. Stork. Eighteen year old Kate is headed for college and an MD. Sixteen year old Mary is happy to imagine herself home and painting as often as possible. As sisters, they are not alike but they do share in being inhibited by their caring but domineering father. Things have been tougher ever since their mother entered a vegetative state after the accident. Things were different before. Lighter. Happier. For all of them. But when their father suddenly dies, Kate and Mary must figure out how to support themselves and their comatose mother. Simon, Kate’s stable, dependable boyfriend offers marriage – a means of support and love, from his point of view. From Kate’s point of view, however, she’s not so sure. Her ambition has been tempered by her dad, and now she’s not sure if pursuing those dreams is selfish or legitimate. Andy, their new, young reverend, recognizes drive in her that reminds him of himself and provides advice… and...

Starters is a YA dystopia/sci-fi novel by Lissa Price. Callie doesn’t have many options. Since the Spore Wars decimated the population between the ages of twenty and sixty, including Callie’s parents, there has been a power play going on in society. The Enders are all the older generation that have survived. They’d already become a bigger part of the populace since their lifespan had increased exponentially over the years – it is now common for people to live to two-hundred. Because of this there were new laws enacted to maintain their ability to make a living – no one under nineteen is allowed to be employed. Problem is, now that the Spore Wars have left so many orphans, the Starters are left to poverty and hunger with no real way of digging themselves out of that hole until they get to nineteen – if they survive that long. The only way to avoid this future is if you have a grandparent or any relative that lived – someone who will claim you and provide for you. Callie, and he...

The Mastermind Plot is a middlegrade mystery by Angie Frazier, and the sequel to The Midnight Tunnel . Being that The Mastermind Plot is a sequel, it does unavoidably have some spoilers of the first book in its description. I recommend avoiding my review and reading the first book instead. You’ve been warned! :) Eleven-year-old Suzanna “Zanna” Snow is finally where she’s wanted to be for a long time: Boston! Her grandmother, whom she can barely remember, has invited her to stay for TWO months – and Zanna is head over heels! 1904 Boston is sure to be a far livelier, exhilarating place than her usual home of Loch Harbor, New Brunswick – plus, it’s where her Uncle Bruce Snow (admittedly not the hero she once thought he was, but still) works as a detective. And what do you know? Not long after her arrival, Zanna finds herself in the heart of another mystery. There have been fires plaguing a local resident’s warehouses. So when Zanna is enrolled in the cringe-worthy Lady Doucett...

The Ride of Her Life is a historical fiction novel by Lorna Seilstad, and the third in her Lake Manawa Summers series. It’s the summer of 1906 in Lake Manawa, Iowa, and Lilly Hart has no interest in any other man than her six-year-old son Levi. Not only is she a self-determined woman who is still mourning her late husband of three years, but she also has no time for any courting nonsense. She’s only recently decided to leave the home of her interfering, wealthy in-laws who have been pushing to send Levi to a boarding school – which she flatly refuses to do. To make ends meet on her own, Lilly is working as a cook at a popular luncheon. Her in-laws find this unsuitable though, and begin to ask for custody of Levi. When a tall, handsome stranger who designs roller coasters, and is currently working on one in Lake Manawa, intercedes on her behalf, Lilly gets angry. After all, she doesn’t want or need to hide behind anyone else. Lilly can take care of Levi herself. She can provide...

The Door in the Forest is a middlegrade/YA fantasy by Roderick Townley. Daniel has always been absorbed with the concealed, secretive island that is in the center of the forest. It’s surrounded by quicksand and nearly impossible to see through the vines. There are rumors that snakes with the heads of humans await you if you try to get past the moat circling it. He soon has a partner in his fascination when a seemingly mute girl named Emily comes to town. Her mother was taken away by soldiers and now she’s living with her odd grandmother, whom everybody considers a witch – with varying opinions. When the soldiers arrive, something that has never happened to their town as they always seem to be protected from the Uncertainties, their village is suddenly under the orders of a crooked captain that may have a past with Emily. He has a hidden plan – Daniel and Emily are sure of it. All too soon it becomes clear that their only hope is to get to the island – but how can they do somet...