Pivot Point by Kasie West

Knowing the outcome doesn’t always make a choice easier . . .

Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if?” As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It’s the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie’s parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with—her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the “Norms,” or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it’s not.

In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school—but she never wanted to be a quarterback’s girlfriend. When Addie’s father is asked to consult on a murder in the Compound, she’s unwittingly drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she’s willing to live through . . . and who she can’t live without.

Review:

I was really impressed with this one! I thought the plot was pretty original and the writing was really well done. Our lead Addie was likable and easy to relate to. I liked her sarcastic personality. She has the ability when presented with a choice to see how things will play out depending on which decision she makes. The story alternates between two possible futures and at the end she has to decide which path to take. What an interesting superpower! Addie doesn’t abuse her power and up until now has only used it for short time frames. We also have a couple love interests, Duke and Trevor. It’s not your typical love-triangle though and I really liked how it was handled. It was fun to see how these two different relationships play out. I started out on one team and ended up on another. I ended up loving the relationship between Trevor and Addie. Trevor was great, I especially liked when he finally made his interest know. I liked that they had a friendship first and it grows to more. I did like Duke though, and even despite everything, I still like him. I also liked how the stories kind of overlap, things that would happen in one “reality” would happen in the other. As the story progresses a couple mysteries are presented as well, I thought that added some fun suspense to the story. Especially the end, there are a few surprises thrown in that added a lot. I was glad there was an epilogue, it wrapped things up nicely. I’m excited to read the next book!

Content: Clean. Mild violence.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Synopsis: umans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . . Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Review: The good thing about getting a book early is you get to read it early (obviously), but the bad thing is that now I have to wait extra long before the next book comes out! I really enjoyed this book! I wasn’t sure I’d like it, I mean a cyborg Cinderella? But, Cinder really won me over. I actually really liked her character. I wasn’t sure how the whole love-affair would play out with a human and a cyborg, but it worked. I actually thought more of her as a human than then anything else. I liked Cinders personality and spunk. I also liked Prince Kai (Kaito), especially when he was around Cinder. I wish there had been a few more interactions between them. But mostly I loved how original the story was, yet at the same time kept to the traditional Cinderella storyline. It definitely has a sci-fy feel to it, but was also really charming. I loved some of the side characters, like Dr. XXX, Peony and especially the endearing android Iko. The book does end on a cliffhanger, I kind of wish there had been a little more resolution, but it was still a good ending.

There will be three more books in the series (yay!), and I hear they will incorporate other fairy tales like Repunzel, Red Riding Hood and Snow White. I’m definitely curious to see where this series will go.

Release Date: January 3, 2012

Outside In by Maria V. Snyder

Genre: YA Fantasy (Dystopian)
Publication Date: April 1, 2011
One Word Review: Intense
Author Website: www.mariavsnyder.com

First Line: “My world changed in a heartbeat.”

GoodReads Synopsis: Me? A Leader? Okay, I did prove that there's more to Inside than we knew. That a whole world exists beyond this cube we live in. And finding that led to a major rebellion - between worker scrubs like me and the snobby uppers who rule our world. Make that ruled. Because of me, we're free. I thought that meant I was off the hook, and could go off on my own again - while still touching base with Riley, of course. He's the one upper I think I can trust. But then we learned that there's outside and then there is Outside.

Kathy’s Review: Wow. I really enjoyed this book, as much as or more so than the first one. I really looked forward to Outside In and was excited when I received a copy to review. I really loved Trella, she is a great heroine and was fun to read. The story sucks you in and even though I had a million other things to do, I kept reading and would squeeze in reading time whenever I could. I’m definitely on Team Riley, he is a great leading man and thought he and Trella had great chemistry together. I really enjoyed the story and was kept on the edge of my seat. I don’t know if there will be another book, but I sure hope so!!!

I had to drop a star because of a couple “love” scenes between Trella and Riley. They weren’t too descriptive, but went a little too far for my taste. I guess to me it made their relationship seem more like “lust” then “love”, but at the same time I did feel like they loved each other and I was rooting for them the whole time. Anyway, take those out and this would have been a very clean read.

Bookworm Rating: 4

Reading Order:
Book One: Inside Out
Book Two: Outside In
Book Three:

Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder

Genre: YA Science Fiction

Publication Date: April 2010

One Word Review: Entertaining

Author Website: www.mariavsnyder.com

First Line: “A vibration rippled through my body.”

GoodReads Synopsis: I'm Trella. I'm a scrub. A nobody. One of thousands who work the lower levels, keeping Inside clean for the Uppers. I've got one friend, do my job and try to avoid the Pop Cops. So what if I occasionally use the pipes to sneak around the Upper levels? The only neck at risk is my own…until I accidentally start a rebellion and become the go-to girl to lead a revolution.

Kathy’s Review: I have been wanting to read this one for a while, I was a little nervous that it would be too similar to the Hunger Games trilogy, mainly because the main character is a teenage girl who helps lead a revolution, that is about all the two have in common. I have read a few great reviews of the book and was excited to dive in. I definitely had a hard time putting it down and stayed up way too late reading, I keep forgetting that I have a newborn that would be waking up a couple hours later. Anyway, the book sucks you in and each chapter ends with a pretty good cliffhanger and you can’t help thinking “just one more chapter.” I really liked our main character Trella, I liked that she was tough and that she also took the time to look inward and acknowledge mistakes she had made. Even though tons of things are going on, she never acts like a victim. She takes control and I liked that instead of just doing her part, she really takes charge to see things through. There is even a bit of a love story, which always makes me happy. The book did remind me of a few others I’ve read, but it’s still packed with surprises and totally unique. My only complaint was I had a hard time picturing everything and figuring out their time systems (maybe its just my pregnancy brain), I probably ended up imagining something totally different than the author had in mind, but owell. We’re left with a good setup for the next book, with enough closure to feel satisfied with finishing this one. A great read and one that I would like to read again.

Bookworm Rating: 4.5

Reading Order:
Book One: Inside Out
Book Two: Outside In
Book Three:

Similar Reads:
Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

The Golden Spiral by Lisa Mangum

Genre: YA Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Publication Date: May 2010

One Word Review: Good

Author Website: www.lisamangum.com

First Line: “The middle passage.”

GoodReads Synopsis: The hourglass door has closed behind Dante, sending him back in time to hunt down Zo, Tony, and V. Almost immediately, things start to change and Abby’s worst fears are realized when Zo begins targeting her past specifically. With each new change that ripples into her present, Abby’s life continues to spiral out of control. As Abby’s world fractures around her, she must face a terrible truth: either Dante didn’t make it through the door, or he is lost forever. So with Dante’s blueprints in hand, she begins construction on a new door, a new time machine that will either save Dante – or doom him.

Kathy’s Review: I think I enjoyed this one more than the first book. I admit, I still have a hard time picturing all the time travel elements (the river, the darkness, etc), but I did enjoy seeing all the changes Zo was making. Not that I approve of his bad behavior, but it added an interesting element to the story, how Abby’s past was changing and the effects it had on her and her family. I like Abby, she’s a good heroine and smart. I even liked Dante this time around. Maybe since their relationship has been established I found it easier to believe in them. There were some interesting twists and a lot of set up for the final book. Overall, I enjoyed the story and I think if you liked the first book you will really like this one as well. It definitely ends with you wanting more and I’ll be looking forward to reading the last book, The Forgotten Locket, next summer.

Book Source: Thanks to Shadow Mountain for letting me review this book!

Bookworm Rating: 3.5

Hourglass Door Trilogy:
Book One: The Hourglass Door
Book Two: The Golden Spiral
Book Three: The Forgotten Locket (Summer 2011)

If you could travel through time, where/when would you go?

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Publication Date: January 2010 (May 2007)

One Word Review: Awesome

Author Website: www.catherine-fisher.com

First Line: “Finn had been flung on his face and chained to the stone slabs of the transitway.”

Synopsis: Incarceron -- a futuristic prison, sealed from view, where the descendants of the original prisoners live in a dark world torn by rivalry and savagery. It is a terrifying mix of high technology -- a living building which pervades the novel as an ever-watchful, ever-vengeful character, and a typical medieval torture chamber -- chains, great halls, dungeons. A young prisoner, Finn, has haunting visions of an earlier life, and cannot believe he was born here and has always been here. In the outer world, Claudia, daughter of the Warden of Incarceron, is trapped in her own form of prison -- a futuristic world constructed beautifully to look like a past era, an imminent marriage she dreads. She knows nothing of Incarceron, except that it exists. But there comes a moment when Finn, inside Incarceron, and Claudia, outside, simultaneously find a device -- a crystal key, through which they can talk to each other. And so the plan for Finn's escape is born ... -GoodReads

Kathy’s Review: This is definitely a sci-fi/fantasy novel that focuses more on plot and characters than it does on romantic relationships or easy storylines, so if you’re not into that kind of book then you probably wouldn’t enjoy this.

I admit, a lot of times I was confused and had to re-read passages, but overall I was totally sucked into the story and had a hard time putting it down. I’m still confused over a few things, one of which is whether this world is completely fictional, or supposed to take place on Earth. There are a few random mentions of China or the Roman Empire, which threw me off when I was reading. I would get involved in the story and then some random slang or place was mentioned that would throw me off.

Fisher does a great job creating two different worlds though, the Outside and the Prison. Claudia lives in the Outside, although in a lot of ways she is in a prison herself. Claudia is a very likeable character, strong willed, clever and caring. I really enjoyed getting to know her and was rooting for her from the beginning. Finn lives in the Prison (Incarceron), at least he has for the past three years with no memory of his life before. I liked him as well, although since he is so unsure of himself it made me a little unsure as well. I was hoping for a little romance (and I guess it is kind of hinted at) but I was left wanting a little more. The other characters were all well developed from Claudies’s tutor Jared to Finn’s friends Attia, Keiro, and Gildas. The villains in the story were a lot of fun as well, if you can call villains “fun”. The book starts out exciting and stays that way throughout (well, there might have been a couple slow parts here and there), but there definitely was a lot of twists and turns and while the book ended on a cliffhanger I felt like I understood what was going on and can’t wait to read the sequel, Sapphique.

Bookworm Rating: 4.5
(because of confusion & lack of romance)

Reading Order:
Book One: Incarceron
Book Two: Sapphique

The Hourglass Door by Lisa Mangum

Genre: YA Fiction

Author Website: www.lisamangum.com

One Word Review: Lackluster

First Line: “It is the counting that saves him.”

Synopsis: “His past. Her future. Can love bring them together in time? Abbys senior year of high school is going according to plan: good friends, cute boyfriend, and college applications in the mail. But when Dante Alexander, foreign-exchange student from Italy, steps into her life, he turns it upside down. He's mysterious, and interesting, and unlike anyone she's ever met before. Abby can't deny the growing attraction she feels for him. Nor can she deny the unusual things that seem to happen when Dante is around. Soon Abby finds herself drawn into a mystery whose roots reach into sixteenth-century Florence, and she uncovers a dangerous truth that threatens not only her future but the lives of those she loves” -GoodReads

Kathy’s Review: I’m definitely in the minority here when I say that I wasn’t that impressed with this one. For some reason it just fell a little flat for me. One reviewer compared it to an episode of Lost where you’re constantly questioning what is going on. I felt like that for the first 200+ pages. I had a general idea what the story was about, but I was still confused and had a hard time really taking to the characters. I did like Abby. I thought she was a good character. Dante was even okay (although, I lost track of how many times his eyes changed color…). He didn’t really come across as the “hero” type, he didn’t really do anything and by the end I wasn’t really feeling it between him and Abby. I was upset that he didn’t do anything to help Abby’s friend Valerie and his decisions at the end just didn’t really make sense to me. I thought the whole time travel idea was interesting, but was executed kind of weird. Overall, I thought it was okay. I had high expectations and have read a lot of great reviews so I’m sure I am one of the few that wasn’t blown away. I’ll probably still check out the sequel, maybe it’ll be better.

Hourglass Door Trilogy:
Book One: The Hourglass Door
Book Two: The Golden Spiral
Book Three: The Forgotten Locket (Summer 2011)

Academy 7 by Anne Osterlund

“Aerin Renning is a scarred fugitive, Dane Madousin a rebellious son of privilege. On the surface, they have nothing in common. But the two most competitive freshmen at Academy 7 share an undiscovered bond. Both harbor a dangerous secret that threatens their own destruction. And while their safety depends upon their staying apart, the two are inexplicably drawn to each other. Even as unknown forces conspire to separate them, their competition turns to friendship, and their friendship to romance. Now not only their lives—but their hearts—are at stake. To survive, the two must unite all their knowledge, skills, and gifts to uncover a secret bigger than either could have imagined. A secret as big as the entire universe.”

I really enjoyed this book; I only wish it had been about 100 pages longer. Aerin has had a very hard life. Losing her father from a plane crash, leaving her all alone on a strange new planet where she quickly becomes a slave. After six years, she has had enough and when the opportunity presents itself she risks everything for a chance at freedom. Dane has also had a hard life, although most think he has come from a life of privilege he has been living in the shadow of his older brother and constantly trying to gain the affection of his distant father. Dane and Aerin are brought together when they both are unexpectedly excepted into the best school in the universe, Academy 7. I enjoyed watching their relationship unfold; they have good chemistry and have started to build a great friendship. I’m assuming this is the first in a series, at least I hope so. I look forward to seeing what becomes of Dane and Aerin.