Another Day (Every Day #2) by David Levithan - Ashley's Pre-Reading

*I received this book as an eARC from Random House Children's/Knopf Books for Young Readers on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

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Title: Another Day (Every Day #2)
Author: David Levithan
Publication Date: August 25, 2015

My Every Day Review
Paul's Every Day Review
Paul's Six Days Earlier Review

Synopsis: The eagerly anticipated companion to David Levithan’s New York Times bestseller Every Day

In this enthralling companion to his New York Times bestseller Every Day, David Levithan (co-author of Will Grayson, Will Grayson with John Green) tells Rhiannon’s side of the story as she seeks to discover the truth about love and how it can change you.

Every day is the same for Rhiannon. She has accepted her life, convinced herself that she deserves her distant, temperamental boyfriend, Justin, even established guidelines by which to live: Don’t be too needy. Avoid upsetting him. Never get your hopes up.

Until the morning everything changes. Justin seems to see her, to want to be with her for the first time, and they share a perfect day—a perfect day Justin doesn’t remember the next morning. Confused, depressed, and desperate for another day as great as that one, Rhiannon starts questioning everything. Then, one day, a stranger tells her that the Justin she spent that day with, the one who made her feel like a real person . . . wasn’t Justin at all.

Why?: I really enjoyed Every Day, especially since it's kind of hard to find a good standalone novel nowadays. Everything is a duology or a trilogy or a series that seems like it will never end. But then, I heard that there would be a second, companion novel. And even though I liked Every Day as a standalone, I knew I was going to have to read Another Day. Especially since it's from Rhiannon's perspective! 

Expectations: I'm pretty much prepared for this book to break my heart, fix it, and then break it again. Every Day was such an emotional roller coaster, and I'm kind of expecting Another Day to be even worse. At least A had come to accept jumping from body to body, and only love was new to him. For Rhiannon though, I really think everything was overwhelming and that it will be really interesting to experience the whole thing from her side.

Judging a book by its cover: I love that this cover matches the one for Every Day. I hate when covers in the same series, even if they're not direct sequels, don't match. I also like the blue color, and how it still looks like a window. We're still just getting a glimpse into the lives of these characters. I also like the contrast of the circles on the cover of this book to the rectangles on Every Day. It just seems less harsh. It's pretty likely that I'd pick this book up based on the cover alone, since it's pretty unique.


--Ashley

Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy by Karen Foxlee - Ashley's Review

*I received this book as an eARC from Knopf Books for Young Readers on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

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Title: Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy
Author: Karen Foxlee
Publication Date: January 28, 2014

My Pre-Reading

Synopsis: A modern-day fairy tale set in a mysterious museum that is perfect for readers of Roald Dahl and Blue Balliett.

Unlikely heroine Ophelia Jane Worthington-Whittard doesn't believe in anything that can't be proven by science. She and her sister Alice are still grieving for their dead mother when their father takes a job in a strange museum in a city where it always snows. On her very first day in the museum Ophelia discovers a boy locked away in a long forgotten room. He is a prisoner of Her Majesty the Snow Queen. And he has been waiting for Ophelia's help.

As Ophelia embarks on an incredible journey to rescue the boy everything that she believes will be tested. Along the way she learns more and more about the boy's own remarkable journey to reach her and save the world.

A story within a story, this a modern day fairytale is about the power of friendship, courage and love, and never ever giving up.

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Review: The Snow Queen has been really popular in the past year or so for some reason. I'd never heard of it, much less read it, before 2013. And that's really a shame, because it's a really incredible story. And Karen Foxlee's take on it is just as good!

Being promoted as a book for fans of Roald Dahl is a pretty big standard to live up to, but I really think that Foxlee managed to do it. The whole time I was reading Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy, I felt like I was in the middle of a Dahl book or even a Narnia book. It has the feel of a classic children's story, but is still relateable to children of the present day. One of my favorite things about this book was that I felt like it could be enjoyed by children young and old. For younger children, Ophelia has the spunk and innocence of someone they can relate to. For the older audience, there's the Marvelous Boy who has lived for hundreds of years but still has the innocence of a child because he's been a prisoner.

I really enjoyed watching Ophelia grow and learn more about herself. Her mother speaks to her and encourages her to step outside her comfort zone, and I think that's really important for children nowadays. Ophelia deals with loss in her own way, but eventually she is able to overcome it and grow into herself and become a more well-rounded individual. At first, she's very strict about believing only in things that can be proved with science. As the story progresses and she travels through the museum though, she begins to accept magic more and more, and I think there's a lesson to be learned there for everyone about believing in things without concrete proof and following your heart.

The story within a story was also really well done, and I really liked learning about the Marvelous Boy as Ophelia learned more about him. I do wish there had been more of him in the present day, but I guess this story is supposed to be more about Ophelia so it's not too bad that his story is mostly in the past. I also really liked that the main story is happening in a museum - it helped add to the mystery and the magical-ness of it all. 

Overall, this was a thoroughly entertaining read that I would definitely suggest to children of all ages! I think it'd be a good one to read together with a child or younger sibling or niece/nephew, etc. I especially think fans of Roald Dahl or C.S. Lewis would really enjoy Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy. It's magical and mysterious and fun and a little scary and just everything you'd hope for in a children's book. I'd give it a 4/5!


--Ashley

Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy by Karen Foxlee - Ashley's Pre-Reading

*I received this book as an eARC from Knopf Books for Young Readers on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

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Title: Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy
Author: Karen Foxlee
Publication Date: January 28, 2014

Synopsis: A modern-day fairy tale set in a mysterious museum that is perfect for readers of Roald Dahl and Blue Balliett.

Unlikely heroine Ophelia Jane Worthington-Whittard doesn't believe in anything that can't be proven by science. She and her sister Alice are still grieving for their dead mother when their father takes a job in a strange museum in a city where it always snows. On her very first day in the museum Ophelia discovers a boy locked away in a long forgotten room. He is a prisoner of Her Majesty the Snow Queen. And he has been waiting for Ophelia's help.

As Ophelia embarks on an incredible journey to rescue the boy everything that she believes will be tested. Along the way she learns more and more about the boy's own remarkable journey to reach her and save the world.

A story within a story, this a modern day fairytale is about the power of friendship, courage and love, and never ever giving up.

Why?: I've recently discovered Hans Christian Anderson's The Snow Queen (thanks to Jackson Pearce's retelling, Cold Spell), and now I'm always on the lookout for other twists on the story. Books with a fairy tale basis always fascinate me, and this one sounds like a really nice story. 

Expectations: I haven't read anything by Foxlee, but I kind of have higher expectations for this book because it's recommend for fans of Roald Dahl. That's a pretty hefty recommendation to live up to, and I'm really hoping that it does.

Judging a book by its cover: This cover definitely looks like it belongs in the children's section of a bookstore or library. I think it even has the feel of a Roald Dahl cover, and I love it for that. It's interesting, although I'm not sure if it would stand out amongst all of the other children's books. 


--Ashley

Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan - Paul's Review

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Title: Two Boys Kissing

Author: David Levithan

Year Published: 2013

My PRE-READING of Two Boys Kissing

Synopsis: New York Times  bestselling author David Levithan tells the based-on-true-events story of Harry and Craig, two 17-year-olds who are about to take part in a 32-hour marathon of kissing to set a new Guinness World Record—all of which is narrated by a Greek Chorus of the generation of gay men lost to AIDS. 

While the two increasingly dehydrated and sleep-deprived boys are locking lips, they become a focal point in the lives of other teen boys dealing with languishing long-term relationships, coming out, navigating gender identity, and falling deeper into the digital rabbit hole of gay hookup sites—all while the kissing former couple tries to figure out their own feelings for each other.

Review: Dreaming and Loving and Screwing.

"Time can be buoyed by wordlessness, but it needs to be anchored in words."

"If you let the world in, you open yourself up to the world. Even if the world doesn't know that you're there."

This book made me feel all the feels. I read it in almost one sitting in less than 24 hours. I could not put it down. David Levithan's writing is so beautiful, true, and relatable. 

The story is told from the perspective of all those that died at the peak of the AIDS epidemic. Their omniscient presence gives the story such an interesting feel. There is knowledge and experience behind their words, the understanding of a generation past. The fourth wall isn't there and it feels like the book is talking directly to me.

David Levithan always does an excellent job of making characters that feel so real and so relatable. The boys' stories in this book are all different, but rooted in the same world. Levithan shows different reactions to similar situations through different characters. 

At the center of the book is two boys kissing. Two teenagers attempt to break the world record in front of their high school. They must stand with their lips touching for over a day without sleeping or even sitting. Their story gets global attention and we see it through the other characters' eyes as well.

I think all gay boys and men should read this. It explains so many things so well whether you are 60 years old or 14. This book shows the now and the future and how the past can not be forgotten.

Actually, just everyone should read this book. I will be recommending this book to everyone I know. I give it a well deserved 5/5!

-PAUL

Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan - Paul's Pre-Reading

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Title: Two Boys Kissing

Author: David Levithan

Year Published: 2013

Synopsis: New York Times  bestselling author David Levithan tells the based-on-true-events story of Harry and Craig, two 17-year-olds who are about to take part in a 32-hour marathon of kissing to set a new Guinness World Record—all of which is narrated by a Greek Chorus of the generation of gay men lost to AIDS. 

While the two increasingly dehydrated and sleep-deprived boys are locking lips, they become a focal point in the lives of other teen boys dealing with languishing long-term relationships, coming out, navigating gender identity, and falling deeper into the digital rabbit hole of gay hookup sites—all while the kissing former couple tries to figure out their own feelings for each other.

Why?: I've enjoyed everything I've read by David Levithan. Every Day was so good. I've also heard great things about this book 

Expectations: I'm expecting a beautifully written story about two boys kissing. 

Judging a book by its cover: It's interesting because there are so many covers out there of a boy and girl kissing. This one has two boys and the title over top saying just that. I like how blunt it is.

-PAUL

Will in Scarlet by Matthew Cody - Ashley's Review

*I received this book as an eARC from Knopf Books for Young Readers on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

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Title: Will in Scarlet
Author: Matthew Cody
Year Published: 2013

My Pre-Reading

Synopsis: Will Scarlet is on the run. 

Once the sheltered son of nobility, Will has become an exile. While his father, Lord Shackley, has been on the Crusades with King Richard, a treacherous plot to unseat Richard has swept across England, and Shackley House has fallen.

Will flees the only home he’s ever known into neighboring Sherwood Forest, where he joins the elusive gang of bandits known as the Merry Men. Among them are Gilbert, their cruel leader; a giant named John Little; a drunkard named Rob; and Much, an orphan girl disguised as a bandit boy.

This is the story of how a band of misfit outlaws become heroes of legend - thanks to one brave 13-year-old boy.

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Review: I always love finding a Robin Hood retelling. The story is one that appeals to people of all ages, and most children are brought up with tales of the bandits who rob from the rich and give to the poor. I especially love when the stories focus on one or two of the Merry Men instead of directly on Robin. This book focuses mostly on Will and Much, and takes these well known and beloved characters and reinvents them.

Will Scarlet, formally known as Will Shackley, is the heir to his father's estate. He is in training to become a lord, and has had to grow up more quickly than most boys because his father is away fighting in King Richard's war. Much, the miller's "son," is actually the miller's daughter and in hiding with the Merry Men in Sherwood forest. Eventually, their paths cross and so begins their adventure. Many other popular characters are also present, including Robin, John Little, Guy of Gisbourne, the Sheriff of Nottingham, and Prince John. 

I've read a book where Will is actually a girl in disguise, so it was interesting to see Much as the girl pretending to be a boy. Although Will believes Much is a boy, there is definitely a certain connection between them that neither shares with any of the other Merry Men. I'm glad that the romance aspect wasn't played up too much though and is just mentioned in passing since they're only 13 and 14. There's no need to force a romance between two children who have just entered their teen years. I love how protective they are of each other though, and I really liked how they kept each others secrets without having a real need to. Their chemistry is great, and it was refreshing to read about two kids who develop a friendship slowly and in spite of their differences.

This book took me a little while to get in to, mostly because of all the setup in the beginning. The first section is all about Will and gives his background (or at least the parts of it leading up to his need to flee). It is a little slow, but most of the information ends up being necessary to either Will's development or to the plot so it ends up being alright if you can get through it. After we meet the Merry Men, things pick up and the book goes by much more quickly. 

This was definitely a very easy read, and probably way below my reading level, but I think it would be an excellent book for kids who are around the same age as Will and Much. They would be able to relate to them in ways that an older audience really can't, and it's written so that a younger crowd could read and understand what was going on. I wouldn't recommend this for kids much younger than 13 or so though, since there is a lot of fighting, some death, and Rob is a drunkard. I would also recommend this to anyone who is looking for a nice, quick Robin Hood story with new and old characters, and new twists on old favorites. I really enjoyed this retelling, and although I think it's a standalone, I could totally see there being more books in this series! And I would probably read them all. 3/5

--Ashley

Will in Scarlet by Matthew Cody - Ashley's Pre-Reading

*I received this book as an eARC from Knopf Books for Young Readers on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

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Title: Will in Scarlet
Author: Matthew Cody
Year Published: 2013

Synopsis: Will Scarlet is on the run. 

Once the sheltered son of nobility, Will has become an exile. While his father, Lord Shackley, has been on the Crusades with King Richard, a treacherous plot to unseat Richard has swept across England, and Shackley House has fallen.

Will flees the only home he’s ever known into neighboring Sherwood Forest, where he joins the elusive gang of bandits known as the Merry Men. Among them are Gilbert, their cruel leader; a giant named John Little; a drunkard named Rob; and Much, an orphan girl disguised as a bandit boy.

This is the story of how a band of misfit outlaws become heroes of legend - thanks to one brave 13-year-old boy."

Why?: I love me a good re-telling, and Robin Hood is one my favorites. Especially when it focuses on one of his Merry Men instead of on him. I'm really excited to see where this story will take Will, and how Cody envisions his story. Will Scarlet is so iconic and so important to the Robin Hood myth, and I hope he's done justice. 

Expectations: I'm not really sure what to expect from this story. I don't know if this is the Robin Hood story from Will's perspective, or if it will be full of new twists and turns and exciting adventures. I'm on the fence on whether to expect a lot or to expect little, but I think that's a pretty good place to be going into such a well known story.

Judging a book by its cover: This cover is very simple, and looks very much like a book for younger children. I hope the whole book isn't written at a low reading level, but I wouldn't be surprised if it is. I don't really think I would see this on a shelf and be compelled to pick it up, since it's not really anything special. 


--Ashley

How They Met, and Other Stories by David Levithan - Ashley's Review

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Title: How They Met, and Other Stories
Author: David Levithan
Year Published: 2008

My Pre-reading
Paul's Review

Synopsis: Where Did They Meet?

It was on a plane. It was at Starbucks. It was in physics class. It was during the war.

How Did They Meet?

It was a setup. It was completely random. They were dancing. One of them ordered a pizza and the other showed up.

What Happened?

It was instant. It took time. It was a disaster. It lasted.

In this new gathering of stories, award-winning author David Levithan writes all about love, and about all kinds of love. From aching for the one you pine for to (reluctantly) being the one pined after, from standing up and speaking up for the one you love to the pure joy and happiness delivered on the smile of someone else, these stories explore the mysterious magnetism that draws people together in ways both expected and unexpected.

Love is a varied, complicated, addictive, volatile, scary, wonderful thing ... and it's all on display in How They Met, and Other Stories.

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Review: I think that collections of short stories are really fun. You can only spend a limited amount of time with a certain st of characters, so you can only learn things that are relevant to the story. The settings are often simple, since you can't really waste a lot of time and space with just the set up, and this usually causes the pacing to be pretty quick. But good short stories aren't as easy to come by as you would think; the author still has to tell a complete story but in a much smaller space. David Levithan is one of those geniuses that turns a short story into a masterpiece.

This collection of stories has probably been one of the best I've read. Some of the stories are only a few pages, and others are upwards of 30, but each and every one tells a complete story that left me wishing that they didn't have to end. Some of the stories are very conclusive and it's pretty easy to infer what would happen next in the lives of the characters. Others are so open-ended that I was left wondering if the main character and his/her love interest even end up as a couple. But I enjoyed all of them. 

One of the things I really thought was ingenious was how Levithan doesn't necessarily reveal the gender, skin color, age, etc. of his characters right away. Sometimes, you start out thinking a narrator is one gender and several pages later find out that you were very wrong. But you know what? I think it helps get the message across that love is love is love, regardless of physical traits. Most of the characters are of high school age, but can be very young or elderly. The couples are both opposite and same sex, but the relationships are exactly the same at their cores. 

It's kind of difficult to review this book as a whole, since there are so many stories that make it up, but it was still a book I found myself not wanting to put down. It's not full of action or adventure or magic or science fiction or fantasy. It's just real life, down to earth love and relationships and people. But Levithan still makes it enchanting and captivating, and I'm looking forward to reading more of his books and stories.

I would totally recommend this to someone who is a fan of Levithan but hasn't read these stories yet, and also to anyone looking for some stories that are easy to read but still make you think about life and love and all of those things. A 4/5 on this collection!

--Ashley

How They Met, and Other Stories by David Levithan - Ashley's Pre-Reading

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Title: How They Met, and Other Stories
Author: David Levithan
Year Published: 2008

Paul's Review

Synopsis: Where Did They Meet?

It was on a plane. It was at Starbucks. It was in physics class. It was during the war.

How Did They Meet?

It was a setup. It was completely random. They were dancing. One of them ordered a pizza and the other showed up.

What Happened?

It was instant. It took time. It was a disaster. It lasted.

In this new gathering of stories, award-winning author David Levithan writes all about love, and about all kinds of love. From aching for the one you pine for to (reluctantly) being the one pined after, from standing up and speaking up for the one you love to the pure joy and happiness delivered on the smile of someone else, these stories explore the mysterious magnetism that draws people together in ways both expected and unexpected.

Love is a varied, complicated, addictive, volatile, scary, wonderful thing ... and it's all on display in How They Met, and Other Stories.

Why?: I've really enjoyed everything else I've read by David Levithan, so I was pretty excited when I found out he wrote a collection of short stories. I love short stories, and I love David Levithan, so I'm pretty sure this is going to be made of lots of win.

Expectations: I expect some cute little stories about love and such. I think the stories will showcase all the different facets of love, so I think it will be interesting to see the situations that are presented. I'm not sure what else to expect though, so hopefully I'll be surprised by what I find!

Judging a book by its cover: I like the symbolism of the magnets, but that's pretty much all I like about this cover. I'm not a huge fan of orange covers (they make me think the book is about Halloween or something), so I'm not sure I would pick it up if I saw it on a shelf somewhere. It's just not my type of cover. 


--Ashley

Far, Far, Away by Tom McNeal - Ashley's Review

*I received this book as an eARC from Knopf Books for Young Readers on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

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Title: Far Far Away
Author: Tom McNeal
Year Published: 2013

My Pre-Reading

Synopsis: It says quite a lot about Jeremy Johnson Johnson that the strangest thing about him isn't even the fact his mother and father both had the same last name. Jeremy once admitted he's able to hear voices, and the townspeople of Never Better have treated him like an outsider since. After his mother left, his father became a recluse, and it's been up to Jeremy to support the family. But it hasn't been up to Jeremy alone. The truth is, Jeremy can hear voices. Or, specifically, one voice: the voice of the ghost of Jacob Grimm, one half of the infamous writing duo, The Brothers Grimm. 

Jacob watches over Jeremy, protecting him from an unknown dark evil whispered about in the space between this world and the next. But when the provocative local girl Ginger Boultinghouse takes an interest in Jeremy (and his unique abilities), a grim chain of events is put into motion. And as anyone familiar with the Grimm Brothers know, not all fairy tales have happy endings...

Young adult veteran Tom McNeal (one half of the writing duo known as Laura & Tom McNeal) has crafted a novel at once warmhearted, compulsively readable, and altogether thrilling--and McNeal fans of their tautly told stories will not be disappointed.

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Review: I was really excited to read this book, especially since there are fairy tales, the Grimm brothers, mystery, ghosts, and all sorts of things that make up a great book (in my humble opinion). And McNeal did not disappoint at all! I found myself not wanting to put this book down, and finished it much more quickly than I thought I would. I loved every minute of it. 

The pacing does drag a little bit near the middle, and there were a few times when I thought it would end soon.. but it really ended up not being so bad, and those parts were very important to the plot. Especially when it comes to the thing Jacob is supposed to be protected Jeremy from. There are so many clues leading up to who the "unknown dark evil" is that I thought it was pretty obvious when it's finally revealed, but if you aren't looking for them, I think they would be easy enough to miss.

I was not really a fan of Ginger at first, but I came to really like her by the end. I thought she was going to be one of those "take advantage of the nerdy kid" popular girls, but she's really so much bigger and better than that. Although many of the characters are fairly stagnant, I felt like the main characters, and those directly related to them, grow and change enough that things don't get too boring in that area. 

Overall though, this is a really sweet story with an excellent, intriguing plot. I loved being in the present but also going back to the past and learning more about Jacob and the rest of his family. I don't know much about the personal lives of the Grimm brothers, but I loved the spin that McNeal gave while still including enough factual details that it doesn't seem too stretched. Everything about this book is just fantastic though!

I would totally recommend this book to anyone who loves fairy tales and anyone who is especially interested in the Grimm Brothers' Fairy Tales. This book will not disappoint you, and is definitely worth the read! I would have loved to see more books set in this world, but I'm actually kind of glad it was a standalone. A 5/5 from me! 

--Ashley

Far Far Away by Tom McNeal - Ashley's Pre-Reading

*I received this book as an eARC from Knopf Books for Young Readers on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Title: Far Far Away
Author: Tom McNeal
Year Published: 2013

Synopsis: It says quite a lot about Jeremy Johnson Johnson that the strangest thing about him isn't even the fact his mother and father both had the same last name. Jeremy once admitted he's able to hear voices, and the townspeople of Never Better have treated him like an outsider since. After his mother left, his father became a recluse, and it's been up to Jeremy to support the family. But it hasn't been up to Jeremy alone. The truth is, Jeremy can hear voices. Or, specifically, one voice: the voice of the ghost of Jacob Grimm, one half of the infamous writing duo, The Brothers Grimm. 

Jacob watches over Jeremy, protecting him from an unknown dark evil whispered about in the space between this world and the next. But when the provocative local girl Ginger Boultinghouse takes an interest in Jeremy (and his unique abilities), a grim chain of events is put into motion. And as anyone familiar with the Grimm Brothers know, not all fairy tales have happy endings...

Young adult veteran Tom McNeal (one half of the writing duo known as Laura & Tom McNeal) has crafted a novel at once warmhearted, compulsively readable, and altogether thrilling--and McNeal fans of their tautly told stories will not be disappointed.

Why?: I love anything about fairy tales, and I was especially excited to hear that this one had not only fairy tales, but the ghost of one of the most well known collector of fairy tales. I mean seriously, how could I turn down a book where Ghost Jacob Grimm is a main character? 

Expectations: I expect a nice story, with a lot of fairy tale references. I also expect things to not go well all the time though, because the Grimm Brothers didn't collect only happy fairy tales, so something has to go wrong eventually. I'm looking forward to mystery and maybe a little adventure too, along with some weird circumstances. Oh, and I bet Never Better will be far far away, or the kids will want to run somewhere far far away.

Judging a book by its cover: I'm not really sure how I feel about this cover. The colors are gorgeous, but it seems very cartoony to me. I would probably pick this up off of a shelf because it looks like the cover of something fairy tale related, but I'm not sure.


--Ashley