Falling into the Dragon's Mouth by Holly Thompson
I'm a huge fan of verse novels. They don't pop up often enough for my tastes, especially for a middle grade audience like this one. The verse style really suits this story. Jason is a fish out of water. Sure he's lived in Japan for three years. That doesn't mean he fits in. He doesn't always have the words to express himself. In school, this is a literal lack of vocabulary. He doesn't always know the Japanese to express himself. And like many preteens, he can't always express his emotions effectively. He's also hindered by a desire to fit in. He can't turn in his bullies because, in the culture of middle school, he can't be a snitch and risk losing the few friends he has. Now, the verse style can be a little distancing, especially in action scenes, but overall I think this book is a great choice.
Pages in this book: 352
Pages read so far in challenge: 1904
Dream House by Marzia Bisognin
This was my first real disappointment of the challenge. It's not a bad book, just not a great one. There wasn't great deal of depth, not much in the way of character development. I felt like Amethyst was just floating through events, barely questioning what was going on around her. It wants to be a horror novel but the atmosphere just isn't there. It could have been delightfully creepy. I could envision this as a halfway successful horror movie were the presentation stronger.
Pages in this book: 224
Pages read so far in challenge: 1552
Burning by Danielle Rollins
This was a good choice for this point in my line-up. The sci-fi/horror vibe was a nice change of pace. The trend of solid reads continues. Firstly, the world of the detention center is solidly portrayed. I liked that while each girl is individual, has her own quirks, personality, and habits, Rollins doesn't try too hard to make them vastly different. There isn't that "Breakfast Club" vibe that some books try too hard to build. In the end, the girls are just girls, brought together by bad choices and circumstance. while there are sci-fi elements (pyrokinesis, specifically) they aren't the main focus of the novel, making it readable even for those who don't typically read genre fiction. While the ending was a little less than satisfying, the majority of the book is well worth your time.
Pages in this book: 352
Pages read so far in challenge: 1328
When We Collided by Emery Lord
Oh man! Some weeks it seems like I read one mediocre book after another. This challenge, though, finds me reading a series of mind-blowing books. I expected this to be a standard teen romance. It has some of those elements: the meet-cute, the misunderstandings that cause relationship strife, that kind of thing. But it is so much more than all that. At heart, this is a story of grief and mental illness, realistically portrayed. I was a little concerned at first, with the scene of Vivi throwing her medication into the ocean. Lord's approach, though, resolves itself to a more sensible, realistic approach to medication. Vivi must find the balance between her health and her sense of freedom. This is a book I could easily see recommending to others.
Pages in this book: 352
Pages read so far in challenge: 976
Fifteen Lanes by S.J. Laidlaw
An absolutely beautiful, heartbreaking book. Fifteen Lanes tells the story of two very different girls who's lives have reached a precipice. Grace's life has always been relatively easy. When her only friend moves away, Grace is flattered by the texts she's been receiving from someone claiming to be a popular boy at school and in an instant, she makes a decision that she can't take back and which has an immediate affect on the rest of her life. Noor is the oldest daughter of a sex worker and has lived her entire life in the brothel. Now that her teen years are upon her, it is expected that she will follow in her mother's footsteps. For the first time, though, Noor has begun to dream of more. Circumstance brings these two girls together and that contact changes both of their lives. With a realistic cast of characters and a compelling plot this is a great, emotionally complex, read.
Pages in this book: 304
Pages read so far in challenge: 624
Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse
This was a great read to start out this challenge. Well written with a complex cast of characters. Tight pacing with a strong air of mystery and conspiracy. Like many novels set during WWII, there's a desire for freedom and justice that is defeated at every turn. There is grief and tragedy, horrible things that happen in spite of complex efforts to set things right. A great choice for fans of historical fiction.
Pages in this book: 320
Pages read so far in challenge: 320
I'm super excited to be taking part in the 24 hour read-a-thon! I've got my books lined up and am ready to go. Hopefully you'll see my first review on here in just a few hours.
