Books I've Been Reading--more YA

A Zombie's Guide To The Human Body by Tom Becker

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Five stars for gross out zombie pic/factoid factor. Three to four stars for non-fic explanations of the parts and systems of the human body.





Won't get this for the elementary school but if I was a middle or high school I'd think about it just for the kitsch factor. Design really is ... too good. Ugh.



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Alabama Moon by Watt Key

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


One day I'm going to actually start keeping track of where I hear about books. Looks like I added this one to my TBR pile in August of 09.



Didn't remember much about it so it was NOT what I expected.





Sort of like a more modern My Side of the Mountain? Sort of.





Moon's always lived outside, in the wild, with his daddy ... who was always ranting about the government. Then (this happens fairly soon in so I don't feel like it's a spoiler) his daddy dies. LOTS happens to Moon. That's where the whole story comes in. All the different people he meets ... some of them happy to be his friend and some of them madder than a hornet at him.



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Virals by Kathy Reichs

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Well. This one ... it certainly moves along. I do like this author and the character Temperance Brennan, so reading about her "niece" was certainly a natural progression.



Things I Liked

1)Lots of science.

2)The interaction between the characters. Hi and Shelton and Ben and Tory.

3)The setting.





Things I Think Could Have Been Done Better

1)The whole "flashing" thing. I mean, I can suspend disbelief. I can. But this one didn't always convince me I wanted to.

2)Another reviewer mentioned this and I agree. This storyline was all over the place. Revise. Concentrate on what's important. Some details (this was part of the story, actually) do not make the lie more believable. They just make it obvious it was a lie.



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The Creek by Jennifer L. Holm

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Well. Pretty much hated this one and not even sure why I finished it. I like spooky mysteries but the characters just didn't ... fit.





Half the time you don't even know if the main character is in her right mind or not. And she's only thirteen.



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This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Well. Pretty much hated this one. It was seriously depressing. Blah. Liked the first one. And the second. But now I feel like they were a waste of time I disliked this one so. :[


Combining the characters from the first two books seemed forced. Who on earth was Syl and what purpose did she serve?

Lame.



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Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Can definitely tell why MJ is such a popular YA author. Fun characters. Interesting setting with the whole idea of a small, family run hotel. Actually made me want to visit New York and I avoid big cities like the plague.

Curious as to whether or not who Mrs. Amberson is is discussed in Book Two. Not that that is a huge thing but really. Mysterious.

Maybe even a three and a half. Some drama but none of it was ... what's the word I want. Lurid? Just a fairly normal family going through fairly normal stuff. Which you can find in YA, definitely. It's just not as OUT THERE as the paranormal stuff.



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