Seeker--Arwen Elys Dayton

Title: Seeker
Author: Arwen Elys Dayton
Publisher: Delacorte, 2015
Pages: 448 p
Source: Netgalley
Compensation: None

Quin Kincaid is about to take the final test to become a Seeker, a mysterious time traveler, and is excited and ready after years of hard training. Her secret boyfriend John is less excited since he knows what Seekers actually do and it is much less noble than Quin and her "cousin" Shinobu have grown up believing. Quin's father is their harsh teacher who has no love for anybody. When John falters during a particularly hard training session, he is kicked out by Quin's father. Unable to take the test and fulfill his family duty of becoming Seeker, he leaves Quin and Shinobu--who have taken their "test" and changed their lives forever. Before John leaves he tries to take back what Quin's father stole from his family and sets off a dangerous series of events.

There is so much in this book it's hard to summarize. The chapters are told in alternating viewpoints-- Quin and John and then later on Shinobu. There are also chapters telling the story of Maud--a girl who is much older and mystical than she appears. Quin is both strong and vulnerable, John is both honorable and devious, Shinobu is weak and trustworthy. None of them are perfect characters, they are all flawed in some way. I liked Quin and I enjoyed the story of the Seekers, but I was really drawn to Maud and her story as well. There were some parts that could have been condensed and others that kept me from putting down the story. Seeker is an interesting fantasy that has stuck with me in the weeks since I've read it. I'm looking forward to the next one in the series.

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King Dork Approximately--Frank Portman

Title: King Dork Approximately
Author: Frank Portman
Publisher: Delacorte Press, 2014.
Pages:384 p.
Source: Netgalley
Compensation: None

I read King Dork a LONG time ago when I was still working as a YA librarian. I remember talking about it at librarian meetings. It seems like a lifetime ago (it was) which is why I was so surprised to hear talk of a sequel. I had remembered enjoying King Dork, even if I didn't think it was the best thing ever, so when I had the chance to read an ebook through Netgalley, I jumped.

King Dork Approximately picks up where King Dork left off. Tom Henderson has mostly recovered from his injuries (read the first book) and is still muddling though life trying to figure it all out but things are even more confusing for him. His mom and step dad are having problems, his best friend Sam Kellerman has shocking secrets of his own, and on top of it all he has to attend a new school when his infamous old one is shut down. He finds himself trying to be invisible by completely blending in to the new school's serious School Spirit. It works and he finds himself with a girlfriend and unbelievably a torment-free existence. But nothing lasts forever and pretty soon his true colors shine through. Luckily there's a female robot in class to save the day.

Fans of King Dork will appreciate this sequel. Tom hasn't lost his sarcastic outlook. Once again, music plays a big role in the story. Tom's band has graduated from just coming up with names to actually playing instruments and practicing. If they can rein in their drummer's flair for unnecessary solos they actually sound ok, so Tom and Sam come up with a crazy method to do just that. Tom's band is the most entertaining part of the story.

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The Last Little Blue Envelope--Maureen Johnson

Title: The Last Little Blue Envelope
Author: Maureen Johnson
Publisher: HarperCollins, expected date April 26, 2011
Pages: 213 p (eBook edition)
Source: Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher

As I mentioned in my review of the first book, 13 Little Blue Envelopes, I got lucky that I had somehow overlooked it and didn't have to wait six long years for this one to be published.

If you too have been under a rock and haven't read the first book, go do that now and then come back here. Although I try to keep my reviews as spoiler-free as possible, any discussion of the sequel is going to spoil elements of the first. You have been warned.

We last left Ginny heading back to the states with some extra money in her pocket. Although her backpack had been stolen--along with her little blue envelopes, including the 13th unopened one--she was able to discover her aunt's hidden artwork and auction it off to the highest bidder. She returned home with more than just money though, she also left with a serious crush on Keith, the Londoner with whom she had "kind of something" by the end of her first journey.

The Last Little Blue Envelope opens up with Ginny preparing her college applications and wondering why her once daily communication with Keith has slowed down. She gets the perfect chance to investigate when she receives an e-mail from an English man claiming that he has her backpack and her envelopes. If she wants them back she needs to meet him in England. Ginny agrees and heads back to Europe for more foreign adventures. It's not all fun and games though since the mysterious English man decides to blackmail her for return of the envelopes and Keith seems to be hiding some secrets of his own. But Ginny soon learns that people are not always what they seem.

Johnson has once again written a funny adventure story that will also tug at your heartstrings. She wraps up all the unanswered questions in a clever and satisfying way. When we leave Ginny this time, we know that she'll be okay. Fans of the first book will devour this one.

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The Goddess Test--Aimee Carter

Title: The Goddess Test
Author: Aimee Carter
Publisher: Harlequin Teen, expected date April 19, 2011
Pages: 304 p
Source: Netgalley courtesy of Harlequin Teen
Compensation: None

I requested this as an eGalley through the wonderful Netgalley website and was lucky enough to be approved. The only downside is that now I have to wait even longer for the sequel to come out since this one isn't supposed to be released until April 19, 2011.

There have been a slew of "paranormal romance" books lately thanks to the success of Twilight. It's hard to find one that hasn't been done before. Vampires and werewolves have been making the rounds for a long LONG time. Luckily though, every once in a while someone comes up with a different story. Aimee Carter has done that with The Goddess Test.

The Goddess Test opens up with a curious prologue that immediately sets the mysterious tone--Henry and Diana are examining a young dead girl and questioning why the girls keep failing and dying. Attention is switched to the main story with 18 year old Kate driving her dying mother to her childhood home. Kate is only interested in prolonging her mother's life and spending as much time with her as she can, but she's reluctantly drawn into high school drama. Things turn ugly when she agrees to go to a party with another high school girl Ava, who winds up dying. A mysterious man--Henry--appears and offers her a chance to revive her friend but only if she will agree to his proposal. Shocked and traumatized, Kate agrees to spend six months of the year with him, like the Greek Persephone myth.

It is nearly impossible to write a good summary of this book without spoiling all of the wonderful twists and turns.

Kate is a strong sympathetic character. She's had a rough life, caring for her ailing mother for most of her teen years. It's made her appreciate other people's lives, even if she's not overly open to friendships. All of Kate's actions are understandable and make sense for her character. The inevitable romance between Henry and Kate begins slowly and builds up deliciously until we are rooting for Henry as much as for Kate. The story is not all romance though, there's mystery and mythology as well. The Goddess Test is very well written and completely engaging. It is most definitely an engrossing page-turner (or the equivalent on an iPad) that is hard to put down. I'm anxiously awaiting the sequel (and hoping I can read that one early too!).
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Savannah Grey--Cliff McNish

Title: Savannah Grey
Author: Cliff McNish
Publisher: Carolrhoda LAB, expected pub date April 2011
Pages: 272 p
Source: The publisher, courtesy of Netgalley
Compensation: None

Savannah Grey is a teenaged girl with a big secret. She's never felt comfortable staying in the same place for very long and chooses to move from foster family to foster family, she doesn't make connections with other people, and she makes weird noises when she sleeps. Unbeknownst to her Savannah is nature's weapon against the ultimate alien evil and the big showdown is quickly approaching. Luckily for her she meets Reece, a guy who seems to have the same secrets, but can she really trust him?

This is the very first eBook I have ever read. I'm glad I chose this title, it was riveting and engrossing and hard to put down. I ignored many Words with Friends games to continue reading it on my iPad.

The story is a quick-paced one; it is very much like an action or horror movie--there's a brief intro to the protagonist and then we are thrust into non stop action. Most of the story is told in first person, but interspersed throughout the novel are chapters describing the history of the evil, the Ocrassa, giving the reader some background knowledge Savannah doesn't have. Savannah's chapters lure us in with the suspenseful action, but these other sections are thoughtfully interesting. While some might argue that Savannah learns too much about her power too easily, it makes sense in the story. She is awakening to that which she has always known; nature has a plan for her and her body forces her mind to accept it. This is a unique girl-power story, part horror, part science fiction, part growing up and accepting one's fate. I highly recommend it to readers looking for something just a bit different from the norm.

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