Sacred--Elana K. Arnold

Title: Sacred
Author: Elana K. Arnold
Publisher: Random House Children's Books, 2012.
Pages: 368 p.
Source: VOYA
Compensation: None 

Life can be separated into two distinct parts for 16-year-old Scarlet Wenderoth: before and after her brother's death. Before his death she was happy and popular and had big future plans. After his death she is depressed and withdrawn, finding it difficult to relate to the people she once loved. It does not help that her mother is so distraught and grief-stricken that she does not see Scarlet withering away. Her father is consumed with worry for his wife, so Scarlet is able to skip meals and cut herself with no parental intervention. Scar—even her nickname is symbolic—is painfully broken and wasting away until she meets a strange boy, Will, who somehow senses her secrets and is drawn to save her.

Arnold has written a poignant novel of loss and grief, but also of hope. Scarlet and Will are both hurting from their own losses and secrets, but together they are able to heal. Teens will be attracted to Scarlet’s melancholy and hidden despair, as well as Will’s heroic desire to rescue his damsel in distress. As much as Will wants to save her, ultimately it is Scarlet who has to pick herself up off the ground and choose life over death. Teens will root for her as she struggles and will be pleased to know her story continues in a planned sequel. 

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Such Wicked Intent--Kenneth Oppel

Title: Such Wicked Intent
Author: Kenneth Oppel
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 310 p.
Source: library
Compensation: None

Victor Frankenstein is a lonely grief-stricken sixteen-year-old boy mourning the death of his twin brother and his inability to save his brother's life. He is sad and moody and inconsolable until he discovers the unthinkable--a way into the world of death--and attempts to bring his brother back to life. He is aided by his brother's love Elizabeth and their best friend Henry.

I was sucked into this story from the very beginning. I've enjoyed Kenneth Oppel's work in the past and that was part of the reason I picked this book off the new YA book shelf without knowing much about it (more on that later). Oppel has done a great job of creating a teen version of Frankenstein--the scientist not the monster we erroneously call Frankenstein--we can see how Victor starts off with understandable intentions, to be reunited with his twin, but then quickly becomes consumed with power and less noble motivations. The setting and time period are firmly established by Oppel; there is a good blend of modern science and old world magic. Elizabeth and Henry are not quite as complete as Victor is, but that's okay. This is Victor's story and his is the one we want to read about.

The entire time I was reading I felt like I was *in the middle* of Victor's story, that it had already begun and I was just allowed to witness this episode. I thought it was just a literary device and was not bothered by it at all. In fact, I liked it and thought it worked well. Then, just moments ago, as I was thinking I had better write my review soon the title "His Dark Endeavor" came to me. I didn't know why. I searched it and sure enough Such Wicked Intent is Book TWO of The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein with the first book This Dark Endeavor (I was close). I did not feel like I was missing anything having not read the first book, Such Wicked Intent easily stands alone, but now I understand a few of the references to Victor's previous exploits.

This is a perfect gateway into Mary Shelley's classic Frankenstein. Teens (or grownups) who have already read the original will be interested in this story of the doctor's past and the events that shaped him into the man who created the monster. Teens who have not yet read Frankenstein may be prompted to pick it up after reading Oppel's page-turner prequel(s).

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One Moment--Kristina McBride

Title: One Moment
Author: Kristina McBride
Publisher: Egmont, 2012
Pages: 272 p.
Source: VOYA
Compensation: None

(Once again, this review is from the June 2012 issue of VOYA.)

Maggie is enjoying Memorial Day weekend with her boyfriend Joey and her other four closest friends when the unthinkable happens—Joey dies jumping off a cliff. He had jumped that cliff diving into the local lake many times without incident causing his confused friends and family to wonder what was different about this time. Maggie was also at the top of the cliff and is the only person who could have any answers, but the accident leaves her traumatized and incapable of remembering anything that happened. The five remaining friends struggle to deal with Joey’s death, Maggie’s inability to remember, and their changing relationships.

Kristina McBride has written a poignant heartbreaking tale of how one moment in a person’s life can change everything. The story is told from Maggie’s point of view and McBride concentrates on developing her character. McBride tells the story at just the right pace, leading teens to guess what happened before Maggie realizes it. Teens will identify with Maggie’s pain as she recognizes that her perfect idolized boyfriend was not actually perfect and she did not know him as well as she thought. The story is sad, but not sappy, and ends hopeful, but not unrealistic, and is a worthy addition to teen collections.

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The Lost Code--Kevin Emerson

Title: The Lost Code: Book One of the Atlanteans
Author: Kevin Emerson
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2012
Pages: 448 p.
Source: VOYA
Compensation: None

(This review was written AGES ago. I just realized it was published in the June 2012 VOYA. I was very pregnant.)

Owen is just a normal kid living underground in the mines to escape the deadly sun in a dystopian future with a limited ozone layer when he is picked to attend the exclusive Camp Eden. Camp Eden is protected from the sun by a huge dome set up to mimic the outside world—with it’s own sun, moon, stars, clouds and ecosystem. On the surface things seem pretty good at Camp Eden, but when weak swimmer Owen survives ten minutes underwater without breathing things start to get weird. Owen’s neck is mysteriously gashed and the only thing that soothes the gashes is being underwater. Owen soon learns that he is part of a special race of people, the Atlanteans, called upon to rescue the world and fix a mistake made thousands of years ago.

The first in a new series, The Lost Code will satisfy teens’ thirst for post-apocalyptic dystopian novels with just the right amount of suspense, adventure, science fiction, fantasy, and romance, but without the brutal violence found in other stories. Readers will eagerly devour Owen’s tale and look forward to its continuation.

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