Waiting on Wednesday (111)

Well, everyone, I'm finally back online, without the aid of scheduled blog posts! I decided that 10 days of voluntary social networking isolation was good enough of a break, and installed a VPN last night. Not only can I access Facebook and Twitter now (and GOODREADS. Can you believe that China had blocked Goodreads? What's it gonna do to the government?), but Google also runs dozens of times more smoothly, and I don't get kicked off of Gmail or Gchat half so often. *grins*

I will regale you soon with my Chinese adventures, but for now I leave you with a WoW (or two, since I've been not blogging for weeks and am justifying it to myself):

The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

It's 1996, and less than half of all American high school students have ever used the Internet.

Emma just got her first computer and an America Online CD-ROM.

Josh is her best friend. They power up and log on--and discover themselves on Facebook, fifteen years in the future.

Everybody wonders what their Destiny will be. Josh and Emma are about to find out. [summary from Goodreads]

My main reason for wanting to read this book? Carolyn Mackler. I grew up on that lady's books and I will read every book she ever writes until she dies or I go deaf and blind and have no way to read anymore... uhh, whichever comes first. I'm not entirely sure where the book is going, since the summary doesn't say much in terms of plot, and that cover is not exactly one of my favorites, either, but WHATEVERRRR it's Carolyn Mackler I will read her whatever the plot and cover!

The Future of Us will be published in hardcover by Razorbill on November 21, 2011.

Irises by Francisco X. Stork

Two sisters discover what's truly worth living for in the new novel by the author of MARCELO IN THE REAL WORLD.

TWO SISTERS: Kate is bound for Stanford and an M.D. -- if her family will let her go. Mary wants only to stay home and paint. When their loving but repressive father dies, they must figure out how to support themselves and their mother, who is in a permanent vegetative state, and how to get along in all their uneasy sisterhood.

THREE YOUNG MEN: Then three men sway their lives: Kate's boyfriend Simon offers to marry her, providing much-needed stability. Mary is drawn to Marcos, though she fears his violent past. And Andy tempts Kate with more than romance, recognizing her ambition because it matches his own.

ONE AGONIZING CHOICE: Kate and Mary each find new possibilities and darknesses in their sudden freedom. But it's Mama's life that might divide them for good -- the question of *if* she lives, and what's worth living for.

IRISES is Francisco X. Stork's most provocative and courageous novel yet. [summary from Goodreads]

Francisco Stork is another auto-read for me ever since I came across his stunning book Marcelo in the Real World. I was really excited when I heard that he had a new book coming out, and doesn't it sound like it will be so very powerful?

Irises will be published in hardcover by Arthur A. Levine Books on January 1, 2012.

Review: Tangled by Carolyn Mackler

Tags: YA, short stories, love, suicide, acting, death

Rating: 4 out of 5


Summary

A one-week spring break vacation at the Caribbean resort Paradise affects the lives of four very different teenagers. Self-conscious Jena learns which guys are and are not worth it; playboy Dakota begins to realize how much of a misogynistic jerk he’s been; teen actress Skye must come to terms with her past and the fact that it may all be an act for her; and reclusive Owen may at least be ready to come out from behind his computer and meet the girl who’s changed his life.

Review

Veteran talent reigns supreme in this intriguing blend of four short stories. Carolyn Mackler shows that she can make any story idea win over her old and new fans with TANGLED.

The four teens’ stories interlap only slightly, but remarkably each one is well defined and strong reads in and of themselves. Jena, Dakota, Skye, and Owen are all flawed, yet their flaws are endearing and human instead of the consequences of shoddy writing. As a result, we are easily able to delve into the minds of these four.

I was surprised at, but not put off by, how little the four stories were actually interconnected. The first three stories end rather abruptly and incompletely, and it’s not until reading the final story (Owen’s) that we realize how these four characters are supposed to have been affected by one another. The “tangles” are tentative at best, but overall TANGLED is still appealing due to its masterful writing.

Longtime Carolyn Mackler fans like me should not hesitate to pick this one up, while those new to Mackler’s works will be able to appreciate her talent. TANGLED is good for a sweet and lighthearted read.

Similar Authors
Sarah Dessen
E. Lockhart
Jaclyn Moriarty
Sarah Ockler

Writing: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Plot: 3/5

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5


Cover discussion: 4.5 out of 5 - I love it! (And really, is this the first time Ms. Mackler has gotten a really, really good cover?) It's so different from other covers out there, and I just love the strength of the colors and the way they bleed into one another.

HarperTeen / Dec. 29, 2009 / Hardcover / $16.99

Received from review from the HarperCollins booth at NCTE.