Claudia Gray's Afterlife Review & Giveaway!

Author: Claudia Gray
Publisher: Harper Teen (March 8, 2011)
Audience: YA
Source: For Review (Dark Days Supernatural Tour)

Description from GoodReads:
The fourth book in this electrifying vampire series has all the romance, suspense, and page-turning drama that have made Claudia Gray’s Evernight books runaway successes.

Having become what they feared most, Bianca and Lucas face a terrifying new reality. They must return to Evernight Academy, Lucas as a vampire and Bianca as a wraith. But Lucas is haunted by demons, both personal and supernatural. Bianca must help him fight the evil inside him, combat the forces determined to drive them apart—and find the power to claim her destiny at last.

Readers have fallen in love with Bianca and Lucas, and they will be thrilled to read this exciting conclusion to their romantic adventure.

Claudia Gray's Afterlife is the highly anticipated final chapter to her best-selling Evernight series, a young adult series about vampires and humans living together at the reclusive Evernight boarding school. Personally, I was really looking forward to seeing how things would end for Lucas and Bianca and how the mysteries surrounding the school would resolve, and I wasn't disappointed.

This is a spoiler free (!!) review of Afterlife, but it does reference events from the first three books in the series, so you have fair warning.

Afterlife lived up to expectations for me. At the end of Hourglass, book 3, Bianca had become a wraith and Lucas was turning into a vampire, the one thing he had been resisting for the whole series. This brought a new dynamic to the duo as they adjusted to their new bodies... or forms, in Bianca's case as a wraith. I loved watching Lucas struggle with what he had become and how that affected his relationship with Black Cross, especially his mother. I also loved seeing Lucas and Bianca back at the academy. I enjoyed them being on their own, out in the real world in Hourglass, but it felt great to have them back on familiar territory, readjusting to life now that they were both so different.

There were many unpredictable plot twists, especially with Mrs. Bethany and her relationship to the vampire/human/wraith populations at the academy. There was also some interesting Balthazar moments in there for fans eagerly awaiting Balthazar's spin-off novel. It's difficult to discuss the novel without giving too much away, because so much of this book ties up loose ends. I will say that I loved how Claudia Gray ended Bianca and Lucas' romance. I was worried about how they would work everything out, but I was more than satisfied with their ending. Overall, I really liked this one -- lots of action, romance, and drama to make it a real page-turner.

Now, on to the fun part: THE GIVEAWAY!

Here are the rules:
1. Please do not enter any personal information in the comments section, you must complete the Entry Form to officially enter the contest.
2.  The Contest runs from 12:00 a.m. on March 26, 2011 to 11:59 p.m. on March 31st.
3.  You do not need to be a follower of this blog to enter, but if you are it will earn you an extra entry.
4.  You must be 13 or older to participate in this contest.
5.  If you are selected as a winner, I will notify you by e-mail.  If you do not respond within 48 hours, I will select a new winner.
6.  This contest is only open to UK participants .(Sorry U.S. and International Followers...there will be another contest for you coming soon)

Good luck!!

Book Review: Speak

Very few young adult books have come under as much scrutiny and censorship as Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, yet very few books have also had the transformative power that so many readers, parents, and educators have seen after people read this book. No Banned Books Week celebration would be complete with reference to one of the most popular and controversial debut young adult novels, Speak.


Why was this book banned?
I don't really know why this book was ever banned. While it deals with heavy subject matter, it handles serious issues very tastefully and intelligently. As recently as a few weeks ago, Speak was being challenged again by a Professor Wesley Scroggins, who claims that the novel is "pornographic." For more on this recent challenge, read an extremely well-written article on the author Laurie Halse Anderson's website here: http://madwomanintheforest.com/this-guy-thinks-speak-is-pornography/

I couldn't find a concrete list on the ALA website, but some of the reasons for banning Speak include: Unsuited to Age Group, Sexually Explicit, Violence, Underage Drinking.

What is Speak about?
Speak is about Melinda Sordino, a girl who goes to a "high school party" a few weeks before she starts her freshman year, but when she calls the police to apparently bust up the party for drinking, everyone turns against her and she stops speaking.

She becomes depressed and withdrawn, skipping classes and isolating herself from making friends. Eventually, Melinda finds unlikely solace in her art class, where she can find a release for her emotions. However, there is more that happened that night at the party than what everyone thinks and it will take a lot of strength and courage for Melinda to finally speak up.

Why is Speak worth reading?
I knew what Speak was about before reading it, so much of the surprise about what really happened to make Melinda stop speaking was lost on me, but I still enjoyed the novel. Although the main character, Melinda, doesn't speak, she has very original and vivid thoughts, making her a very interesting character to read about. The writing is also very beautiful and easy to follow.

Most importantly, Speak deals with important issues that aren't always addressed in young adult literature, and is a definite must-read for both teens and adults, both male and female. The author gives a very honest description of high school life and family life for someone who feels like a loner with no one who understands them, which is something most people probably feel at least once  in their lives. Speak isn't my favorite young adult book, but it is such an important novel and told with such beautiful language, that I still recommend this book to everyone.

-- Renée

Book Review: The Perks of Being a Wallfower

Standing on the fringes of life... offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.

__________

In honor of Banned Books Week, I'm doing a guest post reviewing one of my favorite books -- and one of the most widely banned young adult books -- The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky.


Why was this book banned?
Honestly, why are any books banned? I'm not a huge fan of censorship. I think books should be available to everyone... at the right age of course. Once a child or person is emotionally and/or physically mature enough to handle the themes of a certain book, I don't think his or her school or library should make it unavailable.

Some of the reasons cited for banning The Perks of Being a Wallflower include: "Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Anti-Family, Offensive language, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group, Drugs, Suicide."

What is The Perks of Being a Wallflower about?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a young adult novel about a boy named Charlie that follows his freshman year at high school. The novel is told in epistolary form, that is, the whole book is a series of letters Charlie writes about his life to someone he addresses as "Dear Friend." Charlie has never met this person and the reader never finds out who this Friend is.

Charlie is a wallflower. He is shy and sometimes socially awkward, but he meets these two new people, Sam and Patrick, who become his friends and introduce him to new experiences in high school, like going to parties, becoming romantically involved with someone, and driving late at night with the windows down and feeling "infinite." Charlie makes an interesting relationship with a teacher at his school, who makes him read complex literature because he sees potential in Charlie.

Through all of these new people in Charlie's life, he grows up, deals with family issues, and discovers things about himself, all while trying to "participate" more in life.

Why do I love this book?
This book is one of my favorites because of how realistically it portrays people. The book doesn't condemn Charlie and his friends for some of the riskier behaviors they partake in, but it doesn't glorify them either. The Perks of Being a Wallflower really celebrates being special and different in ways that aren't always trendy or cool.

I also love Charlie as a narrator. He's so earnest and genuinely concerned about putting everyone else's problems first that he often overlooks himself and doesn't give himself a chance to live his own life. He's not passive in an annoying speak-up-for-yourself-already! kind of way, but instead he makes it really easy to like him and root for him. I'm so used to reading about characters who act impulsively and don't think about their actions first, so Charlie was a bid departure from that.

The writing is also beautiful. I have a quote underlined or highlighted on almost every other page. Although there is some material suited for older young adults, and the novel explores some sensitive and deep issues, I highly recommend it. If you enjoyed The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger or any of John Green's books, I think you'll love this one. And now I'll leave you with the last lines of the book (which I love, and won't spoil anything for you):

     I'm not sure if I will have time to write any more letters because I might be too busy trying to "participate."
     So, if this does end up being my last letter, please believe that things are good with me, and even when they're not, they will be soon enough.
     And I will believe the same about you.

Love always,

Charlie

-- Renée