Teaser Tuesday is hosted by MizB @ Should Be Reading.

First Day on Earth
by Cecil Castellucci

“I look over at the other table, where there are a bunch of teenagers I don’t know who are horsing around. They behave exactly the way you think normal kids horse around. They kind of wrassle with each other.”
- page 70, hardcover

ISBN-13: 9-780312-641894
Publication: January 2012 from Feiwel and Friends
Rating: 3 ♥ / 5 ♥ – I liked it

Sixteen-year-old Cinder is considered a technological mistake by most of society and a burden by her stepmother. Being cyborg does have its benefits, though: Cinder’s brain interface has given her an uncanny ability to fix things (robots, hovers, her own malfunctioning parts), making her the best mechanic in New Beijing. This reputation brings Prince Kai himself to her weekly market booth, needing her to repair a broken android before the annual ball. He jokingly calls it “a matter of national security,” but Cinder suspects it’s more serious than he’s letting on.

Although eager to impress the prince, Cinder’s intentions are derailed when her younger stepsister, and only human friend, is infected with the fatal plague that’s been devastating Earth for a decade. Blaming Cinder for her daughter’s illness, Cinder’s stepmother volunteers her body for plague research, an “honor” that no one has survived.

But it doesn’t take long for the scientists to discover something unusual about their new guinea pig. Something others would kill for.

Take China in the future, add in a plague, androids, cyborgs and a colony on the moon that has become it’s own civilization and you get Cinder. Cinder is a cyborg living in New Beijing. Life is simple and routine as a mechanic until in one day, she is visited by the Prince who needs her expertise, and the plague breaks out in the market. Soon, Cinder is swept up in more intrigue than she could imagine, and more than she wants.

I enjoyed Cinder for the sci-fi and fairy tale re-telling aspects, mostly. I think there were a few reasons I wasn’t as in love with this book as I wanted to be – hopefully I’ll be able to get them across right. First was Cinder herself. I didn’t connect with her like I wanted to. Cinder spent most of her time worrying about what Prince Kai or others would think (or thought) about her being a cyborg. She’s supposed to be an amazing mechanic, but besides fixing an old car all we really see her do is hit things to make them work and remove a futuristic version of an SD card from an android. But, no matter how much I didn’t connect with Cinder, she showed glimpses of being strong and independent (and a little rebellious) and by the end of the book was completely focused and in charge of her life. So she grew on me. Prince Kai was similar. Nice guy, you can tell he’s going to be a good Emperor, but he felt a little off. I also didn’t get the romance between Kai and Cinder – it seemed strained and not needed.

I loved the sci-fi aspects of Cinder. The androids and cyborgs, the new world government, even the idea of the plague. This is a book rich in description and you can’t help but fall into the world that Marissa Meyer created. The Lunar colony was an interesting add-in to the world, and one that at times worked for me and at times didn’t. Queen Levana is a thouroughly despicable villain and her plot was great. The glamour and “magic-but-really-science” part of the Lunar physiology confused me a bit, especially in a few parts involving Cinder. I understand the idea and how it’s used, and that in these instances Cinder herself is meant to be unsure and confused as well, but for me – the reader – the confusion always made me feel like I had missed a part somewhere.

The Cinderella part of the story was faithfully redone – and very well, I might add – and the sci-fi future was a perfect setting for it. I think, for me at least, Cinder is just a very full book with a lot going on. Overall, I was completely entertained and I enjoyed the story. I feel it is definitely a debut to check out, since my complaints are very unique to my own tastes and likes in books. The writing is great, and like I mentioned earlier the detail and world building is amazing.

Cinder is part of the 2012 Debut Author Challenge hosted by The Story Siren.

Upcoming Releases highlights six books from my to-buy list that I did not have a chance to feature in a “Waiting On” Wednesday before their publication month arrived. Feel free to join in!

The Catastrophic History of You and Me
by Jess Rothenberg
Publication date: February 21, 2012 from Penguin
Genre: YA, Paranormal

Dying of a broken heart is just the beginning…. Welcome to forever.

BRIE’S LIFE ENDS AT SIXTEEN: Her boyfriend tells her he doesn’t love her, and the news breaks her heart—literally.

But now that she’s D&G (dead and gone), Brie is about to discover that love is way more complicated than she ever imagined. Back in Half Moon Bay, her family has begun to unravel. Her best friend has been keeping a secret about Jacob, the boy she loved and lost—and the truth behind his shattering betrayal. And then there’s Patrick, Brie’s mysterious new guide and resident Lost Soul . . . who just might hold the key to her forever after.

With Patrick’s help, Brie will have to pass through the five stages of grief before she’s ready to move on. But how do you begin again, when your heart is still in pieces?

Dead to You
by Lisa McMann
Publication date: February 7, 2012 from Simon Pulse
Genre: YA, Contemporary

Ethan was abducted from his front yard when he was just seven years old. Now, at sixteen, he has returned to his family. It’s a miracle… at first. Then the tensions start to build. His reintroduction to his old life isn’t going smoothly, and his family is tearing apart all over again. If only Ethan could remember something, anything, about his life before, he’d be able to put the pieces back together. But there’s something that’s keeping his memory blocked. Something unspeakable…

Fever
by Lauren DeStefano
Publication date: February 21, 2012 from Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing
Genre: YA, Dystopia

Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion, but danger is never far behind.

Running away brings Rhine and Gabriel right into a trap, in the form of a twisted carnival whose ringmistress keeps watch over a menagerie of girls. Just as Rhine uncovers what plans await her, her fortune turns again. With Gabriel at her side, Rhine travels through an environment as grim as the one she left a year ago – surroundings that mirror her own feelings of fear and hopelessness.

The two are determined to get to Manhattan, to relative safety with Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan. But the road there is long and perilous – and in a world where young women only live to age twenty and young men die at twenty-five, time is precious. Worse still, they can’t seem to elude Rhine’s father-in-law, Vaughn, who is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion…by any means necessary.

In the sequel to Lauren DeStefano’s harrowing Wither, Rhine must decide if freedom is worth the price – now that she has more to lose than ever.

Harbinger
by Sara Wilson Etienne
Publication date: February 2, 2012 from G. P. Putnam’s Sons PYR
Genre: YA, Thriller

When sixteen-year-old Faye arrives at Holbrook Academy, she doesn’t expect to find herself exactly where she needs to be. After years of strange waking visions and nightmares, her only comfort the bones of dead animals, Faye is afraid she’s going crazy. Fast.

But her first night at Holbrook, she feels strangely connected to the school and the island it sits on, like she’s come home. She’s even made her first real friends, but odd things keep happening to them. Every morning they wake on the floors of their dorm rooms with their hands stained red.

Faye knows she’s the reason, but what does it all mean? The handsome Kel tries to help her unravel the mystery, but Faye is certain she can’t trust him; in fact, he may be trying to kill her – and the rest of the world too.

Rich, compelling writing will keep the pages turning in this riveting and tautly told psychological thriller.

Shooting Stars
by Allison Rushby
Publication date: February 28, 2012 from Walker Childrens
Genre: YA, Contemporary

Meet Josephine Foster, or Zo Jo as she’s called in the biz. The best pint-sized photographer of them all, Jo doesn’t mind doing what it takes to get that perfect shot, until she’s sent on an undercover assignment to shoot Ned Hartnett—teen superstar and the only celebrity who’s ever been kind to her—at an exclusive rehabilitation retreat in Boston. The money will be enough to pay for Jo’s dream: real photography classes, and maybe even quitting her paparazzi gig for good. Everyone wants to know what Ned’s in for. But Jo certainly doesn’t know what she’s in for: falling in love with Ned was never supposed to be part of her assignment.

Graffiti Moon
by Cath Crowley
Publication date: February 14, 2012 from Knopf Books for Young Readers
Genre: YA, Contemporary

Senior year is over, and Lucy has the perfect way to celebrate: tonight, she’s going to find Shadow, the mysterious graffiti artist whose work appears all over the city. He’s out there somewhere—spraying color, spraying birds and blue sky on the night—and Lucy knows a guy who paints like Shadow is someone she could fall for. Really fall for. Instead, Lucy’s stuck at a party with Ed, the guy she’s managed to avoid since the most awkward date of her life. But when Ed tells her he knows where to find Shadow, they’re suddenly on an all-night search around the city. And what Lucy can’t see is the one thing that’s right before her eyes.

ISBN-13: 9-781402-257551
Published: November 2011 from Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Rating: 4 ♥ / 5 ♥ – I really liked it

It all started on a day like any other.

The sun rose. I had waffles for breakfast. I caught my dad SCRATCHING HIS BUTT. It was a rerun of pretty much every day of my life. But late that night, EVERYTHING CHANGED…

One minute I’m digging through my neighbor’s garbage looking for clues (long story), and the next minute I’m KIDNAPPED BY GOONS and MISTAKEN FOR A SPY.

You might think everything I’m about to tell you is a big lie. But I promise you that THIS IS ALL TRUE. This is how the fate of the world fell into the hands of an UNIMPORTANT DORKY KID FROM NOWHERESVILLE.

This is such a fun book! Zeke Bartholomew: Superspy! is narrated by Zeke, a 7th grade zero average in everything. Zeke talks directly to his audience during parts of the book and relates how he was kidnapped, rescued, chased, and ultimately had to try and save the world. With a little help, of course.

Zeke is an immediately likeable character. He’s imaginative, a little geeky, a nice kid and good person. A little too preoccupied with spies, maybe, and that preoccupation leads to both the scariest and greatest adventure of his young life. An adventure which is fairly fascinating, truth be told. I was a little unsure about the lava-powered baddie that comes after Zeke, since even though this is a book about kid spies, it seemed just a bit too farfetched. Still, ignoring lava-man for the moment, Zeke and Sparrow (the girl spy who comes to his rescue) are two pretty intelligent and resourceful kids. Why not have kids as spies? Who would ever suspect them!

Zeke Bartholomew: Superspy! is the promising beginning to a series. It has solid writing and is never boring. While the plot is a little predictable for this kind of book and at some points unbelievable the entertainment factor highly makes up for it. Zeke is an awesome narrator and character and I’m looking forward to the sequel in order to find out more about kid spies, especially the mysterious (evil)spy neighbour of Zeke’s who starts the whole adventure in motion, quite by accident, really.I can see this one being a big hit with the upper elementary and middle school crowd!

ARC copy received from Sourcebooks Jabberwocky via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you!

“Waiting On” Wednesday is hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine.

The Other Life
by Susanne Winnacker
Publication date: February 1, 2012 from Usborne

3 years, 1 month, 1 week and 6 days since I’d seen daylight. One-fifth of my life. 98,409,602 seconds since the heavy, steel door had fallen shut and sealed us off from the world.

Sherry has lived with her family in a sealed bunker since things went wrong up above. But when they run out of food, Sherry and her dad must venture outside. There they find a world of devastation, desolation…and the Weepers: savage, mutant killers.

When Sherry’s dad is snatched, she joins forces with gorgeous but troubled Joshua – an Avenger, determined to destroy the Weepers.

But can Sherry keep her family and Joshua safe, when his desire for vengeance threatens them all?

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by MizB @ Should Be Reading.

Wither
by Lauren DeStefano
Publication: March 2011 from Simon & Schuster

“I’ve had alcohol once before, a few years ago when I fell off the roof while Rowan and I were trying to repair a leak. I dislocated my shoulder and Rowan gave me a dusty bottle of vodka from the basement to help with the pain as he set my shoulder back in place.”
Page 212; hardcover

ISBN-13: 9-780316-126533
Published: October 2011 from Poppy (Little, Brown and Company)
Rating: 4.5 ♥ / 5 ♥ – I really liked it!

As a dancer with the ultra-prestigious Manhattan Ballet company, nineteen-year-old Hannah Ward juggles intense rehearsals, dazzling performances, and complicated backstage relationships. But when she meets a spontaneous and irresistibly cute musician named Jacob, her universe begins to change.

Until now Hannah has followed the company’s unofficial mantra, “Don’t think, just dance.” But as her relationships with Jacob intensifies, so do the pressures within the company. With her eyes newly opened to the world beyond the theater, Hannah must decide whether to compete against the other “bunheads” for a star soloist spot or to strike out on her own.

When I was younger, Hannah is who I wanted to be when I grew up. I lived ballet for years, but was never quite good enough to get any further than pointe classes. Reading Bunheads was like revisiting a well-loved dream and wished for life.

Bunheads is Hannah’s story. It’s a calm book, following her as she dances for the Manhattan Ballet Company, meets a guy and realizes maybe dancing isn’t all she wants anymore. The biggest draw for me, besides the ballet, was the lack of crazy drama. Outside of normal competition (she’s striving to be a soloist against all the other member of the corps de ballet, after all) and regular boy problems that come along with trying to date and live a completely ballet focused life, Hannah is craziness free. This book is very much a character driven story, revolving around daily life and personal decisions. Because of this, Hannah is a character that is easy to delve into. Since the story is being told from her point of view, the reader is able to see the nitty gritty details of how she came to be where she is, and why she makes the decisions she does in the end. And Jacob? So much love for him. He likes Hannah and reaches out to her, but doesn’t let her walk all over him. And he also doesn’t pressure her to change or cave to his every suggestion. He’s that kind of guy I think every girl wants deep down – he’s there if she wants him and is supportive, but he’s not going to pine after her if she can’t make time. Very down to Earth, independent, dependable and loveable.

Because I was so entrenched in ballet growing up, I was able to clearly visualize the choreography and dance positions as Hannah details them in the book. By using the technical terms for positions and moves, though, readers who do not have an extensive knowledge of ballet may feel a little lost in trying to understand the dance aspect of the novel. The technicality adds a dimension to the story that would be lost without it – a realistic immersing into the world of professional ballet. And also, it would take away from the characterization. This is who Hannah is. I think for her to use anything but the correct terminology would be out of step with the character and setting that Sophie Flack is portraying. Bunheads immerses you in Hannah’s world, and that world is the ballet.

Hardcover copy provided by Hachette Book Group Canada in exchange for my honest review. Thank you!

“Waiting On” Wednesday is hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine.

Scarlet
by A. C. Gaughen
Publication: February 14, 2012 from Walker & Co.

From goodreads:

Many readers know the tale of Robin Hood, but they will be swept away by this new version full of action, secrets, and romance.

Posing as one of Robin Hood’s thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire. Only the Hood and his band know the truth: the agile thief posing as a whip of a boy is actually a fearless young woman with a secret past. Helping the people of Nottingham outwit the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham could cost Scarlet her life as Gisbourne closes in. It’s only her fierce loyalty to Robin—whose quick smiles and sharp temper have the rare power to unsettle her—that keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight worth dying for.

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by MizB @ Should Be Reading.

Cinder
by Marissa Meyer
Publication: January 2012 from Feiwel & Friends

“The voice silenced. The android’s head rotated 180 degrees. Its sensor flashed bright blue as it scanned Cinder. Her internal control panel dimmed. The fan in her torso began to spin.”
- page 199, Hardcover

ISBN-13: 9-780547-550763
Published: January 2012 from HMH Children’s Books
Rating: 5 ♥ / 5 ♥ – I loved it!

Austin Parker is never going to see his eighteenth birthday. At the rate his Leukemia is progressing the doctors say his chances of surviving are slim to none even with treatment. So he’s decided it’s time to let go.

But before he goes, Austin wants to fix things that have broken in his life. So with the help of his best friend and secret crush, Kaylee, Austin embarks on a journey. He travels to the places he’s loved and those he’s never seen. He visits the people he feels aren’t living life, wanting to make them understand what they’re taking for granted. And what starts as a way to say good-bye and mend fences turns into a passage of love, acceptance, and meaning.

Ok. So Never Eighteen is the story of one weekend when Austin, with the help of his best friend Kaylee, visits people he feels need a crying shoulder, an apology or just someone to talk to, places he loves and wants to see, experiences a kegger and tries to get over his fear of heights. All as a final farewell before his Leukemia progresses too far.

The best part of Never Eighteen, for me, is the way that the story just wakes up with Austin on the weekend and follows his journey. We know from the back of the book what he is doing, and why, but it is not told to us until much later. The book doesn’t start with Austin explaining everything – not even Kaylee knows why she’s driving him around all weekend (though you know she has to be figuring it out), and I love that. The story is a wonderful snapshot into Austin’s life. You journey with him to the people and places he needs to see, and because of the way in which he reveals the purpose of his journey and the extent of his cancer, I was in crazy tears by the end of the book even though I knew what was coming. And that, is a sign of a good book right there. I mean, I’m tearing up again just writing this review!

Austin’s and Kaylee’s weekend is an amazing tribute to life and love. The people that Austin speaks with during the weekend all need someone, and Austin has the urge to try and help, to do what he can to reaffirm that life is worth living to the best of their ability. Austin has so much strength in him, and you know what? So does Kaylee. I don’t know that I’d hold up half as well when faced with the idea that my best friend in the world is dieing from cancer. Never Eighteen is not a long book, but it is packed with more emotion than I would have thought possible. The delivery of the plot is wonderful, and I don’t think I’ll be forgetting Austin and Kaylee anytime soon.

ARC provided by Thomas Allen & Son Ltd. in exchange for my honest review. Thank you!

Never Eighteen is part of the 2012 Debut Author Challenge hosted by The Story Siren.