Teen Reviewer Taylor reviewing Open Minds

Kira Moore, a high schooler, is a loser. Not a reader in the telepathic world like everyone else. She has not gone through the change from zero to reader, that usually happens in junior high or early high school. She later finds out she can jack minds, controlling readers and other jackers. She has a unique set of jacking abilities which carries her deeper into secret clans and danger.

I absolutely adore this book! The characters were very believable for the situation, and also very relatable. I felt like I was with Kira throughout the entire book. I felt what she felt. Because of this, I could not stop reading.

I loved the idea of mind reading for a book! Quinn added enough information about mind reading so you could completely understand the story, but you still had questions about our future. In the future, could we read minds? Would the government try to stop jackers and actually experiment on them?

Most heroes are known for their strength like the Hulk, or their ability to fly like Iron Man, or both like Superman. I feel like this book if more like it come, would bring a superhero known for their mind, not strength. I thought of this new type of superhero because Quinn describes the fighting in one’s mind, like wrestling. Kira was like the strongest wrestler who always won.
Taylor

Teen Reviewer Miranda reviewing Embrace

Hi, my name is Miranda, and I’m going to be a freshman in the fall.  My former Humanities teacher introduced me to reading pre-publication books and giving feedback to the authors. I thought this was a wonderful idea, so I immediately joined. Getting the opportunity to read Embrace first has been wonderful and makes me excited to read more of your novels and other pre-publication books.

One of the things that I especially liked about your novel was that although your genre is supernatural, you wrote with such a real voice that I might as well have been reading realistic fiction. In the exposition of your novel, you sculpted Madison as a character who went out to parties, drank lots of coffee, and fawned over attractive boys. This made her amiable and relatable and really eased the reader into the story. I also thought it was really neat how you didn’t make it clear who the real enemy was. You had me thinking that Paige and Mark were the culprits when really it was actually another sly character that had passed through my mind as meaningless. Your elements of surprise kept me glued to the pages--I finished the book in roughly seven hours.

Needless to say, Embrace is a winner and I am positive that readers will devour it once it is published. It is definitely on my recommendation list! Your novel was short, sweet and great summer read. I look forward to enjoying more of your works with that clear writing style of yours. Thank you for brewing up Embrace (pun definitely intended), it’s been a wonderful ride!

Sincerely,

Miranda

Teen Reviewer Amanda reviewing Open Minds

The first guest Review is from Amanda, a seventh grader, going into eight grade in the fall. 

Open Minds by Susan Kaye Quinn

In a dystopian society Kira is a zero, an outcast, a loser. But not because of her looks or personality. No, Kira is an outcast because she’s the one in one thousand that cannot read minds.. At least that’s how it starts. As the story moves on, we learn why Kira hasn’t developed her mind reading skills. It’s because she has a much more powerful skill, mind control. She’s soon plummeted into a world of secret clans and mind jacking.

    After just reading the first chapter of Open Minds, I knew I would love it. In a world where everyone can read minds everything works differently. From the way the kids learn, to the way technology works, Quinn really didn’t leave anything out. Although I would have liked it if she had elaborated a bit more on how the futuristic gadgets worked, it still gave a realistic view on what would happen if humans developed the power to read each others minds.

The characters in this book were incredibly consistent, and by the end of the book I was able to predict how they would act. This was both a good and bad quality in the book.]=]]=

This book was very fast paced and exciting. The characters were very relatable, especially Kira. I think everyone has felt like a “zero” at some point and it’s easy to connect with how she feels about the hierarchy in her high school. I also enjoyed the language used in the descriptions. It was simple, yet it elucidated enough so I knew what was going on. Perhaps the best part of this book was the plot. Just the first chapter hinted at an exciting dystopian society that kept me wanting more.

This book was an interesting look at the future and all it could hold. This brings up questions like: Can technology go too far? and, What secrets could the future hold? This book really has everything, a love triangle, FBI agents, and mind reading! It was a truly enjoyable read.

Sincerely,
Amanda

School/Author Partnership

Teachers and librarians - never be afraid to talk to an author.

Thanks to a chance meeting at an event in the Book Stall, an indie book seller located in Winnetka, Ill (Unsolicited plug here, I really liked that place and the outreach they have to readers. If you're ever in the area stop by and take a look) a middle school humanities teacher and I joined forces.  She wanted to jazz up her summer reading program for students entering 8th grade. I wanted to do outreach for  students.

The result was a major match.

I grabbed a bunch of local YA authors who are willing to donate a copy of their book. Then I gave a pep talk to her classes. Students signed contracts to participate, saying they would read at least two books, write reviews and letters to the author. In return they will have their reviews published on this blog, and mirrored on some of the other participating author's blogs. That means they can have their work read by their friends!!  Readers also have the opportunity to become pen pals with a local author. Where appropriate, those reviews will be forwarded to the book's publishers.

Last but not least, I'll host an end of the summer program pizza party for all the students and participating authors. We hope for a nice meet and great, a chance to get books autographed, and to kick-off continued participation with the school and students during the school year.

Our first review will be posted tomorrow. Come and take a look, comment, and cheer the young reviewers on.  Added incentives for the kids include prizes for the number of page views and comments, so if you like a student's work, let them know.

Book Review - No Safety In Numbers

No Safety In Numbers by Dayna Lorentz

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I really wanted to love this book. The premise was great, people trapped inside a mall, quarantined after a biological bomb goes off. Unfortunately, after that exciting idea, not much happened.

The story is told through four viewpoints. I like the way the author goes for diversity. The main characters are:

Marco - a Hispanic boy nicknamed "Taco" by his enemies (imagine being the guy who found the bomb that leaves you trapped inside an enclosed mall with other guys who hate your guts).

Shay - Shaila Dixit, a.k.a. "The Indian Chick" stuck in the mall with her little sister and diabetic grandmother.

Lexi - An African American girl whose mother, The Senator, is a stereotypical workaholic who spends all her time, even family day at the mall, glued to her phone.

Ryan - A typical high school football player living in the shadow of his popular older brother.

My problem was that all the main characters seemed like typical stereotypes. Much of the time their voices sounded so similar it was difficult to tell which one I was dealing with in a particular chapter. Or to care about them enough to worry or wonder what would happen next.



View all my reviews

And the winner is...

Thanks to everyone who entered the contest, and double thanks to people who gave me the names of  new books featuring Heroines of Color. I was not yet aware of. I'm now on a crusade to find them and read.

I was specially pleased to find out about TU Publishing, an imprint of Lee and Low books.  This publisher is specializing in speculative fiction (fantasy, science fiction and mystery) for children and young adults featuring diverse characters and settings in worlds inspired by non-Western folklore or culture. TU published Tankborn, and I'm eagerly waiting for the sequels to find what happens next to these characters.

And now the winner... Sheila.  I'll need your to send me your email or address information so I can get you your ARC.

Summer Reading Program

Today I visited two classes in a local middle school, where the 7/8th grade humanities teacher and I are working to enhance the summer reading program for the kids entering 8th grade next year.  The program is simple--the teacher forms the conduit over the summer. She gets the books first, looks them over, and decides which books would fit best with which of her students. Members of my SCBWI chapter send me copies of their books or eBooks that go to her for initial review and assignment to students.  Students sign up and make a commitment to read at least two of the books before mid-August. They have to write a review and a letter. The reviews will be posted on this blog, the letters will be sent to the authors. Kids who complete their assignments will be invited to an pizza party I will host, and we'll discuss the books. And some of them plan to join me in my disguise as b-writer,  Camp NaNoWriMo.

Come fall, we plan to continue the program with author visits and class discussions.

Today one middle school, tomorrow...who knows.

Interested in having your YA book distributed to one of these teen readers? Make a comment and let me know. I'll be in touch.

Don't forget - May 31 is the last day for the Heroines of Color contest. Leave a comment for a chance to win.