Teen review of "Etiquette & Espionage" by Gail Carriger

Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger
RANDALL OAKS TEEN CARRIGER

I really love steampunk, so I’m always looking out for good steampunk YA.When I first saw Etiquette & Espionage, I knew I had to get it. I’ve been wanting to read Gail Carriger’s Parasol Protectorate series, and this being a prequel of sorts, I just couldn’t resist. And if the Parasol Protectorate books are anything like Etiquette & Espionage, I’m going to have to read those really soon.

All the steampunk I’ve read so far has been either quite dark or some elements of steampunk are there, but not much. Compared to those other titles, Etiquette & Espionage blows them out of the water. Everything was so whimsical and fantastic! The names were absolutely ridiculous and I just loved reading them (favorite: Lord Dingleproops). The language was just impeccable and unlike anything I’ve ever read. The setting had everything a steampunk novel needs, from giant floating dirigibles, to automatons, to mechanimals. That’s right, our main character befriends a tiny steampunk patchwork dachshund, which she names Bumbersnoot. He was by far my favorite character.

And speaking of characters, I absolutely adored Sophronia. She’s highly intelligent and funny with knack for getting in and out of trouble. Her entrance at the very beginning of the novel is by far one of my favorite beginnings of a book ever. I mean, she comes tumbling out of a dumb-waiter, accidentally launching pudding into the air. It’s just–it’s just great. I also loved the idea for the finishing school. It was just so amusing to me! Girls are learning to become proper ladies, working on curtsies and dancing and other forms of etiquette, while also learning how to become intelligencers. I just found this to be hilarious for some reason.

In order to finish, you have to complete a mission. Of course, one of the older girls, Monique, doesn’t exactly finish, and that’s where Sophronia and her friend Dimity come in. I loved the mystery of it and the lengths that Sophronia went to find this mysterious device that Monique hid, causing her mission to fail. The relationship between those two was infuriating as it was amusing.

All in all, Etiquette & Espionage was one of the most delightful books I have ever read. I was laughing and smiling so much that after a while, my face kind of began to hurt. If you love steampunk and incredible amounts of whimsy, then definitely pick up a copy. You won’t regret it.

- Caroline
Originally posted on The Attic blog.

New books to read over Spring Break

	Divergent: Official Illustrated Movie Companion by Kate Egan Veronica Roth's #1 New York Times bestselling novel Divergent is now a major motion picture starring Shailene Woodley, Theo James, and Kate Winslet! With never-before-seen photos; personal interviews with the directors, actors, and writers; and exclusive extras, this lush, oversize volume is a true behind-the-scenes look at the filming of Divergent.
	Panic by Lauren Oliver In the poor town of Carp, New York, a group of teens enters a high-stakes game that involves a series of secretive, possibly deadly challenges throughout the summer, with the winner receiving more than $50,000--enough money to start a new life.
	The Glass Casket by McCormick Templeman After the brutal murder of her cousin, everything changes for sixteen-year-old Rowan, who must not only seek the evil forces responsible before they destroy her family and village, but also set aside her studies when she becomes betrothed to her best friend, Tom. Sequel to The Little Woods.
	Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith Austin Szerba narrates the end of humanity as he and his best friend Robby accidentally unleash an army of giant, unstoppable bugs and uncover the secrets of a decades-old experiment gone terribly wrong.
	The Tyrant's Daughter by J.C. Carleson Exiled to the United States after her father, a Middle Eastern dictator, is killed in a coup, fifteen-year-old Laila must cope with a completely new way of life, the truth of her father's regime, and her mother and brother's ways of adjusting.
	The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski An aristocratic girl who is a member of a warmongering and enslaving empire purchases a slave, an act that sets in motion a rebellion that might overthrow her world as well as her heart.
	Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg Macallan and Levi are best friends from the first day they meet in seventh grade, but over the years their close friendship keeps interfering with their dating life because everyone else regards them as a couple.
	Forever by Karen Ann Hopkins Now that Rose is pregnant by her love, Amish boy Noah, she hopes that nothing can tear them apart, but in order to achieve their "happily-ever-after," they must handle the repercussions of past mistakes. Third in a series, following Temptation and Belonging.
	This Star Won't Go Out: The Life and Words of Esther Grace Earl by Esther Earl A memoir told through the journals, letters, and stories of young cancer patient Esther Earl.
	Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin Takes an honest look at the life, love, and struggles of transgender teens. Author and photographer Susan Kuklin met and interviewed six transgender or gender-neutral young adults and used her considerable skills to represent them thoughtfully and respectfully before, during, and after their personal acknowledgment of gender preference.
	Bright Before Sunrise by Tiffany Schmidt Jonah and Brighton are about to have the most awkwardly awful night of their lives. For Jonah, every aspect of his new life reminds him of what he has had to give up. All he wants is to be left alone. Brighton is popular, pretty, and always there to help anyone, but has no idea of what she wants for herself.
	Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge Betrothed to the demon who rules her country and trained all her life to kill him, seventeen-year-old Nyx Triskelion must now fulfill her destiny and move to the castle to be his wife.
	Evertrue by Brodi Ashton Nikki and Jack take on the underworld to free themselves of the Everneath's power. Third in the series, following Everneath and Everbound.
	The In-Between by Barbara Stewart Fourteen-year-old Elanor Moss's suicide attempt leads her family toward a new start in New York, but tragedy strikes before they arrive and while grieving and recovering Ellie meets Madeline Torus, a mysterious girl who becomes more than a best friend--and worst enemy.
	Perfect Lies by Kiersten White Sisters Anie and Fia have had their abilites manipulated by the Keane Foundation for too long--and now they're ready to fight back against the twisted organization that has been using them as pawns. Sequel to Mind Games.
	Third Strike by Heather Brewer Joss is given a mission to eradicate vampires in his home town of Santa Carla, where he will need to protect his family including cousin Henry, who still carries a grudge. Third book in The Slayer Chronicles series.
	Warrior by Ellen Oh Kira, the yellow-eyed demon slayer of Hansong, continues her quest to find the lost treasures of the dragon king's prophecy, save her cousin, the prince, unite her kingdom, and defeat the demon lord. Sequel to Prophecy.
	When I Was the Greatest by Jason Reynolds Ali lives in Bed-Stuy, a Brooklyn neighborhood known for guns and drugs, but he and his sister, Jazz, and their neighbors, Needles and Noodles, stay out of trouble until they go to the wrong party, where one gets badly hurt and another leaves with a target on his back.
	White Hot Kiss by Jennifer Armentrout One kiss could be the last. Seventeen year old Layla just wants to be normal. But with a kiss that kills anything with a soul, she's anything but normal. Half demon, half gargoyle, Layla has abilities no one else possesses. Raised among the Wardens, a race of gargoyles tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe, Layla tries to fit in, but that means hiding her own dark side from those she loves the most.
	The Worlds We Make by Megan Crewe In the conclusion to The Fallen World trilogy, Kaelyn and her friends must protect the cure they have found from deadly enemies while searching for a true safe haven.
	Don't Even Think About It by Sarah Mlynowski What happens when a group of Tribeca high school kids go in for flu shots ... and end up being able to read each others' minds.
	Freak City by Kathrin Schrocke Mika's heart is broken, until he sees Leah. A smart, beautiful, and brave girl, Leah has been deaf since birth. When Mika meets her for the first time, he feels something electric. They cannot communicate, so Mika decides to take a sign language course. His family and friends are skeptical, and Mika soon grows weary, too. The world of deaf people is so much different than his own. Can their two worlds intersect? There is also Sandra, Mika's ex-girlfriend, who he cannot seem to get over. But Mika cannot shake that Leah has captured his heart...Author Kathrin Schrocke tells the story of two teens and their tender, quirky love--a love so extraordinary it can bring two worlds together.
	Steadfast by Claudia Gray Nadia must stop the evil sorceress Elizabeth before she lures the One Beneath to Captive's Sound, destroying the town and everyone Nadia holds dear at the same time. Sequel to Spellcaster.
	Year of Mistaken Discoveries by Eileen Cook Partnered with a boy named Brody, high school senior Avery embarks on a class project to find her birth mother, after Avery's former best friend, also adopted, dies.

"Divergent Fans" program on Monday, March 24!

Divergent is now in movie theaters! Are you excited to see Tris and Four on the big screen? Come to our Divergent Fans program at the library on Monday, March 24 at 3 p.m. Discuss the book and movie with other fans, choose a faction, and win prizes by answering trivia questions.

Meanwhile, the teen area is Divergent Central! There is a display with Dauntless character posters and quotes from the book:

Also, if you've read the Divergent series (or are currently on hold for one or more of the books in the series) and are looking for other books you may like, check out the teen display:

If you enjoy dystopian reads, sci-fi, action/adventure, or books with a strong protagonist, try out one of the books here.

Teen review of "In the Shadow of Blackbirds" by Cat Winters

In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters
TEEN WINTERS

I love anything that has to do with ghosts, especially when the story is set near the turn of the last century. The spiritualism movement of the 1900′s is one that always fascinates me, and In the Shadow of Blackbirds sets the perfect backdrop for its story. Not only is it World War I, but the Spanish influenza is in full swing and death is abundant.

The area of spiritualism that the book focuses on is that of spirit photography. People would wait for hours to get their picture taken with the spirit of a deceased loved one.

Now, pretty much all those photos were fake. Photographers would use a technique called double exposure, where they would take a plate with the image of the “ghost” and use it again, creating the transparent figure. You can obviously tell that I find the subject to be fascinating.I loved that the author chose this particular time frame to set it all in. With the war and the flu, people were growing desperate for any kind of comfort that the ones they lost still lived on. And I haven’t really seen many young adult novels tackle this subject before, let alone be set during World War I.

I was surprised at how easily I fell into the pages of the story. Unlike some other historical novels I’ve read, this one didn’t feel too far removed for me to sink into. It also helps that I loved the main character. Mary Shelley was a complex and eclectic character, from her name to her goggles that could “show her the future.” She doesn’t believe in spirits at the beginning, and of course doesn’t believe that spirit photography is a real thing. She’s based in science. But then she falls into circumstances that require her to question if spirits are real, and what can she do to help those who need her to. That’s all I’ll say though. Spoilers!

Cat Winters does an excellent job of capturing that creeping eerie-ness of the spirit realm, and the fear and desperation of those willing to push through to it. There were many scenes that sent chills down my spine, which is high praise coming from someone who reads books like these all the time. And the story had elements of mystery to it that I really enjoyed trying to solve. I just can’t get over how wonderfully creepy and thought-provoking In the Shadow of Blackbirds was. I definitely can’t wait to see what else Cat Winters will write.

- Caroline
Originally posted on The Attic blog

Teen review of "Divergent" by Veronica Roth: Read the book before the movie!

When I finished re-reading Divergent the other day, I was wondering what made me buy it in the first place: I didn’t know it would become a hyped up movie, or even a bestseller. Regardless, I’m glad I did! This book is for boys and girls, for action lovers and romantics, for teens and adults. Many would say it’s the next “Hunger Games” (especially with a movie franchise on the way), and while both are great dystopias, Divergent is no knock-off. The plot is able to hold its own with well-developed and unique characters.

Divergent is the narrative of a 16-year old girl living in a futuristic Chicago. In this society, there are five different “factions” that hold a high regard for a certain personality trait. For example, the main character, Beatrice, is born into the “Abnegation” who value selflessness. They appear as plain as possible, wearing gray clothes and simple hairstyles, all as an attempt to forget themselves as they focus on helping others. The other factions value traits such as honesty, bravery, peacefulness, and intelligence. When someone reaches their sixteenth birthday, they may decide which faction they would like to be in for the remainder of their lives- a choice that may leave their old faction feeling bitter and betrayed.

And while it seems like life is simple enough, initiation can be incredibly challenging and pushes these teens to their limits. The threat of becoming “factionless” – a fate some call worse than death- looms constantly over the initiate’s heads. As faults in the system become exposed, rebellion lurks beneath the surface of a deceptively organized society. Those who are not easily defined by one of these five traits are called “divergent” and threaten the simplicity of this society. Power hungry leaders will do anything it takes to suppress these independent minds in order to remain in charge.

This book is definitely a page turner, and not too out-there for those wary of sci-fi. The characters are very realistic and have their flaws, as in real life, no one can be defined as only good or only bad. Intricate relationships are formed and sometimes-fatal mistakes are made, all of which make for a compelling tale. Roth seamlessly transitions from light hearted and humorous scenes into tense, edgy ones. The climax is gripping, non-stop, and will leave you wanting more. Luckily, Divergent is part of a trilogy including Insurgent, and the recently released Allegiant. The movie starring Shailene Woodley (soon to star as Hazel in The Fault in Our Stars) will be released March 21st, and I recommend reading the book before seeing it!

Interesting side note: The author, Veronica Roth, 25, grew up in the nearby town of Barrington, and attended the prestigious Northwestern University to study creative writing. She started the book during winter break her senior year, and sold the movie rights before she even graduated.

For more info and trailers on the movie, check out http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1840309/?ref_=nv_sr_1

- E.M.