Teen review of "Antigoddess" by Kendare Blake

Antigoddess by Kendare Blake

*This is a review of an Advanced Readers Copy*

Antigoddess was a bit of a wildcard pick for me. I really knew nothing about the story, but I've really been wanting to read Kendare Blake's other novels, Anna Dressed in Blood and Girl of Nightmares. I've heard so many wonderful things about her writing so I jumped on the chance to get a copy. I went in to the story almost completely blind, with only the small amount of knowledge about Greek mythology that I was taught in school. What turned out to be an excellent aspect of the novel was that you don't really have to know anything about Greek mythology. The story is so well crafted that it works and flows together and it all makes sense.

However, the story went at a very slow pace. I had some trouble focusing on what was happening and it took me a while to get through. The problem most likely stems to the amount of characters the novel holds. Jumping between different characters and story lines can be time consuming and so by the time we got to the climax of the plot, the book was over. The lead up took about 17 of the 20 chapters and we only get a taste of the battle that is just beginning. I feel like there was too much time spent talking and not enough time spent doing. That being said, it was incredibly well written. Good writing can make up for so many things, and in this case, it made up for the slow pacing. The writing was very descriptive and especially gory. The author definitely did not shy away from giving us all the details. (A lot of them made me wince while reading.)

Another redeeming aspect was the overall story. It was completely original. We're not getting a retelling of a story or myth. Instead we are getting modernized and dying gods, fighting against each other to ensure their survival. Each god had an affliction that was just so creative and fitting for each iconic figure. And speaking of iconic figures, I absolutely loved that Athena was one of the main protagonists. She is hands down my favorite figure in Greek mythology. She's a goddess of battle, but she's been separated from her original world, as are all the other gods. I thought it gave her more depth and more conflict to her. The idea of setting all these gods in a modern setting and being able to see what they would have become after thousands of years is absolutely fascinating to me. And Kendare Blake did a wonderful job of reimagining each god and the other characters. The only ones I didn't care much for were Cassandra and Aidan, but I got over it. They were essential to the story.

In the end, I enjoyed the overall story and characters. The pacing is something I can look past now that the story is set up and ready for the sequel, which I will most certainly be reading along with the author's other novels. (Her gory and sometimes frightening descriptions in this book have me excited to see what she does with the horror genre.) This series definitely has promise.

- Caroline

Review also available on The Attic blog

Awesome books released this week!

This is too much. I can't handle it. I just can't handle all the amazing new books that are out on the shelves this week! New series, continuations of already existing series, graphic novels, and even a couple (GASP!) stand-alone books. Are you an Ellen Hopkins fan? Her latest, Smoke, is the sequel to Burned. Looking for a truly scary read? Try Robin Wasserman's The Waking Dark. Do you enjoy books that incorporate mythology? Pick up Antigoddess by Kendare Blake (Greek mythology) or The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White (Egyptian mythology). Are you a nerdfighter? Perhaps you'll enjoy Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I loved her previous book, Eleanor & Park, and can't wait to read this one. Keep reading to see what else is out this week:

Antigoddess by Kendare Blake
Athena and Hermes' search for the cause of their unexpected, life-threatening illnesses leads them to Cassandra, a former prophetess, who may be key to a war started by Hera and other Olympians who have become corrupt anti-gods determined to destroy their rivals.

The Waking Dark by Robin Wasserman
After a series of suicide-killings and a deadly storm, the residents of the town of Oleander, Kansas, start acting even more strangely than would be expected. Only the five witnesses of the murders retain their sound minds, and must band together to save the town from whatever has come over it.

Monsters by Ilsa J. Bick
The final book in the Ashes trilogy! Have you read Ashes and Shadows yet? Alex and Tom's future is uncertain as they continue the struggle to survive in a post-apocalyptic world, and their lives are threatened by the Changed and other human survivors.

Boxers & Saints 1: Boxers by Gene Luen Yang
China ,1898. Bands of foreign missionaries and soldiers roam the countryside, bullying and robbing Chinese peasants. Little Bao has had enough. Harnessing the powers of ancient Chinese gods, he recruits an army of Boxers--commoners trained in kung-fu--who fight to free China from "foreign devils". Against all odds, the grass roots rebellion is violently successful. But nothing is simple. Little Bao is fighting for the glory of China, but at what cost? So many are dying, including thousands of "secondary devils"--Chinese citizens who have converted to Christianity.

Boxers & Saints 2: Saints by Gene Luen Yang
China, 1898. An unwanted an unwelcome fourth daughter, Four-Girl isn't even given a proper name by her family when she's born. She finally finds friendship--and a name, Vibiana--in the most likely of places: Christianity. But China is a dangerous place for Christians. The Boxer Rebellion is in full swing, and bands of young men roam the countryside, murdering Westerners and Chinese Christians alike. Torn between her nation and her Christian friends, Vibiana will have to decide where her true loyalties lie...and whether she is willing to die for her faith.

Living with Jackie Chan by Jo Knowles
This is a companion novel to the book Jumping off Swings. This isn't how Josh expected to spend senior year. He thought he'd be hanging out with his best friends, Dave and Caleb, driving around, partying, just like always. But here he is, miles from home--going to a new school, living with his Jackie Chan-obsessed uncle, Larry. Trying to forget. But Josh can't forget. So many things bring back memories of last year and the night that changed everything. He thinks about it every day. The pain, the shame, the just not knowing are never far from his thoughts. Why is he such a loser? How could he have done what he did? There are moments of peace, like when he's practicing karate paired with Stella, the girl upstairs and his one true friend. When they move together through the katas, Josh feels connected in a way he has never felt before. He wonders if they could be more than friends, but Stella's jealous boyfriend will make sure that doesn't happen. Maybe it doesn't matter. If Stella knew the truth, would she still think he was a true karate man?

More Than This by Patrick Ness
A boy named Seth drowns, losing his life as the pounding sea claims him. But then he wakes. He is naked, thirsty, starving. But alive. How is that possible? He remembers dying. So how is he here? And where is this place? It looks like the suburban English town where he lived as a child, before an unthinkable tragedy happened and his family moved to America. But the neighborhood around his old house is overgrown, covered in dust, and completely abandoned. What's going on? And why is it that whenever he closes his eyes, he falls prey to vivid, agonizing memories that seem more real than the world around him? Seth begins a search for answers, hoping that he might not be alone, trapped in a crumbling, abandoned world.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
Feeling cast off when her best friend outgrows their shared love for a favorite celebrity, Cath, a dedicated fan-fiction writer, struggles to survive on her own in her first year of college while avoiding a surly roommate, bonding with a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words and worrying about her fragile father. 

The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White
Sixteen-year-old Isadora, the mortal daughter of Isis and Osiris, is sick of being in the middle of family drama so she jumps at the chance to leave Egypt and start a new life in San Diego with her brother. 

Smoke by Ellen Hopkins
After the death of her abusive father and loss of her beloved Ethan and their unborn child, Pattyn runs away, desperately seeking peace, as her younger sister, a sophomore in high school, also tries to put the pieces of her life back together. 

Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein
A companion novel to Code Name Verity. When young American pilot Rose Justice is captured by Nazis and sent to Ravensbrück, the notorious women's concentration camp, she finds hope in the impossible through the loyalty, bravery, and friendship of her fellow prisoners. 

Teen review of "Incarnate" by Jodi Meadows

Welcome to our new Teen Reviewer, Caroline! Caroline also blogs at The Attic (YA book reviews) and The Sleuth (a Nancy Drew fan blog). 
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Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

Another one of those books that is causing me to ask myself, why did I take so long to read this?! It was always one of those "maybe" books for me since it came out, and I just happened to find it on sale and grabbed a copy. What I was expecting was an interesting story involving reincarnation and dragons. What I wasn't expecting was that it would have excellent world building, characters, and be full of music.

The setting of Incarnate is a character unto itself. Range and the city of Heart are this mix between the present, a fantasy world full of mystical creatures like dragons and centaurs, and futuristic technology (i.e. laser guns.) And it completely worked. To me, there are some genres that are hard to write and get right, and fantasy is one of them. There is so much that could go wrong when crafting a complex universe like the one in Incarnate. I have to applaud the author for not only making it all work together, but for making it a world I want to live in.

And not only is the world building excellent, but so is the character development. I really liked Ana as the main character. She doesn't start out the strong heroine that everyone loves to read about. She had a sheltered and abusive upbringing that causes her to be cautious of everyone and everything, but she evolves throughout the novel. Even though I do enjoy main characters who know what they want and will do anything to get it, I thought Ana was realistic. Most people don't start out like that-- they have to work towards it. And of course, our love interest Sam is the one who gets her to the point of which she can fend for herself. There's kind of an insta-romance between them, but it didn't really bother me that much. It made sense to me later on in the novel, but spoilers! I won't tell you why. You can figure it out.

Overall, Incarnate has a slower pace to it, but I don't really think it took away from the story. I really enjoyed getting to all everyone and getting engrossed in the world of Range. The plot is shrouded in enough mystery that it kept my brain constantly involved in what was going on. And the music. There is so much music woven into the story and I absolutely loved it. So, in the end, once I was done kicking myself for not reading it sooner, I very much enjoyed this novel. Especially the ending. It ended with just enough of a cliff hanger to make me want more, but not too much to make my mind melt. Well done, Jodi Meadows. Well done.

- Caroline

This review is also available on The Attic blog.

Teen Gaming Club news

The next meeting of the Teen Gaming Club is Saturday, September 7, from 2-4 p.m. I am happy to share that from now on we will have three different consoles available: Wii, PS3, and XBOX 360 (with Kinect). We have four standard controllers for each console. Feel free to bring in your own games to play!

Also, the library will be hosting a big International Games Day event on November 16 from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. We will have games set up in the Meeting and Craft rooms for all ages -- videogames, card games, and board games. I'm looking for teens to help plan or volunteer at the event. If you are interested let me know!

Book Bite: "City of Bones"

"I was laughing at you because declarations of love amuse me, especially when unrequited. And because your Simon is one of the most mundane mundanes I’ve ever encountered. And because Hodge thought you might be dangerous, but if you are, you certainly don’t know it."

- Jace to Clary, City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (2007)

City of Bones buttons

These are some buttons I made for the City of Bones Movie Release Party this weekend: angelic power runes and "Shadowhunters: Looking Better in Black Than the Widows of our Enemies Since 1234." At the party even more runes will be available for you to make into buttons, or you can design your own.

Have you seen the movie already? How does it compare to the book?

City of Memes

Have you registered for our City of Bones Movie Release Party yet? The party is Saturday, August 24 at 2:30 p.m. in the Meeting Room of the Dundee Library. We'll make runes buttons, answer trivia questions, and even give away a movie poster!

On the official Mortal Instruments: City of Bones website, fans are able to create their own memes featuring the images of Jace, Clary, Alec, Simon, Isabelle, Valentine, and more from the film. Go to the Extras section and click on City of Memes. Select your image, and then add text! Here are some memes I created... It's hard to stop once you start making them!

 

 And one last meme, featuring Simon Lewis:

See? You better listen to Simon!!

Register for the City of Bones Movie Release Party!

"Have you fallen in love with the wrong person yet?"
Jace said, "Unfortunately, Lady of the Haven, my one true love remains myself."
..."At least," she said, "you don't have to worry about rejection, Jace Wayland."
"Not necessarily. I turn myself down occasionally, just to keep it interesting.”

- City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Are you ready for The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones? The movie adaptation of Cassandra Clare's book City of Bones is out in theaters August 21. In celebration of all things Shadowhunters, we are having a City of Bones Movie Release Party on Saturday, August 24 at 2:30 p.m.

At the party we'll have trivia questions, runes-related crafts, and more. You'll be able to talk about the books, movie, and meet fellow fans of the series and Cassandra Clare's writing.

Sign up for the party today! Register online, call 847-428-3661, option 3; or stop by the Dundee Library or Randall Oaks Branch Library in person.

Hope to see you there!

Keeping up with teen series: New releases

Here are some recent releases that are also part of a series.

Shadow of the Mark by Leigh Fallon
Sequel to Carrier of the Mark. As the power of the Air element continues to grow in sixteen-year-old Megan, she learns that her relationship with Adam DeRis--and the combined power of their elements--could ultimately cause widespread destruction.

The Saints by Lex Thomas
Next in the Quarantine series, following The Loners. The world inside an infected Colorado high school quarantined by the government takes a startling turn for the worse when a new gang enters the school and starts gaining power. 

I Am Number Four: The Lost Files: Secret Histories by Pittacus Lore
A collection of three novellas in the Lorien Legacies series, featuring the Mogadorians. The Fall of Five is out August 27!

Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins
Follow up to Sweet Evil. An unexpected lost message from the angels surfaces, and sweet Southern girl Anna, daughter of a guardian angel and a fallen one, finds herself traveling the globe in an attempt to gain support for her cause from fellow Nephilim. Meanwhile, her true love, Kaiden Rowe, the son of the Duke of Lust, is plaguing her heart and mind.

I'm With Stupid by Geoff Herbach
Third book in the Stupid Fast series, following Stupid Fast and Nothing Special. It's nerd-turned-jock Felton Reinstein's last year before college, and the choices he makes now will affect the rest of his life. That's a lot of pressure. Before leaving home forever, Felton will have to figure out just who he is, even if, sometimes, it sucks to be him.

Thirst: The Sacred Veil by Christopher Pike
The final book in the Thirst series. Alisa's memories have been lost. She and her friends are searching for a sacred artifact which is an ancient veil that may hold the key to mankind's salvation.

Neferet's Curse by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
For fans of the House of Night series, this novella tells Nerferet's backstory.

The Sacrifice by Charlie Higson
Fourth book in the Enemy zombie series. Follows the dual storylines of Small Sam on his search for Ella and of Shadowman's discoveries about Saint George and the Disease itself.

Seven Minutes in Heaven by Sara Shepard
Sixth book in the Lying Game series. Sutton Mercer had the perfect life, great friends, and a gorgeous boyfriend...until someone murdered her. Then the killer forced Sutton's long-lost twin sister, Emma, to pretend to be her. Now Sutton can only watch from beyond the grave as Emma frantically tries to figure out who killed her sister, and why. But when Sutton's body is discovered, Emma's time is up--and she becomes the number-one suspect herself.

Spirit and Dust by Rosemary Clement-Moore
Follow up to Texas Gothic. Waking up in a mob boss's guest bedroom, psychic detective Daisy Goodnight is forced to use her ability to speak with ghosts in order to search throughout the country to locate her captor's daughter and discover the identity of the Black Jackal.

The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa
Second book in the Blood of Eden series. Follows The Immortal Rules. Cast out of Eden and separated from the boy she dared to love, Allie will follow the call of blood to save her creator, Kanin, from the psychotic vampire Sarren. But when the trail leads to Allie's birthplace in New Covington, what Allie finds there will change the world forever--and possibly end human and vampire existence.

New books to read during the last weeks of summer break

Out of this Place by Emma Cameron A powerful novel in verse captures the voices of three teens as they struggle against hardscrabble realities -- and move toward their dreams. Set in Australia and narrated in alternating points of view, here is an affecting look at the evolving lives of three friends. A powerful novel in verse captures the voices of three teens as they struggle against hardscrabble realities -- and move toward their dreams. A powerful novel in verse captures the voices of three teens as they struggle against hardscrabble realities -- and move toward their dreams. - See more at: http://frvpld.bibliocommons.com/item/show/2258850035_out_of_this_place#sthash.JhI2St2r.dpuf	September Girls by Bennett Madison Vacationing in a sleepy beach town for the summer, Sam is pursued by hordes of blonde girls before falling in love with the unusual DeeDee, who compels him to uncover secrets about the community's ocean-dwelling inhabitants.
A Trick of the Light by Lois Metzger Fifteen-year-old Mike desperately attempts to take control as his parents separate and his life falls apart.	Truth or Dare by Jacqueline Green In the affluent seaside town of Echo Bay, Massachusetts, mysterious dares sent to three very different girls--loner Sydney Morgan, Caitlin "Angel" Thomas, and beautiful Tenley Reed--threaten both their reputations and their lives.
Furious by Jill Wolfson After becoming the Furies of Greek mythology, three angry high school girls take revenge on everyone who deserves it.	The Secret Ingredient by Stewart Lewis After a chance meeting with a psychic, Olivia, a teen cook living in Los Angeles with her two dads and misfit brother, finds a vintage cookbook with handwritten notes inside and pieces together a story that turns a normal summer into a search for her birth mother.
How My Summer Went Up in Flames by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski Placed under a temporary retstraining order for torching her former boyfriend's car, seventeen-year-old Rosie embarks on a cross-country car trip from New Jersey to Arizona while waiting for her court appearance.	Riptide by Lindsey Scheibe While training for a surfing competition to earn a college scholarship, Grace Parker struggles with her feelings toward her best friend Ford Watson and tries to conceal her family's toxic dynamics.
The Language Inside by Holly Thompson Raised in Japan, American-born tenth-grader Emma is disconcerted by a move to Massachusetts for her mother's breast cancer treatment, because half of Emma's heart remains with her friends recovering from the tsunami.	Absent by Katie Williams Seventeen-year-old Paige Wheeler died in a fall off the high school roof and now her spirit seems bound to the school grounds, along with Brooke and Evan, two other teen ghosts who died there--but maybe if she can solve the mystery of her apparent suicide they will all be able to move on.
Golden by Jessi Kirby Seventeen-year-old Parker Frost has never taken the road less traveled. Valedictorian and quintessential good girl, she's about to graduate high school without ever having kissed her crush or broken the rules. So when fate drops a clue in her lap--one that might be the key to unraveling a town mystery--she decides to take a chance.	When You Were Here by Daisy Whitney When his mother dies two months before his high school graduation, Danny goes to Tokyo, where his mother had been going for cancer treatments, to learn about the city his mother loved and, with the help of his friends, come to terms with her death.
The Milk of Birds by Sylvia Whitman When a nonprofit organization called Save the Girls pairs a fourteen-year-old Sudanese refugee with an American teenager from Richmond, Virginia, the pen pals teach each other compassion and share a bond that bridges two continents.	Kindness for Weakness by Shawn Goodman A fifteen-year-old boy from an abusive home, desperately seeking his older brother's love and approval, starts pushing drugs for him and suffers the consequences.
A Matter of Days by Amber Kizer In the not-too-distant future when a global pandemic kills most of humanity, a teenaged girl and her younger brother struggle to survive.	45 Pounds (More or Less) by K.A. Barson When Ann decides that she is going to lose 45 pounds in time for her aunt's wedding, she discovers that what she looks like is not all that matters.
Identity Theft by Anna Davies Someone claiming to be Hayley posts incriminating photographs of her online, jeopardizing her chance at a college scholarship, but when the photographs reveal dark secrets in her family's past, Hayley learns her very life is at stake.	Nix Minus One by Jill Maclean More skilled at woodworking than communicating, Nix Humbolt seeks the words to deal with high school expectations, his extroverted sister, and his neighbor's neglected dog.
Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg Tired of being known as "the gay kid", Rafe Goldberg decides to assume a new persona when he comes east and enters an elite Massachusetts prep school--but trying to deny his identity has both complications and unexpected consequences.	The Boy on the Bridge by Natalie Standiford It is 1982 and nineteen-year-old Laura Reid is spending a semester in Leningrad studying Russian, but when she meets Alyosha she discovers the dissident Russia--a world of wild parties, underground books and music, love, and constant danger.
Belle Epoque by Elizabeth Ross Sixteen-year-old Maude Pichon, a plain, impoverished girl in Belle Epoque Paris, is hired by Countess Dubern to make her headstrong daughter, Isabelle, look more beautiful by comparison but soon Maude is enmeshed in a tangle of love, friendship, and deception.	The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die by April Henry She doesn't know who she is. She doesn't know where she is, or why. All she knows when she comes to in a ransacked cabin is that there are two men arguing over whether or not to kill her. And that she must run. Follow Cady and Ty (her accidental savior turned companion), as they race against the clock to stay alive.
The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler Jude has learned a lot from her older sisters, but the most important thing is this: The Vargas brothers are notorious heartbreakers. But as Jude begins to fall for Emilio Vargas, she begins to wonder if her sisters were wrong.

Plus these books kick off new series:

The Fury by Alexander Gordon Smith
By the author of the Escape from Furnace series! To defend themselves, a ragtag group of teens bands together at an abandoned amusement park after one day when, without warning, the entire human race turns against them.

Boy Nobody by Allen Zadoff
Sixteen-year-old Boy Nobody, an assassin controlled by a shadowy government organization, The Program, considers sabotaging his latest mission because his target reminds him of the normal life he craves.

Earth Bound by Aprilynne Pike
Eighteen-year-old Tavia is the only survivor of a plane crash that killed her parents. Grieving and lonely, she starts having strange visions; of a boy she's never met but feels compulsively drawn to. A boy who tells her to do things she never dreamed of. Tavia begins to suspect that secrets are being kept from her, and that her kindly aunt and uncle know more than they are letting on. Was the plane crash really an accident? Or is Tavia part of something bigger than she ever imagined?

In the After by Demitria Lunetta
In a post-apocalyptic world where nothing is as it seems, seventeen-year-old Amy and Baby, a child she found while scavenging, struggle to survive while vicious, predatory creatures from another planet roam the Earth.