Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann

Feb. 2011/240 pgs.

About the Book: Cryer's Cross is a small town in Montana (population 212). So when a freshman girl goes missing at the beginning of the summer, the town is thrown into a tailspin. The news especially upsets Kendall, who can't handle the worry with her OCD. When a second student goes missing and this time it's someone close to Kendall, Kendall isn't sure how she can handle it all. When she starts to hear the voices of the missing calling to her and notices messages scratched into a desk, she wonders if there's something dark at work in Cryer's Cross.

Sarah Teenlibrarian: As I've mentioned before, I don't do horror. Scary stories and Sarah do not mix. But I felt like I needed to give this book a shot for a couple of reasons: 1) I wasn't a fan of Ms. McMann's previous works (Wake, Fade and Gone) but really wanted to find something good this time around, and 2) I was attending a event she was speaking at during ALA and I felt like I should read this book before I went. (Those publishers know how to guilt librarians into reading!)

This one's described as a horror, but I never found it. Me, who can't handle the smallest scare, didn't think this book was scary or creepy at all. I think that's because the horror aspect isn't ever really there and when it's thrown in at the end, it happens too soon to have any real effect at all.

There was too much going on in this short book. Kendall has OCD, which seems to come and go at times as the author's way of explaning Kendall's quirks, but I never really got why it was important for us to know she had OCD. After hearing Ms. McMann speak, I understand that she put it in for her daughter, who also has OCD, and she wanted to feature a character where it wasn't the main focus but another aspect of the character. A good idea, but it never really seems to work the way it's intended and for reader's without this knowledge of the author's intent it might seem odd and out of place.

There's romance, but it seemed somewhat forced. I also had some issues with the way the romance was handled (spoilery issues, so I won't post too much here). There was almost a love triangle but the author writes an easy way out which really bugged me.

The mystery feels like it's second string to the main story and I'm not even sure what the main story was supposed to be. Sometimes we have a story about Kendall and her OCD, sometimes it's a story about Kendall, a girl who wants to study dance at Julliard, other times it's about Kendall the soccer player or Kendall the girl worried about the missing teens or Kendall who isn't sure what to think about new boy Jacian. The book as a whole never felt like it all worked together-it was choppy mini stories trying to make it together and it never quite pulls it off.

As for the horror, I just never thought it was there. Maybe some teens will find it gripping and compelling, but it wasn't any creepier than R.L. Stine. And the way everything is wrapped up in the end is rushed, never explained fully and comes out of the blue. The premise is good, but the execution isn't what I had hoped.

On the plus side, I thought the writing was better this time around and I do have hope for Ms. McMann's future works-this one just wasn't for me. I do think it'll fly off the shelves like her previous books, especially with teens looking for a fast, short read.

Other Goose by J. Otto Seibold

2010/69 pages

About the Book: Mother Goose was a human, so what does she know about geese? And she wrote her rhymes so long ago, what good are they now? So Other Goose (who is really an actual goose) is taking Mother Goose's rhymes and re-rhyming them to give them an updated spin. It's Mother Goose like you've never seen before!

Sarah Teenlibrarian Says: I'm a big fan of J. Otto Seibold's Olive, the Other Reindeer, so I knew I had to get my hands on this one!

The artwork is typical Seibold-quirky cuttouts that almost look like mosaics with odd characters and places. The pictures are bright and colorful and fun to look at.

The rhymes on the other hand were a little lacking. I think I was hoping for something more along the lines of Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith's Squids Will Be Squids and The Stinky Cheese Man. Some of the rhymes are cute, but not all that modernized or funny. The only one I really liked was "Blah, Blah, Blacksheep" which did make me laugh. The other rhymes were quirky and silly (which I expected) but I really thought I'd laugh more with this book.

The art is worth a look and the book is packaged beautifully. I just wanted a bit more to make me laugh.

Bloodsucking Fiends by Christopher Moore

1995/304 pgs.

About the Book: Jody is a young single woman living in San Francisco. As she's heading home one night, she's attacked by a vampire and discovers she's been turned into one as well. Since she can no longer go out in the daytime, she decides to hire an assistant. Enter C. Thomas Flood, a young aspiring writer fresh off the bus from Indiana. He accepts Jody's job offer (and finds himself with a growing attraction to his new boss). But a mysterious string of murders is following Tommy and Jody around and someone is making it look like they're to blame. With the help of Tommy's grocery story night shift co-workers and a mysterious man known as "the Emperor" Jody and Tommy work to solve the mystery before they get framed.

Sarah Teenlibrarian Says: I picked this one up thanks to my upcoming adult lit class this semester. This novel counted as one of my "horror" picks and since that's a genre I tend to shy away from, I figured I could use something that had horror aspects, but still had some humor.

I've never read any Christopher Moore's books, even though I've been told to by several co-workers, and I have to admit I should have listened to them earlier. There were many laugh out loud moments in Bloodsucking Fiends and I was thoroughly engrossed in the story. Even though the thought of another vampire novel makes me roll my eyes, this one had a bit of everything so it kept me entertained. There's mystery, humor, romance, horror, satire-I think fans who typically read outside of any of those genres could easily pick Bloodsucking Fiends up and find something they enjoy about it. It made me want to pick up the two follow up books as well.

I listened to it on audio and I really enjoyed the narrator who gave a multiple voice performance. The humor came through on audio and it worked well in this format. I listened to it on a car ride with my husband and we both enjoyed it (which isn't always easy with us!) so I think it has a wide appeal.

The only issue I noticed was that while contemporary, there were a few minor things that dated the book. Tommy carries around a typewriter to write his novel one, Jody uses a payphone to call for help and calls collect, and Tommy's family is worried he's a communist. It really made me notice how simple things can date a novel very quickly, although these things can be easily overlooked.

Prom & Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg

Jan. 2011/231 pgs.

About the Book: (from publicist) Lizzie Bennet, who attends Longbourn Academy on scholarship, isn't exactly interested in designer dresses and expensive shoes, but her best friend, Jane, might be—especially now that Charles Bingley is back from a semester in London. Lizzie is happy about her friend's burgeoning romance, but less than impressed by Will Darcy, a pompous jerk who looks down on the middle class. So imagine Lizzie's surprise when Will asks her to the prom! Will Lizzie's pride and Will's prejudice keep them apart? Or are they a prom couple in the making? From Elizabeth Eulberg comes a very funny, completely stylish prom season delight of Jane Austen proportions.

Sarah Teen LibrarianSays: Prom and Prejudice is a cute, light retelling of the classic Pride and Prejudice. If you have readers who enjoyed the original, this will most likely circulate well among them.

The book stays true to the original which is both good and bad. I would have liked to see a bit more originality but instead at times it felt as though the author was making sure she got in every detail from Austen's book. Because of this we don't seem to get a lot of character development. This is more for fans of the original and readers who know the original storyline.

The characters aren't developed much. I knew who they were because of the original story, but readers not familiar with the classic might have some trouble. There's not a lot of a relationship developed between Lizzie and Will and I was left a bit frustrated because I didn't really ever know what it was they saw in each other. This was what made the book as a whole not work. While there are moments that I liked, as a whole it felt like the author was trying to hard to carbon copy Pride & Prejudice, only in a modern setting. The school "prom" that is supposed to help drive the story only makes apperances when it's necessary to the plot and to remind readers of the title, but there's very little with the prom at all, which might be disappointing to readers looking for a book about the famed school dance.

The author does take good care of the story and Austen fans will appreciate that Elizabeth Eulberg is a fellow fan. The romance is light and the book's modern take has a bit of a "Gossip Girl" feel to it. It's a quick read and I would recommend it to readers who are already fans of Jane Austen. It would be a cute book to read for a book club along with the original to compare versions. I know my teens are going to love it-it won't stay on my library shelf for long!

Wishful Thinking by Alexandra Bullen

2011/242 pgs.

About the Book: Hazel has never had a mother. Adopted as a baby, her adoptive mother died shortly after and Hazel was shuffled from relative to relative growing up without a true home. So when Hazel is granted a gift of magic dresses with the power to make wishes come true, Hazel wishes she had gotten the chance to know her birth mother. Now she's transported to a time where she can make everything right. But will her journey to the past forever change her future?

Sarah TeenLibrarian Says: Wishful Thinking is a lovely magical book. The story has the feel of a fairy tale and it's a quick read-perfect for a blustery winter day when you want to curl up with a magic tale. It's a quiet book-there's not a ton of action, but there is magic and a sweet romance and readers looking for a lighter romance are sure to enjoy it.

Hazel is a character that you can easily like-she could be a depressing character who is down on herself, but instead she remains positive although sometimes a bit naive. The story moves very quickly and it doesn't take long for Hazel to get her dresses and start making her wishes. The result is a story of a girl finding the family she always longed for-although maybe not in the way she always expected.

Hazel finds herself on the island of Martha's Vineyard (a magical place itself) and the people she ends up with are a group of people I would happily spend time with. I wanted to go to their parties and hang out on the beach with them-the cast of characters is one you'll want to step inside the book and be a part of.

There are some plot twists that while I figured out early on, were still well done. I'm glad they were there-it kept the story from being too cookie-cutter. Hazel has a interest in photography and it's her time on the island that helps her develop her skills. She's given support and encouraged, but it never comes across as cheesy. Even Hazel's storyline with wanting to meet her mom could have gotten a bit cheesy but it never does. Instead it's a sweet beautiful story about a girl and her three wishes.

Wishful Thinking is a companion novel to Wish, but each book can stand on it's own and it's not necessary to read them in any order. Wishful Thinking is perfect for fairy tale fans and readers who want a little magic in their stories.

Prince Caspian

Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis - written in 1949 and published in 1951 (223 pages).

This sequel to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (The Chronicles of Narnia) continues the story of Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy who once discovered a magical land through a wardrobe door. In this book, the children meet Prince Caspian, who is king by birth, but denied his throne by his devious uncle. Fleeing for his life, Caspian unites with the hidden creatures of the land of Narnia; talking beasts, dwarves, fawns, a giant, and others including Aslan, the great lion. Caspian, the children, and the Narnians join together to win back the kingdom in this classic tale of good versus evil written for children but to be enjoyed over and over by all ages.

Hellsing: Volume 1

by Kohta Hirano, 204 pages

When vampires, ghouls, and the like run amok on English soil, the ill-equipped authorities call the experts. And then, if they're smart, they get out of the way, as the experts' pistol-wielding secret weapon has as sharp a tongue as he does teeth and, as a general rule, doesn't hesitate to use either.

Ten years ago, Sir Integra inherited the leadership of the Hellsing organization from her father. She also inherited Alucard (look at that name--now look at it backwards...), the ultimate vampire hunter, product of generations of development, sworn to serve and protect his master, who is in turn sworn to protect crown and country from the denizens of darkness. And there have been an awful lot of them popping up lately.

Alucard is a great anti-hero. He's witty. He's got mad skillz. And he's kinda evil. All of which come in handy when he's taking on the unruly undead and other interfering agents. Sardonic Integra, naive Police Girl (she has a name, Alucard just chooses not to use it), scary Father Anderson, and the rest of the cast are equally good fits (though Anderson's heavy Irish dialect can be a little difficult to follow--reading it out loud helps!). The art is also ideal for the plot and personalities, steeped as they are in darkness, action, and irreverence--as well as a good deal of blood (we are talking about vampires here, after all). So, if you're not too squeamish and like your vampires darkly insane rather than sparkly romantic, you might consider giving Alucard a look...from a safe distance.