Best of 2009 – *My* 2009, that is ~ Children’s & Middle Grade

Almost all the books I read are from the library. People give me books sometimes, or I pick them up for free out of boxes on the sidewalk, but those don’t tend to be the ones I read. I am constantly amazed at how many people who live here in the city don’t realize that [...]

Review: Skin Hunger & Sacred Scars by Kathleen Duey

Title (year): Skin Hunger (2007) Sequel: Sacred Scars (2009) Genre: Dark fantasy Other important themes: Magic, Adults vs. Kids, Friendship, Memory, Struggle to survive, Cruelty, Untangling the puzzle Age (sex) of main character: Female, 17-?; Male 15-16 Estimated age of intended audience: 14-adult Wholesome/edgy/realistic?: Edgy, dark, and very stylized Narrative POV: The books have two [...]

Review: Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin

I had no idea this book was from 2007. I had never heard of it until I was collecting titles from the Children’s Choice Awards (this one was shortlisted for an award, I’m not sure what year). Read on without fear of spoilers (though the major themes of the book are discussed below). Title (year): [...]

Review: Bloodhound by Tamora Pierce

Hey, it’s the debut of my rating system! I kept waiting for the perfect book to review, but tonight I decided to just start with the most recent one I’ve read. I hope it will get to the heart of things and prove helpful to people looking for YA books that match their tastes. And [...]