One imperfect letter, one missing page

168. A Really Nice Prom Mess by Brian Sloan
I really, really liked this book. I wasn't sure what to expect, except that I really liked one of Sloan's other books (Tale of Two Summers) and was curious to read more. A Really Nice Prom Mess was a lot more fun that I expected it to be. Cameron secretly dating the star football player, Shane, but obviously they can't do anything in public, so Cameron lets Shane talk him into going to prom with a girl named Virginia. Which seems kind of lame, and it is, but only because it's supposed to be. What happens on the way to prom and then later at prom is pretty hilarious. While Sloan's book is not really realistic (Russian drug dealers, a gay bar with strippers, and so on), it doesn't matter. What makes Sloan's book so good is that it's fun. It's fast paced (ala Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist or Boy Meets Boy) and the action never really stops -- which means all you can do is hang on and have fun.

169. Marly's Ghost by David Levithan
Reworkings of classics into YA books are pretty popular and usually well done. Levithan's retelling of A Christmas Carol as a Valentine's Day story is no exception. It's well written and the plot is decent enough, but the story didn't really catch me. I think part of the reason is that I've never been a big fan of the original work. I did enjoy it, but of all of Levithan's books, I think this is the one I like least. If you like the original and don't mind adaptations, give the book a go. Otherwise, give it a pass.

170. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
I read this book because a friend of mine and fellow librarian recommended it to me. She said she figured that I'd like it -- and she was completely right. Collins' book is one of those distopian novels that grabs you and doesn't let go. What's good about this book is everything, from the plot to the characters to the fact that she leaves you wanting (needing?) more. And from what I can tell, she's working on more books, which is good because I want to know what happens. The Hunger Games is a story of a world unlike our own, but used to be ours. In this world, people barely survive and children must fight to the death in 'hunger games.' Our story follows Katniss, a young woman who offers to go to the games instead of her younger sister. It is a story about love and about sacrifice, and reminds me, in some ways, of Westerfeld's Uglies series, only with a harder edge. Westerfeld was going from something completely different than Collins, and I think if you like Westerfeld's books, you'll definitely like this book. Collins is hard hitting and she doesn't give you respite, which works quite well within the context of the book. It's a strong book, with good characters and I eagerly await the next one in the series.

171. Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik
This sequel to Novik's His Majesty's Dragon is a strong second book in her ongoing series. We're once again invited to join the world of Laurence and Temeraire. In this book, the Chinese want their dragon (Temeraire) back and will do just about anything to get him back. Eventually, Temeraire and Laurence must travel to China themselves (a story in and of itself!) to sort things out. Unlike the first book, Throne of Jade plays up the differences between humans and dragons a lot more and Novik takes great pains to introduce the idea that dragons and humans should be on equal terms. It's a good book, fun to read and, as with the first book, amusing in certain places.

171 / 170 new reads. 101% read!