by Johan Harstad, Tara F. Chace (Translator)

It’s been decades since anyone set foot on the moon. Now three ordinary teenagers, the winners of NASA’s unprecedented, worldwide lottery, are about to become the first young people in space–and change their lives forever. Mia, from Norway, hopes this will be her punk band’s ticket to fame and fortune. Midori believes it’s her way out of her restrained life in Japan. Antoine, from France, just wants to get as far away from his ex-girlfriend as possible.

It’s the opportunity of a lifetime, but little do the teenagers know that something sinister is waiting for them on the desolate surface of the moon. And in the black vacuum of space… no one is coming to save them.

In this chilling adventure set in the most brutal landscape known to man, highly acclaimed Norwegian novelist Johan Harstad creates a vivid and frightening world of possibilities we can only hope never come true.

Hardcover, 355 pages  Published April 17th 2012 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

To help promote interest in NASA, a lottery is held in which 3 teenagers from around the world will be chosen to make a trip to the moon. The complete trip only takes about 3 weeks. To my knowledge, training, traveling and returning would have taken much longer in real life but this book really shortens it to speed up the plot.

Each winner has a different reason they want to go. The story is told from several different perspectives. In my opinion the book is really divided up into two sections; before the flight, and the time on the moon. For me the story didn’t really begin until they took off. I enjoyed the suspense and the interactions while they were on the moon, much more than the time they spent preparing. During the last half, the reader gets more emotion and connection with the characters and the suspense of the story really starts building once they land on the moon. The mystery and fear really push the story forward and it finishes with some great twists. However, by the time I was really getting sucked into the story the events felt a little rushed.

I do have to say that this book got me interested in finding similar stories. I have always been a fan of films where space ships go to far off planets, get caught up in a deadly situation and have to overcome obstacles to get home. For the most part I enjoyed the novel and will most likely pick up something by this author again.

Jade is coping well with life after the death of her mother, there’s even a pool party to look forward to. For this rather regular sounding thirteen year old girl, growing up is the least of her worries when she discovers she is, in fact, a mermaid.

Her social life, and a potential love interest is sent into a tail spin (excuse the pun) when Jade discovers her mum is alive and being held captive by other mer-people, who are a few scales short of a fillet. She needs to save her mum, straighten out the misunderstanding with Cori, and find a way to talk to Luke again. You know; the usual teenage stuff.

I enjoyed the pacing and the relationships in this coming of age story. Cori is a valuable friend and I’d love to have her at my back any day. That tail however, I doubt I could handle.

This book is aimed at the younger end of the YA market, even to go so far an putting it in the Tween Fiction section, but as a light read after a heavy hitter it works well to cleanse the reading palette. You could even put it in the kit for those tricky almost too old to be baby-sat kids you may be looking after, to keep them quiet for a while.

It’s almost like a younger person’s Fred the Mermaid series.

The second instalment is called Real Mermaids Don’t Hold Their Breath and it was released a little earlier in 2012.

If you want a light and breezy story, with just the right amount of tension maybe consider the Real Mermaids series.

Paperback

Published December 10th 2010 by Sourcebooks, Inc. (first published November 9th 2010)

ISBN 1402244126 (ISBN13: 9781402244124)

I was pleasantly surprised to find a proof copy of Fated in my mail box and on opening the package, the brilliance of the cover hit me full force. It’s rich and appealing. The girl on the front looks like a force of nature, and there is so much movement in the picture, it’s almost like she’ll fly from the cover, followed by the ravens appearing from strands of her long dark hair. She has a dream-catcher earring and feathers entwined in other parts of her hair, giving me the immediate feeling this was going to be a book with Native American mythology themes. In this case, you can judge the book by its cover.

Daire Santos’s sweet sixteen turns sour when she has an emotional meltdown, after her visions of glowing people, crows and other assorted gruesome things. Instead of institutionalizing her, Daire’s mother sends her to a place called Enchantment in New Mexico to live with Paloma: the grandmother she’s never met. She is surprised to find the crazy old lady can really help her to hone her skills as a seeker, and her abilities are a family legacy and not just a freakish defect.

Who are the mystery boys in her dreams? How will she endure the first day at Milagro High? What can she do to save this town from the evil men running it?

I liked so many elements of this book that I’ll have to list but a few and ask you to add to my list in the comments when you have read Fated for yourself.

I find in so many Young Adult novels that there is usually a parental figure that seems to have dropped the ball, and we’re asked to dislike them for their insensitivity toward our hero. This is not the case in Fated. Daire’s mother, Jennika, was a young mother and did her best to provide for her daughter. She makes an unexpected decision in sending her daughter to her grandmother rather than to an institution. She is aware, observant and fiercely faithful. It is refreshing to have such a positive portrayal.

I am enchanted by the setting of Enchantment. It seems to be a place where getting back to basics is a given thing for all its residents. The great equalizer being that everyone is in the same boat to a certain extent, and life really is what you make of it. Daire is out and about in nature and not stuck in her room being a pensive brat. She finds joy on the back of a horse, and happiness with the people she learns to trust and call friends.

The Native American mythological themes of animal totems and the power of the elements make for a beautifully intense layer to the storyline. Alyson Noël puts value in the legacy of family. She writes about respecting your elders, which isn’t necessarily exclusively part of the Native American ethos, but it was nice to revisit this in a way that wasn’t preachy.

So I have now babbled on for more than 500 words and I hope you’ll give Fated a chance to catch you in its thrall. You will not be disappointed.

Looks like The Soul Seekers second book, Echo, is due out in September 2012. I’m really looking forward to it.

Krista adds (audio book):

The narrator Brittany Pressley does a good job at giving a voice to Daire Santos. Especially, the interpretation of her feelings of confusion when she starts to see unusual things. And again the anger and fear when she is left with a grandmother she has never met. The narrator is able to easily portray the emotions of a distraught spoiled teen who is having her world turned upside down.

Since this is the first book in the series, there is a lot of building of character and world setting. Insights are given to the reader about what a Soul Seeker is and the Native American Lore and Shamanism that it’s based upon. There are not a lot of action or fast paced sections to the story. It is mostly about discovery and information. My favorite part of the story is the meeting of the villain. I was glued to the stereo for the entire climax.

Overall, the audiobook is a very good presentation of the emotions and entertainment that the book offers. Please feel free to listen to the sample below.

Fated by Alyson Noel – Chapter 1 (audio book sample)

Paperback, UK, 352 pages

Expected publication: May 24th 2012 by Macmillan Children’s Books

ISBN 1447206800 (ISBN13: 9781447206804)

http://www.alysonnoel.com/

Alyson Noël is the #1 New York Times best selling, award-winning, author of FAKING 19, ART GEEKS AND PROM QUEENS, LAGUNA COVE, FLY ME TO THE MOON, KISS & BLOG, SAVING ZOË, CRUEL SUMMER, FOREVER SUMMER (a LAGUNA COVE/CRUEL SUMMER 2-in-1), KEEPING SECRETS (a SAVING ZOË/FAKING 19 2-in-1), the IMMORTALS series including: EVERMORE, BLUE MOON, SHADOWLAND, DARK FLAME, NIGHT STAR, and EVERLASTING, the IMMORTALS spin-off and the RILEY BLOOM series.

She is currently working on a new series for teens, SOUL SEEKERS, which debuted with FATED, and will be followed by ECHO, MYSTIC, & HORIZON in 2012/13.

1. Alyson, you’ve now completed two YA series, and are working on your third (The Soul Seekers). When you’re planning a series, do you have a clear idea of the start and finish points, or do you begin with a concept and just see how it evolves? Also, how difficult is it to leave a set of cherished characters when it’s time to wrap up a series?

With my first series, The Immortals, I didn’t actually envision it as a series until I reached the end of the first book, Evermore, and realized it was less of an ending and more of a jumping-off point for a much bigger journey. For both The Riley Bloom and The Soul Seekers series I’ve plotted them through to the end, so that each successive book leads to the ultimate climax.

Initially, I was surprised by how I attached I became to certain characters, and how much I missed them when a series ended. When I finished Everlasting, the final book in The Immortals, I was struck by an unexpected sense of loss, fueled by the realization that it was time for my characters and I to part ways. I’d spent so much time with Ever and Damen over the years I probably talked to them more than I did my own husband! Though luckily, it wasn’t long before I was able to turn my attention to Daire and Dace from THE SOUL SEEKERS, and I’ve grown so fond of them I suspect I’ll go through the same sort of loss when that series ends too!

2.   Dramatic rights for both your Immortals and Riley Bloom series (a 10-book deal, no less!) have been optioned to Summit Entertainment. Your adult novel, Fly Me to the Moon, was snaffled up by Ridley Scott’s production company, with Sharon Maguire (Bridget Jones’ Diary) lined up as director. Congratulations! It’s obviously unbelievably mind-blowing news, but how nerve-racking is it to imagine your brainchild being interpreted by another person, in another medium? Do you get to have much input into the adaptations?

Along with the above mentioned deals I’m thrilled to announce that all four books in The Soul Seekers series- Fated, Echo, Mystic, & Horizon – were recently optioned by Cheyenne Enterprises! And as excited as I am by all the film deals, I’ve learned to divorce myself from any expectation for the outcome. Film is such a different medium that it’s never going to perfectly mirror the books. And while I’ve been in contact with Sharon Maguire a few times, it was mostly to answer a few industry questions as I was a flight attendant for over a decade, much like the protagonist in Fly Me to the Moon. Other than that I remain outside of the process. Though I am really eager to see the worlds I’ve created come to life on the big or small screen!

3.   You wrote a number of ‘stand-alone’ novels before you began writing series. What was the catalyst for that change of format, and can you see yourself continuing to create series in the future?

Most of my books are inspired by events in my own life. My motto is: If an experience didn’t kill me, I will find a way to write about it! A few years ago I went through a time of deep grief when I lost three loved ones in five months. Then just six months later my husband was diagnosed with leukemia and I nearly lost him as well. Going through that time of loss got me thinking a lot about mortality, our life’s purpose, the soul’s journey, the enduring nature of love, and so I began writing Evermore as a way to grapple with my questions and deal with my grief.

Since then, I’ve found that I really enjoy writing series as it allows me to spend much more time with the characters and to send them on a much bigger journey than I can in the span of a single title. Though that’s not to say I won’t write more stand-alones in the future, I’ve got a few ideas I’m itching to explore.

4. Which of your fictional characters Burns Brightest in your mind and why?

I’m really enjoying Daire Santos. She’s a complex character with an amazing journey ahead of her. When I first began writing her, I admit to being a bit jealous of her life. Raised on movie sets with her make-up artist mother, she’s spent her entire life traveling the globe and hanging with celebrities—the kind of life I would’ve loved as a teen!

But as I continued to write her, I realized how lonely that nomadic lifestyle has made her. She’s never been to a real school, never had a real home, and never made any friendships that lasted past the final take on the movie set. And while that life has made her fiercely independent, worldly, and sophisticated, it’s also left her quite lonely as well. She’s so used to saying good-bye and changing her address that she’s built up a pretty tough emotional guard to spare her from heartbreak. But all of that’s about to change when she moves to the tiny town of Enchantment, New Mexico to live with the grandmother she’s never met, begins her initiation as a Seeker, and meets the dreamy Dace Whitefeather . . .

Alyson’s photo is courtesy of Nancy Villere

The New York Times best-selling Mortal Instruments continues – and so do the thrills and danger for Jace, Clary, and Simon.

Can the lost be reclaimed? What price is too high to pay for love? Who can be trusted when sin and salvation collide?

Darkness threatens to claim the Shadowhunters in the harrowing fifth book of the Mortal Instruments series.

©2012 Cassandra Claire, LLC. (P)2012 Simon & Schuster

One thing that I have come to rely on with Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments series is her consistency. She has well-rounded and compelling characters that make me smile and also situations that break my heart.

In the newest instalment to the series, Jace has become bound to Sebastian. The Shadowhunters have taken sides on whether they should try to save Jace, or kill them both. Jace is unable to stay separated from Clary and they get a little bit of one on one time. I enjoyed seeing how their relationship is flourishing. Even with each and every hardship they endure throughout the series, their love is the strongest bond I have ever seen in a Young Adult novel.

By this far in the series we have been introduced to a lot of different characters. Simon is constantly finding new challenges of his own since he has become a “daywalker” – a vampire that the sun does not affect. But he is having problems at home, specifically with his relationship with his mother.

Besides my love for the relationship of Clary and Jace, I was very happy to see more of Magnus and Alec’s relationship in this one as well.

It’s a never-ending cycle of ups and downs when it comes to the relationships between these characters. Cassandra Clare is always finding new ways to put her characters on an emotional roller-coaster and have the readers join right along on the ride.

One thing that will always keep me coming back to the series is how I never see the end coming. I have never been able to call it right. Just when I think they are going to make it through their trials, she throws a twist in there, making me crave more.

When it comes to the audio-book I was very happy to see the solo narration from Molly C. Quinn. She does a fantastic job with this series. In the last book we got Simon’s perspective from narrator Ed Westwick and while he has a swoon-worthy accent,  I had a hard time understanding him (but I still recommend that audiobook in a heartbeat). When I read the books, I hear Molly’s voice in my ear, she is exactly as I would imagine Clary to be, she does wonderful job portraying the emotions of the characters.

City of Lost Souls audio book: listen to a sample