Jackaby (Jackaby, #1) by William Ritter

This review was written by: C

Received: Library

Publication Date of Book: September 16, 2014

Pages: 299

Stars: 5/5

Summary of the story:

"Illusions, so many masks and facades. All the world's a stage, as they say, and I seem to have the only seat in the house with a view behind the curtain."-Jackaby

The year is 1892, and Abigail Rook has just made it to America without any idea of what the future may hold. She has left her family, is currently homeless, possesses a small suitcase of items, and is in search of a grand adventure. By chance she stumbles across a peculiar add for a vacant assistant position for an investigator by the name of R. F. Jackaby. However, Jackaby turns out to be an anomalous fellow with an astounding gift: the ability to see that which is hidden from the normal human eye. Jackaby sees the world in a different light and labels himself a seer. Many do not believe in the "nonsense" he spouts of fantastical creatures and the paranormal. Abigail, however, is a bit more open-minded than your average Joe, and she has a knack for noticing the plainest of details. Jackaby's supernatural gift and Abigail's sharp eye for important details makes them the perfect team.

New England is soon shook by a horrific string of serial murders and Jackaby is on the case. The police department wants nothing to do with Jackaby's wild claims of an extraordinary and nonhuman killer, and Abigail proves to be an invaluable associate as they delve deeper into the gory details and the horrific truth. Jackaby must learn that working alone isn't always the best way to go about his line of work and that the police department may be hiding the deadly killer. 

My thoughts:

Jackaby was an outstanding novel, and it possessed a compelling story! I absolutely love Ritter's writing style and the chemistry that he created between Jackaby and Abigail. I have to say that both characters are quite refreshing, and I loved both of  them equally. Jackaby has such an odd personality and way of speaking that I adore, while Abigail is a strong-willed individual that can hold her own ground in a world where men believe that women should never be in such a dangerous line of work. They have a wonderful relationship, making their banter so fun to read! I actually laughed at quite a few things that Jackaby said and did (I just love how Ritter describes his mannerisms and how dead serious Jackaby can be while explaining past events involving supernatural creatures to people that don't believe a word he's saying --- I especially enjoyed the extra letter that Jackaby wrote to the police department about his tuning fork!).

I also liked the fact that Ritter  did not include generic and extremely overdone supernatural creatures, such as werewolves and vampires. He included qhosts, trolls, goblins, banshees, and shapeshifters, which you don't usually get to see in the limelight. I also have to say that Jackaby kind of reminds me of a young version of Robert Downey Jr.'s Sherlock Holmes and that just made me love the character even more! Plus, Ritter created some awesome settings, including Jackaby's house which holds quite a few fantastical secrets and surprises. And Charlie Cane was definitely a nice addition to a wide range of interesting characters. I loved his qualities and the fact that he was loyal to a fault! Everyone absolutely has to read this book!

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June and July: YA Contemporary Murder Mysteries

YA Contemporary Murder Mysteries

June and July's Topic of the Month is officially YA Contemporary Murder Mysteries!  To kick it off, we have posted a few YA contemporary murder mysteries based books that may interest you.  If you have any suggestions let us know!  Hope you enjoy!  (Click on the covers to go to the books' GoodReads pages!)

Read by: H

Here is the GoodReads summary of the book:

You thought you knew him.  You were dead wrong.

Carver Young dreams of becoming a detective, despite growing up in an orphanage with only crime novels to encourage him.  But when he is adopted by Detective Hawking of the world famous Pinkerton Agency, Carver is given not only the chance to find his biological father, he finds himself smack in the middle of a real life investigation: tracking down a vicious serial killer who has thrown New York City into utter panic.  When the case beings to unfold, however, it's worse than he could have ever imagined, and his loyalty to Mr. Hawking and the Pinkertons comes into question.  As the body count rises and the investigation becomes dire, Carver must decide where his true loyalty lies.

Full of whip-smart dialogue, kid-friendly gadgets, and featuring a then New York City Police Commissioner Teddy Roosevelt, Ripper challenges everything you thought you knew about the world's mos famous serial killer.

Read by: B

Here is the GoodReads summary of the book:

What if the world's worst serial killer . . . was your dad?

Jasper "Jazz" Dent is a likable teenager.  A charmer, one might say.

But he's also the son of the world's most infamous serial killer, and for Dear Old Dad, Take Your Son to Work Day was year-round.  Jazz has witnessed crime scenes the way cops wish they could - from the criminal's point of view.

And now bodies are piling up in Lobo's Nod.

In an effort to clear his name, Jazz joins the police in a hunt for a new serial killer.  But Jazz has a secret - could he be more like his father than anyone knows?

Other book(s) in the series:

    

Ready by: B

Here is the GoodReads summary of the book:

Seventeen-year-old Hope Long's life revolves around her brother Jeremy.  So when Jeremy is accused of killing the town's beloved baseball coach, Hope's world begins to unravel.  Everyone is convinced Jeremy did it, and since he hasn't spoken a word in 9 years, he's unable to defend himself.  Their lawyer instructs Hope to convince the jury that Jeremy is insane, but all her life Hope has known that Jeremy's just different than other people - better, even.  As she works to prove his innocence - joined by her best friend T.J. and the sheriff's son, Chase - Hope uncovers secrets about the murder, the townspeople, her family, and herself.  She knows her brother isn't the murderer.  But as she comes closer to the truth, she's terrified to find out who is.

Read by: B and H

Here is the GoodReads summary of the book:

I shouldn't have come back to Miami . . . I've been escaping cops' notice for a year now.  I'm no longer Michael Daye, high school athlete with a promising future.  Now I look like someone with no future.

When Michael saw a chance to leave town with a traveling carnival a year ago, he took it.  Back then, his home life was spinning violently out of control.  The carnival, with its "no questions asked" policy, seemed like a welcome escape.  But now Michael's job has brought him back to Miami, where his mother is on trial for murder, making him wonder how much longer he can hide from his past . . . and his future.

Read by: H

Here is the Goodreads summary of the book:

James Patterson returns to the genre that made him famous with a thrilling teen detective series about the mysterious and magnificently wealthy Angel family . . . and the dark secrets they're keeping from one another.  

On the night Malcolm and Maud Angel are murdered, Tandy Angel knows just three things: She was the last person to see her parents alive.  The police have no suspects besides Tandy and her three siblings.  She can't trust anyone -- maybe not even herself.

Having grown up under Malcolm and Maud's intense perfectionist demands, no child comes away undamaged.  Tandy decides that she will have to clear the family name, but digging deeper into her powerful parents' affairs is a dangerous -- and revealing -- game.  Who knows what the Angels are truly capable of?

Other book(s) in the series:

       

Here is the Goodreads summary of the book: 

Rachel died at two a.m. . . . Three hours after Skyler kissed me for the first time.  Forty-five minutes after she sent me her last text.

Jaycee and Rachel were best friends.  But that was before . . . before that terrible night at the old house.  Before Rachel shut Jaycee out.  Before Jaycee chose Skyler over Rachel.  Before Rachel is found dead.  The police blame a growing gang problem in their small town, but Jaycee is sure it has to do with that night at the old house.  Rachel's text is the first clue -- starting Jaycee on a search that leads to a shocking secret.  Rachel's death was no random crime, and Jaycee must figure out who to trust before she can expose the truth.

In the follow-up to her powerful debut, Jennifer Shaw Wolf keeps readers on their toes in another dark, romantic story of murder and secrets.

Here is the Goodreads summary of the book:

SHHHH!

Don't spread the word!

Three-day weekend.  Party at White Rock House on Henry Island.

You do NOT want to miss it.

It was supposed to be the weekend of their lives - an exclusive house party on Henry Island.  Best friends Meg and Minnie each have their reasons for being there (which involve T.J., the school's most eligible bachelor) and look forward to three glorious days of boys, booze, and fun-filled luxury.

But what they expect is definitely not what they get, and what starts out as fun turns dark and twisted after the discovery of a DVD with a sinister message: Vengeance is mine.

Suddenly people are dying, and with a storm raging, the teens are cut off from the outside world.  No electricity, no phones, no internet, and a ferry that isn't scheduled to return for two days.  As the deaths become more violent and the teens turn on each other, can Meg find the killer before more people die?  Or is the killer closer to her than she could ever imagine? 

Here is the Goodreads summary of the book:

Gramps always said that when the crickets were quiet, something bad was coming.  And the crickets have been as silent as the dead.  It started with the murdered deer in the playground with the unmistakable purple of a foxglove in its mouth.  But in the dying boondock town of Emerald Cove, life goes on.

I work at Gramps's diner, and the cakes - the entitled rich kids who vacation here - make our lives hell.  My best friend, Alex Pace, is the one person who gets me.  Only Alex has changed.  He's almost like a stranger now.  I can't figure it out . . . or why I'm having distinctly more-than-friend feelings for him.  Ones I shouldn't be having.

Then one of the cakes disappear.

When she turns up murdered, a foxglove in her mouth, a rumor goes around that Alex was the last person seen with her - and everyone but me believes it.  Well, everyone except my worst enemy, Jenika Shaw.  Wen Alex goes missing, it's up to us to prove his innocence and uncover the true killer. But the truth will shatter everything I've ever known about myself - and Alex.

Read by: B

Here is the Goodreads summary of the book:

Sophie Winters nearly died.  Twice.

The first time, she's fourteen, and escapes a near-fatal car accident with scars, a bum leg, and an addiction to Oxy that'll take years to kick.

The second time, she's seventeen, and it's no accident.  Sophie and her best friend Mina are confronted by a masked man in the woods.  Sophie survives, but Mina is not so lucky. When the cops deem Mina's murder a drug deal gone wrong, casting partial blame on Sophie, no one will believe the truth: Sophie has been clean for months, and it was Mina who led her into the woods that night for a meeting shrouded in mystery.

After a forced stint in rehab, Sophie returns home to a chilly new reality.  Mina's brother won't speak to her, her parents fear she'll relapse, old friends have become enemies, and Sophie has to learn how to live without her other half.  To make matters worse, no one is looking in the right places and Sophie must search for Mina's murderer on her own.  But with every step, Sophie comes closer to revealing all: about herself, about Mina, and about the secret they shared.

Here is the Goodreads summary of the book:

Valentina Cruz no longer exists.

One moment, she was wrapped in Emilio's arms, melting into his kiss.  The next, she was witnessing the unthinkable: a murder in cold blood, ordered by her father and carried out by her boyfriend. When Emilio pulled the trigger, Valentina disappeared.  She made a split-second decision to shed her identity and flee her life of privilege, leaving the glittering parties and sultry nightlife of Miami far behind.

She doesn't know how to explain to herself what she saw.  All she knows now is that nothing she believed about her family, her heart, or Emilio's love, was real.

She can change her name and deny her past, but Valentina can't run from the truth.  The lines between right and wrong, and trust and betrayal, will be blurred beyond recognition as she untangles the deceptions of the two men she once loved and races to find her own truth. 

Fuzzy Mud by Louis Sachar

This review was written by: F

Received: ARC from Publisher

Publication Date of Book: August 4, 2015

Pages: 192

Stars: 5/5

Official Summary:

Fifth grader Tamaya Dhilwaddi and seventh grader Marshall Walsh have been walking to and from Woodbridge Academy together since elementary school.  But their routine is disrupted when bully Chadd Wilson challenges Marshall to a fight.  To avoid the conflict, Marshall takes a shortcut home through the off-limits woods.  Tamaya reluctantly follows.  They soon get lost, and they find trouble.  Bigger trouble than anyone could ever have imagined.

In the days and weeks that follow, the authorities and the government become involved, and what they uncover might affect the future of the world.

My thoughts: 

Fuzzy Mud was a delightful middle grade novel.  The adventure and mystery that seeped from its pages was not only enjoyable but also imaginative.  No one knows what the fuzzy mud is or how it was created, setting up an intriguing tale that readers are sure to eat up.

I especially enjoyed Sachar’s lovely characters. My absolute favorite would have to be Marshall Walsh. This is largely due to the fact that, while he was afraid of and being bullied by Chad Hilligas, he still stood up for himself. He showed the bully that he was not frightened of him anymore. However, even though Marshall stood up for himself, Chad still harasses him. What I really loved, though, was how Chad explains to Marshall why he bullied him and he apologizes to him at the end. These two then become good friends. As a result, I find that this book has great messages for younger readers, showing them positive ways to deal with difficult and scary situations. When Marshall stood up for himself he was showing others that they can be brave and should speak up and defend themselves just like he did.

There were other parts of this book that I really enjoyed as well.  For instance, when Chad was missing, Tamaya Dhilwaddi left school to go look for him in the woods behind the school. Even though Chad was mean to Marshall, she cared about him and wanted to find him and lend a hand if she could. Marshall also left school to go look for Chad and Tamaya in the woods. Tamaya found Chad, and Marshall found both Chad and Tamaya together. All three of them had to become a team and put aside their differences and pasts. They were lost together and had to make the best of their current situation no matter the circumstances. I was super glad that they were all found by the search dogs in the end and that their experiences in the woods created a bond of friendship. This result truly emphasizes the fact that your enemies may not be who you truly think they are and that they can turn their lives around and become kind and caring individuals.

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I Hunt Killers (Jasper Dent #1) by Barry Lyga

This review was written by: B

Received: Library

Publication Date of Book: April 2012

Pages: 359 (Hardcover)

Stars: 5/5

"No way," Jazz shivered at the thought of it.  "The last thing you want in this world is to show weakness to him.  Never.  I can never go see him.  Just doing it would give him the upper hand.  You show any weakness to a serial killer and they live inside you after that."
"He's already living inside of you," she (Connie) whispered in a tone of regret.  "Because you can't let go."

 -I Hunt Killers

Jasper, more commonly known as Jazz, had the childhood of nightmares.  His father, Billy Cornelius Dent, was the world's worst serial killer.  As a result, Billy frequently subjected his son to blood and death beginning at a tender age.  The man could hardly contain himself when it came to his ever deepening passion and thriving love for murder, showing Jazz all there was to know about being a living grim reaper.

This dysfunctional family lived in the little town of Lobo's Nod, and Billy always took to the idea of never murdering in the same place as where he lived.  However, he could no longer contain himself after years of following his own personal law and finally gave in, taking two local women's lives.  These little mistakes led to Billy's inevitable capture by the sheriff who drove himself crazy looking for this madman.  Locked up for the manslaughter of over one hundred and twenty victims, Billy Cornelius Dent was to never harm another living soul as long as he lived.

Four years later, teenage Jazz is still living in Lobo's Nod as he attempts to live a normal life.  He stays with his crazy grandmother who sometimes believes that Jazz is Billy himself, or she sees Jazz as the disgusting result of a marriage she never consented to between Jazz and his supposedly horrible mother, spewing Jasper with cruel comments for him to soak in.  His best friend is a hemophiliac, and the whole town looks at Jazz as if he's going to explode and go on a murder spree at any second.  Jazz has no intention of turning into his father, though.  Sure, he still has everything his father ever taught him locked inside his head, ready for use, but he can't stand to let himself become a monster.  He doesn't want to use his charm, wits, and charisma to become a "god of murder."

Then dead bodies start to show up in Lobo's Nod once again.  It can't be Billy because hes' been locked up for four years.  This leaves Jazz as the lone suspect despite his innocence.  As a result, Jazz makes it his mission to help hunt down the new serial killer in town.  He wants to prove to Lobo's Nod and its inhabitants that he isn't a killer and that he won't turn into one, either.  Perhaps, he wants to prove to himself that he isn't murderer, that Dear Old Dad didn't ruin him after all.  Whatever the case is, he has the mind of a serial killer, giving him the ultimate advantage when it comes to investigating a crime scene.  So, whether the cops like it or not, they need his help if they want to stop the constant black plague of death.

Does Jazz's past become his present?  Will he turn into the perfect serial killer that his father always wanted him to be?  Or does he prove everyone wrong?  Was Jazz molded into a more perfect killing machine than Billy could have ever imagined?  Can he actually fight what he might really be inside?  Or is Jazz destined to fall into the dark recesses of his worst nightmares?

The dice had already been tossed, the cards shuffled and drawn.  He was what he was, whether he knew it yet or not.  Maybe he was just a guy with a crazy dad, like other kids with crazy dads.
Or maybe he was something else.
                          -I Hunt Killers

My Thoughts:

I was never into contemporary murder mysteries, thrillers, or suspense novels until reading Lyga's I Hunt Killers.  Now I can proudly say that I've become rather intrigued with these genres.  However, I have yet to come across a YA book in these categories that measures up to this bad boy.  The characters, the plot, the background, and the demented thought processes, all make for one blood-tingling, heart attacking inducing novel that can easily be read over and over again.

Seeing into the mind of a serial killer is . . . dare I say . . . gripping . . . and engrossing.  Plus, this book has a mindset of its own.  It's daring and disturbing, bold and creepy.  Perhaps it can even be described as alarmingly unsettling.  Your sanity may be questioned by the end of it.  One minute you'll be laughing out loud, and the next you'll be gasping out of horror.  Lyga has a real talent for smoothly switching between light and dark moods with the scariest of ease.  It almost feels effortless.

Jazz's mind is that one no sane person possibly wants to live with, let alone see into.  There's this tortured, brooding side to him that's always trying to overwhelm the good in him.  On top of that, Billy's chilling voice and bloodcurdling advice is constantly swirling around in his head, meaning that he can never escape the man who raised him . . . even if Billy is miles and miles away, locked behind concrete, metal, and impenetrable cell doors.  Jazz can't escape.  However, no matter how dark his thoughts got, I never stopped seeing the good in him or doubted what he would do.  I loved that about this book.  It questions the good and evil in the world.  It makes you seriously wonder about the whole nature verses nurture argument you never hear the end of in science class.  Are we our own persons or do our parents define us?  This is Jazz's struggle.

Another character I loved was Connie, Jazz's girlfriend.  She's strong, independent, bold, and downright sassy.  Between her and the ever comical Howie, this book has the perfect blend of laughs and heart.

The plot was fast-paced, entertaining, absorbing, and one heck of a ride.  There were twists and turns that I was not prepared to go on, but I loved every single second of it.  Thank goodness people who are just discovering this series are lucky enough that the trilogy is already fully released!

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The Devil's Intern (The Devil's #1) by Donna Hosie

This review was written by: C

Received: Library

Publication Date of Book: August 2014

Pages: 229

Stars: 4.5/5

Official Summary:

"Death has a symphony. It isn't violins and crashing cymbals and beating drums; it consists of screaming and yelling and, in my case, the screeching of brakes." - Mitchell Johnson

Mitchell Johnson's untimely demise has led him to a permanent residence in Hell. However, his newfound friends (Alfarin, a viking prince, Elinor, a victim of the fire of 1666, and Medusa) have made the traumatizing experience fairly bearable. He spends most of his days working as the Devil's intern and aiding Septimus, the Devil's right-hand man. The days and years crawl by but Mitchell still cannot get this single thought out of his head:

"Living. I have that one word written on a piece of scrap paper. It sits in my wallet, scrunched up and faded from being unfolded and read all the time. And living is the one thing I will never do again.

I just exist."

The fact that Mitchell only exists torments him. He also still does not understand why he was locked out of the pearly gates. He wants a second chance at life. He wants a second chance to live up to his fullest potential and take back a future that he was denied. It turns out being the Devil's intern isn't so bad, especially once Mitchell discovers the existence of the Viciseometer, an ancient time-travel device. This mechanism may be his only hope of reclaiming his old life. Mitchell and his friends are in for one hell of a ride when they all decide to visit their death dates and alter their paths forever.

My Thoughts:

This book absolutely blew me away! Donna Hosie created an amazing universe and characters that were completely compelling and new. It was something that I had never read before, and her version of the fiery abyss was fresh and unexpected.  She drew my attention to an aspect of Hell that has not yet been explored. I also have to commend her for bringing witty humor to a tale that inevitably contains darkness.

I believe Donna definitely brought a wonderful story to the table. I love the fact that she entwined a lot of history into this novel. The vikings and the fire of 1666 were interesting eras to both explore and learn about. They also brought great background stories to Elinor and Alfarin. Mitchell's struggle with his death was another big part of the book that I enjoyed. Donna definitely got into this character's head, showing the reader the devastation of dying at a young age. All of the main characters lived through tragic experiences.  I truly felt the emotion and heartbreak of each characters' trying death and the horrific times that they lived through. 

Mitchell has to face each of his friends' demises and this just leads to an epic build-up that will play a key roll when he faces his own death. Mitchell has to come to terms with how preventing his death will alter his family and friends' lives. He has to outweigh the costs and benefits of his desires that may turn out to be more selfish then he had originally thought. Besides, everything occurs for a reason, and even tragedy can result in a happy ending.

I only took half a star off of my rating due to the fact that I was a little frustrated with the ending and with what happened to Medusa. However, I can't wait to see how Donna uses the ending events of The Devil's Intern in her next book!

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A Dance of Cloaks (Shadowdance #1) by David Dalglish

This review was written by: C

Received: Library

Publication Date of Book: October 2015

Pages: 448

Stars: 3.5/5

Summary of the Story:

"That is the power you must one day command. Let them think every breath of theirs is a gift, not from the gods, but from you. Do this, and you will become a god among them." ~Thren Felhorn, A Dance of Cloaks

Aaron Felhorn lives in a world filled with murder, mayhem, deceit, and darkness. His father, Thren Felhorn, is the most feared man alive. He is the greatest assassin his time has ever seen, and he commands most of Veldaren's underworld. He will stop at nothing to bring the Trifect, a group of filthy rich noblemen, from continuing their reign of wealth and control. He is utterly prepared to unite every thief guild under his command, and he is almost finished with turning his son into the perfect heir, a killer that the world will fear. However, even the greatest schemes never work out as planned.

Aaron must choose sides and decide whether he wants to become the head of his father's criminal empire that was built upon Thren's trail of rotting corpses or choose his own fate. He will learn that every action has its own consequence and that the paths of darkness and light are never quite clear. Aaron's fate will lead him down a road filled with harrowing obstacles, making him learn that redemption may be just out of reach.

My Thoughts:

First off, I have to say that Dalglish completely built a believable and stunning fantasy world fully equipped with its owns religion, systems of power, a stunning society, and a maniacal underworld. Thren and the various thief guilds actually kind of remind me of Assassin's Creed, especially when I first saw the cover of A Dance of Cloaks. The various thief guilds are pretty interesting, too because they are all  killing machines, but they often bicker, only fight for themselves, and are perfectly content with taking one another out to increase their power. Dalglish also formulated a great storyline. His characters were believable, and he gave each one of them interesting morals, perspectives, and skills.

I would have to say, however, that this book was not one of my top favorites mostly due to the fact that I felt that it took me a little too long to actually read it. Perhaps it was because I did not have a lot of time to read while I was tying to finish this book. This made it a bit frustrating to get very far in the story just in one sitting. I also felt that the beginning was a bit slow because it had to lead up to Aaron's current life, but Dalglish had to first establish a bit of Aaron's early childhood in order to establish this character as Thren's heir. 

I do have to commend Dalglish on his ability to write great fight scenes. Some authors have trouble writing action scenes.  They can often become confusing. Dalglish did fairly well with this aspect of the story, creating an in depth criminal underworld of blood and gore. I do have to warn you that this book is not for the lighthearted. It is filled with blood, guts, murder, and all the characteristics associated with struggles for power. Overall, I did enjoy the character of Aaron, but it took a while for him to grow on me. I definitely wish he had been older. This novel is meant for mature audiences, therefore I thought it was a bit strange that the main character was thirteen. But then again, this may have been done to stress the fact that a child could be a harrowing and deadly individual in a world of criminals. It also drew the audience to a character whose innocence had been lost at an extremely early age and who had been groomed to fill a position that he may not have truly desired to fill. 

Aaron had quite a bit of internal conflict. He committed murder before the age of ten and he was groomed to be a fierce assassin that would one day fill his father's shoes. You definitely end up feeling a deep sadness for a character that has a disastrous path chosen for him, especially when that character is only a child. I believe that I will eventually finish this series and am excited that Aaron is much older in the next book. Perhaps more dark themes will be further explored, and I am curious where David Dalglish will take Aaron's story.

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My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga

This review was written by: B

Received: Library

Publication Date of Book: February 2015

Pages: 302

Stars: 5/5

Official Summary:

A stunning novel about the transformative power of love, perfect for fans of Jay Asher and Laurie Halse Anderson.

Sixteen-year-old physics nerd Aysel is obsessed with plotting her own death.  With a mother who can barely look at her without wincing, classmates who whisper behind her back, and a father whose violent crime rocked her small town, Aysel is ready to turn her potential energy into nothingness.

There's only one problem.  She's not sure she has the courage to do it alone.  But once she discovers a website with a section called Suicide Partners, Aysel's convinced she's found her solution - Roman, a teenage boy who's haunted by a family tragedy, is looking for a partner.  Even though Aysel and Roman have nothing in common, they slowly start to fill in each other's broken lives.  But as their suicide pact becomes more concrete, Aysel begins to question whether she really wants to go through with it.  Ultimately, she must choose between wanting to die or trying to convince Roman to live so they can discover the potential of their energy together.  Except that Roman may not be so easy to convince.  

This is a gorgeously written and compulsively readable novel about the transformative power of love, heralding the arrival of an extraordinary new voice in teen fiction, Jasmine Warga.

My Review:

Something inside me clicks.  It's like I've spent my whole life fiddling with a complicated combination only to discover I was toying with the wrong lock.  And now, the vault inside of me that contains all my secrets is swinging open and I feel this rush of blood swell in my chest.

My Heart and Other Black Holes is part beautiful, part sorrowful, and most importantly, part hopeful.  Overflowing with heart, pain, honesty, and truth, Warga weaves an expert tale that no one would be able to guess was her debut.  It's fear.  It's bravery.  It's love.    

While I have never faced depression nor have known anyone with it, it is still a very real and heartbreaking condition that can consume one's existence or overtake a life.  This novel, in my opinion, possesses an extremely real element that, while reading, made me believe that Aysel was a real person.  Her feelings and thoughts overwhelmed my own.  Frighteningly genuine and authentic, her voice rang out to me and traveled through the pages into my heart.  I believed every word she said.  The darkness inside Aysel was real, a "black slug" that she never imagined she could escape.  Her depression was eye-opening, and Warga wrote each and every word found in  My Heart and Other Black Holes sincerely. 

I frequently felt myself feeling intense emotions towards not only Ayself but also towards Roman.  Their stories were profound, taking over my every waking moment.  This book literally consumed me for the two days that I read it.  Both tragic and touching, I can't possibly fathom how Warga's novel could be more perfect.  It's not just about suicide and depression, though.  In fact, this novel is so much more than that.  It's about living for one's self and for others.  It's about trying to see yourself and the world in a completely new and brighter perspective.  It's about love, family, and discovering what it means to live again even though it seems impossible.

I will be stronger than my sadness.

I have never read a book that left me with such strong feelings of optimism, faith, and hope by the end of it.  Warga knows how to make an ending count.  I cannot recall how many times I fell in love with a book only to become deeply disappointed with its ending, inevitably resulting in me "breaking up" with it.  However, I was completely satisfied with My Heart and Other Black Holes's outcome.  I actually sat there and contemplated what I had read for once.  I wasn't even eager to start something else because I knew I would be disappointed with whatever book was placed in my hands after reading this masterpiece. 

I don't know how to thoroughly convey my feelings about Warga's novel without consistently rambling on some more; so, I'll leave you by saying that this book embodies hope.  I actually feel optimistic.  On top of that, her writing is beautiful and deep and her characters are realistically painful yet magnificent.  I highly recommend this book, and I'm eagerly waiting to see what Jasmine Warga puts out next!!!!    

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