Book Review: I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You

Title: I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You
Author: Ally Carter
Publisher: Hyperion
ISBN: 9781423100041

I'm going to cheat again and quote the jacket copy, because really there's no improving on this:

"Cammie Morgan is a student at the Gallager Academy for Exceptional Young Women, a fairly typical all-girls school - typical, that is, if every school taught advanced martial arts in PE and the latest in chemical warfare in science, and students received extra credit for breaking CIA codes in computer class.  The Gallagher Academy might claim to be a school for geniuses, but it's really a school for spies. 

"Even though Cammie is fluent in fourteen languages and capable of kiling a man seven different ways with her bare hands, she has no idea what to do when she meets an ordinadry boy who thinks she's an ordinary girl.

"Sure, she can tap his phone, hack into his computer, or track him through town with the skill of a real "pavement artist" - but can she maneuver a relationship with someone who can never know the truth about her?"

There's only one way to describe this book, and it's "crazy good fun."  Yes, OK, the school and spy technology are a little over the top (Velcro was not invented by a Gallagher girl!), but who cares when you're rolling on the floor laughing?  It's a rare book that can actually make me do that, so big props to Ally Carter for this one.

She also gets props for cramming so many layers into such a slim book.   I'd Tell You I Love You has boy trouble (of course), school trouble, friend trouble, and a family crisis, and the subplots are skillfully meshed.  My favorite aspect of the book is that the fish-out-of-water story is reversed - it's not the international intrigue Cammie and her friends find terrifying, but the idea of talking to boys - and I loved the way the girls apply their hard-won spy skills to this new and daunting challenge.

A fabulous book for fans of Meg Cabot's Princess Diaries and Mediator series.  I can't wait to read the next one!

For more info on Ally Carter and her books, visit her website.

Zombies in Fiction

Kristopher at Guys Lit Wire has written a really interesting post about the history of zombies in literature.  If you're not familiar with the Guys Lit Wire blog, it's a great resource for teen guys who need something new to read.

The 90-Second Newbery Film Festival

"I'm popular... but sensitive."  Hee hee hee!



For full details of the contest, visit James Kennedy's website.

And apologies for the weird formatting, I can't seem to make it stop doing that.

Book Review: Before I Fall

Title: Before I Fall
Author: Lauren Oliver
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 9780061726804

Book Source: review copy from publisher

A circle of best-ever friends.  A boyfriend other girls would kill for.  The best table in the caf, and the envy of all who survey her.

Sam's got everything.  And she's about to lose it all.


She dies in a car accident following a house party, but instead of going on, Sam goes back.  She keeps waking up in the morning on the day of her death.  Unless she can figure out why, she'll be trapped in this cycle for ever, or worse, die for good.

I loved this book.

OK, yes, it's basically Groundhog Day for teens.  But Before I Fall is more layered, more sophisticated, and more emotionally affecting than any Bill Murray comedy.  There were actual tears, people. 

I loved the depth and complexity of the characters - they're not always likeable, but they're (mostly) sympathetic and completely believable.  I love the way Sam's perceptions of the people around her change as she lives the same day in slightly different ways, and how she begins to see herself clearly for the first time, too.

I love the way the plot is constructed.  Every time Sam relives February 12, she makes different choices; these choices put her in different places, with different people, and each time reveal a new perspective.  The insights from each variation help her understand her purpose, and give her the knowledge she needs to make the necessary choices for moving on.

I love the fact that the ending caught me by surprise, and that it was far more beautiful and poignant than what I was expecting.  It's the kind of ending that requires you to stop and think about the book for hours or days after you finish reading it.

I can't wait to get my hands on Oliver's next novel, Delirium, which releases February 1, 2011.  In the meantime, Before I Fall is a fantastic book for older teens, especially those who enjoyed Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why.

For more information on Oliver and her books, visit her website and blog.  You can also preview Before I Fall by clicking the icon below.

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A Fistfull of Fairy Tales

I love fairy tale retellings.  LOVE them.  Here's a selection for middle-graders and teens, all from my personal collection.

Middle Grades

Title: The Frog Princess

Author: E. D. Baker

Publisher: Bloomsbury

ISBN: 9781582349237

"The Princess and the Frog," but with a twist - kissing the frog doesn't turn the frog into a prince, but the princess into a frog!  This book is crammed with quirky characters and a ton of adventure, but without any real sense of menace.  A fun, frothy read for younger kids who might not be ready for darker fairy tale subtext, The Frog Princess is the start of lengthy series.  It was also the inspiration for the recent Disney movie, although you'll be hard-pressed to find any similarity beyond the basic concept.

Title: Fairest

Author: Gail Carson Levine

Publisher: HarperCollins

ISBN: 9780060734107

Fairest is based on "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves."  I read it after having seen the movie version of Levine's best-known book, Ella Enchanted, and was therefore surprised by how dark Fairest is in comparison (I've yet to actually read Ella Enchanted, so I can't say whether this is unusual for Levine's writing).  It's a complex, layered story most appropriate for older middle-graders or young teens.  

Title: The Witch's Guide To Cooking With Children

Author: Keith McGowan

Publisher: Henry Holt

ISBN: 9780805086683

"Hansel and Gretel" was never one of my favorite fairy tales, but I absolutely adore this retelling, which alternates between the viewpoints of the kid heroes and the evil witch.  It's creepy and weird and slightly gothic, not to mention unexpectedly hilarious.  Highly recommended to fans of Lemony Snicket and The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place.

 

Teens

Title: Geek Charming

Author: Robin Palmer

Publisher: Speak (Penguin)

ISBN: 9780142411223

Geek Charming is told half through the perspective of the Princess (Dylan, Castle Height's queen bee), and the Frog (Josh, a true, but charming geek).  Josh's voice wasn't quite "guy" enough to be totally convincing to me, but Dylan is a highly entertaining narrator, largely due to the fact that she's got no concept of irony whatsoever.  Reading her scenes is like being in on a private joke between you and the author.

Readers familiar with the original Grimm story will find the ending of this one surprising, but it's true to the characters, and therefore satisfying.

Title: The Goose Girl

Author: Shannon Hale

Publisher: Bloomsbury

ISBN: 9781582349909

I wasn't familiar with the fairy tale "The Goose Girl", so I read this more as a fantasy, and I loved it.  Hale uses a familiar fairy tale style and structure, but the voice of the character is unique and believable. I was caught up as much by the sound of the writing as by the story itself, which has enough danger, magic and romance to satisfy any fantasy fan. As an added bonus, the princess is brave and determined and manages to rescue herself, which in my opinion is the greatest virtue of the retold tale.

Title: The Swan Kingdom

Author: Zoë Marriott

Publisher: Candlewick

ISBN: 9780763642938

For my money, "The Wild Swans" is the best fairy tale no one's ever heard of, so I was excited to read this teen retelling.  The first half of the book was great, but I was disappointed to find that, after Alexandra's brothers are turned to swans, very little wordage is devoted to her quest to restore them. In fact, I had to read the climax twice - the final solution seemed so easy, I wondered if I'd missed something.  That said, Alexandra is sympathetic, the love story is well-developed, and the language Marriott uses is completely beautiful.

I would recommend this book to younger teens; for the 15+ crowd, I'd suggest heading straight for Juliet Marillier's Daughter of the Forest.