Kazumi Reads

Plot Summary:
It's been five year's since Cassie's mother disappeared and no no leads have brought her hope. Cassie and her mother were always on the go because her mother was a self-proclaimed psychic, but, in reality, she taught Cassie everything she needed to know about profiling so reading people is like a sixth sense. One day, while on the road, Cassie returned to her mother's dressing room only to find blood everywhere and her mother had vanished.  It's been five years since that day and Cassie's mother's body has yet to be found and Cassie is still unable to fit in with her father's family except for Nonna. Cassie and her father don't have the same relationship that most girls have with their fathers (her father is in the military and has rarely been around). However, after her mothers disappearance, Cassie is whisked away to her grandmother's home and the family has taken her in so she rarely has to go without. However, something inside Cassie is missing and she misses her mother so Cassie closes herself off to everyone and then Michael walked into her world with a business card that will change her life forever. Michael, like Lia and Dean, is part of an FBI experiment where teens with exceptional abilities (i.e., teens who can read emotions, decipher if a person is lying, a statistician, and the ability to read people) are trained, and evaluated, to use their skills to assist agents with cold cases. Although Cassie thinks she might be able to investigate her mother's case, her handler (Agent Briggs) assures her that there is no new evidence and that her "gift" should be used to help others. Along with Cassie's story, there are sections entitled "You," which contain thoughts and evaluations about different crime scenes that tell a very chilling tale of things to come? Cassie and company may be "Naturals," but do they have the what it takes to track down and capture a real killer before someone gets hurt?

Critical Evaluation:
WOW! This book is amazing! It really is Criminal Minds for teens and I loved it! There is so much that can be discussed here (especially when it comes to the criminology and such), but I want to focus on the story and the characters. It is very obvious that the author has done her research because all of the characters display a variety of talents that are very useful in deducing crimes that require more than the average detective work; these characters are analyzing and solving crimes by some of the most notorious, and evil, people who have committed some exceptionally heinous crimes. Despite the gory details, it's refreshing to see these young people overcome and struggle with the work at hand. As a reader, I think it's important to see that even the most brilliant FBI agent is still human who knows what it's like to feel anger, sadness, and/or vulnerability. Cassie, for example, is not the average teenager who came from a good family. In fact, we find out some disturbing things about her mother's family that shed light on why Cassie was always guarding herself because never knew nothing about her mother's family (or her father) since he barely had the opportunity to be the parent he probably wanted to be. Nevertheless, Cassie has always depended on herself and it troubles her to accept help from Nonna, her aunts, and her uncles. Houghton they may be pushy, Cassie does have people who love her, which is something Michael is always lacking; hence, not allowing Cassie to profile him. For Dean, knowing his father's history, he is constantly struggling with himself because  he fears he will become him. As for Lia, she is a mystery all together because she comes of cool and confident, but there is a side of that refuses to let anyone in.  As for Sloane, she is the type of girl who clearly doesn't have the social skills of most teenage girls. When hyped on caffeine, she turns into a human super computer, which is helpful when necessary. When she isn't crunching numbers, she is kind of a loaner who struggles with relating to others, but, the Naturals project has given her the opportunity to become part of a team, which is a kind of family unit, giving her people to talk to and rely on (the same can be said for Cassie). All of these teens have amazing gifts, but they have paid a serious price for it, which is incredibly unfair because being a teenager is already difficult and they didn't ask for these gifts either. However, these teens managed to keep it together because they realized that they work better as one than against each other. A gripping read and I am definitely sensing a sequel!

Information about the Author:
According to her website:

Jennifer Lynn Barnes (who mostly goes by Jen) was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She has been, in turn, a competitive cheerleader, a volleyball player, a dancer, a debutante, a primate cognition researcher, a teen model, a comic book geek, and a lemur aficionado. She's been writing for as long as she can remember, finished her first full book (which she now refers to as a "practice book" and which none of you will ever see) when she was still in high school, and then wrote Golden the summer after her freshman year in college, when she was nineteen.

Jen graduated high school in 2002, and from Yale University with a degree in cognitive science (the study of the brain and thought) in May of 2006. She was awarded a Fulbright to do post-graduate work at Cambridge, and then returned to the states, where she is hard at work on her PhD.

Genre:
Teen Mystery, Teen Suspense, Teen Horror


Reading Level/Interest:
Grades 9 & up


Books Similar to The Naturals:

• Paper Valentine by Breanna Yovanoff
• I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga

Awards & Recognition:

• Positive reviews from School Library Journal
• Positive review from Booklist
• 2014 YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults

From Amazon.com

'A page-turning thrill ride that will keep you guessing right until the very end' Ally Carter, author of the bestselling Gallagher Girls series

Plot Summary:
Quentin has been in love with Margo ever since she stumbled into his bedroom window dressed in black as if she were a ninja. Although Margo is in another social class (popular), he never stopped admiring her, which only escalates when she stumbled into his room, again, many years later. Margo is a free spirit, but also a force to be reckoned with. When Margo's boyfriend is caught cheating, Margo not only makes her boyfriend and backstabbing friend existence a living nightmare, she takes Quentin on a journey of revenge like none other. In fact, this adventure not only involved illegal breaking and entering, it also included a night time jaunt to the city's biggest skyscraper and Sea World. Quentin did not realize the courage and the audacity that makes Margo who she is and that not only makes her much more attractive, but a mystery.  After returning from what seemed like a crazy dream, Quentin believed that Margo would actually acknowledge him, but when she didn't return to school, Quentin knew something was up. Little does he realize, but Margo is the reason why the school bully stayed away from him, and his friends, but Margo is the one who instills courage in him, which allows him to stand up to the bully for the first time in his life. With a renewed sense of purpose, and confidence, Quentin learns that Margo, for some reason, has a habit of running away and, unfortunately, this is the last time her parents will put up with her behavior. According to Quentin's parents, who are are therapists, they believe that Margo is just acting out and seeking attention. Sadly, Margo's parents have had enough and they informed Quentin that Margo is no longer allowed in their home. Although this seems highly unfair, Quentin asks his parents if Margo could stay with them and they would allow it. However, with Margo gone, Quentin must find her in order to make this happen because he doesn't want to lose her again. Little does he realize that Margo wants to be found because she leaves clues just for him, which could easily lead to somewhere magical or utterly terrible.

Critical Evaluation:
 John Green has written yet another prolific tale of misunderstanding, adventure, comedy, angst, and love. In this story, two teens who live next to one another finally come together to create a story all of their own. Although it's a little creepy to begin the book with two kids discovering a dead body, it's the one moment that show them the harshness of life and reality. This gruesome discovery has haunted Quentin for most of his life, but, with that memory, there is the one with Margo decked out as a ninja wanting to know why the man killed himself. This morbid curiosity is not only real amongst teens today, but it's a sign that no matter what we do we cannot shelter our kids no matter where we raise them or how. Quentin, who is the exact opposite of Margo, is a "well-adjusted" teenager because his parents are therapists who don't question his level-head. I think what cracks me up is that Quentin's parents are so involved with their work that they don't even notice their own son's loneliness. All of his life, Quentin has loved Margo for a long and has always kept a vigil for her, hoping that she will see him as more than the boy next door. As for Margo, as I mentioned earlier, is a whirlwind of mystery and intrigue. What makes her that way, one will never know, but one thing that is obvious (to readers) is that she needs Quentin to find her. Granted, they haven't been very close for quite some time, but Quentin is the ones she shares that awful moment when they were younger; therefore, he is the only who understands why she lives her life the way she does. Death is a huge influence in this novel because Margo refuses to let life hold her back and that is why she takes the risks she does. For Quentin, who has lived a rather safe life is starting to see the joy in every moment because all of us could end up like the man from the past. What terrifies Quentin the most is that Margo could end up like the man they found and that is why he must find her. Paper Towns is an amazing story that not only makes the reader think about life, but allows us to reflect on those moments to make the right decisions. 

Information about the Author:
According to his website:

John Green is the New York Times bestselling author of Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines, Paper Towns, and The Fault in Our Stars. He is also the coauthor, with David Levithan, of Will Grayson, Will Grayson. He was 2006 recipient of the Michael L. Printz Award, a 2009 Edgar Award winner, and has twice been a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. Green’s books have been published in more than a dozen languages.
In 2007, Green and his brother Hank ceased textual communication and began to talk primarily through videoblogs posted to YouTube. The videos spawned a community of people called nerdfighters who fight for intellectualism and to decrease the overall worldwide level of suck. (Decreasing suck takes many forms: Nerdfighters have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to fight poverty in the developing world; they also planted thousands of trees around the world in May of 2010 to celebrate Hank’s 30th birthday.) Although they have long since resumed textual communication, John and Hank continue to upload two videos a week to their YouTube channel, vlogbrothers. Their videos have been viewed more than 200 million times, and their channel is one of the most popular in the history of online video. He is also an active Twitter user with more than 1.2 million followers.

Green’s book reviews have appeared in The New York Times Book Review and Booklist, a wonderful book review journal where he worked as a publishing assistant and production editor while writing Looking for Alaska. Green grew up in Orlando, Florida before attending Indian Springs School and then Kenyon College.

Genre:
Teen Contemporary Fiction


Reading Level/Interest:
Grades 9 & up

Books Similar to Paper Towns:

•  Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chobsky
  

Awards & Recognition:
From Amazon.com

A Booklist Best Book of the Year
An SLJ Best Book of the Year
A VOYA Best Book of the Year

“Green’s prose is astounding — from hilarious, hyperintellectual trash talk and shtick, to complex philosophizing, to devastating observation and truths.” –SLJ, starred review

“[Green’s] a superb stylist, with a voice perfectly matched to his amusing, illuminating material.” –Booklist, starred review

“Laugh-out-loud humor and heartfelt poignancy.” –Kliatt, starred review

“Green delivers once again with this satisfying, crowd-pleasing look at a complex, smart boy and the way he loves. Genuine—and genuinely funny—dialogue, a satisfyingly tangled but not unbelievable mystery and delightful secondary characters.”
–Kirkus

"Stellar, with deliciously intelligent dialogue and plenty of mind-twisting insights…a powerfully great read." --VOYA 

"Compelling." --The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Plot Summary:
Sophronia Temminick is not the average girl. Unlike most her age, and time, Sophronia loves taking things a part to see how they work and she craves adventure. However, her mother decided to send her of to Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality because there is no way that Sophronia could ever make a suitable bride when she traipsing about the house and hiding in the dumbwaiter. After being spirited away in a coach, Sophronia meet Dimity and her brother, Pillover. Now why would a boy be off to a school that was meant for young ladies? Secondly, why is the carriage being attacked by Flyaway Men? After wrangling the reins of the carriage from the stunned coachmen, Sophronia manages to save everyone, including Mademoiselle Geraldine, from danger. However, why would a coach filled with young women, and one young man, be attacked by Flyaway Men who are demanding the prototype from Mademoiselle Geraldine? Well, here's the problem:  Mademoiselle Geraldine is really a young lady named Monique (incognito) who is on a secret mission to deliver, and protect, an item (aka. The Prototype) of utmost importance. In fact, this journey takes an even stranger turn when Sophronia and company meet a real-live werewolf who helps them aboard a flying apparatus called a dirigible. When Sophronia finally meets the headmistresses, she learns that Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality is really a finishing school, but also trains young women to be intelligencers or assassins; hence, why Dimity refers to Sophronia as a convert recruit. Although this excites Sophronia, these lessons prove even more difficult when she has to learn to curtsy and combat all at the same time. Moreover, she must figure out what the prototype is and why the Flyaway Men want it.

Critical Evaluation:
Etiquette & Espionage is incredibly fun! I absolutely love Sophronia because her quirks and her intelligence just make the story awesome. I will say that this is definitely an original steampunk adventure where young ladies are actually trained to be more that well-mannered ladies. The best part about this story is that Mademoiselle Geraldine has absolutely no idea what's going on her own school, which goes to show that manners and beauty does not replace common sense. As I said earlier, Sophronia is like many of the young ladies that I work with who are not only brilliant, but have a quick whit and the drive, which will help them do great things. Sophronia is criticized and often ridiculed because she likes to take things apart, master the art of dumbwaiters, and takes very little interest in the finer things such as: dancing, curtsying, and manners. With most steampunk stories, the time period is very similar to that of the Victorian era, which is obvious because this is all about a finishing school that teaches girls to be ladies who can wield knives. With that said, upper and middle class girls had no say in their futures and were expected obey and conform to the roles they were born into; hence, why finishing schools were popular. Well, for Sophronia, she is definitely in for a treat since she happens to be the covert recruit where her daily lessons require her to move more than her pinky. Although Sophronia has very little in common with the rest of the girls, she learns that they all possess certain attributes that she grows to admire. In fact, through her lessons, Sophronia can finally be herself where the only ridicule she receives is that of jealousy, especially when it comes to Monique. This is definitely a book for the spirited reader who is looking for the next great adventure.

Information about the Author:
According to her website:

New York Times Bestselling author Gail Carriger writes to cope with being raised in obscurity by an expatriate Brit and an incurable curmudgeon. She escaped small town life and inadvertently acquired several degrees in Higher Learning. Ms. Carriger then traveled the historic cities of Europe, subsisting entirely on biscuits secreted in her handbag. She resides in the Colonies, surrounded by fantastic shoes, where she insists on tea imported from London. Gail's books are published in over a dozen different languages and she recieved the Prix Julia Verlanger from French readers.

The Parasol Protectorate books are:Soulless, Changeless, Blameless, Heartless, and Timeless. Soulless won the ALA's Alex Award and has been turned into a graphic novel. Her young adult Finishing School series begins with Etiquette & Espionage and follows the exploits of Sophronia, a young lady who soon discovers her dreaded lady's seminary is a great deal more than anyone realizes. In the Custard Protocol series, beginning with Prudence, Rue and her crack (or possibly cracked) dirigible crew get into trouble around the Empire on behalf of queen, country, and tea.

Genre:
Teen Steampunk, Teen Adventure


Reading Level/Interest:
Grades 9 & up

Books Similar to Etiquette & Espionage:

• Leviathan by Scott Westerfield
• Iron Thorn by Catlin Kittredge

Awards & Recognition:
From Amazon.com:

"Carriger's YA debut brings her mix of Victorian paranormal steampunk and winning heroines to a whole new audience...with cleverly Victorian methods of espionage, witty banter, lighthearted silliness, and a ship full of intriguingly quirky people."—Booklist (starred review)

* "[A] delightfully madcap espionage adventure..."—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

—School Library Journal (starred review)

"Blending intrigue and elements of the school story, Carriger introduces teen readers to a supernatural-meets-steampunk world full of action and wit."—Horn Book

—ShelfAwareness