when you start at the end, and have to work your way backwards

Book one, book two, book three...
Obviously, series books are meant to be read in order. You start with book one, proceed to book two (or wait around, biting at your nails and climbing up the walls until book two is released), and on you go, until the series ends.
That's usually the way it works.
Sometimes, though, I've found myself starting with the last book, and working
my way backwards. The only other time I remember doing this was in 2008, right when Breaking Dawn came out. In my way of thinking, I'd read some of BD, decide whether or not the premise sounded interesting, and *then* I'd start at the beginning of the series. Well, 100 pages in, I was like "who ARE all these characters? So confused!" and that was that.
With the Chaos Walking series, it was actually the last book, Monsters of Men, that first caught my attention. My cousin and I were just sitting around, talking about books, and she brought up this really cool dystopian series she was reading - the Chaos Walking series by Patrick Ness (and she's the one who coined the phrase, "It makes Hunger Games look like 'Sesame Street").
Then she dropped the biggest, baddest spoiler ever. She basically blurted out the ending, then was like, "do you BELIEVE that? that's not closure!"
So yeah, pretty much when I went into The Knife of Never Letting Go and was first introduced to Todd Hewitt, New World, and all the psychotic freakwads who populate it, I knew what was going to happen on the very last pages of Monsters of Men, the finale.
Has that ever happened to any of you guys? And if so, have you still been able to plug along through a story, even knowing how it was going to end?
With Monsters of Men, I may know what happens on the last page or two, but I don't know what happens to get to that point. So that, for me, is what this reading journey will be about. Getting up to that point.

(and just sayin,' I totally got her back, Mockingjay-style: "Yeah, that whole business with Prim sure sucked, amiright?")

an ode to childrens books!

This post is inspired by the time I spent recently in a first grade classroom, reading with a bunch of 7-year-olds, and with a conversation that I had today with a new-mom friend, in which we listed children's books that it is perfectly acceptable to fangirl over.
Here's my list of my favorite childrens picture books (non-chapter books). Most of these were around when I was a kid, but there are a few recent classics who have jumped onto the list.

1. Anything Chris Van Allsburg

The man behind The Polar Express, Jumanji, The Mysteries of Harris Burdick, and The Wreck of the Zephyr was really popular when I was in elementary school in the good ol' 90s. I would absolutely track down every one of Van Allsburg's books to add to either my classroom (if I taught younger grades) or my future kids' bookshelves.

2. Hooray for Diffendoofer Day & Oh, the Places You'll Go!

Okay, so pretty much all of Dr. Seuss' books are beloved and bona fide classics in their own right. BUT two stand out for me, and they are among the only picture-books that I currently own: Hooray for Diffendoofer Day and Oh the Places You'll Go! One of my high-school teachers, I remember, read Diffendoofer Day on the first day of school to us, and on the last day of school, she read Oh the Places You'll Go. Most of us, including the guys, bawled.

3. StellalunaStellaluna is one of the few childrens books that I definitely remember reading at school, one of the few that I can definitely recall. The story is beautiful, and seriously, it made me (temporarily) like bats!

4. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad DayOh, I had this book *memorized* when I was in kindergarten. Before When Sophie Gets Angry, there was poor Alexander, who just couldn't get anything to go right for him! Oh, this book will definitely be on my kids' shelves.
Funny story: I read this book to a group of first graders, and one little boy immediately pointed to the cover and asked, "Why is his face yellow? Does he have jaundice?" Kids say the darndest things.

5. Anything by Eric CarleVan Allsburg's illustrations are more beautiful, but there's something delightfully entertaining and beautiful about Eric Carle animals, whether it's a hungry caterpillar, a very quiet cricket, or...bears.

6. Where the Wild Things AreThe fact that this book is #6 doesn't say anything - I'm only posting these as they come to mind, not ranking them. But I loved the book, I own a shirt with the book's cover on it, and I adored the movie, too. This is definitely a worthy classic, and would definitely be included on my future kids' bookshelf!

7. The Stinky Cheeseman & Other Fairly Stupid Tales, Math Curse, The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, and other deliberately genius books by Jon Sciezka
One of the most-asked-for books that I read to family member's class was The Stinky Cheeseman. Jon's hilarious re-imagining of fairy tales, and his ability to nail the fact that math is INDEED confusing, only make his books all the more enjoyable and classic. The Stinky Cheeseman and Math Curse are some of the few picture books that I own, and boy, they sit on my shelf, next to my YA books, with pride. I will definitely buy more Jon Sciezka books in the future!

8. Cloudy with a Chance of MeatballsSure, it's a fun story, and the illustrations are superb, but how awesome would it be to literally have food dropping out of the sky? I reckon that if we lived in a world like that, we'd all sit around like Augustus Gloop, looking up toward the heavens with our mouths hanging open. What a concept! Sometimes the silliest scenarios make for the most fun and engaging stories.

9. Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary TaleThe story itself is cute, but what's really cool about this Mo Willems book (and it's sequel) is the visual component. The photography-and-animation component is brilliant, and just adds an extra level of coolness to the book. Oh yes, this book definitely has that artistic edge.

10. Skippyjon JonesSo no, these books weren't out when I was a kid, but one of my teachers read them to us in high school, and they've shot up my list to my Top 12 favorite childrens books. A little Siamese kitten who thinks he's a chihuahua? Absolutely adorable. And if you read the book outloud, with an accent, it makes the experience all the more entertaining (even if you're reading to yourself...ssshhh!) :)

and...11. YOU ARE SPECIAL
You know how there's that question that's often asked, "If you could recommend one book to everyone, what would it be?" or the more obnoxious-sounding, "If you could make people read one book, what would it be?"
This would be my answer. Because yes, if I could "force" people to read any book, I'd feel pretty guilty about making them read something really long and involved. You Are Special is a short childrens story that has an incredible message and is just one of the sweetest, most endearing books I've ever read. It is one of the very few "picture books" that I own and it stands out among my massive YA-filled shelves.

--Feel obligated to mention--
The Missing Piece and other Shel Silverstein stuff. The reason I'm apathetic toward Shel is because I had a class in which his book was turned into a really in-depth lecture on psychosocial hooha, and we had to write a paper. Boo.

Goodnight Moon. Oh, dear lord, I think this is why I cringe at heavy-repetition books (except Seuss, who was a Class-I genius). "Good night, ____. Good night, _____." It's what I imagine a childrens book written by the Waltons would sound like. Even as a kid, I'm told that I would make it past a few pages, then scream "GOOD NIGHT ALREADY, GOSH!," like a little mini-Napoleon Dynamite way before its time.

Corduroy. Didn't particularly care for this book because I have a weird, unexplainable aversion to corduroy. Even thinking about it now, as I type, makes my skin break out in goosebumps. Moving on...

So these were just some picture-books that I loved, still love, will buy and add to my library when I have extra funds, and just wanted to give some attention to. I think I'll do another post about the best childrens chapter books.
What are some of your favorite childhood books?

Review - FAIRY BAD DAY

Fairy Bad Day - Amanda Ashby
Genre: YA Fantasy/Paranormal
# of pages: 336 (ARC)
Publisher: Penguin
Release date: June 9, 2011

While most students at Burtonwood Academy get to kill demons and goblins, fifteen-year-old Emma gets to rid the world of little annoying fairies with glittery wings and a hipster fashion sense. She was destined to be a dragon slayer, but cute and charming Curtis stole her spot. Then she sees a giant killer fairy - and it's invisible to everyone but her! If Emma has any chance of stopping this evil fairy, she's going to need help. Unfortunately, the only person who can help is Curtis. And now, not only has he stolen her dragon-slayer spot, but maybe her heart as well! Why does she think it's going to be a fairy bad day?

Okay, right away when I read this book back in April, I knew it was going to be something special. In fact, my first Goodreads status update said: "I'm already on page ten and already this book's fantasy world is way, WAY more creative and exciting than most other books I've read recently."
Seriously. The storyworld here is very dynamic, very detailed, and beautifully simple. It's like Hogwarts lite combined with a non-mythology version of Camp Half Blood. In this world, kids like Emma attend a boarding school (and just the fact that it's a boarding school that doesn't reek of the "Gossip Girl"/House of Night/every-juvenile-delinquent-activity-you-can-think-of- that-allegedly-happens-at-a-boarding-school image REALLY gives me hope for these places continuing to be used as a legitimately-interesting story location) where they learn how to use their gifts to help control the paranormal population. Kids like Emma have "the sight," meaning they can see the several paranormal creatures that make up this richly populated story world, and their jobs are simple: keep these paranormals in order, and if need be, protect the human population by, well, slaying wayward paranormals. There are troll slayers, demon slayers, goblin slayers, coveted dragon slayers, and fairy slayers, which Emma unhappily becomes as the story opens. The synopsis from Goodreads seems so overly-simple compared to the truly dynamic story world Amanda Ashby has created, and also the plot that unfurls as Emma learns that her job slaying pesky little fairies is really more life-and-death than she anticipated. There were some parts of the story that didn't really feel very clear to me (for example, if humans can't see all the paranormals, are they really in danger of them? and is slaying really necessary?) But quite simply, I found this book utterly fascinating.

I really do love "rite-of-passage" characters - actually, I kind of crave them. So while Emma's initial me-centric and immature attitude was a little hard to see through, I really enjoyed how she gradually became responsible, sensitive, and caring. She became much more in-tune with those around her, including the character who is my absolute favorite in the book - Curtis! Curtis was everything I like: sense of humor without being a goofball, caring but not overbearing, and assertive enough to stand up for himself when Emma got a little ridiculous with herself. Plus - added bonus - he went through most of the book on crutches. Yes, a dude who is "strong" and capable but still can't quite walk without assistance. That was very cool, and that's something that really set him apart and made him stand out from all the other love interests in all the other books I've gone through.
Even though I usually make much ado about the main characters in a book (boy/girl + love interest), I need to mention how well-rounded and charming the supporting characters of Fairy Bad Day were. In a time in YA fiction when the designated "best friend character" is usually a couple fries short of a Happy Meal (not in a generally unintelligent way but in an airheady, probably-listened-to-too-many-Hansen-songs way). Either that or they're the "writing angry poetry in red pen" sort. So I really, really enjoyed the fact that Emma's friends/classmates had personalities and were genuinely interesting, but not the Adderall-and-a-leash kind.
Though Fairy Bad Day's ending was satisfying, I am absolutely dying to know if this will be the first installment in a series. As interesting as the storyworld was, there's so much more that could be expanded, so many details left to be explored. This is one of the few books of 2011 that really, truly, has made me want MORE. And isn't the cover a win?!
Seriously, I can't think of a book that's more deserving of your attention this summer!

Fairy Bad Day @ Amazon
Amanda Ashby's website

surprised by the WSJ: in which I do what the politicians do and speak outta both sides

I'm still not done reading the WSJ's article that has managed to get the book-blogging community buzzing. It's always something, isn't it? A few months ago it was that stuff in Missouri, now it's this...I've been used to newspapers (the NY Times and USA Today are the worst) spinning their own agendas so I don't usually take articles very seriously, but this one surprised me. I assure you, my mental pendulum will swing both ways, so all I ask is that you reserve judgment till you get through the entire post/treatise/diatribe/whathaveyou...

In this blog post, I'm going to do a little something different (although I seriously doubt anyone wants to hear anything that's not 100% ' OMG WSJ IS WRONG!') and talk about where the WSJ gets it right and where it gets it completely wrong. That's what they teach you in debate: that rarely is there ever a totally-right or totally-wrong issue. Same applies here.

On one hand, I do feel very relieved that this article has been written. It's what the literary community so often forgets: consumers (whether they be parents, teens, or interested adult readers) have absolutely no way of knowing what is in a book before they read it. And while there is this attitude of "so what? anything goes in books," that is not the only attitude out there. Real parents, real teachers, real teens, and real adult readers may care a great deal. For us, it's not "anything goes." For us, it's not "reality for some is reality for all," and for goodness sake, it certainly isn't "any book is better than no book!" That is so flipping ignorant. And it can't be both ways. If authors have the right to write whatever they want, with no moral boundary that says 'this is too far,' then consumers have the right to symbolically say, "What the...?! Are you for real?!"

The part that I think is the most insightful is:

Yet it is also possible—indeed, likely—that books focusing on pathologies help normalize them and, in the case of self-harm, may even spread their plausibility and likelihood to young people who might otherwise never have imagined such extreme measures. Self-destructive adolescent behaviors are observably infectious and have periods of vogue. That is not to discount the real suffering that some young people endure; it is an argument for taking care.

So yes, I do share the WSJ's "puzzlement" over why in the world this genre can be so explicit and in-your-face with quite a lot of disturbing themes, situations, and content. Yeah, it freaketh me out. And yeah, there is little-to-no way to know before diving in. And that's where my issue is: some people want to know, and there is no way for them to know. And my issue is with the idea that teenagers - with developing brains and personalities - are ready for anything. That they can handle anything. That just because reality is sometimes horrible and ugly is an open invitation to demonstrate, explicitly, just how ugly it can get. I need to say, though, that the #1 reason why I am sympathetic to this article is because it appeared in the Wall Street Journal, one of America's most important newspapers. If this was the work of some blogger, I would have shrugged and said, "She's got some points, but geez...dramatic much?"

I already shared my favorite part of the article. Now I'll share my least favorite: That part in the beginning where the poor sweet mama couldn't find a book in the whole YA section. I don't buy that for one second! Geez, the last time I went to a bookstore (NYC's Books of Wonder), I left with 10 books. And I'm one of those 'stay away from dark stuff' types. If I can find an armful of books, anyone can! Did she not see Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver? Or Michael Scott's Secrets of the Immortal Nicolas Flamel? What about Neal Shusterman's books, or Cassandra Clare's shiny, flashy, can't-miss-em books? Did she see The Dark Divine or The Maze Runner or Paranormalcy or Prophecy of the Sisters or FOR CRYING OUT LOUD anything with the name "Rick Riordan" on it? What about Matched or Divergent or the freaking BOOK THIEF? And boy, nothing says "dark and disturbing" like that Artemis Fowl! For goodness sake. Yes, I'm the type of reader who will agree with the WSJ that there is some weird, crazy...stuff in YA, but the majority of books are thrilling, enjoyable, uplifting, and written by some of the most gifted, capable, and endearing authors in the industry. If some editors and publicists are impervious to shock or sensibility, I'd reckon there are twice as many who actually do give a wang (at least, maybe a little wang) about what they're releasing into the market.

What do I wish the WSJ had done differently? First of all, part of me is glad that they actually named names and to an extent, held books and authors accountable for the written word. Like I said, it can't be both ways. It can't be acceptance and validation without some reservation. But I wished that they would have ended their article by praising, or even just acknowledging, the authors and books that represent the brighter parts of the genre. Not everything is drugs, sex, cutting, despair, and other unspeakable things. The image they painted is a truth, not the whole truth. It does not come close to describing Veronica Roth and her Divergent, or Kelly Creagh and her Nevermore, or Kersten Hamilton and her Tyger Tyger, or Neal Shusterman and his Unwind, or Bree Despain and her Dark Divine or Patrick Ness and his Chaos Walking...I could go on and on and on and on.

So if I had to draw a line in the sand, would I side with them, or with the pro-#YAsaves trend? Both, actually. Because this isn't an either-or issue. I said I was glad that this article was written. Yes, I am, because I do believe that sometimes 'dark' is 'too dark.' And I do believe that people should be made aware of the fact that some subgenres of YA are pretty... disturbing. And I think something needs to be done to better inform consumers. I think that if people weren't so often surprised or caught off guard, they'd be less hostile to books that they'd just as soon skip.

With most issues, I think that the most truthful realization lies somewhere in the middle. Unfortunately, I can't completely jump of the "WSJ is utterly wrong" bandwagon because, as someone who is often disillusioned by not just the openness but also the seeming permissiveness of literature aimed at Young Adults, I do think that information is a good thing. I do think that consumers need to be made aware of the direction that some books are taking, and how the envelope sure is being pushed far by some books and some authors. But in the very next sentence, I will defend those whose work does not apply at all to this article. As someone who reads YA almost exclusively, I'll be the first to say that no, not every book is for everybody (and it is my complete personal opinion that an even smaller number of books aren't for anybody), but I'll also be the first to say that this is the most diverse, inventive, creative, and lively genre out there.

PS - authors have been sharing their thoughts all day, but the one that really speaks out above the rest is Veronica Roth's post. What she has to say is not only insightful and eloquent, it's also extremely reasonable. Without trying to sound over the top, she keeps demonstrating over and over what a class-act author she is.

Sorry for being complicated,

BEA book (re)post!

(had a problem with the first post)

The grand total of BEA-books, for me, was 44, plus 10 books that I bought, which brought me up to 54. Needless to say, my bookshelves need a huge alphabetizing makeover!

Books bought at the Strand & Books of Wonder
The Official Illustrated Twilight Guide - Stephenie Meyer
Prophecy of the Sisters - Michelle Zink
Guardian of the Gate - Michelle Zink
The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
Entwined - Heather Dixon
The Cabinet of Wonders - Marie Rutkoski
The Celestial Globe - Marie Rutkoski
Unwind - Neal Shusterman
The Grimm Legacy - Polly Shulman
Monsters of Men - Patrick Ness

Signed BEA books

Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex - Eoin Colfer (released)
The Girl in the Steel Corset - Kady Cross (released)
The Iron Queen - Julie Kagawa (released)
The Throne of Fire - Rick Riordan (released)
Sirenz - Charlotte Bennardo & Natalie Zaman (June 8, 2011)
Spellbound - Cara Lynn Shultz (June 28, 2011)
Goliath - Scott Westerfeld (August 29, 2011)
Ashes - Ilsa Bick (September 2011)
The Eleventh Plague - Jeff Hirsch (September 1, 2011)
Skyship Academy: The Pearl Wars - Nick James (September 8, 2011)
The Name of the Star - Maureen Johnson (September 29, 2011)
The Carrier of the Mark - Leigh Fallon (October 4, 2011)
Crossed - Ally Condie (November 1, 2011)
Legend - Marie Lu (November 29, 2011)

Unsigned BEA books
Pure - Julianna Baggott (February 8, 2012)
The Unwanteds - Lisa McMann (August 30, 2011)
Variant - Robison Wells (October 1, 2011)
The Mephisto Covenant - Trinity Faegen (September 27, 2011)
Tris and Izzie - Mette Ivie Harrison (October 11, 2011)
Forever - Maggie Stiefvater (July 12, 2011)
All These Things I've Done - Gabrielle Zevin (September 27, 2011)
The Inquisitor's Apprentice - Chris Moriarty (October 3, 2011)
Wonderstruck - Brian Selznick (September 13, 2011)
The Scorpio Races - Maggie Stiefvater (October 18, 2011)
Wildwood - Colin Meloy
Draw the Dark - Ilsa Bick (released)
Eve - Anna Carey (October 4, 2011)
Rock On - Denise Vega
Cold Kiss - Amy Garvey (September 20, 2011)
The Snow Child - Eowyn Ivey (February 1, 2012)
After Obsession - Carrie Jones (September 5, 2011)
The Future of Us - Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler (November 21, 2011)
Daughter of Smoke and Bone - Laini Taylor (September 27, 2011)
The Apothecary - Maile Meloy (October 4, 2011)
The Rivals - Daisy Whitney (February 6, 2012)
Liesl and Po - Lauren Oliver (September 1, 2011)
Circle Nine - Anne Heltzel (September 13, 2011)
Shut Out - Kody Keplinger (September 5, 2011)
The Bridge to Neverland - Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson (August 9, 2011)
Wintertown - Stephen Emond (December 5, 2011)
The Iron Witch - Karen Mahoney (released)

Two boxes of books - one that weighed 70lbs and one that weighed around 35 lbs shipped from NY on Thursday to TX, and it arrived Tuesday. We paid about $50 total. Guys, if anyone is going to BEA next year, please please go with USPS! Not only were they cheaper, but they were surprisingly speedy.
I'm really excited to get started reading, and several of these books will giveaways, so keep checking back to see when those start!

IMM - the BEA books

For my first BEA, I tried to take the careful, somewhat-choosy approach on what I picked up. The grand total of BEA-books, for me, was 44, plus 10 books that I bought, which brought me up to 54. Needless to say, my bookshelves need a huge alphabetizing makeover!

Books bought at the Strand & Books of Wonder
The Official Illustrated Twilight Guide - Stephenie Meyer
Prophecy of the Sisters - Michelle Zink
Guardian of the Gate - Michelle Zink
The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
Entwined - Heather Dixon
The Cabinet of Wonders - Marie Rutkoski
The Celestial Globe - Marie Rutkoski
Unwind - Neal Shusterman
The Grimm Legacy - Polly Shulman
Monsters of Men - Patrick Ness

Signed BEA books

Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex - Eoin Colfer (released)
The Girl in the Steel Corset - Kady Cross (released)
The Iron Queen - Julie Kagawa (released)
The Throne of Fire - Rick Riordan (released)
Sirenz - Charlotte Bennardo & Natalie Zaman (June 8, 2011)
Spellbound - Cara Lynn Shultz (June 28, 2011)
Goliath - Scott Westerfeld (August 29, 2011)
Ashes - Ilsa Bick (September 2011)
The Eleventh Plague - Jeff Hirsch (September 1, 2011)
Skyship Academy: The Pearl Wars - Nick James (September 8, 2011)
The Name of the Star - Maureen Johnson (September 29, 2011)
The Carrier of the Mark - Leigh Fallon (October 4, 2011)
Crossed - Ally Condie (November 1, 2011)
Legend - Marie Lu (November 29, 2011)

Unsigned BEA books
Pure - Julianna Baggott (February 8, 2012)
The Unwanteds - Lisa McMann (August 30, 2011)
Variant - Robison Wells (October 1, 2011)
The Mephisto Covenant - Trinity Faegen (September 27, 2011)
Tris and Izzie - Mette Ivie Harrison (October 11, 2011)
Forever - Maggie Stiefvater (July 12, 2011)
All These Things I've Done - Gabrielle Zevin (September 27, 2011)
The Inquisitor's Apprentice - Chris Moriarty (October 3, 2011)
Wonderstruck - Brian Selznick (September 13, 2011)
The Scorpio Races - Maggie Stiefvater (October 18, 2011)
Wildwood - Colin Meloy
Draw the Dark - Ilsa Bick (released)
Eve - Anna Carey (October 4, 2011)
Rock On - Denise Vega
Cold Kiss - Amy Garvey (September 20, 2011)
The Snow Child - Eowyn Ivey (February 1, 2012)
After Obsession - Carrie Jones (September 5, 2011)
The Future of Us - Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler (November 21, 2011)
Daughter of Smoke and Bone - Laini Taylor (September 27, 2011)
The Apothecary - Maile Meloy (October 4, 2011)
The Rivals - Daisy Whitney (February 6, 2012)
Liesl and Po - Lauren Oliver (September 1, 2011)
Circle Nine - Anne Heltzel (September 13, 2011)
Shut Out - Kody Keplinger (September 5, 2011)
The Bridge to Neverland - Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson (August 9, 2011)
Wintertown - Stephen Emond (December 5, 2011)
The Iron Witch - Karen Mahoney (released)

Two boxes of books - one that weighed 70lbs and one that weighed around 35 lbs shipped from NY on Thursday to TX, and it arrived Tuesday. We paid about $50 total. Guys, if anyone is going to BEA next year, please please go with USPS! Not only were they cheaper, but they were surprisingly speedy.
I'm really excited to get started reading, and several of these books will giveaways, so keep checking back to see when those start!

Review - UNEARTHLY

Unearthly - Cynthia Hand
Genre: YA Paranormal
Publisher: HarperTeen
# of pages: 435 (hb)
Unearthly @ Parental Book Reviews

In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . .

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy. Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side. As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

"In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees..."
Immediately the book struck a chord with me, because, well, there's a boy in a tree in my current favorite young-adult novel, Jellicoe Road, so that similarity was definitely a 'win.' That is where the two books part ways, but for me, first impressions really do a lot to set my reading mood.
I'll be honest and admit to not reading a whole lot of angel-fiction books. In fact, I try and steer clear of them. With angels, I find it harder to suspend disbelief and get involved in the author's storyworld than with other paranormals, so...I was a bit skeptical, to say the least. Even with the boy in the tree.
What I found enjoyable about Unearthly was how unpretentious it was. It featured a likable and easy-to-relate-to heroine, a simple and uncomplicated angel mythology and backstory that actually made sense, diverse and interesting supporting characters, and a stunningly detailed setting - the Jackson area/Teton Mountains of Wyoming. Look, I love New York City, and I love Los Angeles, but I can't tell you how cool it is for other areas of our country to get some exposure. Several passages read like descriptions out of a travel book (which I *loved*) and enhanced the story's realness all the more.
I liked how Cynthia Hand handled her characters. It may seem like a small thing, but I like how the author didn't automatically make Clara good at every single thing she did - yeah, her angel tendencies (and that's not a spoiler, don't worry) made her more graceful, more flexible, and so forth, and she had some other interesting abilities, but not everything came naturally to her (like...flying). That was a welcome change. And can I just say how nice it is to have useful parent characters? Kudos to the portrayal of Clara's mom. Except for the fact that she withheld key plot information from her daughter for no apparent reason (still not sure about that one), I enjoyed the role Clara's mom played in the overall story. I will say, though, that Clara often gave off an immature vibe, in that she really seemed to display a tendency to being self-absorbed. Especially in her interactions with her friends, and with the two potential love interests, I really noticed a "me first" personality, which sometimes made it hard for me to relate to her. Not all the time, just sometimes. (And really, I see that a lot in other first-person YA narratives. Like caring about other people is somehow tied to weakness. You can't be strong if you put other people first...)
Really the only other "meh" thing about Unearthly, for me, was the romance angle. There's a bit of a triangle in here in that there are two guys who, at some point or another, do the usual triangle thing and rival for the main character's affections. Just like in the Twilight series, and unlike in the Hunger Games series, there seemed to be a clear 'winner.' It's the kind of thing where the reader can spot who it's going to be from the beginning, so the whole love-triangle element therefore seemed imbalanced. Plus, I didn't really like the kind of person Clara turned into when she was pining after one of the guys. She seemed to lose all common sense and only seemed interested for the superficial "he's so cute/dreamy/perfect/etc." reasons. It just seemed really out of character with who Clara was the rest of the time. The other guy, though? Boy Number 2? Absolutely perfect. And I'm glad the story ended where it did. I know we've got 2 more sequels in the near future, but it makes waiting for them a little less daunting, knowing that Unearthly's ending was rather satisfying. I'm willing to bet that the next sequel may have a bigger 'villain' character, and may spend more time dealing with more detailed angel mythology, as neither element seemed very prominent in this installment. That's fair, though, because the first book in a series usually only has time to introduce the characters, set up the premise, and give clues about where the story will head next. I'm definitely eager for the sequel.

So all in all? A fun, enjoyable, well-paced read that I would definitely recommend.