Lips Touch Three Times

Lips Touch Three times  by Laini Taylor, illustrated by Jim Di Bartolo

 

Three stories of supernatural love, each of which pivots around a single kiss. 

 

In the first story, a dead grandmother might be the only one who can save Kizzy from the seductive promises of the goblins. The second story features an old woman who makes a demonic deal to save the lives of children, and agrees to allow a newborn baby to take on a curse to bind the deal...a curse that the child contains until she grows up and falls in love. The third story is a tale of mothers, children, and a fey and magical race called the Druj. 

 

What took me so long to read this book?  I suppose that somehow I thought it was "just another kissing book", maybe with a vampire in it.  It is not just another kissing book.  The tales are dark, enticing, and entrancing, with hints of longing and a hope (but not a promise) of salvation that will draw readers into each story, beautifully illustrated in shades of red and grey.  As soon as I finished reading it, I knew three people with whom I wanted to share it. 

 

Highly recommended for ages 14 to adult; minimal cussing, some implied violence (including very muted and off-page sexual violence) and three profoundly significant kisses. 

 

Little Brother

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
17-year-old Marcus loves technology and computers, and he delights in finding new ways to hack software, hardware, and most especially security systems. But Marcus is in the wrong place at the wrong time when the San Francisco Bay Bridge is bombed by terrorists. He and three friends are taken into secret custody by Department of Homeland Security and interrogated mercilessly. While Marcus and two friends are eventually released, one boy isn't freed. Is Darryl dead? A prisoner? They have no way to know...and they discover that while they were imprisoned, their beloved city has turned into a police state, with more citizen rights and freedoms disappearing each day.

Marcus decides to fight back against the DHS, but will his efforts make the city safer? Or will Marcus become a different kind of terrorist? Plenty of San Franciscan youth join in with Marcus' plans to jam security systems and derail the DHS, including his new girlfriend, Ange. But what will happen when the DHS finally tracks down Marcus and Ange?

Set in the "near future", Doctorow's technology digressions and discussions are fascinating...especially when I did a little research and discovered that most of story's "futuristic technology" already exists.
This is dystopic science fiction, political commentary, teen fiction, and spy thriller writing at its best. The narrative contains violence (including a description of torture practices, specifically waterboarding), mild cussing, and some hot-but-tactful sexual situations between Marcus and Ange.

Highly, highly, highly recommended for ages 14 to adult. Adult book groups and high school enlish teachers, I'm talking to you: get this book, read it, and talk about it!

The author makes the text of Little Brother available for download at no charge on his website. If you read the book, you will understand why.

Shiver

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
17-year-old Grace has been fascinated with the wolves that live in the woods near her Minnesota town ever since she was attacked by the pack as a child and then rescued by a single wolf.

18-year-old Sam has been fascinated by Grace since the day of her attack--the day that he, in the form of a wolf, rescued her and returned her safely to her home.

Grace and Sam finally meet up in human form when he is injured by hunters. The teens quickly fall in love...but how long can their love last? Soon, the winter cold will force him back into the shape of a wolf...and this time, the change may last forever.

This tale of star-crossed lovers is a natural choice for fans of Twilight as well as readers who want a supernatural romance with better writing than most of the vampire books currently available. There is some implied (off-page) violence when local hunters decide to kill the wolves, and some tactful Star Trek sex scenes between Grace and Sam.

Shiver is the first in a series; book #2 Linger was released July 20th, 2010.

Recommended for readers ages 12 to adult.

This is Aarene's review of this book. To read Mary Jo's review of Shiver, click HERE.

Shiver

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Tired of the Twilight hoopla?

Try this- Grace has always been drawn to the wolves, even as a six year old when she was pulled into their pack to be eaten- only to be saved by “her wolf.” When they finally meet, the romance just sizzles.

The characters are wonderfully drawn and alive. The plot is complex, and the sequel Tremor Linger will be out in July.

While there is no sex in the first novel, we can only hope for the second!

This is Mary Jo's review of Shiver. To read Aarene's review of the same book, click HERE.

This World We Live In

This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer
(sequel to Life as We Knew It and The Dead and the Gone)

Nearly a year has passed since the moon was struck by an asteroid and knocked slightly out of a normal orbit. The tides have changed, destroying much of the Eastern Seaboard. The volcanoes have erupted, filling the atmosphere with grey grit that blocks sunlight. The weather continues to worsen: temperatures are dropping, and the rain and snow continue to fall even in summer. Crops are failing, livestock have been slaughtered for food until very few remain, and survivors of the cataclysm scavenge for necessities from the homes and bodies of the dead.

In the third (and possibly final) volume of the series, Miranda and Alex meet for the first time. Alex and his sister Julie have travelled with Miranda's father, stepmother and stepbrother for months, and arrive at Miranda's home weary...and hungry.

The bleak landscape described in the first two books becomes more bleak, but the will to survive has become even more strong as the family struggles to find food and shelter in an uncompromising world. The sudden marriage of Miranda's older brother is a reminder that times have changed--but have times really changed enough to allow Miranda to fall in love?

The story starts slowly, and will be confusing to readers unfamiliar with the first two books. Fans of the series, however, will want an update on the post-moon-change world.

No on-page sex, but there is definitely hanky-panky among the wreckage. No drugs or drinking, though--that stuff got used up early in the catastrophe. Recommended for readers 13 to adult.

Jumper : Griffin's Story

Jumper : Griffin's Story by Steven Gould

Griffin O'Connor has a secret: he can jump--teleport--anywhere in the world he has visited before. His parents attempted to keep Griffin's talent hidden, but when he was only nine years old, a secret organization killed his parents and tried to kill him. He barely escaped the assassins, and went into hiding...until he decided it was time to avenge his parents.

Breakneck-paced action and adventure, sweet romance without a happily-ever-after-ending, and even more fast action. This book was written as a companion to the film, and there are major differences in the world of Griffin and the world described by David in this author's original books Jumper and Reflex.

No cussing; some off-page sex and violence. This is a fun, quick read and will appeal to readers ages 14 to adult who enjoy action/adventure series such as Alex Ryder (Horowitz) and Maximum Ride (Patterson) as well as those who enjoyed the film Jumper.