by Johan Harstad, Tara F. Chace (Translator)

It’s been decades since anyone set foot on the moon. Now three ordinary teenagers, the winners of NASA’s unprecedented, worldwide lottery, are about to become the first young people in space–and change their lives forever. Mia, from Norway, hopes this will be her punk band’s ticket to fame and fortune. Midori believes it’s her way out of her restrained life in Japan. Antoine, from France, just wants to get as far away from his ex-girlfriend as possible.

It’s the opportunity of a lifetime, but little do the teenagers know that something sinister is waiting for them on the desolate surface of the moon. And in the black vacuum of space… no one is coming to save them.

In this chilling adventure set in the most brutal landscape known to man, highly acclaimed Norwegian novelist Johan Harstad creates a vivid and frightening world of possibilities we can only hope never come true.

Hardcover, 355 pages  Published April 17th 2012 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

To help promote interest in NASA, a lottery is held in which 3 teenagers from around the world will be chosen to make a trip to the moon. The complete trip only takes about 3 weeks. To my knowledge, training, traveling and returning would have taken much longer in real life but this book really shortens it to speed up the plot.

Each winner has a different reason they want to go. The story is told from several different perspectives. In my opinion the book is really divided up into two sections; before the flight, and the time on the moon. For me the story didn’t really begin until they took off. I enjoyed the suspense and the interactions while they were on the moon, much more than the time they spent preparing. During the last half, the reader gets more emotion and connection with the characters and the suspense of the story really starts building once they land on the moon. The mystery and fear really push the story forward and it finishes with some great twists. However, by the time I was really getting sucked into the story the events felt a little rushed.

I do have to say that this book got me interested in finding similar stories. I have always been a fan of films where space ships go to far off planets, get caught up in a deadly situation and have to overcome obstacles to get home. For the most part I enjoyed the novel and will most likely pick up something by this author again.

I was pleasantly surprised to find a proof copy of Fated in my mail box and on opening the package, the brilliance of the cover hit me full force. It’s rich and appealing. The girl on the front looks like a force of nature, and there is so much movement in the picture, it’s almost like she’ll fly from the cover, followed by the ravens appearing from strands of her long dark hair. She has a dream-catcher earring and feathers entwined in other parts of her hair, giving me the immediate feeling this was going to be a book with Native American mythology themes. In this case, you can judge the book by its cover.

Daire Santos’s sweet sixteen turns sour when she has an emotional meltdown, after her visions of glowing people, crows and other assorted gruesome things. Instead of institutionalizing her, Daire’s mother sends her to a place called Enchantment in New Mexico to live with Paloma: the grandmother she’s never met. She is surprised to find the crazy old lady can really help her to hone her skills as a seeker, and her abilities are a family legacy and not just a freakish defect.

Who are the mystery boys in her dreams? How will she endure the first day at Milagro High? What can she do to save this town from the evil men running it?

I liked so many elements of this book that I’ll have to list but a few and ask you to add to my list in the comments when you have read Fated for yourself.

I find in so many Young Adult novels that there is usually a parental figure that seems to have dropped the ball, and we’re asked to dislike them for their insensitivity toward our hero. This is not the case in Fated. Daire’s mother, Jennika, was a young mother and did her best to provide for her daughter. She makes an unexpected decision in sending her daughter to her grandmother rather than to an institution. She is aware, observant and fiercely faithful. It is refreshing to have such a positive portrayal.

I am enchanted by the setting of Enchantment. It seems to be a place where getting back to basics is a given thing for all its residents. The great equalizer being that everyone is in the same boat to a certain extent, and life really is what you make of it. Daire is out and about in nature and not stuck in her room being a pensive brat. She finds joy on the back of a horse, and happiness with the people she learns to trust and call friends.

The Native American mythological themes of animal totems and the power of the elements make for a beautifully intense layer to the storyline. Alyson Noël puts value in the legacy of family. She writes about respecting your elders, which isn’t necessarily exclusively part of the Native American ethos, but it was nice to revisit this in a way that wasn’t preachy.

So I have now babbled on for more than 500 words and I hope you’ll give Fated a chance to catch you in its thrall. You will not be disappointed.

Looks like The Soul Seekers second book, Echo, is due out in September 2012. I’m really looking forward to it.

Krista adds (audio book):

The narrator Brittany Pressley does a good job at giving a voice to Daire Santos. Especially, the interpretation of her feelings of confusion when she starts to see unusual things. And again the anger and fear when she is left with a grandmother she has never met. The narrator is able to easily portray the emotions of a distraught spoiled teen who is having her world turned upside down.

Since this is the first book in the series, there is a lot of building of character and world setting. Insights are given to the reader about what a Soul Seeker is and the Native American Lore and Shamanism that it’s based upon. There are not a lot of action or fast paced sections to the story. It is mostly about discovery and information. My favorite part of the story is the meeting of the villain. I was glued to the stereo for the entire climax.

Overall, the audiobook is a very good presentation of the emotions and entertainment that the book offers. Please feel free to listen to the sample below.

Fated by Alyson Noel – Chapter 1 (audio book sample)

Paperback, UK, 352 pages

Expected publication: May 24th 2012 by Macmillan Children’s Books

ISBN 1447206800 (ISBN13: 9781447206804)

http://www.alysonnoel.com/

The New York Times best-selling Mortal Instruments continues – and so do the thrills and danger for Jace, Clary, and Simon.

Can the lost be reclaimed? What price is too high to pay for love? Who can be trusted when sin and salvation collide?

Darkness threatens to claim the Shadowhunters in the harrowing fifth book of the Mortal Instruments series.

©2012 Cassandra Claire, LLC. (P)2012 Simon & Schuster

One thing that I have come to rely on with Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments series is her consistency. She has well-rounded and compelling characters that make me smile and also situations that break my heart.

In the newest instalment to the series, Jace has become bound to Sebastian. The Shadowhunters have taken sides on whether they should try to save Jace, or kill them both. Jace is unable to stay separated from Clary and they get a little bit of one on one time. I enjoyed seeing how their relationship is flourishing. Even with each and every hardship they endure throughout the series, their love is the strongest bond I have ever seen in a Young Adult novel.

By this far in the series we have been introduced to a lot of different characters. Simon is constantly finding new challenges of his own since he has become a “daywalker” – a vampire that the sun does not affect. But he is having problems at home, specifically with his relationship with his mother.

Besides my love for the relationship of Clary and Jace, I was very happy to see more of Magnus and Alec’s relationship in this one as well.

It’s a never-ending cycle of ups and downs when it comes to the relationships between these characters. Cassandra Clare is always finding new ways to put her characters on an emotional roller-coaster and have the readers join right along on the ride.

One thing that will always keep me coming back to the series is how I never see the end coming. I have never been able to call it right. Just when I think they are going to make it through their trials, she throws a twist in there, making me crave more.

When it comes to the audio-book I was very happy to see the solo narration from Molly C. Quinn. She does a fantastic job with this series. In the last book we got Simon’s perspective from narrator Ed Westwick and while he has a swoon-worthy accent,  I had a hard time understanding him (but I still recommend that audiobook in a heartbeat). When I read the books, I hear Molly’s voice in my ear, she is exactly as I would imagine Clary to be, she does wonderful job portraying the emotions of the characters.

City of Lost Souls audio book: listen to a sample

Joss Whedon”s Dollhouse continues, written by television-series mainstays Andrew Chambliss (the CW”s Vampire Diaries, co-writer of Buffy Season 9), Maurissa Tancharoen (Spartacus), and Jed Whedon (Dr. Horrible) The Rossum Corporation”s Dollhouse technology has gone viral with a synchronized phone call that wiped the minds of everyone it reached, turning them into mindless killers. Those who avoided the call – including show favorites Echo, Alpha, Mag, Zone, and Griff – must try to survive in the sudden apocalypse and be wary of Rossum”s expansive technological reach. This is only the beginning …

Paperback, First Edition, 160 pages Published April 11th 2012 by Dark Horse ISBN 159582863X (ISBN13: 9781595828637)

I am a fan of the TV series so  I thought I would give this one a try, just out of curiosity. I found that the art and the story were very well put together and detailed and I’d recommend it.

In this story, it’s all out war when anybody who picks up the phone can be turned into a soldier for the bad guys by a high pitched noise that erases their brain function and makes them a fighter body. It gives everybody the look of being zombie-like in character (minus the eating of people) and they are out to kill those that have not been converted.

Nobody is safe, even Dollhouse workers cannot avoid the conversion if they hear the noise.
Echo takes over as many people as possible to fight back, that is, she transfers herself into other people’s brains to take over their body. Some of her bodies die and some make it to the meeting point where they begin to form a resistance group who try to break into the company’s headquarters and take control of the brain-washing technology.

My favorite part about the story was the young boy that gets a computer plate put into his head, and by doing so he can just put a usb port in containing the knowledge he needs and upload it into his brain as required. He learns new languages and fighting skills in an instant. That was completely awesome.

If you have watched the TV series the Graphic Novel is an extension of that, it starts off where the show ends. For those who want to continue on with the characters, this was a fantastic way to do it, just as adventurous and great visuals as well.

Just an end note for those of you that do not know what Dollhouse is – the story or the television show. It’s about a company that uses young people to go on assignments. They hook the “vessel” up to a machine that downloads the software the girl needs to complete the mission into her brain. While she is on her mission she only knows what was downloaded into her, becoming a completely different person. When their missions are complete, they go back to the Dollhouse where they await their next mission and get the physical attention they need from the doctor for any damage that may have happened. They have no recollection of who they are or what happened during their assignments, they become an empty vessel until they are needed again.

When Aeslin Finn was a little girl, her parents read to her from a magical book called The Avalon Chronicles. But that was a long time ago. Now a teenager, Aeslin is about to discover just how magical she and that book really are. Transported to the world of Avalon, she discovers a kingdom in need of a Dragon Knight – and the last dragon, Blue Moon, is waiting for her!

Publication Date: April 24, 2012 | Series: Avalon Chronicles 1  Nunzio Defilippis (Author), Christina Weir (Author), Emma Vieceli (Author) Publisher: Oni Press (April 24, 2012)

When Aeslin and her friend come across an unusual store on their way home, they also discover the 2nd book in a series that her parents used to read to her when she was young. The shopkeeper gives her a key to open the book when they purchase it from him. When they do open the book Aeslin literally gets sucked into the book, becoming a part of it.

The first thing that Aeslin does in Avalon is search for the shopkeeper, who tells her she has to find the writer of the book to help her get home. But to do so she must find somebody to help her through her travels to keep her safe from bandits that want to make her their slave.

In the meantime back at home her friend is in a panic since she has disappeared and also goes to find the shopkeeper who has disappeared and a way to open the book up again because Aeslin has the key.

We go through several different adventures with Aeslin throughout the story. Not to mention all the great characters she meets. She learns that the story is more than just magical, it’s her destiny. The people of Avalon depend on her, and eventually she comes to depend on them as well. Aeslin, learns to ride the dragon and protect the kingdom from the wicked Warlord Khrom

It’s all black and white pages which is more like a Manga style than other comics or graphic novels. I personally have become a fan of the colored graphics, as I think it adds more visually to the stories. But I still think this is a cute and light-hearted read. I liked Aeslin and her adventures in Avalon. Her friend is so dedicated to her, trying to help her and wanting to go with her into the story. According to their website “THE AVALON CHRONICLES is a new book, a new series that is currently planned at four volumes.   The first Volume is entitled ONCE IN A BLUE MOON.”