" The Geography of You and Me" by Jennifer E. Smith

I have been a horrible blogger as of late. I am going to try to get back into the grove of a post a day since several months of not writing is not okay. Can I use the excuse that I have been researching for my novel?

When the power goes out in New York City, Lucy and Owen accidentally cross paths. The two meet when their elevator gets stuck. Once freed, the two spend the rest of the night together, but without power everything is little different. Things return to normal when power is restored, but the two of them will never be the same. Owen is adjusting to life without his mother who has recent;y passed away. He and his father are trying to figure out how to live in a world without her. Lucy wants to see the world. Her parents are often traveling, but they seem to prefer to leave their children out of the mix. The two have very different plans for their lives, but someone they just can't be apart. When both of their lives take unexpected turns, they do their best to stay together, but will it be enough? The Geography of You and Me  takes readers through the very realistic development of a love story and you won't be able to help falling in love with these characters.

I am beginning to adore Jennifer E. Smith. The scenarios that play out his books work so well that I can really see these characters and picture them actually existing. I really felt for Lucy and Owen. Though my teen years were very different from theirs, I could relate. Smith knows how to write teenage characters that you can't help but root for. I've said before how much I need to read The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight and this book has only intensified that need. I am certainly going to seek out Smith's future books as well.

Happy Reading!

-Melly

"Don't Even Think About It" by Sarah Mlynowski

I think if anyone but Mlynowski was the author of this book, it would have been a little too out there for me. But since Mlynoski has shown that she can handle teenage witchcraft and sending kids on journeys through magic mirrors, a contaminated flu vaccine that gives an entire homeroom class the power of ESP isn't too much of a stretch. I love how this book is narrated. It isn't told through the eyes of just one person or even a small handful of characters, but is instead told by the class as a whole. We find out how they gain these powers and how their lives begin to unravel because of it and how they begin to cope.

The students in room 10B don't expect anything out of the ordinary to happen when almost every one of them gets their flu shot. But slowly they start to hear things no one is supposed to hear- the thoughts of those around them. It starts with Olivia who passes out in front of the class because of it. Soon the other teens realize that nothing in their minds is safe. They all know that Mackenzie cheated on Cooper, that the marriage of Cooper's parents isn't as solid as he thought and that Tess is actually in love with her best friend. Of course readers will question, why don't they seek medical attention? No worries, the book covers that (in a way that pleased me quite a bit). I didn't feel that there were loose ends with this story or major plot holes (assuming that you can accept the unlikeness of the plot itself).

The more I read of Sarah Mlynowski, the more I love her writing. I often struggle when there are a lot of characters in a novel and sometimes find myself getting them confused with each other. However, that is not the case at all with Don't Even Think About It. Each character is crafted in such a way that it was always easy for me to remember who was who (no easy feat considered she doesn't spend ample time on back story, but instead crafts strong characters from the beginning). Also strong in this novel was how I felt for the characters and that I continuously rooted for their success. So far, this is the most unique book I have read in 2014, a major plus since it seems that plots are getting reused at a quicker rate any more. Readers of my blog probably already know that I pretty much always recommend Mlynowski's books and this one is no exception. If you like YA that has some mystery and romance, but also allows you to think while you read it, this is the book for you!

Happy Reading!
-Melly

"Timeriders" by Alex Scarrow

I could not put this book down! Timeriders by Alex Scarrow follows three teens that were barely rescued from death (Liam was saved from the Titanic in 1912, Maddy from a plane crash in 2010 and Sal from a fire in 2026) and brought to Manhattan in 2001. They then discover that they are now part of a secret organization called The Agency and are assigned with the task of keeping the world safe from time travel. Each has an assigned task: Maddy, the team leader takes care of all computer tasks, Sal's job is to monitor daily events, taking care to note any changes sparked by time travel, and Liam is sent back in time to resolve any changes made by time travelers. The Agency is housed in an archway in New York City which exists in a time bubble, where the three relive the days of September 10 and September 11. Sal ventures around the city daily, noting a woman who picks up her child's toy, the various advertisements for Shrek and Mamma Mia and, sadly, the World Trade Center attacks.

During a training exercise, Liam is taken back to Dallas, Texas where he encounters Lee Harvey Oswald and prevents the assassination of John F. Kennedy. By doing so, Sal notices changes in 2001 and Maddy's research concludes that Kennedy survived leading to further space advances. However, back in 1963, history is once again altered as another assassin takes the president's life and the future changes back.

During her daily walk, Sal avoids making eye contact with the Twin Towers, as she has seen the attack and lived through the events more than she can bear. But it never comes. She looks up to find that New York has completely changed. Cars have suddenly become old fashioned and cell phone ads have disappeared. The team quickly discovers that the past has changed and Germany won World War II. Liam and support unit Bob travel back Washington D.C. 1956 and find themselves in the middle of a Nazi invasion on the White House. The plot continues with the two sets of Agency members trying to help each other across the timeline and get everything back to the way it should be.

I picked up this book because it involves several areas of history that have always interested me (the Titanic and WWII among others). I read it quickly over two nights and was completely absorbed in the book. Fans of history and science fiction will likely be engulfed in this fast paced read. I felt that the various historical elements were well researched and that the characters and their experiences were believable. I am very much looking forward to reading the rest of the books (nine total are planned).

Happy Reading!
-Melly