Audiobook Review: Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans

Posted on February 21, 2013 · 5 Comments

level2Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans
Publication Date: January 22, 2013
Format: Audio CD
Rating: 3 stars
Genre: YA Dystopian
Source: Review copy from the publisher

Amazon Synopsis

In this gripping exploration of a futuristic afterlife, a teen discovers that death is just the beginning.

Since her untimely death the day before her eighteenth birthday, Felicia Ward has been trapped in Level 2, a stark white afterlife located between our world and the next. Along with her fellow drones, Felicia passes the endless hours reliving memories of her time on Earth and mourning what she’s lost—family, friends, and Neil, the boy she loved.

Then a girl in a neighboring chamber is found dead, and nobody but Felicia recalls that she existed in the first place. When Julian—a dangerously charming guy Felicia knew in life—comes to offer Felicia a way out, Felicia learns the truth: If she joins the rebellion to overthrow the Morati, the angel guardians of Level 2, she can be with Neil again.

Suspended between Heaven and Earth, Felicia finds herself at the center of an age-old struggle between good and evil. As memories from her life come back to haunt her, and as the Morati hunt her down, Felicia will discover it’s not just her own redemption at stake… but the salvation of all mankind.

My Thoughts

The audio narration by Jenna Lamia is outstanding. She is the perfect choice to read this novel. Her voice and inflections are on point; the character voices distinct. She made listening to the book an enjoyable experience.

However, I had a very difficult time staying focused on the story itself. And, honestly, it might just be me. This is not the typical genre of book that I read. I wanted to read it only because the author is a fellow book blogger. The storyline is not one that I would normally gravitate toward, so I may have brought some preconceived biases into my reading experience that are not fair.

With that said, there were parts of it that intrigued me … but I was left wanting more. There were other parts that went on and on … that I just wanted to skip over. Felicia Ward is a seventeen-year old girl who finds herself in Level 2, the stage between life on earth and Heaven. Felicia is dead yet she is stuck in this in-between world where she relives her life through countless memories. This is how the reader is introduced to Felicia’s back story – her life on Earth, so to speak. I was intrigued by some of her memories; others did not seem to move the plot forward in any meaningful way but instead showed a part of her character or an aspect of a relationship that helps us get to know her character a little better. Her relationship with her boyfriend, Neil, was adorable – how they met, their first date, etc.

The dystopian-esque elements of the book (the Level 2 parts) were just plain confusing to me. The Morati who oversee Level 2 are in the process of rebelling because they want to go to Level 3, but are forever stuck on Level 2. Then Julian, Felicia’s maybe-but-maybe-not love interest breaks in to free her and tries to get her to join the fight against the Morati. Julian was part of Felicia’s real life and they engaged in a relationship, but as far as Felicia in Level 2, it is all about Neil. Neil is her one true love. So, the premise of there being a love triangle was a bit flawed. The Neil/Felicia relationship seemed more real and emotional than the Julian/Felicia relationship.

The ending felt a bit rushed and contained some surprises that I am not sure make sense, but I am ultimately happy about.

Overall, a mixed read for me. Enjoyed some parts; other parts were confusing, but this could be because this is not the typical genre of book that I read.

Audio clip

My audiobook review copy was provided by Random House Audio. All thoughts are my own.

 

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Author Guest Post: Reflections on Resolutions by Tamara Hart Heiner

Posted on January 26, 2011 · 6 Comments

Reflections on Resolutions
by Tamara Hart Heiner

On December 31, close to midnight, millions of us all over the world celebrate the coming new year. It’s more than an opportunity to dance, sing, cheer, or eat more holiday food. It’s the commemoration of another chance. One more year to try again. A rebirth.
Generally, as human beings, we like things to have an end date and a start date. “I’m starting my diet on Monday.” Why? Why can’t we start it on Wednesday, the day we conceived the idea? “I’ll start writing in my journal after I turn fifteen.” It’s like we have to prepare ourselves, gear ourselves up. Spontaneity just doesn’t work well.
And so for most of us, we spend December thinking about what our resolutions will be. What did we not accomplish? Are we who we want to be? What goals can we set?
We make those goals, we write them down, we announce them to friends and family, we BIND ourselves to them. But we don’t start. No sir. Not until January 1. The new year. The new you.
According to Time magazine, “65% of people who made a resolution in 2008 kept their promise for at least part of the year, 35% never even made it out of the gate.”  That means that most people fail in their resolutions. It means that 1/3 of us never even start.
We’re nearing the end of January, and I think a good way to keep our resolutions is to evaluate monthly. Remind ourselves. And most importantly, start again. So you swore off Taco Bell after midnight, and you already failed. So what? Are you going to wait 11 months to try again?  Just renew your resolution. Didn’t go the gym for two weeks? Do it now. Already ruined your ideal of waking up at 6am every day? Buy a new alarm clock.
I think the biggest key to resolutions is RECOGNIZING why we made the resolution and NOT LETTING OURSELVES GIVE UP. It’s far easier to say, “oh well, I tried,” and let it go than it is to say, “I didn’t get it right but I’m going to keep trying.” And it must be important to you, or you wouldn’t have made it a resolution. So don’t give up. Make it happen. You’ll be proud of yourself.

Brief Bio:

Tamara Hart Heiner lives in Bella Vista, Arkansas with her husband and three children. She recently published a young adult novel, Perilous, a landmark achievement since she wrote the novel when she was 13. She’s currently working on the sequel, which she expects to be much better since she’s slightly older now. She can often be found haunting the internet at her blog, tamarahartheiner.blogspot.com.

About the Book:

Perilous
Genre:  YA Fiction
Publication Date:  November 2010
Publisher:  WiDo Publishing

Jaci Rivera has plans for her sophomore year: go to regionals with the track team, make the honor roll, and eat too much pizza with her best friends, Callie and Sara. Her biggest concern is Amanda, the pushy girl who moved in a few months ago.

What she doesn’t plan for is catching a robber red-handed, or being kidnapped. The desperate thief drags her and her friends 2,000 miles across the Canadian border. They escape from his lair, only to find that he has spies and agents watching their path home, waiting to intercept them and take them back.

Then Jaci finds something out about her family. Something which irrevocably connects her to their kidnapper, and makes her question their chances of escape.

Purchase:

Be Crazy – Buy the book on Kindle (only $4.99 at the time of this post) or Paperback!

Til next time, stay crazy….for books, that is!
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Crazy Talk: The "Lure" of YA Books

Posted on August 20, 2010 · Leave a Comment


Picture provided by Microsoft Word online gallery

I’d like to thank Kathy from Bags, Books, and Bon Jovi for being the catalyst for this Crazy Talk post!

Her initial question was:

I’m very curious as to why so many book bloggers focus on YA novels.  I read a few (as I have YA kids…lol) but not exclusively.  I’m wondering if there is something I’m missing… what is the draw?

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about genre-specific book blogs.  Here at Crazy-for-Books, I review mainly literary fiction (women’s fiction, contemporary fiction; whatever you want to call it!), with some mysteries, memoirs, historical fiction, and young adult thrown in occasionally to spice things up (and keep things a little crazy!).  I enjoy some young adult books, especially those that deal with more serious subject matter.  I tend not to review a lot of them on this blog because there are so many other YA blogs out there reviewing the same book – I’m not sure that my voice would add anything new and exciting to the discussion!

Why do I read YA books?  I think, for me anyway, it’s looking back at my time as a young adult and thinking, “Okay, I’m not the only one who had to deal with this crap issue.”  I think when we are at that age, we can feel so alone, isolated, and frustrated when we are being picked on and bullied; dealing with boy problems and friendship issues; and, of course, battling with the dreaded parental units who just happen to know “everything”!.  The young adult books I read now give me a new perspective as to what I was going through back then and kind of help me see things from multiple viewpoints. 

With that said, though, even with the wisdom of age, you couldn’t pay me enough to go back to my teenage years again!  Been there, done that.  Not riding that bus again!

I also think that with the age of the Internet and with blogging in general, there is an influx of teen bloggers themselves, which is wonderful.  I wish blogging were around back when I was a teen!  It is such a great outlet and to know that so many young adults are reading and reviewing books – I find that absolutely awesome!  The more YA blogs, the better!  Especially when there are so many other things fighting for their attention this day and age (i.e. texting, homework, sports, jobs, friends, social network sites, …).  It really seems like reading for pleasure is falling by the wayside.  I get really excited when I find a teen blogger – they are after my own heart!  I was (and still am, of course) a big reader in my teen years, but I didn’t have a way to share it like teens do now, so I think it’s fantastic and I love following their blogs!

So, what do you think about the draw of young adult books and the multitude of ya blogs in general? 

Do you still want to see ya reviews here on my blog?

Do you have an idea for a future Crazy Talk feature?  Click here to fill out the form!

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Review: Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder

Posted on June 14, 2010 · 10 Comments
Chasing Brooklyn 
Author:  Lisa Schroeder 
(website, Facebook, Twitter)
Genre:  Young Adult 
Style:  Verse 
ISBN:  9781416991687 
412 pages

 Restless souls and empty hearts


Brooklyn can’t sleep. Her boyfriend, Lucca, died only a year ago, and now her friend Gabe has just died of an overdose. Every time she closes her eyes, Gabe’s ghost is there waiting for her. She has no idea what he wants or why it isn’t Lucca visiting her dreams.


Nico can’t stop. He’s always running, trying to escape the pain of losing his brother, Lucca. But when Lucca’s ghost begins leaving messages, telling Nico to help Brooklyn, emotions come crashing to the surface.


As the nightmares escalate and the messages become relentless, Nico reaches out to Brooklyn. But neither of them can admit that they’re being haunted. Until they learn to let each other in, not one soul will be able to rest.


My Thoughts:

Initial Reaction:
Absolutely amazing, incredible, heartfelt – you must read this book!!  I do recommend reading I Heart You, You Haunt Me first, because there is a correlation between the two stories.  It’s not necessary, but to get the complete picture, I would recommend it!


Characters:
There are two main characters in this verse novel, Brooklyn and Nico.  Both are teenagers who have lost a boyfriend and brother named Lucca, respectively, and are trying to cope with the loss in their own ways.  Nico is a runner and signs himself up for an intense swim, bike, run competition that has him training constantly – and also gives him a reason to run away from dealing with his brother’s death.  Brooklyn is an artist, but she hasn’t pursued her creative talents since Lucca’s death.  Both Brooklyn and Nico are wrought with emotion that just leaps off of the page and into your heart.  These characters make you feel something inside, make you want to reach out and help them, guide them, and get them through their terrible loss.

Brooklyn lives alone with her single dad – her mom left with her twin brothers, leaving her behind.  Mixed in with her grief over losing Lucca is her feeling of abandonment at being “left behind” by her mom.  Brooklyn is struggling with a lot of emotions and a lot of confusion and doesn’t really have anyone to turn to.  In her dreams, she is tormented by the death of Gabe, a fellow classmate and friend of Lucca’s, who recently committed suicide.  She feels partly responsible because she felt that she should have done more to help him through the loss of Lucca.

Nico lives with his parents, the surviving child who lived under Lucca’s “perfect child” status.  He thinks that his parents wished it were him who died rather than Lucca.  He begins to start feeling and seeing Lucca’s presence around him, a presence telling him to go to Brooklyn, to help her, to save her.  Nico is confused by this, but reaches out to Brooklyn.  The two form a tentative friendship, bonding through their mutual loss of a boy named Lucca.

The characters in this story feel very real and genuine.  They are relatable and honest.  The author does not shy away from showing us their raw emotions, their insecurities, and their internal struggles.  These characters will stay with you long after the book is finished.


Plot:
Written in verse style, Chasing Brooklyn tells the story of Brooklyn and Nico, two teenagers who form a friendship after Lucca’s death.  When a fellow classmate named Gabe commits suicide, Nico begins feeling Lucca’s presence, who instructs him to reach out to Brooklyn and help her.&nbs
p; Brooklyn feels responsible for Gabe’s death and begins having tormenting nightmares about him.  She is terrified.  Nico reaches out and asks Brooklyn to start training with him for his upcoming race and she reluctantly agrees.  As they train together, they begin working through their emotions regarding Lucca’s death and Gabe’s suicide and, as a result, form a deep friendship.

Although this book is classified as young adult, there is so much more to it and if you typically shy away from YA books, I would recommend that you at least give this one a try.  It is an incredible story with a very satisfying conclusion. 

Overall Opinion: 
Verse novels astound me.  The words literally leap off the page and into your soul.  I felt so connected to this story and the way it was told.  The poetry was just incredible and I devoured each and every word.  This book wholeheartedly deserves the Crazy Amazing Badge of Honor!

 


I changed my review style a bit – what do you think?  Be honest!  I’m just trying it out!
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Review: I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder

Posted on June 11, 2010 · 11 Comments

I Heart You, You Haunt Me  
I Heart You, You Haunt Me
Author:  Lisa Schroeder (website, Facebook, Twitter)
Publication Date:  Jan 8, 2008
Publisher:  Simon Pulse
ISBN:  978-1416955207
226 pages

Girl meets boy.

Girl loses boy.

Girl gets boy back…

…sort of.

Ava can’t see him or touch him, unless she’s dreaming. She can’t hear his voice, except for the faint whispers in her mind. Most would think she’s crazy, but she knows he’s here.

Jackson. The boy Ava thought she’d spend the rest of her life with. He’s back from the dead, as proof that love truly knows no bounds.

My Thoughts:

Ava and Jackson were meant to be together forever, until a terrible tragedy took Jackson’s life.  And Ava blames herself – they shouldn’t have been there; she shouldn’t have said what she said.  Ava struggles with her emotions in the wake of Jackson’s sudden death.  She soon begins feeling his presence and hearing his voice.  Jackson has come back from the dead – to be with Ava forever.

But as Ava continues to grieve and move on with her life, she begins to question herself and Jackson.  Does love really last forever?

This is a touching, beautiful story of teenage first love…and loss.  This novel is told in verse, so it’s a very quick read.  I read it in just over an hour, in one sitting.  Although it’s a quick read, it’s really deep and moving.  I’d definitely recommend it!

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