My Ramblings on Spellbinding by Maya Gold

Spellbinding 
By: Maya Gold
Release Date:
Book Provided By: NetGalley
Author Website

Summary:

There's more than one way to be powerful . . .

It is during a routine school project that Abby Silva--sixteen and nearly friendless--makes a startling discovery: She is descended from women who were accused of witchcraft back in 1600s Salem. And when Abby visits nearby Salem, strange, inexplicable events start to unfold. Objects move when she wills them to. Candles burst into sudden flame. And an ancient spell book somehow winds up in her possession.

Trying to harness her new found power, Abby concocts a love potion to win over her longtime crush--and exact revenge upon his cruel, bullying girlfriend. But old magic is not to be trifled with. Soon, Abby is thrust headlong into a world of hexes, secrets, and danger. And then there's Rem Anders, the beautiful, mysterious Salem boy who seems to know more about Abby than he first lets on.

A reckoning is coming, and Abby will have to make sense of her history--and her heart--before she can face the powerful truth.

My Ramblings:

It's been awhile since I've had the time to sit and read a book. When I finally had some free time I checked what was next on my TBR pile and picked up this book. I was instantly hooked. Gold did a great job at connecting her story to traditional Salem Witch Trial lore and it was fun to read. I so wanted to love this book from start to finish, but there a few little things that let me down in the end. 

First the good:

My Ramblings on Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass by Meg Medina

Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass
By: Meg Medina
Release Date: March 26, 2013
Author Website
Book Provided By: NetGalley

Summary:

One morning before school, some girl tells Piddy Sanchez that Yaqui Delgado hates her and wants to kick her ass. Piddy doesn’t even know who Yaqui is, never mind what she’s done to piss her off. Word is that Yaqui thinks Piddy is stuck-up, shakes her stuff when she walks, and isn’t Latin enough with her white skin, good grades, and no accent. And Yaqui isn’t kidding around, so Piddy better watch her back. At first Piddy is more concerned with trying to find out more about the father she’s never met and how to balance honors courses with her weekend job at the neighborhood hair salon. But as the harassment escalates, avoiding Yaqui and her gang starts to take over Piddy’s life. Is there any way for Piddy to survive without closing herself off or running away? In an all-too-realistic novel, Meg Medina portrays a sympathetic heroine who is forced to decide who she really is. (from goodreads.com) 

My Ramblings:

I loved this book. Loved. Even though it's about a latina teen trying to find her place in a new school- the story itself is universal and so many kids (and adults) can relate. Everyone has those moments where they don't fit in and too many kids find themselves in situations where they are the target of a bully. Piddy is forced to just try to survive every day without being physically and mentally assaulted, and the rest of her world begins to spiral out of control. 

Medina does a great job showing how bullying can change who you are, how you see yourself and how you interact with the world. You begin to believe what people are saying about you and you begin to become someone new. You can become the person they think you are, or you can retreat and pull yourself away from everyone. Watching Piddy trying to figure out what to do was very interesting and a good reminder of what kids go through every day. I saw myself a bit in Piddy, but more then that I saw my students. They deal with things outside of school that I can imagine, but I can't even begin to understand. The fact that they show up everyday, the fact that Piddy tries to keep moving forward, is a testament to their strength. 

The secondary characters in the story are also top notch. The people around Piddy all seemingly want the best for her, but they each have their own ways of doing it. Her mother wants to keep moving forward without ever looking back and that hurts Piddy, who desperately wants to know who her father is. Her mother so desperately want's something more for Piddy and doesn't want Piddy to make the mistakes she did, that she doesn't see her daughter falling apart in front of her. Piddy's friends, especially the neighbor boy who she grew up with,  offer her an escape when things get bad. They don't pressure her to say what's wrong, because they are all t familiar with what pain looks like. I don't want to give much away on this book. I enjoyed going on the journey with Piddy too much and I don't want to ruin that for anyone else. 

This is another one that I will be adding to my library collection for next year. 

My Ramblings on Poison by Bridget Zinn

Poison 

By: Bridget Zinn

Release Date: March 12, 2013

Author Website

Book Provided by: NetGalley

Summary:

Sixteen-year-old Kyra, a highly-skilled potions master, is the only one who knows her kingdom is on the verge of destruction—which means she’s the only one who can save it. Faced with no other choice, Kyra decides to do what she does best: poison the kingdom’s future ruler, who also happens to be her former best friend.

But, for the first time ever, her poisoned dart . . . misses.

Now a fugitive instead of a hero, Kyra is caught in a game of hide-and-seek with the king’s army and her potioner ex-boyfriend, Hal. At least she’s not alone. She’s armed with her vital potions, a too-cute pig, and Fred, the charming adventurer she can’t stop thinking about. Kyra is determined to get herself a second chance (at murder), but will she be able to find and defeat the princess before Hal and the army find her? 

Kyra is not your typical murderer, and she’s certainly no damsel-in-distress—she’s the lovable and quick-witted hero of this romantic novel that has all the right ingredients to make teen girls swoon. (from goodreads)

My Ramblings:

First of all, I love the cover. I know that they say don't judge a book by it's cover, but when you are scrolling through potential books to read on NetGalley, or browsing the shelves at the store or library, the cover is what catches your eye, it's what draws you in and it's the thing that makes you want to know more. 

Luckily the book lived up to the cover. I've always been a fan of this type of book. Strong female in the lead, mystery, murder and magic. Love it. Kyra is pretty awesome. She is one of the best potioners and for a long time was held in high regard, but now, after she tries to kill the princess (and fails) she becomes a fugitive. I liked watching Kyra trying to reconcile who she was with who she has become and who she wants to be. She doesn't like that she tried to kill the princess, but she has her reasons and she is steadfast in the belief that she is doing the right thing. 

What I particularly like about this story is that no one is exactly who they seem. Even Kyra, who we know the most about throughout the story, has a few hidden secrets up her sleeve. Fred is a great side kick and partner for Kyra. She is serious and on a mission, he is carefree and has a way of breaking down her defenses. Like Kyra, Fred isn't exactly who he claims to be and as we see them both try to figure the other out, we also learn more about the happening of the kingdom and why it's in turmoil. I have to say that every twist and turn that Zinn worked in genuinely surprised me. Some made sense the minute I read it, and others had me thinking "really? that's how that's going to work out?" only to have it reconcile itself later. It was all very well done. Plus, there's a pig and a wolf dog who embark on their own little love match, and who doesn't love animal sidekicks? 

So if you like books that pack a punch and keep you guessing this is a good one to pick up. It doesn't come out for another few weeks, but it's worth ordering. I know that I've already added it to next years library order. I think my kids will love it!