Sunday, December 20, 2009

In My Mailbox (18)

IMM is a weekly meme that explores the contents of one's mailbox. IMM was started by Kristi at The Story Siren. All links and descriptions are from Amazon or Orca Book Publishers website.

For Review:


Dream Girl by Lauren Mechling
(PB/November 2009/Delacorte Press)

Claire Voyante has been having strange visions ever since she can remember. But the similarity between her name and her talents is purely coincidental. The name is French and unlike the psychics on TV, she can’t solve crimes or talk to the dead.

But that all changes on Claire’s 15th birthday, when her grandmother gives her something a little more extraordinary than one of her old cocktail dresses: a strange black-and-white onyx cameo on a gold chain. It’s not long before Claire’s world becomes a whole lot clearer. And a whole lot more dangerous.

Dream Life by Lauren Mechling
(ARC/Releases January 2010/Delacorte Press)

Claire Voyante's first semester at Henry Hudson High School was eventful, to say the least. As she heads into her second semester, things are calming down a bit. But Claire has a few secrets that are getting harder to keep. Her biggest secret of all? The onyx and ivory cameo necklace her grandmother gave her for her 15th birthday. Ever since she started wearing it, her dreams have been coming to her in black and white and turning out to be oddly prophetic.

Becca’s been hanging out with her old prep school friends and never seems to have time for Claire anymore. And soon, Claire discovers why—there’s a secret group of society girls with a mysterious identity. And, turns out, a mysterious enemy who’s out to get them. The second she sniffs out trouble, Claire jumps on the case. But is it someone close to Claire who’s in danger again—or could it be Claire herself whose life is at stake?
Thanks so much to Lauren for sending these to me for review! I cannot wait to start reading this series. I've heard great things about it.


We Were Here by Matt de la Pena
(HC/October 2009/Delacorte Press)

When it happened, Miguel was sent to Juvi. The judge gave him a year in a group home—said he had to write in a journal so some counselor could try to figure out how he thinks. The judge had no idea that he actually did Miguel a favor. Ever since it happened, his mom can’t even look at him in the face. Any home besides his would be a better place to live.
But Miguel didn’t bet on meeting Rondell or Mong or on any of what happened after they broke out. He only thought about Mexico and getting to the border to where he could start over. Forget his mom. Forget his brother. Forget himself.
Life usually doesn’t work out how you think it will, though. And most of the time, running away is the quickest path right back to what you’re running from.

I received this from BookDivas for review. I've heard good things, so hopefully I'll like it too.


Walking Backward by Catherine Austen
(PB/October 2009/Orca Book Publishers)

When Josh's mother dies in a phobia-induced car crash, she leaves two questions for her grieving family: how did a snake get into her car? and how do you mourn with no faith to guide you?

Twelve-year-old Josh is left alone to find the answers. His father is building a time machine. His four-year-old brother is talking to a plastic Power Ranger. His psychiatrist offers nothing more than a blank journal.

Isolated by grief in a home where every day is pajama day, Josh makes death his research project. He tests the mourning practices of religions he doesn't believe in. He reads the Darwin Awards to judge the stupidity of his mother’s accident. He interviews the neighbours in search of a murder suspect. He tries to mend his little brother's shattered heart. He observes, records and waits—for his life to feel normal, for his mother's death to make sense, for his father to come out of the basement.


Salt by Maurice Gee
(HC/October 2009/Orca Book Publishers)

Salt is an utterly compelling fantasy adventure, the work of a master storyteller at the peak of his powers.

When his father Tarl is captured and enslaved to work in Deep Salt, Hari vows to rescue him. This is a forbidding task: no one returns from Deep Salt. But Hari was born and raised in Blood Burrow. He's tough and smart—and he has a secret gift: he can communicate with animals.

The beautiful Pearl, born into the privileged world of the ruling class known as Company, has learned forbidden things from her mysteriously gifted maid Tealeaf. Now her father has promised her in marriage to the powerful and ambitious Ottmar. But Pearl will never submit to a subordinate life, so she and Tealeaf must flee.

When their paths cross, Hari and Pearl realize that together they must discover the secrets of Deep Salt. Their long journey through the badlands becomes far more than a quest to save Tarl—their world is on the brink of unspeakable terror.

Juggling Fire by Joanne Bell
(PB/October 2009/Orca Book Publishers)

Rachel's idyllic existence with her family in the remote mountain passes of northern Yukon was shattered by her father's depression, the family's relocation to "town" and her father's subsequent disappearance. Obsessed with understanding why her father never returned, Rachel hikes with her dog across mountain passes and along valleys to her childhood home. As she walks, she distracts herself from her anxiety by reinventing fairy tales remembered from her childhood. As the days pass, the imaginary quest begins to echo her own journey as she confronts danger, faces loneliness and unearths the truth about her father.


Me, Myself, and Ike by K.L. Denman
(PB/October 2009/Orca Book Publishers)

After watching a tv program about Otzi, a 5,000-year-old "Ice Man," Kit's friend Ike becomes convinced that Kit's destiny is to become the next ice man—a source of information for future generations. Together they obtain artifacts they think will accurately reflect life in the early twenty-first century and plan their journey to a nearby mountain. Kit gets tattoos similar to Otzi's, writes a manifesto and tries to come to terms with making the ultimate sacrifice. As he grows more and more agitated and isolated, his family and friends suspect that something is terribly wrong, but before they can discover the true severity of the situation, Kit and Ike set off on what could be their last journey.

I received all four of these books from Orca Book Publishers. Thanks so much! They all sound great, and I can't decide which to read first.

Borrowed:
Dear John by Nicholas Sparks
(My first Nicholas Sparks!)

From Paperback Swap:
Lost It by Kristen Tracy

I had an absolutely amazing week! Thanks to everyone who sent books my way. How did you do? Now...what to read first? :) Happy reading!

6 comments:

  1. Ohh, nice books. A lot of them I haven't heard of, but they look interesting. All seem awesome, so I don't really have a preference to which one should be read first, sorry. But happy reading! :)

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  2. I got the dream girl books 2. Love the covers! happy reading!

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  3. Awesome! I'm surprised I haven't heard of any of these. I can't wait to see the reviews. =)

    Happy Holidays!

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  4. Really love the sound of We Were Here. Can't wait for your review of that. Sounds so refreshingly different.

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