Gravity vs the Girl by Riley Noehren

Gravity vs. the Girl
by Riley Noehren

General Fiction
272 pages, softcover
Target Reader: Adult

Forty-Ninth Street Publishers
978-0615261652
Release Date: January 13, 2009




From the publisher:

Samantha Green has just spent an entire year in her pajamas, and she is beginning to regret it.

What's more, she is haunted by four ghosts that are former versions of herself. First up is the overachieving and materialistic attorney, who is furious with Samantha for throwing away the career she worked so hard to build. Second is the lackadaisical college student who is high on life but low on responsibility. Next is the melodramatic teenager, who is consumed with her social standing, teal eyeliner and teased bangs. Finally, there is the scrappy six-year old, whose only objective is to overcome gravity so that she can fly.

Samantha's ghosts alternate between fighting with each other, rallying around Samantha's budding sanity and falling in love with a string of good-for-nothing drummers. Despite her reluctance to do so, Samantha must rely on these spirits from the past to repair the present and ensure her future.

2009 Whitney Award Winner: Best Novel by a New Author

This debut novel, Gravity vs. the Girl is a very compelling read. I thoroughly enjoyed it. At first, I wasn't sure if the ghosts were "real" or the product of an emotional breakdown. By the time I figured it out, it really didn't matter. Without giving it away, I'll just say that I would have loved the book no matter which way it went because we are all haunted by ghosts of our past in one way or another—sort of the point of the entire book.

The writing was incredibly good. The story was hilariously funny in some places, and in others brought up that lump in my throat, making me swallow back the tears. I loved Samantha and her goofy cousin. That relationship was wonderful, all by itself.

I'm looking forward to seeing more from this writer.

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Cover: Does not do the book justice.



Content Ratings

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Values/Themes: Some mental illness issues; facing and accepting our past.

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© 2010 It's a Book Affair

The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams

The Chosen One
by Carol Lynch Williams

Young Adult
224 pages, hardcover
Target Reader: 14+

St. Martin's Griffin
978-0312555115
Release Date: May 12, 2009



From the publisher:

Thirteen-year-old Kyra has grown up in an isolated polygamous community without questioning her father’s three wives and her twenty brothers and sisters. Or at least without questioning them much—if you don’t count her secret visits to the Mobile Library on Wheels to read forbidden books, or her meetings with the boy she hopes to choose for herself instead of having a man chosen for her.

But when the Prophet decrees that Kyra must marry her 60-year-old uncle—who already has six wives—Kyra must make a desperate choice in the face of violence and her own fears of losing her family.

The Chosen One is a heart-rending account of Kyra's struggle. She loves her family very much—that's obvious in her story. But like all teens, she is trying to find her own way between what she was taught as a child and what she truly believes.

Written in first person, present tense, this story is intense. The voice is strong, the writing absolutely wonderful. The characterization is clear and brilliant and completely believable. While not suitable for younger readers, due to some brutal violence, I think mature sixteen year olds and above will be able to handle it and will draw from it strength and hope in facing their own life challenges.

This book was a well-deserved Whitney Award winner of 2009 Best Youth Fiction. In my opinion, it's Newbery material.



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Content Ratings

Language: I think there is some mild swearing, but I can't remember. The book was so captivating that I forgot to pay attention.

Violence: The church leaders beat Kyra and it's described in real time. A baby is punished for crying by being dunked in a bucket of ice water.

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Values/Themes: This book is about choice and finding your own way; standing up for what you believe is right.

Age Appropriate: 14 seems a little young to me, but 16 and up would be fine with this book.

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© 2010 It's a Book Affair

Devil's Food Cake by Josi Kilpack

Devil's Food Cake (Sadie Hoffmiller, book 3)
by Josi S. Kilpack

Culinary Mystery
362 pages, softcover
Target Reader: Adult women

Deseret Book
978-1-60641-232-9
Release Date: January 22, 2010



From the publisher:

It’s been years since author Thom Mortenson has been back to Garrison, Colorado. As part of the committee who invited the bestselling writer to speak at the library fundraising benefit, Sadie Hoffmiller wants everything to be perfect—right down to the homemade devil’s food cake she baked herself. Certainly, murder was not on the menu.

When Thom’s manager ends up dead on stage, Sadie jumps in to offer her guidance and expertise to investigators. But when the police refuse to take her seriously, Sadie has no choice but to pursue justice on her own. After all, is Sadie to blame if she keeps stumbling over information? Can Sadie turn her back when people intricately woven into the deception keep crossing her path? With her son, Shawn, at her side, her reputation on the line, and a full cast of suspicious characters, Sadie Hoffmiller is once again cooking her way through a case that offers far more questions than answers.

Series books: Lemon Tart (book 1), English Trifle (book 2)

Read Chapter 1

I loved this book! Sadie is at it again. Back to the perkie woman we met in book 1, Sadie is not only caught up in a murder mystery, but also finds herself the center of a budding love triangle. On the one hand, there's steady Pete, the cop from book 1; on the other hand, there's Eric—who doesn't mind Sadie's antics and never makes her feel like she's butting in where she shouldn't.

The plot in this book is wonderful! There were twists and turns, and quirky characters who kept me guessing the whole time. I couldn't put it down.

I recommend this to readers who like cozy culinary mysteries, along the lines of Diane Mott Davidson and Gayle Trent.

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Violence: There's murder and some mild violence.

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Age Appropriate: For adults—the main character is older—but some teens will like it as well.

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© 2010 It's a Book Affair

The Sapphire Flute by Karen E. Hoover

The Sapphire Flute
by Karen E. Hoover

YA Fantasy
370 pages, hardbound
Target Reader: 14+

Valor Publishing Group
978-1-935546-07-8
Release Date: March 16, 2010



From the publisher:

It has been 3,000 years since a white mage has been seen upon Rasann.

In the midst of a volcanic eruption miles outside of her village, Ember discovers she can see magic and change the appearance of things at will. Against her mother's wishes, she leaves for the mage trials only to be kidnapped before arriving. In trying to escape, she discovers she has inherited her father's secret—a secret that places her in direct conflict with her father's greatest enemy.

At the same time, Kayla is given guardianship of the sapphire flute and told not to play it. The evil mage, C'Tan, has been searching for it for decades and the sound alone is enough to call her. For the flute to be truly safe, Kayla must find its birthplace in the mountains high above Javak. The girls' paths are set on a collision course...a course that C'Tan is determined to prevent at all costs.

I just had the pleasure of reading The Sapphire Flute (Book 1 of The Wolfchild Saga) by my friend, Karen E. Hoover. I love YA fantasy and I especially love it when there is a unique and believable world and strong female characters. This story had both.

Karen has created Rasann with a clever and diverse magical system, where each of the gods of the world are associated with a color and an object. In this book, we learn about the Sapphire Flute which creates magic when played.

The Sapphire Flute is the story of Ember and Kayla, both young women trying to find their way in a confusing world with the typical teenage angst and issues compounded by their newly acquired magical powers—all while avoiding the notice and wrath of C'Tan, the villain who wants to take their powers and use them for her own purposes.

Ember's father died when she was an infant and her mother keeps her sheltered from the world of magic. However, Ember soon discovers she's inherited some of her father's magical shape-shifting powers and her journey becomes one of learning who she is, where she came from, and how to wield the magic that is a part of her.

Kayla is mysteriously gifted the Sapphire Flute with the charge to keep it safe from C'Tan, at all costs. A bit impetuous, she must learn to control her impulses and her desire to play the flute, while figuring out what she's supposed to do with it.

Both girls take individual journeys that will eventually (I presume, in future books) bring them together for a final battle against evil.

For me, this was almost a 4 star book. Most of it was very good, but there were a few places where the pacing was off and the characterization a little confusing. The setting was pre-industrial but at times almost seemed too modern.

That said, for a debut book, Karen has done a good job creating this world and introducing us to characters that live and breathe. I'm looking forward to seeing more of their journey. I will definitely read book two in this series.

I think this book will appeal most to readers in the 12 to 14 age range, especially girls who like a good fantasy. Adult readers who love YA fantasy may also enjoy the book.

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Cover: The cover is way to modern for the story line.



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Violence: C'Tan is pretty evil. She kills her brother and other innocent people.

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Writing Mechanics: Slightly inconsistent.


*Valor Publishing provided me with an ARC for this review.


© 2010 It's a Book Affair