Review: Chasing Alliecat

Goodreads summary: Sadie Lester has been dumped with relatives for the summer. Boredom seems inevitable in her small Minnesota town until she meets Allie—a spiky-haired off-road biker with incredible grace and speed. Training for the upcoming bike race, Allie leads Sadie and cute fellow cyclist Joe up and down Mount Kato—an exhilarating rush that pushes their limits. The fun ends abruptly when they stray off the trail and find a priest, badly beaten and near death. After calling for help, Allie mysteriously disappears from their lives.

Just like the trash littering the beautiful river bluffs, there's something foul afoot. Creepy rednecks are prowling the woods, the same ones who ran Sadie and Allie off the road one night. It's not until the day of the big race that Sadie finally learns the startling truth about Allie, her connection to the priest, and what drove her into hiding.

Disclaimer:
I have never gone mountain biking.
I haven't walked through the MN woods in many years.
I have never been to Mankato, MN. 
Although I'm from MN, I'm a city dweller and will likely remain so for the rest of my years.

And yet, reading Chasing AllieCat, all of the scents, sounds, and sights associated with the woods and small town MN made me feel very much at home. I'd like to say that it brought back childhood memories, but alas, it wasn't even that. I grew up near a lake in central MN (several different lakes actually as we moved multiple times), and my childhood experiences really weren't the same as these characters'.  I'm not sure how to explain why this book gave me the feeling of coming home, but it did. Does that mean you have to be from MN or from a small town to enjoy this book? Absolutely not. But, I think that it did enhance the experience for me.

What I loved most about this book was the way it captured those rare magical moments where you meet someone and you just "click". A few simple words, and it's as though you've been friends forever. That's the kind of friendship that occurs between Sadie and Allie. It's special, and it's the whole theme of the book and something that I think a lot of us (teens especially) can relate to. The characters were well done, and Sadie's LI, Joe, was a "real" guy, which was refreshing.

As for the plot itself, it starts off kind of slow. We're shown hints of something being "off" with Allie, but are left guessing what it is. We're also given hints of impending danger, like Allie and Sadie almost getting run off the road while biking and Sadie's dog going psycho around some strangers. It all kind of builds until the middle of the book when the friends find a body at the bottom of a ravine and then Allie suddenly disappears. Those parts of the story were wonderfully crafted and held my interest. I was eager to figure out what was going on and why Allie was connected to body and why she had disappeared and why everyone was lying to Sadie. I was caught up in the story at that point. And then... something changed.

To tell you where the story went from there would be a too much of a spoiler, but I will say that it wasn't delivered with as much finesse as I thought it could have been. In essence, it felt... dramatic, but in a soap opera sort of way rather than in a tear-jerker sort of way. Parts of it felt contrived, and the antagonist's actions didn't follow any sort of logic. Then again, I suppose I'm not the type of person who would do what the antagonist did, so maybe I don't know how they would behave.

So although the ending niggled with me a little bit, I still enjoyed the story overall. I loved the characters, the setting and learning about mountain biking made me feel like I should get off my rump and hop on a two wheeler! Haha... just kidding... I think.

Chasing AllieCat is Rebecca Fjelland Davis's second YA novel, though she also has several children's books published. CA has been named a Junior Library Guild selection for 2011. You can visit her blog here.

You can purchase Chasing AllieCat from Amazon.
Or Barnes and Noble.
 

CONTEST - ATTENTION ALL SEINFELD FANS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Are you a fan of the tv series Seinfeld? Do you like reading YA? Talking about YA? Talking and reading  about edgy YA? Then visit my pal, Melanie's blog, YA for the YAt Heart. She's a YA writer that you will want to meet. And, in celebration of her new blog look, she's having her very first contest. It's not exactly book related, but she's got some pretty cool swag, and you guessed it, it's related to the tv series Seinfeld!! I won't tell you how exactly because I want you to go there and check it out for yourself. But for a sneak peak at her blog, have a look-see at this:

Doesn't just looking at her button with the gothic city in the middle make you want to drop everything and head on over?  I KNOW you do, so I'll stop chattering now and leave you to it. Cheers!

You know you're a book addict when...

I will not admit to which of these I do, better to keep you guessing.

10. You would rather read than watch Harry Potter The Deathly Hallows Part I on DVD.
9. You look forward to the school book fair more than your kids do.
8. You skip lunch knowing that 5$ sandwich can buy you a discounted book.
7. You refresh your e-library's new release button every ten minutes to see if any new e-books have been added.
6. You take No-doze (or equivalent) so that you can stay up to finish one more book.
5. Barnes and Noble gives you reading book suggestions - and you actually agree.
4. You force your kids to get involved in the Half Price Books summer reading program - and then steal their coupons.
3. Your reading wish list Excel file is open more often than your manuscript.
2. You wish your husband would hurry and finish the hell up so you can get back to your YA romance.
1. You would rather stay home and read Forever (Wolves of Mercy Falls) than go to TDH Part II on it's opening night. :)

May reading list -15 books!!!

Yes I was very prolific this month. I think I need to cut down a bit because I only wrote about 3000 words of my new WIP! That's bad writing form. :( I think I'm going to start writing reviews again as well as give my quick list. I feel really bad about not promoting these books more, especially those that I get from the library. I can't afford to buy this many books, but SOMEONE  should be buying them because many are oh so good!!! And lots of surprise endings this month! Anywho, hope you find something on this list that interests you, and as always, I love getting book recs so please let me know what book really stuck with you this month!

Double asterisks indicate highly recommended.

39. Nightshade by Andrea Cremer** I've read a lot of paranormals lately, but this is one that really stands out to me. The love triangle is tres sexy, and even though I knew who she'd end up with, I still enjoyed the ride. There was a bit of mystery and suspense in this and a scene with a giant spider! Can anyone say LOTR flashbacks? Only it was in a good way because if there's one thing that will creep me out, it's a giant spider. My skin was crawling and I loved it. I can't wait for the sequel, Wolfsbane to come out. AND Andrea Cremer just happens to be from MN, so I'll be going to her book signing at the end of July and will bring back swag for a contest! Stay tuned for it.

40.  Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver I have to say that the beginning of this didn't really stick with me that well. The main character is very unlikeable and although she changes through the course of the book, it was hard for me to stick with her to the end. I did like the premise a whole lot though, and it didn't end at all like I thought it was going to.

41. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky**This one was not what I thought it was going to be. AT ALL. The ending was very startling to me. Even though there were clues, I just didn't pick up on it quickly enough. It doesn't read like an issue book even though there is an issue, and throughout I kept thinking that the MC's weird social habits were abnormal-normal if that makes any sense. I loved the minor characters; everyone should have friends who are that supportive.

42. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan ** Good God, I loved this one! So fast paced and sexy. I loved both characters and desperately wanted them to get it on. Looking forward to reading others by this author-duo.

43. Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler Not as good as I had expected given Ockler's success with 20 Boy Summer. The plot was a bit predictable, and I found some things in it to be unrealistic, as in, that's not what the typical person would do. SPOILER ALERT!!!!!: I'm referring to the diary here. If I had found a diary written by my dead aunt who no one will talk about, you can be certain that it wouldn't take me 3 weeks or more to read it!). The prose was very well written, but there were definite moments where the telling vs showing balance was totally off. Overall, a bit disappointed.

44. The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta** LOVED IT!! This is a stand alone that follows the same characters as Marchetta's other YA novel, Saving Francesca. I liked being reunited with these characters, and I'd recommend reading that one first only for that reason. It was very different from SF, sort of dark and gritty. Tom is a character who makes a lot of mistakes, and yet I found myself rooting for him from the very beginning.

45. This Gorgeous Game by Donna Freitas As the plot of TGG progressed, I felt my hair standing on end, my stomach turning sour. It's easy to get caught up in and delivers such a strong message. Even though it's about a priest turned stalker and that gave it a very definite turn of flavor, I think it could easily apply to any similar situation, thus making it a great book for teens. I was a bit turned off with the Mary Sue- type characters; they didn't feel all that realistic, but the message it delivers alone is worth the read.

46. What I Was by Meg Rosoff Very different. I enjoyed the writing style immensely, but the story (especially the ending) was not what I expected. Still, I'll look for more from this author.

47. Darkness Be My Friend by John Marsden #4 in the Tomorrow Series. I didn't feel like a whole lot happened in this one, but I enjoyed the conflict of emotions that Ellie continues to go through. Some of it was so unexpected given her tough exterior, and of course I like it that the subplot about her love interest is re-ignited. :)

48. The Secret Hour; The Midnighters #1 by Scott Westerfeld There were a lot of cool scenes in this one. I think it reads more as MG than YA, but I continued to cheer Westerfeld's ability to incorporate science efficiently and believably into his works. This one didn't have quite as much as some of his others (and oh no, it was about math- haha), but it worked well.

49. Divergent by Veronica Roth ** RUN, DID YOU HEAR ME RUN!!! TO YOUR BOOKSELLER AND GET THIS BOOK!!!! Divergent deserves all the hype it's been getting. Some say it's like HG, and I can definitely see the similarities, yet the story is holy unique and doesn't need that selling strategy to boost its appeal. I will warn you that the take off is a little slow, if not confusing, but once you get past that around oh page 25 or so, then you will love it! I dare you to prove me wrong. :)

50. Hold Still by Nina LaCour** Clearly deserves to be on my top ten contemporary YA list for 2011. It's heartwrenching and hopeful and sad and uplifting all at once. The supporting characters surpass many that I've read in recent history. I wish I could write a book like this. Looking forward to seeing more from this author. Wait - I'd better go see if she has anything else out...

51. Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty This might be personal preference, but SF didn't live up to the hype for me. I found the voice to be a bit too much, and it was hard to find a plot until about halfway through. The ending was very abrupt, and makes you want to read the next one just to see what happens, and yet... I don't think I could suffer 200 more pages of Jessica Darling.

52. Intertwined by Gina Showalter This book had a bit more than I expected it to - as in a few more vampires, werewolves, fairies, witches, and every other paranormal creature out there. I typically don't like books that stick everything into them, and though this one did keep me interested, I wouldn't have gotten it if I had known that was the case. Not so sure if I'll bother reading the next one in the series.

53. Double Helix by Nancy Werner I'm debating whether to do a  more lengthy review of this one being that it's right up my professional alley. It's about transgenics and what can go wrong when scientists try to play God. I read it for the sole purpose of research, as I have an idea that I'm playing with. The thing with this one, is that while I enjoyed certain parts of it, I felt like the author was more interested in educating and making a point than they were in presenting in-depth characters with a story. I didn't really feel connected to the MC until about halfway through, and even then I think it was just the mystery of wanting to know how far she was going to take it that kept me going. Would I recommend it to someone who was planning to write sci-fi that deals with genetic manipulation? Yes, it's a good model to go by. Would I recommend it to someone who's just looking for a good story? Probably not. The tale just wasn't that gripping, the characters not that interesting.

250 word contest on Is It Hot In Here

Shelly Waters over at Is It Hot In Here is having another contest of awesomeness. This one is a 250 word contest with new agent, Judith Engracia of Liza Dawson and Associates. From interviews I've read, Judith just sounds so awesome.  So, for this contest, I'll be posting my first 250 words for a bit of a critique before entering tomorrow (I'm a little late to the party, blame it on Memorial Day Holiday and relatives and kids). Anyway, here we go with the beginning of Nikki's Wish, my YA paranormal that currently sits at 87,000 words.

Nikki's Wish

Chapter 1

I plucked the wallet out of a crater-sized pothole and shook the mud off. Its owner was already halfway down the block. He looked tame enough - leather jacket, faded jeans, dark hair that played freeze tag with the wind. He sprinted across Nicollet Avenue, skipped up to the curb, and proceeded on his way without a sideways glance around him.

Forget about meeting Dad and catching a safe ride home. I had more important things to do. Like chase a stranger through downtown Minneapolis. On a Wednesday night. In the dark. Alone.

I could imagine what my sister would have said: You have no common sense, Nikki. He could be a drug dealer or... or a murderer. I mean, come on. Where's your head?

And I would have replied: Give it a break, Shani. The world is not full of freaks who are out to kill you. 

There was more to my carefree attitude than a need to show her wrong. I was like a wind-up toy springing back to life, and after so many months of feeling like shit, it was a welcome change. Besides, he looked pretty good in those jeans.

He entered the Foshay Tower, and I followed half a minute behind. I came to a full stop and blinked as the door shut behind me. Pink and blue neon lights shone off the walls and cascaded over a checkered floor. Sitting on a donut-shaped desk was a lighted “W”, and to the right was a lounge of sorts with black leather chairs, a wrap-around sofa, and a hot-pink beaded centerpiece that dropped straight from the ceiling.