Nicole and Jackie's Plane Forum Book Reviews

I thought it might be nice to have a section where we can review books to each other.  I selfishly am in need of a space where I can pick apart the young adult novels I've been reading without directly attacking the authors on Goodreads LOL.  

One thing I've noticed on all the YA books that I've read so far is that they are all written in the first person.  I'm not a fan of first person and hope that I won't be forced to change my third person omniscient that I've grown so fond of.  I like the writing styles behind these first person novels, but because I have so many characters in Secrets, I just don't see it working for me.  So far during our little write-a-thon, for YA novels, I've read:  -Fallen - Lauren Kate- Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone - Kat Rosenfield  And I've just started Swoon - Nina Malkin (it took over 2 weeks to get to my house via snail mail). Fallen is the first of a series, but I have to admit I wasn't too keen on reading any more of them.  It was a little too "out there" for my tastes, and actually was quite intertwined with religion.  The main "love interest" is a fallen angel I think (you have to keep reading the series to find out for sure but he definitely has wings.) Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone - I thought the author had some great imagery but it was too overdone.  I feel like she wasted so much on one book.  Everything had to be described three ways and frankly it was a little annoying.  And some of it didn't actually make sense.  I also felt that the main character didn't really grow as much as she digressed and then in the prologue she "gets out of town" and moves on with her life. We'll see how Swoon goes.

Finished reading Swoon the other day.  I agreed with your review of it.  I think at the mild age of 17 I may have been a little shocked to be reading something that was so open about the drug thing lol, but that's just me.  That whole thing, from all three of the YA novels I'v read as of late has had me thinking.  I didn't really plan to bring in drugs, drinking, or sex in my YA series, mostly because I don't want to feel like I'm promoting it.  But there's this fine line of being realistic and not...  You were right about those elements being organic to Swoon.  I don't think they'd feel quite as organic in Secrets.  But maybe I weave them in as obstacles instead, throughout the series anyway.  Teenagers are faced with peer pressure every day.  That's real.

THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH - One question.  Where in time and space was this beloved book when I was a kid?  I mean seriously!  How on earth did I miss something this spectacular growing up?  I know one thing for sure-it's a staple, a must, for my future children.  I even read parts of it aloud to Husker.  What a wonderful, wonderful gem.  I simply loved it all!