Book Journey

Heather’s life is certainly not what you would call “cozy.”  With an absent dad and a mom who lives inside a bottle, Heather does what she can for her sister and herself.

She never thought she would complete in Panic.

Panic was a game for students who were newly graduated from their senior year.  It happened during the summer and while the game itself was dangerous and frowned upon by adults and authority figures alike, the stakes were high with a high payoff.  The games were dangerous and you could be killed, but if you chicken out you are out of the game… for some of the students, it is do or die… either way.

When home circumstances hit an all time low, Heather knows it is up to her to figure out a way to care for her sister and provide something better for themselves.

And this years Panic is paying out at an all time high.

Dodge does not fear Panic.  He is sure that he can win and what he is hiding will be his motivation.

But Panic is filled with those with secrets….

For Heather and Dodge… there really is no choice.  And along the way you never know what sort of alliances you can build, knowledge you can gain, and relationships that can make a world of difference.

I chose to listen to Panic because I have adored Loren Oliver’s past reads…  Before I Fall, Delirium, Pandemonium, and Requiem.  She writes YA stories with great twists and turns which are a delight to read.

 Panic was a great next step for her.  With the excitement of Hunger Games (without that level of “you all must die!”) I found Panic to be an interesting look at what could go on underneath the proverbial watchful eye…

There are some interesting twists and turns in Panic, and while I can not say that it is a favorite of the Oliver books for me, it holds great potential.  Rumor has it that is has already been snatched up by Paramount Pictures to be a movie.  One that I would definitely go see.

Lucy Dane’s life has been a smattering of secrets, mysteries and lies – starting from when she was just a child when her mother one day up and disappeared to, years later, when Lucy’s friend Cheri also disappears; only to be found later, murdered and displayed.

Shaken by this second loss of someone close to her, Lucy decided to dig in and see if she can learn more about what happened to Cheri, and if in any way that will lead her to clues about her own mother.  What she uncovers are secrets that are too dark to fathom, and a little to close to home.

Weight of Blood came to me through no other source than my own.  Usually I find books through other readers recommendations or authors I adore… but this one I stumbled across on Audible.com and it sounded as though it had potential.

And it did.

When I think about this book I come up with words like engaging.  Powerful.  Mysterious.  McHugh’s words pour like water from a fountain, smooth and clear.  I enjoyed the story line and immersed myself fully into learning the secrets of the Dane family and those close to them. 

3 narrators take us through the audio version of this book and the transactions are so smooth between them that when I looked it up right now, I was surprised to see there were three. 

While the book deals with some topics that are frightening – they are also not far fetched, and in the end what is put into print here is a truly believable (and based somewhat off a true story) and easily imagined in a small town hidden amongst the Ozark Mountains.  

18-year-old Mikayla has been in love with Dylan and can imagine herself with no one else.  Dylan feels the same.  Yet when their relationship becomes a bit risky and Mikayla finds herself pregnant and Dylan gives her an ultimatum; what will she do?  Where will her loyalties fall?

16-year-old Shane has finally found someone he feels he can love; Alan.  It is no secret to his classmates or family that Shane is gay, but Alan is HIV positive.  Shane’s parents can not handle the additional stress in their life as Shane’s sister is already terminally ill and at the end of her life.  As his mom spends all her time worrying and his dad turns to whatever relief he can find inside a bottle; Shane wonders if they will ever have time or love for him.

14-year-old Harley has been the type of girl her parents never had to worry about.  She gets good grades and stays out of trouble.  Yet when she starts to dress a little riskier she enjoys the approval of the boys who start to notice her, especially the older boy who gives her chills to think she has caught his eye.  Of course, what Harley is taking as love, the older boy wants something completely different – and Harley is his target.

Three teens whose lives are about to tilt off course share their stories in first person perspective.

When I first heard of Tilt I liked the thought of each of these teens telling things from their first person perspective.  I figured I would like this style of narration, I did not count on enjoying this read as much as I did. 

Ellen Hopkins once again does an excellent job of getting inside the teenage mind and sharing with us their voices as they deal with the all so real topics of today:  pregnancy, drug use, relationships… I found myself engaged in each story line as you did not only hear from these three main voices, but also from their parents, and their friends, and their relationships. 

Listening to this on audio was a wonderful way to go on this one. Each voice was distinctive and I enjoyed hearing the emphasis and questions in these voices as they navigated through life making decisions and acknowledging the consequences of those decisions. 

I really enjoyed this audio and while everything was not tied up in a neat little bow at the end, I don’t think it needed to be.

While Tilt is a stand alone YA book, it is actually a companion to Ellen Hopkins book, Triangles, which is about Mikayla, Shane, and Harley’s parents.  Another brilliant move by Hopkins and now Triangles is on my list of books to read.