Book Review: Mission Omega by Jesse Haynes

…And we’re back.

Mission Omega, the first book in the brand-new The Golden Ocelot series by Jesse Haynes, drops March 1st from CastleBuilders Press. Lucky me, I got to read an early copy!

(Isn’t that cover AWESOME?)

Goran Blasnoff is a technological wizard. His studies in robotics are revolutionary and his company, Alpha Industries, constantly pushes the envelope of what should be possible.

Shafer McCartney is a thrill-seeking high school student always looking for his next big adventure.

When Blasnoff invites several teenagers from across the country to move into the Blasnoff Estate for a week as part of a mentorship program called Mission Omega, the opportunity is too exciting for Shafer to pass up.

But the longer Shafer is at the Blanoff Estate, the more questions begin to arise: why can’t the teenagers venture outside past midnight? What are the shadowy creatures lurking in the trees? Why does Blasnoff’s newest robot seem a little too… human?

And, most of all, is Mission Omega the fun mentorship program it seems, or maybe something much, much darker?

Mission Omega is a page-turning thrill ride. Like Die Hard for teenagers, it’s led by a smart, sassy, spunky protagonist who delivers just as many laugh-out-loud quips as he does insane stunts. The book sucks you in from the beginning and doesn’t let you go until the very end — and it leaves you wanting more.  The twists and turns keep you guessing right along with Shafer and when the master plan is revealed it leaves you breathless. A perfect read for those wanting a quick, action-packed adventure.

FINAL RATING: 5 Tandem-jumping Sporks

Advertisement

20 Most Anticipated YA Books of 2020 (So Far)

Hi everyone!

Since it’s June, I figured it’d be a good time to reveal the 20 YA books of 2020 that I’m most excited about.

I’ve included release dates when available and Goodreads links for all (so you can check out the descriptions & go add them to your TBRs)!

So without further ado and in order of release date (or at least what’s been declared to be the release date), here are The Spork Review’s Top 20 Most Anticipated YA Books of 2020 (so far):

One of Us is Next by Karen McManus – January 7, 2020 – The sequel to the 2017 hit, One of Us Is Lying. I can’t WAIT to go back to Bayview High.

How to Speak Boy by Tiana Smith – January 7, 2020 – This was pitched as a YA You’ve Got Mail (which is one of my FAVORITE movies ever, but that’s a whole other blog post) so of COURSE I’m hella excited about it.

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord – January 21, 2020 – I’m so down for ‘anonymous online enemy turns out to be RL friend’ vibe that’s happening here.

The Fell of Dark by Caleb Roehrig – January 28, 2020 – CUTE VAMPIRE BOYS WITH A MYSTERY THROWN IN, YAAAAAAAAASSSS.

Don’t Read the Comments by Eric Smith – January 28, 2020 –  Eric writes such great, strong female characters, and since his MC is a badass gamer girl fighting against online trolls I’m doubly excited.

Together We Caught Fire by Eva V. Gibson – February 4, 2020 – Forbidden romance, angst, and even a love triangle (which when done properly and actually ADDS to the story, as it seems to do here, doesn’t aggravate me) make this a very interesting-sounding read.

The Gravity of Us by Phil Stamper – February 4, 2020 – First love among a space mission to Mars? Yes please. (Note: My colleague at work is going to the ALA Annual conference in DC this week and is going to try to get me an ARC. Fingers crossed!)

UPDATE: ARC ACQUIRED!!! *Insert heart-eye emoji*

Every Reason We Shouldn’t by Sara Fujimara – March 3, 2020 – I FREAKING LOVE FIGURE SKATING. GIMMIE MORE YA FIGURE SKATING BOOKS. (Which reminds me, I probably should start watching Yuri!!! On ICE.)

What I Like About You by Marisa Kanter  – April 7, 2020 – I’m so in love with the ‘anonymous online friend turns out to be RL friend’ plotline. I NEED THIS NOW. (PS: 3 books on my most-anticipated list release on the same day. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MEEEEEE.)

The Best Laid Plans by Cameron Lund – April 7, 2020 – AWWW YIIISSS This is going to be friends-to-lovers, plus it’s described as a ‘sex-positive, feminist rom-com’ so I’m all in.

Meet Me at Midnight by Jessica Pennington – April 7, 2020 – I love, love, LOVE enemies to lovers. Come on, April!

More than Maybe by Erin Hahn May 12, 2020 – It’s by the author of You’d Be Mine. ‘Nuff said. (Also may this also serve as a reminder plea that I WOULD LOVE AN ARC WHEN THEY’RE AVAILABLE EVEN THOUGH I’M PRE-ORDERING THE SECOND IT’S LIVE, PLEASE AND THANK YOU)

Surrender Your Sons by Adam Sass – September 18, 2020 – Gay teen gets sent to ‘conversion camp’ and he and the other LGBTQ+ teens plot to uncover the camp’s ‘dark secrets’. Reminds me of ‘But I’m a Cheerleader’, but I have a feeling it’s just going to make me angry on these kids’ behalf.

Adeline’s Aria by Laynie Bynum (No release date given) – YA books with famous people are my crack. Plus it states “Fans of GEEKERELLA and YOU’D BE MINE will love this Young Adult Rockstar Romance”, so umm… YES, JUST SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY ALREADY. Geekerella is one of my faves because not only was it a famous-person-falls-for-a-normal-person YA, but it also had so many other things I was there for, and if you’ve read my blog before, you know I absolutely LOVE You’d Be Mine, which so far has been my top read of 2019.

Vampires Never Get Old – edited by Zoraida Cordova & Natalie C. Parker (No release date given) – I am so down for the resurgence of vampire YA fiction. Plus this is an anthology that includes many of my faves, so gimmie gimmie.

I’ll Be the One by Lyla Lee (No release date given) – Hell yes, body-positivity! Plus there’s famous people!

Those Who Prey by Jennifer Moffett (No release date given) – COLLEGE SECRET SOCIETIES. My heart is racing already.

I Hope You’re Listening by Tom Ryan (No release date given) – A teen launches a podcast in order to anonymously solve missing persons cases but then figures out that a new case is linked to the disappearance of her friend from ten years ago. YES. 

Meet Me Halfway by Tom Ryan & Robin Stevenson (No release date given) FAMILY ROAD TRIP TO PRIDE. That’s all I need to hear. 

Who I was with Her by Nita Tyndall (No release date given) – Closeted bisexual teen loses her secret girlfriend in a car accident. This is going to make me cry, I just know it. 

BONUS 21st Book: Darling by K. Ancrum (No release date given) – Wendy Darling hangs with Peter Pan and the Lost Boys in modern-day Chicago, but it seems like Peter isn’t a good guy in this one? … It’s the Peter Pan retelling I never knew I needed.

So that’s it! Obviously I have certain tropes and genres I like, but are there any 2020 YA releases you’re waiting on? Sound off in the comments!

Author Interview – Jesse Haynes

Happy Tuesday, TSR readers!

Today we’re here with a brand-new interview with TSR fave, Jesse Haynes, who will be returning to our shelves soon with a fiery new trilogy! (I’ve got to tell you, it sounds AMAZING and I can’t wait to get my hands on it.) So without further ado, here we go!

You’d Be Mine by Erin Hahn – Book Review

Aaaand welcome to our first review of 2019! (Yes, I realize we’re 4 months in. I’ll try to do better at this blogging thing, I promise.)

Today I’ll be talking about a brand-new YA book from a debut author – You’d Be Mine by Erin Hahn.

Annie Mathers is America’s sweetheart and heir to a country music legacy full of all the things her Gran warned her about. Superstar Clay Coolidge is most definitely going to end up one of those things.

But unfortunately for Clay, if he can’t convince Annie to join his summer tour, his music label is going to drop him. That’s what happens when your bad boy image turns into bad boy reality. Annie has been avoiding the spotlight after her parents’ tragic death, except on her skyrocketing YouTube channel. Clay’s label wants to land Annie, and Clay has to make it happen.

Swayed by Clay’s undeniable charm and good looks, Annie and her band agree to join the tour. From the start fans want them to be more than just tour mates, and Annie and Clay can’t help but wonder if the fans are right. But if there’s one part of fame Annie wants nothing to do with, it’s a high-profile relationship. She had a front row seat to her parents’ volatile marriage and isn’t interested in repeating history. If only she could convince her heart that Clay, with his painful past and head over heels inducing tenor, isn’t worth the risk.

This book was one of my most highly anticipated YA novels of 2019, so did it meet my expectations? Find out below the cut (SPOILERS abound)!

Upcoming 2019 YA Books I’m Excited About

With 2018 winding down, I figured it was time to dust the ole blog off (I’ve really been terrible at this blogging thing, haven’t I?) and talk about some 2019 book releases that I’m super excited about, listed in order of release date. These are all either standalones or the first in a series — I’m not including sequels in this list for the sake of my sanity (because this would be like 100 titles instead of just 20).

So without further ado, here is The Spork Review’s list of anticipated 2019 titles:

Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus (1/8/2019) – I absolutely LOVED One of Us Is Lying and was thrilled to snag an ARC of this one.

Death Prefers Blondes by Caleb Roehrig (1/29/2019) – Socialite by day, cat burglar by night? Sign me up.

We Told Six Lies by Victoria Scott (2/5/2019) – Ok so obviously I have a thing for mysteries. The description sounds SO intriguing though and I’ve loved all of Victoria’s other books.

Rayne & Delilah’s Midnite Matinee by Jeff Zentner (2/26/2019) – If you’re familiar with TSR you know that Jeff Zentner is on my auto-buy list. I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this one too!

Opposite of Always by Justin Reynolds (3/5/2019) – Boy meets girl. Boy falls in love with girl. Girl dies. ‘The End’, right? Nope. Has Butterfly Effect vibes that I’m down for.

When the Sky Fell on Splendor by Emily Henry (3/12/19) – It’s pitched as The Serpent King (one of my FAVORITE BOOKS EVER WRITTEN) meets Stranger Things, of course I’m excited for it.

Internment by Samira Ahmed (3/19/2019) – Timely considering the current political climate. I’m intrigued.

Eyes on Me by Rachel Harris (3/26/19) – I love ‘popular person is forced to work with the nerd and they bond’ books so this is right up my alley.

The Princess and the Fangirl by Ashley Poston (4/2/2019) – Ok so technically I lied, BUT this isn’t a sequel, it’s a companion novel. I loved Geekerella so dang much that this immediately went on my ‘Gimmie gimmie’ list the second I heard about it. Thanks to Quirk I have an E-ARC of this so I can’t wait to dive in!

You’d be Mine by Erin Han (4/2/2019) – I’m a sucker for YA novels with famous people and this sounds SO cute.

Somewhere Only We Know by Maurene Goo (5/7/2019) – I absolutely ADORED I Believe in a Thing Called Love and The Way You Make Me Feel so this is another auto-read.

Keep This to Yourself by Tom Ryan (5/7/2019) – Again, I LOVE a good twisty mystery and this promises to deliver.

Fake It till You Break It by Jenn Nguyen ( 5/28/2019) – Fake dating turns into real feelings. Be still my heart.

I Wish You all the Best by Mason Deaver (5/28/2019) –This is the first novel I’ve come across with a nonbinary MC so I’m super intrigued.

I Wanna Be Where You Are by Kristina Forest (6/4/2019) – Road trip with the boy next door? Yes please.

Swipe Right for Murder by Derek Milman (8/6/2019) – I LOOOOOOOVED Scream All Night, Derek’s debut, and was super thrilled when I heard he had another book coming out. Reading the first chapter’s excerpt just solidified my need for this RIGHT NOW.

EDIT: I’VE GOT AN ARC!!!! Thank you so so much to Jimmy Patterson Books.

His Hideous Heart, edited by Dahlia Adler (9/24/2019) – Edgar Allan Poe retellings. ‘Nuff said.

Gifted by Jesse Haynes ( Fall 2019) – X-Men meets Star Wars meets The Hunger Games with a twist. I’ve already read an early draft of this, and I’m so excited for everyone to meet Marx & the gang.

When You Were Everything by Ashley Woodfolk (No Release Date Available) – I heard Ashley talk about this one at the American Library Association Annual conference in New Orleans in June 2018, and I’m down for it. You rarely see a friendship breakup happen in a book where the friendship takes center stage.

Ten Blind Dates by Ashley Elston (No Release Date Available) – Ashley is another auto-buy for me for her AMAZINGLY twisty mysteries. (Seriously, do yourself a favor and pick up her books.) This, however, is the total opposite of what Ashley normally writes – pitched as The Holiday meets My Big Fat Greek Wedding, a girl goes through a breakup during the holidays and her family all set her up on a blind date – 10 total over 10 days. Publication is scheduled for Fall 2019 so I’m reallllly hoping there’s ARCs available soon.

And there you have it – The Spork Review’s anticipated 2019 YA reads! Any others that should be on my radar? Sound off in the comments!

A Short History of the Girl Next Door by Jared Reck – Book Review

I’ve finally got some free time, so today we’ll be diving into a new book review – A Short History of the Girl Next Door by Jared Reck.

Here’s the description of the book from Goodreads, which mind you is the ONLY description I read before actually reading the book:

The unrequited love of the girl next door is the centerpiece of this fiercely funny, yet heart-breaking debut novel.
Fifteen-year-old Matt Wainwright is in turmoil. He can’t tell his lifelong best friend, Tabby, how he really feels about her; his promising basketball skills are being overshadowed by his attitude on the court, and the only place he feels normal is in English class, where he can express his inner thoughts in quirky poems and essays. Matt is desperately hoping that Tabby will reciprocate his feelings; but then Tabby starts dating Liam Branson, senior basketball star and all-around great guy. Losing Tabby to Branson is bad enough; but, as Matt soon discovers, he’s close to losing everything that matters most to him.

This review contains MAJOR spoilers under the cut, so if you want to read the book not knowing what happens, I suggest you bow out right about now.

Where I’ve Been/ Announcement!

Hi everyone!

Long time, no blog post — but I’ve got a good reason!

I’ve been hard at work planning the Teen HQ at the Louisiana Book Festival, and boy do we have an amazing lineup of authors & panelists this year. On the MG & YA front, we have:

• Lauren Allbright, author of Exit Strategy
• Alys Arden, author of The Romeo Catchers
• Alton Carter, author of Aging Out
• Judy Christie, author of Wreath, in College
• Neil Connelly, author of Into the Hurricane
• Heather Demetrios, author of Bad Romance
• Laurie Devore, author of How to Break a Boy
• Michael Fry, author of How to be a Supervillain
• Frye Gaillard, author of Go South to Freedom
• Claudia Gray, author of Defy the Stars
• Jesse Haynes, author of Special
• S.F. Henson, author of Devils Within
• Linda Williams Jackson, author of Midnight without a Moon
• Brendan Kiely, author of The Last True Love Story
• Laurent Linn, author of Draw the Line
• Joanne O’Sullivan, author of Between Two Skies
• Richard Peck, author of The Best Man
• Caleb Roehrig, author of Last Seen Leaving
• Michelle Schusterman, author of Olive and the Backstage Ghost
• Corabel Shofner, author of Almost Paradise
• Ronald L. Smith, author of The Mesmerist
• Sarah Tolcser, author of Song of the Current
• Jasmine Warga, author of Here We Are Now
• Jeff Zentner, author of Goodbye Days

We’ll also have a podcasting panel featuring Kassiah Faul of the Swoony Boys Podcast, Jesse Haynes of the Mazie Meadows Morning Show, and Nicole Jorge of the Alexandria Archives, moderated by Katherine Downey of the Swoony Boys Podcast. Finally, we’ll have an #OwnVoices  panel featuring Laurent Linn, Caleb Roehrig, and Jasmine Warga, moderated by Brendan Kiely.

Just a few of the amazing books we’re featuring this year.

Join us on October 28th in downtown Baton Rouge! For more information and to check out the full schedule, go to http://www.louisianabookfestival.org.

The “Wall of Awesome”. See how many MG & YA titles you can spot!

In other news, I’m very excited and pleased to announce that I’m starting a podcast on youth services in libraries with the amazingly awesome Nicole Jorge! We’ll be discussing programs and services for kids and teens, featuring tips and tricks on how to score various goodies such as ARCs and even author visits, as well as featuring the occasional author interview! The show won’t premiere until mid or late November, but we’ve already hard at work and will be announcing the title soon. If children & teen librarianship floats your boat, keep an eye on this blog for more information and also follow Nicole over at That Girl Jorge!

 

Till next time!

Author Interview – Brooks Benjamin

Hello readers!

Today we have a special interview with Brooks Benjamin, author of My Seventh-Grade Life in Tights.

The Spork Review: Why write for middle-graders?

Brooks Benjamin: The twelve year old in me won’t let me write anything else. Maybe it’s because because he knows that age is such an important time in our lives–it’s when we begin to figure out stuff like who we’re going to be, who we’re going to like, what we’re going to enjoy, fear, and need. Or maybe it’s because he knows it’s the perfect mixture of being a kid and becoming a young adult that makes that age a wonderfully delicious emotional and behavioral soup. Or maybe it’s because he’s an immature little turd that won’t let go of the fact that he still giggles over fart jokes sometimes.

TSR: The main theme of My 7th Grade Life in Tights is “Find the moves that fit.” Why do you feel that it was important to tell Dillon’s story?

BB: Middle school is a jungle we’ve all explored but will always remain unconquered by human beings. There’s an air of incivility that surrounds it which makes those three years some of the worst years in many people’s lives. It wasn’t any different for me. I had an idea of who I wanted to be but was so scared to allow myself to become that person. So I wanted to write something that spoke to that and to any human who has ever felt that way. I wanted to tell every one of them that it’s fine to be scared and it’s fine to be worried but it’s not fine to let others tell you who or what you should be. “Find the moves that fit” is my dancetastic way of sharing that no matter who you are, there’s a style out there for you, even if you have to make it all up yourself.

TSR: Tell us a bit about your writing process.

It always starts with interesting characters. I hear them say something, I see them do something, I imagine their reaction to something. They’re nothing more than an idea at this point, but while I begin to throw out problems and stories and allow them to speak to it and about it, I learn who they are and who they want to be. Their personalities grow and deepen and the rose-colored glasses come off when I see their flaws. But they become very real to me after that. As I begin to write out their stories, there’s always a fear that I’m getting it wrong, but they always let me know if I am. And as their story progresses, I continue to learn things about them. There’s never a time when I know it all. The difference is that by the time that particular story is finished, I’ve grown to love each of them and appreciate their quirks, their worries, their problems, and their needs, about as much as I can appreciate my own.

TSR: Where is your favorite place to write?

My desk beside the big window that overlooks the woods. And when it’s raining outside I love it even more.

TSR: Can you tell us about what you are working on now?

BB: Sure! I’m working on another MG. This one’s about two friends, one who is very real and is trying to find a way to disappear and one who isn’t quite real and is trying to keep from vanishing altogether.

Lighting Round:

TSR: Favorite NKotB song?

BB: HANGIN’ TOUGH!

TSR: Favorite thing to do to relax?

BB: Play video games while eating pizza.

TSR: Salty or sweet?

BB: You mean salty AND sweet? Yes.
TSR: What is one thing you never leave home without?

BB: My underwear. If I ever have to sacrifice my pants to save someone’s life I want to do it with some dignity.

TSR: Any hidden talents?

BB: I can impersonate a ton of actors or characters from cartoons. When I was a kid, I wanted so badly to be someone else that I tried on different characters all the time. The result was a talent for sounding like, but never being anyone else but me. And that’s pretty cool, I think.

Thanks so much to Brooks for answering some questions for us! Your new book sounds great – I can’t wait to read it!

My Seventh-Grade Life in Tights by Brooks Benjamin – Book Review

​Buenos Dias from sunny Progreso, Mexico, folks!

As part of my amazing job, I get the pleasure and privilege of selecting middle grade & young adult books to be featured at the Louisiana Book Festival every year. This past January,  while researching recently published and upcoming books for the 2016 LBF, I ran across a book called My Seventh Grade Life in Tights by Brooks Benjamin. Intrigued by the description, I added it to my list of books to check out.

A wonderful, moving story about being true to yourself, My Seventh Grade Life in Tights is about a boy named Dillon who is part of a dance crew called the Dizzee Freeks.  Unlike his two friends in his crew who have been classically trained in dance, Dilion has had no formal training. His dance style is what’s known among his friends as ‘ninja freestyle’, featuring a series of kicks and punches. (I can’t help but imagine he looks a bit like he’s having a seizure when he dances.)  Dillon is desperate to learn how to ‘properly’ dance so he discovers an opportunity to earn a scholarship to a prestigious dance academy. There’s just one small hitch – dance studios are for sell-outs, at least, according to the rest of his crew.  

Through an ingenious plan (cause you know those always work), Dillon’s crew hatches a plan for Dillon to try out for the scholarship, win, then tell the studio to stick their scholarship where the sun doesn’t shine.

Well you know that’s going to go off without a hitch, right? 😉

Very well-written and perfectly paced, My Seventh Grade Life in Tights  is an encouraging story about ‘finding the moves that fit’.  With a diverse set of characters (yay for diversity!), all with their own struggles and issues, this book will dance its way into the hearts of both kids and adults alike.

Final rating: 5 Sporks

PS: Stay tuned for another author interview!

Author Interview – Jeff Zentner

In celebration of Jeff Zentner’s upcoming book Goodbye Days getting its first major review (and a starred one at that – as if there was any doubt!) we have a special treat – Jeff has agreed to answer a few questions for us!