August's Reads: Young Adult

So, August's genre was supposed to be Young Adult. And, though I don't read a lot of that particular genre, I did have several books planned for it. Unfortunately, I don't actually own all those books, and my library was not terribly helpful. Thus, I didn't end up reading all of them. My month became a little random as a result.

I did start the month with a young adult re-read, Prophet by R.J. Larson. It's the first title in her Books of the Infinite Series.

(From Christianbook.com)

Ela Roeh of Parne doesn't understand why her beloved Creator, the Infinite, wants her to become His prophet. She's undignified and bad-tempered, and at age seventeen she's much too young. In addition, no prophet of Parne has ever been a girl. Worst of all, as Parne's elders often warn, if she agrees to become the Infinite's prophet, Ela knows she will die young.

Yet she can't imagine living without Him. Determined to hear the Infinite's voice, Ela accepts the sacred vinewood branch and is sent to bring the Infinite's word to a nation torn apart by war. There she meets a young ambassador determined to bring his own justice for his oppressed people. As they form an unlikely partnership, Ela battles how to balance the leading of her heart with the leading of the Infinite.

It's been a long time since I read this one, but I remembered liking it. And it holds up! Ela Roeh and Kien Lantec, the two main characters of this story, are very compelling characters. Ela in particular draws you in immediately. The world and story are somewhat based on the Old Testament, but the fantasy setting takes on a life of its own that makes it feel unique. I've never gotten ahold of the next two books in the series, Judge and King, but this time I'm determined to. I look forward to finishing this series!

Next, I read Jupiter Storm by C.J. Darlington. This is the second book in her Jupiter Winds series, so, as to avoid spoilers, I'll give you the description for the first book instead. 

(From Barnes and Noble)

Ever since Grey Alexander’s parents disappeared five years ago, she’s had one goal—to keep herself and her younger sister Rin alive. But surviving in the North American Wildlife Preserve isn’t easy, especially for the unconnected who can be shot on sight by border patrol robot drones. Through the guidance of their eccentric old neighbor Mrs. March, Grey and Rin get through by smuggling contraband into the Mazdaar government’s city zones.

But when Grey is captured by the merciless General Evangeline Yurkutz and is forced to become bait for her mother and father, she questions everything she thought she knew about her life in the Preserve, her missing parents, and God. Is it possible Jupiter isn’t uninhabitable? And could this planet, whose sky swirls with orange vapors and where extinct-on-Earth creatures roam free, hold the key to reuniting her family?

I read Jupiter Winds a while ago, and for some reason, when I first tried to read Jupiter Storm, I couldn't get into it. This time around, I didn't have that problem. I found the setting really interesting - both the zones and Wildlife Preserve on Earth and the military settlement on Jupiter. The science fiction elements feel reasonably solid, the characters are interesting, and the plot is fast-paced and logical. This second book does feel a little more rushed. The end of Jupiter Storm also doesn't feel like it wraps everything up, so I don't know if it was meant to be the last book in the series or not. It came out in 2011, and there are no more books. So I don't know what to make of that. 

After that, I deviated back into Robin Jones Gunn books. None of these are technically young adult, but they are continuations of her Christy Miller Series, which is more specifically that genre. 

I bought and read, in succession, three Christy Miller books - Forever with You, Home of Our Hearts, and One More Wish. I really loved these books and highly recommend them. I also read Peculiar Treasures, the first book focusing on Christy's best friend, Katie Weldon. Katie is a very quirky, fun personality, and her story is equally compelling. I'm hoping to read the rest of her series soon. 

I then veered back into young adult by re-reading Inkheart by Cornelia Funke.

(From Cornelia's website)

After a nightly visit by the mysterious Dustfinger, bookbinder Mo and his daughter Meggie leave their home in a hurry, carrying with them a precious but dangerous book.

Meggie loves stories, but her book-binding father, Mo, hasn't read aloud to her since her mother mysteriously disappeared some years ago.

When a stranger who knows her father knocks at their door, Mo is forced to reveal an extraordinary secret – when he reads aloud, words come alive, and dangerous characters step out of the pages.

Suddenly, Meggie is living the kind of adventure she has only read about in books, but this one will change her life for ever.

Though this book is technically considered middle grade, I really have never thought that appropriate, since it's got a bid of mild language in it. Regardless, it's such a richly developed world, filled with compelling characters. I really appreciate the flaws in her characters; they don't always make good choices, but their choices always feel like the one that they would of course make. The plot is so interesting, and you can't help but keep reading. I'm currently partway through the second book of the series, Inkspell. Also, if you've never seen the movie with Brendan Fraser, I recommend it! As most movies do, it leaves out a lot. But I think it's a good rendering of the story, and it's very entertaining!

I finished the month with the final book of Linda Byler's Lancaster Burning Series,
The Witnesses. I've struggled a bit with this series, because, while it's been interesting enough for me to keep reading, the writing sometimes takes me out of the story. This third book was a decent ending to the series. But, while the barn fires that form the "suspense" portion of the "suspenseful romance" were never really the main focus of this series, they are nonetheless resolved really early on in this book and without a lot of fanfare. I don't know. I didn't dislike the book necessarily. It just didn't really excite me. 

So that was August. Not quite all on theme for the month, but I find that the farther into 2022 we go, the more books I have to read and series to finish. September is supposed to be Literary Fiction, which as far as I can tell just means books that don't quite fit into neat boxes. I have a bunch of books on hold at the library, so I will probably read those. And I'm going to try to read at least one book that fits the theme. What have you been reading lately? I'd love to hear about in the comments!