Book Nerds Across America

Book Summary 
Nico, Opal, Tyler, Emma, and Logan survived their worst fears come to life, and saved their tiny Pacific Northwest town of Timbers from a monstrous figment invasion. Now they just want to keep their heads down, enjoy Halloween, and explore the secrets of their mysterious houseboat clubhouse. And also figure out their new Torchbearer responsibilities as keepers of the Darkdeep, an ancient whirlpool hidden in Still Cove that can make both dreams and nightmares into reality.

But when a dangerous new breed of figments starts appearing on their own, and the very environment around them begins to spiral out of control, the friends realize they have no idea what they are doing-or how they're supposed to restrain the Darkdeep. They must uncover the pool's origins, as well as those of the freaky Thing in a Jar, a seemingly lifeless green creature Opal believes is communicating with her. To make matters worse, a trashy YouTube series has rolled into town intent on finding the Beast, the legendary local sea monster suddenly stirring up the countryside.

As threats rapidly close in around them, the friends must fight to protect their secrets, defeat new enemies, and save Timbers and all that they love.

Told from alternating points of view, this chilling sequel from bestselling duo Ally Condie and Brendan Reichs will once again have readers sleeping with the lights on.

Flo's Review
Y'all. If you thought The Darkdeep was craaazay (aka "good crazy") then get ready for The Beast! This book takes everything literally to a whole new level. Like I was fully not expecting to go all the places this story went. I was sitting there reading it and just when I thought things couldn't get any more insane -- they totally did!

There was so much going on here, what with the Beast, the figments, Freakshow, and the gang trying to solve another mystery. It all ended up connecting of course, but daaaang. I am super impressed with the creativity of Ally and Brendan and this world they've created. This group of friends is pretty great, too. They have each other's backs 100%, always remembering their oath, "We look out for the Darkdeep, and we look out for each other." I was especially touched by some of their little actions, which actually weren't so little. Like Tyler's badass moment toward the end. And Nico subtlely cutting Logan some slack at one point.

Like with the last novel, this one ended with a little hint about what's to come. I, of course, can't imagine what that is. But based on the teaser, I fully believe it's going to get even craaaazier than this one. I cannot wait!

In the meantime, The Beast publishes Tuesday, September 24th. This is a fun series so far (although I will never look at Care Bears the same way, thank you very much, Brendan and Ally!!) and I recommend you give it a try if you're in the mood for a super creative adventure.

Book Summary
When a bullying incident sends twelve-year-old Nico Holland over the edge of a cliff into the icy waters of Still Cove, where no one ever goes, friends Tyler and Ella - and even 'cool kid' Opal -rush to his rescue... only to discover an island hidden in the swirling mists below.

Shrouded by dense trees and murky tides, the island appears uninhabited, although the kids can't quite shake the feeling that something about it is off. Their suspicions grow when they stumble upon an abandoned houseboat with an array of curiosities inside: odd-looking weapons, unnerving portraits, maps to places they've never heard of, and a glass jar containing something completely unidentifiable.

As the group delves deeper into the unknown, their discoveries - and their lives -begin to intertwine in weird and creepy ways. Something ancient has awakened... and it knows their wishes and dreams - and their darkest, most terrible secrets. Do they have what it takes to face the shadowy things that lurk within their own hearts?

Flo's Review
First of all, I have to let you know in full disclosure -- I'm kind of obsessed with Ally Condie. Did you know that there used to a fansite for the Matched trilogy? That's right. Guess who was the main writer? This girl. Wanna hear about Atlantia? Here's the review I wrote for Fangirlish. Anyway, I love Ally.

So when I read about this middle grade story she was co-authoring with Brendan Reichs, I immediately wanted it. First the cover: it's cute and creepy at the same time! Yes, a contrasting combination, but it somehow manages to pull it off, what with the 4 kids in the rowboat (aww!) heading toward a big, dark scary thing (eek!)

What a creative story! I don't want to give away details, but so many elements are so unique and quirky. I can definitely see a kid exclaiming, "Cool!" as he experiences some of the supernatural things in the story. But there's also so much more to the Darkdeep than I think we learned in this first book. I was impressed and intrigued with the back story and I am so curious to learn more about its history. 

The Darkdeep also does so well with character relationships and development. Everyone has that super enthusiastic friend like Emma. Tyler's comments made me laugh at several points in the story, because, dude, Tyler is me! He reacted to the Darkdeep probably how I would react. But he will drop everything for Emma and that is just adorable and I love it. I also thought the relationship between Opal and Nico was well done, especially for a middle grade novel. It's true to the age group, but there's definitely more to it that I hope will be uncovered in future Darkdeep novels. I can't say too much about Logan's character arc and remain spoiler-free, but I appreciate his journey and contribution.

The Darkdeep publishes on October 2, and if you're looking for a creative, easy-to-read middle grade novel, I'd recommend you check this out. But I have to know....what's the thing in the jar??!?

So, I have been noticing a bad rut that I've gotten myself into. As you all know, a lot of great books come in 3s these days. Trilogies are the way to go, and I love them -- I do. But what I've noticed lately is that I will read the first book and most often love it. I'll read the second book and I'll either love it or I'll think it got the Middle Book Syndrome. (I can expand on this point, if you'd like to know more of my thoughts here -- just ask :) Then I'll have to wait the year for the final book to come out. And by that point, I've already been wowed by a shiny new trilogy. And while I may have absolutely loved the first two books, for some reason, I never make it to reading the third.

So, with all of YOU as my witness, my 2013 Book Goal is to conquer the Challenge of 3. Below are a list of  trilogies in which I have read the first two books, but not the third. Honestly, this list is kind of embarrassing. I know for a fact that I'm going to get called out for not having read some of these yet. But I will endure that, because I need the motivation to make time to get them read! So, without further adieu, here are my books on the Challenge of 3:

Boundless by Cynthia Hand
Requiem by Lauren Oliver
Reached by Ally Condie
Shades of Earth by Beth Revis
Shine by Jeri Smith-Ready
The Goddess Inheritance by Aimee Carter
Sever by Lauren DeStefano

So, my vow is to have all of these trilogy conclusions read by the end of the year. I'll be hashtagging it over on our Twitter #Challengeof3. Do you have any trilogy conclusions that you haven't read yet? Let me know in the comments if you're up for the challenge and/or tweet us @booknerdsblog with the hashtag #Challengeof3.

For those of you who don't know, I am a HUGE Matched trilogy fan. So much so that I am actually on staff at a fansite for the series: The Matched Department. So when I found out that my favorite local bookstore Books and Books was hosting her as part of her tour for Reached -- the last book in the Matched trilogy that was released this month -- I was SUPER EXCITED.

Ally did not disappoint! She talked for a few minutes about the question she gets the most often: "Where did you get the idea for Matched?" and then she opened up the floor to questions. There were a lot of good questions asked, and I walked away feeling like I knew much more about Ally as a person. (To see what some of the questions were, check out my post over at The Matched Department.)

Book signing, pictures and swag ended the evening! I got the chance to catch up with Isalys and Vanessa from Book Soulmates while we were in line, so that was an added bonus. (Also, the fact that I wasn't driving through a tropical storm was a bonus.)

I really felt like I got to know Ally much more through the questions that she answered and also through talking with her one-on-one at the end. She is every bit as sweet as I thought she was, and that is just a really great thing to discover about someone.


It's nifty trilogy buttons! You want? Comment on this post and I'll randomly select someone to send them to.

Note: Spoilers for Matched ahead. Proceed with caution if you have not read Matched.

In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky - taken by the Society to his certain death - only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake. Cassia's quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander - who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia's heart - change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever. (from Goodreads)



Oh Ally Condie, how you play with my heart! I loved learning more about both boys. I loved that the reader got to see more that happened in Matched. I enjoyed the new characters. I loved seeing the bigger picture become clearer to Cassia and its relation to the 3 main characters. And I was absolutely not expecting that ending!!!  

~Flo~ 

Note: I am also on staff at a fansite for the Matched trilogy, The Matched Department: thematcheddepartment.com. Check it out!