V is for Villain by Peter Moore

Superhero high school isn’t really all that great if your super power is simply being really smart, or so it seems to Brad Baron, kid brother of one of the most powerful superheroes around. In a world where the government and corporations back superheroes and teams who fight mutant villains called Phaetons, Brad is living in his brother and deceased father’s shadows. While it seems like his life takes a turn for the worst after he’s stuck in the school’s equivalent of a “loser” program, it actually becomes possibly the best thing that ever happened to him. Because if you can’t be a hero, maybe you should think about being a villain?  V is for Villain is a fun twist on the whole hero/villain theme. There’s a lot of humor balancing out the more serious parts of the boot, the characters are pretty memorable, and the main character has an awesome voice/tone. There are a couple twists toward the end of the book, and while one is quite predictable, the other is very interesting and adds new depth to the main character. Overall, it’s a good read if you’re into the super-powered people scene. Thank you, NetGalley and Disney Book Group, for giving me access to this galley!

Talker 25 by Joshua McCune

Melissa Callahan lives in a world where people live in fear of dragons. While some of them, like Blues, are relatively peaceful-seeming, others, like Greens, don't mind burning up and eating a few humans on occasion. The government has used the dragon threat to put in place a system akin to martial law. It's rough world to grow up in, where black is the most prevalent color and dragon sympathizers are despised. Melissa Callahan, who lost a mother to dragons, isn't exactly happy with the world in general, but she survives. When a rogue trip to the local dragon reservation later ruins her life, Melissa is dismayed to be tossed into life as a rebel dragonrider and discovers she has a special ability that the government wants to possess. Things do not improve for Melissa, and she faces trial after trial, eventually ending up in a frozen government prison/torture facility, along with her favorite dragon and the boy that she has feelings for. 

With a choppy storyline, dull characters and too many tragic events, Talker 25 was a tough read. The plot is very rushed and many parts of the story are left unexplained. The romance between the protagonist and her love interest is forced and contrived, and there isn't much actual attraction between the two of them. Out of the whole cast of characters, I loved the dragons the most, especially the silver dragon baby. She's precious, and the other dragons are quite wonderful. Unfortunately, there is a great many scenes of graphic, lengthy dragon torturing and killing; it was gratuitous enough to make me wonder if maybe it should be labeled as an adult book instead of a YA novel. Overall, I would say that while this book has some merits, the violence and lack of answers are severe marks against it. Thank you, Edelweiss and Greenwillow / HarperCollins for letting me access this digital review copy.

Chris P. Bacon: My Life So Far... by Len Lucero and Kristina Tracy; illustrated by Penny Weber | Not YA

This book is precious, and so is Chris P. Bacon! Chris P. Bacon's back legs did not work, but when Dr. Len gave him a set of wheels of his very own, Chris became an Internet star thanks to his bravery and peppy attitude. Told in bright, happy illustrations as well as a few real life photos, Chris' story is heartwarming and cute. I especially like that they included quite a few actual pictures at the end of the book. It's a message about remaining positive even when you face difficult trials, and it is told from Chris' point of view, which most kids will probably immensely enjoy. It's an inspirational tale and after reading it with a child, you could go online and watch videos of Chris or look up more pictures of this awesome little pig.

Dream Animals by Emily Winfield Martin | Not YA

This is a really sweet little book! In the story, animals let children ride them off into wonderful dreams where they get to do all sorts of lovely, fun fantasy things. In real life, the animals are usually a nightlight or a stuffed animal or a figure on a mobile; they always appear with the picture of the sleeping child as a real-life object. The illustrations are gentle and soft and whimsical, perfect for easing a kid into sleep. The muted colors help accent the idea that it's bedtime and things are calming down. The illustrations also indicate that if a kid goes to bed, he or she gets to go on some really awesome adventures, some of which include having tea with mermaids and landing on the moon to paint the stars. It's a fantastic, gentle book that would be great in a bedtime/nap time collection.

Friends by Eric Carle | Not YA

Done in Eric Carle's hand-painted tissue-paper collage style, Friends is a cute story about a boy's quest to find his best friend. It seems to be have been inspired by a real-life event in Carle's life where he moved away from a friend when he was little and never saw her again. In the story, however, the little boy does find his friend after a long journey through rain, over a mountain and across a river, among other things. The collage illustrations are bright and heavily textured, evoking movement even in their static statement. This would be a good book to consider reading to a child who has a friend moving away or who is upset about a friend leaving. It will probably be most enjoyable for preschool and early elementary aged children.

700 Books Resolution

Okay, so it's a brand new year and therefore it's time for a brand new reading goal for the year. This year, I'm going to read 700 books. Which is sort of insanity, but I want to give it a try. I'm going to count basically any book-type thing I read, from picture books all the way up to big ol' nonfiction books, so I thiiiink I can manage. I'm at least going to give it a whirl. If I post any non-YA book reviews here, I'll label it as NOT YA.