April Teen Book Club Recap - NOBODY'S PRINCESS

Hey YAs, the TBC met on Tuesday to discuss Nobody's Princess by Esther Friesner.  Here are the discussion questions we used~

1.  What did you think of the book in general?
2.  Did you have a favorite character? (Besides Helen of course)
3.  How was Helen's relationship with her sister?
4.  How was Helen's relationship with her brothers?  How was it different from her relationship with her sister?
5.  Why is it important for Helen to understand herself as 'the pretty one' or the 'future queen?'  Why is seeing herself in the mirror important to her?
6.  Why did Helen want to train to fight?
7.  How important is religion & mythology in their lives?  Why does the King dislike Athena?
8.  Did you have a favorite scene in the book?
9.  What did you think of the writing style?
10.  Ratings and final thoughts!

Here are our ratings~

Clare - 7.5/10 - Would be a great summer read since the writing flows easily.
Melanie - 7/10 - It made me enjoy Greek mythology and it was one of the better YA books I've read recently.
MissG - 7.5/10 - An interesting and unique historical fiction that caught my attention right away and kept it throughout the book.

If you liked Nobody's Princess then you may enjoy:

Nobody's Prize by Esther Friesner - Still longing for adventure, Princess Helen of Sparta maintains her disguise as a boy to join her unsuspecting brothers as part of the crew of the Argo, the ship commanded by Prince Jason in his quest for the Golden Fleece.

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter -  Eden, Michigan, high school student Kate Winters strikes a bargain with Henry, Greek god of the underworld, if he'll cure her dying mother of cancer. The bargain she strikes with him is a grim one, but the full enormity of what she has undertaken--"live forever or die trying"--is not revealed until it's too late to recant.

Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs - When her mother suddenly decides to marry a near-stranger, Phoebe, whose passion is running, soon finds herself living on a remote Greek island, completing her senior year at an ancient high school where the students and teachers are all descended from gods or goddesses.

Radiant Darkness by Emily Whitman - Persephone runs off to the Underworld with Hades, with whom she has fallen in love, but when her mother Demeter threatens to destroy the earth to save her, Persephone finds a way to come back once a year, bringing spring.

For the month of May we are reading:

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

In a world where dragons and humans coexist in an uneasy truce and dragons can assume human form, Seraphina, whose mother died giving birth to her, grapples with her own identity amid magical secrets and royal scandals, while she struggles to accept and develop her extraordinary musical talents.

Copies of the book are available at the front desk.

Discussion & snack on Tues., May 28th 6:30-7:30pm

New Books for May (part 4)

The 39 Deaths of Adam Strand by Gregory Galloway

A bored, self-absorbed teenager commits suicide and later wakes up alive, physically unharmed--thirty-nine times.

Rise by Anna Carey

In the stunning conclusion to Anna Carey's thrilling dystopian trilogy, Eve has the fate of The New America in her hands.

The Goddess Inheritance by Aimee Carter

Kate finds herself faced with the choice of saving her unborn child along with all of humanity but losing Henry and her mother.

This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith

Perfect strangers Graham Larkin and Ellie O'Neill meet online when Graham accidentally sends Ellie an e-mail about his pet pig, Wilbur. The two 17-year-olds strike up an e-mail relationship from opposite sides of the country and don't even know each other's first names. What's more, Ellie doesn't know Graham is a famous actor, and Graham doesn't know about the big secret in Ellie's family tree. When the relationship goes from online to in-person, they find out whether their relationship can be the real thing.

NO BOOKS FOR APRIL (part 2)

Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter

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About to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, the immortal Kate Winters must save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person who is the greatest threat to her future: Henry's first wife, Persephone.

 Double by Jenny Valentine

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When sixteen-year-old Chap is mistaken for a missing boy, he leaves the home where he has been living temporarily and takes on this new identity, not knowing that it is as dangerous and uncertain as the life he has left behind.

 Allegiance by Cayla Kluver

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An eighteen-year-old queen in love with the enemy as their countries pass the point of no return... Bound to a man she cannot love, Queen Alera of Hytanica must forget Narian, the young man who holds her heart. For Narian is destined to conquer Hytanica at the behest of his master, the powerful magic-user known as the Overlord. Alera doesn't truly believe Narian will fight against Hytanica-until Cokyrian troops attack with Narian commanding the charge. Faced with the greatest betrayal a heart can know, Alera must set aside personal feelings and lead her kingdom through its darkest time. And when all hope, will and courage seem lost, she must find strength and remember that even the blackest night must have a dawn....

 Amplified by Tara Kelly

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When privileged seventeen-year-old Jasmine Kiss gets kicked out of her house by her father, she takes what is left of her meager savings and flees to Santa Cruz, California, to pursue her dream of becoming a rock musician.

 The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer Smith

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Hadley and Oliver fall in love on the flight from New York to London, but after a cinematic kiss they lose track of each other at the airport until fate brings them back together on a very momentous day.

November's New Books (Part 1)

Welcome to another monthly installment of NEW BOOKS!  Here are the 2 dozen or so new books you can expect to see on the shelf  by the end of the week of so (I know, I'm a little early this month, but I was worried I would be so busy with Zombie Prom that they would end up going out late if I put it off)  Anyhoo, on to the books!

 

Cleopatra Confesses by Carolyn Meyer

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Princess Cleopatra, the third (and favorite) daughter of King Ptolemy XII, comes of age in ancient Egypt, accumulating power and discovering love.

 

How to Make Friendship Bracelets by Veronique Follet

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Here it is...everything you wanted to know about making friendship bracelets.  Learn basic knots and 22 different designs!

 Drawing from Memory by Allen Say

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Allen Say's own story of his path to becoming the renowned artist he is today. Shunned by his father, who didn't understand his son's artistic leanings, Allen was embraced by Noro Shinpei, Japan's leading cartoonist and the man he came to love as his "spiritual father." As WWII raged, Allen was further inspired to consider questions of his own heritage and the motivations of those around him. He worked hard in rigorous drawing classes, studied, trained--and ultimately came to understand who he really is. Part memoir, part graphic novel, part narrative history, Drawing From Memory presents a complex look at the real-life relationship between a mentor and his student. With watercolor paintings, original cartoons, vintage photographs, and maps, Allen Say has created a book that will inspire the artist in all of us.

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

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Demigod Percy Jackson, still with no memory, and his new friends from Camp Jupiter, Hazel and Frank, go on a quest to free Death, but their bigger task is to unite the Greek and Roman camps so that the Prophecy of Seven can be fulfilled.

 

New Books 7-26-11 ~Part 3~

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

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In the months after her sister dies, seventeen-year-old Lennie falls into a love triangle and discovers the strength to follow her dream of becoming a musician.

 Want to go Private? by Sarah Darer Littman

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Abby and Luke chat online. They've never met. But they are going to. Soon.
Abby is starting high school--it should be exciting, so why doesn't she care? Everyone tells her to "make an effort," but why can't she just be herself? Abby quickly feels like she's losing a grip on her once-happy life. The only thing she cares about anymore is talking to Luke, a guy she met online, who understands. It feels dangerous and yet good to chat with Luke--he is her secret, and she's his. Then Luke asks her to meet him, and she does. But Luke isn't who he says he is. When Abby goes missing, everyone is left to put together the pieces. If they don't, they'll never see Abby again.

Stickman Odyssey: An Epic Doodle by Christopher Ford
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When Zozimos is banished by an evil witch (his stepmother!) from the kingdom of Sticatha-the kingdom he was next in line to rule-he trains at battle (if you call chasing after butterflies training), travels across stormy seas (thanks for that, Poseidon), slays golems and monsters (with a lot of help), charms beautiful women (not really), and somehow (despite his own ineptitude) survives quest after quest. By the love of Zeus, though, none of it brings him any closer to home!

 Bad Island by Doug TenNapel
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When Reese is forces to go on a boating trip with his family, the last thing he expects is to be shipwrecked on an island - especially one swarming with weird plants and animals.  What starts out as a bad vacation turns into a frantic adventure, as the castaways must find a way to escape while dodging the island's lethal inhabitants.  With few resources, and a mysterious entity on the hunt, each secret unlocked could save them...or spell their doom!
One thing Reese knows for sure: THIS IS ONE BAD ISLAND!

The Babysitter Murders by Janet Ruth Young
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Imaginative Massachusetts seventeen-year-old Dani Solomon confesses she has been troubled by thoughts of harming Alex, the little boy she loves to babysit, triggering gossip and a media frenzy that makes "Dani Death" the target of an extremist vigilante group.

 Stir it Up! by Ramin Ganeshram
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Thirteen-year-old Anjali's life is rich with the smell of curry from her parents' roti shop and an absolute passion for food. More than anything, Anjali wants to be a chef who competes on a kids' cooking reality TV show. But Anjali must keep her wish a secret from her family, who thinks Anjali's passions are beneath her. Thank goodness for Deema, Anjali's grandmother, whose insight and love can push past even the oldest family beliefs. Woven with recipes that cook up emotions and actual culinary recipes that make food, this novel is as delicious as it is satisfying.