Before I tell you all about my recent read, I want to share some exciting news! Every year, TBF has a fundraising goal and a challenge. This year's fundraising goal of $10,000. If readers met this goal, the TBF Committee will have to dye their hair and a certain committee member will get her hair shaved by our very own Terry Trueman. I am thrilled to announce that we have met our fundraising goal! We raised $10,546. Hooray! Thank you so much to everyone who donated!
Now back to the book review. I recently read THE LIVING by Matt de la Pena and it was
amazing. Take a look:
Shy took the summer
job to make some money. In a few months on a luxury cruise liner, he'll rake in
the tips and be able to help his mom and sister out with the bills. And how bad
can it be? Bikinis, free food, maybe even a girl or two—every cruise has
different passengers, after all.
The earthquake is only
the first disaster. Suddenly it's a fight to survive for those left living.
On a scale of one to ten, how terrified am I to go on a
cruise after reading THE LIVING: a ten.
Matt de la Pena’s fifth young adult book (six books total if
you count his new children’s book LAST STOP ON MARKET STREET) grabbed my
attention from chapter one. It’s fast-paced and one heck of a thriller. Things
get rocky for our main character, Shy, after he witnessed a passenger jump off
the ship and shortly after the incident, a strange man follows Shy wanting to
know more about the suicide. When the captain of the cruise announces there’s a
minor storm approaching, the “minor storm” turns into the first big disaster.
Oh, and there’s more disasters throughout the book that makes the first one
look like a baby.
When I like about this book is the constant presence of
fear. Shy is fearful of several things at different times in the book. He’s
fearful of the mysterious man stalking him, this epidemic disease that is
invading his hometown, the “minor” storm threatening the cruise and ultimately
surviving to see the next day. The fear and the small details that play a key
part in the end will keep you on your toes when you read THE LIVING.
I highly recommend this book for readers who like a
fast-paced thriller novel (although I would not recommend this book for readers
who are going on a cruise in the near future). And look out for the sequel, THE
HUNTED. It is released May 12th, just in time for TBF!
For more information on Matt and his books, check out his
website. Be sure to follow him on Twitter.
And share your excitement for TBF on Twitter and Facebook using
the official Greater Rochester Teen Book Festival hashtag: #ROCTBF2015
That’s it for today. Check out the blog again for more book
reviews, author interviews and more!
Miranda
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