Going Bovine, by Libba Bray

Going Bovine
by Libba Bray
Delacorte Press, New York 2009


Cameron is drifting breezily through his sixteenth year with the help of pot and sarcasm. Then he loses control of his arm and throws a milkshake at a pretty and popular girl and accidentally punches her sister's large athletic boyfriend in the stomach. Meanwhile, he's seeing things that aren't really there - a feather with the word "hello" written on it, a punk girl with angel wings, fire engulfing his classroom... and then he finds out he's dying and things really get weird. 


Cameron's descent into the late stages of Mad Cow disease leads him on an adventure that may or may not be his reality. But what is reality, really? This strange and fast-paced book gave me weird dreams for days. 


Bottom Line:
Tenacious garden gnomes, fire monsters, a trip to the Big Easy and a cult of happy nit-whits. Loved it. 

I am Number 4, by Pittacus Lore

I am Number 4
by Pittacus Lore
Harper, New York 2010

I could go ahead and tell you what this book is about (John, an alien teenager hiding on earth waiting for his super powers to develop so he can fight against the alien race that destroyed his home planet). Instead I am just going to tell you that this book has everything (aliens, action, high school parties, haunted hayrides, thrills, first love, fire, beasts, home economics, a beagle, bullies...). Read this book. And read it soon, the movie is coming out in February, and book 2 (The Power of Six) will arrive  in June.

Bottom Line:
I am so excited to see where this series will go; read it.

Witch and Wizard by James Patterson

Witch and Wizard (Book #1)
by James Patterson
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, New York 2009


Total. Government. Control. That's the goal of the New Order and they've identified 15-year-old Wisty and her older brother Whit as public enemies number one and two. Why? They think the siblings possess powers that threaten the new government's goals. W & W think this is absolutely ridiculous until Wisty spontaneously catches on fire and burns two of the guards trying to arrest her. Torn from their family and thrown into a prison with sadistic guards, the teens slowly realize their powers and discover that they aren't the only ones in the under-20 crowd targeted by the New Order.


I was pulled into this book from the beginning. Patterson crafts an excellent villain, I especially enjoyed the nasty Matron. I am eager to read Witch and Wizard book 2, The Gift.


Bottom Line:
The New Order is the new Big Brother; such a fast read, borrow book 2 when you check out book 1; excellent bad guys