Sold by Patricia McCormick

The thirteen year old Lakshmi lives with her mom and stepfather in a small rural village on a hill in Nepal. The family is poor, and after a very bad monsoon her father tells her mother that they have to send Lakshmi away to the city so she can work as a maid for rich people and send money back to home.
They go the the little village shop where she is sold to a woman who brings her to the city. After a few days long journey by foot and bus, she is given to 'Uncle Husband' who brings her into India.There she is brought to the Happines House. Lakshmi has no clue what she has to do for work. She has to take her village clothes of and change into a bright colored long dress and nice shoes. And she gets make up on. She is brought to a little room where she is told she can't escape and she has 20.000 rupee in debt, and she has to work to pay her debt of.
The next night she discovers more about Happines House and the work she has to do. And she is horrified after the next night when she finds out that Happines House is a brothel.Can she escape from out of this horrible place?
The story of Lakshmi is told in short chapters wich last long as one page. In simple words we discover more about her life with simple hints and details. The way the author tells the story is very different and original and it keeps you reading to find out how it ends. It is so horrible that the story of Lakshmi is realistic and that young girls of this age are sold and forced into prostitution by their parents, who think their daughter is working as a maid in the city.Hopefully for all the girls in the world who are living the same kind of life as Lakshmi, they get the same rescue as her at the end of the book. Altough it was a very sad story I enjoyed to read it because I think it's important that there are books about this topic.The author interviewed young women like Lakshmi for this book Recommended read!

Red Glass by Laura Resau

One night Sopie's stepdad gets a call. A little 6 year old boy had been found in the desert, after his family tried to cross the Mexican-American border. The crossing did not went well and the family died because dehydration and the harsh desert. They visit the little boy (whose name is Pablo) in the hospital and they take him into the family. The family exists of Sophie, her mom, Juan (her mom's new husband) and Dika, Sophie's aunt who survived the war in Bosnia.
Dika gets a new boyfriend, Mr. Lorenzo, and Sophie becomes friends with his son Angel.
They tried to locate family of Pablo, and they find them. They make a plan to go to Mexico to Pablo's village. Angels has a mysterious box he carries with him, and it keeps things of his passed away mother. Angel and Mr. Lorenzo are from Guatemala, and when Sophie and Dika stays in Mexico with Pablo's family, Angel and Mr. Lorenzo travel to Guatemala to find some things out about his mother. Sophie finds a new way of living and learns more about herself, and she has to make tough choices when she has to travel to Guatemala alone when she finds out Angel has been attacked and his in the hospital..but will she arrive there savely?
Red Glass is an outstanding and amazing Ya novel 'between cultures'' by Laura Resau.
There aren't many books that get to you so much as a reader, because the characters and situations are so amazing realistic. It is also a story of a girl who is plagued by anxiety, and learns more about herself and becomes a though girl during her time in Mexico and Guatemala, where she gets unexpected help from strangers who are the most welcoming people she meets. The author really knows what she writes about as she has lived in Mexico, and the reader learns in a fun way more about the culture.Red Glass takes you on a adventurous travel with the characters crisscross through Central America and it is a book you want to read over again many times!

Secret Society by Tom Dolby

Four New York teens, Nick, Patch, Lauren and Phoebe are students at Cartridge school, a school for the more privileged kids. They al receive mysterious text messages to appear at a night at a certain location on Gansevoort Street. That evening they all are initiated into 'The Society'' where they all get an ankh tattooed on the back of their necks. All four students have goals they want to reach, one wants to be a filmmaker, one wants to become an intern at a fashion designer..and it seems they get all that they want, because of the network of the secret society. But they didn't asked to be initiated and he backside of the society becomes clear and it seems the four teens are watched in everything they do. When two guys who are friends with the four suddenly dissapear and a body is found in Central Parkthe teens want to know more about the society wich they never can get out of, but will they discover the secret?
The Secret Society is a book that fans of the Gossip Girl series and fans of Another faust certainly will love. You can ask yourself if Secret Society is a new original piece of YA. I personally think it isn't. The story leaps to much from character to character and misses a point that really gets you as a reader. An enjoyable read for if you want more of the Gossip Girl stuff en mysterious societys and whealthy teens, not if you want something new.

Spirit of Mexico

Yesterday I went to an amazing show, called Spirit of Mexico. Its not often that we can see Mexican dance and music performances in the Netherlands, so I was very excited and happy that I have won tickets saturday.
The show is just in one word:AMAZING! The music and dances where just excellent! The show really cheers you up! Here a little video impression, it was not all in the show I saw yesterday, but the group, Ballet Folclorico Nacional de Mexico is the same!

I can only say, if this show performs in your region(they are touring in the netherlands now), go for it!

Girl Overboard by Justina Chen Headley

Syrah Cheng is the daughter of the billionaires Ethan and Betty Cheng. She used to be a snowboarder, but after an accident that destroyed her knee, she isn't allowed to snowboard anymore by her parents. And if that isn't enough, her boyfriend Jared dumped her the same time because he discovered that Syrah wasn't the golden ticket to paradise he thought she was (because of her whealthy parents). Her haflbrothers and halfsister ignore her mostly, because they think Syrah is not a 'real' Cheng family member. Her strict mother has clear rules about almost everything, especially on appearrance. And Bao-Mu, Syrah's nanny is leaving the family suddenly. Syrah is tired of her keeping up appearances family, and misses Bao-Mu, the only one who really cared about her, it seems. But then she gets the chance to help the family of her friend, who has a seriously ill little sister who needs a bone transplant. Syrah's dream to realise a big snowboarding event to raise money, attention and awareness for this cause is born!
And then she discovers the past of her mother, and with that she meets family she has never met, and that there are people who really care about her, no matter how whealthy her family might be, just because she is Syrah.
I have heard many great things about the books of Justina Chen, and I really wanted to read Girl Overboard for a long while. And it was worth waiting. This book was just amazingly good.
The story has so many layers, it is sporty, cultural, funny, serious, and it has positivism written between the lines.
Isn't this all a good YA novel has to have in it? Girl Overboard has it all. Don't look further for a ya book, just pick Girl Overboard. And stay tuned for my reviews of the other two books by Justina Chen, wich I am sure I am going to read soon..

Win an ARC and T-shirt of The Naughty List by Suzanne Young

You can win an signed ARC and a babydoll T-shirt of the Naughty List, a book by YA author Suzanne Young, that will be launched the 4th of februari 2010 how cool is that!
How to enter? Go to Suzanne's official blog by clicking here for all the details, good luck!!
Isn't the cover of The Naughty List just way cool?? PINK! High on my want-to-read-and-review list!

Mediator book 5: Grave Doubts byMeg Cabot

Susanna Simon, a girl who is a mediator and helps the undead to 'move on' gets a new ghostly case in this fifth book of the series. The brother of the little boy she babysitted during the summer at the Carmel Beach Club and who almost exorcised her and Jesse, is at the same school as her now. And he seems to follow Suze everywhere, and it even leads to a not unpleasant kiss. But what does Suze feel for Jesse, the ghost in her bedroom who is her true best friend?And her brother has a friend who is haunted by his drowned brother. Rivalry between Paul and Jesse and the drowned guy and his brother are leading to some very spooky and serious threads for Suze and she has to use all her mediator powers to solve them..
This fifth book in the Mediator series by Meg Cabot is a nice and easy in-between book. A fast read (I finished it in a day) that will lead to the final book in the series, book 6. I must honestly say that I think it is not the strongest book in the serie. Some parts really left me unclear in some details. But somehow it was entertaining.

Leading Ladies by Marlee Matlin and Doug Cooney

Megan, a girl in fourth grade, has practiced in the summer for the part of Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, a musical that her class is going to stage. Megan is deaf, so she will do her audition in sign language, with help from her family's newly adopted dog Solo, who gets the part of Toto.Megan's best friend from summer camp, Lizzie, has moved to the same town and school as Megan. At the day of the audition for The Wizard, Megan is shocked to see that Lizzie performs the same songs as she has prepared for, now she will look like a total copycat and will not get the part of Dorothy! What to do? Audition stress, a new dog in the house, ( who gets missing just before the performance) friends and cheese french fries. It al comes together in this very cute and entertaining middle grade novel by Academy and Golden Globe Award winner Marlee Matlin (for her role in Children of a lesser God)and co author Doug Cooney. Real fun for young readers with Leading Ladies!

Interview with author Tom Dolby

Tom Dolby is the author of the novels The Sixth Form, The Trouble Boy, and the Secret Society series, including the novel Secret Society and its upcoming sequel. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Village Voice, and the San Francisco Chronicle. Tom was born in London and raised in San Francisco. Tom is a graduate of the Hotchkiss School and Yale University, where he received his BA in the history of art. He currently divides his time between Manhattan’s West Village and Wainscott, New York, where he is working on the next book in the Secret Society series, as well as a novel for adults.

First, can you tell me and the readers something about yourself and about your book?
Secret Society is my third novel, though it's my first one aimed at young adult readers. It's a mystery about a group of teens who get inducted into a secret cult that is headquartered on the Upper East Side.
　
When did you start writing? I started when I was 17 years old.

What do you like most about writing for young adults?
I've found this genre to be very freeing in terms of plot -- knowing that I have a sequel in the wings allows me to spin out some plot threads over several books.
　
If you could be a character from your books for one day, who would it be?
I think it would be fun to be Patch for a day. He always knows all the angles on everything.
　
Since you are a YA writer can you tell us what you were like as a teen? Does that influence your characters? How?
It definitely does! I was somewhat shy and withdrawn, though I became more confident as I entered my late teens. I think I know what it's like to have a constant inner monologue running, which a number of my characters have.
　
What where your favorite books as a young adult?
I read mostly adult fiction, actually -- I read Tom Wolfe, Pat Conroy, Dominick Dunne. A lot of popular escapist fiction.
　
Where do you get inspiration for your books and characters?
From just about everywhere -- everything from things I read to people I see on the street.
　
What's your favorite and least favorite part of being a writer?
I love how much freedom it gives me, but that also comes with the responsibility of being self-motivated. That can be hard.
　
Do you have a dream for the future of your writing, something you'd love to accomplish?I think, like most writers, I'm always seeking a healthy balance between my work and the rest of my life. Someday I will achieve it!

You can visit Tom Dolby's website here I received a copy of Secret Society yesterday, the book is absolutely gorgeous! Secrets, secrets are no fun. Secrets, secrets hurt someone. . . .
An eccentric new girl. A brooding socialite. The scion of one of New York's wealthiest families. A promising filmmaker. As students at the exclusive Chadwick School, Phoebe, Lauren, Nick, and Patch already live in a world most teenagers only dream about.
They didn't ask to be Society members. But when three of them receive a mysterious text message promising success and fame beyond belief, they say yes to everything—even to the harrowing initiation ceremony in a gritty warehouse downtown and to the ankh-shaped tattoo they're forced to get on the nape of their necks. Once they're part of the Society, things begin falling into place for them. Week after week, their ambitions are fulfilled. It's all perfect—until a body is found in Central Park with no distinguishing marks except for an ankh-shaped tattoo. Tom Dolby makes his teen fiction debut with this riveting novel about a dangerous society so secret that once you get in, you can never get out.

Another Faust Writing Contest

Spread the word about this amazing writing contest from Daniel and Dina Nayeri, the authors of the new YA novel Another Faust.
Hi everyone. Dina and I are about to kick off a month-long tour for our book, Another Faust, and we want to do it by announcing a contest! We are looking for the most promising writers out there (that’s YOU). And then we want to showcase their work, so that all of the Internet can bask in their awesome writing might (and, you know, give them prizes).
HERE’S HOW IT GOES.
We want you to write your own short story, re-imagining of the Faustian Bargain. (For inspiration, check out Bedazzled, Simpsons “Tree House of Horrors IV,” and The Little Mermaid). It can be about anything you like (but let’s keep it PG-13, and under 3,000 words), and it’s open to everyone.

All you have to do is send your entry to dviergutz@gmail.com before January 31.
Rules and details can be found here
Make sure to read them so you don’t get DQed

And the winner gets all kinds of sweetness:
A signed copy of Another Faust
A handwritten deleted scene
A featured article & interview on our site
An author’s galley of the sequel Another Pan

Though we’ll feature the top five on our site for comments, the judging WON’T happen by popular vote (so basically, we don't care which contestant has the most friends). Dina and I will personally read them.

So, spread the word! Tweet, retweet, forward, thread, spread, embed this post.

Good luck!
D&D
You might also like to read: Interview with Dina Nayeri
Blog post about Dina's author reading at ABC The Hague