As You Wish by Jackson Pearce

I have wanted to read one of Jackson Pearce's books for some time. Between her vlog Watch Me Be and her Twitter feed, the hilarity and outrageousness that is Jackson Pearce the person convinced me that Jackson Pearce the author would be worth checking out. It has taken me four years to finally read one of her books and I honestly don't know what I was waiting for.

Let's just say it should have happened sooner and I hope you will learn from my mistakes that you should NOT put off reading Jackson Pearce for danger of missing out on one of the wittiest most entertaining YA writers to come along since Maureen Johnson and Libba Bray.

As You Wish seems typical on the surface (Ancient genie falls for mortal girl after being earthbound to bestow three wishes upon her) but like Maggie Stiefvater's Mercy Falls series or Cynthia Leitich Smith's Tantalize, Eternal and Blessed, As You Wish is one of those books that both benefits from and is cursed by a little vampire love story by Stephenie Meyer. With a ready-made fan base thirsting for more supernaturally star-crossed lovers, books like these are always in danger of being compared to Twilight. Luckily, like for Stiefvater and Leitich Smith (and others) Pearce's story stands on its own.

Viola is having a rough time being sixteen. Her boyfriend and best friend came out, and in doing so, broke her heart. The experience has left her feeling rather invisible. So she makes a heart-felt wish in Shakespeare class one day and unknowingly summons a jinn who cannot return to the "perfect" world of Caliban until his master has made all three of her wishes. Not one to wish without thinking, Viola takes her time to consider what is worth wishing for and Jinn finds himself in an interesting predicament -- falling for his master. This happens to be a big no-no in Caliban.

Wishing alters Viola's reality (and open her eyes to the true invisibilities in her life), while granting her wishes spawns a battle against the confinements and limitations of Jinn's world (and we're not talking about being stuck in a lamp, although that is a possibility). In the end, the story is a page-turning, fun romantic read that will put Pearce's books, including Sisters Red and its upcoming companion book Sweetly at the top of any teenage reading list. (And mine as well.)

For 15 and up -- 3 bookmarks.

Lament (The Faerie Queen's Deception) by Maggie Stiefvater

After I read (and loved) Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater, a dear friend of mine gifted me with Ms. Stiefvater's debut novel, Lament (The Faerie Queen's Deception), which solidified the author as one of my favorites.

The story of Deirdre Monaghan, a sixteen-year old with amazing talents that go beyond her ability to play a mean harp, Lament is another take on star-crossed lovers, but written in a way that goes beyond the typical.

Deirdre regularly performs at weddings and other music events, but performance anxiety is an issue for her. In fact, he tends to get nervous to the point of vomiting before playing for an audience. It's during such an episode before a music competition that she meets Luke Dillon, a gorgeous boy who follows her into the bathroom to hold back her hair while she gets sick.

A sweet thing to do, but eww, not exactly a romantic setting for a first meeting. However, after comforting Deirdre, Luke joins her for an outstanding duet that wows the judges. That performance will change everything, and Deirdre finds herself growing more and more fascinated with this unusual boy.

Luke is just as obsessed with her, but Deirdre begins to suspect the boy may be more than he seems. Strange happenings and otherworldly powers point toward the truth — that Deirdre's life may be in danger and Faeries, ones nothing like Tinkerbell, may be the ones who want her dead.

Written for a teen audience, Lament and its companion book Ballad: A Gathering of Faerie will appeal to fans of Holly Black's Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale and Ironside: A Modern Faery's Tale. Also check out Stiefvater's continuation of the Mercy Falls Series begun in Shiver with Linger (Wolves of Mercy Falls, Book 2) and Forever (Wolves of Mercy Falls, Book 3).

As far as Lament goes, I give it 4 bookmarks, a great read and one that inspires me to keep reading whatever this author has to offer.