The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, Holly Black. Boston: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers/Hachette, 2013. e-book, 340 pps.

http://www.blackholly.com
Holly Black on twitter-- @hollyblack

     Teen Tana lives with her father and younger sister Pearl. Her mother became infected some years ago and died. The first chapter of The Coldest Girl in Coldtown depicts Tana waking up the morning after a party in a bathtub. Things are not good.

     Due to an outbreak of vampires, the streets are not safe after dark. Even at home, one must ensure that windows and doors are shut. Vampires can squeeze in when taken by hunger. Coldtowns have been established in places which used to be large cities. If someone is turned by a vampire and does not successfully throw off the infection, he or she is obligated to show up at a Coldtown. A few non-vampires also live in Coldtowns for a variety of reasons. Tana and a couple of cohorts do show up.

     Despite the popular show of a wild vampiric ball on television, the truth in the Coldtown where Tana shows up is far less glamorous. An ancient feud between vampires is going on. Tana gets involved. Through a series of missteps and adventures, she survives uninfected.

sapphoq reviews says: Holly Black is a popular author and it was easy for me to understand why as I read through The Coldest Girl in Coldtown. I enjoyed the book, the first of a series. Suspense of disbelief came early for me. The teen characters reminded me very much of the teens I had known when I was in high school. The depiction of life in a Coldtown was inventive. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is suitable for teens [and some of us adults too]. I highly recommend this one.

n.b.: Parents, if you object to the subject matter in this book, it is your responsibility as parents to monitor what your teens are reading. I just write the reviews.

Lauren Ipsum by Carlos Bueno

Lauren Ipsum, Carlos Bueno.  Prescott, Az: Off By-One Press, 2011.  ebook, 197 pps.

Lauren Ipsum is a different sort of book.  It uses a "child got lost in the scary weird woods" tale to teach kids some jargon useful to the study of computer science.  Lauren doesn't want to go to summer school like-- according to her mother-- the kids in Finland do.  So she goes off for a ramble in the woods, wanders farther than usual, and meets up with some creatures and then a professor.  Notes which begin on page 179 further explain the new vocabulary.

sapphoq reviews says:  While superficially a children's story, Lauren Ipsum introduces the reader to some basic concepts which are explained clearly and really do fit into the storyline.  Lauren Ipsum scores major points for execution and for ease of understanding.  Highly recommended to the middle school crowd and older.