Monday, March 7, 2011

New Love

I can't put this book down! Why can't my train ride be longer??? Rachel Neumeier's new YA fantasy, THE FLOATING ISLANDS, is so beautifully-written and I'm absolutely in love with Trei and Araene. Trei's this serious, withdrawn type who lost his family--his whole birthplace, actually--in a natural disaster. So he goes to live with his uncle and he meets his cousin Araene for the first time. She's so spunky and rebellious, ah she's my hero.

Anyway, it just came out this February and you have to get it nowwww. Also, in case you're still not convinced, FLOATING ISLANDS was listed as one of the 2011 New & Notable Teen Books on Amazon.com. Here's more info:

In this young adult fantasy filled with rich language, Trei loses his family in a tragic disaster and must search out distant relatives in a new land. The Floating Islands are unlike anything Trei has ever seen: stunning, majestic, and graced with kajurai, men who soar the skies with wings. Trei is instantly sky-mad, and desperate to be a kajurai himself. The only one who fully understands his passion is his newfound cousin Araene. Prickly, sarcastic, and gifted, Araene has a secret of her own, a dream a girl cannot attain.

Trei and Araene quickly become conspirators as they pursue their individual paths. But neither suspects that their lives will be deeply entwined, and that the fate of the Floating Islands will lie in their hands.

THE FLOATING ISLANDS was chosen as a Junior Library Guild selection and received a starred review from Kirkus.

"Intelligent, richly detailed fantasy…The author delineates complex characters, geographies and societies alike with a dab hand, deftly weaves them all…into a suspenseful plot and delivers an outstanding tale that is self-contained but full of promise for sequels." --Kirkus (starred review)

7 comments:

Kelly Polark March 7, 2011 at 4:17 PM  

That does sound like a very cool book!

Annie McElfresh March 10, 2011 at 9:38 PM  

Adding to my TBR list! Never heard of this one. Thanks for the heads-up!

Sharon K. Mayhew March 11, 2011 at 6:54 PM  

The Floating Island sounds wonderful! Thanks for the great review, Judith. :-)

Susan Fields March 14, 2011 at 8:58 AM  

I've never heard of this book, either, but it sounds fantastic! Araene sounds like my kind of character.

Sharon K. Mayhew March 16, 2011 at 2:37 AM  

Judith...I have an award for you...A little welcome back to the blogging world present. I'm so glad you are back. :-)

Jackee March 17, 2011 at 9:38 AM  

Sounds like something right up my alley too. :o) I'll have to check it out!

How are you? So good to have you back to blogging, my friend!

Hugs,
Jackee

M.K Outland December 28, 2011 at 9:58 PM  

You have such a brilliant taste in fiction and YA. This kind of stuff with powerful imagination should be more highlighted in the market.
First time I ever encountered floating isles in a story was in 1997, and it was such a wacky idea back then. It's magical.