PSI Another Day by D.R. Rosensteel

When spunky teen Rinnie is forced to bust out her secret Psi Fighter moves in school in order to bring downs its drug ring, she encounters a deeper plot…and a more sinister danger.

My name is Rinnie Noelle.
 By day I'm just another girl in high school who likes lip gloss. But by night I'm a Psi Fighter—a secret guardian with a decade of training in the Mental Arts. Kinda like Batman, but without the cape.
Bad guys beware.
After screwing up my first mission, I'm now supposed to fix the problems at my school. Major, fly-catching yawn. Sure, drugs are bad, but what crime fighter wants to put bullies in detention when she can save the world from nefarious villains?  ’Cause I will take you out.
But things heat up fast. Now I have two guys into me—yummy new kid, Egon, and my old nemesis-turned-nice-guy, Mason. Plus, word on the street is that a Walpurgis Knight, the Psi Fighter's worst enemy, has infiltrated the school. And everyone is a potential suspect, even Mason and Egon. Darn. Fingers crossed I find the Knight before he finds me..

*applauds*

This book exceeded my expectations! It had a serious plot, but a lighthearted edge because there was one thing this author NAILED.

It’s HUMOR.

Here's an example:
 ""Stu-dents," she said finally in a staccato voice, She waited until the auditorium quieted. "I have good news for you, and I have news that is less than satisfactory."
"What's the good news, Old Bag?" A voice from the back shouted. The auditorium echoed with laughter at the nasty nickname.
"For me, Mr. Rubric," she said calmly, " good news would be a relaxing breakfast of sausage, eggs, and a honey-covered biscuit, eaten after the joyful discovery that my milk carton had your picture on it."
[Rinnie:] Direct hit, I gave it a ten."

This man made me laugh out loud. And further? It was a humor that ANYONE would find funny. It’s not like other novels I’ve read where you see something that you know some find funny, but find yourself just grimacing at instead.

One thing I’ve noticed in other people’s remarks about this novel, is the seemingly hated “Love triangle.” Usually I’m not one for the dreaded triangle, but this book was so subtle about it, I’m not sure you could call it a triangle at all…(I’m not convinced, because I don’t see proof of two boys chasing a girl simultaneously.)

I also would really like to comment on Mason's story line. I loved to see his clockwork ticking and see his devastating past. I LOVED the discussion he had with Rinnie at the end (Wink, no spoilers...) It was really just a gentle, lovable moment.

I found his characters genuine, and I really empathized with Rinnie. Her voice was so unique and funny (and like a normal teenager, occasionally self-doubting and/or spacey.) Which I found to be attractive.

Even his society was well put together. I expected this book to be somewhat like Ally Carter’s Heist Society (I would typically say Gallagher Girls was closer, except I can’t compare because I’ve never read Gallagher Girls!)

Now, I saw the ending coming, but it was pulled off in a really charming way. (mixed with elements that I didn’t see coming.)

This is yet another example of how underestimated male writers are in the YA field. They really are capable of writing female perspectives and they really can have an iron grasp on female emotional ranges.

I would absolutely recommend this read to anyone looking for something a little whimsical, with a solid serious edge. This was written especially well for a kick-butt against drugs novel...

This novel was provided to me by YA BOUND book tours, in exchanged for a review. My view on the novel was not influence in any way, shape, or form, by the donation of the novel.

Don't forget to see the other lovely ladies' posts, you can find them all on a handy-dandy little list

HERE.

 Add it to your Goodreads to-read!

About the Author

D.R. Rosensteel is a management consultant living in a household of women. He believes that the extreme estrogen level in his house contributes to his writing voice. And his hearing loss. He is a graduate of the Long Ridge Writer’s Group and the Institute of Children’s Literature. Psi Fighter is his first novel. Check out The Psi Academy at www.psifighteracademy.com

Follow him on various sights here!

Little Brother (Little Brother #1) by Cory Doctorow

Marcus aka “w1n5t0n,” is only seventeen years old, but he figures he already knows how the system works–and how to work the system. Smart, fast, and wise to the ways of the networked world, he has no trouble outwitting his high school’s intrusive but clumsy surveillance systems.
But his whole world changes when he and his friends find themselves caught in the aftermath of a major terrorist attack on San Francisco. In the wrong place at the wrong time, Marcus and his crew are apprehended by the Department of Homeland Security and whisked away to a secret prison where they’re mercilessly interrogated for days.
When the DHS finally releases them, his injured best friend Darryl does not come out. The city has become a police state where every citizen is treated like a potential terrorist. He knows that no one will believe his story, which leaves him only one option: "M1k3y" will take down the DHS himself

Negatives: Explicit romance and a high amount of cussing. It's also very heavy on programming lingo. However, there isn’t a single book better for government study. It would be fabulous for book clubs and government debates. I would highly recommend this book for teachers. It would be a way to get average students involved in their rights. There are so many rights that teenagers (and adults!) take for granted. This book would definitely remind people how important rights are. I definitely would recommend this if your in the mood for a deep thinking novel.

The White House (I,Q #2) by Roland Smith

"In this follow-up to "Book One: Independence Hall," Q and Angela continue their quest to uncover the truth behind the supposed death of Angela's real mother, a former Secret Service agent, while trying to differentiate the "good guys" from the "bad guys."

 IQ: The White House hooks you with action and then blasts away like a rocket ship. It had more aliases more deception, and more secrets. It was bigger, better and more explosive, literally, stuff really explodes. Absolutely everything was dumped upside down and rearranged. Some pretty cool new characters came in to play. As always, one of the most fascinating things is how Roland Smith seamlessly engages political warfare and dynamics in the series. It appears so real, you feel like you might pick up the phone and ask the white house just what they plan to do with the huge ghost cell right under their noses. I waited over a year for this sequel and I am happy to say I was not disappointed

Independence Hall (I,Q #1) by Roland Smith

Fame has arrived for rockers Blaze and Roger! Just married, leaving Los Angeles, and touring the United States with teenagers Q (Quest) and Angela in tow, the excitement heightens in Philadelphia when Angela realizes she's being followed. Q soon learns the secret about Angela's real mother - a former Secret Service agent.
Readers are thrust into current issues affecting the world in this edge-of- your-seat, modern-day mystery adventure. I, Q readers will be immersed in the work of U.S. Secret Service, the Mossad, and the MI5. But who are the good guys and who are the bad guys? What happens to this newly formed family if Angela's mom is not dead?

IQ is very unique, it has many entertaining aspects. IQ: Independence Hall has high tech gadgets, aliases, danger, death and espionage. This book followed Quest and his new step sister Angela Tucker as their lives turned from fun to frightening. Just as they had adjusted to life on the road with their parent’s band tour; Angela noticed that she was being followed. Their whole way of life unraveled when they discovered that their traveling RV mechanic (Boone) was a retired CIA operative and Angela’s mom, Malak, was alive. The problem with that was, Malak (a secret service agent) was declared dead years ago. Q and Angela were not the only ones who knew though, a huge terrorist cell knew; they weren’t going to rest until she was dead. They barely had enough time to grasp all this new information when an attempt on their lives was taken. Can they save her mom from the terrorists before it is too late? Or will they pay for her freedom with their lives?

Roland Smith has done a fantastic job at this realistic fiction book. Bravo is one word that comes to mind. It did a wonderful job of revealing terrorism in America without getting gory. However, the book is so realistic, that whenever Angela’s mom was mentioned (especially the way she died) I found myself reliving that awful morning, Tuesday September 11, 2001. Maybe it didn’t happen to you; maybe you didn’t see it on the news. For me however, the video was seemingly burned into my mind in slow motion. IQ is an excellent book (and I am looking forward to the sequel), but it is realistic fiction. If you were severely affected by terrorism or 9/11, maybe this isn’t the book for you. Or maybe it would be therapeutic to read about two teens fighting terrorism. This is for you to decide.