Teen Book Review (Has Moved to http://teenbookreview.wordpress.com )

Important Announcement: Moving!

2022-07-23T20:47:00.000-07:00

This blog is moving! It can now be found at http://teenbookreview.wordpress.com.

I have imported all previous posts & comments. I prefer the way Wordpress works, so I'm moving! Update your bookmarks/links. Thanks!

Teen Book Review Information

2009-12-30T15:22:00.000-08:00

Updated June 2007

This is my book blog, obviously. I'll be posting book reviews and other book-related news, contests, etc. Here's some general information about the Teen Book Review.

Review Copies:
I will accept review copies of middle grade/ YA books or adult books that will be of an interest to teen readers. I will not accept e-books; however, if your book is only available in that form, you may print it out and send it to me. Email me for my mailing address. Of course, sending me a book does not guarantee a good review, or a review within any specific time period (see below for more on that). If I absolutely can't get into it, can't stand it (and I'm sorry, but that happens occasionally. Very rarely, but it does happen.), I can't guarantee a review at all.

Selecting Books:
So many books arrive in my mailbox these days that I can't promise to read and review them quickly. I prefer to read books as they catch my interest from their place on the shelf, because that means I'm in the right mood for that kind of book, and so it'll probably get a better review if I read it when I want to, instead of forcing myself to read it on a deadline when I'm not in the right mood for it. I write for some other websites on a deadline, yes, but I think for this blog it works out better without one. So you see, even if I don't write all of my reviews quickly, it really turns out better for everyone this way!

Reviewing Books:
After I read a book, I write notes down about it, what I'll say in my review. Sometimes, it's quite awhile between reading and reviewing a book, because, well, I do have a life. I wish I could do this all day, but real life doesn't allow it.
Each book gets a rating out of ten, based more on how I feel about the book than any objective criteria. It's my opinion. It's subjective. However, I've read enough that I do have a lot to compare it to, so my opinions are informed!

Posting Reviews:
For each review I post here, and for each I post on another website but not here, there is a link at http://tbrlist.blogspot.com. Also there are links to each of my reading lists for the month, starting in 2007.
Some of my reviews are also found in other places. Quite a few are re-posted on the Internet Book Database. Some are re-posted on TeensReadToo.com. Who knows where they'll end up?

Links:
As you see, I have links to sites that readers may enjoy in the sidebar. If you have a website about books and you'd like to exchange links, send me a message!

Any other comments, questions, or concerns? Email me.

Harry Potter: No Spoilers!

2007-07-18T19:20:00.001-07:00

As some of you may have heard, there has been a breach in Harry Potter security. According to various sources (I just searched on Google News and read some articles), some books were shipped out early to readers. Supposedly some of the seventh book has ended up online, although it is unclear as to whether or not it's real. Apparently one newspaper also posted an early review which gives away the meaning of "deathly hallows," along with some other bits of information THAT SHOULD BE SECRET!

As much as I might be a bit tempted to see how it ends, I would rather wait until Saturday to find out after reading the whole thing, and I am very disappointed that some people have tried to ruin that. I talked to a friend who accidentally read part of what is supposedly book seven when browsing through a friend's wall on facebook.

I don't want to know yet unless the whole book shows up on my doorstep (which, it won't, because I didn't preorder one, but reserved one for the midnight party at the local bookstore). My internet activity is going to be pretty limited for the next few days to make sure I don't accidentally read something I don't want to, and I talked to one friend who is refusing to go online at all until she's read the whole thing!

Harry Potter: Books vs. Movies

2007-07-17T12:45:00.000-07:00

You know I love the Harry Potter books. I don't think JK Rowling is the greatest writer ever, but she does a great job with the wonderfully complex and exciting plot of the Harry Potter books.

The movies, however, are another story. I have seen all of them within the first week. It was not, however, until the fourth one that I learned to really like them.

They are nothing like the books. Of course, they have to cut a lot of stuff out to fit these books into 150-minute movies, but I often disagree with their editing decisions, not in the least because I have friends who have not read the books, only seen the movies, and there are parts that they don't understand because of it. One friend who I saw the fifth movie with didn't understand about banning Weasley products because it was not fully explained what the Weasley twins had been doing.

However, once you stop comparing them to the books (but keep in mind what you already know about the story as it will fill in the gaps nicely), the movies are really quite good. The action and special effects are exciting. The casting was done fairly well, and the actors do their parts nicely (I was especially pleased with Luna Lovegood in the fifth movie!).

Strictly as movies, they're pretty good (if maybe a bit confusing). Compared to the books, however....Not quite so much. What do you think?

Interesting Links

2007-07-16T20:27:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd share a few things I've found interesting recently.

Two interviews with author Zoe Trope: Here and Here. I haven't read her book, as I just got interested in it from the interviews, which I really enjoyed! I'll definitely post a review when I do get a copy and read it. (Read them in order as the first interview tells more about who she is and about her book).

Here's an interesting article about how people don't see children's writers as being on the same level as those who write for adults.

Galley Gallery has pictures of authors with their books!

And this one isn't exactly book-related but it is kind of cool. On , you can use the google-powered search and they pick random searchers to win prizes, from a $5 Amazon gift certificate to a new car! I was kind of skeptical but I know people who have actually won things. And if you win that Amazon gift certificate you can buy a book, so it is book-related!

Harry Potter: Thoughts On Characters

2007-07-16T15:45:00.000-07:00

As I've been rereading the books, I've been thinking about the various characters, both those that I love and those I love to hate. Here are a few thoughts.

Harry Potter: Yes, I know he's the protagonist. I'm supposed to love him. He's the hero, after all. However, I've always found him to be kind of annoying. He's stupid and whiny. Especially in book five (although they didn't show that as much in the movie). I love JK Rowling, but I hate Harry Potter.

Fred & George Weasley: These two are pretty much interchangeable. They are not real characters; just comic relief. They say funny things, but are not developed as actual people. I love them anyway, I just wish we knew them better!

Lee Jordan: Here's another one I wish we saw more of. I've always enjoyed what little bit of him is in the books (his quidditch commentaries are hilarious!), but he's barely there. More Lee Jordan would be nice!

Luna Lovegood: She's good for a bit of comic relief, too, but she's also a real character, or more real than Fred and George, at least. I quite enjoy her eccentricity!

Sirius Black: I was a bit teary when he died. He's always been one of the more interesting characters, that's for sure. Actually, that whole generation seems more interesting than the current one (Lily, James, Sirius, etc.). I'd like to see a prequel about them, but I don't think that's going to happen. Anyway, Sirius has always been a favorite of mine. He is much more interesting than many of the main characters, and I don't really think whiny Harry deserves him as a godfather.

Dumbledore: I know it's a bit blasphemous these days, but I'm not a big Dumbledore fan. Sure, he was a great wizard and all, but not the greatest guy ever. Especially in the more recent books, he kind of bothered me. I can't put my finger on why. But I wasn't too upset when he died (I don't think that's a spoiler anymore with book seven so close).

That's it for now. Anyone care to share their own thoughts about the characters?

Tell An Author You Care

2007-07-16T15:39:00.000-07:00

I love the idea of Tell An Author You Care Day. So much, in fact, that I did it twice today! I've also decided to make this a regular thing for me. The 16th of every month will be Tell An Author You Care Day at TBR! I'll be doing more posts about my favorite authors and such. Feel free to join in on your own blog if you'd like!

Tell An Author You Care Day: Tamora Pierce

2007-07-16T14:41:00.000-07:00

For Tell An Author You Care Day, I'd like to talk a bit about Tamora Pierce.

In fifth grade, my teacher had shelves and shelves of books. That year I discovered quite a few favorites. Stargirl was a big one. The Giver. However, the best of all? Tamora Pierce. The Song of the Lioness quartet.

I loved those books! I read them so many times that year. It was those books that made me the book lover I am today. Sure, BSC got me reading. I enjoyed some other books--the Little House books, for one. I read Harry Potter in third grade, and I loved it (but it didn't become an obsession until book four!). But when I think about why I have shelves and shelves of books, why I have books I read until their covers fall off (and then I buy new copies!), why I LOVE books so much, I think about Tamora Pierce. It's also why I love fantasy so much! I am always looking for fantasy that's as good as Tamora Pierce's.

Later, I read the Immortals books, the Circle of Magic, the Circle Opens, Protector of the Small, and so on, as new books came out, up until now (The latest? Terrier). I have loved them all, read them all multiple times. I think that Tamora Pierce's writing has improved since those early books (her stories were always great, though!). I still read her new releases faithfully. My favorites in the "Circle" universe are Street Magic and The Will of the Empress. My favorite Tortall books are Trickster's Choice and Trickster's Queen. So far--I know she'll write so many more great books!

So if you haven't read anything yet by Tamora Pierce, get yourself to a library or bookstore, now!

Tell An Author You Care Day!: 8 Things

2007-07-16T14:32:00.000-07:00

I borrowed this idea from seaheidi. In honor of Tell An Author You Care Day, here are eight authors I'd like to thank.

1) Ann M. Martin, for writing the Babysitter's Club. When I discovered these books in the first grade, after not being much of a reader for the past couple of years (I did know how, I just didn't like it), I started to love it!
2) Francine Pascal! Later in Elementary school, I really loved the Sweet Valley books, and in about sixth grade I read the whole Fearless series. This was a big chunk of my reading back then!
3) Tamora Pierce.
4) Amelia Atwater-Rhodes. She was fourteen when she published her first book. I really love her books, but it's more than that. She showed me that it's possible to actually write, and write well, as a teenager! Before reading her books, I thought writing was something grown-ups did.
5) JK Rowling. I don't think she's the most awesome writer ever. I do love the books, though. And I think Harry is a major reason for this "golden age of YA lit," so I'd love to thank her for that! I am also very impressed with how well thought-out even the most complex parts of the (complex) plot are.
6) Lisa Klein, for Ophelia. I wrote a gushing review, and I absolutely can't get enough of this book. It definitely in my top 5, maybe my all-time favorite.
7) Gail Carson Levine, for writing some of the most awesome heroines ever in kid lit!
8) All of the other authors whose books I adore: Brent Hartinger, Meg Cabot, Bennet Madison, Garret Freymann-Weyr, Stephenie Meyer, Rachel Cohn, David Levithan, Scott Westerfeld, Cecelia Ahern, Pat Murphy, Curtis Sittenfeld, John Green, Sarah Dessen, Clive Barker, Isabel Allende, Maureen Johnson, Mary Hoffman, Gloria Whelan, Justin Somper, Rick Riordan, John Marsden, Sarah Grace McCandless, Eoin Colfer, Lara Zeises, Meg Rosoff, Margaret Petersen Haddix, Pam Munoz Ryan, Jerry Spinelli....

Yeah, so that last one makes it more than eight. They're all great, though!

Depressing Statistics

2007-07-15T23:09:00.000-07:00

Here's the full list, compiled by Robyn Jackson, but these are some I found particularly depressing.

1/3 of high school graduates never read another book for the rest of their lives.

42 percent of college graduates never read another book after college.

80 percent of U.S. families did not buy or read a book last year.

70 percent of U.S. adults have not been in a bookstore in the last five years.
Each day in the U.S., people spend 4 hours watching TV, 3 hours listening to the radio and 14 minutes reading magazines.

Harry Potter!

2007-07-15T09:41:00.000-07:00

It's officially less than a week until the end. I am both anxiously awaiting the next installment in the series, and dreading life after the last Harry Potter book. Also, I saw the fifth movie Thursday night. Strictly as a movie (special effects and all), I thought it was great, but as a movie based on what is possibly my favorite book, well, not so much. Also, I was with a friend who doesn't read the books (I know! Horrible, isn't it?), and she said some parts were confusing to her.

So, to celebrate the countdown, I'm going to try and do Harry-related posts every day until The End. I'm also rereading the books. I read the first three over the past few days and I'm now reading number four. I've never really liked the first chapter of number four, so I put it off for awhile. I know I could just skip it, but that feels like cheating.

Anyway, here's a fun Harry Potter quiz:

Find out your Harry Potter personality at LiquidGeneration!

And then (just because) I took it again and got:

Find out your Harry Potter personality at LiquidGeneration!

And then I took it again with the same answers as the second time and got Harry Potter, which I forgot to copy and paste but it said something like: "You can be a jerk, but, hey, if we were locked in a closet until we were ten, we'd have anger issues, too." Which, frankly, I found hilarious. And so true. I've never really liked Harry. He's sort of whiny and annoying. Yes, I do love JK Rowling and hate Harry Potter.

New Writing Contest

2007-07-15T09:37:00.000-07:00

Alyssa at The Shady Glade is having a writing contest! This one looks like a lot of fun, so you really should consider entering. And you have until September! All you have to do is write a poem or short story that retells a fairy tale. Details here.

Tip: If you can't think of any popular fairy tale you want to retell (Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, etc.,), try reading fairy tale books, because there's a lot out there that you've probably never even heard of!

July 16th: Tell An Author You Care Day

2007-07-11T21:16:00.000-07:00

Found this through readergirlz:

Children's writer Emily Beeson has declared July 16th to be Tell An Author You Care Day! If you tell an author you care in one of these ways and leave a comment on Emily's blog telling what you did, you can even win an Amazon gift card, to buy more great books from great authors! Here's what you can do:

"1. Write a letter or email to a favorite author. I think JK Rowling and Stephenie Meyer recieve plenty of fan letters. Think of an author you love that may need a little boost.

2. Write a positive review on Amazon and, if you want to, link to it in your blog.

3. Buy a book by a favorite author and give it to someone who will enjoy it.

4. Profile an author in your blog. I'm not talking just another review. Tell us a little about the author and mention at least one of his/her books that you love."

I'll definitely be participating, and so should you!

Review: Feels Like Home by e.E. Charlton-Trujillo

2007-07-10T23:18:00.000-07:00

Six years ago, Mickey’s older brother took off, after the horrible accident that turned the whole town against Danny. Now, after her father’s death, Danny is back, and looking to reconnect with his sister. Or at least he’s been told to take care of her. And he is making an effort, just not exactly succeeding.

Mickey’s having trouble forgiving his abandonment of her, understandably. She’s also having trouble reconciling the brother who used to read from THE OUTSIDERS to her with the brother who is hated by almost everyone in town after a night six years ago when everything changed. Mickey was there that night, but she can’t quite remember what happened. She can’t move on.

FEELS LIKE HOME is a powerful story about home, family, and dealing with the past. It is a well-written novel with strengths in its lifelike characters and good setting, one that is certainly worth reading.

Four Stars

Review: Boy Toy by Barry Lyga

2007-07-07T19:14:00.000-07:00

When Josh was thirteen, something happened to him that changed his life drastically. A woman named Eve wrecked his life. And even though it’s supposed to be a secret, everyone in town knows about it.

Five years later, Josh is still dealing with what happened when Eve is released from jail, blowing the whole thing open again. He’s also wondering about Rachel, the girl who was part of revealing the truth years ago, and who seems to want to be back in his life now, for some unknowable reason. And, of course, he’s got the stresses that any high school senior does on top of all of that.

To finally be at peace with it all would help. To finally understand what happened, the way everyone else seems to think they do. They can’t understand, but they like to think they do. If only Josh really did understand. If only he could figure it out, and straighten out his life. If only it were that easy.

In BOY TOY, Barry Lyga’s wonderful second novel, he shows himself to be a brilliant author (one whose first book I’ll be looking for!). I was a little surprised at the serious subject matter dealt with in this absorbing story—for some reason I had expected something fluffier, I guess—but that made no difference once it had grabbed me (and it did so right away). The characters populating the novel are well-developed, and their relationships with each other were also very well done. This is a book that could easily fall into the pretentious-sounding category of “literature,” but I mean that in a good way here! Well worth reading, BOY TOY is highly recommended to anyone looking for an engaging and well-written book that defies the expectations of people who think all young adult books have something in common with the likes of GOSSIP GIRL.*

Four 1/2 Stars

*I personally think that sort of book does have its place, but it's not what we who love young adult books want to show as a good example to people like what's-his-face who said YA lit was going down the toilet or something. If you know who I"m talking about (I don't remember the name), please tell me!

Review: Secret Society Girl by Diana Peterfreund

2007-07-07T19:13:00.000-07:00

Amy Haskel, a junior at fictional Ivy League school Eli University, thinks she’s sure to be tapped for Quill & Ink, a not-exactly-secret literary society. She can’t imagine that any more prestigious society would be after her. Especially Rose & Grave, the oldest and most notorious secret society in the country. After all, Rose & Grave doesn’t tap women. And even if they did, it wouldn’t be women like Amy. Right?

Apparently, wrong. That year is the first that Rose & Grave taps women. Including Amy. But where does she fit in? She’s not a legacy, or a leader, or a genius. She’s just...Amy Maureen Haskel, from Shaker Heights, Ohio. Editor of the school’s lit magazine. Good student. But nothing special.

Taking her the advice of her friend (with benefits) Brandon to not overthink something for once, she says yes. And before she knows it, she’s part of the most powerful secret society around. With the society name Bugaboo. But that’s just the start of it.

I wish I’d picked up SECRET SOCIETY GIRL sooner! Once I did, I was hooked. The world Diana Peterfreund creates in this novel is totally different from mine, and maybe a little far-fetched, but still completely real once you start reading. Her characters all step right off the page—even the most minor background characters are three-dimensional. Peterfreund really breathes life into her protagonist, though! Amy’s voice is witty and funny and perfectly suited to the character that the (rather brilliant) author creates.

I’ve been gushing about the characters so much this sounds like a character-driven book with no plot, but that would be the wrong impression. SECRET SOCIETY GIRL is nothing if not a suspenseful page-turner! There’s not a dull moment in this book. I couldn’t put it down! This smart, wickedly funny novel is a new favorite of mine.

I can’t wait to get my hands on the sequel, UNDER THE ROSE. Diana Peterfreund’s promising debut novel can only be the tip of the iceberg where this incredibly talented writer is concerned.

Five Stars

Review: What I Meant... by Marie Lamba

2007-07-07T19:11:00.000-07:00

Fifteen-year-old Sangeet’s life has pretty much gone down the toilet since her lying, stealing aunt moved in with them. Thanks to Chachi, Sang’s family thinks she’s a bulimic lying thief. On top of that, she’s having boy troubles (not the least of which is, she’s not allowed to date!), and her best friend, Gina, isn’t speaking to her!

Sang’s got to set things straight—and bring Chachi down.

WHAT I MEANT... is an engaging and funny first novel from a talented author. In Sang, Marie Lamba creates a three-dimensional character with her own unique voice that she just can’t make people hear over the lies of her Chachi. The rest of the colorful cast of characters populating this novel are equally well-developed.

WHAT I MEANT... is an easy, fun read that I almost managed to read in one sitting (if only life didn’t get in the way of reading!). It’s not going to be on my list of all-time favorite books, but it is certainly worth reading and well-written, with its relatable protagonist (who, by the way is half Indian and half Italian—but this is not an “issue” book about being biracial, it’s just a good book about a regular fifteen year old girl who happens to have that background) making this novel quite enjoyable.

This is why I urge you all to help Marie Lamba! Because of low preorders from chain bookstores, the initial print run of this book has been cut, and there will be no paperback and no sequel! I for one really want to know what happens to Sang, and will be very disappointed without a sequel. So go! Bother the people at your local Borders, Books-A-Million, Barnes & Noble, whatever. Get all your friends to do the same! Even if you don’t buy the book (which you should, but maybe can’t afford to), get them to order copies (say you want it, and they’ll order it, but they can’t make you buy it).

Four Stars

Important: New Rating System

2007-07-07T19:05:00.000-07:00

I’ve decided to try the more traditional 5-star rating system for awhile rather than rating books out of ten. I kept going back and thinking, why did I rate that so low/high? Oh, because I have no set guidelines! So, here’s exactly how it’s going to work:

Five Stars: New favorite book! Rush out to buy this one right away! It’s fabulous!

Four Stars: Great book! Put it on your list!

Three Stars: Pretty good, or at least fun. Don’t rush out for it, but don't hesitate to read it if you come across a copy!

Two Stars: Meh. Maybe sort of entertaining. If you have nothing else to do. I guess.

One Star: Stay away. If for some reason you absolutely must read this book (like, it was written my your cousin's friend's sister and you feel obligated to read it, or something), check it out from the library.

No Stars: My eyes are bleeding!

And when I post my reading list, I’ll just put the number of stars next to the title.

I Wrote That!

2007-07-07T18:46:00.001-07:00

See that blurb? From Curledupkids.com? I wrote that! And it's on the cover!!

Review: Ana's Story by Jenna Bush

2007-07-07T01:04:00.000-07:00

I picked up this book with an open mind. To say I disapprove of Jenna Bush's father is an understatement, but I still picked this up knowing that she is not her father, and the book could be just as good as any other book from a new author.

I do believe that Jenna Bush's intentions in writing this young adult novel were good. She volunteered with UNICEF and wanted to write a novel based on a girl she met while volunteering, to share important messages about HIV/AIDS with children and young adults.

The story itself is heartfelt. Ana is a girl who has lived all her life with HIV, and it has been a hard life. She was only a small child when her parents died. She was abused by relatives. She was taught that people would treat her badly if she told them about her illness. Her story is not uncommon.

I admire Jenna Bush for being able to actually finish a 200+ page novel. However, this is not something that should have actually been published.

While the author's intentions and message were good and heartfelt, the writing itself was too simple for a book aimed at eight year olds, much less one targeting high school students. As I read, I kept thinking, "show, not tell!" Isn't that pretty basic for novelists? Haven't we all heard that? If Jenna Bush has heard it, it's not advice she cared to follow.

Her characters are flat. The dialogue is wooden. The novel actually contains sentences such as these:
"Ana understood now that the truth was always better than secrets or lies."*
"Ana started to develop more serious feelings for Guillermo."*
The first sentence seems like it belongs in a book for small children with heavy-handed morals. Either Jenna Bush really thinks in such small words and simple sentences, or she is really talking down to her intended audience of ages 14 and up (as it says on the back of the book). The second is a perfect example of "show, not tell." Neither one is particularly unique in its badness, and neither one belongs in a published novel for which the author is rumored to have gotten a six-figure advance. That HarperCollins would publish this trainwreck of a first novel seriously lowers my opinion of the company. Don't waste your time on this one.

The photography was nice, though. And there will be color pictures in the finished book. I enjoyed that part. If you just flip through and look at the pictures, it's a very nice book!

Rating: 3/10

*Note: These quotes are from an uncorrected ARC and may differ from the final book.

Contest News

2007-07-06T12:42:00.000-07:00

Sign up for this website and you can win free stuff by participating!

Teens Read Too always has lots of great contests.

YABC has two great giveaways going on this month for copies of Strays and Earrings of Ixtumea. Plus, you can always win free books by participating in discussions on the forum!

Check out The Shady Glade's July contest to win an ARC of Kim Ablon Whitney's The Perfect Distance.

Saturday Review Challenge

2007-07-05T12:17:00.000-07:00

I've decided to participate in the Saturday Review of Books Reading Challenge! My six books that I've decided to read:

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Boy Heaven by Laura Kasischke
Inexcusable by Chris Lynch
Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
Penny From Heaven by Jennifer L Holm
Dancing Queen by Erin Downing

Keep a look out for reviews. And check out the challenge!

Quantum Prophecy #01: The Awakening by Michael Carroll

2007-07-03T19:22:00.000-07:00

On the original Mystery Day (the anniversary is now a holiday), all the superhumans, both superheroes and supervillians, disappeared, with the three Dalton siblings being the only exceptions.

Fast-forward ten years. Mystery Day is still, well, a mystery. Now, though, it's celebrated with action figures and parties. The age of superhumans is pretty much over. Or so everyone thinks, until thirteen-year-old Danny Cooper saves his friend's sister from being hit by a bus....From much too far away, in a matter of seconds.

His friends are, to say the least, suspicious. And when Colin Wagner, Danny's good friend, starts exhibiting his own signs of weird powers, things really get exciting.

THE AWAKENING is packed with fast-paced action that reluctant readers, especially boys, will really enjoy. It's not a particularly brilliant or well-written book, but its strengths are in the action and strong characters. Fans of superhero comic books, too, will certainly enjoy this fresh take on the subject! It's not exactly my kind of book, but I was still sucked into the action enough so that I'll definitely pick up the next book in the series!

Rating: 8.5/10

Review: Harley, Like A Person by Cat Bauer

2007-07-02T23:21:00.000-07:00

Harley Columba's parents don't understand her. She loves art and poetry; her father loves drinking and criticizing her. She has nothing in common with them. Of course not; she's fourteen. However, Harley's situation is a little more than that. Harley has actual proof she may be adopted: a doll with a note from her real father, given to her long ago and stuffed in a box in her attic.

Reading this, though, I didn't feel it was a story about Harley searching for her past so much as Harley searching for herself and finding out who she really is. It's not the plot that drives this wonderful novel, but the amazing characters.

Cat Bauer is brilliant in that she doesn't put everyone and every situation into a neat little box. Every time you think you've got it figured out, something is revealed that means you're wrong. I don't mean it's suspenseful; I mean, if you think that a specific character is exactly this stereotype and will do this...you're wrong. But the characters' actions still fit in with the story. It's amazing. It's real. Real life doesn't fit into a box, but so many authors don't translate that into their stories. Cat Bauer does.

The writing style of this novel is excellent. I absolutely loved Harley's voice, and her take on the world. HARLEY, LIKE A PERSON is a powerful story, and I can't wait to get into Harley's mind again in the sequel, HARLEY'S NINTH.

Rating: 10/10

Review: Celebrity Skin by Liane Bonin

2007-07-02T10:16:00.000-07:00

Upon picking up CELEBRITY SKIN, I expected it to be more or less the same as a lot of other light, fluffy books about life in the spotlight. Not to say those aren't fun to read; they just start to be the same after a while, even the good ones, or the ones that try to be different by having the celebrity try to escape their fame by running off to Idaho or someplace under an assumed name with a new hair color. Sure, those can be fun, they're just not exactly groundbreakingly original or thought-provoking or even particularly interesting. They can be well-written, or have great characters, but they're usually unremarkable.

I must say, I was pleasantly surprised by Liane Bonin's novel! It is an amazing book. I'm not quite sure how to say what made this celebrity story so special, except that maybe, despite its subject matter, it is very real.

CELEBRITY SKIN is about Taylor, a young starlet who may have been thrown into the glitz and glamour of Hollywood (and the unbelievable pressure that comes with it) too fast for her own good. Erin, the story's narrator and Taylor's best friend since her days as a middle-school dork, is watching her friend self-destruct, too afraid to say anything...Until it may be too late.

I love both Erin's fresh, honest voice and her unique perspective on Hollywood. Liane Bonin is a talented writer, to be able to make such an overused subject as Hollywood and celebrity life into a brilliant novel. I can't wait for number two!

Rating: 9.5/10

Help Out An Author

2007-07-02T10:12:00.001-07:00

On my to-read stack is a book I can't wait to pick up: What I Meant... by Marie Lamba. Today, I got this in a message from the author:

I wanted to let you know of my current publishing woe. My first YA novel WHAT I MEANT...(Random House, July 24th) is currently in trouble (found out 2 days ago, less than a month pre-publication) because presales from chain bookstores are too low. Based on this, they are cancelling the paperback, and my already-written and accepted sequel and printing less than anticipated of the hardbound. I'm hoping to turn this around by raising awareness of the book and asking everyone to preorder immediately and stock the shelves with WHAT I MEANT...

Big chains and corporations shouldn't make great reads, writers and readers, and of course librarians should. The book is getting nice reviews and is a summer pick soon on cosmogirl.com so it isn't the book's quality that is a problem.

I'm moving this to the top of my stack to read & review, and I hope some of you will consider ordering the book to help her out, if it sounds like your kind of thing.

June 2007 Reading List

2007-07-01T22:53:00.000-07:00

June was an okay reading month, with 28 books read. Actually, that's pretty good, considering I was traveling, which means not as much reading got done during those three weeks than would have been done otherwise. July is sure to be an even better month for reading, numbers-wise.

My Top Pick:
Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin

The Runners-Up:(Yes, six again)
Sammy and Juliana In Hollywood
In The Garage
The Straight Road To Kylie
The Silenced
The City, Not Long After
Harley, Like A Person

Here they are! Asterisks mean a rating of 9 or above, and plus signs mean I bought them in England and think they may 0nly be available there. Or maybe they have different titles. Or something like that. At least, I haven't been able to find them here.

Sammy and Juliana in Hollywood by Benjamin Alire Sanz*
Dating4Demons by Serena Robar
Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin*
Amber in the Over World by Jonathan Fesmire
Let The Snog Fest Begin by Louise Rennison*+
The Silenced by James DeVita*
Missing You by Meg Cabot*
The Dead Girls' Dance by Rachel Caine
Boy Toy by Barry Lyga*
Celebrity Skin by Liane Bonin*
Boy Proof by Cecil Castellucci*
Feels Like Home by eE Charlton-Trujillo*
Harley, Like A Person by Cat Bauer*
Prom Nights From Hell by Kim Harrison, Meg Cabot, Michelle Jaffe, Stephenie Meyer, and Lauren Myracle
Girl, 15, Flirting For England by Sue Limb+
Tripping To Somewhere by Kristopher Reisz*
Invisible Lives by Anjali Banerjee
In The Garage by Alma Fullerton*
The Wereling: Wounded by Stephen Cole
Cruel Summer by Kylie Adams (reread)
Bling Addiction by Kylie Adams
Beautiful Disaster by Kylie Adams
The Straight Road to Kylie by Nico Medina*
Beginner's Luck by Laura Pedersen*
Surf Ed by Karol Ann Hoeffner
A Countess Below Stairs by Eva Ibbotson*
The Princess Diaries: In Love by Meg Cabot*+
A Place Called Here by Cecilia Ahern*+
The City, Not Long After by Pat Murphy*

Harry Potter

2007-07-01T22:43:00.000-07:00

I'm back! I had a wonderful time on my trip, and also got a surprising amount of reading done. I'll post my June reading list soon, as well as lots of reviews.

As for now, I've been tagged by Alyssa! Sorry this is in bold but it's being stubborn and not letting me change it.

1. Butterbeer or pumpkin juice?

Butterbeer! Pumpkin juice doesn't sound very good to me, I don't like anything pumpkin except pumpkin bread, but butterbeer sounds interesting.

2. What House would you most likely (or want to) be in in Hogwarts?

I would have a chance at either Gryffindor or Ravenclaw, I think, and while I'd prefer Gryffindor, I'm a really good student so I'd probably be in Ravenclaw.

3. If you were an animagus, what animal would you turn into?

An eagle, maybe. I've always wanted to fly, and I don't mean in an airplane, or even fluttering around like songbirds do, but really soaring.

4. What character do you empathize with, or resemble best?<
Which HP Kid Are You?

5. What position do you play at Quidditch?

I dunno. Keeper, maybe.

6. Which teacher is your favorite?

Lupin is the teacher I'd most like to have, but Lockhart sure is fun to read about!

7. Any Harry Potter 7 predictions?

Harry dies.

I tag any HP fans reading this!

Contest News!

2007-06-06T10:31:00.000-07:00

Before I leave for three weeks, I'll leave you with some fun contests to enter!

Over at The Shady Glade, Alyssa is having a contest to win a copy of Circle of Three by Erica Farber and J.R. Sansevere. Go here for details.

YABC is holding two awesome contests this month. Enter to win copies of Beige by Cecil Castellucci, and the DJ Schwenk books by Catherine Murdock!

Make sure to enter the Teens Read Too monthly contest! Also check out the TRT home page for more great contests.

Review: Amber in the Over World by Jonathan Fesmire

2007-06-06T10:23:00.000-07:00

AMBER IN THE OVER WORLD is a quick fantasy read that is probably more suitable for tweens or young teens than many of the books reviewed here, but it's a fun read all the same. Amber is a dragon princess who, when her world is threatened, is accidentally transported to the Over World, or Earth, where the custodians upon whose imaginations the very existence of Amber's world and others like it reside.

When she tries to warn her father that the wizards are sending an assassin whose plan is not to try and convince the custodian to keep his or her creativity strong enough to sustain their world, but to kill the custodian so that another will be called, Amber herself is pulled into the Over World, where she is turned into a human girl and, when she pretends to have lost her memory (because who would believe that she's really a dragon princess from another world?), she is taken in by a doctor, Elise, and her young daughter, Valerie.

Now, Amber must find the custodian, save her world, and return home--before Chine gets there first.

AMBER IN THE OVER WORLD is no new favorite of mine, but I'm not sorry I read it, either. The writing style did not impress me at all, nor did the characters. The fast-paced fantasy action, however, soon had me absorbed in the story, anxious to find out what would happen next! If you're a fan of this sort of book, it's worth reading.

Rating: 6.5/10

Review: Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin

2007-06-06T10:17:00.000-07:00

This powerful, highly original novel from the author of ELSEWHERE will not disappoint Zevin's fans! In this book, Naomi loses her memory after falling on the stairs coming out of school one day after losing a coin toss with her best friend, Will, and going back to the yearbook office to get the new camera. After being rescued by an intriguing boy named James, she realizes after waking up in the hospital that she has forgotten the last four years of her life. She no longer remembers her parents' divorce, or her new half-sister Chloe, or her best friend, Will, or her boyfriend, Ace. Naomi doesn't remember who she used to be.

As tragic as it seems (and is), this twist of fate gives Naomi a second chance at her relationships, at her life, at who she is. She's different, of course. However, her lost memories could return at any time, leaving Naomi and the people close to her wary of who she could become again if her memories were to return. One person in her life (it would be a spoiler to give away who) wonders if Naomi would still feel the same way about their relationship if she had her memory back. Of course, this person is only the one to voice that concern, but can't be the only one to have it.

In a way, MEMOIRS OF A TEENAGE AMNESIAC reminded me of books about people who wake up from comas after several years, or I WAS A TEENAGE POPSICLE, in which Floe is "thawed" after being dead and vitrified for ten years. However, Naomi's situation is, if possible, even tougher. She lived her life, she had relationships with people...And now, they remember it, they remember what things used to be like, but she does not. At least if you wake up from a coma people KNOW you don't know what's been going on.

I absolutely loved this book! I was afraid I'd be disappointed after loving ELSEWHERE so much, but the talented Gabrielle Zevin does not disappoint. Her characters are amazing. Naomi is just one of a cast of great, three-dimensional characters. Her writing is brilliant, and Zevin brings her talent to creating not only a unique, realistic character in Naomi, but a voice to go with her. The relationships between the characters were also very well done, especially with the amnesia twist. Zevin did very well in creating relationships where one character remembered years of building a relationship and the other nothing. MEMOIRS OF A TEENAGE AMNESIAC is a smart, satisfying read sure to capture the attention of readers.

Rating: 10/10

Review: Sammy and Juliana in Hollywood by Benjamin Alire Saenz

2007-06-04T16:20:00.001-07:00

This book was not quite what I expected. It was wonderful, but what I expected was more of a romance, I guess, and while that was in the story, that's not what it is. So don't go into it expecting what I did!

That said, I was very impressed with what I think was Benjamin Alire Saenz's first novel for young adults. Taking place mostly in 1969, it tells of life in a New Mexico barrio ironically named Hollywood, through the eyes of high school senior Sammy Santos. The novel begins with Sammy falling in love with tough girl Juliana, but the book as a whole, as I said, was not the romance I was expecting. Juliana is important to Sammy, but the story itself is Sammy's, and is told in his distinctive voice.

I'm finding it difficult to give a good, complete summary of this book. It is what it is because of strong characters, the 1960's setting, and awesome writing. SAMMY AND JULIANA IN HOLLYWOOD is an amazing story about love (romantic love, friendship, and love for family), loss, growing up as a Chicano, and, well, life, all set against a very 1960s backdrop of student protests, the draft, and loud music.

This is an outstanding novel. I found it a little difficult to get into at first, but I think that's because I was expecting something lighter, and this is serious (and seriously brilliant), intelligent reading. To really get the full story, you need to sit down and read it in big chunks; it doesn't work so well for a few pages here and there, or at least not for me. Go into it expecting it to be nothing different from what it is, and you will love this powerful, moving, and original novel.

Rating: 9.75/10

Updates: Reading List, April & May 2007

2007-06-03T15:43:00.000-07:00

April & May 2007 Reading Lists

As I am very behind on, well, everything (and there are reasons but I don't want to go into it here), I've combined these two posts into one.

April:

My top pick for April:
The Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeier (which is technically an adult book but is just so wonderful!)

The top SIX runners-up (I couldn't pick five this month!):
Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty (the others in this series are of course brilliant, too, but I'll just list this one)
Buried Onions by Gary Soto
The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
While I Live by John Marsden
Princess Nevermore by Dian Curtis Regan
I Was A Teenage Popsicle by Bev Katz Rosenbaum

In April, I read 23 books. They are as follows, with stars for those rating over a 9/10:

Truth and Salsa by Linda Lowery
The Broken Bike Boy and the Queen of 33rd Street by Sharon G Flake
Hex Education by Emily Gould and Zareen Jaffery
Bass Ackwards and Belly Up by Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain* (reread)
Pants on Fire by Meg Cabot
The Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeier*
A Sudden Silence by Eve Bunting
Red Handed by Gena Showalter
Blacklisted by Gena Showalter
The Hollywood Sisters: On Location by Mary Wilcox
Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty*
Second Helpings by Megan McCafferty*
Charmed Thirds by Megan McCafferty* (reread)
Buried Onions by Gary Soto*
The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner*
While I Live by John Marsden *
Princess Nevermore by Dian Curtis Regan*
The Warrior's Daughter by Holly Bennett
I Was A Teenage Popsicle by Bev Katz Rosenbaum*
Huge by Sasha Paley
Sk8er Boy by Mari Mancusi*
Into the Void (Pandora's Box Trilogy Book One) by Adam Teachout
Cam's Quest by Dian Curtis Regan*

May

May was the worst reading month yet for me, numbers-wise (but I'm hoping I'll read a lot while on vacation this month to make up for it). I might actually be missing a few here as I was ALSO bad at keeping track of what I read, but I only wrote down twelve books.

Top Pick:
First Light by Rebecca Stead

Runners-up (just three as I only read twelve books):
The Queen of Attolia
The King of Attolia
The Nature of Jade

Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz* (reread)
Masquerade by Melissa de la Cruz*
Playing the Field by Phil Bildner
The Nature of Jade by Deb Caletti*
The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner*
The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner*
First Light by Rebecca Stead*
It's Not About The Accent by Caridad Ferrer
To Catch A Pirate by Jade Parker
Heaven Looks A Lot Like The Mall by Wendy Mass
Sofi Mendoza's Guide to Getting Lost in Mexico by Malin Alegria
Defining Dulcie by Paul Acampora

UPDATE:
I will be on a plane to London on Thursday. I'll be visiting several places in England, and then Southern Spain. I'm very excited about this trip, but I won't have internet while I'm gone! Send me an email or leave me a comment or a message somewhere, but just know I won't get back to you until at least the end of this month. However, I'll be bringing lots of books along to read and I'll have reviews for you when I get back!

Review: Huge by Sasha Paley

2007-04-30T20:15:00.000-07:00

HUGE deals with a topic that is apparently in the media more and more these days (though I myself haven't seen it much): fat camp. Wellness Canyon is a high-end fat camp where two very different girls, April and Wil, are paired as roommates. April has saved all year for this, despite a lack of support from her mom. She wants to lose some weight and gain the popularity she's always wanted. Wil wants to be anywhere but Wellness Canyon. Her wealthy parents have sent her as she's a public relations nightmare: they own the high-profile chain of Excalibur Gyms. Wil's revenge on them is to enter Wellness Canyon with a huge stash of sweets and be the first kid in camp history to actually gain weight while there.

Of course, as it's full of teenagers with raging hormones, there's more than weight loss going on at Wellness Canyon. When April and Wil start crushing on the same guy, football playing hottie Colin, their relationship gets even more tense. Can they make it through the summer together and maybe even become friends?

A lot of HUGE is your typical summer camp story. Sasha Paley does a great job of creating at least two fleshed-out, interesting characters (although their development as the story goes on is lacking), though some secondary characters sometimes seem a little flat. Paley is a talented writer, but the popular-kids-are-mean message is maybe a little heavy, and, despite what the back cover says about learning to accept yourself, I felt like she was saying more that being skinny is better than being fat, even if she never came out and said it. Despite this, HUGE is a fairly satisfying read, and I'm looking forward to seeing what Sasha Paley writes next!

Rating: 8/10

**Also posted on TeensReadToo.com**

Review: Sk8er Boy by Mari Mancusi

2007-04-30T19:59:00.000-07:00

SK8ER BOY was not a book that I really expected to stay with me. I, like everyone else, am guilty of sometimes judging a book by its cover (or at least the title and back cover summary), and this book didn't seem all that special to me, but, as I enjoyed Mari Mancusi's Boys That Bite, I picked it up, and boy, was I ever surprised!

Yeah, it was kind of typical in some ways. It was the not entirely original story of a rich, Harvard-bound teen rebelling against high parental expectations. Dawn Miller's parents schedule every minute of her life; when she's not at school, she's at some extra-curricular activity aimed at getting her into Harvard. Her only friends are shallow and mean--but they're rich, making them the right friends for her in her parents' eyes.

Dawn (this name never felt right for the character to me, for some reason) is tired of it all. So when she meets Starr and is invited to skip some of her many extra-curriculars and watch some skaters downtown, Dawn surprises herself by accepting the invitation--and boy, is she glad she did. She meets Sean, a sweet, hot, but poor skater from the wrong side of town, and she falls for him, big time. Only problem? She doesn't think she can really bring him home to her parents.

What made this book different was Mancusi's skill with words and her talent at creating wonderful characters. The characters made all the difference; they felt real enough to step right off the page (pardon the cliche!). Whatever it was, this book had a spark that made it really stand out, and I continued thinking about it for some time even after I was done with the last page!

Rating: 9/10

Review: I Was A Teenage Popsicle by Bev Katz Rosenbaum

2007-04-30T19:37:00.000-07:00

I WAS A TEENAGE POPSICLE is a fun page-turner with a great sci-fi twist! Floe Ryan died of an incurable disease when she was sixteen, and her parents make, ah, interesting arrangements for her: she is frozen. Or, more accurately, vitrified. Whatever you call it, when Floe wakes up ten years later when a cure for her disease has been discovered, the world is more than a little confusing! While waiting for her parents to be thawed, she has to live with her younger sister, Sunny--who is now older than Floe, is married, and has a baby. Plus, Floe is way behind on new trends and technology. She's not entirely alone, though--she's got Taz, a hot skater from her old school who was vitrified around the same time as Floe, and thawed at the same time as well.

Some people with way too little faith in cryonics, though, mess things up way more than Floe thought was possible. They're trying to sue the Venice Beach Cryonics Center and force it to close--and Floe's parents haven't even been thawed yet! If she doesn't want to be stuck living with Sunny and without her parents forever, Floe and a few trusted friends have to come up with a way to save the Center, and fast.

I WAS A TEENAGE POPSICLE is an awesomely 'cool' futuristic and fun read that's full of lifelike, interesting characters about whom I can't wait to read more in the upcoming sequel, BEYOND COOL. Bev Katz Rosenbaum has an obvious talent for great ideas and a wonderful way with words! Floe Ryan is one of my favorite fictional characters in a long time, and I know I can't be the only one who feels that way. Her relationship with Taz, however, didn't always feel entirely real to me. Despite that, this book is a definite page-turner; I couldn't put it down!

Rating:9/10

March 2007 Review List

2007-04-07T17:29:00.000-07:00

March 2007 Reading List

I know I'm further behind than ever on reviews, and I'm really sorry! There's so much going on in my life right now; I'm on the go twenty-four hours a day, it seems sometimes! However, I'll try to get caught up in April--both with reviewing and with reading as, I'm sorry to say, March was not a big reading month at all. I only read 16 books (if I counted correctly, that is--keeping track of them is another thing I've been doing a less than stellar job with). My top pick?

Does My Head Look Big In This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah

And the runners-up, in no particular order:

Beige by Cecil Castellucci
Repossessed by AM Jenkins
Looking For Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta
The Poker Diaries by Liza Conrad
Rock My World by Liza Conrad

As you can see, I think Liza Conrad is amazingly talented, with two in the top six! Of course, all of those other authors have tremendous talent as well :)

And then my reading list, with stars by those I rated 9 or above (out of ten)(note: I haven't exactly written about all of these yet so some of the stars or lack of are just guesses before really thinking about the book and I may change it later! Although I am trying to be stingy with my stars as of now :D):

Beige by Cecil Castellucci*
The Poker Diaries by Liza Conrad*
So Not The Drama by Paula Chase*
Rock My World by Liza Conrad*
Repossessed by AM Jenkins*
Does My Head Look Big In This? By Randa Abdel-Fattah*
Looking For Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta*
Lucky T by Kate Brian
Hollywood Bliss: My Life So Far by Chloe Rayban (note on this one: I was pleasantly surprised when I got the galley--my review for curledupkids.com of the first in the series is quoted in it!)
Just In Case by Meg Rosoff
Maximum Ride: Saving The World and Other Extreme Sports by James Patterson
The Making of Dr Truelove by Derrick Barnes*
Abarat by Clive Barker* (reread…Like I had time to reread books this month!)
The Named by Marianne Curley
The Dark by Marianne Curley
The Key by Marianne Curley

Review: Sweetblood by Pete Hautman

2007-03-13T18:33:00.001-07:00

Review: Sweetblood by Pete Hautman

Lucy Szabo is diabetic, and that’s lead her to think up some interesting theories about vampires. Lucy believes that vampire legends were inspired by dying diabetics--the uncontrollable thirst, the deathlike appearance.

When Lucy gets involved with an interesting crowd--including a “real” vampire, a cute boy from school, and a bunch of burnout Goths--she starts to lose control of her life. She’s sneaking out at night, her grades are plummeting rapidly, and she passes out at school because of an insulin reaction. Lucy’s life is falling apart, and only she can pull the pieces together again.

SWEETBLOOD is definitely an interesting novel, and very original. It’s interesting in terms of Lucy’s theories, in terms of how vampire legends started, but also just as a personal story, as the story of Lucy’s life. There are good, intriguing characters throughout the novel, and it’s quite well-written. It’s not one that captivated me from page one, or took my breath away, but it’s good, solid, and very much worth reading.

Rating: 9/10

Review: Dream Journal by Karen Halvorsen Schreck

2007-03-13T18:30:00.001-07:00

Review: Dream Journal by Karen Halvorsen Schreck

Livy Moore is sixteen years old, and facing something no sixteen year old should have to face. Her mother is dying. Upon learning this, upon hearing for certain that it is inevitable, Livy shuts herself off from her friends, from her family, and from her own life.

Recording it all in her journal, Livy shares with readers the powerful emotions involved in love, loss, and life. She’s forced out of her hiding place, forced to confront the reality that hiding from life will not make it all go away and will not make it any easier.

DREAM JOURNAL is a painful, honest, and wonderfully written story that should not be missed. Populated by realistic characters and full of the emotions that make Livy’s story real, it’s a sad, hopeful story, and one readers will not soon forget.

Rating: 9/10

Review: Prom Dates From Hell by Rosemary Clement-Moore

2007-03-13T18:27:00.000-07:00

Review: Prom Dates From Hell by Rosemary Clement-Moore

Maggie Quinn is counting down to graduation day when her miserable but normal high school experience is invaded by the paranormal. Some seriously freaky stuff is happening to the Avalon High elite, and while Maggie isn’t exactly sorry to see her school’s ruling class have their lives messed up, she knows she can’t let anything serious happen to them.

While any girl could play detective, Maggie’s got something extra on her side. She’s got some special “abilities” that she’s long been ignoring--but she can’t do that any longer. She’s got to use her skills to catch whoever set a demon on the school’s popular crowd-and stop it before it’s too late! Even if it might mean-shudder- going to prom.

This is a fabulous supernatural mystery! I love the characters, especially Maggie, and Rosemary Clement-Moore is a wonderful storyteller. This fast-paced, well-written adventure had me hooked from the start, and kept me that way! I would love to see more of these characters, and more from a great author. It’s tough to come up with a supernatural story (or any story really) that doesn’t seem as if it’s been told before, but PROM DATES FROM HELL achieves that! I can’t wait to see what Rosemary Clement-Moore comes up with next.

Rating: 9.5/10

Review: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

2007-03-13T18:25:00.000-07:00

Review: City Of Bones: The Mortal Instruments Book One by Cassandra Clare

Clary Fray thinks she’s a fairly ordinary fifteen-year-old girl--until the world as she knows it falls apart, all starting the night she and her best friend, Simon, visit the Pandemonium Club. Sure, in a city the size of New York, a lot of weird things happen; but Clary didn’t expect to witness one of the weirdest.

What she sees that night is a murder, a murder committed by tattoo-covered teenagers no one else can see--a murder with no body left behind. That’s certainly a sign that Clary’s life is about to get a little farther away from normal, and it certainly does so.

Clary’s life is falling to pieces. Her mother goes missing. Clary is attacked by a creature- a demon. She’s seeing things no one else can--including the Shadowhunters, demon hunters whose world is hidden within Clary’s own. She meets three young Shadowhunters - Jace, Alec, and Isabelle - and is quickly sucked into their world, searching for her mother, trying to protect herself, trying to sort out what’s real, what’s true, and what’s not. It is, obviously, a bit much for anyone to handle, but Clary’s got no choice. Along the way, she’s discovering her past, herself, and just who the Shadowhunters really are.

This debut novel from a brilliant, smart new voice in Young Adult literature is a marvelous adventure, full of fantastic twists and turns just when they’re least expected. The complexity of the story, the threads from the past and present intertwined, is reminiscent of the Harry Potter series--and that’s high praise!

The writing of this magical story is excellent, and I was very impressed with the wonderfully lifelike characters and amazing magical world hidden within our own. I was reminded of Holly Black’s mastery of the urban fantasy genre. The captivating story told by the very talented Cassandra Clare in CITY OF BONES is surely the start of a brilliant series--I can’t wait for the next MORTAL INSTRUMENTS book. This fantasy is truly unforgettable.

Rating: 10/10

Review: Anatomy of a Boyfriend by Daria Snadowsky

2007-03-13T18:21:00.000-07:00

Review: Anatomy of a Boyfriend by Daria Snadowsky

ANATOMY OF A BOYFRIEND is a sometimes funny, sometimes painful, and always honest look at seventeen-year-old model student Dominique’s first relationship. When she meets track-star Wes, her life changes. Suddenly, she’s falling head-over-heels in love, and it’s scary. Scary and wonderful and everything else in Dominique’s range of emotions.

Rather than being the magical, unrealistic love story so often told, Dom and Wes’s relationship is real. Amazing, yes, but not without its awkward moments--and Daria Snadowsky tells the whole story, awkward moments and all.

ANATOMY OF A BOYFRIEND is an honest, straightforward look at sex and relationships, and the story is certainly populated by good characters, but sometimes it’s less than compelling. Perhaps this is because that’s all it’s about. It’s a story of first love, not a story in which a character first falls in love. Maybe a little more is needed to make an entirely captivating novel, but this one is still well worth reading.

Rating: 8.5/10

Review: Ironside by Holly Black

2007-03-13T18:18:00.001-07:00

Review: Ironside: A Modern Faery’s Tale by Holly Black

Basically, IRONSIDE is a continuation of the story of Kaye and Roiben. Roiben is crowned ruler of the Unseelie Court, but he doesn’t want Kaye to have to be involved in the dangerous and deceitful faerie world--even though no faerie can tell a lie, or perhaps because of that, faerie wit is as sharp and dangerous as any sword.

When Kaye declares her love or Roiben, in front of the entire court and drunk on faerie wine, he is forced to indulge her request for a quest to prove her love and earn her place in the court as his consort--but, fearing for his beloved, Roiben gives her a quest that seems impossible: Kaye must find a faerie who can lie.

As if that isn’t enough for one girl (er, pixie) to deal with, Kaye also tells her mother, Ellen, the truth about who she is: a changeling. Ellen wants her real daughter back, and Kaye is determined to do that for the woman who raised her.

Kaye is playing the deadly game of the faerie courts--and the odds are against this pixie, even with help from friends like Corny. Can she accomplish all that she’s set out to do?

IRONSIDE is certainly a fantastic book, but it unfortunately suffers from a slight case of “sequel syndrome,” meaning it is not so much a brilliant story within itself, but a continuation of other stories. Despite this, it’s a magical adventure, full of the amazing characters readers know and love, and taking place in the magical world to which fans of Holly Black will be very eager to return--and just as reluctant to leave when this book is over!

Rating: 9/10

Review: Better Than Yesterday by Robyn Schneider

2007-03-13T18:14:00.000-07:00

Review: Better Than Yesterday by Robyn Schneider

It’s summer session at the uber-competitive Hilliard Prep, and four freshman-year friends, now seniors, are reunited: Blake, the messed-up prankster; Marissa, the fiction addict; Skylar, the brainy fashionista; and Charley, who’s just trying to live up to his parents’ high expectations and still find time to follow his own dreams.

Everyone has their own problems. Skylar and Charley are competing for valedictorian, and Charley’s parents won’t stand for it if he’s beaten by a girl--a girl he might be in love with. Skylar is having to hide a secret from her past again, now that Blake’s back on campus--a secret involving Blake’s own older brother. Blake has plenty of problems, too, none of them with easy fixes.

When Blake takes off and it’s more obvious than ever that he’s in some serious trouble, Skylar, Marissa, and Charley know what they have to do for their friend, even if it means risking a lot of trouble back at Hilliard and at home. But that’s what friends are for, right?

This awesome story, fun but also serious and intriguing, is not compelling from page one, but it gets that way very quickly. Two great narrators, wonderful characters, complex relationships, and amazing writing make BETTER THAN YESTERDAY a debut novel from an author to watch!

Rating: 9/10

Review: The Possibility Of Firefiles by Dominique Paul

2007-03-13T18:12:00.001-07:00

Review: The Possibility Of Fireflies by Dominique Paul

THE POSSIBILITY OF FIREFLIES is a fresh, honest coming-of-age story starring Ellie, a fourteen-year-old girl whose mother is taking “a vacation from parenting,” leaving Ellie to rely on herself and her somewhat less than reliable older sister, Gwen.

That summer, as cliché as it sounds, Ellie really does find herself. She is forced to, really; with no one else to lean on, she has to. She also falls in “love” with Leo, her older neighbor and a musician. Ellie learns that only she has the power to change her world, to get away from her abusive mother.

This is a very good book, well written and full of wonderful characters. Dominique Paul is a talented author, as is obvious from reading THE POSSIBILITY OF FIREFLIES. This is an impressive debut novel from a brilliant new voice in teen literature. Watch out for more from Dominique Paul!

Rating: 10/10

Review: Rock My World by Liza Conrad

2007-03-10T13:45:00.000-08:00

Review: Rock My World: A Novel of Thongs, Spandex, and Love in G Minor by Liza Conrad

I really enjoyed Liza Conrad’s other two teen novels, High School Bites (read my review here) and The Poker Diaries (Check out TheEdgeOfTheForest.com for March to find out just how much!). They are both very different (one about poker and one about vampires) and very fabulous. So, of course, that’s what I expected in ROCK MY WORLD. But that’s not what I got; in fact, my expectations were really surpassed! Ths book is way more than fabulous. This book really did rock my world! Truly, it blew me away. The great writing, the power in this rather short (less than 200 pages) novel. When I read the last page, I didn’t set it down and move, within seconds, on to my next book. I couldn’t even put it in my to-review stack after all of the other books I really need to write about. I couldn’t get it out of my head! I sat and mulled it over for awhile, and then I just had to turn on my computer and start writing.

Livy James is the daughter of a rock star. Her life is not much like that of most teenagers. But is this anything like all of the other fun, fabulous stories about celebrities and those around them? No. I wouldn’t even put it in the same category. This is a powerful, deep story, not just entertaining. Not to say it isn’t plenty fun, too!

Livy, as a child, was surrounded by her father’s rock-star friends and bandmates. Sex, drugs, and rock and roll. As her best friend Cammie says often, it’s shocking that Livy didn’t turn out completely screwed up. Instead, she’s a talented young writer who has just landed an awesome assignment--covering the latest Babydolls tour, lead once again by her father, for Rock On magazine. It’s the first since that one infamous night in Paris, when Greg Essex, in love with Livy’s mother Anna, pulled a gun on Livy’s father.

Now, Livy, the Babydolls, Anna, Cammie, the band opening for the Babydolls, and the rest of the people needed to make a world tour happen are wowing crowds from Tokyo to LA, but that’s the least of the drama for Livy. She’s having a tough time following her own personal rule for the opposite sex (no musicians--she doesn’t want to repeat her parents’ mistakes), and the band isn’t nearly as tight as it used to be, thanks to that night in Paris that ended the guys’ friendship and made them just coworkers. Livy wants to find out the real truth about that night, but she’s learning that there may not be one real truth about why things fell apart. She does know, however, it might be up to her to put them back together. Of course, when she can’t even keep her own life together, who is Livy to fix those of other, older (but not necessarily wiser) people?

Liza Conrad is brilliant. She manages to say so much in these 179 pages, about music, family, love, friendship, and life. Breathtaking isn’t a word I use lightly, but I’d certainly use it talking about this novel. I couldn’t put this book down! It’s absorbing, wonderfully written, and populated with amazing characters. As Livy tries to unravel the threads of her own life and those around her, readers will follow her journey closely, and put it down only to seek more from Liza Conrad--if we’re lucky, maybe even more about Livy in the future! I found only one thing that I didn’t love about this book: the very cliché pairing off. The two sets of best friends get together, and it’s obvious from the beginning. Even if, individually, I did like the relationships, the pairing off shouldn’t have been so instantly obvious. Still, though, this is an amazing story on so many levels.

Rating: 9.9/10

February 2007 Reading List

2007-03-07T18:21:00.000-08:00

February 2007 Reading List

I read 35 books in February--quite a lot, especially considering it's the shortest month! I reread some old favorites, which was nice, but I also discovered some new fabulous books. I know that I'm really behind on reviews, but I'm working on it. Thanks for being patient! I've listed my favorites, but it was a VERY hard choice. I had it narrowed down to about half of them and I kept having to cut more out! There are sooo many awesome books out there. And without further ado...

And my top pick for February is:
City Of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Runners-up(this time in order from very favorite to still completely fabulous):
Girl At Sea by Maureen Johnson
Tattoo by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Septimus Heap Book Three: Physik by Angie Sage
Why I Let My Hair Grow Out by Maryrose Wood
Bloom by Elizabeth Scott

(*note: I limited these awards to books read for the first time, and also did not include the two Postsecret books, as this is more for novels)

Here's my February reading list, with stars for those books getting at least a 9/10 on my rating system (the other books are all great, too--a lot of them are 8.5/10!). There were quite a lot! I've also noted which books are re-reads.

Girl At Sea by Maureen Johnson*
Fringe Girl In Love by Valerie Frankel*
Bloom by Elizabeth Scott*
Saint Iggy by KL Going*
My Not-So-Terrible Time At The Hippie Hotel by Rosemary Graham
My Secret ed. by Frank Warren*
Postsecret ed. by Frank Warren*
Split Screen: Attack of the Soul-Sucking Brain Zombies & Bride of the Soul-Sucking Brain Zombies by Brent Hartinger*
Going Nowhere Faster by Sean Beaudoin*
Septimus Heap Book Three: Physik by Angie Sage*
Tattoo by Jennifer Lynn Barnes*
Anatomy of a Boyfriend by Daria Snadowsky
The Faerie Path by Frewin Jones
Ironside by Holly Black*
Better than Yesterday by Robyn Schneider*
More Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet by Lola Douglas*
Flawless by Sara Shepard
The 310: Boy Trouble by Beth Killian*
City Of Bones by Cassandra Clare*
Forging the Sword by Hilari Bell*
Magic's Child by Justine Larbalestier*
The Thief Queen's Daughter by Elizabeth Haydon*
WorldWeavers: Gift of the Unmage by Alma Alexander
The Possibility of Fireflies by Dominique Paul*
This is PUSH ed. by David Levithan
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer* (reread)
New Moon by Stephenie Meyer* (reread)
Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce* (reread)
In The Hand of the Goddess by Tamora Pierce* (reread)
The Woman Who Rides Like A Man by Tamora Pierce* (reread)
Lioness Rampant by Tamora Pierce* (reread)
The Will of the Empress by Tamora Pierce* (reread)
Graffiti Girl by Kelly Parra*
Why I Let My Hair Grow Out by Maryrose Wood*
Gettin' Lucky by Micol Ostow

Review: Angels on Sunset Boulevard by Melissa de la Cruz

2007-02-11T10:52:00.001-08:00

ANGELS ON SUNSET BOULEVARD is a wonderful new novel from the rather brilliant author of BLUE BLOODS, FRESH OFF THE BOAT, and more. TAP is a social networking site much like Myspace for kids in Los Angeles, and Taj, Nick, and Johnny Silver, are, of course, members, along with everyone worth knowing. It seems innocent enough at first, but it turns out to be much darker than it seems.

The Angels Practice is not just a website anymore. It has invaded their real lives, and it's a rather sinister cult. They don't wear orange robes and solicit people in airports; instead, TAP has parties, rituals, and a mysterious drug that can be mixed with Kool-Aid.

When kids start disappearing, the sinister nature of TAP seems to be getting a little closer to discovery, especially when it's the famous Johnny Silver who vanishes into thin air. Taj, his girlfriend, takes it upon herself to look into his disappearance, but she doesn't look too closely--until she meets Nick, whose sister has been sucked in by TAP. And once you're in? You can't get out.

The best part of ANGELS ON SUNSET BOULEVARD is the characters. The suspenseful story will keep you on the edge of your seat, and Melissa de la Cruz has proven herself to be a wonderful writer, but that extra dimension is added by the realistic, interesting characters involved in the story. Of course, the whole idea of TAP is original and darkly fascinating; it is scarily real, too, showing the far reaches of the power that the internet can have. There's not a dull moment in the book; plot twists are around every corner, and each new discovery leads to more questions.

It's an excellent book, and my only gripe with the story is this: nothing is resolved! It ends with more questions than it starts with! Cliffhangers are just evil. Also, books should be complete stories in and of themselves, even if they don't answer all the questions that readers have. If it's a good enough book in the first place, a cliffhanger isn't needed to make the reader buy the next in the series. Still, I can't wait to find out what happens next!

Review: Life, Love and the Pursuit of Free Throws by Jannette Rallison

2007-02-03T07:30:00.001-08:00

Josie and Cami are best friends, but they’re both jealous of each other. It seems, to each of them, so easy for the other to get what she wants. Josie wants Ethan Lancaster’s attention. It’s all she can think about. She loves basketball, but to her it’s just a game. To Cami, however, it’s serious, and she would kill to have Josie’s talent on the court. Josie is just as jealous of Cami, though. No matter how much Josie crushes on Ethan, she always seems to be humiliating herself around him--he and Cami, however, seem to be interacting way more than he and Josie ever have.

LIFE, LOVE, AND THE PURSUIT OF FREE THROWS is a cute and fun book, though a little dull at times. The story is told in chapters where Josie and Cami take turns narrating--but their voices are often indistinguishable. Even though the characters have the same interests, one would expect them to be at least a little different from each other--but this is not the case throughout most of the book. Still, though, this is a fun read; just pick it up at the library if you have the chance, and spend your money on more phenomenally awesome books.

Rating:7.5/10

**This review also posted on TeensReadToo.com**

Review: The Boy Book by E. Lockhart

2007-02-03T07:24:00.000-08:00

THE BOY BOOK is a continuation of the adventures of Ruby Oliver, or Roo, as she is called by friends and family, who was introduced, along with many of said friends and family, in the fantastic book THE BOYFRIEND LIST. In this second installment, Ruby is still not speaking to two of her old group of friends, only sort of speaking to the other one, and also still not even friendly with her old boyfriend, Jackson--now Kim’s boyfriend, and Ruby and Kim wouldn’t be on speaking terms even if Kim were at Tate Prep rather than all the way in Tokyo.

It’s not all bad, though. Ruby and Nora might have another shot at friendship. And Ruby’s got Meghan and Noel. Maybe even Angelo. And she’ll always have her therapist, Dr. Z. She’s got her parents, too, as crazy as they may be, and possibly even Hutch, who helps her dad out sometimes, despite his weirdness.

The excerpts from Kim and Ruby’s boy book start out each chapter with a bit of hilarity, and the rest of the book is brilliant as well. This is a fun but not entirely fluffy, well-written book that is full of wonderful characters. Not only were the characters interesting and real, but their relationships were, too; there were no excessive, unrealistic fairy-tale endings here. That doesn’t mean it all ended in tragedy; things usually do work out okay, in this book and in real life, but that doesn’t mean it ends like Beauty and the Beast or Cinderella. That can be good and bad (there were some things I’d have loved to see work out, but realistically, I guess they couldn’t), but more good than bad. I’m hoping to read more about Ruby Oliver in the future. This is an honest, funny book, and as much as I loved THE BOYFRIEND LIST, I liked this one even better!

Rating: 9.5/10

January Reading

2007-02-03T07:21:00.000-08:00

Here’s a list of the 33 books I read in January! But before the entire list, I’d like to announce the Best Book Read In January 2007!

And the winner is…

Ophelia by Lisa Klein !!!!!!!

And the runners-up:

Set in Stone by Linda Newbery

Angels on Sunset Boulevard by Melissa de la Cruz

The Sledding Hill by Chris Crutcher

Kitty Goes Californian by Pepper McNeil

The Book Of Luke by Jenny O’Connell

It was really difficult to narrow down to six books (Ophelia was the clear winner, as it is my new favorite book ever!). I read so many great books this month! Those that I rated a 9 or higher have a star beside them. 17 of the books got at least a 9 rating! That’s over half—meaning I read a ton of good books this month. And some of these ratings were really hard to decide between, say 8 and 9—so if I were to reread each of these books, these ratings might change. And here’s the list, in order from the beginning of the month to the end. (Reviews still to come on many of these--check tbrlist.blogspot.com for most of the others)

Charmed Thirds by Megan McCafferty*

The Scarlet Letterman by Cara Lockwood*

Foreign Exposure: The Social Climber Abroad by Lauren Mechling and Laura Moser*

Angels on Sunset Boulevard by Melissa de la Cruz*

Battle of the Bands by KL Denman

Ophelia by Lisa Klein*

The Unresolved by TK Welsh

Loving Will Shakespeare by Carolyn Meyer

Set In Stone by Linda Newbery*

Secrets of a South Beach Princess by Mary Kennedy

Skinny by Ibi Kaslik*

The Riddles of Epsilon by Christine Morton-Shaw

The Big Shuffle by Laura Pedersen*

Private by Kate Brian

In the Company of Crazies by Nora Raleigh Baskin

The Sledding Hill by Chris Crutcher*

Secrets of My Hollywood Life: On Location by Jen Calonita*

Kitty Goes Californian by Pepper McNeil*

Getting It by Alex Sanchez

Gender Blender by Blake Nelson

Street Love by Walter Dean Myers

A Girl Like Moi by Lisa Barham*

Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Free Throws by Janette Rallison

The Boy Book by E Lockhart*

Rubber Houses by Ellen Yeomans

The Actual Reality of Jennifer James by Gillian Shields*

The Hollywood Sisters: Backstage Pass by Mary Wilcox

Prom Dates From Hell by Rosemary Clement-Moore*

The Absolutely Worst Places to Live in America by Dave Gilmartin

The Book of Luke by Jenny O’Connell*

Sweetblood by Pete Hautman*

Not Like You by Deborah Davis

Dream Journal by Karen Halvorsen Schreck

Review: Set in Stone by Linda Newbery

2007-01-29T10:22:00.001-08:00

SET IN STONE is a rather difficult story to explain, but I shall do the best I can.

Samuel Godwin, a young artist, has no idea what he is getting into when he accepts the job of art tutor to the teenaged daughters of Mr. Ernest Farrow. Moving to the grand house of his employer, Fourwinds, he comes to care for Juliana and Marianne Farrow, the two motherless girls, but also their governess and companion, Charlotte Agnew.

The beautiful house and its mysterious inhabitants hide many, many secrets which Samuel will soon discover, and much of the story is devoted to these discoveries. However, a big part of it is also how the household moves on after the tragedies of the past. Even those tragedies, however, are not what they seem. At Fourwinds, nothing is what it seems to be.

This beautifully written story is haunting and tragic, sure to captivate readers and keep them interested throughout it all. The suspenseful narrative switches back and forth between the perspectives of Samuel and Charlotte; this is an interesting way of telling the story, but not essential to the marvelous novel. The characters are magnificent and realistically portrayed, the plot well-crafted, and every aspect of the story excellent! It is a romantic, tragic, dark, and yet hopeful tale of lies, mysteries, and secrets that will capture readers’ imaginations and hearts, surely gaining Linda Newbery a new fan of anyone who picks it up despite the fact that no description written will do justice to this magnificent book.

SET IN STONE is good enough to gain itself a place in English classrooms, certainly--but it’s also a story that will entrance teenaged readers, unlike most of that which is thrust into their hands by teachers who make them into the reluctant readers they are.

While it is historical fiction, with most of the story taking place in the year 1898, the history is not the important part. Certainly, the time period in which it is set plays a part, as does all of the setting, but it does not make the story what it is. In this way, it reminded me a bit of Celia Rees’ THE WISH HOUSE (another one for anyone looking for a wonderful novel). SET IN STONE is a stunning tale by a brilliant author whose backlist I will surely be looking up!

Rating: 10/10

Review: Private by Kate Brian

2007-01-29T10:21:00.004-08:00

PRIVATE is the first in a series about a bunch of teenagers attending a posh private school in New England. It doesn’t sound like a particularly smart or original book, and that first impression would be, for the most part, correct. It’s not as fun to read as I would have expected, either, but it did get me hooked on the series--enough so that I’ll probably read INVITATION ONLY, book number two!

Reed Brennan is a scholarship student at Easton Academy eager to leave her dull suburban life, drug addicted mother, and complete lack of a social life behind in Croton, Pennsylvania, and Easton Academy looks like her ticket out. Reed will do anything to fit in with her overprivileged classmates, especially when the Billings Girls take notice of her. They’re the most popular and powerful clique on campus, and, being the new girl, joining their ranks seems, to Reed, like the perfect way to finally find her place at Easton Academy.

No part of this book is exceptionally wonderful, but it’s all good enough to pass a few hours reading it. None of it is exceptionally bad, either. The characters are rather flat but not terribly so, and the story itself is rather unoriginal but not horrible. The writing, too, is decent but not wonderful. I expected more from Kate Brian after reading her wonderful book MEGAN MEADE’S GUIDE TO THE MCGOWAN BOYS, but this book serves its purpose--it’s enough to get readers hooked on the series!

Rating: 7/10

Review: Ophelia by Lisa Klein

2007-01-29T10:21:00.003-08:00

Even those of us who haven’t read HAMLET probably know something of the story. Think hard enough, and you might even recall some details picked up from television, books, and other people. Remember Ophelia? Even if you don’t, you will still love this book. It’s HAMLET, retold from Ophelia’s point of view--and it’s quite different from the story William Shakespeare told! I haven’t read Shakespeare’s version, but I’m sure I’d like Lisa Klein’s better--this beautiful and tragic story is my new favorite book! And I don’t say that lightly; I always have trouble choosing favorites, but not in this case.

Ophelia is simply one girl of many in the Danish court. Hamlet is the prince. What are the odds that he’ll even notice this girl? It’s not likely, but he does. Even less likely, they fall in love. They keep it a secret, but all seems well; the two are blissfully happy in the way only lovers can be.

Soon, though, life at the court of Denmark turns dark. Bloodshed and madness take over what was once a happy place, and nothing is what it seems to be. Loyalties are changing, lives are at stake, and Ophelia does not know what to do. Her beloved Hamlet is a part of the madness; indeed, perhaps the source of much of it. When she runs out of options, Ophelia does what she feels she must.

I don’t want to give away too much of the story from this point on, but rest assured it is very different from Shakespeare’s telling of it. And it is nothing short of brilliant. OPHELIA is a gripping, beautifully written novel with so many elements of a marvelous story: love, conspiracy, danger, despair, deceit, murder, madness, mystery…This story lacks nothing that would make it more brilliant--except maybe a few hundred more pages or a sequel!

OPHELIA is a smart, well thought out novel full of wonderful characters and surprising plot twists. This dark, emotional, and powerfully written novel is certainly a tragedy; we know that from Shakespeare. However, all through it, there is a note of hope, even when all seems hopeless.

I’m sure those who have read HAMLET would enjoy Lisa Klein’s retelling of the story, but one doesn’t have to have read that to enjoy OPHELIA. Anyone will enjoy this moving, romantic, and breathtaking work of art.

Rating: 10/10

Review: Loving Will Shakespeare by Carolyn Meyer

2007-01-29T10:21:00.001-08:00

Anne Hathaway is simply a “yeoman’s daughter,” and Will Shakespeare is a boy who will someday grow up to write plays for the court of the queen of England--and leave his loving wife behind for the excitement of London. Anne is seven years older than Will. They are very different, but, despite their many differences, they become friends, and eventually lovers. Everyone has heard the tale of William Shakespeare’s will, and how he gives to Anne only is “Second best bed.” There have been many interpretations of that--is it some inside joke, or is did he simply feel his wife was second best? No one will ever know, but that doesn’t make this story any less interesting

I suppose that most of my issues with this story lie with the story itself, or, rather, the ending of it, but that is history, and thus unchangeable. The idea of LOVING WILL SHAKESPEARE is a brilliant one (despite the fact that history cannot be changed), but the story itself fell rather short of my high expectations for it. Anne was a wonderful character, but she was the only one who felt consistently real. The minor characters, even Will, sometimes seemed as believable as Anne, but much of the time they were flat and two-dimensional. Carolyn Meyer’s writing, however, was quite good. Despite its shortcomings, this is a story worth reading, and I’ll probably read more by Carolyn Meyer.

Rating: 8.5/10

Review: Getting It by Alex Sanchez

2007-01-29T10:17:00.000-08:00

GETTING IT is not the best written book I’ve ever read, but it does tackle some tough issues quite admirably, with likeable characters and a fairly believable plot. Carlos Amoroso is convinced that he’s the only fifteen-year-old virgin around, and he wants to change that. He’s got his eye on Roxy Rodriguez--but she doesn’t even notice his existence, and Carlos doesn’t know how to change that. While watching television one night, he flips to Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. It gives Carlos an idea.

He asks Sal, the guy at school everyone says is gay, to help him out. In exchange for making over Carlos so that girls will notice him, Sal wants help starting a Gay-Straight Alliance at their school. Carlos isn’t sure what he thinks about that--one thing he inherited from his father is homophobia--but he’ll agree to anything to get Roxy’s attention.

The issues addressed in this novel are important, and the characters are good. Alex Sanchez’s writing doesn’t really flow as well as it should; it’s a bit awkward and inconsistent sometimes. However, GETTING IT is not a bad book; it has potential, certainly, but it could be better. It’s worth reading, though, especially if you’re interested in books about gay teenagers (Carlos is not gay, of course, but homophobia is the main issue addressed in this book), or specifically gay Latino teenagers. I might even pick up more by Alex Sanchez!

Rating: 8/10

Review: Kitty Goes Californian by Pepper McNeil

2007-01-29T10:16:00.000-08:00

Kitty is a New York City surfer chick (how many of those are there? As Kitty says, Manhattan is the one island with no surfing around!) who goes to spend the summer with her father in California. To her, it sounds like a summer in paradise--she loves her father, and she loves surfing! She says goodbye to her NYC family and friends, packs up Trixie, her surfboard, and heads to the West Coast, eager to start her summer surfing adventure.

Not all goes as planned. First of all, everyone she sees on the California waves is good. Kitty’s from Manhattan; she doesn’t measure up to the Cali surfer-gods and -goddesses! Before long, though, she meets Zeke, who helps her to get out there in the water and do what she loves. She already loves surfing, but could she be falling for Zeke, too?

This is a fabulous romantic surfing adventure! To enjoy this book, you don’t have to be a surfer, though--just because Kitty’s all about the waves doesn’t mean everyone else can’t enjoy this awesome story. The story idea is fun, certainly, but what really made me love it was Kitty’s distinctive voice. Pepper McNeil has really captured the character of Kitty on paper, and the results are amazing! All of the characters are pretty great, though. There were very few moments where the awesomeness of the story did not shine through; the vast majority of this book was brilliant! Pepper McNeil is a talented writer, and I’d love to read more from her--I’d be thrilled to see a sequel to KITTY GOES CALIFORNIAN!

Rating: 9/10

**Review also posted on TeensReadToo.com**

Review: How It's Done by Christine Kole Maclean

2007-01-09T16:10:00.001-08:00

Grace is an eighteen-year-old girl who wants to, like any other teenager, break free of her home, the life she's always known, and her parents. Grace wants independence from her strict, fundamentalist Christian father and the house that looks like every other house on the street, in the neighborhood that is a prison to her.

When she meets older, charismatic college professor Michael, she thinks he is her escape. He's not that much older than her, and he is oh so much more worldly and mature than the boys her age. Grace falls head over heels in love.

She had anticipated a life full of excitement, sophistication and happiness with him, but being involved with Michael brings unexpected complications to Grace's life. She doesn't want to stay with her father, but she's having doubts about her relationship with Michael, too…What is the right choice, and will Grace have the guts to make it?

HOW IT'S DONE is a wonderful book that should be required reading for everyone, especially teenage girls! Readers will feel drawn along with Grace as she is pulled into her love for Michael, as it changes her life. They will feel her elation as her life seems to be improving, and her helplessness and despair as the reality behind all that she thinks is true comes to light, and she is forced to deal with all of it at once.

Christine Kole Maclean, with her excellent writing, has created magnificent, believable characters who are all a part of the fantastic story she tells in HOW IT'S DONE. This is a brilliant, flawless novel in every way. It's a must-read!

Rating: 10/10

Review: An Order of Amelie, Hold the Fries by Nina Schindler

2007-01-09T16:09:00.000-08:00

AN ORDER OF AMELIE, HOLD THE FRIES is told in a series of notes, text messages, letters, and emails, mostly between Tim and Amelie. Tim is walking on the street one day, watching a beautiful girl, when, miraculously, a scrap of paper falls out of her bag--with a name and address on it!

He writes to the address, only to learn that the girl he is writing to, Amelie, is not the beautiful one he saw on the street that day. Undaunted, he keeps writing, undeterred by Amelie's efforts to get him out of her life and interested in girls his own age (she's a few years older). The two strike up an unlikely friendship, and then--could it be? A romance?

The form of this book is very interesting. The words that go between the two characters (as well as a few other characters) are not just pictured as text on a page; they are illustrated by very interesting and cool pieces of art. For instance, one page has text messages exchanged by Tim and Amelie where they discuss meeting at a Chinese restaurant. Each message appears on the screen of a white line drawing of a cell phone against a background that is a dim photograph of a Chinese restaurant. The way this book is set up adds a lot to the story. It also makes it a quick read; even reluctant readers might like this one!

The depth that Nina Schindler manages to give her characters through a short book with only the letters, notes, text messages, and emails of the characters involved is remarkable. It's a great story, too; how Tim and Amelie meet is quite original! This is a great book, one not to be missed.

Rating: 9.5/10

Review: Terrier: Beka Cooper Book One by Tamora Pierce

2007-01-09T16:08:00.000-08:00

TERRIER is the latest from a brilliant author whose earlier works you've got to read if you haven't already! My expectations for this book, as it is by Tamora Pierce, were, of course, quite high, and I was not disappointed. This might be my new favorite of hers (though it still might be beat out by the Song of the Lioness quartet--it's close), which is certainly saying a lot.

It's the story of Beka Cooper, a Lower City girl and member of the Provost's Guard who lives centuries before Alanna the Lioness and those characters of her world known to fans of Tamora Pierce's other work. Beka lives in the dark time spoken of in one of the Alanna books when every sword, whether held by a man or a woman, was needed. Indeed, Alanna was not the first Lady Knight; hundreds of years before, women could earn their shields without having to hide who they were. In fact, one of the many fascinating characters known to Beka is a lady knight named Sabine. She reminded me of Alanna. Mattes, one of the guardsmen whose job it is to train Beka in their ways, reminds me of one of Alanna's friends, Raoul. Rosto is quite like George Cooper (whose ancestor Beka is!) as well. And fans of the Song of the Lioness quartet will also recognize Beka's cat, Pounce!

When Beka trains to be a Puppy in the Guard, she knows someday she'll be a Dog, and she wants to be a good one. She's quite excited to be assigned to one of the best pairs in the Lower City; indeed, in all of Corus! She knows it'll be hard work, that Mattes and Clary will work her hard, but she's ready for it. This is what she wants to do. She's aided by her friends, her cat, and her magical Gifts of listening to the winds and to the pigeons who carry the souls of the dead.

Soon after she starts her work, Beka learns of some dangerous goings-on in the Lower City, and it's up to her to stop it, as only a true Lower City girl could--one with Beka's listening talents, at that. She knows the people, she knows their ways, and she is uniquely fit for figuring out what's going on in her neighborhood, and that is what she will do.

The format of TERRIER is different from that of Pierce's other books. It's told as Beka's journal, for one thing, meaning it's in first person. All of her other novels are in third person! It's certainly a change, but she does quite well with it. The only problem is the length of some of these journal entries! Beka is tired from her work as a Puppy; she's not going to write twenty, thirty pages in her journal at night! She probably won't even remember enough to write such long entries! That is the only flaw I found in this book, and that's easy to overlook. This is a page-turner, a wonderfully written story, with amazing characters. Whether you're a fan of Tamora Pierce, of fantasy, or of books in general, read this book!

Rating: 9.7/10

Review: Battle of the Bands by K.L. Denman

2007-01-09T16:07:00.000-08:00

When picking up BATTLE OF THE BANDS, don't expect the deep reading experience you'd get from a full-length novel. As long as you don't make the assumption that this quick read manages to cover all of that, you'll love it!

Jay, Kel, and Cia are the Lunar Ticks. They love their music, and work hard to get their band to the top. They compete against other bands, and they're pretty good--but they could never beat Indigo Daze, fronted by the beautiful Rowan. They don't have Rowan's talent--and Jay isn't sure he can keep writing songs. That's not his only problem, though; he's also got his life to deal with, as does anyone else.

BATTLE OF THE BANDS says a lot in a half-hour's read. It's powerful and attention grabbing, telling a fascinating story of love, life, and music. The characters are wonderful; I'd love to read a sequel (perhaps a longer one rather than one written for reluctant readers), maybe from the point of view of one of the other characters--Cia or Rowan would be most interesting to me personally. It's definitely a good book, and K.L. Denman has the potential to be a brilliant writer. I hope she turns her talents to a longer, higher-level book next time--I wasn't ready for this shorter story to be over when it was!

Rating: 8.5/10

Review: Forever In Blue by Ann Brashares

2007-01-09T16:06:00.000-08:00

**This one, book number four, is being released today!**

Forever In Blue is the fourth and, I believe, final installment in Ann Brashares' popular Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series. I myself have loved each of the previous books in the series, and I'm sure many of you have, too.

This fourth book was slightly disappointing. Sure, it was great; I doubt Ann Brashares is capable of writing a bad book! However, I didn't think the ending tied up enough loose ends, considering there will probably not be any more books in the series. It left some loose ends, which is fine if you're planning on a sequel...but not so much for the last book. But perhaps that's just a matter of personal taste. And it's not like everything was left dangling, but not everything was tied up, either. I also missed the presence of a couple of familiar characters--for the most part, the girls' families and significant others weren't as present in this book as I would have liked. I especially missed Bridget's boyfriend, Eric. I was also disappointed that Carmen's relationship with Win didn't work out (this is revealed early on), and I felt that some of the new characters weren't as realistic as the old (Carmen has a friend, Julia, who didn't seem as real as she should have, for example).

However, it was exciting to find out what comes next for the girls of the Sisterhood. It's the summer after their first year of college. Now being apart is not just a summer thing; it's an all-the-time thing. Lena is spending her summer working on her artwork, and she meets a guy--but she can't forget about Kostos (I missed Kostos in this book...even though he made mistakes, he was a favorite of mine). Carmen goes with her actress friend, Julia, to a theater festival in Vermont. Bridget goes on an archaeological dig in Turkey. The destination itself wasn't what I would have expected for her, but something readers will connect to past books does happen--she falls for an older guy. This time, however, she has a boyriend (Eric) at home. I really didn't like this part of the book. It didn't seem completely like the Bridget I feel I've come to know in the past three books. Tibby stays in New York, and is having some problems with Brian, her boyfriend. This felt a lot more realistic than Bridget's problems. I missed seeing as much of Tibby's family and Brian as in the previous book, though...

Fans of the series will be glad to read this book, but it's not for those new to the Sisterhood. It's an enjoyable read, even if it didn't quite meet my high expectations! It was still well-written and full of great characters (even if a few were missing), and certainly worth reading.

Rating: 8.5/10

Happy New Year!

2007-01-06T11:54:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone has a great 2007! On to updates:

I have been reading a lot more than I've been reviewing, as I have limited internet access, so expect some reviews of awesome books within the next couple of weeks! Especially as I made one new year's resolution--read 365 books this year. Yup, a book a day. I've been keeping up so far!

Second, everyone go vote for your favorite review at the YABC Teen Reviewer Finalists page. Yes, I am one of the finalists, with my review of DEAR ZOE. Go pick your favorite and email your vote to Kim at kim@yabookscentral.com.

Third, yes, that newsletter contest is coming soon! As well as perhaps another contest...keep checking back for details (and sign up for the newsletter!).

I'll get the January contest round-up posted soon!

Such a Pretty Girl by Laura Wiess

2006-12-30T15:13:00.000-08:00

This is just a reminder that SUCH A PRETTY GIRL, Laura Wiess's fantastic book from MTV books, will be released January 2nd. Go out and buy it! Or, order from Amazon here.

You can read my review here.

Review: Trash by Sharon Darrow

2006-12-30T15:10:00.001-08:00

TRASH is a verse novel that continues telling the story Boy and Sissy Lexie, first introduced in Sharon Darrow’s novel THE PAINTERS OF LEXIEVILLE. It’s certainly not necessary to have read that first book (I haven’t), though--but I’m planning on it now that I’ve read this one. The best part of this book, I think, is the characters, and I’d love to read more about them.

Sure, the story is interesting, too: Boy and Sissy are teenagers now. They’ve been shipped around to various foster homes in a way that makes them feel like trash, especially since their mother discarded them like it. Now they’re living with the town trash collectors, a placement that seems especially fit using that comparison. It’ll never be home.

Boy says that home is where their big sister Raynell is, and Sissy thinks it’s the truth. So what do they do? They run away and go to find her. They think she’s in Little Rock, but it turns out that she moved to St. Louis and their foster parents didn’t deliver the message. They don’t know how to find her, so they start saving their money, and when they have enough, they go to St. Louis and search her out.

In St. Louis, they have a family with Raynell, her husband, Jobe, and their baby, Kylie. They also have new friends: Dolores and Tyrone. The four of them run around the city at night, climbing, jumping, and painting. They take new names with which to sign their graffiti: Boy and Sissy, who have always wanted real names, are now Atenz and Skye.

And then something unthinkable happens. Something terrible: Boy doesn’t look where he’s jumping, and in that split second of not looking, things change forever. Sissy’s life will never, ever be the same.

Both the story and characters in TRASH are interesting. My issue with this book is the form it takes. I do enjoy verse novels quite often, but they have to be done in a particular way to really be able to take the name verse novel. They have to flow and tell the story as well as a good novel does. I’m not sure that TRASH does this; the poetry is a little too artsy and doesn’t flow as smoothly as it should. The style of poetry doesn’t make for a novel so much as some random poems scribbled on sheets of notebook paper. Perhaps this is just personal preference, but I think Sharon Darrow could have told the story better if she’d written it as regular novel, the way the rest of her stories are told. Still, though, TRASH is worth reading.

Rating: 8/10

Review: Notes From The Teenage Underground by Simmone Howell

2006-12-29T13:52:00.000-08:00

I read the Australian version of this book (it comes out in the United States in 2007), so there may be a few slight differences (there were definitely differences in grammar that I noticed!). Hopefully that won’t include the cover; I love the Australian cover, and it fits the book perfectly!

NOTES FROM THE TEENAGE UNDERGROUND is a fantastic debut novel! It starts out with three best friends, Gem, Lo, and Mira, trying to come up with ideas for their summer project. The summer before was their Satan Summer; they dabbled in all things occult. The summer project has a theme, goals, and guides. This year, they want to do something spectacular; it could be their last summer project--who knows what the future will bring?

Lo is usually the one with ideas, but this time, Gem has some ideas of her own. Their theme for the year is Underground, whatever that means. Ug for short. Their guide? This is where Gem is inspired. She sees some of his work--four films of kissing couples playing over and over--at the National Gallery, and she decides, with a bit of help from her artsy mother, Bev, that Andy Warhol should be their guide into the world of the Underground (which at first kept making me think of riding the subway a lot…). She does some research into Andy Warhol, his work, his life, and the people around him, and then comes up a goal: to make an Underground film.

During the course of this project, Gem realizes a lot of things about her life and her relationships. She feels like her friendship with Lo and Mira is an isosceles triangle; the two of them are close together, and Gem is all alone at one end. She’s also being pressured to make some decisions about her future, as all seventeen-year-olds are. Her mother and Sharon, school counselor and Gem’s godmother, want her to go to University, but Gem’s a lot more interested in film school. Speaking of her love for movies, she’s starting to think she could love something else at Video City, where she works--her coworker, Dodgy. On top of all of this, Gem’s father, Rolf, has always been out of the picture, just sending the occasional weird haiku from where he lives out in the wilderness--but now it looks as though he could be stepping back into Gem’s life, at least for awhile.

This summer is a turning point in Gem’s life. When it’s all over, Gem will be different. Her life will be different. This much is pretty obvious. But how will things change?

I really, really loved this book. It was a lot of fun to read, and the idea of the summer project was very interesting, something that set this book apart from a ton of others. Almost all YA is about things changing, as that’s what’s always going on for teenagers, but Simmone Howell’s novel had something that makes it stand out in my mind! If it’s got Andy Warhol and obscure movies in it, it’s got to be different.

Gem is a wonderful character. I really felt, while reading this, as if I knew her. She’s very interesting, and what goes on in her mind is fascinating. I couldn’t put this book down! I woke up at one in the morning, for some reason anxious to finish this book. That almost never happens to me! As I’m writing this, it’s a little bit difficult to explain what about this book is so amazing, but there’s something. It really captures the teenage experience. Simmone Howell obviously remembers this time in her life very well! I’m going to have to revise my ‘Best of 2006’ list to add this one! This is a must read!

Rating: 10/10

**This review is also posted on TeensReadToo.com**

Review: See You Down The Road by Kim Ablon Whitney

2006-12-29T13:50:00.001-08:00

Review: See You Down The Road by Kim Ablon Whitney

Bridget and her family are Travelers. They’re a little-known group of people in America who travel around the country, making money in usually illegal ways, and keep to themselves, with their own traditions and way of life. People who aren’t Travelers are called Country, and Travelers usually isolate themselves from these people. They don’t trust them, and only interact with them to scam money off of them. Travelers only go to Country schools for a few years, just long enough to know what they need to.

Bridget is a little different from many Travelers in that way. She works Country jobs, as a cashier, and she’s been going to Country schools years longer than most other Traveler teenagers. Still, though, she keeps to the Traveler was most of the time. She and her friend Ann make their money by ripping off the local Kmart in whatever town they’re in. Her parents have arranged a marriage for her, with Ann’s brother Patrick. Her brother, Jimmy, has grown up helping their father fix driveways and roofs with watered-down sealant to make a better profit by scamming Country people.

Bridget doesn’t always like her life as a Traveler, but she doesn’t see a way out of it. She isn’t sure she wants to marry Patrick, even though he’s a nice guy and she does like him, but she’s never see any way out of it. Then, her uncle, Big Jim, takes Bridget, Jimmy, and Patrick with him all the way to Arizona, where they’ll pull off the biggest scam that Bridget’s ever been involved in. They’ll sell condos that don’t meet the building codes, and then run off with the money. The beauty of it is, the contractor won’t dare tell on them, as he’s the one who hired them to sell condos that don’t meet building codes.

In Arizona, Bridget has some time to think about a lot of things, maybe even figure out what she wants. But then she makes another discovery about her family, one that could change everything for Bridget…The choice is hers, but what will she decide?

Before reading SEE YOU DOWN THE ROAD, I had never heard of Travelers. I don’t think many people have, but they’re real people, and reading about them was very interesting. Their way of life is very different from the way most of us live, and this is an eye-opening book. Many of us don’t realize how differently some people live from us, not just in far away places but right here in the United States.

On top of that, SEE YOU DOWN THE ROAD is full of amazing characters, and is very well written. All of the characters are well drawn, realistic, and three-dimensional; even the very minor characters seem alive. The ending is not what we might expect from this sort of book, but it fits well, and is one that I really liked. It wasn’t predictable, and it was still a happy ending. In that way, it reminded me of the ending of POP! (though the two stories have little in common…although Bridget and Marit reminded me a little of each other at times), except Kim Ablon Whitney pulled it off better than Aury Wallington was able to. Whitney’s ending, I felt, stayed true to the story and characters, and flowed with the rest of the story wonderfully.

Rating: 10/10

**This review is also posted on TeensReadToo.com**

Review: Pop! by Aury Wallington

2006-12-29T13:50:00.000-08:00

Review: Pop! by Aury Wallington

POP! follows one of the trends I’ve noticed in my reading this year(see my Reading In 2006 post): it deals with the consequences of sex for teenage girls. It also, however, deals with making the decision to have sex or not, which is something that is also important. This is an important topic, and when I say that it’s something I’ve noticed, I don’t mean the preachy books about teen pregnancy. I mean realistic books about other consequences, books that aren’t preachy and don’t condemn sex, just show that some thought should go into making that decision.

In POP!, Marit thinks she is the only seventeen-year-old virgin in Connecticut. This is obviously an exaggeration, and her best friend Caroline points out the flaw in this idea: their other best friend, Jamie, is also a virgin. He doesn’t act like it’s as big of a deal as Marit does, though.

What, exactly is Marit’s problem? She’s had boyfriends before. Caroline and Jamie think they have it figured out: as soon as Marit’s in a relationship, as soon as it gets physical, she gets scared and runs. As much as she tries to protest this theory, Marit’s past experiences prove that it may have some merit.

Marit’s older sister has a solution. At first, it seems totally outrageous, but the more she thinks about it, the more it makes sense to Mart. The idea is that Marit and Jamie can lose their virginity to each other. They’ll know not to expect anything from each other, it’ll be totally comfortable because they’re already so close, and they won’t be the only seventeen-year-old virgins in Connecticut anymore! It is, Marit thinks, the perfect plan. After having sex with Jamie, Marit won’t be afraid anymore, and she’ll be able to actually have a serious relationship with someone. Like maybe Noah, the new guy at school. He’s completely different from Marit and her friends, but she really likes him, and losing her virginity to Jamie seems, to her, like a good way to finally get--and keep--a great boyfriend.

Of course, this plan is not as simple as Marit thinks. After she gets Jamie to agree to it, she finds out the hard way that sex, no matter how much she doesn’t want it to be, is a big deal. She can’t just lose her virginity to Jamie and expect the whole thing to be over and done with, and have everything go back to how it was before between the two of them, and actually have a relationship with Noah. Nothing is ever that easy.

This book is pretty fantastic. It’s Aury Wallington’s debut novel, and I’m looking forward to reading more from her! Besides the fact that I do like the topic of the story, the writing is great. It does a fantastic job of pulling in the reader, and it flows marvelously. Almost all of the characters were three-dimensional, though I occasionally had some issues with the Caroline character in particular. The narration, in Marit’s voice, is very realistic in depicting what goes on inside the mind of a teenage girl.

I didn’t feel that the ending rang completely true to all of the characters or the situation. That could just be me, personally, though, as the idea for the ending was nice; it was a happy ending, but not the predictable one. That’s great in theory, but making it unpredictable and truer to the story and characters could certainly have been done, I think.
Overall, however, this book was fantastic, with only a few problems. It definitely kept me reading all the way through; whenever I had to put it down and get back to real life, I missed the characters and couldn’t wait to get back to reading POP!. The term page-turner certainly applies to this book, and, as you can see, this made my Best of 2006 list, despite its minor flaws.

Rating: 9/10

Review: Magic Lessons by Justine Larbalestier

2006-12-29T13:49:00.000-08:00

MAGIC LESSONS is the second book in Justine Larbalestier’s trilogy, and it’s just as wonderful and gripping as MAGIC OR MADNESS! In this book, there are just as many questions as in the first, as every answer Reason finds only leads to more questions. For everything that’s resolved, there are five more things that I was anxious to find out as I read on! There is plenty of suspense in this book.

Reason, Tom, and Jay-Tee have all stepped through Esmeralda’s magic door into Sydney, leaving behind Reason’s evil grandfather, Jason Blake, as well as Jay-Tee’s older brother, Danny, in New York. They’re being taught magic by Esmeralda, even Reason and Jay-Tee, though they’re still not sure they trust her the way Tom does. They’ve had some bad experiences with magic, but they know now that they have to use it, or else they’ll go crazy, like their parents. However, every time they use magic, they lose a little time alive. Magic is not the blessing it is in other books; in the world Justine Larbalestier has created, it’s more of a curse.

The door between Sydney and New York is acting strangely. At first, they think it’s because of Jason Blake, but it turns out to be something much more frightening and mysterious. They’re not sure what it is, but Reason knows something about whatever it is that the rest of them don’t: It’s a Cansino. She and Esmeralda are related to it. One more thing: it’s old. As in, centuries old. Reason isn’t sure what to make of this information, but she doesn’t trust Esmeralda, so she’s not telling anyone.

Then, she loses her chance to share it. She is sucked through the door into New York. Reason’s not as lost as she was the first time; after escaping the scary, stinking old man-like creature standing in front of the door, she finds Jay-Tee’s brother Danny, and stays with him. She can’t go back to Sydney; the old man, the Cansino, is guarding the door. She could always buy a plane ticket home (or, rather, Danny could buy her one; money is nothing to him, and she has none), but there are a few things keeping her in New York. One, she wants to find out more about the man guarding the door, and maybe do something to get rid of him if Esmeralda figures out what he is. Two, there’s Danny…

Sequels often don’t live up to the high expectations set by the previous books, but MAGIC LESSONS sure does! It’s just as great as MAGIC OR MADNESS. One thing that I like about these books is Justine Larbalestier’s magic system; it’s very original, and it seems more realistic that, if magic existed, it would have a price. That makes this much darker than a lot of books about kids who find out they have magical powers, and also adds some extra awesomeness to an already great book.

The number of questions being far more than the number of answers also adds something to this novel. Even though I usually think that a book is made less wonderful by a cliff-hanger ending, I don’t think that’s the case in these books. First of all, the main conflict of the book is resolved, but, as all answers do in Justine Larbalestier’s books, those resolutions bring new questions to be answered in the next book. Nothing here has been what it has seemed to be so far, but everything also makes perfect sense. Add this to great writing, wonderful characters, and brilliant ideas, and you’ve got an amazing trilogy! I absolutely cannot wait for book number three.

Rating: 10/10

**This review is also posted on TeensReadToo.com**

Review: Magic or Madness by Justine Larbalestier

2006-12-29T13:47:00.000-08:00

Review: Magic or Madness by Justine Larbalestier

Reason Cansino has always been taught to fear her grandmother, Esmeralda. Reason’s mother, Sarafina, has taken them all over Australia, mostly to remote Aboriginal settlements. Reason has only been to a real school once, but Sarafina has taught her lots of things; mostly math and some science.

Reason has been happy with her life, but when Sarafina goes crazy--really crazy, as in trying to kill herself instead of her usual craziness consisting of things like making them walk in straight lines for days--all of that comes to an end. Reason is sent to live with Esmeralda in Sydney. She’s expecting the dark, scary house of her mother’s stories. The one where Sarafina’s cat was murdered. The house where dark magic takes place--imaginary magic, of course, as Sarafina has always said that magic isn’t real. It’s too illogical.

What Reason finds, however, is a spacious, light house, not at all witchy. There are no animal sacrifices in the living room, no bubbling cauldrons in the kitchen. That can’t undo the belief that years of Sarafina’s stories have created, though. Reason is sure that something is going on underneath the surface, and she’s got to run away and get out of Sydney as soon as possible. She’s got to rescue Sarafina from the loony bin where she’s locked up.

Sydney’s not all bad, though; Reason meets Esmeralda’s neighbor, a boy about her age named Tom. She’ll be sorry to leave him behind, but it looks like he’s working with Esmeralda, and she’s got to get away from the witch.

Reason’s escape from Sydney doesn’t exactly go as planned. Instead of escaping with her mother and all of her supplies, Reason finds herself on a winter street in New York City, barefoot and with nothing, after stepping through Esmeralda’s back door.

She doesn’t know how she ended up there, but she’s grateful to Jay-Tee, the teenage girl who rescued her from the freezing, alien streets. She thinks that Jay-Tee is just a friendly passerby…But could there be more to it than that? What is going on? How did Reason step through a door from Sydney to New York? That’s just not possible. What secrets are being hidden from her?

MAGIC OR MADNESS is a wonderful novel from Justine Larbalestier, who’s married to one of my favorite authors of all time, Scott Westerfeld. It’s a fascinating story, and the way it’s told is a little unconventional: some chapters are told in a first person point of view, in Reason’s voice, and others are told in a third person limited POV, from inside either Jay-Tee’s or Tom’s mind. These three different points of view could be confusing, but Justine Larbalestier pulls it off wonderfully.

The story itself is quite a page turner. I first read this book when it first came out, and reread it after getting my own copy in paperback, and I loved it both times. The characters are all wonderfully realistic and interesting. Each answer Reason finds only leads to more questions, keeping suspense throughout the story. The writing is fantastic, and I’m really looking forward to the third book in the trilogy, MAGIC’S CHILD, coming in 2007!

Rating: 9/10

**This review is also posted on TeensReadToo.com**

Reading in 2006

2006-12-28T15:04:00.000-08:00

Here’s my list of the best Teen books I read in 2006, in no particular order. I’m too lazy to link to reviews, but most are (or will be soon) on the review list (http://tbrlist.blogspot.com). It's a lot of books (36 by my count), but my criteria for these was that I not only remembered off the top of my head (meaning: no list in front of me) that I enjoyed this book, I also remembered why.

Born Again by Kelly Kearney
How It’s Done by Christine Kole Maclean
Notes From The Teenage Underground by Simmone Howell
Behind the Eyes by Francisco X. Stork
The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor
Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr
Pop! by Aury Wallington
Terrier by Tamora Pierce
Stay With Me by Garrett Freymann-Weyr
Bleed by Laurie Faria Stolarz
Hazing Meri Sugarman by M. Apostolina
Such A Pretty Girl by Laura Wiess
Bass Ackwards and Belly Up by Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain
Tallulah Falls by Christine Fletcher
Dear Zoe by Philip Beard
An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
Major Crush by Jennifer Echols
Devilish by Maureen Johnson
Upstate by Kalisha Buckhannon
Glass Houses by Rachel Caine
Gideon the Cutpurse by Linda Buckley-Archer
How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff
Wide Awake by David Levithan
Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Magic Lessons by Justine Larbalestier
Adios to my Old Life by Caridad Ferrer
Enthusiasm by Polly Shulman
Plan B by Jenny O’Connell
Bras and Broomsticks by Sarah Mlynowski
Wuthering High by Cara Lockwood
Lulu Dark Can See Through Walls by Bennett Madison
Avalon High by Meg Cabot
Piratica by Tanith Lee
Nothing But The Truth (And A Few White Lies) by Justina Chen Headley
The Blue Girl by Charles de Lint
See You Down The Road by Kim Ablon Whitney
Fringe Girl by Valerie Frankel

I’ve noticed a few topics that have come up over and over again in my reading this year. One is the consequences of sex for teenagers. I’m talking about stuff beyond pregnancy or AIDS; I’m talking about the consequences for relationships, self-esteem, stuff like that. A few books on this theme that I enjoyed are Good Girls by Laura Ruby, Pop! by Aury Wallington, and Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr.

Another, less heavy theme that I’ve been seeing is books that are an inside look at life in the spotlight, either because the main character is a celebrity or they’re related to one. These include Tales of a Hollywood Gossip Queen by Mary Kennedy, Secrets of My Hollywood Life by Jen Calonita, Sheer Bliss by Frances O’Brien, My Life Starring Mum by Chloe Rayban, and Adios to My Old Life by Caridad Ferrer.

One more trend is toward vampire books! Off the top of my head, I can think of Boys That Bite by Mari Mancusi, High School Bites by Liza Conrad, and Braced2Bite by Serena Robar (though I haven’t read this one yet, it’s on my wish list). I guess this isn’t unusual, though; vampires have always been popular in books, movies, and television. Just look at the success of the TV shows Buffy and Angel (me, I’m an addict…I watch the reruns on FX and TNT all the time now that they’re over)!

I’m curious to hear about your favorite books of the year and any trends you’ve noticed. Leave a comment or send me a message!

Review: Behind the Eyes by Francisco X. Stork

2006-12-28T14:57:00.000-08:00

Review: Behind the Eyes by Francisco X. Stork

Sixteen-year-old Hector Robles’s life will never be the same again. Living his entire life in the projects of El Paso, Texas, he’s always stayed away from the gangs--but his brother Filiberto brought an end to that. A little more than a year after the death of their father, Hector, Fili, and their younger sister Aurora have a run-in with some members of the Discipulos. Hector would like to keep out of their way after that, as would Aurora, but Fili sets his sights on Gloria…Who just happens to be dating Chava, leader of the Discipulos.

Fili just can’t let it go. His conflict with Chava escalates, until, one night, he ends up dead. In less than a year and a half, Hector has lost his older brother and his father. Even though it’s not something he could have imagined himself doing, Hector goes after Chava.

Chava does more damage to Hector than Hector does to him, leaving Hector with various rather serious injuries, including the loss of his hearing in one ear. When he recovers, a social work has some rather grave news for him: Chava wants him dead. The only way he can keep safe, as well as protect his mother and sister, is to leave town.

Mrs. Garzo, the social worker, tells him there’s one good place for him to go now. He’s charged with the aggravated assault of Chava, and there’s a school, in another city, that accepts kids who have been in trouble with the law. There, he’ll be safe from the Discipulos, he’ll get a good education, and his mother and sister won’t be involved with any of the gangs anymore. Hector makes a decision: he’ll go to Furman.

There, he makes friends with a colorful cast of characters, and could maybe have a fresh start and a new life…If his past can ever stop following him.

BEHIND THE EYES is divided up into three parts. The first and last part deal with Hector’s time after his brother’s death, and the second part takes place before Fili’s “accident.” Francisco X. Stork tells the story of whatever is going on in each section of the book in the past tense, and flashbacks are in the present tense, which threw me a little at first, but I quickly got used to it. The non-chronological division of the book was also a little odd, but I did like the way it was divided, and, in the end, it made sense.

Stork is a brilliant writer, and BEHIND THE EYES is a page turner. It’s told in a fresh, captivating voice, and the story itself is a fascinating one. It was inspired by Stork’s own time living in the projects of El Paso, and some of the Chicano teenagers he knew there. That Stork knows what he’s writing really shows, and it adds an extra dimension to an already wonderful book. The characters are diverse, fascinating and believable, each one well-thought out and three-dimensional. It’s a character-driven story, and a fantastic one. This is definitely one of my favorites of 2006.

Rating: 10/10

**This review is also posted on TeensReadToo.com**

Review: Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr

2006-12-28T14:53:00.000-08:00

STORY OF A GIRL deals with certain actions and their consequences--much more realistically than some similar books I’ve read recently. Not that the others weren’t good, but in those, the actions are a part of the book, and it’s all resolved nicely within a few weeks of what happens. By starting her story years after the event that sets off all of this, Sara Zarr makes the resolution much more realistic.

When she was thirteen, Deanna’s father caught her with her seventeen-year-old brother’s friend, Tommy, in the back of his car having sex.

Three years later, Deanna knows she made a mistake. She didn’t love Tommy; she’s not even sure that she liked him. She made a mistake, and she’s more than ready to forget it every happened and moved on.

Problem is, nobody’s willing to let her. Not only at school but in her own home, Deanna has the reputation of slut, despite the fact that she’s only ever been with Tommy, and that was years ago. Even her father still thinks that of her. The only people she trusts are her older brother and his girlfriend who live in the basement with their baby, and her two best friends, Lee and Jason. To everyone else, she’s just a slut.

That is, until she gets a job at the local pizza parlor and meets one more person who believes in Deanna for who she is. While her boss is a great guy, Deanna isn’t sure about this job, one that’s forced her to confront her past much more directly than she’d like: Tommy is a fellow employee there. Yes, that Tommy.

Sara Zarr is an amazing writer who has written a wonderful and painfully realistic novel about the far-reaching consequences of sex. This theme has been one I’ve noticed recently in my reading, and I think Sara Zarr does the best job of realistically telling the story of what could happen, and it’s a lot messier than some of the other stories I’ve read about the consequences of sex. The problems of the characters in these other novels seem to be a lot more clear-cut and easier to resolve than Deanna’s, or they’re at least resolved quickly.

In STORY OF A GIRL, it’s more realistic, and, on top of that, fabulously written. The story flows nicely, and it’s told in the believable voice of Deanna, a very three-dimensional character. The other characters are quite lifelike as well, but Deanna is the best of these. The way these characters all interact has obviously been well-thought out, and the characters stay true to what they’re written as all through the novel, which is quite an accomplishment. Everything is held together marvelously, resulting in a wonderful must-read for all teenagers and adults!

Rating: 10/10

Review: Bleed by Laurie Faria Stolarz

2006-12-27T11:11:00.000-08:00

BLEED is a collection of interconnected short stories about several teenagers over the course of one day. It’s a big day for all of them, from Nicole, who hooks up with Kelly’s boyfriend, Sean, to Kelly herself, who, on the opposite coast from all of this, hooks up with the convicted murderer she’s been pen palling with for five and a half years, Robby--who finds himself in an interesting situation with Joy, a fifteen year old waitress who wants to be a princess, after Kelly leaves him at the diner where Joy works. That’s just a part of it; each and every one of their stories is somehow connected to all of the others. People who have never heard each other’s names are connected. It’s too confusing to explain all of their connections, but they’re there, and they’re fascinating.

The whole idea of these stories is very interesting. It reminded me a little of REAL TIME, by Pnina Kass Moed, but some of that switched points of view from paragraph to paragraph, and each character has one short story in Laurie Faria Stolarz’s book. The stories themselves are powerful, haunting, and painful to the point of disturbing sometimes--but also very real. These are moving stories, each with a realistic, well-written character at its center.

These are beautifully created stories, but they are not happy and wholesome; they are real, holding nothing back, so be prepared for that if you decide to pick this collection up (as you should).

I’ll be looking up Laurie Faria Stolarz’s backlist (the Blue is for Nightmares series), and waiting anxiously for the companion to BLEED that she’s writing!

Rating: 10/10

Review: Stay With Me by Garret Freymann-Weyr

2006-12-27T11:09:00.000-08:00

Stay With Me by Garret Freymann-Weyr

When Leila’s much older sister, Rebecca, kills herself, it changes the lives of everyone who knew her, and many people who didn’t. But did anyone really know Rebecca, or just the face she showed them? This is just one of the questions that Leila can’t help but ask herself in the months after her sister’s death. Did she know Rebecca? Or did she only know Rebecca through her interactions with other people? Leila knows her father. She knew her father’s first wife, Janie, who died a while before Rebecca. But if she had really known Rebecca, if anyone had known Rebecca fully, wouldn’t they have been able to figure out Rebecca’s reason for doing what she did?

It’s for that reason that Leila is searching when she meets Eamon. At first he’s only a customer in the café where she once saw Rebecca with the mysterious T., a man she thinks might know something of the reason Rebecca had for committing suicide. Later, though, he becomes something much more.

Clare is Leila’s surviving older half-sister. Clare has her own life: a boyfriend, a career, and an apartment--suddenly one occupant short. Rebecca lived there, and now that Leila’s parents are moving to Poland for the year, she will move in with Clare. During this year, Clare and Raphael, their unrelated “cousin,” will become much, much more important in Leila’s life. She will get to know them, maybe in the way she never got to know Rebecca--the way she is still trying to get to know Rebecca, even after her death.

STAY WITH ME is a very powerful, moving story about love, loss, and life. It’s about the way life keeps going on, even after a tragedy. Since it takes place in New York, since Rebecca dies right after the attacks on the city in 2001, the characters are healing from their own personal tragedy, but also, along with everyone else in the city, from the attack on them all. That’s not the focus of the novel, but it’s definitely a part of it.

Garret Freymann-Weyr is brilliant at creating wonderful, three dimensional characters. I’ve read two of her previous novels (MY HEARTBEAT and WHEN I WAS OLDER), and that’s something that can be seen in all of her work. It’s a talent, and I was glad to see it shows just as much in STAY WITH ME as in the other two novels. We learn plenty, even about the characters only glimpsed in the novel. The character I felt I knew the least was Leila’s mother, but she was not really a part of this story. She hardly knew Rebecca, whose death is what sets off the whole story (though Leila chooses to start the telling of it with her visits to Janie, her father’s first wife). There are so many parts to this story, but Rebecca, her life and death, is what ties it all together so marvelously.

Rating: 10/10

**This review is also posted on TeensReadToo.com**

Cybils Fantasy/Sci-Fi Nominees

2006-12-25T19:45:00.000-08:00

Here are the Cybils fantasy and sci-fi nominees! In bold are the ones I've read. There are seventeen. I don't have time to link to reviews now, but maybe later. Hope everyone who celebrates it has had a happy Christmas!

Abadazad: The Road to Inconceivable
by J.M. DeMatteis, Mike Ploog
Hyperion

Agent Boo: The Littlest Agent
by Alex De Campi; illustrated by Edo Fuijkschot
TokyoPop

Amazing Flight of Darius Frobisher, The
by Bill Harley
Peachtree Publishers

Anatopsis
by Chris Abouzeid
Penguin: Dutton

Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony
by Eoin Colfer
Hyperion: Miramax

AutumnQuest
by Terie Garrison
Flux

Avielle of Rhia
by Dia Calhoun
Marshall Cavendish Children's Books

Beast of Noor, The
by Janet Lee Carey
Simon & Schuster: Atheneum

Beasts of Clawstone Castle, The
by Eva Ibbotson
Penguin: Dutton

Beka Cooper: Terrier
by Tamora Pierce
Random House

Bella at Midnight
by Diane Stanley
HarperCollins

Blue Bloods
by Melissa de la Cruz
Hyperion

Book of Story Beginnings, The
by Kristin Kladstrup
Candlewick

Braced2Bite
by Serena Robar
Penguin: Berkley

Changeling
by Delia Sherman
Penguin: Viking Juvenile

Charlie Bone And The Hidden King
by Jenny Nimmo
Scholastic

Corbenic
by Catherine Fisher
HarperCollins: Greenwillow

Darkling Plain, A
by Philip Reeve
HarperCollins: Eos

Death of a Ghost
by Charles Butler
HarperCollins

Devilish
by Maureen Johnson
Penguin: Razorbill

Dream Spinner
by Bonnie Dobkin
Flux

Endymion Spring
by Matthew Skelton
RandomHouse: Delacorte

Enemies
by Christopher Golden and Ford Lytle Gilmore
Penguin: Razorbill

Erec Rex: The Dragon's Eye
by Kaza Kingsley
Firelight Press

Evil Star
by Anthony Horowitz
Scholastic

Eye Pocket: The Fantastic Society of Peculiar Adventurers, The
by E.J. Crow
DNA Press

Fablehaven
by Brandon Mull
Shadow Mountain

Fairest
by Gail Carson Levine
HarperCollins

Fetch, The
by Chris Humphreys
RandomHouse: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Floating Island, The
by Elizabeth Haydon
Tor: Starscape

Gideon: The Cutpurse
by Linda Buckley-Archer
Simon & Schuster

Gilda Joyce, and the Ladies of the Lake
by Jennifer Allison
Penguin: Dutton

Golden
by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
RandomHouse: Delacorte

Good Fairies of New York, The
by Martin Millar
Soft Skull

Gossamer
by Lois Lowry
Houghton Mifflin: Walter Lorraine Books

Hellbent
by Anthony McGowan
Simon & Schuster

Here Be Monsters
by Alan Snow
Simon & Schuster: Atheneum

Here, There Be Dragons
by James A. Owen
Simon Simon S&Samp;amp; Schuster Schuster: Simon & Schuster

High School Bites: The Lucy Chronicles
by Liza Conrad
NAL Trade

Homefree
by Nina Wright
Flux

Horns & Wrinkles
by Joseph Helgerson
Houghton Mifflin

Horse Passages
by Jennifer Macaire
Medallion Press

Into the Woods
by Lyn Gardner
David Fickling Books

King of Attolia, The
by Megan Whalen Turner
HarperCollins: Greenwillow

Larklight
by Philip Reeve
Bloomsbury

Last Days, The
by Scott Westerfield
Penguin: Razorbill

Last Dragon, The
by Silvana de Mari
Hyperion: Miramax

Last of the Wilds
by Trudi Canavan
HarperCollins: Eos

Legend of Zoey, The
by Candie Moonshower
RandomHouse: Delacorte

Life As We Knew It
by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Harcourt Children's Books

London Calling
by Edward Bloor
RandomHouse: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Looking Glass Wars, The
by Frank Beddor
Penguin: Dial

Lurkers, The
by Charles Butler
Usborne Publishing Ltd

Magic Lessons
by Justine Larbalestier
Penguin: Razorbill

Monster Blood Tattoo: The Foundling
by DM Cornish
Penguin: Putnam

New Moon
by Stephenie Meyer
Little, Brown (Hachette)

Peter Pan in Scarlet
by Geraldine McCaughrean
Simon & Schuster: Margaret K. McElderry

Pinhoe Egg, The
by Diana Wynne Jones
HarperCollins: Greenwillow

Privilege of the Sword
by Ellen Kushner
RandomHouse: Bantam Dell

Prophet of Yonwood, The
by Jeanne Duprau
Random House

Ptolemy's Gate
by Jonathan Stroud
Hyperion: Miramax

Pucker
by Melanie Gideon
Penguin: Razorbill

Quest of the Dragon Stone
by Ami Blackford
Red Cygnet Press

Ranger's Apprentice: The Burning Bridge, The
by John Flanagan
Penguin: Philomel

River Secrets
by Shannon Hale
Bloomsbury

Samurai
by Jason Hightman
HarperCollins: Eos

Sea of Monsters, The
by Rick Riordan
Hyperion: Miramax

Septimus Heap #2: Flyte
by Angie Sage
HarperCollins: Katherine Tegen Books

Shadow in the Deep
by L.B. Graham
P & R Publishing

Shadow Thieves, The
by Anne Ursu
Simon & Schuster: Atheneum

Silver City
by Cliff McNish
Carolrhoda Books

Sir Thursday
by Garth Nix
Scholastic

Sisters Grimm: The Problem Child
by Michael Buckley
Amulet

Softwire: Virus on Orbis 1, The
by PJ Haarsma
Candlewick

Stones of Abraxas
by K Osborn Sullivan
Medallion

Summer King, The
by O.R. Melling
Amulet Books

Sword of Anton
by Gene Del Vecchio
Pelican Publishing Company

Temping Fate
by Esther Friesner
Penguin: Dutton

Tide Knot, The
by Helen Dunmore
HarperCollins

Travels of Thelonious
by Susan Schade and Jon Buller
Simon & Schuster: Simon & Schuster

Undine
by Penni Russon
HarperCollins: Greenwillow

Voices
by Ursula Le Guin
Harcourt Children's Books

Wabi
by Joseph Bruchac
Penguin: Dial

Wall and the Wing, The
by Laura Ruby
HarperCollins: Eos

Wintersmith
by Terry Pratchett
HarperTeen

Wolfproof
by Maureen Doyle McQuerry
Idylls Press

Wuthering High
by Cara Lockwood
MTV

Book Blogger Meme

2006-12-25T19:43:00.000-08:00

From Confessions of a Bibliovore

Meme for Book Bloggers

How many other kidlit blogs do you read?
Tons! I can't even count. There are a lot bookmarked on my favorites, a couple I've subscribed to email updates to, some subscribed to on myspace, and some subscribed to on livejournal.

What's the most recent add?
Interactive Reader. I just found it through Confessions of a Bibliovore--same place this meme came from!

How often do you post a book review to your blog?
I try to review books as I read them, but it usually doesn't work too well. For instance, right now I have eight books that I've read and need to review piled up next to my computer! So I usually do it all at once, when I get the time.

Do you post about anything else?
Yes. I usually post a list of contests at least once a month, as well as most wanted books and stuff like that.

Do you only blog books you like, or the stinkers too?
I blog about most of the books I read. There are few exceptions. I like most of them--If I don't think I'll like a book at all, I don't pick it up, and I'm usually a good judge of that sort of thing.

How do you keep track of what you want to read?
Not very well! I have a must-have books list as well as a froogle wishlist that I don't update very often, and various titles scrawled on scraps of paper.

How do you keep track of what you've read?
Again, not very well! I sometimes make attempts to, but...I don't. One of my 2007 new year's resolutions is going to be to keep a book journal, though! I'd like to know how many books and pages I read in a year, at least.

Do you work with kids?
Not really.

In the age group of the books you mostly blog about?
N/A

Do you read grown-up books?
Occasionally...Usually thrillers. Almost 100% of what I read, however, is YA.

Review: Charmed by Carrie Mac

2006-12-25T19:36:00.000-08:00

CHARMED is one of the Orca Soundings line of books for reluctant teen readers. It sounds like an interesting enough story: Izzy finds herself caught in the sex trade after her mother leaves home and her mother's boyfriend leaves Izzy to fend for herself. Definitely a heavy topic, but it sounds like something that might catch the attention of a reluctant reader, doesn't it? It's not very long, either--a very quick read.

It definitely has the ability to grab the reader. And, as it's short, it kept my attention. However, I don't think that Carrie Mac did a very good job of writing a book geared toward reluctant readers. The writing wasn't particularly good, and important plot points were really rushed through. If you write a good enough book to keep someone's attention, reluctant reader or not, it can afford to be longer and go into more detail about what's going on! Nothing--not the plot, not the various characters, nothing--felt like it was explored to the extent it should have been. In an effort to keep the book short, it feels like it was cut down so much that it doesn't live up to its potential at all. Just because a book has to be short doesn't mean it can't be good. In fact, I just read a book, AN ORDER OF AMELIE, HOLD THE FRIES (review soon!), that, I believe, was even shorter than CHARMED--but oh so much better. Reluctant readers are reluctant because they have to read not-so-good books in school, a lot of the time, and the way to make them love reading is to give them wonderful books to read--not short, not so good ones! Hopefully the other Orca Soundings books on my to-read stack will be better.

Rating: 5/10

How I Rate Books

2006-12-17T10:25:00.000-08:00

Just in case you're interested, this is how I rate the books reviewed here, out of ten.

I try to rate these books based on how well they accomplish what they're supposed to be. Just because a book is "fluff" doesn't mean it has a bad rating; in fact a lot of books that many people would consider "fluff" get great ratings! Another part of the rating is how much I enjoyed reading the book. If it kept my attention, drew me in, and was an enjoyable read, that boosts its rating. It gets bonus points if I'm still thinking about it while I'm not actually reading, too.

Some of the rating does come from stuff like characterization, dialogue, style, plot, pacing--the sort of thing you'd include in a paper for your English class. That's not the main part of it, though, unless flaws with that stuff are extremely distracting from the rest of the book.

Basically, the majority of the rating is more how I felt reading the book than how good the book is, if that makes sense.

New reviews on Teensreadtoo.com!

2006-12-16T09:27:00.000-08:00

Here are my latest reviews for TeensReadToo.com!

Cupcake by Rachel Cohn
Born Again by Kelly Kearney
21 Proms ed. by David Levithan and Daniel Ehrenhaft (Anthology)

21 Proms and Born Again got gold awards from me!

Must-Have Books!

2006-12-16T07:02:00.000-08:00

There are a ton of books that look awesome that have come out this year or are upcoming books to be released next year. Here's my list--look for edits as it grows longer!

Girl At Sea by Maureen Johnson
Magic's Child by Justine Larbalestier
Fringe Girl In Love by Valerie Frankel
The Scarlet Letterman by Cara Lockwood
Braced2Bite by Serena Robar
Tattoo by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Frogs & French Kisses by Sarah Mlynowski
Flawless by Sara Shepard
Foreign Exposure: The Social Climber Abroad by Lauren Mechling and Laura Moser
The Poker Diaries by Liza Conrad
Now You See Her by Jaquelyn Mitchard
Moon Riders by Theresa Tomlinson
Faerie Path by Frewin Jones
Street Love by Walter Dean Myers
Dark Cindy by M. Apostolina
Oh My Goth by Gena Showalter
Eva Underground by Dandi Daley Mackall
Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson
This is All: The Pillowbook of Cordelia Kenn by Aidan Chambers
The Celebutantes: On the Avenue by Antonio Pagliarulo
Ironside by Holly Black
Secret Society Girl by Diana Peterfreund
Into The Wild by Sarah Beth Durst
Bloom by Elizabeth Scott
Split Screen by Brent Hartinger
Gilda Joyce, Psychic Investigator by Jennifer Allison
The Off Season by Catherine Murdock
Harmless by Dana Reinhardt
The Dashwood Sisters' Secrets of Love by Rosie Rushton

(P.S. Donations are accepted!)

Newsletter and Contest

2006-12-12T19:35:00.000-08:00

Please click the button below to join the Teen Book Review newsletter! I'll be sending out the first newsletter soon, and it will include a special contest just for subscribers, so hurry and sign up! If you don't have a yahoo ID, you'll be able to sign up for one easily.

Click to join teenbookreview

Cybils nominees for YA Fiction

2006-12-12T16:22:00.000-08:00

Here's a list of the Cybils nominees for young adult fiction. In bold are the ones I've read; quite a few more are on my (rather full) to-read shelf. I've read twenty-one of these books. If I count correctly, there are 80 books on the list. I've included links to my reviews for those I've reviewed (all other links go to Amazon). I'd love to read more; those on my to-read shelf have just jumped up a few places! How many have you read?

Young Adult Fiction

Abundance of Katherines, An
written by John Green
Dutton Juvenile

Accidents of Nature
written by Harriet McBryde Johnson
Henry Holt

Adios to My Old Life (review)
written by Caridad Ferrer
MTV Press

After the Wreck, I Picked Myself Up, Spread My Wings, and Flew Away
written by Joyce Carol Oates
HarperTeen

Alice in the Know
written by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Atheneum

Angel's Choice
written by Lauren Baratz-Logsted
Simon Pulse

Angelmonster
written by Veronica Bennett
Candlewick

Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl, The
written by Barry Lyga
Houghton Mifflin

Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Vol. 1: The Pox Party
written by M.T. Anderson
Candlewick

Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl, A (review)
written by Tanya Lee Stone
Wendy Lamb Books

Bad Kitty
written by Michele Jaffe
HarperCollins

Beast
written by Ally Kennen
Push (Scholastic)

Becoming Chloe
written by Catherine Ryan Hyde
Knopf Books for Young Readers

Between Mom and Jo
written by Julie Ann Peters
Little, Brown Young Readers

Blind Faith
written by Ellen Wittlinger
Simon & Schuster

Book Thief, The
written by Markus Zusak
Knopf Books for Young Readers

Born to Rock
written by Gordan Korman
Hyperion

Boy Book, The: A Study of Habits and Behaviors, Plus Techniques for Taming Them
written by E. Lockhart
Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Boy in the Striped Pajamas, The
written by John Boyne
David Fickling Books

Braid, The
written by Helen Frost
Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life, A
written by Dana Reinhardt
Wendy Lamb Books

Christopher Killer, The
written by Alane Ferguson
Viking Juvenile

Dairy Queen
written by Catherine Murdock
Houghton Mifflin

Dirty Liar
written by Brian James
Push (Scholastic)

Enthusiasm (review)
written by Polly Shulman
Putnam Juvenile

Estrella's Quinceanera
written by Malin Alegria
Simon & Schuster

Eva Underground
written by Dandi Daley Mackall
Harcourt Children's Books

Extraordinary Adventures of Horatio Lyle, The
written by Catherine Webb
ATOM

Fringe Girl (review-second one down)
written by Valerie Frankel
NAL Trade

Going Under
written by Kathe Koje
Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Goy Crazy
written by Melissa Schorr
Hyperion

Grist
written by Heather Waldorf
Red Deer Press

Hattie Big Sky
written by Kirby Larson
Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Hollywood Sisters: Backstage Pass
written by Mary Wilcox
Delacorte Books for Young Readers

How It's Done (review to come)
written by Christine Kole MacLean
Flux

How to Be Popular (review)
written by Meg Cabot
HarperTeen

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You (review)
written by Ally Carter
Hyperion

Incantation
written by Alice Hoffman
Little, Brown Young Readers

In the Garage
written by Alma Fullerton
Red Deer Press

It's Kind of a Funny Story: A Novel
written by Ned Vizzini
Miramax

Just In Case
written by Meg Rosoff
Wendy Lamb Books

Just Listen
written by Sarah Dessen
Viking Juvenile

King Dork
written by Frank Portman
Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Koyal Dark, Mango Sweet
written by Kashmira Sheth
Hyperion

Lorenzo and the Turncoat
written by Lila Guzman and Rick Guzman
Arte Público Press (Piñata Books)

Love Curse of the Rumbaughs, The
written by Jack Gantos
Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Loving Will Shakespeare
written by Carolyn Meyer
Harcourt Children's Books

More Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet
written by Lola Douglas
Razorbill

Murder Of Bindy Mackenzie, The
written by Jaclyn Moriarty
Arthur A. Levine Books

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
written by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Knopf Books for Young Readers

Notes From The Midnight Driver
written by Jordan Sonnenblick
Scholastic

Nothing But the Truth (and a Few White Lies) (review)
written by Justina Chen Headley
Little, Brown Young Readers

Ophelia
written by Lisa Klein
Bloomsbury

Over a Thousand Hills I Walk With You
written by Hanna Jansen
Carolrhoda Books

Paranoid Park
written by Blake Nelson
Viking Juvenile

Plenty Porter
written by Brandon Noonan
Amulet

Private
written by Kate Brian
Simon Pulse

Pursuit of Happiness, The (review)
written by Tara Altebrando
MTV Press

Queen of Cool, The
written by Cecil Castellucci
Candlewick

Rash
written by Pete Hautman
Simon & Schuster

Real Question, The
written by Adrian Fogelin
Peachtree

Returnable Girl
written by Pamela Lowell
Marshall Cavendish Children's Books

Rules of Survival, The
written by Nancy Werlin
Dial

Runaway (review)
written by Wendelin Van Draanen
Knopf Books for Young Readers

Samurai Shortstop
written by Alan M. Gratz
Dial

Simply Divine
written by Jacquelin Thomas
Pocket Books

Skin
written by Adrienne Maria Vrettos
Margaret K. McElderry

Sold
written by Patricia McCormick
Hyperion

Stay With Me
written by Garret Freymann-Weyr
Houghton Mifflin

Tallulah Falls (review)
written by Christine Fletcher
Bloomsbury

This Is All
written by Aidan Chambers
Amulet

This Time, Last Year
written by Kitt Raser Kelleher
Authorhouse

Traitor
written by Gudrun Pausewang
Carolrhoda Books

Trigger (review)
written by Susan Vaught
Bloomsbury

True and Faithful Narrative, A
written by Katherine Sturtevant
Farrar, Straus and Giroux

TTFN
written by Lauren Myracle
Amulet

Unresolved, The
written by T. K. Welsh
Dutton Children's Books

Viking Warrior
written by Judson Roberts
HarperCollins

Waiting for Eugene
written by Sallie Lowenstein
Lion Stone Books

Wish House, The
written by Celia Rees
Candlewick

Review: The Seer by Linda Joy Singleton

2006-12-03T18:16:00.000-08:00

Don't Die Dragonfly is the first book in Linda Joy Singleton's The Seer series. If the next books are as good as book number one, this is sure to be one of my favorite book series (earning a place next to books by such fabulous authors as JK Rowling, Tamora Pierce, John Marsden, Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, and Scott Westerfeld).

Some problems have caused Sabine Rose to be expelled from her old school, and she just wants her time at Sheridan High to be normal. No more creepy weirdness--namely, having psychic visions. Unfortunately, wishes don't always come true. Her psychic powers are acting up again.

In her visions, Sabine sees a girl with a dragonfly tattoo. These are scary, dangerous visions, and Sabine doesn't know what to do about them. Can she figure it out before it's too late?

This is a very enjoyable novel, suspenseful and full of great characters. Linda Joy Singleton is a great writer! This is highly reccomended for anyone who loves a good mystery with a great paranormal element. Book number two in this series is in my to-read stack; I can't wait to get a chance to read it!

Rating: 8.5/10

**This review is also posted on TeensReadToo.com**

Review: A Bad Boy Can Be Good For A Girl by Tanya Lee Stone

2006-12-03T17:35:00.000-08:00

This is a verse novel about three different girls, nothing in common, who barely know each other, and what they do have in common: one bad boy.

Josie is a confident freshman who doesn't need a guy to feel like "a legitimate person." High school, however, can do a number on even the most confident girl's self-esteem. Before long, Josie is dating a "studly senior." However, this bad boy isn't all he's cracked up to be. Josie learns the hard way about bad boys, and she writes a message to other girsl: a warning, in the back of her school library's copy of Judy Blume's classic Forever.

Next in line is Nicolette, a junior. She's not sitting around and waiting for guys; she's going to them. She sees power in it when they want her.

Aviva calls herself a "criss-crosser." She's got friends in all the cliques, but is a member of none. She finds out what this bad boy's all about, too.

They each learn the same things about this popular, good-looking guy. They find out who he really is, even though everyone in school thinks he's great. In the process, however, they also find something of themselves.

A Bad Boy Can Be Good For A Girl, Tanya Lee Stone's powerful debut novel, is a must read. The poetry flows nicely; it's easy to understand and follow, not the stereotype of hard to understand, complicated, unenjoyable stereotype of poetry created for so many people in high school English classrooms across America. It's an honest story, with a good voice, and the nameless bad boy is someone that can be found at every high school.

Rating: 9/10

Review: The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor

2006-12-03T17:34:00.001-08:00

This book has popped up everywhere. I've seen it all over the place! For some reason, however, I haven't been too enthusiastic about reading it. I'm not sure why; it's the "true" story of Lewis Carroll's famous Alice In Wonderland, and I usually really like classic stories retold. But this one...it just didn't spark my interest. Then, I got an ARC in the mail, and figured, why not?, and read it.

Wow, am I ever glad I did! I absolutely loved this book. It kept my attention (and the final page count is over 350 pages--it's pretty long!) all the way through. I didn't just keep reading; I was completely absorbed. Every time I had to go do something else, I'd race through it as quickly as possible, just to get back to The Looking Glass Wars.

This is the story of Alyss Heart (Lewis Carrol, the horrid man, even misspelled her name!), the heir to the throne of the great queendom of Wonderland. All seems well on the morning of the princess' seventh birthday; she wishes her father could be there to celebrate with her, but he's hurrying back, and the queendom is celebrating in honor of Alyss.

Quickly, things go horribly, horribly wrong. Alyss' murderous, insane aunt Redd, long since exiled and passed over for the throne, chooses that morning to overthrow Alyss' mother, Queen Genevieve, and take control of Wonderland for herself. Genevieve is beheaded, Alyss' father murdered as well, and everyone loyal to them is dead or hunted by Redd's soldiers or her loyal, deadly assassin, the Cat.

Alyss herself flees through the Pool of Tears, a portal to a parallel world, with Hatter Madigan, her mother's bodyguard. However, the two are separated, and while Hatter Madigan ends up in France, searching for his charge, Alyss herself ends up in Victorian England, where she joins a ragtag group of homeless children. She uses her talents at imagining things into being to make money so the group can eat well, but, the longer she is away from Wonderland, her imagination grows weaker and weaker.

Eventually, she is taken off of the streets and adopted by the wealthy Liddell family. There, she is Alice Liddell, and Wonderland a children's story. Even the man she thought believed her, the Reverand Charles Dodgson, writes a book (under the name Lewis Carroll) that horribly distorts her story. He makes light of her story, turning her tragedy into an amusing children's tale.

Back in Wonderland, the Alyssians, naming themselves after the princess whom they believe is dead, rebel against Redd's rule. Alyss' childhood friend Dodge Anders, her old tutor, and various others stay hidden in the forest, an active resistance against Redd. However, the evil queen grows stronger all the time, and they aren't sure they can beat her alone.

All hope is not lost; Alyss is not, as they believe, dead. They find out she is alive and well in England...But is she still the same person, heir to the throne of Wonderland, the one who can lead them against Redd? Or is she now completely and totally lost, to the character that is Alice Liddell?

Frank Beddor has created a brilliant, absorbing story. Sure, the pacing seems a little off; important things are rushed through sometimes, and unimportant things dragged on. And I did notice some awkwardness with the dialogue. Some of the characters should have been more fleshed-out as well.

With all of that going against it, what makes The Looking Glass Wars so amazing? That, while reading it, none of that seems to matter. This story goes beyond all of those little details, sucking you in completely from beginning to end. Even with those flaws, it still left me desperate for more of the story (thankfully, it'll be part of a trilogy).

Rating: 9/10

Contests galore!

2006-12-02T08:33:00.000-08:00

There are some super-awesome contests going on this month! Check it out:

On the fabulous TeensReadToo.com, it's the 31 Days of Giving contest! You can send in your entries any time this month to win great prizes. Each day has different prizes, and all you have to do to enter your name in the drawing is correctly answer the day's holiday trivia question. These fabulous prizes include books, gift cards, and other goodies. Check it out here.

Also on TRT is the latest monthly contest. This month, they're giving away advance copies of Judy Gregerson's Bad Girls Club and autographed copies of Judith Gould's The Secret Heiress. Details here.

YABC has a contest going to win one of five copies of Polly Shulman's fabulous novel Enthusiasm. Enter here.

You can win a copy of Caridad Ferrer's fantastic book, Adios to my Old Life! This is a great read--check out my review here. Details here.

M. Apostolina is giving away free autographed copies of Dark Cindy, his latest book staring Cindy Bixby and Meri Sugarman (see my reviews for TRT of Meri Strikes Back and Hazing Meri Sugarman). I can't wait to read this book! All you have to do to enter is send in a picture of yourself with a copy of Hazing Meri Sugarman, and you'll be entered to win. Details here.

Rachel Cohn is giving away signed advance copies of Cupcake. I've already had a chance to read this one (I'll be reviewing it for TRT soon), and it is fabulous. Enter the contest, especially if you're a fan of Rachel's other books about Cyd Charise, Shrimp and Gingerbread (also, by the way, fantastic books). All you have to do is post some Cyd Charisse-themed haiku! Details here.

You can also win a copy of Simmone Howell's book, Notes From The Teenage Underground (this one's on my to-read shelf...looks great!). For this one, all you have to do is write a "Western haiku"--meaning "three lines, no syllable count." The best five win! Details here.

YABC is also giving away copies of The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor. I just finished this one; it's fantastic (expect a review soon!). Go here to enter!

Review: Boys That Bite by Mari Mancusi

2006-11-30T19:04:00.000-08:00

Boys That Bite is Mari Mancusi's entertaining story of a case of mistaken identity. A really, really bad case of mistaken identity, but an understandable one; Sunny and Rayne are identical twins, and, as their names suggest, they are as different as night and day (or sun and rain).

Rayne wanted to become a vampire. Eternal life? Sounds great! Not so much, though, to Sunny, who just wants to be a normal, happy high school girl. Unfortunately, Sunny is the one who gets bitten by Magnus, a good looking vampire who was supposed to be Rayne's blood mate. No fair! Rayne was the one who took all the classes and got on the waiting list (yes, Mancusi's vampires have classes and waiting lists to become one of them), but Sunny is the one who scored eternal life with a hottie!

Unfortunately for her, Sunny doesn't want any of it. She wants to be able to stay out in the sunshine, keep to her vegetarian lifestyle, and go to the prom! And she doesn't want Magnus, either...right?

In order to reverse her transformation, Magnus and Sunny have to find the Holy Grail. Don't worry; it sounds a lot harder than it is. Not to say that that's an easy task, though. But does Sunny even want to be human again...or is she falling for a creature of the night?

This is a fabulous vampire story! I've read a few lately, and this one is, I think, the best. Sunny is a fabulous character, and the rest of them are quite realistic (well, as realistic as a vampire can be in Magnus's case) as well. The plot was fun and absorbing, with adventure, vampires (and putting vampires in any story makes it way cooler...at least to Buffy-addicted readers like me), and even romance. This take on vampires is very different from most (these vampires are high-tech and organized), but that makes the book, if anything, cooler. Mari Mancusi is a fantastic writer, and this book had me hooked right from the beginning! The ending was a little bit of a cliffhanger, but not unbearably so; there's plenty of resolution in the ending as well. Fortunately, there's a sequel--Stake That!, which is currently on my to-read shelf. Expect a review soon!

Rating: 9.7/10

Review: Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys by Kate Brian

2006-11-30T18:10:00.000-08:00

Megan has always moved around a lot, but this time her living situation has changed even more drastically than usual. When she refused to pack up and move to South Korea with her parents, both in the army, they proposed another option: spending her last two years of high school living in Boston with the McGowans. John McGowan is an old friend of her father's. What makes this so different? The fact that the McGowans have seven sons. Megan is an only child, and can't imagine living with seven boys!

Life with Evan, Sean, Finn, Caleb, Ian, Miller, and Doug McGowan is as foreign to Megan as South Korea would have been. Her best friend from Texas, Tracy, even calls it an immersion experience; Megan will go in clueless and come out speaking the language of boys!

Even if the McGowan boys and Megan are supposed to be siblings, they don't exactly relate that way. After all, they haven't seen each other since they were little kids. Now Megan is in hostile territory; she's not exactly welcomed by each of the nine members of the McGowan family (though Regina, John's wife, is more than thrilled to have another female in the house, taking tomboyish Megan on shopping sprees and to the spa). And then there's the fact that Finn and Evan are, well, HOT. And John and Regina even had a family meeting to tell the kids that they're all siblings now...but siblings don't want to kiss each other.

On top of dealing with the drama of living with the McGowan boys, Megan also has to handle starting over at a new school. She gets off to a good start when she makes the soccer team and even a few new possible friends, but that quickly goes sour when she is targeted by Hailey, Evan's girlfriend who's jealous of Megan's talent on the soccer field and living situation. Can Megan handle Boston and the McGowan boys, or will South Korea turn out the be the easy option?

Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys is a fantastically fun book! It's full of great characters; even the minor characters seem three-dimensional. Kate Brian is a talented writer, and this novel is an awesome page-turner. I devoured this book; I read at every spare moment and took less than 24 hours to finish it--on a weekday! Megan's transition from shy to outspoken didn't feel one hundred percent real to me, but that was only a tiny issue; the book was still great. Like Ally Carter's book, it was one that definitely felt like there could be a sequel in the works (which is exciting), but that didn't stop it from being a complete (and completely awesome) story on its own.

Rating: 9.5/10

**This review is also posted on TeensReadToo.com**

Review: Homefree by Nina Wright

2006-11-30T17:58:00.000-08:00

Homefree caught my attention with a pretty cool cover: the title and author on a tree-shaped air freshner hanging from a car's rearview mirror. I know, I know; don't judge a book by its cover. Still, though, it's got to have something to get me hooked, and a cool cover definitely does that!

The book was pretty cool as well. It's the story of Easter Hutton and her newfound, ah, talents. Sure, Easter's life does kind of suck; her dad was a junkie who she thinks is in Mexico now, her mother has remarried quite a few times and her stepfathers haven't been any better than her real one, and her mother keeps moving them from place to place, so Easter is always an outsider. However, her time at this new school in Florida is different. Not that the school itself is particularly different from all of the others she's attended, but it is while she is daydreaming in class that she begins to discover she has the power to astral project. Now that is different.

Easter's talents bring her to Homefree, an organization for kids with talents like Easter's. It turns out her old friend Andrew from Atlanta is post-cognitive (he can see people's pasts). A few other people from Easter's past turn out to have paranormal gifts as well, and Easter has to help them all out, even though she's not finished helping herself; could those two be one in the same?

Nina Wright's novel is a quick read and a fun one. It's a little too fast-paced, though. More often things are not fast-paced enough, but the opposite can happen as well. This could have been better if the two main focuses of the novel--Easter discovering her own talents and Easter helping other gifted teenagers--had been broken up into two books of this size, with each one taking about twice as long. I felt it was a bit rushed through, leaving it with two plot arcs in one book, which was a little strange. It was still a good book, though, and a good story with characters I really enjoyed. Easter is a likeable character, and I hope to see more about her in the future!

Rating: 8/10

Review: I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have To Kill You by Ally Carter

2006-11-30T17:30:00.000-08:00

I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have To Kill You is definitely an interesting title. Doesn't it just have you itching to know more? I sure was intrigued by this title, and I'm happy to say that, while on a train headed for Philadelphia last Wednesday, I had an opportunity to read this book that's been calling to me from my to-read shelf. I was not disappointed; Ally Carter's book is awesome!

Cammie Morgan is a student at the Gallagher Academy For Exceptional Young Women. It is a school for geniuses, technically, but everyone in the building (and very, very few people outside it) knows what's really going on. These girls are being trained to be spies.

Of course, no one's forcing them to take up epsionage for a living once they graduate, but it's pretty easy to figure out what they're meant to do; they study code breaking, martial arts, and, once they're sophomores (like Cammie and her friends), Covert Operations. And it's not every school that had an alert system for when visitors come that hides every trace of what people do there every day and turns it into a regular boarding school for rich girls (the way the people in the surrounding town think the Gallagher Academy is).

Speaking of the people in town, Cammie actually meets one of them on her first Covert Operations mission! The mission does not go as well as it could, but something miraculous does happen: Cammie, who hasn't really known any boys for years, and is known for her ability to become invisible at school (a compliment at a school like hers), is noticed by a boy.

Josh is a rather cute boy, too. And the fact that he notices Cammie makes them practically soul mates already! Of course, things are never as simple as they seem. Even though Cammie and her friends can hack into Josh's email and implant a tracker in his shoe to make sure he's not trying to infiltrate the school through her, there's something Cammie isn't sure she can pull off: being a normal girl, especially when Josh can't find out the truth about Cammie's life. Can she and Josh be together, despite all of the obstacles in their way?

Ally Carter has written a fun page-turner in ITYILYBTIHTKY (wow, even shortening the title is really long), with a pretty awesome idea behind it, too; spies are inherently interesting (like pirates or superheroes), and teenage girl spies, also struggling with the dilemmas facing normal teenagers even without the added problems caused by the whole secret life thing, are even cooler! Ally Carter's book is a quick and funny read that lives up to the expectations set by the revelations made by the jacket copy, with its interesting characters, cool gadgets, and romance. The book is one of the best kind--set up for a sequel (and who wouldn't want more about Cammie and her friends and family?), but still a great story by itself. And readers are in luck--the next book starring the Gallagher Girls, Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy, will be out sometime next fall!

Rating: 10/10

New Reviews on TeensReadToo.com

2006-11-19T09:35:00.000-08:00

Here's a list of my latest reviews on TRT. These links on the review list are in italics. You can check out a list of just my reviews for TRT here.

The Bonemender's Oath by Holly Bennett
Everything She Wants by Beth Killian
Life as a Poser by Beth Killian
Hazing Meri Sugarman by M Apostolina
Meri Strikes Back by M Apostolina
Rising Star by Cari Gelber
Fix by Leslie Margolis
Upstate by Kalisha Buckhannon

Cool Contests

2006-11-15T14:22:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple more contests! Note the deadlines.

Ending Sunday, October 19th: Jenine Wilson is giving away a copy of her novel, The Shadow Within! See details on her blog, here. All you have to do is check out the link to the teaser page for her next novel, and leave a comment on the blog post giving that link!

Ending 30 November: Enter Rachel's cupcake photo contest! Rachel Cohn is giving away an ARC of Cupcake, which won't be released until January. I can't wait to read it; she's a fantastic author! If you haven't read her other books, check them out! Contest details here.

Contests

2006-11-13T17:59:00.000-08:00

I haven't been doing a great job of finding contests lately, but here's what I have found for the month of November:

YABC: You could win a copy of Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez's awesome book, Haters! Contest details here & see my review here.

As always, TeensReadToo.com has a monthly contest going on! This month, they're giving away copies of Kitty Goes Californian, Dear Zoe, Before I Go, and Fangs4Freaks. Also on the page are details about an essay contest and a contest to win jewelery. Details here.

On Bookburger, you could win a copy of Nicholas Sparks' latest. That's not YA, but they do have pretty regular contests on there. All you have to do is sign up for the b-list (their newsletter)!

So, you probably know I really like the Internet Book Database. You may not, however, have known that they give away free books every month! It's true. All you have to do is sign up and make sure your full mailing address is entered in your profile, and you're eligible to win!

Ally Carter (whose first book is on my to read stack) has revealed the title of book number two! Sort of. It's in code, and there are prizes for those who can crack it! Read all about it on Ally's blog, here.

Flamingnet has book giveaways for members every month. Sign up here!

Review: Cathy's Book

2006-11-13T17:54:00.000-08:00

Cathy's Book: If Found call (650) 266-8233 is being marketed as a new kind of young adult novel. It's interactive, with a pocket of 'evidence', real phone numbers and websites, and other extras to help you learn more about the case. To be honest, though, that wasn't what made me love this book. Sure, the extras are cool and all, but I don't think they are necessary (and that's a compliment to the book, really!). Cathy's Book could have stood on its own as a wonderful young adult novel.

It's the story of, as the title suggests, a girl named Cathy. I suppose she's fairly normal at first (though she is a better artist than most of us--I love the drawings in this book!), but she quickly finds herself mixed up in some shady business, due to her involvement with Victor, her older possible-boyfriend. I can't say too much without giving away the awesome plot twists, but nothing turns out the way you think it will! It all comes together quite nicely in the end, though. The startling revelations that finish this story, however, could set up a great sequel, and I hope that one is at least being considered!

Cathy's Book is fantastic for a number of reasons. There are great pictures (and usually I'm not a fan of pictures in novels--I think it distracts from the writing), it's well-written, the characters (especially Cathy) are realistic, and the plot is quite suspenseful! It's not all action and suspense, though--there's a bit of romance thrown in (that is, after all, the reason for Cathy's involvement in the first place), which makes it fun. The only thing that might subtract from the awesomeness of this book, I think, is the fact that the publishers or whoever made this decision seemed to think the great story needed 'extras' to make it worth reading. None of the press I've read on this book mentions the great novel; instead, it talks about the 'extras.' That is not what makes this book worth it, not at all!

Rating: 9.5/10

**This review is also posted on TeensReadToo.com**

Reviews (for teensreadtoo.com)

2006-11-13T17:16:00.000-08:00

Recently, I started reviewing books for teensreadtoo.com. Since I haven't been writing many reviews here lately (sorry about that!), I thought I'd post a list of reviews I've written for TRT. Check out their other reviews and stuff, too!

Anyway, here's the list (so far--I have a stack of books by my computer for TRT and this blog that I need to review!):

Chasing The Jaguar by Michele Dominguez Greene
Devilish by Maureen Johnson
Is He Or Isn't He? by John Hall
Joker by Ranulfo
Lulu Dark and the Summer of the Fox by Bennett Madison

Review: Real Time by Pnina Moed Kass

2006-10-30T16:00:00.000-08:00

This review was written for the Internet Book Database.

Real Time is Pnina Kass Moed's novel set in contemporary Israel, telling a story in real time, in which the lives of so many people come together, minute by minute. The narration switches back and forth between several different characters, telling one story but also many stories. These characters include Thomas, a German boy who has come to Israel looking for answers about his family, Baruch, a Holocaust survivor who now works on a kibbutz, Vera, another kibbutz worker who is finding her Jewish roots and escaping her tragic past in Odessa, Sameh, a Palestinian working illegally at a diner, Saheh's friend Omar, a reporter, and many others. All of these people are different, looking for different things, but there is a moment when all of their lives come together, and it is a tragedy.

So much sadness, so much despair, is evident. Can there be healing and hope for those who survive this tragedy? Only time will tell.

This novel is a breathtaking story, but it's more than that. For one thing, it's a behind-the-scenes look at what is usually seen only on television. It's more than behind-the-scenes; it's the secrets, thoughts, hopes, and dreams of every person involved. The way this story is told, in (as the title suggests) real time, switching back and forth between several narrators, is a part of what makes it amazing. If just one character told the story, so many aspects of it would not be seen. Pnina Kass Moed is a brilliant writer, and the story she tells in Real Time is equally brilliant.

Rating: 9/10

**This review is also posted on TeensReadToo.com**

Review: The Shadow Within by Jenine Wilson

2006-10-23T18:59:00.000-07:00

Jessie is a fairly normal teenage girl, a senior at Leeland High School along with her best friend, Annie, until the Peterson brothers move to town. Before, her life, if not easy, was at least predictable and not at all extraordinary. Sure, she got bullied at school by Reece, and her parents didn't get along, but Jessie wasn't the only one with those problems. When she literally falls into Wesley's arms one day at school, however, her life is changed drastically.

Wesley and his brother, Brian, aren't exactly what they seem to be, new students from France. Yes, they did live in France before moving to Jessie's town, but before that, they came from another dimension. Not only are the Peterson brothers not French, they're not even human! Well, not entirely. Their mother was a demon, and their fathers human (the boys are twins, but, apparently, with a demon mother, half-brothers can be twins....That seems like unnecessary information in the book, though--wouldn't one human father be simpler?).

Apparently, they were followed from their home dimension by another being, a shade, who possesses others. Human hosts die quickly, but a halfling host would last a long time, and be unable to expel the shade the way full demons do. The shade is following Wesley and Brian, looking for a halfling host, unless they can figure out a way to stop him--with Jessie's help, of course.

The Shadow Within has everything that makes me love a book--there's romance, suspense, action, and, of course, a paranormal element. Overall, I really liked the book--there were just a few details that bothered me. One of these, and possibly the biggest one, was the fact that nobody except Jessie was able to retain long-term memories of the Peterson brothers. What bothered me about this was that it's never explained in the book. Why can't anyone else remember Brian and Wesley? More importantly, why is Jessie able to remember them clearly? Hopefully leaving that loose end means Jenine Wilson will be writing a sequel, but, if not, just leaving that hanging is a bit disappointing.

I know this can be a sore subject, but most of what bothered me about this book were things that, with professional editing, could have been easily fixed (the book is self-published). They are all little things, but little things can add up and be distracting from the book itself. This isn't just Jenine Wilson's book; I've noticed it in all of the self-published books I've read. Of course, note that this isn't important enough to keep me from reading them!

Overall, The Shadow Within is a good, fast-paced story that did the job of holding my attention (and I have a rather short attention span). I'm looking forward to Jenine Wilson's next book!

Rating: 8/10

The Class of 2k7

2006-10-17T17:09:00.000-07:00

From the website:

The Class of 2k7 is a group of first-time children's and YA authors with debut books coming out in 2007. We're helping to promote each other's books with this joint Class of 2k7 website as well as a collective blog, newsletter, forum, chatroom, and brochure. Our 36 authors hail from 20 states and D.C. representing a range of genres and publishers.

We're just getting started, but there's already been a great deal of enthusiasm about the idea. And you might get to meet some of us during one of our 2007 regional tours, where cooperative book signings and workshops will bring more attention than any one of us could hope for alone. I look forward to hearing your ideas on how we can make the Class of 2k7 even better and leave a legacy for those who come after us in the Classes of 2k8, 2k9, and beyond. Thanks!

Greg R. Fishbone,
Class President

Very cool, don't you think? It's awesome that these authors are all supporting each other, and they have some great books coming out! Check out the YA section of the site. I can't wait to read these books!

Review: Plan B by Jenny O'Connell

2006-10-15T19:51:00.000-07:00

*I'm sorry I haven't been posting many reviews lately, everyone! Life gets in the way...*

Vanessa has it all planned out. She's starting her senior year of high school, and after that "short, relatively painless year," she's going to go to Yale, where her boyfriend, Patrick, is already a freshman. It'll be great, just like before, only without parents around.

Then comes one phone call. Who would have thought one phone call, a fairly short one, could change Vanessa's life so drastically?

Apparently, Vanessa has an older half brother. Her parents were separated for awhile before she was born, and she has a brother that she just found out about. And he's coming to stay. Not just for a visit; he's going to be spending his senior year at Vanessa's school.

He's not completely unknown to her. In fact, the whole world knows Vanessa's brother. She sees his face every day. Her best friend has posters of Vanessa's brother on her wall. Reed Vaughn, Hollywood's favorite bad boy, is Vanessa's half brother.

That's a pretty big bombshell, and it changes things in ways Vanessa could never have imagined. When Reed comes to town, Vanessa's life, every aspect of it, is turned upside down. Things will never be the same for Vanessa again...But is change so bad?

Plan B, Jenny O'Connell's first young adult novel, is sure to be a hit. Published by MTV Books, it's full of believable characters, interesting plot twists, and great writing. This book had my attention all the way through! I've been very impressed with the novels MTV has published, and this one is no exception. The people at MTV have surprisingly good taste in books!

Vanessa is a great character to whom readers will certainly be able to relate. Her unwillingness for things to be different is very understandable, and so is her realization that change isn't always bad. This book is much less predictable than one might think, and the ending especially is surprise -- but not a bad surprise. Nothing about this book is bad! Pick it up and you won't be disappointed.

Rating: 10/10