thebookreviewer

Waiting on Wednesday (33)

2011-01-26T14:13:00.000-08:00

Waiting on Wednesday

She Said/She Saw by: Norah McClintock

Coming on: March 1st 2011

Summary: Tegan was in the backseat when her two best friends were gunned down in front of her. Was it an argument over drugs? An ongoing feud? Or something more random? Tegan says she didn't see who did it. Or know why. Nobody will believe her. Not the police; not her friends; not the families of the victims; and not even Kelly, her own sister. Is she afraid that the killer will come back? Or does she know more than she is saying?

Shunned at school and feeling alone, Tegan must sort through her memories and try to decide what is real and what is imagined. And in the end she must decide whether she has the strength to stand up and do the right thing.

This looks really exciting. I wonder what happened to Tegan's friends. Was there even a killer or was it her friends like the summary? I also wonder what the outcome will be to this crime or if the killer comes back. I'm going to have to get this for my birthday! :)

Quad by: C.G. Watson

2011-01-23T14:58:00.000-08:00

Quad by: C.G. Watson

Published: May 10, 2007 by Razorbill

Summary:

Everything led up to this moment—the point when the teasing, the cruelty, the pressure all became too much. And someone finally snapped.

Now six students, from six different cliques, are trapped in the student store while a shooter terrorizes their school. The shooter's identity is teased out through the students' flashbacks until the reader breathlessly reaches the final page. It's only there that he discovers the shocking answer to the question: Who is shooting out in the quad?

This gripping thriller by educator C. G. Watson is inspired by observations made in her own high school. Quad examines in heartrending detail how even the most casual cruelties can tear people apart.

Review: Quad was a very surprising read that was filled with such anger, that by the end I wanted to punch a couple of characters in the face.

Forced to seek shelter after shots are fired at their high school, Ranger, Ken, Maggie, Sage, Calvert, and Christopher are forced to take shelter in the school store. All six kids are from six different cliques. They know that it has to be one of their friends. Could it be Stone on a steroid rage? Or Perry the choirboy with a vengeance? Or Rufus, the freak with a score to settle?

I didn't expect much from this with Quad since I didn't hear much about it,but it really blew me away. I would find myself scrambling through pages to find out what would happen next. With this book, you are brought back and forth from the past and the present. I really loved this because it gave you more insight on what happened to the character before and what was happening in the quad. I could really see this becoming a movie.

There were a ton of POVs for this, but I felt that most of the characters were highly developed. My favorite would probably be Ranger, I found him to be funny and the kind of person I would hang out with. I also liked Paisley, Sage, Hayley, Ken and Theo. These people were all normal, nice people and when I needed to, I sympathized them. I hated Maggie the most I think. She was a loser who thought she was different but was just like the mean guys. Speaking of the mean kids, boy oh boy, what I would give to slap Brittany and Nicole! Gosh, these girls took mean to a whole new level! And Stone...let's just say by the end I wanted to kick him where the sun don't shine.

The only problem I had with this was the ending. Yes, I never saw it coming, but it left me with so many questions. I felt that there should have been an epilogue or at least one more chapter.

Overall: 4.5 stars

You can find out more about the author and book here.

Waiting on Wednesday (32)

2011-01-19T13:29:00.000-08:00

Waiting on Wednesday

My pick this week:

I'm Not Her by: Janet Gurtler

Coming out: May 1, 2011 by Sourcebooks Fire

Summary: “For the first time in my life, I didn’t feel envy…”

Tess is the exact opposite of her beautiful, athletic sister. And that’s okay. Kristina is the sporty one, Tess is the smart one, and they each have their place. Until Kristina is diagnosed with cancer. Suddenly Tess is the center of the popular crowd, everyone eager for updates. There are senior boys flirting with her. Yet the smiles of her picture-perfect family are cracking and her sister could be dying. Now Tess has to fill a new role: the strong one. Because if she doesn’t hold it together, who will?

Janet Gurtler tests the bonds of sisterhood in this moving debut that readers of Jodi Picoult and Sarah Dessen will savor

This looks heartbreaking. From looking at the title on Goodreads, I knew that this would have to be one to check out. I can't help to feel bad for Tess. She's always felt second best to her sister and when she finally come first it's when her sister is dying. I wonder what will happen to Tess's sister and how Tess faces her new found popularity. This is a must-read for me.

Waiting on Wednesday (31)

2011-01-12T15:58:00.000-08:00

Waiting on Wednesday

My Pick This Week is:

Pink by: Lili Wilkinson

Coming out: February 8, 2011 by HarperCollins

Summary:

Ava has a secret. She is tired of her ultracool attitude, ultra-radical politics, and ultrablack clothing. She's ready to try something new—she's even ready to be someone new. Someone who fits in, someone with a gorgeous boyfriend, someone who wears pink.

Transferring to Billy Hughes School for Academic Excellence is the perfect chance to try on a new identity. But just in case things don't work out, Ava is hiding her new interests from her parents, and especially from her old girlfriend.

Secrets have a way of being hard to keep, though, and Ava finds that changing herself is more complicated than changing her wardrobe. Even getting involved in the school musical raises issues she never imagined. As she faces surprising choices and unforeseen consequences, Ava wonders if she will ever figure out who she really wants to be.

Humor, heart, and the joys of drama—on- and offstage—combine in Ava's delight-fully colorful journey of self-discovery.

I've been waiting for this one since I've read a review of this months ago. I love books with the idea of a "do-over" I guess you can say and seeing a goth girl try to become one of the things she's suppose to hate the most, popular. This looks like a fun read, I have to pick this up next month.

Books Read In 2011

2011-01-10T15:20:00.000-08:00

1. The Aristobrats by: Jennifer Solow

2. Quad by: C.G. Watson

3. Coffeehouse Angel by:Suzanne Selfors

4. Forget You by: Jennifer Echols

The Aristobrats by: Jennifer Solow

2011-01-10T14:36:00.000-08:00

The Aristobrats by: Lauren Solow

Published: September 1, 2010 by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

Other books in this series: Stay Pretty Wallingford (coming out June 1, 2011)

Summary:

Parker Bell has been waiting her whole life for Eighth Grade – she’s finally at the very top of the populadder at Wallingford Academy and her Facebook Friend count has never been higher. A second generation Wally (what most people call an “Aristobrat”), Parker is determined to use her status to champion the underpopular. But when Parker and her three best friends are mysteriously assigned to produce the highly academic (and seriously bleh) webcast, she watches in horror as their spot on the populadder plummets.

The girls will do whatever it takes to save their reputations, even if it means masterminding a plan to get kicked off the project. But when their predicament gets even worse, they just might realize that true friendship means more than status.

Review: I was scared to get into The Aristobrats. I thought it would be a The Clique rip-off, but while it was different, it still had a Cliquey feel. Overall, though, I was very surprised with this.

This is they year for Parker and her friends to shine. Finally, in eight grade, Parker, Ikea, Kiki, and Plum are ready to make it their best year yet. But their plans are soon canceled when their principal,Ms. Hotchkiss, names them the producers of their school's broadcast. Almost immediately, their population drags down dramatically. All of the people who they used to call friends ditch them and start making fun of them. So much for the best year ever.

The Aristobrats was a great book. I have to say, I fell in love with all of the characters. I also loved how the main characters were very different. Parker, the girl with money problems struggling to stay in Wallingford, Ikea, the smart one, Kiki, the fashion-forward one,and Plum, the tom-boy. I loved how through their differences they were still best friends. Now, I'm going to say it, I think one of my favorite characters in this was Kenneth. He made me laugh so hard whenever he came into the book. I wish he was in it more though.

The only problem I really had with this was the slow beginning. It took me a couple of chapters to really get into this and I just really didn't think too much of the girls in the beginning. I thought that they were annoying and just like The Clique! But when you get deeper into this, you find out that they are actually N I C E. They aren't bitches and actually behave like girls my age. Which is a huge up in my book.

Overall: 4 stars

You can learn more about Jennifer Solow and The Aristobrats here.

The DUFF by: Kody Keplinger

2011-01-03T15:47:00.000-08:00

The DUFF by: Kody Keplinger

Published: September 7,2010 by Poppy

Other books by this author: Luststruck (coming out somwhere this year) and A Midsummer's Nightmare ( 2012)

Summary: Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn’t think she’s the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She’s also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her “the Duff,” she throws her Coke in his face.

But things aren’t so great at home right now, and Bianca is desperate for a distraction. She ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him.

Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out Wesley isn’t such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she’s falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.

Review: The DUFF was an amazing read. It felt raw and emotional and left me begging for more.

Bianca has never felt like the prettiest girl,especially when she's with her two gorgeous best friends, Casey and Jessica. She's just fine with this fact until her school's play-boy Wesley,calls her the DUFF. DUFF, which stands for "Designated Ugly Fat Friend." Bianca just pours her drink over him and tries to forget about it,but she can't. Soon the nickname and family troubles get to Bianca's head and she leans on Wesley for support. Soon, Bianca finds herself actually falling for Wesley.

This book was amazing, Bianca has to be one of my favorite female protagonists that I read about this year. Her I don't care attitude never got annoying and I found her sarcasm to be really funny. I really loved all of the characters in this. Wesley may have been slimy but I still couldn't help myself to sympathize him. Casey and Jessica were great friends who I totally would love to meet. Not only did I love Bianca, but I really felt bad for her. As much as I hated her mom, I still felt bad for her and Bianca's dad melted my heart.

I really loved the narration in this, too. Bianca felt very realistic. All I was expecting from The DUFF was a mis-matched romance but it was a lot more than that, which made me really happy.

Overall: 5 stars

*And yes, this does have a lot of sex and cursing. I was a bit nervous to read it because I usually shy away from books that have sex in them, but I was fine with this.

My Top Ten of 2010

2010-12-31T16:00:00.000-08:00

Can You Believe that the year is already ending!? Well, I can't. My list may be embarrassing (it's less than 50!) but I promise next year's will be better! So without further ado, I give you my top ten favorite books of the year (in no particular order):

Beautiful by: Amy Reed
Audrey,Wait! by: Robin Benway
I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone by: Stephanie Kuenhart
Going Too Far by: Jennifer Echols
Along for the Ride by: Sarah Dessen
Paul is Undead by: Alan Goldscher
Some Girls Are by: Courtney Summers
Bad Girls Don't Die by: Katie Alender
The DUFF by: Kody Keplinger (review to come)
What's Your Status? by: Katie Finn

You can see my list of books I read this year here.

Happy New Year! :)

Waiting on Wednesday (30)

2010-12-29T16:13:00.000-08:00

Waiting on Wednesday (29)

My Pick This Week: Dead End by: Jason Myers

Coming on: June 14 2011 by Simon Pulse

Summary: Dru and Gina are young, in love, and can’t wait to get out of Marshall, Nebraska, a town where bloodline means everything and whoever has the money makes the rules. But all their dreams are shattered when Gina has a monstrous run-in with the son of the richest man in Marshall—an incident that leaves her broken, battered, and violated.

Driven by rage, Dru and Gina take matters into their own hands, and quickly find themselves in over their heads. Without any other options, Dru and Gina are on the run. But there’s more chasing them than they think, and love might not be enough to save them.

This looks really good. I wonder what Dru and Gina did and what will happen next. Plus, some romance is involved!? This looks like a good thriller. I'm going to have to pick this up when it comes out in June. :)

That Was Then, This Is Now by: S.E. Hinton

2010-12-28T20:59:00.001-08:00

That was Then, This is Now by: S.E. Hinton

Published: 1971

Other Books In This Series: The Outsiders

Summary: Ever since Mark's parents died, he has been living with Bryon. The boys are more like brothers than mere friends. They've been inseparable--until recently. Something seems to be changing between them, and Bryon can't figure it out. Is it Cathy, Bryon's new girlfriend? Is Mark jealous? Bryon is also tired of the street fighting, but Mark seems unable to quit. And where is Mark getting all of that money? In That Was Then, This Is Now, one of her most admired novels, S. E. Hinton paints a richly textured portrait of two boys at a crossroads in their friendship. With careful, intimate strokes, Hinton reveals a boy struggling over whether to protect his best friend or whether to follow his own beliefs about right and wrong. The ending will surprise readers, challenging them to puzzle over Bryon's dilemma in their own hearts.

Review: Bryon and Mark may not be brothers but they may as well should be. Since Mark's parents were killed when he was nine years old, they have lived in the same house with Bryon's sick mother. Now 16, they seem to be growing apart. Mark has been going out more lately and making large sums of money. While Bryon has been spending more time with his girlfriend, Cathy.

That was Then, This is Now was honestly a huge letdown. The Outsiders was one of the greatest books I have ever read, I was expecting this to be great too, but it went Low below my expectations.

This was my second time reading That was Then, This is Now. The first time I tried reading this I only got up to 40 pages or so and stopped. This starts off really slow,taking about three chapters to really get started. The first three chapters just mainly talk about Bryon's daily life.

The only character I really liked in this was M&M. He was smart and mellow, but not a big part in the book, seen only barely until the end. I just didn't feel for Bryon or Mark. I didn't have any sympathy or even liked them for that matter. I'm not sure how to explain why though. It was just something about them that threw me off of them. I guess they weren't my cup of tea. I also really didn't like Bryon's girlfriend, Cathy. I felt that she was, honestly, a smart-ass. I hated her! Ponyboy was only really in this for about two pages! I really wanted him in this more! :(

The ending...I saw a part of it coming, but not all of it. I felt that while it was still an ending, it was not complete. After reading this I felt very depressed,cold. I really wasn't expecting it.

Overall: 2 stars

I Hate Being Sick!

2010-12-20T13:24:00.000-08:00

Yes,unfortunately, I've been bitten by the sick bug. So, please excuse me for a couple of days while I get better. I'm still gonna comment on other blogs, but I'm really not up to reading or writing reviews for now. I'm sorry for this little break. :(

Waiting on Wednesday (29)

2010-12-15T14:29:00.000-08:00

My pick for Waiting on Wednesday is:

But I Love Him by: Amanda Grace

Coming out: May 8,2011 by Flux

Summary: Tonight was so much worse than anything before it.
Tonight he didn't stop after the first slap.

At the beginning of senior year, Ann was a smiling, straight-A student and track star with friends and a future. Then she met a haunted young man named Connor. Only she can heal his emotional scars; only he could make her feel so loved-and needed. Ann can't recall the pivotal moment it all changed, when she surrendered everything to be with him, but by graduation, her life has become a dangerous high wire act. Just one mistake could trigger Connor's rage, a senseless storm of cruel words and violence damaging everything-and everyone-in its path.

This evocative slideshow of flashbacks reveals a heartbreaking story of love gone terribly wrong.

OH. MY. GOSH. Is all I can basically say about this one. But I Love Him looks amazing and raw. You don't come about this book all the time so this is a rare gem. Honestly, the title is what threw me into this book. I really love it and how creepy it sounds. I will definitely be looking out for this one.

Belle of the Brawl by: Lisi Harrison

2010-12-13T13:24:00.000-08:00

Belle of the Brawl by: Lisi Harrison

Published: October 5, 2010 by Poppy

Other books in this series: Alphas and Movers & Fakers

Summary: Eccentric billionaire Shira Brazille founded the super-exclusive Alpha Academy to nurture the next generation of exceptional dancers, writers, musicians, and inventors. It's a dream come true for one hundred lucky girls, but those not measuring up will be sent home at any time, for any reason. The one left standing will win worldwide fame. Who will it be?

Skye Hamilton arrived at Alpha Academy ready to dance circles around the competition, but she's having a hard time feeling the beat. Her newest HAD (Hope and Dream): less stress, more fun. Now Skye's torn between what kind of Alpha she wants to be, and which über-hawt Brazille boy she wants to be with.

Charlie Deery can invent practically anything--except girlfriends. But now Allie A. is warming to her, and Charlie wants to keep it that way--even if it means helping Allie A. land Darwin. But will hooking up her ex-crush end up crushing her?

Allie A. Abbott is serious-leh relieved she hasn't been sent home yet, especially now that everyone knows she's more faux than a St. Tropez spray tan. Can she prove she's a true Alpha after all? Or will she go from beautiful to beta-ful?

If at first you don't succeed, you're not an alpha.

Review: Skye, Charlie, and Allie have gone through a lot at Alpha Academy, but their adventure has just started. Sydney,one of Shira's five sons, starts liking Skye. But Skye really doesn't like Sydney, she likes Taz, his brother. But if she breaks Syd's heart, Shira will expell her from Alpha Academy. Charlie still likes Darwin. The good news? He likes her back. The bad news? Allie still can't get over Darwin. The solution? Get Allie to start liking Darwin's other brother, Melbourne. Allie is ready to get back to business but the real Allie J is making this very tough on her by making a whole album based on her identity theft and now she is making everybody hate her at Alpha Academy (well except for Skye and Charlie) What's an alpha to do?

Belle of the Brawl may be the third book in the series but it still shows that the Alphas series hasn't lost its spark. It still delivers so many twists and turns it makes your head spin.

In the last book, Movers & Fakers, I wasn't a big fan of the characters,especially Skye, but I really liked them in this. In the last book, Skye was so snotty I really just couldn't take her anymore, but I really liked her in this book. I loved her determination to be the best in her dancing class. Charlie's relationship with Darwin is so Cute! I loved how she made sure Allie was over with Darwin before she made a move for Darwin. I think Allie is my favorite of the three. I loved how she bounced back quickly from the Allie J experience.

I also loved the minor characters Triple, Ophelia, Tweety, and all five of Shira's sons. If I had to pick my favorite son I would have to pick Sydney, I love my poets. :)

I did have a few problems with this though. I thought that some of the stuff Lisi Harrison wrote were very hard believe. I don't know about you, but can you imagine an "A" shaped boat? Also in the book it always describes Allie as having blond hair then why is she a brunette on the cover? Is it her or her when she is Allie J?

Overall: 4 Stars

The last book of the Alpha series, Top of the Feud Chain, comes out in May 2011.

Waiting on Wednesday (28)

2010-12-08T15:14:00.000-08:00

Waiting on Wednesday (27)

This week my pick for Waiting on Wednesday is:

Trapped by: Michael Northrop

Coming out: January 1, 2011 by: Scholastic

Summary:

The day the blizzard started, no one knew that it was going to keep snowing for a week. That for those in its path, it would become not just a matter of keeping warm, but of staying alive....

Scotty and his friends Pete and Jason are among the last seven kids at their high school waiting to get picked up that day, and they soon realize that no one is coming for them. Still, it doesn't seem so bad to spend the night at school, especially when distractingly hot Krista and Julie are sleeping just down the hall. But then the power goes out, then the heat. The pipes freeze, and the roof shudders. As the days add up, the snow piles higher, and the empty halls grow colder and darker, the mounting pressure forces a devastating decision....

Oh my gosh this looks so awesome. First off the cover really freaks me out. The school looks scary covered in all that snow. This does not only look awesome but also creepy and kinda reminds me of a horror movie. My school is pretty old so I might get creeped out in about a day. Also, I really want to know what the devastating decision is. Do they play survival of the fittest or try to leave the school? I'm going to have this pick this up once it come out.

The Outsiders by: S.E. Hinton

2010-12-06T14:04:00.000-08:00

The Outsiders by: S.E. Hinton

Published: 1967 by Puffin

Summary: According to Ponyboy, there are two kinds of people in the world: greasers and socs. A soc (short for "social") has money, can get away with just about anything, and has an attitude longer than a limousine. A greaser, on the other hand, always lives on the outside and needs to watch his back. Ponyboy is a greaser, and he's always been proud of it, even willing to rumble against a gang of socs for the sake of his fellow greasers--until one terrible night when his friend Johnny kills a soc. The murder gets under Ponyboy's skin, causing his bifurcated world to crumble and teaching him that pain feels the same whether a soc or a greaser. This classic, written by S. E. Hinton when she was 16 years old, is as profound today as it was when it was first published in 1967.

Review: Ponyboy's life has always been tough. His parents are dead, he and his older brother Darry fight all the time, and their rival gang,the Socs,have been on his gang's tail. Little does Ponyboy know that his and his friends' lives will soon change forever.

The Outsiders is an AMAZING book. Even though it is a bit of an old book, it still feels so real. All of the characters were amazing. By the end, I was at tears. Which I don't really understand since I already read this, while I still thought it was really good, this time it blew me away.

The Greasers (Ponyboy's gang) is made up of Pony, Darry, and Soda-Pop( Pony's brothers) Dally, Randy,Two-Bit Matthews, and Johnny. I have to say I loved them all. But, my favorite characters would have to be Ponyboy, Johnny, Dally, and Two-Bit Matthews. I loved them from Dally's heartless attitude to Two-bit's awesome sense of humor. I also really liked the conversations between Cherry and Ponyboy ( Very Cute!)

S.E. Hinton's writing is amazing. Ponyboy is reallt realistic and so is the other characters. The end had me at tears and wouldn't let me stop reading it. The Outsiders was amazing.

Overall: If it had me cry then it's amazing.

5 stars

Love Sucks! By: Melissa Francis

2010-12-02T17:34:00.000-08:00

Love Sucks! by: Melissa Francis
Published: July 27 2010 by HarperCollins

Other books in this series: Bite Me!

Summary: AJ Ashe is moving on. Sure she still has not-so-sisterly feelings for Ryan, her ex-boyfriend-turned-step-brother, but there’s a new vampire in town and his name is Alexander Archer. Caught between the desire to move forward with Sexy Lexy and being drawn to her past with Ryan, AJ thinks life couldn’t get anymore complicated. Yeah, right. When her mother’s pregnancy is threatened, it looks like AJ’s long lost father is the only person who can save her. But Dad’s help comes with a price. AJ is forced join the evil side of her family, and a very creepy shape-shifting demon is there to make sure AJ cooperates. All this and she’s still got to plan the prom. Being a teenager is tough, but being a teenage vampire just flat out sucks. Pun totally intended.

Review: Just when A.J. thought all her worries were over her father comes back into her life. To protect herself and her family her auntie Tave hires her nephews Robbie and Lex, to help train her. But A.J. finds herself falling for Lex while still trying to get over Ryan. With prom just around the corner and a new prophecy brother or sister on the way A.J.'s life is back to being crazy and unexpected.

Love Sucks! was a great sequel to the Bite Me! series. It felt just like Bite Me! but I still had a few problems with it.

I felt that this book was more slower than Bite Me!. I would pick this up and then put it back down and stop reading. Also, I really wasn't a fan of "sexy Lexy" a.k.a Aunty Tave's nephew. I felt that there wasn't any chemistry between A.J. and him. I also found him a bit stalkerish, like reading A.J.'s thoughts? That was a little creepy and annoying. Another character I just did not like was Bridget, A.J.'s best friend. She would just annoy me, but she really wasn't in the book until the end.

Except for those two characters, I loved the rest of them. A.J. is always headstrong and doesn't complain about her problems. What's not to love about Ryan? He's cute, nice, and funny. I also really liked Malia and Robbie. I think they should have been in the book more.

Although this book was slow, it was addicting. Melissa Francis' writing draws you right in. I thought the ending was amazing. It made me laugh one minute and the next made me gasp with surprise. I can't wait to read more from this series.

Overall: Love Sucks! is a slow but great book in the Bite Me! series.

3 stars

Waiting on Wednesday (27)

2010-12-01T15:47:00.000-08:00

Waiting on Wednesday
My Pick This Week:

All The Things You Are by: Courtney Sheinmel
Coming out: June 14,2011

Summary: Carly Wheeler lives a charmed life. Her motheris a stylist for the soap opera Lovelock Falls, she lives in a nice house, and goes to an excellent private school. But when her mom is arrested and charged with embezzlement, everything starts to unravel. There are shocking stories about her mother's crimes in the local newspaper. Carly's friends start avoiding her. And her stepfather starts worrying about money. How can Carly put her life back together when it feels like she's missing all the pieces?

Have you ever heard of the phrase "You don't know what you've got until it's gone?" Well, this is exactly what this book reminds me of. I've been hit with this feeling countless times so I really want to see how Carly reacts when her no worries life leaves her worrystruck. I can't wait to read this one.

My Little Phony by: Lisi Harrison

2010-11-25T09:23:00.000-08:00

My Little Phony by: Lisi Harrison

Published: August 3, 2010 by Poppy

Other books in this series: The Clique, Best Friends For Never, Revenge of the Wannabees, Invasion of the Boy Snatchers, The Pretty Committee Strikes Back, Dial L for Loser, It's Not Easy Being Mean, Sealed with a Diss, Bratfest at Tiffany's, P.S. I Loathe You, Boys R Us, These Boots are Made for Stalking

Summary: Sugar, spice, and everything lice.

Massie Block: The holidays are just around the corner, and the only thing Massie doesn't want for Christmas is a lip-kiss from her ninth-grade crush, Landon. Not that she'd ever admit it, but she's nervous! To distract herself, Massie focuses on getting revenge on Claire for ditching the Pretty Committee. But when the plan to bug her ex-BFF backfires big-time, she may find herself headed for a Merry Kissmass-whether she likes it or not.

Alicia Rivera: Promised her parents she wouldn't shop at awl between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Her reward? An all-expenses-paid trip to the Spanish Riviera. But what happens when she sees the cuh-yutest pair of Ralph Lauren sunglasses? No pain, no Spain.

Dylan Marvil: After going overboard at the Westchester Mall, Dylan isn't worried about the size of her clothes . . . but she is worried about the size of her clothing budget. Cuh-redit denied!

Kristen Gregory: Is sick of being the only poor girl in Westchester. But misery loves company, and maybe, just maybe, she won't be the only broke member of the Pretty Committee for long. .

Claire Lyons: When Massie scares off her new drama friends with a fake-lice scare, Claire decides she's done letting Massie bully her. The alpha may have exterminated Claire's social life, but what goes around comes around. The raid is on, and it won't be over until the fat ladybug sings.

The Clique . . . the only thing harder than getting in is staying in.

Review: It's been the last straw for Claire! After Massie shaves Todd's head and convinces her ninth grade friends that she has lice, Claire forms a rebellion. With Layne, Claire forms Claire-a, a rebellion group against the Pretty Committee. But Claire-a is the least of Massie's worries. After her friends steal her phone and tell her ninth grade crush, Landon that she wants to kiss him, he agrees! Now, Massie is freaking out on how to make their kiss seem perfect.

It's always sad to see your favorite series end. Even though there is still one more book in the series, I felt like this was it. One of my favorite YA series is ending and it makes me feel old.

In These Boots are Made for Stalking I hated both Claire and Massie, but this time it was just Massie getting all the hate. Claire actually (finally!!) stands up to Massie with her group, Claire-a. I found the friendship between Claire and Layne to be refreshing and funny. Massie is a total bitch in this. Whenever I thought she wouldn't do something that mean, she did. I really hated her in this.

I lost basically all of my respect for Alicia, Kristen, and Dylan. There was one part of the story when Massie says some very hurtful things to them, but like three days later, after ignoring her, THEY apologize to HER and only because they needed backup. Massie would treat them like dirt and they would come crawling back to her. Meanwhile, Claire's boyfriend, Cam, was so swoonworthy! He would support Claire no matter what she did and was so sweet! I love him and the other boys in this series even though they weren't even in this one.

My Little Phony was so addicting. I love the details Lisi Harrison would put in for just everyday things and make them seem so much more funny and silly. Also, most of her characters are so lifelike. I would love to be friends with everyone of them (except Massie). I will definitely be looking out for the next and final book.

Overall: Very addicting and fun.

4 stars

The last book in this series, A Tale of Two Pretties, will be coming out on February 15, 2011.

Happy Thanksgiving! :)

What's Your Status? By: Katie Finn

2010-11-13T11:12:00.000-08:00

What's Your Status By: Katie Finn
Published: July 1, 2010 by Point
Other Books in this series: Top 8

Summary: Madison MacDonald thinks things are finally working out!

Followers: 300

Status Updates:

mad_mac Nate and I have been together for two months, and it’s wonderful! Life is good!

mad_mac Well, except for the fact that I still might be failing history.

mad_mac And I no longer have a BFF.

mad_mac But aside from those things!

mad_mac Okay. So, um, apparently I’ve just been put in charge of the school’s priceless heirloom.

mad_mac And the assistant headmaster has a vendetta against me.

mad_mac And it seems I’m being blackmailed.

mad_mac Gathering together a crew. I’m going to try and pull off a heist. Without getting caught. Or expelled. Or arrested.

mad_mac Also, I think I may have just accidentally wrecked my relationship. . . .

Madison MacDonald is trying not to panic.

Review: Madison MacDonald's life is finally perfect. Her relationship with Nate is amazing,she is getting along greatly with her friends,and prom is just around the corner. Then, everything unravels. A simple hand gesture causes Nate to think that Madison wants to take their relationship to the next level, Kittson leaves Madison in the custody of the school's most priceless possession,and she is being blackmailed!

What's Your Status? was a great sequel and better than Top 8.

I love the use of the internet in books. I like seeing a characters' profile because it's a lot more interesting than, "Debbie has light brown hair and brown eyes" to me. Also, it makes reading shorter, which I hate to say, but it helps me get in more pages in before I go to bed. This made the book a lot more funner to read.

I love the characters in this book. I feel like I could be friends with anyone of them(well,except Sarah). They felt so realistic and some of the things they did made me laugh out loud. Madison was a fun main character, who I never got annoyed of.

What's Your Status? was so addicting. I could not stop reading this. It felt like every chapter ended with a cliffhanger. I did not find it slow like I did for Top 8.

Overall, I really liked this book. It was amazing. I can not wait until the next book in the series.

My Life in Pink and Green By: Lisa Greenwald

2010-11-11T07:53:00.000-08:00

My Life in Pink and Green by: Lisa Greenwald
Published: March 1,2009 by Amulet Books
Other books by this author: Sweet Treats and Secret Crushes (coming out Nov.28)

Summary: Twelve-year-old Lucy Desberg is a natural problem solver. After the local homecoming queen shows up at her family’s struggling drugstore with a beauty disaster that Lucy helps to fix, Lucy has a long line of makeover customers for every school dance and bat mitzvah. But all the makeup tips in the world won’t help save the pharmacy. If only she could find a way to make the pharmacy the center of town again—a place where people want to spend time, like in the old days. Lucy dreams up a solution that could resuscitate the family business and help the environment, too. But will Lucy’s family stop fighting long enough to listen to a seventh-grader? This book is a funny and sweet debut featuring an unforgettable narrator who knows what she wants, whether it’s great makeup, a killer business plan, or a better world.

Review: Ever since Lucy was a little girl, her family has owned The Old Mill Pharmacy. Now Lucy is twelve and the pharmacy is in danger of closing. While trying to figure out a way to help fix the store,Courtney Adner, the it-girl of her high school,comes in with a hair disaster that needs some serious fixing. Lucy gives her some hair products and before she knows it, girls from all over town are going to the Pharmacy for make- overs and hair tips. Could Lucy be the one to save the Pharmacy?

My Life in Pink and Green by: Lisa Greenwald is a pretty cute read but by the middle/end,I was staring to get tired of it.

Lucy was relatible to me,but she got very annoying, For example,one minute, she would tell Sunny how beautiful she looked and then the next she would be like, "Your hair looks greasy. Use this conditioner." Sometimes, I felt like she was a walking ad for the Pharmacy.Sunny, Lucy's best friend, was a person I could see myself being friends with. She would always be so nice and give so much to the pharmacy. I have no idea why she would put up with Lucy.

Another problem I had with this book was how they put in the Relaxation Room, a room that Lucy made just for the Pharmacy was only mentioned twice after it was made. I hate when books do that.

However, I have to admit that the writing was so cute! I loved the little romances they put in this. Also, at the beginning of every chapter there is a little tip on how to take care of your body which I found very useful.

Overall, My Life in Pink and Green was a cute read, but the main character was not my cup of tea.

2.5 stars

Waiting On Wednesday (26)

2010-11-10T14:12:00.000-08:00

Waiting on Wednesday
My pick this week:

My Life, The Theater, and Other Tragedies by: Allen Zadoff

Coming out: May 22,2011 by Egmont

Summary: Life can’t be lived behind the scenes.

High school sophomore Adam Zeigler thought the best way to live life was behind the spotlight. When his father died two years ago, Adam retreated into the world of the theater, ultimately winning a coveted place on the theater crew and finding (what he thought) was his place in the world, high above the theater floor in the lighting grid.

But then a young actress, Summer, appeared in his view. Instantly smitten, Adam is determined to win her over. But to do so, he'll have to defy his best friend and break the golden rule of his school: techies and actors don't mix.

Set against the backdrop of a high school production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, MY LIFE, THE THEATER is a theater story, a love story, and a bromance in one. The complexities of life, death, and high school are revealed as Adam struggles to find the courage to step out of the shadows and into the light.

This sounds so cute! I heard great things about this author (if the name sounds familiar it's because he is the author of Food,Girls, and Other Things I Can't Have) so I expect great things about this one! I also like the idea of the two cliques coming together, I really want to see what happens with that.

Waiting On Wednesday (25)

2010-11-03T14:48:00.000-07:00

Waiting on Wednesday (25)
My Pick This Week:

Exposed by: Kimberly Marcus
Coming out: February 22, 2011

Summary: In the dim light of the darkroom, I'm alone, but not for long.
As white turns to gray, Kate is with me.
The background of the dance studio blurred, so the focus is all on her
legs extended in a perfect soaring split.
The straight line to my squiggle,
my forever-best friend.

Sixteen-year-old Liz Grayson is photogirl—sharp, focused and ready to take the world by storm with her camera. But Liz's entire life is called into question when her brother is accused of a crime—and the accuser is Liz's own best friend. As the aftershocks from that accusation rip through Liz's world, everything she thought she knew about photography, family, friendship and herself, shifts out of focus. And for the first time in her life, Liz finds herself unable to trust her own point of view. Told in stunning, searingly raw free verse, Exposed is Kimberly Marcus's gut-wrenching, riveting debut and will appeal to fans of Ellen Hopkins, Laurie Halse Anderson and Virginia Euwer Wolff

I'm not usually into free verse books but I really like plot of this. Imagine your brother being accused of a crime that your best friend said he did? I'm not sure what I would do. I also love the cover to this,it's really pretty.

Bad Girls Don't Die by: Katie Alender

2010-10-26T14:20:00.001-07:00

Bad Girls Don't Die By: Katie Alender
Published: April 21,2009 by Hyperion

Other books in this series: From Bad to Cursed (Coming out June 2011)

Summary: Alexis thought she led a typically dysfunctional high school existence. Dysfunctional like her parents' marriage; her doll-crazy twelve-year-old sister, Kasey; and even her own anti-social, anti-cheerleader attitude.

When a family fight results in some tearful sisterly bonding, Alexis realizes that her life is creeping from dysfunction into danger. Kasey is acting stranger than ever: her blue eyes go green sometimes; she uses old-fashioned language; and she even loses track of chunks of time, claiming to know nothing about her strange behavior. Their old house is changing, too. Doors open and close by themselves; water boils on the unlit stove; and an unplugged air conditioner turns the house cold enough to see their breath in.

Alexis wants to think that it's all in her head, but soon, what she liked to think of as silly parlor tricks are becoming life-threatening--to her, her family, and to her budding relationship with the class president. Alexis knows she's the only person who can stop Kasey -- but what if that green-eyed girl isn't even Kasey anymore?

Review: Bad Girls Don't Die was a kick ass great read that leaves you wondering what will happen next.

Alexis has a not so normal life. Her parents hardly pay attention to her, she's sure her sister is not sane, the cheerleaders are out to get her, and she has feeling for a boy who's not even her type. When her sister starts acting weirder than she normally does, Alexis knows that something is up, that something must be controlling her sister,but what?

I was so surprised with this book. I was expecting just a creepy, suspenseful book but it was far more than that. It felt like it could happen to almost anybody, it was so realistic. Alexis had to be my favorite part of the book. She was so funny, awesome, and had that I-don't-care-about-anything attitude that wasn't overdone.

Carter was so swoon-worthy. I felt bad at some of the stuff but Alexis was only doing it for his own good. Megan I also really liked too. I really just didn't like Kasey but she didn't ruin the book for me. There was some parts that made me creeped out by her and some where I got angry at the girl.

This book was so awesome, I wonder how the next one's gonna be like.

Overall: Kickass awesome!

5 Stars

Waiting on Wednesday (24)

2010-10-20T15:00:00.000-07:00

Waiting On Wednesday (24)

All Just Glass by: Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

Coming out: January 11, 2011 by Delacorte

Summary: Sarah Vida has given up everything for love. From a legendary family of vampire-hunting witches, Sarah was raised to never trust a vampire, to never let her guard down, and to avoid all tricky attachments of the heart. But now Sarah IS a vampire—changed by the boy she thought she loved. Her family has forsaken her, and Sarah herself is disgusted by her appetite for blood.
Aida Vida is Sarah's older sister, the good, reliable sibling who always does her family proud. But when Aida's mother insists that Sarah be found and killed, Aida is given the one assignment that she may not be able to carry out.
Taking place over just twenty-four hours, ALL JUST GLASS tells the story of a game-changing battle that will forever change the world of the Den of Shadows. And at its center is the story of two sisters who must choose between love and duty. Dark, fully-imagined, and hard to put down, ALL JUST GLASS will thrill Amelia's fans—old and new.

I love the sister vs sister battle. Sarah's story could be a book all on it's on both sisters. I also like the cover. It's cool to see what both sisters look like.

Give Up the Ghost by: Megan Crewe

2010-10-15T12:42:00.000-07:00

Give Up the Ghost By: Megan Crewe
Published: September 15, 2009 by Henry Holt

Summary: Cass McKenna much prefers ghosts over "breathers". Ghosts are uncomplicated and dependable, and they know the dirt on everybody... and Cass loves dirt. She's on a mission to expose the dirty secrets of the poseurs in her school.
But when the vice president of the student council discovers her secret, Cass's whole scheme hangs in the balance. Tim wants her to help him contact his recently deceased mother, and Cass reluctantly agrees.
As Cass becomes increasingly entwined in Tim's life, she's surprised to realize he's not so bad — and he needs help more desperately than anyone else suspects. Maybe it’s time to give the living another chance...

Review: Give Up the Ghost was a book I had great expectations for but it fell a bit short for me.

Cassie McKenna started seeing ghosts when a tragedy struck her family four years ago. To some people, this might come off as annoying, but Cassie uses this for her own advantage. She uses the ghosts at her school to get the the dirt on all her classmates. Everybody thinks Cassie is nuts because they see her talking to "no one" in the halls, but Tim figures out her secret. When Tim asks her if she would help him talk to his deceased mother just one more time, she surprisingly says yes. What surprises her the most though, is how much Cassie likes Tim. Maybe it's time to give humans another chance...

I thought this would be a five out of five book, but instead it was far from it for me. The writing was beautiful, but I had a hard time really getting into this. The first 100 pages were a torture for me. The only thing that kept me going was the writing. I didn't really like Cassie, actually I was surprised by her. I thought she would be quiet and somewhat nice, but she was bitchy and cold for a good amount of the book. Yes, I understand you want to get revenge on your ex-friends and I would probably do the same thing, but she did it to people she hardly knew too. And the way she was to Tim was just ridiculous! She was so cold to him and he was so nice to her!

I did like Tim, the vice president of the school and the boy Cassie is trying to help. He was so sweet,nice and surprisingly bad-ass. I also liked Norris, Cassie's ghost friend. You don't get to know how he died though. I wish we got to know more about him. Also, Bitzy, Cassie's other ghost friend only shows up like five times in the book, plus, you don't get to know much about her.

The last 100 or so pages were pretty amazing and addicting. Cassie became nicer and I wish the whole book was like that but, it was not. I still enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to supernatural fans.

Overall: Very dissapointing but not bad.

3 stars

Notes From A Totally Lame Vampire by: Tim Collins

2010-10-08T15:16:00.000-07:00

Notes From a Totally Lame Vampire by: Tim Collins

Published: August 24, 2010 by: Aladdin

More books by this author: The Little Book of Twitter: Get Tweetwise!, The Northern Monkey Survival Guide, Behind The Lost Symbol, and a lot more!

Summary: Like Edward Cullen in "Twilight", Nigel Mullet was transformed into a vampire when he was still a teenager, and will remain this age forever. Unfortunately, Nigel became a vampire at the awkward age of fifteen, and must spend eternity coping with acne, a breaking voice, and an ineptitude with girls...In this, his excruciatingly funny diary, Nigel chronicles his increasingly desperate attempts to be noticed by the love of his life, Della Sparrow, the constant mortification caused by his vampire parents (not to mention the worry that they might accidentally eat one of his friends), and the frustration one feels when you've got the whole of boring eternity stretching out in front of you and you can't even have a lie in (vampires don't sleep). Forced to hang out with the Goths and emo kids due to his pale skin and social awkwardness, and constantly battling his embarrassingly overwhelming desire to sink his fangs into Della's neck, will Nigel ever get his girl? Fantastically witty and hugely enter taining, this fun and accessible diary will appeal to any fan of "Twilight" or "Adrian Mole", teenage or otherwise...

Review: Notes from a Totally Lame Vampire was a totally awesome, funny read that made me tear through the pages.

Nigel may look like a normal teenage boy physically but really he is an 100 year old vampire. Yeah you read me. A Vampire in England. Now Nigel is only trying to survive middle school, get the girl of his dreams, and,oh yeah, try to hide his fangs.

I ate up this book. I love books with a diary set of writing. They may look big but really they only take a day or two to read. This book was hilarious. I love Nigel's poems. Some of them took my breath away they were so amazing.

Nigel was a funny character. His illustrations were fantastic and I found the way he drew his friends to be hilarious. I sympathized with Nigel about his crush on Chloe. Sometimes, though I would be pissed off that he would just ask her out already. Day after day, he would be like "I'm going to ask her today" and then he never does. Sure, I know that it must be frightening to ask out a girl but grow a sack and just ask! The worst thing she could do is say no!

Chloe (or Della in the British version),Nigel's crush, got me so annoyed at times. She was just too grown up for her age and she knew it. She would tell Nigel that they were the most mature kids in their school. How old are you? Like 13? Live your life. Be mature when you are actually an adult. That's what I'm doing. I didn't see much chemistry between Nigel and Chloe ether. She seemed to be O.K. But I think she was bad for Nigel.

The last 100 pages were completely unsuspected. I loved it! I didn't think what happened would happen. It was amazing.

Overall: A great unexpected read.

4 stars

The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet by: Erin Dionne

2010-10-07T16:30:00.000-07:00

The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet by: Erin Dionne

Published: February 4, 2010 by Dial

Other Books by this author: Models Don't Eat Chocolate Cookies and Elsie Wyatt Loves/Hates the Marching Band

Summary: To die or not to die of utter mortification . . .

Hamlet Kennedy just wants to be your average, happy, vanilla eighth grader. But with Shakespearean scholar parents who dress in Elizabethan regalia and generally go about in public as if it were the sixteenth century, that’s not terribly easy. It gets worse when they decide that Hamlet’s genius seven year-old sister will attend middle school with her— and even worse when the Shakespeare project is announced and her sister is named the new math tutor. By the time an in-class recitation reveals that our heroine is an extraordinary Shakespearean actress, Hamlet can no longer hide from the fact that she—like her family—is anything but average.

In a novel every bit as funny as her debut, Erin Dionne has created another eighth grader whose situation is utterly unique—but whose foibles and farces will resound with every girl currently suffering through middle school.

Review: The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet was a cute,quick read that I would recommend to fellow middle-schoolers.

Hamlet Kennedy has just started 8th grade and she already knows that it's going to be a bad year for her. Hamlet's genius little sister who is only seven is going to eight grade with her,she discovers an embarassing new talent, someone is leaving oragami pigs in her locker,her parents are going to be teaching an English class about Shakespeare, and on top of that she is failing pre-al!

Having read Models Don't Eat Chocolate Cookies I was expecting a cute,funny read which was exactly what a got but with great character flaws. TTTGNH was such a humorous read. Most of the characters I found realistic but annoying.

I liked Hamlet most of the time but geez,girl could not take a joke! Anytime a guy would make a joke towards her she would freak out. i could understand if she got angry every once in a while but like every time someone would make a joke about her name-expecting her to laugh-she would lash out on them. Saber and Mauri, the antagonists of the book, I hated of course. Dezzie I was a little confused with. I can understand her being a kid genius but how can she skip high school but have to go to eight grade and college? I hated Hamlet's parents also. They were COMPLETELY CLUELESS about Hamlet and her life. It made them seem that they were never kids before. They ruined parts of the book for me.

Overall: Sometimes, parents ruin all the fun.

4 Stars

Waiting On Wednesday (23)

2010-10-06T13:22:00.000-07:00

Waiting on Wednesday

My pick this week is:
Born at Midnight by: C.C. Hunter
Coming out: March,29 2011

Summary: Kylie Galen has had a lot of crap tossed in her lap. Her parents are getting a divorce. Her boyfriend broke up with her because she wouldn’t put out. Her grandmother died and now Kylie’s acquired a stalker. Unfortunately, she’s the only one who seems to be able to see the stalker. And that gets her sent to a psychologist’s sofa.

The kooky psychologist gets Kylie sent to Shadow Falls Camp. Kylie and her parents think it’s a camp for troubled teens.

They thought wrong.

It’s a camp of supernaturals: vampires, werewolves, fairies, witches and shape shifters. And if she believes the camp leader, Kylie is one of them, too.

Just because she’s seeing ghosts, just because she was born at midnight, does that really mean she’s not human? And if so, what is she? Not even the other supernaturals can tell her.

As Kylie attempts to cope with the realization that these creatures actually exist, and that she might even be one of them, the ever present stalker/ghost appears to have secrets that could unravel the mystery of Kylie’s identity and her destiny.

But getting a ghost to open up is as hard as getting a guy to talk about his feelings.

As Kylie struggles to find answers, two hot guys, a werewolf and a half-fairy vie for her attention. However, Kylie’s determined that before she lets her heart discover a new love, she needs to solve her indentify crisis and unearth the truth of her destiny

So lately I've been really into supernatural books since it's October and when I heard about this book i freaked out! This sounds amazing! I like how it mixes werewolves,vampires,shape-shifters,witches,and even fairies all together. I also like the mysteriousness of it all: what is Kylie? Is she human or not? And what about those hot guys?? D:

Teaser Tuesday (13)

2010-10-05T15:26:00.001-07:00

Teaser Tuesday (13)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:Grab your current read

Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"I've got another one,"Norris said. "Caught some more loonies trying to protect themselves from your physic powers."
"Oh,yeah. What were they up to this time?"
-pg. 16 from Give up the Ghost by: Megan Crewe

Jennifer's Body By: Audrey Nixon

2010-10-01T14:51:00.000-07:00

Jennifer's Body by: Audrey Nixon
Published: June 1 2009 by HarperTeen
Pages: 208

Summary: Someone needed to put a stop payment on Jennifer Check.

Some people find it hard to believe that a babe like Jennifer Check would associate with a dork like me, Needy Lesnicki. But we had history. We'd been the Wonder Twins since we were preverbal, and sandbox love never dies. Or at least that's what I thought.

But after that night in the woods, Jennifer was different. She looked different. And then the killings began. . . .

A lot of people ask me if I'm sorry I did it. I'm only sorry I didn't do it sooner.

Review: Jennifer's Body was a bloody good read that leaves you flipping through the pages.

Jennifer's Body tells the story of Anita "Needy" and her best friend Jennifer. After narrowly getting out of a fire at a bar, Jennifer goes into a van with the band who just played. Anita, after repeatedly telling Jennifer not to go into the van, goes home. The next day at school, Jennifer seems not like herself plus there has been a link of gruesome killings all over her tiny town of Devil's Kettle and Anita thinks Jennifer might have something to do with it.

I really want to see this movie now that I read the book! It was so addicting,funny and gruesome all rolled into one. I read this in one sitting since it's only almost 200 pages. I found Anita funny and I liked her tough-girl personality.

Anita was annoying in the beginning though. She thought she was the shit and was very conceited at times. Jennifer was the "it-girl". She was the girl who had it all, friends, boyfriends,and most importantly, looks. I didn't like her beginning. middle, and end. Of course, I sympathized her, but bitch saw it coming. Also, the book is highly predictable, thanks to the beginning.

Jennifer's Body was a fantastic read even though it was predictable. I can't wait to see the movie!

Overall: I know what I'm getting the next time I go to blockbuster.

3.5 stars

Waiting on Wednesday (22)

2010-09-29T14:24:00.000-07:00

Ripple by: Mandy Hubbard

Being Published on July 21,2011 by Razorbill

Summary: Lexi is cursed with a dark secret. The water calls to her, draws her in, forces her to sing her deadly song to unsuspecting victims. If she succumbs, she kills. If she doesn’t, the pain is unbearable. To keep herself and those she cares about safe, she shuts herself off, refusing to make friends or fall in love—again. Because the last time she fell in love with a boy, he ended up dead.

Then Lexi meets Cole. Against her better judgment, she finds herself opening up again, falling in love when she knows she shouldn’t. But when she’s offered the chance to finally live a normal life, she learns that the price she must pay to be free of her curse is giving him up.

In Ripple, Mandy Hubbard spins a sea-ravaged tale of melancholy beauty, and the choices one girl makes between land and waves, love and freedom, her future—and her heart.

This looks so fascinating. I never heard about a novel like this. It sounds so unique. I mean what are the consequences if she doesn't sing her song? How does she kill innocent people? What happened to her old boyfriend? I love the cover too. The background is gorgeous.

Teaser Tuesday (12)

2010-09-28T14:04:00.000-07:00

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:Grab your current read

Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week my Teaser Tuesday is from Bad Girls Don't Die by: Katie Alender

"Okay,so I'm not popular and friendly and I don't have any friends. But I wasn't about to let someone stand there and talk smack about my baby sister-who,yes,is sensitive,but,no,is not a violent maniac.
I took a step toward Pepper. She flinched,but she didn't back away."
-pg. 17

I'm really liking this book so far. I haven't really reached that far but the creepiness is great in this. What was your Teaser Tuesday?

The Second Summer of the Sisterhood by: Ann Brashares (The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants #2)

2010-09-27T15:51:00.000-07:00

The Second Summer of the Sisterhood by: Ann Brashares
Published: December 24,2004 by Delacorte

Summary: Teens who loved Ann Brashares's The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2001) will cheer its equally riveting sequel The Second Summer of the Sisterhood. As in the first novel, four teen girls who have known each other since birth (their moms shared a pregnancy aerobics class) further forge their bond of friendship through a pair of thrift-store jeans that magically, impossibly, fits them all perfectly.

Like the summer before, Carmen, Bridget, Tibby, and Lena share their individual adventures with the Pants collective, creating an engaging, kaleidoscopic narrative of four voices. This summer, Tibby attends a film program in Virginia and Bridget (Bee), whose mother has died, impulsively jets off to Alabama to get reacquainted with her estranged grandmother. Lovely Lena tries to protect herself from the heartbreak of loving her long-distance Greek god boyfriend Kostos, and Carmen deals (poorly) with her mother dating again and having the nerve to borrow the Pants!

The Second Summer, while breezy and fun to read, deals seriously with love lost and found, death, and finding the courage to live honestly. The teens' lessons are often painful, but the Sisterhood prevails. Quotations from luminaries such as Charlie Brown ("Nothing takes the taste out of peanut butter quite like unrequited love") to Nelson Mandela ("There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered") open each chapter and cleverly reflect the novel's many moods

Review: The Second Summer of the Sisterhood was a great sequel that I had great expectations for but it's characters made it fall a bit short.

It's the second summer of Lena,Carmen,Bridget,Tibby,and the magical pants. This summer Lena stays at home and gets a job at a clothing store. Carmen also stays home and watches her mother fall in love with a new man. Bridget heads to Alabama to find out more about her mother and Tibby goes to film school reminding her of Bailey.

TSSS was a great read. It started off right away and most of the time was very addicting. The only problem I had basically were 3 of the main characters: Carmen,Lena,and Tibby.

Let's start with Bridget. I really liked her in this book. There was a few changes with her though such as her hair,cheery attitude,and weight. I found it interesting to watch Bridget find out more and more about her mother.

Carmen was just a train wreck. From the beginning, I didn't like her. She would treat Porter and her mother horribly then feel bad and start all over again. By the end though,she stopped being a bitch and became nicer.

Oh,Lena. I think Lena got the poor end of the stick on this one. I felt very bad for her throughout the book. The middle though she got very annoying. (if you read the book you would probably know what I mean.)

Tibby was my favorite the last book so,what happened? Well, she befriended people she shouldn't have. It's stupid mistakes like these that just annoy me. Then after this she just got so annoying! I hated reading about her feeling bad about what she did.

The last 100 pages were great and so addicting. Of course I will be looking out for book 3.

Overall: Great novel but fell short of my expectations.

3.5 stars

Books That I Want To Read This Month

2010-09-27T15:39:00.000-07:00

Since I want to read books that help keep the mood in for October. I'm planning to read books that have ghosts,vampires,exorcists, and even angels.

My picks this month:

Wait Till Helen Comes by: Mary Downing Hahn
The Vampire Diaries by: L.J. Smith
Jennifer's Body by; Audrey Nixon
Hex Hall by: Rachel Hawkins
The Dark Divine by: Bree Despain
Hush,Hush by: Becca Fitzpatrick
Give Up the Ghost by: Megan Crewe
Bad Girls Don't Die by: Katie Alender
Love Sucks! by: Melissa Francis
Paranormalcy by: Kristen White
Notes from a Totally Lame Vampire by: Tim Collin

My reviews for these will start October 1st!

Legacy by: Kate Brian (Private #6)

2010-09-24T16:31:00.000-07:00

Legacy By: Kate Brian (Private #6)

Published: February 8, 2008 by Simon Pulse

Other Books In This Series: Private, Invitation Only, Untouchable, Confessions, Inner Circle, Legacy, Ambition, Revelation, Paradise Lost, Suspicion, Scandal, Vanished, and Ominous.

Summary: The price of power...

After Cheyenne Martin's death, everyone at Easton Academy is struggling to recover from yet another tragedy--especially the girls of Billings Hall. With Cheyenne gone, they need to elect a new leader. And who better than Reed Brennan, the ultimate Billings Girls?

As the new Billings president, Reed suddenly has access to power she never imagined. Gossip is reported to her immediately, she has first dibs on everything from dining tables to dorm rooms, and Billings's most powerful alumnae are at her beck and call. So when Easton's students discover they're the only prep school on the East Coast not invited to this year's all-inclusive Legacy party, everyone turns to Reed to get them back on the list.

Reed is the most powerful girl at Easton.

She revels in her newfound status, but knows better than anyone that the Bilings leaders have a tainted legacy: Ariana was institutionalized, Noelle was expelled, and Cheyenne just died. History has a way of repeating itself at Easton, and now that Reed has everything she's ever wanted, she has everything to lose.

Review: Legacy was a great book in the Private series that left me off the edge off my seat.

Cheyenne Martin's suicide has hit everyone in Billings in the face especially Reed since she thinks she is the one that caused it. She gets e-mails everyday saying it was her fault from...Cheyenne. On top of the guilt, the Billings girls make Reed her the new president of Billings plus nobody has heard about the Legacy, the yearly party for exclusive private schools which is supposed to happen in a few weeks. Was the Legacy called off or was Billings just not invited?

Why did I ever stop reading this series!? I forgot how amazing and addicting it was!

I love it when a book has a small detail but later it can be a huge, life changing deal. This series always does that and by the time it happens you are like Damn! I should have seen that coming! but you didn't. Normally by now I would have grown tired by a main character in a series, but I really like Reed. She's not perfect she makes mistakes but usually not stupid ones that would make you scream at. She's realistic.

I think every Private book leaves you off with a cliffhanger which is what happens here. It was not the type that would make me go out and buy the next book right away but close to it. Another problem I had with this book was the amount of secondary characters. I understand that the series takes place in a boarding school but there were just so many! Let me list some of the top of my head Portia, Astrid ,Amberly ,Rose ,Vienna, London do I need to go on?

This was a great book in the Private series. I can't wait to read the next book, Ambition.

Overall: A great sequel in the Private series.

4 stars

Waiting On Wednesday (21)

2010-09-22T14:00:00.000-07:00

My Pick This Week Is:
The Stoker Sisters:Daughters of Dracula by: Kailin Gow

Coming out: October 12,2010

Summary: Two sisters... Born during the time of Jane Austen... Set to marry for advancement, but escaped their fates by becoming vampires. Now vampires in the 21st century, hunted by a sect of rogue hunters, the sisters live in a small beach town of California where they meet Keegan Knowles, a mysterious boy. For hundreds of years they've shared clothes, books, and their home, but will they share the same boy or is it there going to be war?

This looks like a great series. I like the idea of horror and betrayal. What was your Waiting On Wednesday??

Teaser Tuesday (11)

2010-09-21T13:38:00.000-07:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:Grab your current read

Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This Week I chose P.S. I Hate It Here! : Kids' Letters From Camp selected and edited by: Diane Falanga

Dear Mom,
We got a chance to hang out with our camp sisters. If you got my message before I'm not a big fan of mine. She is so much older than me 1. She copys me 2. she spits in your face when she talks 3. And four she was coughing and sneezing in my face. Plus, whenever she isn't talking (spitting) she was sniffling!! (Listen to how gross this is, sometimes it even gets in my mouth when she spit!!) I'm kinda scared to let her see me!!
From a very very very sad:
Rose
From page 16

This book is so cute! I just finished it but I thought it was so cute so I shared it with you! What was your Teaser Tuesday?

Some Girls Are

2010-09-19T20:07:00.000-07:00

Some Girls Are by: Courtney Summers
Published: January 5,2010 by St. Martin's Griffin
Other books by this author: Cracked Up to Be and Fall for Anything

Summary: Climbing to the top of the social ladder is hard--falling from it is even harder. Regina Afton used to be a member of the Fearsome Fivesome, an all-girl clique both feared and revered by the students at Hallowell High... until vicious rumors about her and her best friend's boyfriend start going around. Now Regina's been "frozen out" and her ex-best friends are out for revenge. If Regina was guilty, it would be one thing, but the rumors are far from the terrifying truth and the bullying is getting more intense by the day. She takes solace in the company of Michael Hayden, a misfit with a tragic past who she herself used to bully. Friendship doesn't come easily for these onetime enemies, and as Regina works hard to make amends for her past, she realizes Michael could be more than just a friend... if threats from the Fearsome Foursome don't break them both first.

Tensions grow and the abuse worsens as the final days of senior year march toward an explosive conclusion in this dark new tale from the author of Cracked Up To Be

Review: This book was amazing. It felt so real and it didn't hold back on the bullying. Regina got hit HARD with the bullying from locker painting to a I hate Regina Afton group online. It was real and gritty but it did have a few problems with it.

This book was so addicting. I started reading this book right before my school started so it did stay with me and it still is. It also took you in so many directions you didn't know what was going to happen next. Which I didn't expect with this.

I really liked Regina and Michael. I felt really bad for Regina but some of the decisions she made were just stupid and sometimes she would start feeling bad for herself when she did the same thing to many other people. Michael was your typical quiet guy who was also a writer. The only thing that I didn't like about him was that he forgave Regina too fast. It was like "I know you ruined my life,but your hot, so I forgive you."

The whole fearsome foursome made me sick. But especially Anna and Kara. They were the biggest bitches and let's just say they better get karma thrown back at them. I hate them! I really did! I wanted to just go away and never come back.

Overall: An amazing book filled with a lot of twists and turns.

4.5 stars

Paul is Undead by: Alan Goldsher

2010-09-16T17:47:00.000-07:00

Paul is Undead by: Alan Goldsher
Published: June 22,2010 by Pocket

Other books by this author: Hollywood Monster: A Walk Down Elm Street with the Man of Your Dreams, Modest Mouse: A Pretty Good Read, In a Single Bound: Losing my Leg,Finding Myself,and Training for Life,Hard Bop Academy,Dancing to Music in my Head: A Memoir of the People's Idol, Jam, and The Record Haus

Summary: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IT'S TIME TO REALLY MEET THE BEATLES.

For John Lennon, a young, idealistic zombie guitarist with dreams of global domination, Liverpool seems the ideal place to form a band that could take over the world. In an inspired act, Lennon kills and reanimates local rocker Paul McCartney, kicking off an unstoppable partnership. With the addition of newly zombified guitarist George Harrison and drummer/Seventh Level Ninja Lord Ringo Starr, the Beatles soon cut a swath of bloody good music and bloody violent mayhem across Europe, America, and the entire planet.

In this searing oral history, discover how the Fab Four climbed to the Toppermost of the Poppermost while stealing the hearts, ears, and brains of smitten teenage girls. Learn the tale behind a spiritual journey that resulted in the dismemberment of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Marvel at the seemingly indestructible quartet’s survival of a fierce attack by Eighth Level Ninja Lord Yoko Ono. And find out how the boys escaped eternal death at the hands of England’s greatest zombie hunter, Mick Jagger.

Through all this, one mystery remains: Can the Beatles sublimate their hunger for gray matter, remain on top of the charts, and stay together for all eternity? After all, three of the Fab Four are zombies, and zombies live forever. . . .

Review: And you thought you knew The Beatles. Alan Goldscher takes through the Beatles amazing career in the sixties in a new take.
If you really thought John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison were human then you were wrong! They are actually brain-eating zombies and on top of that Ringo is a ninja! Mr. Goldscher takes you on a wild ride through the sixties that include battles with Mick Jagger and Yoko Ono, wild concerts and of course, eating brains.

I have to give it to Alan. He was very creative with this book. I mean who would have ever thought of zombies and ninjas being classified with the Beatles! I loved this idea. Any scene with Mick Jagger who in this book was a rabid zombie hunter who would stop at nothing to make John, George, and Paul human then kill them. I also really liked the interview layout of the book. I like it when books shy away from the usual book layout and I really thought it made the book more interesting. The writing was also very well done. I wasn't really expecting to be that addicted to this since I know they break up in the end but I was literally prowling through the book until the end. Speaking of the end, I thought it was brilliant. I never saw it coming.

I'm not a very big fan of sex in books. I kinda saw it coming that there would be sex in this book but there was a lot more than I expected. Sometimes they would go like five pages just about zombie sex and it kinda just got awkward and annoying. Another thing I didn't really like was I thought there would be a lot more illustrations. I think some parts of the book could have been illustrated brilliantly but he never illustrated it but instead with other scenes that didn't really need one.

Overall: A great read for Beatles fans!

4.5 stars

Waiting on Wednesday (20)

2010-09-15T16:40:00.000-07:00

Waiting on Wednesday

Mostly Good Girls by: Leila Sales
Coming out: October 5,2010 by Simon & Schuster

Summary: It’s Violet’s junior year at the Westfield School. She thought she’d be focusing on getting straight As, editing the lit mag, and making Scott Walsh fall in love with her. Instead, she’s just trying to hold it together in the face of cutthroat academics, Scott Walsh’s new girlfriend, and the sense that things are going irreversibly wrong with her best friend, Katie.
When Katie starts making choices that Violet can’t even begin to fathom, Violet has no idea how to set things right between them. Westfield girls are trained for success—but how can Violet keep her junior year from being one huge epic fail?

So,let's see the problems here. School is really starting to get her, her crush has a girlfriend(ouch) and her best friend is going down the wrong way. This books sounds really good! What do you think?

Along for the Ride

2010-09-10T18:15:00.000-07:00

Along for the Ride by: Sarah Dessen
Published: June 11,2009 by Viking Juvenile

Summary: It’s been so long since Auden slept at night. Ever since her parents’ divorce—or since the fighting started. Now she has the chance to spend a carefree summer with her dad and his new family in the charming beach town where they live.

A job in a clothes boutique introduces Auden to the world of girls: their talk, their friendship, their crushes. She missed out on all that, too busy being the perfect daughter to her demanding mother. Then she meets Eli, an intriguing loner and a fellow insomniac who becomes her guide to the nocturnal world of the town. Together they embark on parallel quests: for Auden, to experience the carefree teenage life she’s been denied; for Eli, to come to terms with the guilt he feels for the death of a friend.

Review: Auden's dad and mother separated when she was little but that still doesn't hide the fact that she heard the fights they had in her mind. Thanks to those fights she stays up all night and sleeps during the day. The summer before her college year she must go down to Colby, the new town her father,her new step-mother and sister live. Colby changes Auden's schedule of studying and essays and gives her a new way of life.

This was my second Sarah Dessen book and I was thinking this is going to be my 5 star book of the year for me but instead it fell a bit short. While I still loved this book and thought it was awesome I had a few problems with it.

One thing I could not stand about this book were Auden's parents. I don't think I could live if I had Auden's parents. Her mom was a cougar and kinda a bitch. Toward the ending though I did start liking the mom a bit more. Her dad was just a big douche really, any scene with him I could not stand.

I really liked Auden, sure I got a bit annoyed with her for being so judge-mental about people like her step-mother and her co-workers. Speaking of her co-workers, I really liked Maggie,Leah and Esther. I thought they nice and sometimes made me laugh out loud. I also really liked Adam and Eli (Eli was so swoon worthy!)

I thought Along for the Ride moved along a bit slowly at first but then it became fast and very hard to put down. I really did like this book. I always liked Sarah Dessen and I still do. Her writing is amazing and her characters felt so real. I know I'll be picking up more from her!

4 stars

Waiting on Wednesday (19)

2010-09-08T14:06:00.000-07:00

My pick this week is:
Prom and Prejudice by: Elizabeth Eulberg
Coming out: January 1,2010 by Point

Summary: From the much-buzzed-about author of THE LONELY HEARTS CLUB (already blurbed by Stephenie Meyer, Lauren Myracle, and Jen Calonita), a prom-season delight of Jane Austen proportions.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single guy in his spring semester at Pemberly Academy must be in want of a prom date.

After winter break, the girls at very prestigious, very wealthy, girls-only Longbourn Academy are suddenly obsessed with the prom, which they share with the nearby, equally elitist, all-boys Pemberly school. Lizzie Bennett, who attends Longbourn on scholarship, isn't exactly interested in designer dresses and expensive shoes, but her best friend, Jane, might be - especially now that Charles Bingley is back from a semester in London.

Lizzie is happy about her friend's burgeoning romance, but less than impressed by Will Darcy, Charles's friend, who's as snobby and pretentious as his friend is nice. He doesn't seem to like Lizzie either, but she assumes it's because her family doesn't have money. It doesn't help that Charles doesn't seem to be asking Jane to be his prom date, or that Lizzie meets George Wickham, who tells her that Will Darcy sabotaged his scholarship at Pemberly. Clearly Will Darcy is a pompous jerk who looks down on the middle class--so imagine Lizzie's surprise when he asks her to the prom!

Will Lizzie's prejudice and Will's pride keep them apart? Or are they a prom couple in the making? From Elizabeth Eulberg comes a very funny, completely stylish prom-season delight of Jane Austen proportions.

This seems pretty good and I really liked The Lonely Hearts Club by Ms. Eulberg. I can't wait to read it! What was your pick?

In My mailbox (9)

2010-09-06T13:53:00.000-07:00

In My Mailbox was made by thestorysiren!

Notes from a Totally Lame Vampire by: Tim Collins

Summary: Nigel Muller isn't you typical teenager...He's a vampire!
But unfortunately,when Nigel transformed,he didn't become all broody and interesting,and as for super strength and speed...well,forget it! Nigel got acne,a voice that sqeaks, a tendency to break out into a rash (not sparkles!) when exposed to the sun,and still had absolutely no idea how to talk to girls. Nigel just may be the first and only lame vampire on record.
When a beautiful new girl comes to school,Nigel is determined to impress her. Of course,that would mean actually speaking her...and he will...eventually. But until he can win the girl and the respect of his family, Nigel will just be utterly lame.

The Band Book by: Simon Spotlight
Summary: How many silly, crazy, zany, funky, wacky bands do you own?? Didn't think you'd see these crazy bands in school ever again? Well, get redy to get silly! Band fans will laugh out loud at these outrageous scenes: bands in history class, bands in gym, even bands in the cafeteria! With more than twenty-five of the cleverest and most hilarious band QUIZ questions, and the most extensive band CHECKLIST imaginable, this book is the silliest, funniest, zaniest book of bands you'll ever read!

I'm really looking forward to reading Notes from a Totally Lame Vampire. The crazy part of thiese books though is where I got them. I got them for free at a movie theater! They just gave them to me for free for buying popcorn! Anyways,what did you get this week?

Jumping off Swings by: Jo Knowles

2010-09-03T14:11:00.000-07:00

Jumping off Swings by: Jo Knowles
Released August 11 by Candlewick Press
Other books by this author: Lessons from a Dead Girl and Pearl

Summary: Tells, from four points of view, the ramifications of a pregnancy resulting from a "one-time thing" between Ellie, who feels loved when boys touch her, and Josh, an eager virgin with a troubled home life.

Review: I guess the best way to start this review is to talk about the characters since it is told from four points of view:

Ellie: starting in I really hated Ellie. I thought she was a slut but getting into it more I really started liking her more. Ellie was a hopeless romantic who thought boys wanted her for more than just sex. But that's all they really used her for. After about 70 pages I started liking her more.

Corinne: Oh god,where do I begin with this girl? Corinne is simply a horny ass bitch. There I said it. I HATED her! She would listen to her sister having sex with her boyfriend and would bombard Ellie with questions every-time after she had sex. She would want details which just freaked me out. She could be a HUGE bitch sometimes. It was a torture to read when it came to her POV.

Josh: I didn't really get into Josh that much. He didn't really have a lot of POV. I think he only had 7 chapters out of 41!! I did like Josh,though. He didn't mean to have sex,mainly he just wanted to get the other guys off his back.

Caleb: Caleb was my favorite character in this book. He rocked. He was nice and not a pervert liked the other guys in the book.

One major problem I had with this book was the only person you really got to know was Caleb. You don't really find about the other characters. I really wanted to like this book and I've been wanting to read it for a while. I'm very disappointed in this.

2.5 stars

Waiting on Wednesday (18)

2010-09-01T10:35:00.000-07:00

Waiting on Wednesday

This week my pick is Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon coming out September 24 by Hyperion Books.

Summary: A haunting love story about desire, danger, and destiny.
After Renee Winters discovers her parents lying dead in California’s Redwood Forest in what appears to be a strange double murder, her grandfather sends her off to Gottfried Academy in Maine, a remote and mysterious high school dedicated to philosophy, “crude sciences,” and Latin: the Language of the Dead. It’s here she meets Dante, a dark and elusive student to whom she feels inexplicably drawn. As they get to know each other better, Dante can’t seem to control his attraction either, and their desires gradually deepen into a complex and dangerous romance. Dangerous because Dante is hiding a frightening secret. A secret so terrible, it has him fearing for Renee’s life.

Dante’s not the only one with secrets, though. Turns out Gottfried Academy has a few of its own… Like, how come students keep disappearing? Why are the prefect-like Monitors creeping around campus during the night? And what exactly are the Headmistress and Professors really up to? Renee is determined to find out why.

Dead Beautiful is both a compelling romance and thought-provoking read, bringing shocking new meaning to life, death, love, and the nature of the soul.

This looks amazing. First off right off the bat there is murder!! Then a romance with dangerous secrets! Plus a creepy Academy! I will be definitely picking this one up!

Teaser Tuesday (10)

2010-08-31T07:37:00.000-07:00

Teaser Tuesday was made by Miz B.

Jumping off Swings by: Jo Knowles

"Tell me what you learned this week.

I shrug. It's the same thing she's said to me since I was in first grade. It's our Saturday-morning-in-the-studio thing. Shrugging or saying "nothing" is not allowed. She'll wait.

"Josh is an asshole," I finally tell her."

Pg. 24

Just really started reading it.I'm not really liking it so far.

The Killer's Cousin by: Nancy Werlin

2010-08-30T12:19:00.000-07:00

The Killer's Cousin by: Nancy Werlin
Published: November 1,1998 by Delacorte

Summary: Recently acquitted of accidentally killing his girlfriend but still crucified with guilt, 17-year-old David has moved to Massachusetts to complete his senior year of high school. His aunt and uncle have offered him shelter. His attic apartment in their house is full of ghostly shadows at night, his aunt is cold, and his 11-year-old cousin Lily is hostile. As Lily's behavior becomes more threatening towards him, David wonders what secrets lurk within Lily. The more he thinks about Lily, the more he is forced to deal with his own past. Is Lily a killer too?

Review: Seventeen year-old David Bernard Yaffe was just acquitted off a murder that he didn't mean to commit. To get out of town and to retake his senior year he stays in his uncle's house in Massachusetts. David is happy to get out of the media but then he starts hearing humming and starts seeing shadows and his eleven year-old cousin Lilly is really starting to freak him out. Soon,secrets of his uncle's family start coming out and some of David's secrets too.

The Killer's Cousin was a great book and also my first by Nancy Werlin. The characters seemed very real to me. Like Frank,David's skinhead friend and Raina,another girl who lived in his uncle's house. I also liked the uncle Vic who was just a quiet gut trying not to start trouble. Some characters I just could NOT stand like Julia and Lily. Julia was a very bitchy aunt who I could not stand but,I think Lily was a lot more annoying(plus creepy!) Lilly would just yell at David when he was trying to make her life better! David would hardly do anything and she would just explode at him. David also got slightly annoying to me by the middle of the book.

The Killer's Cousin was a very addicting read. I read it while I was in Canada and in a car which is pretty rare for me.The ending was a bit easy to figure out but I still can't wait to read more from Nancy Werlin.

3.5 stars

In My Mailbox 8

2010-08-29T11:31:00.000-07:00

In My Mailbox (8)
In My Mailbox was made by thestorysiren!

On Kindle:
Legacy (Private #6) by: Kate Brian
Summary:The price of power...

Reed is the most powerful girl at Easton.

I didn't really get anything this week but I love the Private series so I hope this book is great!

What did you get this week?

Movers & Fakers By:Lisi Harrison

2010-08-28T13:39:00.000-07:00

SPOILERS TO THOSE WHO HAVEN'T READ THE FIRST BOOK OF THE ALPHAS SERIES!

Movers and Fakers by: Lisi Harrison
Published:April 6,2010 by Poppy

Summary: Eccentric billionaire Shira Brazille founded the super-exclusive Alpha Academy to nurture the next generation of exceptional dancers, writers, musicians, and inventors. It's a dream come true for one hundred lucky girls, but those not measuring up will be sent home at any time, for any reason. The one left standing will win worldwide fame. Who will it be?

Skye Hamilton arrived at Alpha Academy ready to dance circles around the competition, but she's having a hard time feeling the beat. Her newest HAD (Hope and Dream): less stress, more fun. Now Skye's torn between what kind of Alpha she wants to be, and which über-hawt Brazille boy she wants to be with.

Charlie Deery can invent practically anything--except girlfriends. But now Allie A. is warming to her, and Charlie wants to keep it that way--even if it means helping Allie A. land Darwin. But will hooking up her ex-crush end up crushing her?

Allie A. Abbott is serious-leh relieved she hasn't been sent home yet, especially now that everyone knows she's more faux than a St. Tropez spray tan. Can she prove she's a true Alpha after all? Or will she go from beautiful to beta-ful?

If at first you don't succeed,then you're not an alpha

Review: Movers & Fakers is the second book in the Alpha series by Lisi Harrison and in my opinion was even better than the original Alpha book.

Movers & fakers starts off where Alphas left off. Skye is brokenhearted when her dance teacher chooses Triple as class favorite over her. Charlie has to face giving away her ex-boyfriend,Darwin, to her new bestfriend Allie J a.k.a Allie A. Meanwhile,Allie A. has to keep her real identity a secret from her other classmates now that Shira knows her secret.

Movers & Fakers was a great sequel to Alphas. In this book, I felt that the characters were less annoying (except for the usual "Ehmahgawd!") Allie A. and Charlie were very likable in this book while Skye, I still had problems with. Skye was always more stuck up then the others to me. There was a part in the book where she said that Yonkers,South Bronx,e.t.c. were the worst places to live,which really got me pissed off.

Other than that, I really liked this book. I like how it's very different than The Clique by being more futuristic and a little bit less annoying.

4 stars

I'm a horrible blogger!

2010-08-22T12:13:00.000-07:00

Well,I know I haven't been blogging as much as I used to. Well,actually not really at all. My laptop went down and I've been upstate without any internet service. I'm sorry for the delay. My laptop is hopefully fixed and I should be back to blogging by Thursday which I come back from Canada. Thank you for your patience. :)

In My Mailbox (7)

2010-07-17T21:30:00.000-07:00

In My Mailbox (7)

Hosted by thestorysiren

Paul is Undead by: Alan Goldsher

Summary: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IT'S TIME TO REALLY MEET THE BEATLES.

For John Lennon, a young, idealistic zombie guitarist with dreams of global domination, Liverpool seems the ideal place to form a band that could take over the world. In an inspired act, Lennon kills and reanimates local rocker Paul McCartney, kicking off an unstoppable partnership. With the addition of newly zombified guitarist George Harrison and drummer/Seventh Level Ninja Lord Ringo Starr, the Beatles soon cut a swath of bloody good music and bloody violent mayhem across Europe, America, and the entire planet.

In this searing oral history, discover how the Fab Four climbed to the Toppermost of the Poppermost while stealing the hearts, ears, and brains of smitten teenage girls. Learn the tale behind a spiritual journey that resulted in the dismemberment of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Marvel at the seemingly indestructible quartet’s survival of a fierce attack by Eighth Level Ninja Lord Yoko Ono. And find out how the boys escaped eternal death at the hands of England’s greatest zombie hunter, Mick Jagger.

Through all this, one mystery remains: Can the Beatles sublimate their hunger for gray matter, remain on top of the charts, and stay together for all eternity? After all, three of the Fab Four are zombies, and zombies live forever. . . .

Umm how could any Beatles lover not get this book? John Lennon,Paul Mccartney,and George Harrison as zombies and Ringo as a ninja!? I had to get this book. I only read a couple of pages so far but it's pretty good. What did you get?

Review: Bite Me! by: Melissa Francis

2010-07-09T10:59:00.000-07:00

Bite Me! by: Melissa Francis

Published:August 1,2009 by HarperTeen

Summary: AJ Ashe isn't your typical seventeen-year-old vampire-as if there is such a thing! She's stuck in the middle of a huge fight between her two BFF's. Her ex-boyfriend-whom she's totally in love with,by the way-is now her stepbrother. A former classmate-who,um,she may or may not have turned into a vampire-is stalking her. And now,apparently,the fate if humankind lies in her little undead hands. Whatever happened to the good old day,when all a vampire girl had to worry about was the occasional zit and hiding her taste for blood?

Review: When I picked Bite Me! up I thought I was going to pick up a cute,fluffy book but instead I picked up a thrill ride with a hint of cuteness.

Bite Me! starts off with a wedding. But not just any normal wedding,well for A.J. You see her mom is getting married to her boyfriend's dad. Forced to break up since now they are brother and sister breaks A.J's heart,but this is just the beginning of her problems. From getting into fights with her best friend to maybe turning her crush into a vampire A.J takes you on a thrill ride.

I really liked most of the characters. A.J. was a funny character and handled most of her problems without being annoying. However,I found her to be very annoying in the beginning. Ryan,A.J's ex-boyfriend seemed like a pervert/jerk in the beginning but toward the middle/end he became very swoon worthy and Malia was a very trustworthy best friend whom I really liked.

Bridget,A.J's other best friend was a bitch. She didn't believe A.J a lot and would laugh at something serious that A.J was trying to tell her. She also didn't have much of a back story. She just came in,acted like a bitch and left. Noah was a big-time pervert i hated how they tried to make him look so nice.

Bite Me! took me about 50 pages to really get into and some of the vampire history they squeezed in really confused me. However,it was very addicting and I'm looking forward to the sequel.

Overall: It was a thrill ride with unexpected twists,turns,uphills and downhills,but was a great ride.

4 stars

The Sequel Love Sucks! comes out July 27,2010!

Waiting On Wednesday (17)

2010-07-07T15:48:00.000-07:00

Waitng On Wednesday

Blindsided by: Prisiclla Cummings
Coming out: July 8,2010 by Dutton Juvenile

Summary: In many ways, Natalie O’Reilly is a typical fourteenyear- old girl. But a routine visit to the eye doctor produces devastating news: Natalie will lose her sight within a few short months.
Suddenly her world is turned upside down. Natalie is sent to a school for the blind to learn skills such as Braille and how to use a cane. Outwardly, she does as she’s told; inwardly, she hopes for a miracle that will free her from a dreaded life of blindness. But the miracle does not come, and Natalie ultimately must confront every blind person’s dilemma. Will she go home to live scared? Or will she embrace the skills she needs to make it in a world without sight?

Wow,this sounds very moving. I would hate to become blind,so I can understand Natalie. And the best part is it's coming out tomorrow so I don't have to wait that long to read it.

Waiting on Wednesday (16)

2010-06-30T14:24:00.000-07:00

Infinite Days by: Rebecca Maizel
Coming out: August 3,2010 by St Martin's Press

Summary: When Lenah Beaudonte, a 500-year-old vampire queen, wakes up a human teenager at an ultra-cliquey prep school, she must choose between embracing the humanity she’s always craved and saving her new friends from her vicious coven. The first in a sizzling new YA series.

Lenah Beaudonte is, in many ways, your average teen: the new girl at Wickham Boarding School, she struggles to fit in enough to survive and stand out enough to catch the eye of the golden-boy lacrosse captain. But Lenah also just happens to be a recovering five-hundred-year-old vampire queen. After centuries of terrorizing Europe, Lenah is able to realize the dream all vampires have -- to be human again. After performing a dangerous ritual to restore her humanity, Lenah entered a century-long hibernation, leaving behind the wicked coven she ruled over and the eternal love who has helped grant her deep-seated wish.

Until, that is, Lenah draws her first natural breath in centuries at Wickham and rediscovers a human life that bears little resemblance to the one she had known. As if suddenly becoming a teenager weren’t stressful enough, each passing hour brings Lenah closer to the moment when her abandoned coven will open the crypt where she should be sleeping and find her gone. As her borrowed days slip by, Lenah resolves to live her newfound life as fully as she can. But, to do so, she must answer ominous questions: Can an ex-vampire survive in an alien time and place? What can Lenah do to protect her new friends from the bloodthirsty menace about to descend upon them? And how is she ever going to pass her biology midterm?

This book looks awesome! Come on! It's a vampire turning into a human and going into boarding school! For some reason this reminded me of the Private series,even though the series has nothing to do with vampires, Maybe it was the boarding school? Well,anyways I'm definitely checking this one out!

Waiting On Wednesday (15)

2010-06-23T14:13:00.000-07:00

Waiting On Wednesday

This week is:
Halo by: Alexandra Adornetto being released on August 31,2010

Summary:Nothing much happens in the sleepy town of Venus Cove. But everything changes when three angels are sent from heaven to protect the town against the gathering forces of darkness: Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, a teenage girl who is the least experienced of the trio. They work hard to conceal their true identity and, most of all, their wings. But the mission is threatened when the youngest angel, Bethany, is sent to high school and falls in love with the handsome school captain, Xavier Woods. Will she defy the laws of Heaven by loving him? Things come to a head when the angels realize they are not the only supernatural power in Venus Cove. There′s a new kid in town and he′s charming, seductive and deadly. Worst of all, he′s after Beth.

First Vampires,then Werewolves,and now Angels? I find this book pretty cool and scandalous. I can't wait to read this!

Summer Reading Books

2010-06-23T11:46:00.000-07:00

Doesn't everybody just love summer? It's the time to relax but before you can do that you're slapped with summer reading. Don't get me wrong I love reading,but when it's required,I hate it most of the time. I get to pick two books from this pile,so which one should I pick?

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by: Ann Brashares
Carmen got the jeans at a thrift shop. They didn’t look all that great: they were worn, dirty, and speckled with bleach. On the night before she and her friends part for the summer, Carmen decides to toss them. But Tibby says they’re great. She'd love to have them. Lena and Bridget also think they’re fabulous. Lena decides that they should all try them on. Whoever they fit best will get them. Nobody knows why, but the pants fit everyone perfectly. Even Carmen (who never thinks she looks good in anything) thinks she looks good in the pants. Over a few bags of cheese puffs, they decide to form a sisterhood and take the vow of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants . . . the next morning, they say good-bye. And then the journey of the pants --- and the most memorable summer of their lives --- begins. A lover of travel and of pants, Ann Brashares lives in Brooklyn New York, with her husband and two young sons. She still has a pair of jeans from tenth grade, but they aren't magical and they don't fit anymore. This is her first novel.

I read this already years ago and it was amazing! I think I can reread it.

Solider Boys by: Dean Hughes

Spencer Morgan And Dieter Hedrick, one American, one German, are both young and eager to get into action in the war. Dieter, a shining member of the Hitler Youth movement, has actually met the Führer himself and was praised for his hard work. Now he is determined to make it to the front lines, to push back the enemy and defend the honor of the Fatherland.

Spencer, just sixteen, must convince his father to sign his induction papers. He is bent on becoming a paratrooper -- the toughest soldiers in the world. He will prove to his family and hometown friends that he is more than the little guy with crooked teeth. He ll prove to his father that he can amount to something and keep his promises. Everyone will look at him differently when he returns home in his uniform, trousers tucked into his boots in the paratrooper style.

Both boys get their wishes when they are tossed into intense conflict during the Battle of the Bulge. And both soon learn that war is about a lot more than proving oneself and one s bravery. Dean Hughes offers young readers a wrenching look at parallel lives and how innocence must eventually be shed.

I don't know about this one. I have a copy of it,but I'm not a big fan of historical fiction.

The Killer's Cousin by: Nancy Werlin

Recently acquitted of accidentally killing his girlfriend but still crucified with guilt, 17-year-old David has moved to Massachusetts to complete his senior year of high school. His aunt and uncle have offered him shelter. His attic apartment in their house is full of ghostly shadows at night, his aunt is cold, and his 11-year-old cousin Lily is hostile. As Lily's behavior becomes more threatening towards him, David wonders what secrets lurk within Lily. The more he thinks about Lily, the more he is forced to deal with his own past. Is Lily a killer too?

This book sounds great! But,my teacher did say that it was older and had more confusing stuff in it.

The Haunting by: Joan Lowery Nixon
Fifteen-year-old Lia comes from a long line of courageous women, dating back to a Civil War survivor who single-handedly saved her Louisiana plantation house, Graymoss, from destruction. But Graymoss is haunted by a terrible evil. With clues from a diary and "Favorite Tales of Edgar Allan Poe", Lia, who doesn't feel as if she's inherited any family genes of courage, must figure out what--or who--the evil wants.

I read this one too! But I don't remember anything about it. I just remember that the ending sucked.

So which one should I choose?

I Made A Blog!

2010-06-22T19:15:00.000-07:00

I made a new blog called Surfing the Channels which you can find here. It gives a rundown and review of TV shows such as Pretty Little Liars. Go check it out!

Teaser Tuesday (9)

2010-06-22T09:25:00.000-07:00

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by MizB from Should Be Reading.

" Salty tears spilled down Spencer's cheeks,and sobs rose from her chest. She wasn't even sure what she was crying about. All the lies,maybe. All the hurt. All the deaths."
- Wanted by: Sara Shepard

This book is fantastic. It keeps you on your feet. But,it is sad to see this great series end.

In My Mailbox 6

2010-06-20T13:24:00.000-07:00

In My Mailbox was made by Thestorysiren but inspired by PopCultureJunkie.

Wanted by: Sara Shepard
**Summary may include spoilers for people who have not read The Pretty Little Liars Series!
Summary:

In Rosewood, majestic estates sprawl for acres, and Tiffany toggle bracelets dangle from every girl's wrist. But not all that glitters is gold, and the town harbors secrets darker than anyone could imagine—like the truth about what really happened the night Alison DiLaurentis went missing. . . .

Back in middle school, Ali plucked Emily, Hanna, Aria, and Spencer from obscurity and turned them into the beautiful, popular girls everyone wanted to be. Ali was the best friend they ever had. But she also made them do terrible things and taunted them with their worst secrets. Now, three years later, all their questions about Ali have finally been answered and they can put this awful chapter of their lives behind them. Or so they think.

Not every story has a happy ending, especially when four pretty little liars have done so many wicked things. In the dramatic conclusion of Sara Shepard's bestselling Pretty Little Liars series, Emily, Hanna, Aria, and Spencer could get everything they've ever wanted—unless A has one more horrifying twist in store.

I can't wait to read this book! I just finished reading Heartless which was great! What did you get this week?

Carlos Is Gonna Get It by: Kevin Emerson

2010-06-17T15:07:00.000-07:00

Carlos Is Gonna Get It by: Kevin Emerson
Published: October 1,2008 by Arthur A. Levine Books

Summary: How strange is Carlos? REALLY strange. He scratches himself all the time, and he talks about aliens in this weird shaky voice, and he breaks up the class and gets everyone else in trouble when it's *his* fault he's such a freak.

So Trina, Donte, Thea, Sara, and Frankie decide to use the upcoming 7th-grade class trip to "get" Carlos and scare him into acting normal. But when Trina has to work with Carlos on a class project, she discovers both his sweetness and the full extent of his troubles. Will she pull out of the plan or go through with it? And what will happen if--when--Carlos gets it?

Review: Carlos Is Gonna Get It is a very addicting read. It tells about Trina and her friends Thea,Donte,Frankie,and Sara. Each one of them have different personalities and it's fun to see how they all react together.

This story was overall very addicting,but it did have it's flaws. The main characters sometimes really annoyed me. Trina was very bitchy toward Carlos when it's pretty clear that there's something wrong with him. There was one part in the book where Trina just couldn't decide to do the trick or not. If your heart tells you not to do it then don't! Also,Trina tried to act tough but really, the only person she was mean too was Carlos. I felt that Thea was too well played and a traitor and Donte was just a big jerk.

In the beginning, Sara was the quiet girl who liked to read and was very smart. Then in the middle,something happens to Sara. She becomes depressed and bitchy. I kinda liked this because it was kinda nice to see her come out of her shell.

Even through this difficulties,the story was very addicting. I would recommend it to middle school kids.

Grade: 4.5 stars

Airheard by: Meg Cabot

2010-06-11T17:52:00.001-07:00

Airhead by: Meg Cabot

Released: May 13,2008 by Point

Summary: Emerson Watts, 16 and female, loves playing video games, hanging out with her best friend, Christopher, and has made peace with her less-than-supermodel-esque looks. But when she's involved in a mysterious accident, she wakes up to find she's now in the body of...a supermodel. Who was behind this switch? What was the motive? And how can she get Christopher to realize she's still the same person inside?

This was my first teen book by Meg Cabot,but it;s certainly not my last!

Review: Airhead tells the story of 17 year old outsider Emerson Watts. One day when she goes to the mall with her sister,Frieda a freak accident happens. Next thing she knows,when she wakes up she's not herself anymore,literally. She is no longer the shy,smart Emerson Watts. She is the gorgeous supermodel Nikki Howard. Now Emerson must juggle Nikki's life along with a crush and another superstar having a crush on her.

Airhead was a great read. I could easily relate to Emerson and really liked her voice. I also liked Nikki's best friend Lulu Collins (who is also a celebrity). she made me laugh out loud at times,which is really hard for me to do with a book.

The only characters that I didn't like were Whitney Robertson (the mean girl) and Emerson's sister Frieda. Frieda was a wannabee to Whitney Robertson and the original Nikki Howard. She was just too fake and annoying for me.

Overall,the story was really good and I'm pretty sure I'll be reading the next book Being Nikki.

4 stars

My computer broke!

2010-05-15T16:03:00.001-07:00

I will be taking MIA for a while because both of my computers broke. It could take a while to fix them.

The Lonely Hearts Club by: Elizabeth Eulberg

2010-04-24T10:24:00.000-07:00

The Lonely Hearts Club by: Elizabeth Eulberg

Released on: December 29,2009 by Point

Summary: Penny is sick of boys and sick of dating. So she vows:no more. It's a personal choice...and,of course,soon everybody wants to know about it. And a few other girls are inspired. A movement is born: The Lonely Hearts Club (named after the band from Sgt.Pepper). Penny is suddenly known for her nondating ways...which is too bad,because there's this certain boy she can't help but like.

Review: Let me just start by saying Beatles fan will love this. I'm a BIG Beatles fan and loved whatever was dedicated to them in this book.

Penny Lane Bloom is heartbroken after her nasty break up with her boyfriend,Nate. After her break up she makes up The Lonely Hearts Club. A club where she vows to never date in high school ever again. Soon,other girls hear about her club and want to join. Soon the Club is known throughout her high school. But then,she starts having a crush on a boy...

I liked Penny. She seemed like a girl you would want to be friends with. She's fun,trustworthy,and sometimes had me laughing out loud. I basically liked all the characters in the book except for Nate and Rosanna.

What I didn't like about the book though,was that it seemed so PERFECT all the time. It was predictable. It was too cliche to me. Sometimes I felt it was fake. The school was perfect. The girl always got into their teams or whatever.

Grade: 4 stars

My computer broke!

2010-04-18T18:22:00.000-07:00

I might not be on for a while since my computer is broken! I'm using a friend's tight now. I hope i can be back soon!

Going too Far by: Jennifer Echols

2010-04-08T15:58:00.000-07:00

Going Too Far by: Jennifer Echols

Published: March 17,2009 by MTV Books

Summary: All Meg has ever wanted is to get away. Away from high school. Away from her backwater town. Away from her parents who seem determined to keep her imprisoned in their dead-end lives. But one crazy evening involving a dare and forbidden railroad tracks, she goes way too far... and almost doesn't make it back.

John made a choice to stay. To enforce the rules. To serve and protect. He has nothing but contempt for what he sees as childish rebellion, and he wants to teach Meg a lesson she won't soon forget. But Meg pushes him to the limit by questioning everything he learned at the police academy. And when he pushes back, demanding to know why she won't be tied down, they will drive each other to the edge - and over...

Review: Let me first begin with wow this book was amazing. I heard great things about this book and I thought I was the only one who hasn't read it in the blogosphere. So, of course I picked up a copy.

The books begins with rebel Meg with her bad-ass boyfriend Eric,her straight A friend Courtney and her guy on their town's train tracks. Pretty soon she and her friends get arrested resulting in Meg having to ride along with police officer John After (who arrested her) for the rest of her spring break.

I really liked the characters in this book. I felt that I could easily relate to Meg but there were some parts where she got a bit annoying. I loved John,he was basically all what a girl wants. He was nice,kind,and funny at times.

The Mid-ending/ending I loved. I never saw it coming and I was really surprised by it.

5 stars

Waiting on Wednesday (14)

2010-04-07T07:56:00.000-07:00

Whisper by: Phobe Kitanidis

Coming out: April 27,2010 by Baltzer+Bray

Summary: I’d love a cup of coffee. I wish she knew how pretty she was. I wish I could drop this kid in the dryer sometimes. I just want her to be happy. I hope she didn’t find out what Ben said about her. I wish I knew how many calories were in a bite of muffin…

Joy is used to hearing Whispers. She’s used to walking down the street and instantly knowing people’s deepest, darkest desires. She uses this talent for good, to make people happy and give them what they want. But for her older sister, Jessica, the family gift is a curse, and she uses it to make people’s lives—especially Joy’s—miserable. Still, when Joy Hears a frightening whisper from Jessica's own mind, she knows she has to save her sister, even if it means deserting her friends, stealing a car and running away with a boy she barely knows—a boy who may have a dark secret of his own.

Wow,this looks good. I heard mixed reviews but I hope I like it!

In My Mailbox

2010-04-04T09:58:00.000-07:00

In My Mailbox was made by the StorySiren but inspired by Pop Culture Junkie.

Dear Sister by: Francine Pascal

*Spoilers in summary if u haven't read the series!

A senseless tragedy...

Sweet Valley is stunned by the news: Beautiful young Elizabeth Wakefield lies in a coma, on the brink of death after a horrible motorcycle accident.

Elizabeth's boyfriend Todd is consumed by guilt; he was driving and escaped unharmed. He feels totally helpless. All he can do is wait for a change in Elizabeth's condition -- a change that might mean the loss of the only girl he's ever loved.

But no one is more shattered than Elizabeth's twin, Jessica. As she keeps watch over the silent body of her sister, she's overwhelmed by despair. Without Elizabeth, can life go on?

I love this series! I can't wait to read this!

That's the only book I got this week. Pretty slow... What did you get?

These Boots Are Made For Stalking-Lisi Harrison

2010-03-27T08:10:00.000-07:00

These Boots Are Made For Stalking by: Lisi Harrison

Released On March 9,2010 By Poppy

Summary: The twelfth novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling series about Westchester County's most exclusive private middle school girls.

Review: I used to love this series,but now it seems to me that it's dieing. In this book,Massie geta a new 9th grade crush,Landon. Now that she has a new 9th grade crush, her friends have to have some too! Of course everybody in the pretty committee accept except Claire,who can't let go of Cam. Massie of course gets mad that Claire didn't listen to her and still tries to get Claire to see how 8th grade boys are immature while Claire works out a plan to stop Massie and the girls from leaving their crushes.

Massie was very creepy in this book. She stalked Landon however and whenever she could. She would through the windows of his house and use cameras to stalk him! I used to be able to handle Massie,but in this book,she was just nuts and let's not forget Bitchy.

Claire annoyed me too. Massie would always pick on her and she wouldn't say anything. There were times when she had a comeback,but that was it. I kept on thinking why doesn't she leave Massie and her bitch gang for Layne (who I love).

However,this book was addicting thanks to Lisi's great writing skills. I did enjoy it but there were times when I said enough is enough. The ending is a cliff hanger but I can wait.

Overall: Addicting but creepy. Very creepy...

3 Stars

Waiting on Wednesday (13)

2010-02-24T17:26:00.000-08:00

The Education of Bet by: Lauren Boratz-Longsted

Coming out: July 12,2010

Summary:Bet is sixteen, very intelligent, but only knows as much as her limited education will allow. In Victorian England, girls aren't allowed to go to school. Will is also 16, and though not related by blood, he and Bet act like brother and sister. In fact, they even look like brother and sister. And though they're both raised under the same roof, by the same kind uncle, Will has one big advantage over Bet: He's a boy, and being a boy means he isn't stuck in the grand house they call home. He gets to go out into the world--to school. But that's not what Will wishes. He wants to join the military and learn about real life, not what's written in books. So one night, Bet comes up with a plan. She'll go to school as Will. Will can join the military. And though it seems impossible, they actually manage to pull it off. But once Bet gets to the school, she begins to realize the education she's going to get isn't exactly the one she was expecting.

Reaction: Wow this looks so good! Kinda reminds me of She's The Man with Amanda Bynes but just with a different plot and a completely different time period.

Audrey,Wait! by: Robin Benway

2010-02-17T19:33:00.000-08:00

Audrey,Wait! by: Robin Benway

Released: April 10,2008 by RazorBill

Summary: While trying to score a date with her cute co-worker at the Scooper Dooper, sixteen-year-old Audrey gains unwanted fame and celebrity status when her ex-boyfriend, a rock musician, records a breakup song about her that soars to the top of the Billboard charts.

Review:
Audrey Cuttler's life is changed when her ex boyfriend,Evan,lead singer of his not widely known band,The Do-Gooders,writes a hit song about her and their breakup. Now the song is going up the charts and Audrey is trying to dodge paparazzi and crazy fans.

I was so excited to get this. I've been waiting to read it and I heard so much great reviews about it. Audrey,Wait! was a great debut from Robin Benway. It went past my expectations.

I loved all the characters. Audrey was really easy to relate to and Victoria was really funny. Jonah made me laugh out loud and James was great,too.

I really liked the ending to the book. It seemed very realistic. Audrey's and James's relationship was really sweet and moved slowly. My only complaint was the cursing. There was at least one on every page and it sometimes got annoying.But,other than that it was perfect.

5 stars

Waiting on Wednesday (12)

2010-02-17T13:59:00.000-08:00

A Blue So Dark by: Holly Schindler

Coming out: May 1,2010 by Flux

Summary: Terrified that her mother, a schizophrenic and an artist, is a mirror that reflects her own future, sixteen-year-old Aura struggles with her overwhelming desires to both chase artistic pursuits and keep madness at bay.

As her mother sinks deeper into the darkness of mental illness, the hunger for a creative outlet keeps drawing Aura toward the depths of her own imagination—the shadows of make-believe that she finds frighteningly similar to her mother’s hallucinations.

Convinced that creative equals crazy, Aura shuns her art, and her life unravels in the process.

This looks great. I can't wait to read it!

Top 8 by: Katie Finn

2010-02-14T12:41:00.000-08:00

Top 8 by: Katie Finn

Published: October 1,2008 by: Point

Summary: Madison MacDonald is seriously freaking out
Madison MacDonald
16
Putnam, CT
Status: Single?
About Me:
Everything in my life was working out. I had my three best friends, a brand-new boyfriend, and the lead in the school play. Aside from that history paper I hadn't started, things felt perfect.
Then I returned from spring break to find my Friendverse profile hacked. Someone clearly out to ruin me had spilled the most damaging secrets - AND posted the worst photos of me ever taken - online.
Now my boyfriend and I are broken up, half the school hates me, and I'm in deep trouble.
Goals:
Get my boyfriend back, figure out who could have done this, and clear my name!
Also, pass history.

Review: Madison Macdonald's life is turned upside down when her Friendverse is hacked,exposing bad pictures,secrets,and breaking her up with her boyfriend. As Madison takes you on a laugh out loud adventure,trying to find out who the hacker is,you will be on the edge of your seat trying to figure out who it is.
Top 8 is a novel that keeps you guessing. Everytime I thought I knew who was the hacker,I was made wrong. Madison was a funny character,but sometimes she could really annoy me. The other characters were really fun too. Kittson made me laugh out loud. The only thing that I didn't like was how many characters there were. It got very confusing sometimes.
But, however I did like how the novel revolved around the Internet. It felt very modern and it reminded me of The Internet Girl series by: Lauren Myracle and The Goldengirl series by: Micol Ostow.
The sequel What's Your Status? comes out July 1,2010.

3.5 stars

Taking a Vacation!

2010-01-16T21:30:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to let you guys that Im taking a break from blogging from January 17-27 for midterms. I'll be back soon with new reviews!

Beautiful by: Amy Reed

2010-01-09T15:41:00.001-08:00

Beautiful by: Amy Reed

Published:October 6,2009 by Simon Pulse

Summary: When thirteen-year-old Cassie moves to a suburb of Seattle,she is determined to leave her boring,good-girl existence behind. She chooses some dangerous new friends and is quickly caught up in the fast-paced world of drugs,sex,secrets,and cruelty.

Cassie's new existence both thrills and terrifies her. She embraces the numbness she feels from the drugs,sleeping with an older boy,and gets pulled into a twisted friendship triangle that is tinged with violence and abuse. Cassie is trapped in a swift downward spiral,and there's no turning back.

Review: Beautiful was a great novel that reminded me of Go Ask Alice.

The book starts off with seventh grader Cassie moving to a new town and meeting an older girl,Alex. Alex does drugs and soon drags Cassie into her world. Soon Cassie finds herself addicted to prescription drugs and an older boyfriend. But as much as she wants to,she cant escape.

Beautiful was great. The characters felt very real and the book itself felt very real. The author went into great details on her drug addiction and her other problems. I liked the ending too. I never saw it coming and I also liked how it ended on a happy note.

What I didn't like about Beautiful was that Cassie,the main character,was such a pushover. Alex,her "best friend", was a mean,drug addicted whore. End of story. She would treat Cassie like crap and Cassie would just take it. I was waiting for her to stick up for herself! I also didn't like how old Cassie was. I thought 7th grade was too young,maybe if she was in 9th I would have liked it more.

Overall: A near perfect novel

4.5 stars

Fever 1793

2010-01-08T20:33:00.000-08:00

Fever 1793 by: Laurie Halse Anderson

Released: March 1,2002 by:Aladdin

Summary: During the summer of 1793,Mattie Cook lives above the family coffee shop with her widowed mother and father. Mattie spends her days avoiding chores and making plans to make the family business into the finest Philadelphia has ever seen. But then the fever breaks out.

Disease sweeps the streets,destroying everything in its path,and turning Mattie's world upside down. At her feverish mother's insistence,Mattie flees the city with her grandfather. But she soon discovers that the sickness is everywhere,and Mattie must learn quickly how to survive in a city turned frantic with disease.

Review: Fever 1793 was my first book by Laurie Halse Anderson and now I know that it certainly isn't my last.

Fever 1793 tells the story about Matilda "Mattie" Cook living in Philadelphia in 1793. Now if you know anything about history,you would know that Yellow Fever swept through Philly in 1793 killing tenth of its population. The books starts with Mattie's servant,Polly,dieing mysteriously. Soon rumors spread of a fever near where Polly lives,and soon Mattie's mother gets it. Her mother wants her out of the house so she wont catch it. So Mattie's other servant,Eliza,has Mattie and her grandfather in a wagon to Ludington.But they get kicked out when the people in the wagon think grandfather has the Fever. Stranded in the middle of nowhere Maddie must provide for both her and her Grandfather.

I'm not that big of a fan of historical fiction so I was a little hesitant to read this. But it turned out to be great! Mattie was a great character. She was easily likable and was a bit of a tomboy.

My only problem with this book was toward the middle it got slow. It was like OK, I know this is happening,can we PLEASE move along? But,the rest of the book was great.

Overall: Loved it. Can't wait to read Laurie's other books.

4 stars

Books read in 2010

2010-01-05T16:26:00.000-08:00

1. Fever 1793 by: Laurie Halse Anderson
2.Beautiful by:Amy Reed
3. All Night Long by: Francine Pascal
4. Smile by: Raina Telegemeir
5. Top 8 by: Katie Finn
6. Audrey,Wait! by: Robin Benway
7. Rules by: Cynthia Lord
8. Shiver by: Maggie Stiefvater
9. I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone by: Stephanie Kuenhart
10. These Boots Are Made For Stalking by: Lisi Harrison
11. Dangerous Love by: Francine Pascal
12. The Lonely Hearts Club by: Elizabeth Eulberg
13. Wicked by: Sara Shepard
14. The Little Prince by: Antoine De Saint Exulpery
15. Going Too Far by: Jennifer Echols
16.Airhead By: Meg Cabot
17. Carlos Is Gonna Get It by: Kevin Emerson
18. The Last Song by: Nicholas Sparks
19. Heartless by: Sara Shepard
20. Wicked by: Sara Shepard
21. Wanted by: Sara Shepard
22. Bite Me! by: Melissa Francis
23. The Killer's Cousin by: Nancy Werlin
24. Tears of a Tiger by: Sharon M. Draper
25. Along for the Ride by: Sarah Dessen
26. Jumping off Swings by: Jo Knowles
27. Paul is Undead by: Alan Goldscher
28. Some Girls Are by: Courtney Summer
29. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by: Ann Brashares (re-read)
30. Legacy by: Kate Brian
31. The Second Summer of the Sisterhood by: Ann Brashares
32. Movers & Fakers by: Lisi Harrison
33. Jennifer's Body by: Audrey Nixon
34. Notes from a Totally Lame Vampire by: Tim Collins
35. The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet by: Erin Dionne
36. Bad Girls Don't Die by: Katie Alender
37. Give Up the Ghost by: Megan Crewe
38. My Life in Pink and Green by: Lisa Greenwald
39. What's Your Status? by: Katie Finn
40. My Little Phony by: Lisi Harrison
41. Love Sucks! by: Melissa Francis
42. The Outsiders by: S.E. Hinton (re-read)
43. Belle of the Brawl by: Lisi Harrison
44. That was Then,This is Now by: S.E. Hinton
45. The DUFF by: Kody Keplinger
46. Don't Stop Belivin: The Unoffical Guide To Glee

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T19:21:00.000-08:00

I just want to wish everyone a happy new year! Bring it on 2010!!

In My Mailbox (4)

2009-12-28T19:53:00.000-08:00

In My Mailbox was Brought to you by Kristi from Thestorysiren!

Thursday:

The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening and the Struggle by: L.J. Smith-I love this series! I heard good and bad reviews about this so hopefully it's great!

All Night Long (Sweet Valley High #5) by: Francine Pascal-I love this series. Should have a review for this soon!

Dangerous Love (Sweet Valley High #6) by: Francine Pascal

Friday:

Confessions of a Closet Catholic by: Sarah Darer Littman-I read a little bit of Purge and I loved it!I wouldn't have given it back if it wasn't overdue! Looks good!

The Secret Blog of Raisin Rodriguez by: Judy Goldschmidt-This came by surprise. I never heard of this series but I heard it was good!

Perfect Chemistry and Leaving Paradise by: Simone Elkeles-Finally,I have these books! I heard such great stuff about these!

Hush,Hush by: Becca Fitzpatrick-I love the cover and I heard great reviews about it,so hopefully it's good!

Quad by:C.G. Watson-This looks so good! I've been looking all over for it!

As You Wish by: Jackson Pearce-I've heard great reviews on this one and Jackson's videos made me laugh out loud. I get hate the girl on the cover!

Give Up the Ghost by: Megan Crewe-I heard mixed reviews on this but it looks good!

Bad Girls Don't Die by: Katie Alender- This looks so good and creepy! Can't wait to read!

The Dark Divine by: Bree Despain-heard mixed reviews but I love the cover!

Bite Me! by: Melissa Francis-Looks cute.

Jennifer's Body by: Audrey Nixon

I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone by: Stephanie Kuenhart-I LOVED Ballads of Surburbia so I'm expecting to love this too!

Psych Major Syndrome by: Alicia Thompson

Jumping off Swings by: Jo Knowles

Thats what I got. What did you get?

Freak the Mighty

2009-12-22T18:30:00.000-08:00

Freak the Mighty by: Rodman Philbrick

Released: June 1,2001

Publisher: Scholastic

Summary: A stunning young adult novel by Rodman Philbrick that tells the heartwarming story of two special ed boys who pair up to form a unique and empowering friendship. Two boys a slow learner stuck in the body of a teenage giant and a tiny Einstein in leg braces forge a unique friendship when they pair up to create one formidable human force. Made into the movie,The Mighty.

Review: Freak the mighty is a heartfelt story about two boys' mighty friendship.

The book starts off with Max. Max is a slow learning boy who is "trapped" in the body of a giant. Max always thought he had no brain. But then Kevin came along. Kevin is Max's mother friend's son who is a genius "trapped" in a small body due to his Mosquio Syndrome. Together Max and Kevin form Freak the Mighty. Together they will form the greatest team ever.

This Book was very unique,I never read a book like this. Max and Kevin both have very dark pasts,which keeps you wondering about it throughout the book. The part when Max and Kevin go to find "buried treasure" made me laugh so hard! I loved all the characters they were great and well developed.

What I didn't like about the book was how Max (the narrator) was always using sentences like:

And then she was like "whoa!"

It got very annoying at times. I also hated how the ending was so predictable. I knew it from the start.

Overall: An almost Perfect book. A Great Read!

4.5 stars

In My Mailbox (3)

2009-12-20T10:51:00.000-08:00

In my Mailbox Is brought to you by Thestorysiren!

Brought:

Shiver by: Maggie Stiefvater

Summary: For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf her wolf is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human. Until the cold makes him shift back again. Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

Thats all I got. What did you get?

Waiting on Wednesday (11)

2009-12-16T13:18:00.000-08:00

Waiting On Wednesday was brought to you by Jill from Breaking the Spine!

My pick this week:

Saving Maddie by: Varian Johnson

Coming out: March 9,2010

Summary: Joshua Wynn is a preacher's son and a "good boy" who always does the right thing. Until Maddie comes back into town. Maddie is the daughter of the former associate pastor at Joshua's church,and his childhood crush. Now Maddie is all grown up,gorgeous-and troubled. She wears provocative clothes to church,cusses,and fools around with older men.Joshua's ears burn just listening to the things she did to get kicked out of boarding school,and her own home.

As time goes on,Josh goes against his parents and his own better instincts to keep Maddie from completely capsizing. Along the way,he begins to question his way rigid understanding of God and whether,as his mother says,a girl like Maddie is beyond redemption. Maddie leads Josh further astray than any other girl has...but is there a way to reconcile his love for her and his love for his love in the church

Reaction: Seems Naughty. Good boy and good girl gone bad? Can't wait to get my hands on it.

Teaser Tuesday (8)

2009-12-15T13:26:00.000-08:00

Teaser Tuesday Is hosted by Miz B of Should Be Reading.

I must have dozed off. One moment,the room was still,the next,Mother flew off the pillows and was violently ill,vomiting blood all over the bed and floor. Her eyes rolled back in her head.
I jumped up from the stool.
"Eliza!" I screamed, "Help!"
There was no answer. Eliza was gone. I was alone.

pg. 68

From Fever 1793

The book is great so far. Its really interesting. I Love it.

The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove

2009-12-14T18:55:00.001-08:00

The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove by: Lauren Kate

Published: November 12,2009

Publisher: Razorbill

Summary: A Steamy Southern Beauty Makes One Fatal Mistake.
Natalie Hargrove would kill to be her high school's Palmetto Princess. But her boyfriend Mike King doesn't share her dream and risks losing the honor of Palmetto Prince to Natalie's nemesis,Justin Balmer. So she convinces her boyfriend Mike to help play a prank on Justin...one that goes terribly wrong.They tie him to the front of the church after a party-when they arrive the next morning,Justin is dead.
From blackmail to buried desire, dark secrets to darker deeds,Natalie unravels. She never should've messed with fate. Fate is the one thing more twisted than Natalie Hargrove.
Cruel Intentions meets Macbeth in this seductive,revivting tale of conscience and consequence.

Review: I was disappointed with this book. I liked the plot,but I think the summary gave too much away.

Natalie Hargrove is the it girl who I can't stand. I hated her from the beginning. All she seemed to care about was the crown. She was a flat out bitch and I wasn't that crazy about her.

I also didn't like how the dad was also brought out. It seemed that we didn't really need him. I mean he was only in a chapter or two. There was already the drama about JB and the crown. Wasn't that enough?

The beginning was also pretty slow. All it talked about was Natalie's perfect life with Mike. The ending I did like though. I did not see it coming. Most of the characters I liked and the nicknames too. Like the Dick for Natalie's mom's boyfriend. It made it more realistic.

Overall: Could have been a lot more better

3 stars

In My Mailbox 2

2009-12-13T10:34:00.000-08:00

Brought by Thestorysiren

Deep and Dark and Dangerous by: Mary Downing Hahn My review Here.

Airhead by: Meg Cabot I never read Meg Cabot so I'm excited to read this one.

Carlos is Gonna Get It by: Keven Emerson Never heard of it,but it looks cute.

Deep And Dark And Dangerous

2009-12-11T14:08:00.000-08:00

Deep and Dark and Dangerous by: Mary Downing Hahn

Published: May 21,2007

Publisher: Sandpiper

Summary: Just before summer begins, thirteen year old Ali finds an old photograph. She recognizes the two children. One's her mother,the other her Aunt Dulcie...but who is the third person,the one who's been torn out of the picture? Ali will have two months to figure it out,since she's spending the summer with her Aunt and her cousin in the same house her mom and her aunt used to visit when they were kids.

Then Ali meets Sissy. Sissy is mean,spiteful,and determined to ruin Ali's summer. Sissy also has a secret. Could it have something to do with the old photo? Ali is dying to find out.Though,if she's not careful,that's exactly what will happen to her-die,that is.

Review: Everybody loves a scary story right before Christmas!

It all starts when 13 year old Ali finds a picture of 3 girls. She recognizes the first two children as her mom and her Aunt Dulcie,but the other girl is half ripped off and the back only says that her name begins with a T. When for the summer she stays with her Aunt Dulcie and cousin Hannah at the same house her mother used to stay at when they were kids she is more than happy. She thinks she can finally solve the mystery of T. Then,she meets Sissy. Sissy is mean and ruining Ali's summer. But there is something about Sissy that Ali thinks may have something to do with the picture.

I already knew the ending before I even finished the story. It was very predictable. Although I did like the plot and the writing was very addicting,you could tell what was going to happen next.

Ali got very annoying at times. She would say that whispering was rude to Sissy and I thought that Ali sounded like an old woman! She's thirteen! Ali's cousin,Hannah got very annoying too. I think she was bi-polar,even if she was only 4. One day she would hang on to Ali and love her and the next she would cling to Sissy and change her whole personality. Ali's mom was just a bitch. Even though,she was hardly in the book I still hated her.

Even through all the problems I had with this book I still found it addicting and it was a great story. It could have been better but it wasn't.

Overall:Addicting but could have been better.

3.5 stars

Waiting on Wednesday (10)

2009-12-09T14:54:00.000-08:00

A Match Made In High School by: Kristen Walker

Coming out: February 4,2010

Summary: When the Principal announces that every senior must participate in a mandatory year-long Marriage Education program,Fiona Sheehan believes that her life can't get any worse. Then she marries her "husband": Jerky Jock Todd,whose cheerleader girlfriend Amanda,has had it in for Fiona since day one of second grade. Even worse? Amanda is paired up with Fiona's long-term crush,Gabe. At least Fiona is doing better than her best friend,Marcie,who is paired up with the very quiet,very mysterious Johnny Mercer. Pranks,fights,misunderstandings,and reconciliations ensue in an almost Shakespearean comedy of errors about mistaken first impressions,convoluted coupling,and hidden crushes.

Reaction: I saw great reviews on this book and I love the plot. Would it be cool to be in a Marriage Education Program. Well I think it would.

Teaser Tuesday (7)

2009-12-08T16:07:00.000-08:00

Deep and Dark and Dangerous by: Mary Downing Hahn

I turned the the photo over,hoping to find the girl's name written on the back. There was Grandmother's ,neat,schoolteacherly handwriting: Gull Cottage,1977. Dulcie,Claire,and T-.

Like her face,the rest of the girl`s name was missing.

pg.2

Just started reading pretty good so far!

In My Mailbox (1)

2009-12-06T12:46:00.000-08:00

Bought:
The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove by: Lauren Kate

Top 8 by: Kate Finn

Liar by: Justine Larbalestier

Beautiful by: Amy Reed

Little Black Lies by: Tish Cohen

My Invented Life by: Lauren Bjorkman

Audrey,Wait! by: Robin Benway

I got a pretty good week this week. So,what did you get?

Waiting on Wednesday (9)

2009-12-02T14:00:00.000-08:00

Life,After by: Sarah Darer Littman

Coming: July 2010

Summary: Everything Changes when a terrorist attack kills Dani's beloved aunt and her unborned cousin.

Dani's life in Argentina-private school,a boyfriend,and a loving family-is crumbling quickly. To escape a country in crisis,where everyday it feels the ground sinks a little more under their feet,Dani and her family,move to the United States. It's supposed to be a fresh start,but when you're living in a cramped apartment and going to high school where all classes are in a different language-and not everyone is friendly-life in America isn't all it's cracked up to be. Dani misses all her old friends,her life,Before. In addition,she must deal with an angry father,who seems more like a stranger everyday.

Just when Dani is about to break, she meets a boy named Jon,who isn't like all the other students. Through him,she becomes friends with Jessica,one of the popular girls,who is harboring a secret of her own. And then there's Brian,who makes Dani's pulse race. In her new life,the one After,Dani learns how to heal and forgive. She finds the courage to say goodbye and allows her to love and be loved again.

(from the author's website)

Reaction: This book looks great. I read a little bit of Purge and I loved it. I can't wait to read this.

Thirteen Reasons Why by: Jay Asher

2009-11-28T19:04:00.000-08:00

Thirteen Reasons Why by: Jay Asher

Released: October 18,2007

Publisher: Razorbill

Summary: Clay Jensen's first love records her last words.

Clay Jensen returns home form school to find a strange package with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker-his classmate and crush-who committed suicide two weeks earlier.

Hannah's voice tells him that they are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens,he'll find out how.

Clay spend the night crisscrossing his town with Hannah as his guide. He becomes a first-hand witness to Hannah's pain,and learns the truth about himself-a truth he never wanted to face.

Review: Thirteen Reasons Why is a unique,emotional story about one girl's decision to commit suicide and why she did it.

Thirteen Reasons Why is probably one of the best books I read. Hannah Baker has decided that she's had it with life and commits suicide. Two weeks later,Clay Jensen receives a mysterious package filled with tapes. As Clay listens to the tapes,he becomes horrified to learn that the voice he hears is his crush,Hannah Baker and the tapes are telling him that he is one of the thirteen reasons why she killed herself.

All the characters were believable. I liked Clay. He seemed like a nice kid. Unlike a lot of the boys I read about who are just hungry for sex. He wasn't like that. Hannah I liked also and I really felt bad for her. She was messed up.

Overall: A very emotional book. A MUST READ!

5 stars

Cliquetionary: The Wit and Wisdom of the Clique by: Lisi Harrison

2009-11-27T14:54:00.000-08:00

Cliquetionary: The Wit and Wisdom of the Clique by: Lisi Harrison

Released: November 1,2009

Publisher: Poppy

Summary: Dying to know the Pretty Commitee`s juiciest gossip? Curious what people mean when they call you an LBR? (Hint: it's nawt a compliment.) Want tips on how to go from a six-point-ew to a ten?

Ah-bviously! This cute-times-a-million gift book contains the Clique`s best comebacks,favorite expressions,and silliest expressions. One hundred Gossip Points if you can guess Massie's first Lip-kiss....

Review: This is a pretty cute book. It`s perfect for any Clique fans. It has cool stuff like Massie's comebacks and the girls' interviews. And if you are confused about their talk like C-Minus,there`s a dictionary in the back!

I loves how you could play with the cover,but, I didn't like how it was hardcover. It was 80 pages! It`s too thin to be a hardcover! Same for the Prequel! That was 120 pages and it was hardcover too! I also expected more. Don't get me wrong. The book was really interesting,but I just thought maybe it could give us more,like maybe what could have been plots to the books,for example.

Overall: Perfect for Clique lovers.

Waiting on Wednesday (8)

2009-11-25T09:35:00.000-08:00

The Unwritten Rule by:Elizabeth Scott

Coming out April 6,2010

Summary:Another sweet and funny coming-of-age novel by the author of bloom; Perfect You; Something, Maybe; and Living Dead Girl.

*Sorry summary sucks.
Reaction: I never read an Elizabeth Scott book YET,but this looks cute.

America`s Next Top Model Book 1 Face Value

2009-11-23T15:24:00.000-08:00

America`s Next Top Model Book 1: Face Value

Published:August 1,2009

Publisher: Scholastic Inc.

3 Stars

Summary: Get ready for a world of high-fashion and high drama with a fabulous fiction series inspired by the hit TV show America`s Next Top Model!

Alexis: With my red hair and blue eyes, I may seem just like another shy small town girl. But I have some serious secrets up my sleeve.

Chloe:I`ve inherited my supermodel mom`s looks,and everyone expects me to flow in her Jimmy Choos. The catch? My wildest dreams has nothing to do with a runway.

Lindsay: Just call me the comeback kid. I used to be a celeb,but my star power dimmed. Now,I`m hoping that my beauty,brains,and a little bit of backstabbing will make me famous again.

Shiva-Rose:As the exotic-international girl,I`ve got my mystery working in my favor. But will a crush on the wrong guy threaten my chance of winning?

Review: I never watched America`s Next Top Model,so I don't know much about it. For me,The book started a little slow. And Sometimes it had the dumbest lines like:

"She`s serious like a scientist."

I get it now,but it really annoyed me. It was just really stupid and random.

I liked most of the characters.but there was one character that I HATED. Lindsay. She used to be a celebrity bu then she got fat and her parents wanted her to get a better education. She was a flat-out bitch. Excuse my French. But,I really didn`t want to read about her. Alexis and Chloe I liked. Shiva-Rose was ok.

The book was ok. I was expecting more. The ending I liked. I also liked some of the jokes. It wasn`t that bad but it could have been a lot more better.

Overall: An ok start to a new series.

Waiting On Wednesday (7)

2009-11-18T14:47:00.000-08:00

Made by Jill from Breaking the Spine.

The Body Finder by:Kimberly Derting

Coming out: March 16,2010

Summary:Violet Ambrose is dealing with two major issues:Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen year old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood,she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense dead bodies-or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl,she has felt the echoes the dead leave behind in the world...and the imprints they leave in the world...and the imprints they leave attached to their killers.

Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift;it mostly just led her to find dead birds her cat had tired of playing with. But now that a serial killer begun terrorizing her small town,and the echoes of the local girls he claimed haunt her daily,she realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.

Despite his fierce protectiveness over her,Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet on her quest to find the murderer-and Violet is unnerved to find herself hoping that Jay`s intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she`s falling intensely in love,Violet is getting closer and closer to finding the killer...and becoming his prey herself.

Teaser Tuesday (6)

2009-11-17T14:06:00.000-08:00

Hosted by Miz B over at Should be Reading.

Thirteen Reasons Why by: Jay Asher

Maybe I`ll be lucky. Maybe there will be a sign posted on his front yard.Peeping tom-come inside.

Pg. 106

Great book so far. Love the plot

Movie Blog

2009-11-16T14:11:00.000-08:00

After my last movie review,I realized that I liked movies. I`ll review movies new and old.
Hope you like it!!

http://mkmoviereviews.blogspot.com/

Paranormal Activity

2009-11-14T14:30:00.000-08:00

Trailer Here.

Paranormal Activity (2007)

Summary: When couple Micah (played by Micah Sloat) and Katie (played by Katie Featherson) move into a new house and experience noises during the night,they investigate using a Micah`s camera. What they thought was peeping toms turned out to be much more worse.

Review: This movie scared the living crap out of me. Right off the bat they tell you that there is some strange stuff going on. This movie made me not want to stay home by myself.

For Katie,the ghosts are usual,everyday life for her and they never really did anything to harm her. Then Micah comes in and they really start hurting her. Like really HURTING her. If I was Micah I would`ve left her. There is no way I`m sleeping in a haunted house. Not even if Taylor Lautner is in there. (OK. If he is on there I would!)

I LOVED this movie! It really scared me,but there were two things I didn`t like. Like Micah and Katie got very annoying after a while. There were basically the only 2 people in the movie. Then,there was some needless dialogue in there too. Like,there is a pool scene and there is NOTHING going on. I hate when movies do that. The scene was like only a few minutes long but still.

Overall: A VERY good scary movie but sometimes the most ANNOYING characters! Just don`t see it alone.

Waiting on Wednesday (6)

2009-11-11T10:25:00.000-08:00

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill from Breaking the Spine.

My pick this week is:

The Sky is Everywhere by: Jandy Nelson

Coming out March 9,2010

Summary: Seventeen-year-old Lennie Walker, bookworm and band geek, plays second clarinet and spends her time tucked safely and happily in the shadow of her fiery older sister, Bailey. But when Bailey dies abruptly, Lennie is catapulted to center stage of her own life—and, despite her nonexistent history with boys, suddenly finds herself struggling to balance two. Toby was Bailey’s boyfriend; his grief mirrors Lennie’s own. Joe is the new boy in town, a transplant from Paris whose nearly magical grin is matched only by his musical talent. For Lennie, they’re the sun and the moon; one boy takes her out of her sorrow, the other comforts her in it. But just like their celestial counterparts, they can’t collide without the whole wide world exploding.

This remarkable debut is perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti, and Francesca Lia Block. Just as much a celebration of love as it is a portrait of loss, Lennie’s struggle to sort her own melody out of the noise around her is always honest, often hilarious, and ultimately unforgettable.

Reaction: This book looks really interesting and I love the cover! Can`t wait to buy it!

Teaser Tuesday (5)

2009-11-10T16:49:00.000-08:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

-Grab your current read.

-Open to a random page.

-Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.

-BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

-Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

America`s Next Top Model:Face Value Book 1 by: Taryn Bell

One of the girls from 14A,Faye,did an interpretation of a sunflower that Mack was not happy with,"You`re obviously a smart cookie,Faye,but this interpretation-you look like a soldier,marching off to war. It`s way off base and does you no justice.

Faye tried to explain that sunflowers were strong,independent,thriving plants and that`s what she was trying to show.

"Yes,but they`re are not robots. A model needs to bring out the essence of a sunflower,not pantomime a report. You overthought it. Go back and try again."

Pg. 72

I know this is long but since I missed last weeks I wanted to make mine longer.

Life as We Knew It by:Susan Beth Pfeffer

2009-11-07T11:49:00.000-08:00

Life as We Knew It by: Susan Beth Pfeffer

Released: May 1,2008

Publisher: Harcourt Paperbacks

4.5 stars

Summary:It's almost the end of Miranda's sophomore year in high school, and her journal reflects the busy life of a typical teenager: conversations with friends, fights with mom, and fervent hopes for a driver's license. When Miranda first begins hearing the reports of a meteor on a collision course with the moon, it hardly seems worth a mention in her diary. But after the meteor hits, pushing the moon off its axis and causing worldwide earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanoes, all the things Miranda used to take for granted begin to disappear. Food and gas shortages, along with extreme weather changes, come to her small Pennsylvania town; and Miranda's voice is by turns petulant, angry, and finally resigned, as her family is forced to make tough choices while they consider their increasingly limited options. Yet even as suspicious neighbors stockpile food in anticipation of a looming winter without heat or electricity, Miranda knows that that her future is still hers to decide even if life as she knew it is over.

Review: This book was so realistic it scared me. It has a lot of detail and the characters are so realistic. Miranda was my favorite character along with Mrs. Nesbitt.

I like Miranda`s voice when she wrote in her diary. I could relate to her and got a better look on how the world would end. It made me more thankful for my life. (corny. I know.)

I had 2 problems with the book is What happened to her dad,Sammi,and Dan and What happened to Becki. I mean I already knew but I want more details.

Overall: Needed to be a little bit more longer but other than that was really good.