In My Mailbox (7)

As always this meme is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren! Thanks!

From Publishers
Hourglass (Evernight #3)
by Claudia Gray
To Be Published March 9th 2010 by HarperTeen
Hardcover, 352 pages

Summary: Bestselling author Claudia Gray’s Evernight series continues. In Hourglass, Bianca and Lucas have found a way to be together. But it means lying to the people who care about them the most.

After escaping from Evernight Academy, the vampire boarding school, Bianca and Lucas seek refuge with Black Cross, the elite group of vampire hunters led by Lucas’s stepfather. When Bianca’s close friend—the vampire Balthazar—is captured by Black Cross, Bianca knows she has to do whatever it takes to save him. But at what cost?


Hawksmaid: The Untold Story of Robin Hood and Maid Marian
by Kathryn Lasky
To Be Published May 4th 2010 by HarperCollins
Hardcover, 304 pages

Summary: She’s the headstrong daughter of Nottingham’s most famous falconer. But for Matty, hawks are more than family—they are her destiny. She can hear their thoughts, speak their language, and sense their every wingbeat. When Matty finds Marigold, a golden-eyed merlin abandoned in the wild, their connection is instant and magical. Marigold becomes Matty’s closest winged companion and her fiercest ally under the tyranny of Prince John and the sheriff of Nottingham. It’s up to Matty, Marigold, and their old friend Robin to save England.

A fantastical twist makes this a legendary world of royalty, daring adventure, and deadly peril that will appeal to fans of Gail Carson Levine and Shannon Hale. Newbery Honor author Kathryn Lasky soars to magnificent heights in this bold tale of bravery, romance, and the untold legend of Maid Marian and Robin Hood.

Swoon at Your Own Risk
by Sydney Salter
To Be Published April 5th 2010 by Graphia
Paperback, 368 pages

Summary: It’s the summer before senior year and Polly Martin has sworn off boys. Who needs the hurt and confusion? Five recent breakups have left her with an unnatural knowledge of NASCAR, the ultimate hiker’s outfit, a student council position, the sixth highest score on the Donkey Kong machine at the mall, and a summer job at Wild Waves with ex #2 Sawyer Holmes.
Success seems a sure thing when Polly’s grandmother, the syndicated advice columnist, Miss Swoon, moves in for the summer. Polly almost doesn’t mind sharing a room with her little sister, Grace. Think of all the great advice she’ll get!

Everything is going according to plan except... Miss Swoon turns out to be a man-crazy septuagenarian! And then there’s Xander Cooper. If only he wouldn’t keep showing up at Wild Waves with his adorable cousins every afternoon — and what is he writing in that little notebook?

No advice column in the world can prepare Polly for the lessons she learns when she goes on a group camping trip (with three too many ex-boyfriends). Polly is forced to see people for who they are — a blend of good and bad qualities that can’t be reduced to a list or a snappy answer in a Miss Swoon column.

Review for A GOLDEN WEB by Barbara Quick

A GOLDEN WEB
by Barbara Quick

Details:
To Be Published
April 6th 2010 by HarperTeen
Hardcover, 272 pages

Placement in Pile:

Eh... Middle of the Stack. If I'm being generous

Summary:

Alessandra is desperate to escape—from her stepmother, who’s locked her away for a year; from the cloister that awaits her if she refuses the marriage plans that have been made for her; from the expectations that limit her and every other girl in fourteenth-century Italy. There’s no tolerance in her village for her keen intelligence and her unconventional ideas.

In defiant pursuit of her dreams, Alessandra undertakes an audacious quest, her bravery equaled only by the dangers she faces. Disguised and alone in a city of spies and scholars, Alessandra will find a love she could not foresee—and an enduring fame.

In this exquisite imagining of the centuries-old story of Alessandra Giliani, the world’s first female anatomist, distinguished novelist Barbara Quick gives readers the drama, romance, and rich historical detail for which she is known as she shines a light on an unforgotten—and unforgettable—heroine.

Review:

The premise of this book sounded intriguing to me, but the writing and execution fell flat for me. There were moments that were good, even a couple that were great, but there was so much summary and "then this much time passed and then they were here" orchestration going on, that I just didn't feel deeply attached to the characters. Whenever I started to get attached (especially at the end when her love interest FINALLY appears), the author didn't take advantage of it. She'd start to get me involved and caring, and then she'd do more summary or change POVs (which she did A LOT, sometimes within the same paragraph it seemed like). She'd spend too much time describing things that didn't need a page of attention, and rush through or just summarize scenes that had the potential to be truly moving/engrossing. Overall, this book was okay, and the history of it was very interesting. It was an easy read, but just not my favorite. I'm also big on endings (a GREAT ending can save a book for me), but this one was so abrupt. A GOLDEN WEB was an interesting premise and story, but was only a mediocre read. Which is unfortunate, because I think it had the potential to be great.

Review SOMETHING, MAYBE by Elizabeth Scott

Something, Maybe
by Elizabth Scott

Details:
March 24th 2009 by Simon Pulse

Hardcover, 224 pages

Placement In Pile:
Middle of Stack

Summary:
Everyone thinks their parents are embarrassing, but Hannah knows she's got them all beat. Her dad made a fortune showing pretty girls--and his "party" lifestyle--all over the Internet, and her mom, who was once one of her dad's girlfriends, is now the star of her own website. After getting the wrong kind of attention for far too long, Hannah has learned how to stay out of sight...and that's how she likes it.


Of course, being unknown isn't helping her get noticed by gorgeous, confident Josh, who Hannah knows is her soul mate. Between trying to figure out a way to get him to notice her, dealing with her parents, and wondering why she can't stop thinking about another guy, Finn, Hannah feels like she's going crazy. She's determined to make things work out the way she wants....only what she wants may not be what she needs.

Review:
In short, I can best describe Something, Maybe as lacking. In the end, much to my frustration, it didn't deliver. You know, that warm feeling you get when you finish a great book (the this book is totally awesome because it all comes together and the character shows how much she grew type of feeling). Didn't get it. Not this time.


To Scott's credit, the character was utterly real, believable, witty, and quite funny. The dialogue felt as if I were hauled up in some bathroom really listening to two teenagers discuss their love lives. Up till the climax, I thought the book was great.

But in the end, the developing romance falls into 'unbelievable' territory, and lacks the emotion that should've come if you consider the amount of tension the author wrote into the plot line.

Yes, this book is full of excellent passages, but if you read for endings . . . which I do . . . then this one will fall short for you too.

Review AS YOU WISH by Jackson Pearce

As You Wish
by Jackson Pearce

Details:
September 1st 2009 by HarperTeen (first published August 25th 2009)

Hardcover, 304 pages

Placement In Pile:
Top of the Stack

Summary:
Ever since Viola's boyfriend broke up with her, she has spent her days silently wishing—to have someone love her again and, more importantly, to belong again—until one day she inadvertently summons a young genie out of his world and into her own. He will remain until she makes three wishes.


Jinn is anxious to return home, but Viola is terrified of wishing, afraid she will not wish for the right thing, the thing that will make her truly happy. As the two spend time together, the lines between master and servant begin to blur, and soon Jinn can't deny that he's falling for Viola. But it's only after Viola makes her first wish that she realizes she's in love with Jinn as well . . . and that if she wishes twice more, he will disappear from her life—and her world—forever.

Jackson Pearce spins a magical tale about star-crossed lovers, what it means to belong . . . and how important it is to be careful what you wish for.

Review:
After I read this I kept asking myself why I loved it so much. Was it because I didn't expect much from a chick-lit-teenage-fluff book, that I was truly surprised to find some depth to the characters? Maybe. But either way, I was hooked. Line and Sinker!


The main character Viola has the one thing the infamous Bella had and took it all the way to the bank. She's a normal girl. She could be you or me or any other angsty teen that really just wants to be noticed. Viola's not even asking for the whole enchilada of elite-popularity status, she just wants other kids at school to see who she is and appreciate what's there. Didn't we all wish for that at some time?

Then when she meets Jinn, the genie sent to her because her heart wished for a 'true' wish, I was delighted to see how smart and sympathetic of a character she was. Instead of making brash thoughtless choices, (which I've found quite a few YA writers let their characters do to move the plot along … lame right?) Viola's different. So different that she doesn't make any choices because she wants so desperately to make the right one and to be accepted for who she is.

Pearce's novel is full of great, believable teen voice that will speak to any reader, since really, we've all been there and done that, right? It may be the nerdy high school girl in me who's wishing for a mega-hot genie to come by way, but whatever, I LOVED IT!!!

Review NIGHTLIGHT: A PARODY by The Harvard Lampoon

NIGHTLIGHT
by The Harvard Lampoon
Published November 3rd 2009 by Vintage
Paperback, 160 pages

Placement in the Pile: Middle of the Stack

Summary:
About three things I was absolutely certain. First, Edwart was most likely my soul mate, maybe. Second, there was a vampire part of him–which I assumed was wildly out of his control–that wanted me dead. And third, I unconditionally, irrevocably, impenetrably, heterogeneously, gynecologically, and disreputably wished he had kissed me.

And thus Belle Goose falls in love with the mysterious and sparkly Edwart Mullen in the Harvard Lampoon’s hilarious send-up of Twilight.

Pale and klutzy, Belle arrives in Switchblade, Oregon looking for adventure, or at least an undead classmate. She soon discovers Edwart, a super-hot computer nerd with zero interest in girls. After witnessing a number of strange events–Edwart leaves his tater tots untouched at lunch! Edwart saves her from a flying snowball!–Belle has a dramatic revelation: Edwart is a vampire. But how can she convince Edwart to bite her and transform her into his eternal bride, especially when he seems to find girls so repulsive?

Complete with romance, danger, insufficient parental guardianship, creepy stalker-like behavior, and a vampire prom, Nightlight is the uproarious tale of a vampire-obsessed girl, looking for love in all the wrong places.

Review:
Sounds hilarious right? Well it is, at times, but not always. There are moments that made me stop and laugh out loud, and quote it to all my friends and family that have read Twilight. Other times I felt like the book was dragging because they were trying too hard.

This book is so poorly written, on purpose, that I had to keep reminding myself at times that it is meant to be bad. It certainly is expertly bad. If that makes sense at all.

Belle is even MORE annoying than Bella....if that is even possible.

In the end, if you read this a loud with someone who has also read Twilight, pretend to be Kristin Stewart narrating the whole thing, then the book will be even funnier. It's worth reading for those moments of complete laughter, but then again, I think a lot of the paordys you can find on YouTube are just as, if not more funny, and take less time investment.

Review for BEING SIXTEEN by Allyson Condie

BEING SIXTEEN

by,

Allyson Condie

Details:

publishedFebruary 3rd 2010 by Deseret Book Company
Paperback, 240 pages

Placement in Pile: Top Picks

Summary:

Juliet Kendall has been looking forward to her sixteenth birthday for what feels like forever. At first, it seems like being sixteen will be as perfect as she dreamed---she has great friends, a cute almost-boyfriend, a spot on the varsity girls' basketball team, and even a car of her own. But, as the year goes on, she discovers that her sister Carly, is hiding a secret and realizes that, in fact, being sixteen may be her hardest year yet.

Being Sixteen is a coming-of-age story about two sister and their different struggles. It addresses what it means to have a testimony, what it meant to be a friend and a sister, and what's involved in the dealing with and overcoming an eating disorder.

Review:

Wow. I was planning on reviewing A GOLDEN WEB today, but after staying up until 1:30 am to finish reading this book last night, I decided to switch. (I'll do A GOLDEN WEB next week.) Ally has created a masterpiece with BEING SIXTEEN. It is heartbreaking and uplifting. I admit that at the beginning I wasn't sucked in. I was reading it during commercial breaks of the Men's Skating Finals (Go Evan!! Woot!). But by the time I was 1/3 of the way in, I was hooked and I couldn't put it down.

It was so real, so vivid and moving. I felt like I knew what Juliet was going through, that I was right there, experiencing all of her pain and frustration (even though I haven't been in her exact situations). I want my sisters, and mom, and friends to all read this book. It is "LDS fiction" which means it is written from the POV of a girl who is LDS (aka "Mormon"). I don't think it is overly religious, and even if you weren't LDS I don't think it would be too confusing. The messages of this book have religious overtones, but the main messages are so much more than that--body image issues, what it means to be a sister and a friend, and how life can implode but you can still keep going. Ally's dad said this was his favorite book of hers so far published or to be published, and he's agnostic. (Right, Ally? I'm pretty sure that's what you wrote on your website.) So that's quite the endorsement right there. I have to say, that I think I might agree. I love her forthcoming book (the version I read of it anyway... can't wait to see how it turns out when it gets published. SQUEEE!!!!), but I almost think I like this one more, too. Maybe it's more that I like them equally, just in different ways. This book is so moving and emotional and so true. I loved it.

MIA

Just wanted to drop a quick note and let you all know that we are still alive. :) I am just taking your advice and took some time off from reading and blogging. I don't know if my co-bloggers will be doing their reviews this week or not.

So, Happy Valentines Day, Happy Olympics (Go USA!), Happy Birthday (if it's your birthday) and all that fun stuff.

Now back to your regularly scheduled web browsing.

Review for BEFORE I FALL by Lauren Oliver

BEFORE I FALL

by, Lauren Oliver

Details:

Published: March 2nd 2010 by HarperCollins
Hardcover, 480 pages

Placement in Pile:

This was very tough. I still am not sure where to put this. For writing and the ending I'd say Reaching New Heights. For the content I'd have to go with a Bit Buried or maybe Middle of the Stack

Summary:

What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life? Samantha Kingston has it all—looks, popularity, the perfect boyfriend. Friday, February 12th should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it’s her last. The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. In fact, she re-lives the last day of her life seven times, until she realizes that by making even the slightest changes, she may hold more power than she had ever imagined.

Review:

The premise of this book was so intriguing to me! As I started to read it though I was really disappointed at first. I knew I needed to do a review, so I kept going, and the further I got in, I had to keep reading. It was like driving past a car accident--even though you're afraid of what you're going to see, you can't tear your eyes away from it. In the end, it was definitely worth it.

So, as I said, this one is very hard to place. The writing is beautiful and even poignant at times, and the last 1/4 of the book is wonderful (mostly), but the first 2/3 and the content were not enjoyable to me at all. First of all, I didn't even like Sam until almost 3/4 of the way through the book. Not the greatest thing. I could see why Ms. Oliver did it, and what lessons she was trying to teach, but still. It's hard to love a book where you don't like the protagonist for a good portion of it. As she is called many, MANY times through the book, she really is a b*%&$. And so are all of her friends. This served a point in the end, but still... I would have liked it if she would have been a little bit more "like-able" a little bit sooner. Thankfully, by the end you love her, and are rooting for her.

My other issue with this book was the content. I swear the characters (including Sam) are drunk or smoking or partying or doing drugs or talking/thinking/etc. about sex for way more than half of this book. And the whole thing with her teacher? Absolutely disgusting, IMO. It is a personal preference, I know, but I really don't like drug use in any form in YA novels; and in this book it's not only prevalent, it's casual, it's ALL the time, and it seems like everyone is doing it in some form or another. (Especially at the party we get to relive with her over and over.) I know some people don't care, or even say it makes it more "realistic", but I disagree. I think it just encourages teens to engage in habits that are life-destroying. (Trust me, I've seen it happen.) There are so many amazing YA books that don't include all of that. Okay, I will put my soapbox away, but definitely be warned--this is a book I would not let me teenager read until I know they are mature enough to handle the content.

If you put those two things aside, this book was amazing. The writing is surprisingly beautiful (especially considering how full of the aforementioned content it is!), and the plotline takes you all over the emotional spectrum. It ends up being heartbreaking, poignant and surprisingly moving. So, be warned about the content, understand that you're probably not going to like her or her friends for a good portion of this book, but that in the end it's worth the read.

Stay tuned for information about a giveaway of this ARC!! (Right, Aubs??)

Masterpeice Theater's Emma

Have any of you been watching Materpeice Classic's new production of Emma?

The commercials made be very excited for this new Jane Austen film. I ADORE many of the Masterpiece productions -- the best one being Pride and Prejudice of course.

Being a big fan of Jane Austen's stories and liking the general look of the film and actors from the previews I was really excited for this one....

That is until I watched it. The first segment of the movie was two hours long, and boy did it feel like two hours! I liked the addition of a bit more information on Jane Fairfax and Frank Churchill's childhood and there were some lovely moments where Emma was remembering her childhood, but other than that, there was not anything added to it that made it take that long...it just did.

I thought it was slow, the acting was not what I had hoped it to be, and it just fell flat. To be honest, I like the Gwyneth Paltrow version better -- and I'm sad that that is the case.

The second two segments were better, however. I like how Emma's general appearance got more disheveled as she became more confused about her feelings for Knightly. But the first two hours could have been condensed to at least one and a half, if not one, and the production would have been much better.

I AM looking forward to the rest of the season though where they are playing many more Jane Austen stories and other novel classics like The Diary of Anne Frank.

So...did you watch this? What did you think?

Review JESSICA'S GUIDE to DATING on the DARK SIDE

JESSICA'S GUIDE to DATING on the DARK SIDE
by Beth Fantaskey

Details:
February 1st 2009 by Harcourt

Hardcover, 351 pages

Placement in Pile:
Top Picks(hmm . . . maybe that's too generous), Middle of the Stack(no, definitely not)
Reaching New Heights  (ok, I'll go with this, but it should really be noted that I wanted to rate this one as "Hanging on to Top Picks by it's finger nails")



Summary:
The undead can really screw up your senior year ...

Marrying a vampire definitely doesn’t fit into Jessica Packwood’s senior year “get-a-life” plan. But then a bizarre (and incredibly hot) new exchange student named Lucius Vladescu shows up, claiming that Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess by birth—and he’s her long-lost fiancé. Armed with newfound confidence and a copy of Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire’s Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions, Jessica makes a dramatic transition from average American teenager to glam European vampire princess. But when a devious cheerleader sets her sights on Lucius, Jess finds herself fighting to win back her wayward prince, stop a global vampire war—and save Lucius’s soul from eternal destruction.

Review:
At first I thought, come on another vampire book?  But, let me say that Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side is nothing like what's out there in way of vampires.  IT is SOOOOOO much better.
I read this book in one sitting, that alone should tell you how much I loved the book. And when I say one sitting, I mean I didn't get up to use the bathroom once. Which also means, when the loveable character, Lucius the hot Romanian vampire, wrote home witty commentaries about the rough-edged girls from the states and Vegan's love for lentils, I practically peed myself. Who knew vampires could be so irresistibly hilarious?
The interactions between Lucius and Jessica, a curvy sized 10 senior from the middle of farm-ville country, were comical, romantic, thought-provoking, and layered with depth that I wouldn't expect in a book with such a light-hearted title. What I found is this book is anything but a light- hearted, teen fluff book. It's much meatier than the title lets on.
The themes in the novel, some light and others gritty and dark, came together in the end in what I would call an 'almost' masterful combination. Alas, the climax of the novel drew the characters into such a dark spiral of actions that it verged on too much, making me feel as though the main characters were acting apart from their true personalities instead of acting as characters that are learning and growing. Thus, the reason for my unclear placement in the pile.

My suggestion: Despite my unclear placement, go read this one because it ROCKS!

My Moods of Reading

Do you ever feel like reading is an emotional endeavor? Not just because books (hopefully) make you feel something but because the act of reading itself is tied to ones current emotions.

I think this is one of the reasons that although I consider myself an avid reader, I have a hard time readings as much as other people (that and I am generally a slower reader, as I like to muse over the sound of the words on the page and how they fit together...I know, I'm weird).

But still, there are times where I want to do nothing else but read. Put a book in my hands I will read it! And most likely have something to say about it. My house may be in shambles, I may be running on very little sleep, my daughter may have watched Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Tinkerbell (1 and 2), Dumbo, and any other number of Disney DVDs in one day, but I will still keep reading!

So I was feeling really good about my reading as I was a week ahead last week in my reviews and had some leg room to finally get caught up on some books I have started, help edit a girl in my writer's groups full manuscript etc.

Then I hit one of those funks.

When in these funks, no matter how hard I try, no matter what book I pick up, I just cannot seem to concentrate for more than a chapter (or if the chapters are long, half a chapter) of a book at a time. And even then, I know I am not enjoying the book as much as I otherwise would, so I find it pointless to keep trying.

But then I start to stress. I think of you, my readers, and how you expect me to write at least one book review a week. I think of my co-bloggers that I ask to review one book a week. How would it look if I slacked on a week? I think of My Pile of Books, that literally looms a mile high with books I own that I want to read, books I've received that I have to read, and books that are on my TBR list that everyone tells me I would love and I should read.

It can get overwhelming.

As fellow blogger and book lovers, do you ever feel like reading for you comes in moods? What do you do about it? Do you worry about your blogs and what other people think if you miss a week of reviews? What would you think if I missed a week?

Review for LAMENT by Maggie Stiefvater

LAMENT

by, Maggie Stiefvater

Details:

published: October 1st 2008 by Flux
Paperback, 326 pages

Placement in Pile:

Reaching New Heights

Summary:

From the author of the New York Times bestselling novel Shiver... Sixteen-year-old Deirdre Monaghan is a prodigiously gifted musician. She's about to find out she's also a cloverhand - one who can see faeries. Unexpectedly, Deirdre finds herself infatuated with a mysterious boy named Luke, who enters her ordinary life, seemingly out of thin air. But his interest in her might be something darker than summer romance. When a sinister faerie named Aodhan shows up with deadly orders from the Faerie Queen, it forces Dee right into the midst of Faerie. Caught in the crossfire with Deirdre is James, her wisecracking but loyal best friend. Deirdre had been wishing her summer weren't so dull, but taking on a centuries-old Faerie Queen isn't exactly what she had in mind.

Review:

I have been interested in reading this series for a while, ever since I read (and loved) SHIVER so much last year. I finally checked it out from the library, and I'm glad I did! While I think her writing has matured, and even improved with SHIVER, LAMENT was still very well-written and intriguing. I wasn't totally sucked in right off the bat--I was actually really confused about why she wouldn't question some guy just "showing up" in the bathroom, and everything that happened in the first 50 pages. But by the end, I was competely engrossed. This was a fast, easy read. I'm not sure how I feel about the ending; I'll have to wait and see what happens in the sequel...

Between this and FAIRY TALE ( the other "fairy" based book I read recently) this one was the better one, in my opinion, by far.

In My Mailbox (6)

From Publishers:

BEFORE I FALL
by Lauren Oliver
Published March 2, 2010 by HarperTeen
*Counts for Debut Author Challenge

Summary:
What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all—looks, popularity, the perfect boyfriend. Friday, February 12th should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it’s her last. The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. In fact, she re-lives the last day of her life seven times, until she realizes that by making even the slightest changes, she may hold more power than she had ever imagined.



BEING SIXTEEN
by Allyson Condie
Published February 3rd 2010 by Deseret Book Company

Summary:
Juliet Kendall has been looking forward to her sixteenth birthday for what feels like forever. At first, it seems like being sixteen will be as perfect as she dreamed---she has great friends, a cute almost-boyfriend, a spot on the varsity girls' basketball team, and even a car of her own. But, as the year goes on, she discovers that her sister Carly, is hiding a secret and realizes that, in fact, being sixteen may be her hardest year yet.

Being Sixteen is a coming-of-age story about two sister and their different struggles. It addresses what it means to have a testimony, what it meant to be a friend and a sister, and what's involved in the dealing with and overcoming an eating disorder.

A GOLDEN WEB
by Barbara Quick
Published April 6th 2010 by HarperTeen
*Counts for Debut Author Challenge

Summary:
Alessandra is desperate to escape—from her stepmother, who’s locked her away for a year; from the cloister that awaits her if she refuses the marriage plans that have been made for her; from the expectations that limit her and every other girl in fourteenth-century Italy. There’s no tolerance in her village for her keen intelligence and her unconventional ideas.

In defiant pursuit of her dreams, Alessandra undertakes an audacious quest, her bravery equaled only by the dangers she faces. Disguised and alone in a city of spies and scholars, Alessandra will find a love she could not foresee—and an enduring fame.

In this exquisite imagining of the centuries-old story of Alessandra Giliani, the world’s first female anatomist, distinguished novelist Barbara Quick gives readers the drama, romance, and rich historical detail for which she is known as she shines a light on an unforgotten—and unforgettable—heroine.

Review I'D TELL YOU I LOVE YOU, BUT THEN I'D HAVE TO KILL YOU by Ally Carter

I'D TELL YOU I LOVE YOU,

BUT THEN I'D HAVE TO KILL YOU

by Ally Carter

Published:
May 1st 2006 by Hyperion
Hardcover, 284 pages

Placement In Pile: Maybe Middle of the Stack (if I'm being generous)

Summary:

The Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women is a fairly typical all-girls school—that is, if every school teaches advanced martial arts in PE, chemistry always consists of the latest in chemical warfare, and everyone breaks CIA codes for extra credit in computer class. So in truth, while the Gallagher Academy might say it's a school for geniuses what they really mean is spies.

But what happens when a Gallagher Girl falls for a boy who doesn't have a code name? Cammie Morgan may be fluent in fourteen languages and capable of killing a man in seven different ways (three of which involve a piece of uncooked spaghetti), but the Gallagher Academy hasn't prepared her for what to do when she meets an ordinary boy who thinks she's an ordinary girl. Sure, she can tap his phone, hack into his computer, and track him through a mall without him ever being the wiser, but can she have a regular relationship with a regular boy who can never know the truth about her? Cammie may be an elite spy in training, but in her sophomore year, she's doing something riskier than ever—she's falling in love.

Review:

I've been interested in reading this one for a while, seeing how it got a big deal, it's a NYT bestseller, it's being made into a movie, etc. etc. The premise sounded so fun and interesting and exciting. The reality? In my opinion, it fell short. Like really short.

First of all, the voice felt like middle-grade to me, not YA at all. Was I wrong in thinking this was a YA book? Cammie feels like a twelve-year-old, or maybe thirteen to me, with how she narrates this. Not a sophomore in high school. And there was at least one "aside" in ( ) on every page. It drove me nuts! Not to mention all the other things I've been taught are "mistakes" in writing that supposedly won't even get you an agent, let alone a publishing deal. So that all distracted from the story for me.

The actual plotline was cute, but nothing stellar to me. I actually had to make myself keep reading it, because I hate not finishing a book. It wasn't awful by any means, it was very cute at times. It just wasn't great. It didn't grip my attention, all of the spy "jokes" about everything the Gallagher girls have supposedly done throughout the last two hundred years got old after a while (for me), and despite the interesting and unique premise, it felt formulaic. It just wasn't what I'd been hoping for. So, if you're in the mood for something VERY light and silly with not much substance, this is the one for you. Or maybe your 6th grader. (But maybe I'm not the best to judge, I was reading Jurassic Park and Pride & Prejudice and Gone with the Wind and etc. in 5th & 6th grade... )

I've seen mixed reviews on this one though, some people loved it, and lots felt the same as me. What did you think? And are the sequels even worth bothering with? (AKA do they get better? or stay about the same?)

Review WONDROUS STRANGE by Lesley Livingston

Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston

Details:

December 23rd 2008 by HarperTeen (first published 2008)

Hardcover, 328 pages 

Placement in the Pile:
Reaching New Heights

Summary:
17 year-old Kelly Winslow doesn’t believe in Faeries. Not unless they’re the kind that you find in a theatre, spouting Shakespeare—the kind that Kelley so desperately wishes she could be: onstage, under lights, with a pair of sparkly wings strapped to her shoulders. But as the understudy in a two-bit, hopelessly off-off-Broadway production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, wishing is probably the closest she’s going to get to becoming a Faerie Queen. At least, that’s what shethinks... In this fun, urban fantasy, Kelly's off-stage life suddenly becomes as complicated as one of Shakespeare’s plot twists when a nighttime trip to Central Park holds more than meets the mortal eye.

Review:
I wasn't going to read this book. At all. First off, could there be a lamer title? The first thing that comes to mind is another book about faeries (a.k.a. fairies — for those not so cool) called Wicked Lovely. Does that strike anyone else as total knock-off weirdness? Two books about faeries . . . two books with adjective-adjective titles?

It was almost enough to turn me off. Almost.

But after I gave in and bought the book down at my local Barnes and Noble, I rushed home, locked myself in my room, and read the entire thing. It was surprisingly good and I would even go as far as to call it a page-turner. The prose is beautiful and even eloquent at some points, supporting the mature voice of the protagonist. Kelly, a girl trying to make it on off-off-off Broadway, finally gets her break. And when she does her world changes dramatically.

I found the main voices of the book, Kelly and Sonny, to be brilliant. Great story telling and character voice and excellent chemistry.

To be honest, I thought the author could have done without the 'strange' (ha, ha, snort) prologue of a first chapter, oh, and the lame-arse title—thus my reason for the Reaching New Heights Placement. But other than that, the book definitely hooked me. I'll be running out today to purchase Darklight, the sequel that just came out!!!

Review THE MARK by Jen Nadol

The Mark by Jen Nadol

Details:
January 19th 2010 by Bloomsbury

Hardcover, 228 pages

http://www.jennadolbooks.com/

Placement in Pile:
Bottom of the Barrel (seriously)

Summary:
Cassandra Renfield has always seen the mark—a glow around certain people reminiscent of candlelight. But the one time she mentioned it, it was dismissed as a trick of the light. Until the day she watches a man awash in the mark die. After searching her memories, Cassie realizes she can see a person’s imminent death. Not how or where, only when: today.


Armed with a vague understanding of the light, Cassie begins to explore her “gift,” seeking those marked for death and probing the line between decision and destiny. Though she’s careful to hide her secret—even from her new philosophy-obsessed boyfriend—with each impending death comes the temptation to test fate. But so many questions remain. How does the mark work? Why is she the only one who sees it? And finally, the most important of all: If you know today is someone’s last, should you tell them?


Review:
Maybe I indicated this book's placement as a little low in the pile. But since I eagerly awaited its debut, and practically strong-armed my local library to order it as soon as it came out, well, it's no wonder I was disappointed enough to give it the lowest ranking My Pile of Books hands out.


To put it frankly, The Mark isn't worth the reading time.
Harsh much? Yeah, I know. But there is a certain expectation I hold for the publishing industry. First, it's my hope that there is an actual point to the story, or that the characters will be sympathetic enough to warrant my continued reading, or that the plot line will actually be engaging. One can hope, right?

In The Mark, Jen Nadol's protagonist, Cassie, lets the reader know first page that she can see an uncanny, glowing mark around a person who will die that very day.
Alright, the first chapter gripped me. So I plunged into the rest of the book.
Over the next five or so chapters the story-telling bounced all over the place in different flashback scenes. Confusing much? For sure.
Then when the book picked up in real story-line time, I found the main character jumping into lies and a thoughtless, emotionless relationship. So when the author tried to push an 'emotional' scene, well, for me it was flat and as lifeless as the writing of the book.
Am I the biggest jerk in the world for disliking this book? Maybe. My advice to you: go out and read it for yourself, and prove me wrong.

OH, and since I didn't like this book, I'll be posting another book review tomorrow, so check back.

Book Signing with Bree Despain!

I was lucky enough to go to a book signing for Bree Despain at my local Barnes and Noble on January 16th! It was so so much fun!

Beforehand I went over to my friend SpeedReader (of My Favorite Author)'s house and we painted our nails with the official Dark Divine nail polish which she got with her ARC!

Barnes and Noble was packed! They had 75 books in stock at the beginning of the signing, and only 5-6 were left at the end! THE DARK DIVINE is just flying off of shelves! (I'm in the second row there, furiously taking notes!)

This is me and my friend waiting for Bree to show up! I was beyond excited, can you tell? We were joined in our excitement with lots of other bloggers (hooray for getting buisness cards and sharing blog urls!) and fans.




Before the signing Bree talked a little about herself, the book, her path to publication, etc. Here are the highlights:

• Bree didn't play when she was little, she directed play.
  
• After a really bad car accident she said there are two things she would have regretted most if she had died; never finishing a novel, and not being with her family - this is when she got serious about writing full time.
• Her inspirations for TDD were having read SPEAK by Laurie Halse Anderson (she called it "heartwrenching and beautiful"), an experience she had with a sudden encounter with a friend she had as a child who came back and she didn't recognize him anymore, and an experience when a conversation between Grace and her brother came into her head while driving one night.

• When she first wrote TDD it was contemporary
• She got sucked into the Buffy-verse (Yay for Buffy the Vampire Slayer!) and finally embraced the paranormal aspect of the book.
• The paranormal element allowed the book to be about redemption without being too didactic.
  

Then Bree read to us a conversation between Grace and Daniel on page 103. This made me even more excited to make room for this book at the top of my pile!

Having teased all of us with the magnificent Daniel Bree took questions. Here are some of the cooler Q's and A's. (these are not direct quotes most of the time...these are just from my notes.)

Q: Were there any other working titles?
A: Tons. But one that it had for a long time was Daniel Divine. However, that connotated Grace and Daniel were actually brother and sister, and that was just creepy. Her writer's group voted on a list and chose The Dark Divine...which was Bree's fave anyway.

Q: How was the cover created? (It's so pretty!)
A: My publisher asked me if I had any thoughts on the cover. This is very kind of them to ask because the author usually has little to NO say on the cover. Bree wrote back a 2 page letter with ideas of what covers she likes, what concepts she doesn't like etc.

ARCs were going to print in a few days and they finally sent her a cover that she HATED. It was everything she said she didn't like. It ends up that they had gone through so many covers they had just settled. She called her editor in tears and said she would not have picked up that book, he agreed he didn't like it and he went through thousands of images online until he found this one. They added the purple color scheme and voila!

She loved it! However, at the time there was no purple in the book! So She added purple in -- because it would have drove Bree nuts if the cover didn't make sense! And there it is! (The ARCs did not have the purple in them!)

So then Bree signed our books! (And handed out official TDD nail polish! How cool is that???)

She was so much fun to talk to and I'm so glad I got to go and support this wonderful book! So many more fun things happened, like cardboard cut outs, talk of the Trophy Husband etc. There was just so much that I just gave you the highlights!

I hope you all take the time to check author blogs and bookstore websites to see when signings are coming near you! They are SO worth it!

I am looking forward to much more from Bree in the future! And hey, maybe we can get her over here when she's not too busy for an interview and/or guest blog! ;)

Happy Reading everyone!

Review THE DARK DIVINE by Bree Despain

THE DARK DIVINE
by Bree Despain
Published December 22nd 2009 by EgmontUSA
Hardcover, 372 pages
http://www.breedespain.com/

Placement in the Pile: Top of the Stack

Summary:
A prodigal son
A dangerous love
A deadly secret...

Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared--the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in his own blood--but she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night held.

The memories her family has tried to bury resurface when Daniel returns, three years later, and enrolls in Grace and Jude's high school. Despite promising Jude she'll stay away, Grace cannot deny her attraction to Daniel's shocking artistic abilities, his way of getting her to look at the world from new angles, and the strange, hungry glint in his eyes.

The closer Grace gets to Daniel, the more she jeopardizes her life, as her actions stir resentment in Jude and drive him to embrace the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind the boy's dark secret...and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it--her soul. (GoodReads)

Review:
The Dark Divine is a very gripping read that combines the paranormal, religion, romance and redemption.

I really connected with Grace as a character. She lives life in a religious family as I did and it is what guides many of her actions. However when Daniel arrives, secrets also come flooding back into her life and she is forced to question her beliefs - in a very positive way.

Daniel is the perfect cad. Or so it would seem. Truly the prodigal son (except for the part about being a flesh and blood son of the Divine family) of the story, yet with a twist. Even he can't seem to hope to find redemption and forgiveness for his actions.

Thoroughly enjoyable, a tad predictable at times (but I think that just stems from me reading so much paranormal romance) and with the last 75 pages being completely enthralling, I had to give this book top marks. With the predictability there were moments that truly and utterly shocked me, pulled me into this dark story, and made me long for more. I cannot wait for the next installment.

If you at all like paranormal novels this one is for you. It is highly romantic, but not so openly nauseating as some, so if romance is not your thing, you will still love the story. Truly there is universal messages here that Despain intertwines beautifully.

I am VERY glad I own this one for my shelf!