Valiant (The Moder Faerie Tales, #2) by Holly Black

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Suimmary

When seventeen-year-old Valerie Russell runs away to New York City, she's trying to escape a life that has utterly betrayed her. Sporting a new identity, she takes up with a gang of squatters who live in the city's labyrinthine subway system.

But there's something eerily beguiling about Val's new friends. Impulsive Lolli talks of monsters in the subway tunnels they call home and shoots up a shimmery amber-colored powder that makes the shadows around her dance. Severe Luis claims he can make deals with creatures that no one else can see. And then there's Luis's brother, timid and sensitive Dave, who makes the mistake of letting Val tag along as he makes a delivery to a woman who turns out to have goat hooves instead of feet.

When a bewildered Val allows Lolli to talk her into tracking down the hidden lair of the creature for whom Luis and Dave have been dealing, Val finds herself bound into service by a troll named Ravus. He is as hideous as he is honorable. And as Val grows to know him, she finds herself torn between her affection for an honorable monster and her fear of what her new friends are becoming.

Bestselling author Holly Black follows her breakout debut, Tithe, with a rich, harrowing, and compulsively readable parable of betrayal, abuse, friendship, and love.

My Thoughts

Valiant (The Modern Faerie Tale, #2) by Holly Black

The book took off with a disturbing beginning and had me wondering what was going to happen. However, it suddenly slowed down like someone sprinted down a path and they’d lost all their energy. Valiant managed to be too detailed, but bland at the same time – that takes talent! (Sarcasm). There were also graphic scenes about things happening that I think could have gone without mentioning...  I mean, other than those parts, the book was actually pretty interesting and a worthwhile read.

The characters in this book, were actually gripping. I felt like I got to know them. I don’t have much to say about Val, but I did find her pleasant to read about unlike Dave, who annoyed me from the start. I always found a reoccurring interest in Lolli and for some reason I always had a soft spot for Luis. Ravus, the troll that Val finds herself in debt to, actually wasn’t as appalling as I thought he might be.     

I think if it weren’t for the decent characters and lure of the Faerie, that the book would have been horrible because the plot didn’t hold quite enough tension, nor did it seem fluent. I felt like the story line was going all over the place. The author had some really good ideas that just seemed to fall flat when they landed on the page.

Overall, my feelings stay mixed about this book, because there was so much that I liked about it, but it just didn’t completely satisfy me.

Pluto's Ghost

Pages: 256
Genre: Realistic Fiction, Romance, Mystery
Rating: 4/5


Summary (from Goodreads.com)

"Murderer. It's one kick in the belly of a word isn't it? Has a taste, too. It tastes like barbed wire and has wild hyena eyes. Murderer. Murder-her. Did he? Did I? That's when I remember what I want to forget."
Jake Upshore has loved Skye Derucci since before he can remember. Volatile, complex and frustrated (he's got a label disorder from all the labels he's been given) at the best of times, Jake's on a desperate quest to find Skye before she aborts the baby he believes is his. As he hurtles headlong toward certain tragedy, Jake relives the fatal choices he's made and the powerful forces that have led him to this to end. A gripping thriller and a heart-wrenching love story, Pluto's Ghost is a raw and powerful novel about anger, escape, and redemptive love.


My Thoughts

I really liked this book even though I wasn't sure of it at first. It's slow paced at the beginning and then picks up a bit more, so don't quite reading! You won't be disappointed in the end! The writing was definitely something to marvel over, it was funny and touching.
I just want to hug Jake (main character). He's so sweet and thoughtful, despite his anger issues.
It was amazing to read and be able to see that Jake was serious when he meant he would do anything for the girl he loves, Skye, anything! It's not a sappy love story, it's not fairy-tale like, so don't expect that. It's a mature read, and Jake's story will stay with you for a long time.

Not That Kind of Girl by Siobhan Vivian

Pages: 322
Genre: Real-life, Romance
Rating: 3/5

Summary

Natalie Sterling wants to be in control. She wants her friends to be loyal. She wants her classmates to elect her student council president. She wants to find the right guy, not the usual jerk her school has to offer. She wants a good reputation, because she believes that will lead to good things.
But life is messy, and it's very hard to be in control of it. Not when there are freshman girls running around in a pack, trying to get senior guys to sleep with them. Not when your friends have secrets they're no longer comfortable sharing. Not when the boy you once dismissed ends up being the boy you want to sleep with yourself - but only in secret, with nobody ever finding out.
Slut or saint? Winner or loser? Natalie is getting tired of these forced choices - and is now going to find a way to live life in the sometimes messy, sometimes wonderful in-between.

My Thoughts

For those that would enjoy this, I think you would be in age range of 13-17. It wasn’t a challenging read for me. I did enjoy it, but just not as much as I would have hoped for. When I first began the book and then got halfway through I felt a little mislead because she was having issues with Mike and then you barely ever hear about him again...instead the story starts to focus on a different guy...  won’t say anymore because I don’t want to spoil anything.

Natalie, the main character, is NOT stupid. She’s actually smart, she knows how to get a situation under control and she can handle high-levels of stress quite well. I respect her for her integrity and her ability to be nice and caring to others. I respect her for trying to do the right thing, and giving others second chances. I think I’d friend her on Facebook...if she was a real person.

The story spoke volumes about sex and other pressures for a teenager. But it also expressed how we’re all looking for ourselves and who we want to be. I can guarantee the ending is not disappointing at all, it’s simply satisfying and I felt that I’d learned something valuable. That’s how books should leave you.

Overall, it was good. I would definitely recommend it, because it’s certainly worth the read. However, I think it could have been amazing with a few tweaks and characters with a bit more depth, I didn’t feel like I got to know everyone enough.

The Hunger Games

Pages: 374
Genre: Action, Adventure, Futuristic
Rating: 5/5

Summary (from Goodreads.com)

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love.


My Thoughts

THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING. I really took my time with it, marvelling over the writing style and details. The author knew how to capture your attention and imprison it inside her pages. Collins did an unbelievable job with the characters, she took great patience in describing the kids from the other districts without boring the reader, and actually I felt myself hungering to know more about the other tributes. I wondered about what it would be like if she included scenes in the book which were based upon Peeta’s perspective, however, I knew that would only ruin the mystery of being inside of Katniss’s head.

The only wish I had for it was that Collins would have given more flashbacks to what Katniss’s life used to be like in the district, and get to know Gale a little more. Perhaps this will be more covered in the next books, especially Gale...there’s no doubt about that.

All in all, it’s certainly one of my favourites!

Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday

Rating: 5/5 (It was amazing!)
Pages: 320
Genre: Murder Mystery


Summary (from Goodreads.com)
Hartley Grace Featherstone is having a very bad day. First she finds out that her boyfriend is cheating on her with the president of the Herbert Hoover High School Chastity Club. Then he's pegged as the #1 suspect in a murder. And if that weren't enough, now he's depending on Hartley to clear his name. Seriously? Not cool.

But as much as Hartley wouldn't mind seeing him squirm, she knows he's innocent, and she's the only one who can help him. Along with her best friend, Sam, and the school's resident Bad Boy, Chase, Hartley starts investigating on her own. But as the dead bodies begin to pile up, the mystery deepens, the suspects multiply, and Hartley begins to fear that she may be the killer's next victim.

My Thoughts
There’s nothing more comforting than a murder mystery with a character with your name in it that happens to be an airhead, and then later is murdered. Yay me!

Despite Deadly Cool’s odd plot about a girl helping clear the name of her boyfriend, ahem, correction ex-boyfriend who cheated on her, the story turned out to be quite interesting, and actually a good read. The book came with some witty humor while being able to hold its serious context.

Although, it was cliché in parts referring to Nancy Drew and a few stereotypical characters that were easy to pick out from the crowd, I felt the main character, Hartley, had a lot to offer and I enjoyed reading about what she had to say and what she felt, regardless of her pathetic inability to lie about her sneaking around.

All in all, this light-hearted murder mystery was a nice change from the paranormal young adult novel swarming the bookshelves of bookstores, while being fast-paced and easy-to-read.

Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger

 

Rating: 3
Pages: 214 (depending on the version you read)
Genre: Coming of Age



Summary (from Goodreads.com)

Anyone who has read J.D. Salinger's New Yorker stories—particularly A Perfect Day for Bananafish, Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut, The Laughing Man, and For Esme—With Love and Squalor, will not be surprised by the fact that his first novel is fully of children. The hero-narrator of THE CATCHER IN THE RYE is an ancient child of sixteen, a native New Yorker named Holden Caulfield. Through circumstances that tend to preclude adult, secondhand description, he leaves his prep school in Pennsylvania and goes underground in New York City for three days. The boy himself is at once too simple and too complex for us to make any final comment about him or his story. Perhaps the safest thing we can say about Holden is that he was born in the world not just strongly attracted to beauty but, almost, hopelessly impaled on it. There are many voices in this novel: children's voices, adult voices, underground voices-but Holden's voice is the most eloquent of all. Transcending his own vernacular, yet remaining marvelously faithful to it, he issues a perfectly articulated cry of mixed pain and pleasure. However, like most lovers and clowns and poets of the higher orders, he keeps most of the pain to, and for, himself. The pleasure he gives away, or sets aside, with all his heart. It is there for the reader who can handle it to keep.


My Thoughts
Now that I’ve read Catcher in the Rye, I’m starting to see a little bit of Holden here and there in the books I read. I think Holden is a lonely, lost teenager, and an angry one at that. I like him because he doesn’t edit what he has to say when he talks, he’s blunt. But I don’t like him because he is sort of a hypocrite. I also got tired of the “Goddamn’s” in the story, yet the “phony’s,” although tired of them, actually amused me.

I read this book for English, and I think that’s why I didn’t get as much as I could have out of it. I felt like it was work to read it and of course, I would have read it even if it wasn’t for English, but I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read it on my own terms.

But if I wrapped it all up, I would say that the book is extremely negative, yet is funny. I think that everyone can find a something about Holden that they can relate to. The parts of Holden that I found myself relating to, were the fact that he didn’t care about being popular and being antisocial was what he was okay with. I found that even though being alone is nice, that you do get lonely, and then you want to talk to someone. And it doesn’t matter who it is really, especially when you’re alone. But, I don’t think I would ever in this lifetime find myself talking to nuns. Personally, sometimes I felt if I were sitting in a coffee shop or somewhere and Holden came up to me and wanted to buy me a drink (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) I would wonder what his intentions were, and think “weirdo” and then possibly eventually come to the conclusion that he’s simply lonely and not some creeper, or up to something.

Overall, the book was interesting, gross in parts, grossly hilarious in others, and I still feel like I missed out on a bunch of what Holden was saying and what was happening, so I’ll return to the novel in time. Meanwhile the phrase “Goddam skates” continues to ring in my head for some crude reason.

Disclaimer

*Disclaimer*
The summaries of most of these books are from the back of the books, although some of them I have altered and rewritten.

Fat Vampire by Adam Rex

Rating: 2/5 (It was okay)
Pages: 324
Genre: Supernatural, Humour

Summary (from book)

Doug Lee is undead quuite by accident--attacked by a desperate vampire, he finds himself being cursed with being fat and fifteen forever. When he has no luck finding some goth chick with a vampire fetish, he resorts to sucking the blood of cows under cover of the night. But it's just not the same.
Then he meets the new Indian exchage student and falls for her--hard. Yeah, he wants to bite her, but he also wants to prove himself to her. But like the laws of life, love and high school, the laws of vampire existence are complicated--it's not as easy as studying Dracula. Especially when the star of Vampire Hunters is hot on your trail in an attempt to boost ratings....
Searing, hilarious, and always expected, Fat Vampire is a satircal tour de force from one of the most original writers of fiction today.

My Thoughts

The good:

1. I really love the cover of this book. It's unique and creative and very eye-catching.

2. The summary and reviews on the back of the book were convincingly funny and appealing.

3. It had some parts that did make me laugh-out-loud and I was genuinely interested in Doug's conflicting situation. And a good start in the plot.

4. Jay is my favourite character. Although he was a bit cliche character-wise, I still enjoyed his company.

 The bad:

1. The book went bad after the first sixty or so pages. The interest rate really dropped for me and the book started focusing on diffrent things. I really wished it would have focused more on the main character instead it begins to more greatly focus on Segal and I'm left wondering isn't this supposed to be about Doug and his fatness, his thirst for blood and issues with girls?

2. I began to feel very disconnected with the characters and I didn't feel attached the them or the story at all.

3.  The stroy began to throw in all this random stuff about a vampire hunter TV show and a vampire mentoring program among other things. And I'm sitting there wondering where did all this come from? What happened to Doug being fat and drinking from cows?

4. I wasn't too crazy about the ending. It didn't leave me feeling satisified. The book in all didn't do it for me really.

Overall, the book was unique, much different from anything I've read. It was funny, which I liked, however, the story just didn't satisfy me.

Perfect Chemsitry

Pages: 357
Genre: Romance
Rating 5/5


Summary
When Brittany Ellis walks into chemistry class on the first day of senior year, she has no clue that her carefully created “perfect” life is about to unravel before her eyes. She’s forced to be lab partners with Alex Fuentes, a gang member from the other side of town, and he is about to threaten everything she's worked so hard for—her flawless reputation, her relationship with her boyfriend, and the secret that her home life is anything but perfect. Alex is a bad boy and he knows it. So when he makes a bet with his friends to lure Brittany into his life, he thinks nothing of it. But soon Alex realizes Brittany is a real person with real problems, and suddenly the bet he made in arrogance turns into something much more. In a passionate story about looking beneath the surface, Simone Elkeles breaks through the stereotypes and barriers that threaten to keep Brittany and Alex apart.


My Thoughts

Perfect Chemistry is about a girl and boy who hate each other. It’s funny, suspenseful and touches your heart. It resembles the story of Romeo & Juliet, but it is also quite unique too, despite the stereotypical characters, the dialogue and characters bring it something that you can’t resist.

Alex (or Alejandro, which he hates being called) lives with his two younger brothers and his mother. He’s living on the poor side of town and he’s in a gang called the “Latino Blood.” There are rumors that he’s in to drugs, been arrested several times and he gets into knife fights. “Alex probably brings his dates sharp knives as gifts, in case she’ll need one when she’s out on a date with him.” But really, he’s like a leather teddy bear; tough on the outside, yet squishy on the inside.

Brittany lives with her anxious mother, mostly absent father and her autistic older sister, Shelley. She’s living on the poor side of town and she’s in the popular crowd and the cheerleading team. There are rumors that she is perfect, happy and only cares about her boyfriend and shopping. “This summer she went to the mall, bought new clothes so she could expand her wardrobe, and spent her daddy’s money on plastic surgery to enhance her, ahem, assets.” But really, she’s just a sweet hard piece of candy; heavenly tasting, yet she could do some serious damage to your teeth.

Overall, I loved Perfect Chemistry even though it has some flaws; Simone Elkeles brings something to this story that has never been told before.

Girl, Stolen by April Henry

Pages: 213
Genre: Suspense, Realistic Fiction
Rating: 3/5


Summary
Sixteen year-old Cheyenne Wilder is sleeping in the back of a car while her mom fills her prescription at the pharmacy. Before Cheyenne realizes what's happening, their car is being stolen--with her inside! Griffin hadn’t meant to kidnap Cheyenne, all he needed to do was steal a car for the others. But once Griffin's dad finds out that Cheyenne’s father is the president of a powerful corporation, everything changes—now there’s a reason to keep her. What Griffin doesn’t know is that Cheyenne is not only sick with pneumonia, she is blind. How will Cheyenne survive this nightmare, and if she does, at what price?


My Thoughts
I was quite impressed with the research the author must have done for this novel. I believe that the research was mainly based on people who are blind and car theft.

The story began with a fast-paced opening and it just gripped me. I didn’t want to look up from the page to save my life. However, as I read further into the story, the pace died down quite fast and I found I was losing my interest. There were some parts in the story that seemed drawn out and not related to the main picture. I thought that it was silly that Cheyenne was constantly stressing about how she might die if she didn’t get her medication, but really it was like she had the flu.

Girl, Stolen went back and for the between Cheyenne and Griffin’s perspectives. I love books when they do that. I feel it gives you better insight to your main characters and really brings the book to life.

I enjoyed reading about how Cheyenne adapted to the new fact that her eye sight was gone and may never come back. I marveled over how she would fold her bills in certain ways so she would know how much money she had and how she struggled with her walking stick and eventually had to snap at people for asking to pet her seeing-eye-dog. “He’s working!” she would say, not wanting to sound uptight, but people just didn’t get it through their thick heads. Cheyenne has learned not to be picky about her food and eats whatever ends up on her fork. This fact shocked me because there are so many things that I am picky about. If I became blind like Cheyenne I don’t think I would ever have found myself eating whatever ended up on plate. Another thing that struck me was the she wouldn’t be able to read on her own…ever. Reading is something I do quite often and when I listen to something being read to me I find it’s just not the same as reading it myself.

Griffin’s age is not mentioned in the story, but I’m assuming he’s between the ages of fifteen and seventeen. He’s the one who accidentally kidnaps Cheyenne. He plays the “nice bad guy” in the story which I wasn’t so sure if I liked. Griffin was trying to befriend Cheyenne, which I thought was kind of nice but then when I got the feeling that the author became to insinuate that Griffin was developing a crush on Cheyenne I was like “what the hell?” “No,” and “that’s weird.”

Over all, I did enjoy the book, but it’s not something I loved. The story line was awesome, the information I learned was cool but the book just didn’t seem like it was pulled together right. It seemed odd and not as realistic as it should have been. It just didn’t meet its potential.

Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin



Pages: 288
Genre: Romantic Fantasy
Rating: 5/5 (Awesome)

Summary
If Naomi had picked tails, she would have won the coin toss. She wouldn't have had to go back for the yearbook camera, and she wouldn't have hit her head on the steps. She wouldn't have woken up in an ambulance with amnesia. She certainly would have remembered her boyfriend, Ace. She might even have remembered why she fell in love with him in the first place. She would understand why her best friend, Will, keeps calling her "Chief." She'd know about her mom's new family. She'd know about her dad's fiancée. She never would have met James, the boy with the questionable past and the even fuzzier future, who tells her he once wanted to kiss her. She wouldn't have wanted to kiss him back.

But Naomi picked heads.

After her remarkable debut, Gabrielle Zevin has crafted an imaginative second novel all about love and second chances.


My Thoughts

This story blew me away. I couldn’t imagine being Naomi, losing my memory of the past four years, forgetting who I am, who I was. The way she dealt with her memory loss amazed me. I wondered; how is she not frustrated or angry? How does she sit there so calmly wondering about what her life used to be like? Instead, it was her best friend William asking those questions too.

Naomi is a seventeen year old girl who is sporty, laidback and extremely popular. Our first impression of her isn’t much though, considering the fact that she has no memory of herself. However, she is trying to figure out who she was, but she’s more interested in the person she wants to be. She learns things about herself that repulse and surprise her. And she begins to wonder if losing her memory was for the better, or at least I did. Something that repulsed her was when she realized she was mean, very mean actually, and she begins to change that right away. Her meanness seems to be fueled by her anger towards her parent’s divorce. While something that surprises her is that she is insecure with her body just like any typical teenage girl but the part she was shocked about was that she kept a food diary.

Will is one of my favorite characters in the book. He’s the jealous, protective and patient best friend. He knows you like the back of his hand, and he’d take a bullet for someone he especially cares about. He’s funny and playful and always creating mix CD’s for Naomi. He’s even hardworking and dedicated but he has his flaws too. He sometimes is annoying and on the rare occasion gets up Naomi’s face, and has a slight problem controlling strong emotions such as anger and jealousy.

James is the dark, brooding mysterious love interest in the story. He’s the guy who finds Naomi and rides in the ambulance with her to the hospital. He sounds like a cool guy with his leather jacket and all. Naomi wishes he had told the paramedics he was her boyfriend rather than her brother. When we finally reach into the depths of James’s secrets we realize he’s severely depressed and in need of great help. And he knows it, but he doesn’t let anyone get too close.

Ace is athletic and “hot” according to all the girls, even Naomi. But he doesn’t seem to do it for me. He seems quite full of it but genuinely he is a really sweet guy. The shocker is the Naomi is told that this is her boyfriend and she wonders how she’s supposed to handle this one after laying eyes on James and drooling and all.

I fell completely and utterly in love with this story. I want to read it all over again right now. He characters are so real, so funny, so interesting. The book covers such serious matters with hints of humor throughout the story, Memoirs of a teenage amnesiac is something you hope you’ll never forget.

Ripple by Mandy Hubbard

Pages: 260
Genre: Romantic Fantasy
Rating: 5/5



Summary
After Steven died, Lexi realized she was cursed with a dark secret. Each day she goes to school like a normal teenager, and each night she must swim in her quiet lake as the siren she is. Lexi didn’t have any intention to kill Steven or anyone else; therefore she shut herself out from the world, vowing to protect her friends and family.

But suddenly, she’s caught between Cole, the new boy at school who may have the power to melt her icy exterior, and a handsome water spirit who says he can break Lexi's curse if she gives up everything else. Lexi is faced with the hardest decision she's ever had to make: the life she's always longed for - or the love she can't live without?


My Personal Thoughts

There’s something different about Ripple than anything else I’ve ever read, something about the way it’s written, the characters, the curse… It was a real current ride where I just didn’t know where I was going to end up next.

Mandy Hubbard lays it on thick that the protagonist, Lexi, is suffering deeply, drowning in sorrow, and treading water just to keep her friends safe and sound. Lexi isn’t exactly The Little Mermaid like most would expect, she’s a siren, a killer, forced to swim at night rather than sleep. I found myself rooting for Lexi to swim through those murky waters and find freedom. I wanted her to go back to her old life, her friends, to enjoy it. Yet, I love the dark brooding secret she harbors. It’s intriguing and I loved every word of it!


Anticipating, dark, and lovable, Ripple is short and to the point rather than annoyingly drawn out. It’s a book that girls would mainly enjoy, anyone in high school, and it’s not a challenging read, but it does make you think and wonder.

Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls, #1) by Maggie Stiefvater

Pages: 400
Rating: 5/5 (AMAZING)


Summary (from Amazon.com)


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.



"I said uselessly, "Sam, don't go."



Sam cupped my face in his hands and looked me in the eyes. His eyes were yellow, sad, wolf, mine.

"These stay the same. Remember that when you look at me. Remember it's me. Please."

My Personal Thoughts

I enjoyed this book from page one all the way to the end. Shiver weaved through winter and chilled my bones, and made me want to curl up with a cup of hot chocolate. The brooding, yet playful atmosphere left me breathless. I was able to lose myself in Stiefvater’s supernatural fantasy and that wasn’t even the best part!

I loved Shiver because of the characters Grace and Sam and their unbreakable bond. The book switches between the perspectives of Grace and Sam allowing you to grow even closer to the main characters.

Grace is emotionally strong. She knows how to hold it together even when everything around her seems like it’s falling apart and this is where you can relate to the story. When everything is going rotten, and you just have to work through it.

Sam is well just the way Grace describes him in the book “you are both beautiful and sad.” He’s this beautiful wolf and boy too, yet tortured and kept captive as a wolf. His heart is full of something far more valuable than gold…love.

This is a book containing werewolves; however it does mostly focus on the romance of Grace and Sam and is not somewhere to be searching for action and adventure. The chapters are mainly short making it easy to read it a little at a time (but once you get into it you won’t be able to put it down). The writing style is beautiful with a strong and full vocabulary and the shift between points of view is easy to separate making this a novel not only easy to read, but also to love.

Book Trailer:

Sea Change by Aimee Friedman

Pages: 292
Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Fantasy
Rating: 5

Summary

Sixteen-year-old Miranda Merchant is great at science. . .and not so great with boys. After major drama with her boyfriend and (now ex) best friend, she's happy to spend the summer on small, mysterious Selkie Island, helping her mother sort out her late grandmother's estate.

There, Miranda finds new friends and an island with a mysterious, mystical history, presenting her with facts her logical, scientific mind can't make sense of. She also meets Leo, who challenges everything she thought she knew about boys, friendship. . .and reality.

Is Leo hiding something? Or is he something that she never could have imagined?
Why Read It?

"An evocative setting, an air of mystery and some intriguing love interests for Miranda, a 16-year-old budding scientist, will make Friedman's novel irresistible to romance fans...Movingly and convincingly drawn." - Publishers Weekly

"Miranda is likable and interesting, and she possesses a self-awareness and confidence that is coupled with an insecurity that makes her real and easy for readers to connect with themselves. . .A good choice to pass to readers who devour supernatural romances but are ready to move on from vampires and fairies.." - VOYA

My Thoughts

It’s incredibly hard to find a good mermaid novel. I am glad that I stumbled upon this one. It is a fairly easy read… I read it in about two days (the day I bought it and then the morning after) as I practically wouldn’t leave it alone. The writing style is simple yet impressive! However, the characters aren’t exactly that developed and the plot was still unraveling by the end of the book. I guess this means that there is going to be a sequel??? I sure hope so I want to know what happens next! According to this website and interview there will be a sequel: Sea Change Interview

I’ve recommended Sea Change to a few of my friends and they’ve all loved it! This is a loving story for all ages; however it does involve a few of the underage characters in a scene drinking alcohol, which actually isn’t the most suitable thing for maybe a ten-year-old to really be reading about.

I don’t really know what to say except… GO READ IT! Especially if you love The Little Mermaid! (If you liked this… try Teenage Mermaid by Ellen Screibher)

Reccomend Me Books To Read For 2011

Hey everyone,

It's time to pile up on a list of books to read for 2011...

If you have anything you'd like to see me blog about or want to share with me post a comment below and I'll consider it and maybe add it to my 2011 Books To Read List.

Thanks,


Your Bookworm. :)

NEW Rating Policy

Hi everyone,

So I've decided to change up how I rated things. I felt that my old scale was bit to complicated and rather exact. I thought that this new one I have created would widen perspective a little.

It is based on how I felt when I read the good, the depth of the characters, plot, organization. Things like that. I also rate things according to how I enjoyed them, so wether or not I would reccomend it or read it again.

So here's the new scale which will also be posted in the side bar...

-1- Poor (didn't enjoy it)
-2- Fair (wouldn't reccomend it)
-3- Okay (wouldn't read it again)
-4- Good (might read again)
-5- Awesome (would love to read again)

Maximum Ride: Saving The World And Other Extreme Sports by James Patterson

Maximum Ride Series: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports (Book 3)
by James Patterson
Pages: 405
Genre: Action, Thriller, Mystery, Science Fiction, Adventure, Romance, Comedy/Humour
Rating: 5/5

“‘We will destroy you,’ the Flyboys droned. ‘You have no escape.’ That was the most imaginative, threatening thing the whitecoats had programmed these “droids” to say” –Maximum Ride

Summary
The time has arrived for Max and her winged "Flock" to face their ultimate enemy and discover their original purpose: to defeat the takeover of "Re-evolution", a sinister experiment to re-engineer a select population into a scientifically superior master race...and to terminate the rest. Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman, and Angel have always worked together to defeat the forces working against them--but can they save the world when they are torn apart, living in hiding and captivity, halfway across the globe from one another?

Why Read It?
I think if you've read the other two books, you'll know you have to read this one. And the ones after this. They're so fast-paced and pulse-pounding, with all the actionb, thrill, adventure and suspense with a twist of romance I don't think anyone is going to be able to put this series down.

My Thoughts
As I’ve mentioned before the character development is not that great. However, James Patterson doesn’t have much time to squish in much of that with all the action going on and with their lives on the line all the time. However, I can pick out a few traits of each character for the most part, to me I think they’re well-developed enough, although I would appreciate sometime in the book just to get to know the characters.
Anyway, put that aside and this third instalment of the Maximum Ride series has still got me on the edge of my seat. There is so much going on! I do have to admit it’s rather overwhelming; in a good way though. If it weren’t overwhelming where would all that suspense and thrill be? (laughs).
I don’t exactly have too much else to say... But Saving the world and Extreme Sports has taken the books to a whole new level! And I wonder what the fourth will be like! I hope the author will throw in a little more romance; as long as he doesn’t get mushy.

Twilight: The Graphic Novel (Volume 1) adpated by Young Kim and written by Stephenie Meyer

Pages: 224
Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy, Romance
Rating: 4

Summary

(Note: I copied the summary from goodreads.com)

When Isabella Swan moves to the gloomy town of Forks and meets the mysterious, alluring Edward Cullen, her life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. With his porcelain skin, golden eyes, mesmerizing voice, and supernatural gifts, Edward is both irresistible and impenetrable. Up until now, he has managed to keep his true identity hidden, but Bella is determined to uncover his dark secret...

Why Read It?

Why not read it? I mean its Twilight all over again in a new and fresh way. You may or may not like it, but why not give it a try? If you’re a graphic novel reader or not this illustrated copy of Twilight (vol. 1) will most likely blow you away all over again. I believe this is a must-have for any Twilight fan.

My Thoughts

Even though I’m a big fan of Twilight, I really had no intention to read this graphic novel. It wasn’t because I was worried about how Young Kim would present it, it’s just that I don’t really care for graphic novels.
However, one day my friend and I were sitting in the book store and just looking at books and she insisted that I read it. It didn’t take me long, of course, but I did take some time to admire the pictures. I found it quite a addictive and I finished it right there in the store because we A) had the time and B) I had no intention of buying it. However, I am considering it.
The graphic novel was no a strict interpretation of the books or movies, which was actually a nice change. Maybe some people would have preferred the pictures to resemble the actors a little more, maybe not. I was quite content with it the way it was.
I cannot and will not try to pick out flaws in this graphic novel for the main reason that I do not read graphic novels and this is the first one that I have read.
I enjoyed this enough to read it again, maybe if I simply want to refresh my mind on the first book. All in all, though, even though I wish all the drawing had colour, it was great.



P.S. This is only volume one, so it was not the entire book and I am looking forward to volume 2.

Maximum Ride: School`s Out - Forever (Book 2) by James Patterson

ATTETNION: If you have not read the first book in the series scroll down to the bottom of this post and look in the LABELS for the link The Angel Experiment.

Genre: Action, Thriller, Adventure, Mystery, Science Fiction
Rating: 5
Pages: 368

Summary

(Note: I thought the summary for this book was better off copied from the book. So here it is...)

Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman, Angel and Maximum Ride: six incredible kids genetically engineered with the ability to fly, free as birds...until Max and her gang are discovered by an FBI agent and forced to face their worst nightmare. Yes, you guessed it-school. That is the abominable place where they learn everything except how to survive as winged mutants relentlessly hunted by killers...

Flock Report Card:
Computer Skills: A. Can hack into any computer at lightning speed-bonus in a quest to locate missing parents.
Scientific Research: B-. Score points for discovering source of a diabolical plot, but often fail to identify clones and imposters.
Extreme Sports: A+. Earn extra credit by trading Dumpster diving for supersonic travel, aerial ballet, and flying with dogs.
Dating: C. Relationships with non-winged peers improve. Need work on picking suitable mates.
Discipline: D. Setting off explosives, stealing hidden documents, and harassing faculty are no-nos – even if the headmaster is evil.
Saving The World: This is a pass/fail course...

Why Read it?

I hope your ready for another thrill ride because here it comes. James Patterson has continued the Maximum Ride Series and it’s about to get even more pulse-pounding, with twists and turns that are going to come out of nowhere. If you loved the first Maximum Ride book, you’ll go bird crazy for this! Keep your feathers on will you! Sheash...





My Thoughts

I don’t know where to begin, because I read this so fast my head is still spinning. Let me think. Right, Maximum Ride and her gang or should I say flock are back in a second book.
I wish that I could have dedicated an entire day to reading this book, however it’s really hard to do when I have school, and every chance I get I’m reading it. Eventually, I was able to take Friday night and just read the entire book.
Yes, I guess you could say that I am loving the series!
Apparently, the characters are not well developed according to a few reviews I’ve read. I think personally, that it’s difficult to stop, take the time to develop six characters in these lightening-speed-paced books. However, I believe that the characters are actually well developed. What do you think?
I love Max’s ability to be strong, independent and sarcastic. The fact that... A) she hates girly stuff, B) refuses to show emotion, C) is a terrible cook, D) acts like she’s a mom, and E) knows a lot of swear words and sometimes uses them but tries not to shows that she has a matured far beyond anyone. It also shows that she is a reliable leader who loves her flock to pieces. However, she is burdened with a bunch of kids, people trying to kill her and her family (the flock) twenty-four/seven and lack of food and shelter which produces the flaw of swearing. I think she should be allowed to swear as much as she wants, to be honest. And the nice thing about it is, she does her best to keep those words locked up around the flock.
I’m not going to describe the rest of the flock. But I’d say the characters are pretty well developed. They are all well developed but Angels, the Gasman’s, Nudge’s and Iggy’s parts aren’t as big as hers. In fact, their parts in the book are not equal. Fang, on the other hand, probably has the second biggest part. However, he’s a little more hard to figure out because he’s so quiet and mysterious, his two biggest traits.
What do you think? And I hope you enjoy reading the second book! It’s so worth buying!

Thunder From The Sea by Joan Hiatt Harlow

(ATTENTION: I’d just like to say that this is NOT a sad story!)

Genre: Realistic Fiction, Adventure
Rating: 3
Pages: 238

Summary

(Note: I copied the summary form the back of the book.)

It’s 1929 and thirteen-year-old Tom Campbell has always wanted a real family with a real house and a dog of his very own. Since he was three years old, the only home he has ever known has been the Mission orphanage.
When he is sent to live and work with fisherman Enoch and his wife, Tom finally sees his dream within reach. And when he rescues a Newfoundland dog in the middle of a terrifying squall, Tom feels as if both he and the dog, which he names Thunder, have found a place to call home at last.
But when Enoch’s wife becomes pregnant and it looks like Thunder’s owner might be found, Tom’s wonderful new world is turned upside down. Will the Murrays still want Tom? And will Tom be forced to give up his beloved Thunder?


Why Read It?

If you love dog stories, coming of age, stories and happy endings, you’ll fall in love with the characters of this children’s novel. It’s really meant for all ages!

My Thoughts

First, I have to say that this story made me want to run to my dog, Oscar, and squeeze him to death. I’m sure if you have a dog, you’ll want to do the same thing and if you don’t have a dog then you’re gonna want one.
What I loved about Thunder from the Sea was its not suspenseful, but it kept me guessing. Its easy level of reading made it so I could read it in a day, which I always love being able to read something all at once. Another thing I lvoed about it was, it had a happy ending!
I didn’t feel there was anything wrong with this novel, so just because I rated a three, which means I wouldn’t read it again, doesn’t mean it’s not worth reading at all. It really was a great heart-warming story! I recommend this for boys and girls of all ages.