Review: Scarlett Fever by Maureen Johnson

Hi!

I ordered this book from my library the moment I finished Suite Scarlett and it finally came in yesterday….

Title: Scarlett Fever

Author: Maureen Johnson

Summary (B&N.com): Ever since Mrs. Amberson, the former-aspiring-actress-turned-agent, entered Scarlett Martin's life, nothing has been the same.

She's still in charge of the Empire Suite in her family's hotel, but she's now also Mrs. Amberson's assistant, running around town for her star client, Chelsea - a Broadway star Scarlett's age with a knack for making her feel insignificant.

Scarlett's also trying to juggle sophomore year classes, her lab partner who is being just a little TOO nice, and getting over the boy who broke her heart.

In the midst of all this, her parents drop a bombshell that threatens to change her New York life forever...

My Review: Scarlett’s older brother Spencer now has to share my heart with a new laugh out loud character in Scarlett Fever…. Murray the dog. He’s a small dog with a BIG personality, albeit it a very anxiety ridden one. Unfortunately, in this sequell to the great Suite Scarlett, I got more laughs out of Murray than of Spencer, but I didn’t mind much since Spencer had a lot on his plate. Spencer and Mrs. Amberson are still as funny and eccentric as in the first novel! There was a lot of interesting developments in this plot, so much so that as a reader I felt I didn’t see enough of the new characters that were introduced (the exception being of Murray the dog). There was also a very annoying cliff hanger ending that if I didn’t know there was going to be another book, I would have immediately marched to NYC and demanded Maureen Johnson to tell me what was going to happen!

Read my Review for Suite Scarlett here!

Review: Swoon by Nina Malkin

Hi!

The cover drew me in…

Title: Swoon

Author: Nina Malkin

Summary (B&N.com): SIN IS COMING...PREPARE TO SWOON

Torn from her native New York City and dumped in the land of cookie-cutter preps, Candice is resigned to accept her posh, dull fate. Nothing even happens in Swoon, Connecticut...until Dice's perfect, privileged cousin Penelope nearly dies in a fall from an old tree and her spirit intertwines with that of a ghost. His name? Sinclair Youngblood Powers. His mission? Revenge and while Pen is obvious to the possession, Dice is all too aware of Sin. She's intensely drawn to him—but not at all crazy abolut the havoc he's wreaking.

Determined to exorcise the demon, Dice accidentally sets Sin loose, gives him flesh, makes him formidable. Now she must destroy an even more potent—and irresistible—adversary before the whole town succumbs to Sin's will. Only trouble is, she's in love with him.

What do you do when the boy of your dreams is too bad to be true?

My Review: The voice of this book is very unique; Dice definitely has an attitude, what kind I’m not sure (its hard to describe). Swoon is a very dark novel, full of sex, drugs, and violence. And I gotta say it wasn't my type of book. I thought that the book was too long. There is so much in there that didn’t need to be. The story was kind of interesting, but after a hundred pages or so my mind drifted and I had a very hard time going back to it, maybe if it had been split in two? I didn’t really like the setting or the characters and after Part I, the plot was not adding up. All in all, it's not my favorite but maybe it will be yours!

Review: Sea Change by Aimee Friedman

Hi!

When this book first came out I saw a lot of stuff about it on blogger and decided to check it out.

Title: Sea Change

Author: Aimee Friedman

Summary (B&N.com): 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?

My Review: The Little Mermaid has been my favorite Disney movie for as long as I can remember, when I was younger everything I did somehow related to mermaids…my favorite color is green, because that was the color of Ariel the mermaid’s tail (ironically, my very best friend’s name is Ariel, however she hates mermaids with a fiery passion and it's probably because of that movie). Upon reading Sea Change I realized that beside The Little Mermaid and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, I had never read a book about merpeople, despite my love for them and I have not idea why. So this book was a really big treat for me!

You may not know this, but I majored in Biochemistry in High School and because of that fact I hate Science, I am a full on Fantasy girl one hundred percent (I’m going to be an English Major in college this fall). So for the main character, Miranda to be a science girl shook me a bit. If I was going to a place with so much Lore I’d lose my mind with excitement! I would not try to explain everything away like Miranda did, but I would lap it up with a spoon. Miranda’s disdain for Literature also bugs me. There’s a quote from Shakespeare’s The Tempest and upon learning that the main character of Sea Change’s name is Miranda I immediately saw the connection between the two (Miranda is, by the way a character in the Tempest). I thought that I couldn’t possibly like a character who was essentially the complete opposite of everything I am…I was wrong. I really liked this book, I couldn’t put it down. The characters and the plot were so original! It was interesting seeing the American South from a “Yankee’s” point of view…me being a Yankee myself thought all of it was pretty cool and completely weird. I’m glad I checked this book out... the wait was worth it! I think everyone, merpeople lovers or not should read this book!

Review: Devilish by Maureen Johnson

Hi!

So I started reading this book right after I posted my last review and finished it about two hours ago….

Title: Devilish

Author: Maureen Johnson

Summary (B&N.com):

The only thing that makes St. Teresa's Preparatory School for Girls bearable for Jane is her best friend Ally. But when Ally changes into a whole different person literally overnight the fall of their senior year, Jane's suddenly alone--and very confused.

Turns out, Ally has sold her soul in exchange for popularity--to a devil masquerading as a sophomore at St. Teresa's! Now it's up to Jane to put it all on the line to save her friend from this ponytail-wearing, cupcakenibbling demon . . . without losing her own soul in the process.

This YA take on Faust in a Catholic girls' high school is clever, fun, and full of tasty surprises.

My Review: This is the fourth Maureen Johnson book I’ve read and sadly this is not my favorite, but it's not bad! It's just not exactly her best work. I still think everyone should read it though especially if you’re a Maureen Johnson fan (which I am, and the reason I read it). I expected this book to be a lot darker than it was being a re-telling of the Faust Bargain, but it was just a light fun book. It's great for if you’re just looking for a quick one day read. It was a little weird at times though…I had my own personal “WTH?” moment during chapter 26 when the plot took a twist. But in full MJ style I was laughing hysterically during the next chapter! What bothered me what the cliffhanger ending…yeah now I want another book….authors have got to stop doing that to me. :D

Review: Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson

Hi!

Two words to describe this book: New. Favorite. :D

Title: Suite Scarlett

Author: Maureen Johnson

Summary (B&N.com): Scarlett Martin has grown up in a most unusual way. Her family owns the Hopewell, a small hotel in the heart of New York City. Her nineteen-year-old brother, Spencer, is an out of work actor facing a family deadline to get his career in order. Eighteen-year-old Lola has the delicate looks of a model, the practical nature of a nurse, and a wealthy society boyfriend. Eleven-year-old Marlene is the family terror with a tragic past.

When the Martins turn fifteen, they are each expected to take over the care of a suite in the once elegant, now shabby Art Deco hotel. For Scarlett’s fifteenth birthday, she gets both a room called the Empire Suite, and a permanent guest named Mrs. Amberson. Scarlett doesn’t quite know what to make of this C-list starlet, world traveler, and aspiring autobiographer who wants to take over her life. And when she meets Eric, an astonishingly gorgeous actor who has just moved to the city, her summer takes a second unexpected turn.

With Mrs. Amberson calling the shots, Spencer’s career to save, Lola’s love life to navigate around, and Marlene’s prying eyes everywhere, things won’t be easy. Before the summer is over, Scarlett will have to survive a whirlwind of thievery, Broadway glamour, romantic missteps, and theatrical deception.

The show, as they say, must always go on . . . .

My Review: I’m going to start this review by posting some of the tweets I wrote when I started reading this.

Tweet 1: I'm like 4 pages into @maureenjohnson's Suite Scarlett..."Got shoe and socko, get me a taco..."*sigh* that’s gonna be in my head all night :)

Tweet 2: Omg! I'm on Page 5 now of @maureenjohnson's Suite Scarlett. I am already in love with Spencer. I want him. MJ, mail him to me please? :)

Tweet 3: Okay! Just had a serious giggle-snort fest over more Spencer that I'm surprised didn't wake the dead. @maureenjohnson you are too funny for 2am.

That was just a sampling of what my mother had to go through…when I love a book I tend to go to her and tell her everything I like about it…every four seconds. I generally annoy her (in an endearing way of course) but when I like a book I’m surprised she doesn’t ship me off to anywhere that’s not near her :D

Anyway! My only complaint about this book is that it ended and my local library system only has one copy of the sequel and someone already has it checked out, so now I have to wait! Easily, my favorite character is Spencer Martin, the main character Scarlett’s big brother. He has so many good Quotable lines (see tweet 1), he’s an actor and very dramatic and just funny! *LOVE*

My other favorite character was Mrs. Amerson, the guest who moves into the suite Scarlett’s in charge of. I haven’t seen a character this eccentric in a while…well, no…I have never seen anyone like this! And I love it! She’s completely original and fresh (that goes for the whole book too by the way!). I would absolutely love to have her in my life (Spencer too ;] ) If only there were more people like that in the world!

Here’s a sample of Mrs. Amberson’s crazy spirit from the back cover of the book:

“Scarlett,

Are you still asleep? I can hear you in there, snoring away. I need the following:

White plum tea (whole leaf, loose, organic)

Yerba maté lotion

Dance tights

Laptop computer (I’ll leave it to you to pick one out)

A book on how to write a book

A spicy tuna roll (brown rice)

A list of all plays currently on Broadway

Matches

$4000 should be enough. I’ve shoved the money under your door (see it?). I need these things by noon. I’m meditating now. I want my change, but feel free to take cabs if the purchases are too heavy.

Get the sushi last, obviously. And wake up! We have work to do!

- Mrs. A”

See how amazing she is? Between her and Spencer I just know I will read this book a million times! The next time I go to the book store I am buying a copy and I suggest every single one of you do the same! Maureen Johnson has once again stolen my heart with one of her books! She’s a genius, plain and simple!

Review: Gimmie a Call by Sarah Mlynowski

Hi!

I really liked Sarah Mlynowski’s other books so when I saw this at the library I decided to give it a try.

Title: Gimme a Call

Author: Sarah Mlynowski

Summary (B&N.com): A new life is just a phone call away!

Devi's life isn't turning out at all like she wanted. She wasted the past three years going out with Bryan—cute, adorable, break-your-heart Bryan. Devi let her friendships fade, blew off studying, didn't join any clubs . . . and now that Bryan has broken up with her, she has nothing left.

Not even her stupid cell phone—she dropped it in the mall fountain. Now it only calls one number . . . hers. At age fourteen, three years ago!

Once Devi gets over the shock—and convinces her younger self that she isn't some wacko—she realizes that she's been given an awesome gift. She can tell herself all the right things to do . . . because she's already done all the wrong ones! Who better to take advice from than your future self?

Except . . .what if getting what you think you want changes everything?

Fans of Sarah Mlynowski's Magic in Manhattan series will love this hilarious new novel with a high-concept premise .

My Review: How completely cool is the plot of this book? (yes, I am making you scroll up and read the summary, if you didn’t). Devi age 17 calls her 14 year old self and tells her to fix her (their?) life! I would LOVE to do that! Sarah Mlynowski has another hit on her hands for sure! It really is a great book. Gimme a Call is one of those books where you laugh a lot, get a little teary-eyed and a smile comes when it all ends well. The main character(s?), Devi age 14 aka Frosh and Devi age 17 aka Ivy (they gave each other nicknames so they don’t confuse themselves, which I find hysterical for some reason) are so funny and crazy and I can see myself in their situation. I’m almost 53.9% sure that If I could I would warn younger me to seriously just learn how to walk without tripping, but then again being clumsy is well me. So you see what Devi had to decide? What would you guys do? Would you tell yourself to NOT do something or would you avoid talking to your younger self? Hard choice right?

Review: White Cat by Holly Black

Hi!

Finished this yesterday, well no at about one o’clock this morning…I wrote down some thoughts about it then promptly fell asleep J (yeah I just looked at the clock its after midnight so yes! Yesterday!)

Title: White Cat

Author: Holly Black

Summary (B&N.com): Cassel comes from a family of curse workers—people who have the power to change your emotions, your memories, your luck, by the slightest touch of their hands. And since curse work is illegal, they’re all criminals. Many become mobsters and con artists. But not Cassel. He hasn’t got magic, so he’s an outsider, the straight kid in a crooked family. You just have to ignore one small detail—he killed his best friend, Lila, three years ago.

Cassel has carefully built up a façade of normalcy, blending into the crowd. But his façade starts to crumble when he finds himself sleepwalking, propelled into the night by terrifying dreams about a white cat that wants to tell him something. He’s noticing other disturbing things too, including the strange behavior of his two brothers. They are keeping secrets from him. As Cassel begins to suspect he’s part of a huge con game, he must unravel his past and his memories. To find out the truth, Cassel will have to outcon the conmen.

My Review: The very first thing I noticed about White Cat is that it was weird. I’ve never read anything like it. Holly Black has created this world that’s just so different from ours (even though its set in the USA) and so intense, its quite fascinating actually. The second thing I noticed was that it was surprisingly funny! Who knew that organized crime could be so comical? I really wasn’t even sure I liked this book at first but by the end I was dreading final chapters and having to wait for the sequel. There are two major twists in this book, both were very well written. Both twists took the book to higher levels of awesome (man, I hope that sounds right. There’s really no other way to describe it.)!

I would recommend this to anyone who needs a good new read that contains lots of excitement! This is actually a good book for teen boys who always say they can’t ever find a good “guy read”!

***The guy on this cover! *melts* Oh! If only they didn't but the title over his eyes!

Review: Evernight by Claudia Gray

Hi!

Just finished this book about five minutes ago and I wanted to review it while its still fresh in my mind!

Title: Evernight

Author: Claudia Gray

Summary (B&N.com): Bianca wants to escape.

She's been uprooted from her small hometown and enrolled at Evernight Academy, an eerie Gothic boarding school where the students are somehow too perfect: smart, sleek, and almost predatory. Bianca knows she doesn't fit in.

Then she meets Lucas. He's not the "Evernight type" either, and he likes it that way. Lucas ignores the rules, stands up to the snobs, and warns Bianca to be careful—even when it comes to caring about him.

"I couldn't stand it if they took it out on you," he tells Bianca, "and eventually they would."

But the connection between Bianca and Lucas can't be denied. Bianca will risk anything to be with Lucas, but dark secrets are fated to tear them apart . . . and to make Bianca question everything she's ever believed.

My Review: I feel like I was backstabbed by this book! There are twists, then there are turns, then there are twists AND turns within a book. Then there’s EVERNIGHT and that’s not a good thing. How hard is it to keep a book on one maybe two tracks?! There are so many twists and turns and flips and stuff that if it was a roller coaster, a month’s worth of food would have been thrown up! That’s how long it took me to finish this book. At 327 pages I only started to really like it at page 319 and that’s the only reason I am not completely going to dismiss this book. Now that all the huge twists and turns have been revealed, I’m convinced that the next book in the Evernight series will be better. I liked the characters, but the plot of Evernight needed a lot of work. I like to know what sort of fantasy book I’m reading, whether it's witches, fairies or in this case Vampires. I have never been a complete fan of them. I read them sure, but I would rather know I’m about to and have the option to turn it down. There are a lot of vampire books that I just don’t feel the need to read. And if I had known that this was one of those vampire books, I probably would have put it right back. I do admire Gray’s ability to hide the vampires for a large chunk of the book though…I definitely hadn’t seen it coming. One of the very good parts of this book was one of the supporting characters, Vic. He had a free lancing surfer dude attitude that was just so out of place at the dark, gloomy Evernight boarding school that it made the whole entire book work despite the crazy plot. Over all, I will check out the next book in the series but I wouldn’t recommend it if you want a steady read.

Review: Ghost Huntress: The Awakening by Marley Gibson

Hi!

Since I’m such a big fan of SiFi’s hit show Ghost Hunters I figured I’d give this book a try.

Title: Ghost Huntress: The Awakening

Author: Marley Gibson

Summary (B&N.com): In this new series, Ghost Huntress, meet Kendall Moorehead, a seemingly typical teen. When her family moves from Chicago to the small historical town of Radisson, Georgia, her psychic abilities awaken. She’s hearing, feeling, and seeing things that seem unbelievable at first, but with the help of the town psychic, Kendall is able to come to terms with her newly emerging gift. So, together with her new BFF, Celia, Kendall forms a ghost hunting team. They’ve got all the latest technology. They’ve got Kendall for their psychic. Now they’re going to clean up Radisson of its less savory spirits.

My Review: I really liked this book and that’s probably because the author Marley Gibson is a ghost huntress herself! I’ve watched the TV show Ghost Hunters for years (the show is actually mentioned in the book and the stars are in the acknowledgements). Kendall and her friends use techniques exactly like those used in the show and that excited me. I’ve always loved ghost stories, scary ghosts or not, if there’s a ghost I’ll read it. There’s a great chance that if you are a skeptic you will find this book ridiculous and throw it across the room, accidentally scaring your cat or something. I am the complete opposite of a skeptic. I have believed in ghosts forever, as does most of my mom’s side of the family (dad’s side? Forget it. They would scare the cats!). If I wasn’t such a coward I would ghost hunt, but alas I don’t. It would be cool though. And that’s why I like this book! You have a front row seat to see professional Ghost Huntresses in action and you don’t even have to leave your house and as an extra added bonus…no nasty cold spots to give you the chills! Oh and if you do get scared you can just put the book down! Kendall and her friends, on the other hand, have to face the things that scare other meek teens such as myself! Overall, this is a very good read and I look forward to reading the rest of the series!

Review: Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Hi!

I saw this on one of those “Waiting for these” posts, and when I saw it at my library I snatched it up.

Title: Hex Hall

Author: Rachel Hawkins

Summary (B&N.com): Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It’s gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie’s estranged father—an elusive European warlock—only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it’s her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters.

By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect.

As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her.

My Review: I’ve always been a fan of anything that deals with witches (it’s the Potterhead in me). It has equal parts witches and other fantasy beings, but it was kind of hard to become fully emerged into the Hex Hall world. However, that doesn’t mean I didn’t like it, I am looking forward to the next in the series. I like the world that Rachel Hawkins has created with in Hex Hall. I think the idea of groups hunting Prodigium and how they are fighting it is very interesting. I also find the main character, Sophia Mercer’s family background quite fascinating. I would recommend it for a quick, easy read.

***The Cover of this book is particularly amazing. Its just so pretty and original!

Review: Girl at Sea by Maureen Johnson

Hi!

Maureen Johnson is amazing…that is all. You may go on with reading this review. :)

Title: Girl at Sea

Author: Maureen Johnson

Summary (B&N.com):

The Girl: Clio, seventeen, wants to spend the summer smooching her art-store crush, not stuck on a boat in the Mediterranean. At least she'll get a killer tan.

The Mission: Survive her father's annoying antics. Oh, also find some underwater treasure that could be the missing link to a long-lost civilization.

The Crew: Dad's absentminded best friend Martin, his scary girlfriend Julia, her voluptuous daughter Elsa . . . and then there's Aidan, Julia's incredibly attractive, incredibly arrogant research assistant.

What's going on behind Aidan's intellectual, intensely green eyes, anyway?

As Clio sails into uncharted territory she unveils secrets that have the power to change history. But her most surprising discovery is that there's something deeper and more mysterious than the sea—her own heart.

My Review: This is the second Maureen Johnson book I’ve read even though I follow her on twitter and practically feel as if I know her (I wish! She so funny). I liked this book just as much as 13 Little Blue Envelopes. I’m pretty sure that I’m going to buy this book so I can read it again. I really liked the main character Clio. I love the background story that MJ gave her. Clio is definitely one of the most interesting characters I’ve ever read. She was famous at a young age because she was on the cover of the board game her and her father created, she has a tattoo that a famous artist drew to cover a scar she got while on an adventure and she’s a superb artist herself. This book has a beginning that may seem quite ordinary, but then it takes a surprising and not unpleasant nautical turn that kept this particular reader on the edge of her seat. It was definitely a good, fun summer read.

Read my review of Maureen Johnson's 13 Little Blue Envelopes.

Review: Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow

Hi!

I read this one because of a review I read on Chelsea‘s blog, The Page Flipper!

Title: Strange Angels

Author: Lili St. Crow

Summary (B&N.com): Dru Anderson has what her grandmother called “the touch.” (Comes in handy when you’re traveling from town to town with your dad, hunting ghosts, suckers, wulfen, and the occasional zombie.)

Then her dad turns up dead—but still walking—and Dru knows she’s next. Even worse, she’s got two guys hungry for her affections, and they’re not about to let the fiercely independent Dru go it alone. Will Dru discover just how special she really is before coming face-to-fang with whatever—or whoever— is hunting her?

My Review: I read this book because Chelsea over at The Page Flipper said it was like the TV show Supernatural. And in a way it is. But it's really not. Yes, they have the similar aspect of people fighting the things that go bump in the night and I love that. However, I had a hard time wrenching myself away from the whole Supernatural parts. I found myself having to remind myself “This is NOT Supernatural, so stop comparing it…stop saying they’re doing it wrong!“ or “You use rock salt, jeez!…No, no stop comparing.” I couldn’t do it though. My mind is just to hardwired to that TV show. It's sad that I’m so close minded, but I just can’t help it. I’m going to try to read more of the series, but I’m not sure how far I will get before I will start comparing it again.

Another thing that irked me was that the main character Dru just would not shut up. I know that sounds weird, but as readers we KNOW what happened to her father (as does she so its not like there’s any irony to that) and the author didn’t need to say it on every single page! Oh and the fact that I could not for the life of me figure out why the book was called Strange Angels. I just don’t understand it at all. Other than that it was an ok book.

Review: Heist Society by Ally Carter

Hi!

From the Author of the Gallagher Girls Series, comes another great novel!

Title: Heist Society

Author: Ally Carter

Summary (B&N.com): When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her to the Louvre...to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria...to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own--scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving "the life" for a normal life proves harder than she'd expected.

Soon, Kat's friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring her back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has good reason: a powerful mobster's art collection has been stolen, and he wants it returned. Only a master thief could have pulled this job, and Kat’s father isn’t just on the suspect list, he is the list.

Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat’s dad needs her help.

For Kat there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it’s a spectacularly impossible job? She’s got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in her family’s (very crooked) history--and, with any luck, steal her life back along the way.

My Review: Ally Carter is the only author I’ve read who can successfully write an action novel that girls will really like and feel connected to. I loved every minute of this book. I’ve never read anything like this with thieves. These particular thieves, Katarina, her family, and friends, aren’t typical thieves, they are the very best. I was a little wary though before reading this. Heist Society has a plot line that is the opposite of Carter’s other books the Gallagher Girls series (which deal with spies, who help prevent thieves from achieving their goals). After reading those books I was afraid that I wouldn’t connect with the characters as well because I wouldn't have been on their “side” per say. But I was wrong, I was too caught up in the book to really care what was right or wrong, even though they weren’t wrong at all as you will find out if you read the book. The whole book was so very interesting and I’m so glad that Ally Carter’s writing more books about Katarina and her friends, making the Heist Society into a series.

Wanna read Ally Carter’s other books? Check out my review of books 2 and 3 in the series:

Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy

Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover

Review: Saving Juliet by Suzanne Selfors

Hi!

I read this when I was in my Romeo and Juliet phase a few months ago.

Title: Saving Juliet

Author: Suzanne Selfors

Summary (B&N.com): Mimi Wallingford, Great Granddaughter of Adelaide Wallingford, has the life that most girls dream about, playing Juliet opposite teen heartthrob Troy Summer on Broadway in Shakespeare’s famous play. Unfortunately, she has no desire to be an actress, a fact her mother can’t seem to grasp. But when she and Troy are magically thrust into Shakespeare’s Verona, they experience the feud between the Capulets and Montagues first hand. Mimi realizes that she and Juliet have more in common than Shakespeare’s script—they are both fighting for futures of their own choosing. Mimi feels compelled to help her and with Troy’s unexpected help, hopes to give Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy a happily-ever-after-ending.

My Review: I was a little wary of this book even though I absolutely adored Suzanne Selfors’ other book Coffeehouse Angel. How can someone turn something as timeless as Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet into a story where two actors change the course of the story? How feeble would the story line be? Feeble, Saving Juliet, is NOT. I love this book! Suzanne Selfors did what others before her could not. Her segue from present time to Shakespeare’s Verona was brilliantly done. I never saw it coming either, it was like I hadn’t read the book jacket, I was completely in the moment. Selfors’ Juliet was such an endearing character, full of the spunk that I wouldn’t have imagined any Juliet to have. This book was also surprisingly funny, I was laughing a lot of the time. I can’t imagine anyone not falling in love with this book, whether you’re a Shakespeare fan or not. This book may even have you considering re-evaluating your opinion on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. If you’ve ever wondered what it may have been like if Romeo and Juliet had a happy ending…read this book, you won’t be sorry!

Read my review of Coffeehouse Angel, Suzanne Selfors’ other amazing book. Coffeehouse Angel was reviewed as part of my Bulk Review of “Angel Books”.

Review: Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

Omigoodness! HI!

*fan girl scream*

I had a mini fit when I received my ARC copy of Maggie Stiefvater’s Linger! I’m so honored to have had a chance to read it early. I’m also glad that I follow Maggie Stiefvater on twitter (@mstiefvater) because I wouldn’t have known that the release date for Linger was moved from July 20th to this week Tuesday, July 13th.

I’m quite excited about this particular review because this is the very first time I’ve reviewed a book before the release day. However, I’m not sure I will do this amazing book justice with my review.

Title: Linger

Author: Maggie Stiefvater

Summary (B&N.com): In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past . . . and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack. And Isabelle, who already lost her brother to the wolves . . . and is nonetheless drawn to Cole.

At turns harrowing and euphoric, Linger is a spellbinding love story that explores both sides of love - the light and the dark, the warm and the cold - in a way you will never forget.

My Review: This book was just as good, if not better than Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver. Once again I found myself thinking about the main characters Sam and Grace, and the supporting characters Isabel and the new character Cole, even when I wasn’t reading the book. Sam and Grace are just as lovable as they were in Shiver. Isabel is still the same, funny, sarcastic, and sad. I haven’t decided if I like the new kid Cole yet. He can be endearing and absolutely annoying at the same time, but it's nice to have another perspective to view Sam and Grace and even Isabel. I was very anxious when I was reading, Linger is full of suspense. I spent a majority of the time thinking “Oh. OH. That’s not good! No no no” or “AHA! I knew it!! But wait! Now what!?” I honestly don’t know how I’m going to handle the long wait until the next book in the Wolves of Mercy Falls series. I just can’t wait to find out what happens with Grace and Sam!

Check out my review of the first Wolves of Mercy Falls book, SHIVER.

Review: The Ghost and the Goth by Stacy Kade

Hi!

I had planned on posting this review on the actual release day but due to computer problems, my High School Graduation and my 18th Birthday it was pushed back. But here it is!

Title: The Ghost and the Goth

Author: Stacy Kade

Summary (B&N.com): After a close encounter with the front end of a school bus, Alona Dare goes from Homecoming Queen to Queen of the Dead. Now she’s stuck as a spirit (DON’T call her a ghost) in the land of the living with no sign of the big, bright light to take her away. To make matters worse, the only person who might be able to help her is Will Killian, a total loser outcast who despises the social elite. He alone can see and hear (turns out he’s been “blessed” with the ability to communicate with the dead), but he wants nothing to do with the former mean girl of Groundsboro High.

Alona has never needed anyone for anything, and now she’s supposed to expose her deepest, darkest secrets to this pseudo-goth boy? Right. She’s not telling anyone what really happened the day she died, not even to save her eternal soul. And Will’s not filling out any volunteer forms to help her cross to the other side. He only has a few more weeks until his graduation, when he can strike out on his own and find a place with less spiritual interference. But he has to survive and stay out of the psych ward until then. Can they get over their mutual distrust—and the weird attraction between them—to work together before Alona vanishes for good and Will is locked up for seeing things that don’t exist?

My Review: It took me a while to get into this book, for some reason, but after a few chapters I fell in love! This book is written in the perspectives of the two main characters, Alona Dare and Will Killian. Personally, I enjoyed Will’s version of things so much better than Alona. That’s because I felt I had more in common with Will than with Alona, who annoyed me until about a third of the way through. Alona had a seemingly “perfect” life at the beginning of this novel, but the farther you read you realize her life isn't what it seems. That’s when I started to like her, she wasn’t just some stuck up cheerleader, she wasn’t a teenage robot. I really liked Will, though. He was just so real, his feelings about seeing ghosts and how he coped was written really well. I found myself falling for Will. (I actually tweeted that to the author, that I wanted Will and she retweeted it. I was super excited!). I thought this book was very original, I’m looking forward to reading more from Stacy Kade.