STILL SUCKS TO BE ME by Kimberly Pauley - REVIEW

Mirrorstone – May 10, 2010

Life as a vampire isn’t working out so great for Mina.  The Vampire Relocation Agency is forcing her and her parents to move to a podunk town in Louisiana.  Adding to the anxiety of moving, the family can’t take anything with them.  No clothes, photos, or keepsakes from their old lives are allowed.  The VRA can’t take a chance on someone recognizing them since the Hamilton’s have been pronounced dead.  They can’t even have access to their money until some time has passed.  Mina is miserable, but not having her best friend Serena to talk to is like pouring salt in the wound.

Even though Mina has been through some major life changes, her parents still insist she start school right away.  Being a Senior, Mina expects to be left out of everything since cliques and friendships have already been established, but in Cartville, LA, Mina is the coolest thing since sliced bread.  Mina immediately finds a nosy, talkative wanna-be friend, a boy that desperately wants to go out with her, and a girl who hates her guts simply because she exists.  Oh! There is a handsome, mysterious guy named Cameron, too.  This is definitely not a good time for Mina’s boyfriend, George, to run off to Brazil to bond with his parents.

Mina takes it all in stride – even takes some vampire continuing education classes with her mom and learns to do a little shape-shifting. Cameron also starts to teach her how to use mind control.  Mina is becoming a better vampire everyday.

Then, Serena shows up on her doorstep and crazy, Goth-Girl Raven arrives in town.  Even talk of the human-hating Black Talon group is rumored to be in Cartville.  Mina discovers that even though she decided to become a vampire – her life still sucks!

STILL SUCKS TO BE ME is a cute story. If  you liked the first book in the series you definitely need to pick up a copy.  There were only three things that knocked it down to 4 glasses.

1. The journal entries started to get a little redundant.
2. I would have liked more drama between Cameron and Mina.
3. The excitement needed to start sooner.  Mina’s crumbling, while warranted, took up too much of the beginning.

You’ll enjoy STILL SUCKS TO BE ME much more if you read SUCKS TO BE ME first.

This is a great vampire novel for the younger crowd. Mina and the boys in her life are well-behaved teenagers.  Mina even maintains a great relationship with her parents!  The Hamiltons oops, Smiths are a great vampire family.

DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS by C. J. Omololu - REVIEW

Walker Books for Young Readers – February 2, 2010

Lucy lives in conditions many people can’t even imagine.  The kitchen is unusable, there isn’t any hot water in the house, and the furnace is broken.  There are piles and piles of papers, plastic bags, and boxes littering every corner of the house.  In order to maneuver, Lucy and her mother have to navigate through a maze of cleared paths just wide enough for a person.

Lucy feels her life is made up of lies and secrets. She lies to her friends about why they can’t come over.  She avoids any topic of conversation that will bring attention to her or her family.  Lucy is scared to death when she hears a knock at the door – knowing she could never allow someone to come inside to see what her house looks like.  This is the reason her mother can’t call a repairman to fix the heater.

After another one of their usual fights where her mother accuses Lucy of moving something, Lucy packs an overnight bag and leaves to go to the movies and spend the night with her best and only friend.  She doesn’t know it yet, but life is about to get a lot more complicated for her.  When Lucy comes home the next morning, she discovers something horrible.  Will she be able to deal with the tragedy and keep her secrets in tact?

DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS is a book that will suck you into the story.  Your heart will hurt for Lucy as she reveals memories from her past with the reader.  This book will certainly cause you to take a look at the clutter around your house and ask, “Do I really need those old magazines?”

I couldn’t give DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS 5 glasses simply because of the implausibility of the way Lucy handled the situation – it seemed more like denial than a plan.  However, this didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story.

Leave a comment and let me know what you thought of the book.

PERCHANCE TO DREAM by Lisa Mantchev - REVIEW

Feiwel & Friends – May 25, 2010


As the curtain rises on Act 2 of the Thèâtre Illuminata, we find Bertie at the beginning of her quest to rescue Nate from the clutches of the evil Sea Goddess from The Little Mermaid.  As the new Mistress of Revels, it is her job to put pen to paper and create the story of the journey.  With Ariel, the air spirit from The Tempest, and the delightfully mischievous fairies from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Bertie attempts to navigate her way through the world outside the Theater.


Complications and obstacles appear at every turn and Bertie’s emotions aren’t making matters any easier. Her feelings for Ariel have evolved into something harder to define, but her loyalties to Nate leave her feeling guilty about her closeness with Ariel.  In order to save Nate, she’ll have to explore her true feelings and decide which man she loves the most.


PERCHANCE TO DREAM is very different from EYES LIKE STARS.  Lisa Mantchev introduces many new characters and a completely new setting.  The reader gets to experience what life is like outside the theater.  Readers will be relieved to know the fairies provide the same comic relief as they did in the first book.  Lisa Mantchev leaves readers ready for the third installment in the series.


If you were a fan of EYES LIKE STARS, you’ll definitely want to read this wildly, creative book.  It isn’t completely necessary for a person to read the first book to enjoy PERCHANCE TO DREAM, but… it would probably be best.


Book rec’d as part of Traveling ARC Tours.

GEMX by Nicky Singer - REVIEW

Holiday House – April 15, 2008

Maxo Strang is one of the most perfect people in the Polis, an exclusive district where only genetically enhanced people can live. He is the GenOff (offspring) of the most important scientist in the Polis. Igo Strang, Maxo’s father, is the lead scientist for the Polis. It is his job to continually improve the enhancements. He is always striving for perfections. With the model, GemX, he thinks he is as close to perfect as he can get. Maxo is a GemX.

Maxo enjoys a luxurious life in the Polis. He never gives much thought to the Dreggies that live outside the check points – until he sees Gala on the video screen. Maxo’s life is turned upside down when a flaw in the GemX model is discovered. It seems “cracks,” a.k.a. wrinkles, are appearing on many of their faces and it is up to Igo Strang to figure out what is causing the unexpected early aging in thousands of the most promising young people of the Polis. The problem is, the leaders don’t want to give him the time it will take. Their solution is much more drastic.

Maxo is thrown into an unknown world when he attempts to save himself and others from the secrecy and lies of the Polis.

GEMX didn’t live up to it’s description. The speed at which Maxo and Gala become obsessed with each other is unbelievable and the story didn’t move fast enough. I felt like I was forcing myself to get through it.

HOW I LIVE NOW by Meg Rosoff - REVIEW

Daisy is being shipped to England to live with an aunt and four cousins she’s never met because her “wicked” step-mother convinced Daisy’s father it was the best thing for her. While she isn’t thrilled with the new arrangement, as soon as she arrives, Daisy feels an overwhelming since of belonging and connection. She feels more at home with these strangers than she ever has in New York City with her father.

Before Daisy has a chance to settle in, her aunt leaves for a conference out of town, leaving her and her four cousins alone. Shortly after, England is invaded by an unnamed force. Bombings and skirmishes scatter the countryside while Daisy and the cousins live in relative safety on their isolated farm – until the military locates their house and decides to commandeer it for their planning headquarters. The cousins are separated – girls to one location and the boys to another.

Daisy makes it her mission to get the family back together. The reader travels the dangerous roads through the England landscape with Daisy as she witnesses death and destruction. Your heart will go out to her and you’ll be emotionally invested with the family by the time you get to the end of the book. HOW I LIVE NOW is great choice if you are a fan of dystopian novels. Amidst the war, a beautiful, but unconventional love story unfolds. HOW I LIVE NOW will easily turn into a single-sitting read. Once you start you won’t want to stop.

STORY OF A GIRL by Sara Zarr - REVIEW

Deanna Lambert made a mistake. She got involved with her brother’s best friend when she was 13-years-old. Tommy never took her on a date, never took her to get something to eat, never went anywhere with her in public. He would just pick her up after school or come over to her house when he knew Deanna’s brother wasn’t home so they could go park and fool around.

People found out about the relationship in the worst way possible. Deanna’s father caught her with Tommy in the back of his car. The next day, everyone knew what happened. Mostly because Tommy told everyone. Since that terrible night, Deanna’s father hasn’t really looked at her or talked to her and home doesn’t comfort her at all.

Sadly, school isn’t safe for her either. Daily, she hears taunts like slut and skank, suffers unwanted advances from guys, and endures dirty looks from the girls. Her only bright spot is her best friend, Jason.

THE STORY OF A GIRL isn’t a pick me up. I felt sorry for Deanna through the entire book – even in the end. Deanna definitely grew as a character from beginning to end and there is even a small glimmer of hope by the final page. It is a valuable addition to young adult literature in the sense that it shows a girl making it through an extremely tough time. Deanna doesn’t give up – even when she keeps making mistakes.

I would have liked to see the story extended a bit. I wasn’t satisfied with where Deanna’s story left off. Also, I listened to THE STORY OF A GIRL on audio book and the author, Sara Zarr, was the reader. It might have been a little better if a professional reader would have read it.

Read-a-Likes - ROMANCE

In honor of Valentine's Day the theme of this Read-a-Like is Romance. The following books include a deep, loving relationships between the main characters.

WONDROUS STRANGE and DARKLIGHT by Lesley Livingston

WICKED LOVELY, FRAGILE ETERNITY, and RADIANT SHADOWS by Melissa Marr

SHIVER by Maggie Stiefvater

LAMENT and BALLAD by Maggie Stiefvater

WINGS by Aprilynne Pike

HUSH, HUSH by Becca Fitzpatrick

FALLEN by Lauren Kate

SEA CHANGE by Aimee Friedman

JESSICA'S GUIDE TO DATING ON THE DARK SIDE by Beth Fantaskey

GRACELING and FIRE by Kristin Cashore

EVERNIGHT and STARGAZER by Claudia Gray

ETERNAL by Cynthia Leitich Smith

OLD MAGIC by Marianne Curley

As you can see, all of the books on my list are romance mixed with fantasy. So, does anyone out there have any suggestions for contemporary fiction romance books? If so, please leave a comment.

I KISSED A ZOMBIE, AND I LIKED IT by Adam Selzer - REVIEW

Delacorte Books for Young People – January 26, 2010

Ali/Alley/Gonk (short for Algonquin) is the touch music critic of the high school newspaper. There isn’t anything she loves more than a good song and there aren’t many people out there her age that appreciate the quality of singers like Cole Porter as she does.

Alley’s latest assignment takes her to one of Cornersville’s local music scenes. A band is set to play a gig that includes a band member from school – oh, he’s also a vampire. Yep, in this world people are aware of the existence of vampires and zombies – and the popular crowd wants to either become one themselves or at the very least date one. Alley doesn’t see the attraction. She is one of the few that has no interest in the supernatural side life.

Alley doesn’t intend to get stuck in her small town for the rest of her life so dating isn’t that important to her. She doesn’t want to get too attached to a guy that will keep her in town. She’s all for having fun and making out, but…that’s about it. Her attitude toward guys changes drastically when she sees Doug sing a few songs during the gig she’s reviewing for the newspaper.

Doug catches Alley’s attention when he sings a Cole Porter song. His interpretation of the classic is unique and sexy. It doesn’t take long for Alley to fall head-over-heels in love with Doug. It doesn’t matter to her that he wears the same suit every time she sees him, can’t talk for very much at a time, or has a strange smell about him (Doug tells her he has a sickness). The way he makes her feel makes up for his strangeness.

When Alley finally puts the pieces together she is forced to make some BIG decisions. Is her love strong enough to overcome the obstacles of their love?

I KISSED A ZOMBIE, AND I LIKED IT is okay. The world Adam Selzer created for the novel is fun and interesting, but Alley is an unlikable character. If you can get over that, then you’ll be okay. In terms of quirky, light, romancy zombie books, here is where it would fall:

NEVER SLOW DANCE WITH A ZOMBIE by E. Van Lowe is worse at 1 glasses.

YOU ARE SO UNDEAD TO ME by Stacey Jay is better at 4 glasses.

BLUE MOON by Alyson Noel - REVIEW

St. Martin’s Griffin – July 7, 2009

Ever is learning how to use the powers that come along with her immortal status. She and Damen train every day in order to improve her control so she can successfully manifest objects. Their love is strong and seems to be able to stand the test of time. After all, Damen has found her again and again over the last 400 years no matter her incarnation. It seems now, with Damen’s rogue, ex-wife out of the picture, they can finally be together without danger.

Ever and Damen are about to take their relationship to the next level when everything begins to fall apart. When a strange new boy enrolls at school and begins shaking everything up, Damen begins to act strange. In addition to acting like a stranger, his health seems to be deteriorating at a startling rate. Ever does the only thing she can think to do – go to Summerland to find out what to do to save the love of her life.

Ever has many tough decisions to make during this second installment of the Immortals series. My heart broke for her. The only thing that knocked my rating down to 4 glasses instead of 5 is the ending. I listened to the audio book version of the story and wanted to hurl my iPhone across the room when I got to the end. Readers will definitely want to read the third book, SHADOWLAND. I will eventually, but after being so upset with the ending, I’m going to have to give it some time before I enter Ever’s world again.

P.S. I found out there is going a spin-0ff series. The first is called RADIANCE. It will follow Ever’s younger sister, Riley. Check it out here.

CHASING BROOKLYN by Lisa Schroeder - REVEW

Simon and Schuster - January 5, 2010

This is a companion book to I LOVE YOU, YOU HAUNT ME. There is no need to read one before the other, but if you enjoy reading one, you'll like the other just as much.

There has been a lot of death at Brooklyn's high school. First, there was Jackson after a terrible diving accident. Then, a year ago, Brooklyn's boyfriend, Lucca, died in a terrible car accident, and most recently, Gabe, Lucca's best friend and driver of the car at the time of the accident, killed himself after he couldn't take the guilt of Lucca's death for another day.

Brooklyn is having trouble getting over Lucca's death and Gabe's suicide only makes it worse. Soon after Gabe's death, Brooklyn begins having terrible nightmares where Gabe chases and torments her. She soon realizes Gabe doesn't just visit when she is asleep, but makes his presence known during her waking hours as well. He moves things and writes messages to her in an attempt to tell her something. She just can't figure out what he wants and the dreams are becoming more horrific as the days go by.

Nico, Lucca's brother, is being visited by a ghostly spirit as well - Lucca's. Nico receives the same message over and over again - day after day. "Help Brooklyn." Nico doesn't know what to do and has no idea what Brooklyn needs. He decides to ask her to join him in his training for an upcoming triathlon, hoping to get closer to her and give her something to focus on besides Lucca's death.

CHASING BROOKLYN is a fast-paced novel-in-verse. It is a story of friendship, love, and healing. The book alternates points-of-view between Brooklyn and Nico which gives the reader a great look at all sides of the story. Lisa Schroeder continues to provide thought-provoking and heart-felt stories for her readers.

If you enjoy I HEART YOU, I HAUNT YOU and CHASING BROOKLYN, be sure to check out Lisa's other novel-in-verse, FAR FROM YOU.

RADIANT SHADOWS by Melissa Marr - REVIEW

HarperTeen - April 20, 2010

In order to understand the specifics of all the characters in this story, it would be best to read the other books in the series. WICKED LOVELY, INK EXCHANGE, and FRAGILE ETERNITY.

RADIANT SHADOWS picks up whereFRAGILE ETERNITY leaves off. As per their agreement, Seth leaves Sorcha in Faerie so he can return to his life in the Mortal world. Everything starts disintegrating soon after and provides a backdrop for RADIANT SHADOWS.

Ani, Gabriel’s daughter, is struggling with her role in the Hunt and controlling the way she feeds. Unlike her siblings, Ani can feed from both mortals and faerie. She feeds on emotions. Life for Ani becomes extremely complicated when Bananach takes an interest in her and orders her to kill Seth. Not knowing what to do, Ani decides her only option is to run.

Devlin, the brother of Sorcha and Bananach, is sent to the Mortal world to look after Seth. Sorcha is obsessed with what Seth is doing and worried for his safety. The trouble is, Devlin gets sidetracked when he runs into Ani at a night club. Devlin and Ani are connected. The specific connection is unknown – all Devlin knows is he can’t resist Ani.

Melissa Marr continues to hold readers’ attention in this, the fourth of the WICKED LOVELY series. Aislinn doesn’t play a role in this installment because Keenan is missing so she must focus her attention to the Summer Court. Faerie is in danger because of Sorcha’s actions and it is up to Devlin and Ani to put it right, but Bananach (War) is determined to see death and destruction everywhere. Can they save Faerie before War destroys everything?

FIRE by Kristin Cashore - REVIEW

Fire lives in the Dells - a land filled with beautiful creatures called monsters. There are monsters of every kind. Monster kittens, monster bugs, and the most fierce and dangerous of all, monster raptors. The monsters are covered in fur and feathers of the most vibrant and iridescent colors. Their beauty traps humans, allowing the monsters to control their minds. Monsters can influence humans - make them stand still and allow themselves to be killed, alter their thoughts and decisions, or compel them to do something against their will. Fire is the last human monster in the Dell and people are afraid of her and tend to stay out of her way or try to kill her.

Fire is aware of the danger monsters pose to the people around her and takes care to remain respectful of their privacy and free will. The only time she attempts to claim a person's mind is in self-defense. Her life is a comfortable rhythm of hunting and spending time with her best friend Archer. Fire has spent seventeen years within the safety of her own grounds and surrounded by people she can trust so when the Prince from King's City comes to ask for her help in getting information out of captured spies, she can't help but say yes. Fire has wanted to see King's City for a long time.

Fire's abilities and conscience are pushed to the limit once she joins the fight to save the crown.

FIRE is a companion book to GRACELING. You absolutely don't need to read one before the other because FIRE takes place approximately 30 years before GRACELING'S timeline picks up. FIRE is a beautiful story. I listened to the audio book that Xanthe Elbrick narrates. Xanthe's voice made Fire come alive and I was almost sad when the story was over. If you like fantasy, you definitely need to read FIRE.

THE DEAD-TOSSED WAVES by Carrie Ryan - REVIEW

Delacorte Books for Young Readers - March 9, 2010

FYI - This book is a companion to THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH, NOT a sequel.

Gabr

y has lived with her mother in the lighthouse for years. She is content with her friends, her quiet world, and dreaming of life in the Dark City where people enjoy more comforts than she is used to.

Gabry's friends are more adventurous than she is.

They like to sneak out of town and explore the unsafe areas where Mudo roam. They particular enjoy going to the abandoned and dangerous amusement park on the other side of the fence. Gabry doesn't want to go where the Mudo wander - she wants to stay safe, but Catcher is going and she wants to be with him. The thought of spending time with Catcher alone and in the dark overpower her thoughts of safety.

Gabry's trip to the amusement part quickly turns into a disaster. She is forced to grow up fast with very little information. The little she learns from her mother sends her on the biggest adventure of her life. One she never even considered a possibility. The only thing that keeps her going is the desire to learn the truth about her family and save the people she loves.

My first reaction when I started reading THE DEAD-TOSSED WAVES was disappointment. I wanted more about Mary. Also, there were several times when Gabry got on my nerves. But, after thinking about the book for a while, I have come to the conclusion that continuing to story of the people surviving life among the Unconsecrated/Mudo several years after THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH was okay. How much more could we have seen Mary do? She'd already survived the trip through the forest and found the ocean. What could she do more exciting than that? Plus, Gabry provides a whole new perspective of life after the Return. I can't wait to read the third novel in this wonderful series. Keep up the good work, Carrie Ryan.

This is another example of book covers that have changed. The first cover I saw posted on Goodreads for THE DEAD-TOSSED WAVES was this one:

What do you think of the two covers? I prefer the first one. It matches the cover of THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH much better than the new one.

THE RETURNERS by Gemma Malley - REVIEW

Will Hodge doesn’t have many happy days, especially since his mother died and his father’s political involvement has grown more and more radical. In addition to stress at home, Will’s friends don’t really talk to him anymore, he starts losing short blocks of time, and strange people start following him around claiming to know him.

Then, the dreams begin and he starts to think he is going crazy. He dreams of concentration camps during World War II and several other atrocious events from history. At first, Will thinks he is going crazy but soon explains the strange thoughts on the history he is learning in school. Deep down, he knows the dreams are serious.

Eventually, he can’t avoid the strange people anymore. They explain to him that they are Returners, just like him. Returners are “people who have been reincarnated and whose destiny is to recall the atrocities they have witnessed in the past.” When Will learns about the part he plays in this complicated situation he is forced to decide what his role will be.

Are we born with a predetermined destiny or can we change who we were meant to be?

As a fan of dystopian literature I enjoyed reading RETURNERS. The only reason I gave it 4 out of 5 glasses is because I felt it took too long to get to the specific Returners story line. Most of the book deals with Will’s denial of his connection to the strange people following him.

WHEN YOU REACH ME by Rebecca Stead - REVIEW

Wendy Lamb Books – July 14, 2009

WHEN YOU REACH ME was a one-sitting read for me.

Miranda lives in New York City with her mother. She and her best friend, Sal, spend most of their time together, navigating the ins and outs of life, school, and their neighborhood. One day when walking home from school, Sal gets punched in the stomach by an older boy that hangs out down the street from their apartment building. Sal pulls away from Miranda after that and stops hanging out with her. Miranda feels completely lost without him.

Since Miranda isn’t spending much time with Sal anymore, she has plenty of time to help her mother prepare for an appearance on The $20,000 Pyramid. Miranda and Richard, her mother’s boyfriend, drill her every night on different questions that could appear on the show. Sal’s mother even takes notes on the game show every day to help.

Losing Sal’s friendship bothers Miranda a lot. Not having him to talk to is bad enough, but she really hates walking home alone. Not only does she have to walk by the group of older boys by herself, but she has to walk home alone. Not only does she have to walk by the group of older boys by herself, but she has to walk by the crazy, old man by the mailbox. Then, the notes start arriving – notes telling her things about the future.

Can Miranda trust the notes? Can she really save the life of someone she knows by doing what they say? You’ll love following along with the mystery to find out what Miranda does, who she saves, and what the old man has to do with it.

If you like WHEN YOU REACH ME, you need to find THE POWER OF UN by Nancy Etchemendy. It is fantastic and shares some of the same story elements.