Sprout by Dale Peck

Daniel “Sprout” Bradford has a secret. It’s not that his mother died or his father’s drinking or even that he’s gay—although given he now lives in rural Kansas, he probably should’ve kept that last one a secret. There’s not much this sarcastic but undeniably intelligent green-haired guy aspires to, except to make it out of Kansas one day. In the meantime, he just exists, survives, tries to be himself. But as time passes, Sprout realizes that it isn’t quite possible to just watch life pass around him, and he isn’t quite prepared—nor is anyone else—when he realizes the impact he’s had on the people around him.

Sprout is a very difficult novel to summarize because it is essentially Sprout’s life story and most intimate thoughts, and it’s virtually impossible to shorten someone’s life into a few concise statements. That being said, you can’t really pick up this novel and know what to expect from the plot. Having finished the novel, I don’t even think there was any obvious objective to Sprout’s tale. None of that explains why I liked Sprout so much. This story was hilarious with Sprout’s fantastic sense of humor but also heartbreaking and deep with its discussion of love and death. Probably what I liked most was how vivid and real Sprout was; this allowed me to understand him better and made me so interested in his story. I love how Sprout is such a unique and unapologetic character. Really, every inch of this story is natural and realistic from all the minor characters even to all the strange situations Sprout finds himself in; Sprout is so real, it often felt like he existed off the pages of the book. Perhaps that what makes Sprout such a great read, that fact that Sprout is such an authentic person that all readers will be able to sympathize with him even if they aren’t green-haired homosexual males.

Sprout is a moving read that will entertain readers and make them think. I recommend this novel to fans of King of the Screwups by K.L. Going and the Sloppy Firsts series by Megan McCafferty.

Rating: 4.5

Review copy from Amazon Vine

I’m back! (Did’ja miss me?)

Yes I’m finally back in the good ol’ US of A after my weeklong vacation in Barbados. And then my subsequent week of virtually no computer access, but I’m here now.

Here’s the rundown of my (not so) wild times out of country:

the good:

• I got a pretty decent tan (everyone else in my family burned)
• I got to swim with sea turtles (and last night I had a dream about it…weird)
• I fed wild monkeys peanuts (when I wasn’t supposed to; apparently, there’s a chance they’ll attack you)
• I ate barracuda for the first time
• I discovered what breadfruit is
• I met James Jones who is a professional basketball player for the Miami Heat at the Barbados International Airport (seriously, who else can say that?!)

the bad:

• I still cannot figure out how to play the conch shell I bought for my friend (yes, it is the kind you can play, I made sure; if anyone else knows, let me know, ‘kay?)
• It rained almost every day (like 10-15 minute squalls)
• The hotel had no shampoo (luckily, I brought my own; my sister was not so fortunate)

the ugly:

• I got a whole bunch of bug bites, especially on my arms and legs, and they ITCHED LIKE NOBODY’S BUSINESS
• Oh the horror of processed turkey (airport food=yech!)
• My sister’s conditioner leaked in my suitcase (thank goodness it was only on the way home)
• The first thing we found out on the layover coming home was that something in our fridge had broken and our floor was about an inch of water flooded (everything was fine though since our super nice neighbors shut the water off and cleaned the floor for us)

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Also, in way of blog updates, someone (or something) has been posting a ****load of spam comments on my blog posts, and thus I have been forced (by my laziness in having to delete all of them) to change my comment settings. Originally, I was going to restrict anonymous commenting, but I really do love some of my anonymous commenters, so I instead added a security word verification. I know it’s a hassle, so sorry for that.

In way of good things, I’ve put a couple of icons that appear in every post’s footer, an AddThis widget so you can bookmark a specific post should you feel like it, and a BookBlips voting widget so you can easily nominate my review on BookBlips, again, should you feel the need to.

Castration Celebration by Jake Wizner

Olivia is seriously pissed at guys, and with good reason. She recently walked in on her dad fooling around with one of his grad students, but at least now she has a great topic for the musical she’s writing at summer arts camp at Yale, a musical she’s titled Castration Celebration. But Olivia’s not prepared for when scenes from her play start to star her and a certain cute but cocky actor Max in real life. Even if Olivia is the least bit interested, she’s not willing to trust Max since the only thing you can trust about a guy is that he’ll be a guy—always looking for sex. While Olivia’s not too sure of her feelings for Max, she does know she has to hang out with him once in a while for the raw material he provides for her musical; besides, he’s just interesting. As the days heat up, so does this battle of the sexes. It’s going to be one unforgettable summer for these teens.

Castration Celebration is a laugh-out-loud hilarious story somewhat reminiscent of Disney’s High School Musical. The major difference between the two is that Castration Celebration is aimed at an older, more mature audience. The best thing about this novel is its somewhat raunchy and dirty humor; it’s almost scary how the characters can find a sexual connotation in nearly everything. The plot of the novel is a seriously twisted romance made more interesting by being interspaced with scenes from Olivia’s comedy and her original and very funny songs. The characters, I felt, could definitely have been worked on. This novel is told from the third person perspective and offers insufficient insight into each character’s mind. This made even the main characters less believable at times. I know Castration Celebration is mostly Olivia and Max’s take, but I would’ve appreciated more from minor characters Zeke, Trish, Callie, and Mimi. Despite that, Castration Celebration is a sweet and seriously humorous tale that covers nearly everything in guy-girl interaction from the mysteries of the opposite gender’s mind to good old-fashioned guy-gets-girl (or girl-gets-guy) romance.

Castration Celebration will be enjoyed not only by the drama crows but by anyone who’s experienced confusion and/or frustration over the opposite sex. This novel will also be liked by fans of Love on Cue by Catherine Hapka.

Rating: 4.0

Review copy from publisher Random House

Introducing Munch-Worthy

I've decided The Book Muncher needs a new feature, and since I'm always looking for new books to add to my wishlist, Munch-Worthy was born.

So, what is it? So many bloggers have Waiting on Wednesday, but no offense, even if it's the same thing in principle, I want my own name.

Basically, I pick a soon-to-be-released book, recently released book, or just a book that I haven’t read yet and talk about why I want to read it, basically, why it’s worthy of being munched. I'll post a summary and a pic of the cover too, for those more visually inclined.

Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert

Kara’s favorite songs are ballads, the ones that tell about someone’s life and numerous screw ups, the songs people can relate to and learn from. Because Kara’s first three years of high school were full of screw ups, and not all of them her own. Insecurity that lead to cutting, casual highs turning into drug addiction, secrets, lies, and suicides all plagued her life in a deluge she thought she was dealing with until her near heroin overdose finally woke her up. Memories documented in her and her friends’ “Stories of Suburbia” notebook will never fade, but now, it’s Kara’s turn to pay her due and write her own ballad.

When I first read a synopsis for Ballads of Suburbia, I was excited to see more from Kuehnert after I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone, which I loved, but also wary because I was afraid Kuehnert was being too ambitious. Thankfully, though, I was wrong on the second account; my initial fear that Ballads of Suburbia’s large cast would be overwhelming to the story proved false. I really must say that Kuehnert does a fantastic storytelling job in this novel, from setting the story up, to the realistic characters, to the overarching theme, that people are more than just a snapshot of their lives. Kuehnert paints a very gritty and depressing picture of a “suburb” of Chicage, a grim place only an invisible line marks as no longer the city filled with dysfunction and all the wrong ways to escape. This setting makes the characters easier to understand, because each comes with a history of at least one hardship or difficulty continuing to affect their lives. I found that for me, Ballads of Suburbia was less about the plot than it was how Kara responds to it. I mean, the turning point of the story is revealed in the first few pages of the novel. So even though most of this novel was extremely sad and depressing, the ending was slightly more uplifting and inspirational.

Ballads of Suburbia is another great novel for fans of Kuehnert’s debut, I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone, Purge by Sarah Darer Littman, Perfect by Natasha Friend, and Identical by Ellen Hopkins. I’m thrilled Kuehnert was able to pull off such an incredible story in Ballads of Suburbia despite its depressing content and continue to look forward to her next work.

Rating: 4.5

Review copy from author Stephanie Kuehnert

The Sorceress by Michael Scott

Twins Sophie and Josh Newman are on the run. It all began just a few days ago when the brother and sister helped Nick Fleming when his bookshop was attacked and his wife kidnapped. But this was no ordinary attack, and the twins soon learned that Fleming was no ordinary man. He is the immortal Nicholas Flamel, guardian of the Codex, an ancient text whose pages contain spells that can either save or destroy the world. When Josh accidentally ripped out the final two pages from the Codex, he restored Flamel’s hope that not all was lost—and doomed himself and his sister to a new life in which alchemy and sorcery are practiced and myths come alive. And that’s why the twins have found themselves fleeing across Europe with Nicholas Flamel, searching desperately for allies while their enemies leave a trail of destruction in pursuit of the legendary twins. Whether they want to believe it or not, Sophie and Josh are the powerful twins foretold in the Codex, and if they can master the elemental magics and reach their full potential, they might be able to save not only themselves but humanity from the evil clutches of the Dark Elders.

The Sorceress and indeed the entire The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series may sound incredibly twisted and confusing from that summary. In fact, The Sorceress is virtually impossible to understand without having read its prequels The Alchemyst and The Magician, as each subsequent novel picks up precisely where the previous left off. Even if you have read the prequels, this novel can still be somewhat confusing with the constantly shifting points-of-view, the incredible slow passage of time, the incredible amount of different creatures and characters, as well as the multiple names and titles given to some characters; the various plots and subplots are at times difficult to keep track of. However, I declare this as just a side effect of any good fantasy story; great fantasies are born from imagination, and it takes a very vivid imagination to create an entire new history of the world. The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series is indeed a very good fantasy. I was drawn in from the very beginning with the nearly nonstop plot action and all the magic and creativity put into this story makes it very addicting for me. I’ll admit that the characters could be worked on a bit more to be made more believable, but overall, The Sorceress and its prequels are simply fantastic, and I greatly look forward to the next installment in the series, The Necromancer.

I highly recommend starting The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series to any fantasy lover and those who enjoyed The Abhorsen Chronicles by Garth Nix, Foundling by D.M. Cornish, and The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien, although I do warn potential readers: this series is a huge time investment.

Rating: 4.5

Review copy from publisher Random House

The Lost Summer by Kathryn Williams

Helena Waite loves her summer tradition of Southpoint. Since she was just a little girl, she has enjoyed the fun activities, familiar landscape, and spirit of sisterhood the summer camp provides and fosters. Now that Helena’s seventeen, she is no longer a camper, but a counselor. Unfortunately, her best friend Katie Bell, her seventeenth birthday just a few months shy of the cutoff, is still a camper. Helena’s decided to make the best of her situation; after all, she does have the best of both worlds. But as the counselors’ late night antics with the counselors of the nearby boys’ camp make her innocent camp life of summers past seem juvenile, Helena finds herself abandoning Katie Bell in favor of her counselor friends. Camp is no longer the simple carefree place of refuge from the real world it used to be for Helena, and when her counselor friends turn their back on her, all for a boy, Helena is forced to rethink this summer’s decisions. But it might have to take a disaster to show Helena—and everyone else—what really matters.

Williams’ second novel, though much more serious than her lighthearted and funny The Debutante, is just as poignant and moving. The Lost Summer is a coming of age story centered on summer camp and all that entails, including summer crushes, and array of camp activities, and new and evolving friendships. This whole book is about growing up, about new responsibilities and opportunities, letting go of cherished routines not because we want to but because we have to, and realizing that we always have to keep moving forward. Helena comes to that realization the hard way, because she turns her back on childhood when she’s not quite ready to let go and a dreadful accident forces her to finally make peace with the fact that she no longer is a child. Williams portrays this border between childhood and womanhood wonderfully, showing that while the realization may be sudden, the journey from one state to another is gradual. The Lost Summer is very direct with its meaning and emphasis that we all have to grow up and that friendship is valuable and important. I would have enjoyed a bit of humor in The Lost Summer because this story was sometimes too serious, but overall, I thought The Lost Summer was a beautiful and meaningful read.

The Lost Summer will be enjoyed by more thoughtful summer vacationers, and also by those who liked Everything Beautiful by Simmone Howell and Slept Away by Julie Kraut. Fans of William’s The Debutante will probably also enjoy this novel even if it lacks somewhat in the funny factor.

Rating: 4.5

Review copy from publisher Disney Hyperion

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Miranda and Sal have been best friends practically since birth. They did everything together—from daycare naptime to walking to school—until sixth grade when Sal is suddenly punched by the new kid. Sal shuts Miranda out of his life, and that’s when Miranda’s life starts to spin out of control. The spare key to Miranda’s apartment is stolen, the crazy guy on the corner’s behavior becomes even stranger, and Miranda starts receiving mysterious notes from an undisclosed person. These notes are what freak her out the most because they reveal things no one should know, things that haven’t even happened yet. But even though Miranda would like to forget all the crazy new things in her life, especially the notes, she can’t, because as unbelievable as the messages seem, the impending tragic death they warn of doesn’t feel like a lie. And Miranda might be the only one who can prevent it, if she can only truly understand the notes before it’s too late.

When You Reach Me is a truly delightful and remarkably unique story that incorporates themes as simple as friendship and love to concepts as complex as the scientific possibility of time travel. Readers will be drawn into Miranda’s story from the first page with the exciting air of mystery Stead creates. The mystery of the notes is probably the most thrilling aspect of this novel, with their seemingly unexplainable appearances and threat of real danger, but all the other sections of the story are also similarly well developed. Stead does a fantastic job of making When You Reach Me believable, even with farfetched theories such as time travel. Miranda, somewhat precocious, and the rest of the cast are three-dimensional characters easy to understand. Stead also portrays the tween years well, when peers’ opinions start to make an impact and guy-girl interaction is more about tentative crushes. It’s a rare gem when you find a novel that successfully and wonderfully combines a realistic version of everyday life with complicated scientific mystery as much as Stead has in When You Reach Me. In fact, Stead’s storytelling skills are so advanced, I’m surprised this novel is classified as middle grade; the only things middle grade about it are Miranda and her friends’ ages and the air of innocence to the story. I think the middle grade audience may even have some difficulty understanding the discussion of time travel; I know I did at times. But as well as that slight confusion, this novel also provokes deep thought of the complexities of modern science, and faith and hope in the future.

When You Reach Me will be enjoyed by readers of all ages, from middle grade up. This novel, one of the sweetest and most genius I’ve ever read, will be enjoyed by those who liked A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle, a novel much referenced in this story.

Rating: 4.5

Review copy from Amazon Vine

A Taste for Red by Lewis Harris

Svetlana—not Stephanie!—Grimm thinks she’s a vampire. How else would you explain her preference for red-colored foods, her ability to read and influence other people’s thoughts, and why she likes sleeping under her bed? Unfortunately, there’s nothing Svetlana can do to change her parents’ minds about her new schooling arrangement—sixth grade at Sunny Hill Middle School. Having been previously homeschooled, Svetlana is not looking forward to spending multiple hours in the company of kids she has nothing in common with. And after her first science class, she looks even less forward to her last period of the day since there’s something undeniably creepy and almost sinister about beautiful Ms. Larch. When accidents and disappearances start occurring, Svetlana is sure Ms. Larch is the culprit, and that if she, Svetlana, doesn’t stop the evil Ms. Larch, Sunny Hill Middle School may because the feeding ground for a monster.

I first thought A Taste for Red wouldn’t actually be about vampires or other supernatural beings, but rather a sort of psychological evaluation on strange childhood phases. Boy, was I wrong! Make no mistake, this novel does include supernatural creatures. Svetlana is a unique protagonist, remarkably clever and witty, and suspicious of friendly advances. She is surprisingly believable within her situation, even if her intelligence level seems to far surpass her maturity. Humor is what initially brought me into Svetlana’s story, but plot action sustained my interest until the end. I did enjoy A Taste for Red even if I didn’t feel the story was completely original or in any way spectacular. Even if some of the characters, especially Svetlana, are fresh and new, the rest of the story seems to already have been done before several times, if in altered form. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but Harris failed to refine his story to the extent that it would sparkle above the rest, which was a bit of a disappointment for me. All in all, A Taste for Red is not a bad debut, but Harris still has a little ways to go before reaching amazing.

A Taste for Red will be enjoyable for the middle school crowd and among those who liked Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer, The Otherworldies by Jennifer Anne Kogler, and You Are So Undead to Me by Stacey Jay.

Rating: 3.5

Review copy from Amazon Vine

Bounce by Natasha Friend

Evyn has never felt like she’s completely fit in, but she can generally make do. And she was doing just fine with her wacky father, her nerdy older brother, and her best friend Jules, but now her father is getting remarried. It’s been twelve years since Evyn’s mother died, but Evyn doesn’t want to trade what little memories she has of her mother for a woman she barely knows and that woman’s six children, not to mention a new home in an entirely new setting. It’s almost too much change for Evyn to handle at once. How’s a girl supposed to accept all this new when all she wants is for the old to be back?

Bounce is a sweet and moving coming of age story. Friend captures the awkward tween/teen years so well in Evyn’s character. Thirteen is a borderline age, when the real teenage years loom ever closer and you’re torn between wanting to stay the same forever and wishing you were much cooler. Evyn has to deal with all this, her friends trading her for popularity and her new classmates’ appearances pressuring her to change the way she dresses, in addition to an even greater change—a new family. Evyn is very resistant to this change because all the new additions to her life are too overwhelming to just take in a stride. Friend portrays this angst so realistically, and in a way readers can relate to. Readers will love Evyn and sympathize with her because of the emotional trials she faces but also because of how she learns to deal with all the changes in her life. Though Evyn responds in a childish way at first, she matures throughout the story into a more understanding young lady. This understanding and eventual acceptance is what makes Bounce so sweet. It reminds the readers that the future always holds something to look forward to.

Bounce is a good pick for any teen or tween in a rut. I recommend this novel for fans of Perfect by Natasha Friend, Class Favorite by Taylor Morris, and The Teashop Girls by Laura Schaefer.

Rating: 4.25

Review copy from publisher Scholastic

Summer Girls by Hailey Abbott

The Tuttle family is back for another summer at Pebble Beach, but now it’s time for three new cousins to rock the social scene. Jessica, Greer, and Lara are all members of the extended Tuttle family, but they couldn’t be more different. Athletically competitive Jessica is the only Pebble Beach veteran out of these three girls, and she’s determined to make this summer absolutely perfect, which includes plenty of cousin bonding time, beach parties, and, of course, hot guys. For somewhat coldhearted Greer, it’s a much different story. Her parents have sent her to bond with the other Tuttles while they work on their own marriage issues. And all Greer wants now is a hot guy on her arm so she can forget her parents’ problems. Lara, on the other hand, couldn’t be more excited to meet the family of her newest stepfather. Unfortunately, the gorgeous guy she’s fallen for happens to be Jessica’s brother, a summer crush doomed before it began. It’s going to be another summer of misplaced crushes, complicated relationships, and even heartbreak for the Tuttle girls until they finally come together and realize what’s most important.

Hailey Abbott is probably the queen of summer beach reads for teens. Like Summer Boys and Abbott’s other novels, Summer Girls has all the necessary elements for a guilty pleasure for the hot season: beaches, hot guys, girls with varying degrees of boy-craziness, and, of course, scandal. I can’t say Summer Girls stands out with its plot among another other beachy reads I’ve perused, especially Abbott’s previous novels, but that doesn’t mean this book won’t be enjoyed by fans of this type of novel. Though in no way original, the boy chasing and familial fights keeps things relatively interesting on Pebble Beach. Abbott does deserve points for her characters though. Jessica, Greer, and Lara, like the plot, are none too original and are even a bit stereotypical at times, but readers will grow to love these three girls. They each have their good qualities and their faults, which makes them realistic, and readers will be rooting for them to make up when their tentative friendship starts to fall apart. I found it a little strange how much Abbott emphasizes family when two out of the three main Tuttle girls come from broken or breaking down families, but although it’s a little to cutesy for my taste, I recognize that family will always be there, even if it’s in a different form than what you’re used to.

Summer Girls is sure to be enjoyed by any girl heading to the beach and fans of Abbott’s earlier summer reads. Yes, this novel doesn’t have much real substance to it, but everyone deserves at least one guilty pleasure.

Rating: 3.5

Review copy from publisher Scholastic

Simply Irresistible by Jennifer Banash

Ex-small-town girl Casey McCloy finally feels like she’s starting to fit in among her neighbors of the Upper East Side. And it’s not just the newly straightened hair, the growing designer wardrobe, or a starring role in the hot new reality show De-Luxe, it’s the confidence from all that and being a member of the Bram Clan that makes Casey feel like she belongs in the Big Apple—much to the dismay of her rival and reality costar, the reigning queen Madison Macallister. Madison absolutely refuses to give up her lofty position to social climbing Casey, even if—especially if—she has to dig her manicured talons in somewhere to maintain that status. Madison will do anything to ensure that she—and not Casey—is the next reality “It Girl.” Since the rest of the rest of her life seems to be falling apart, Madison feels she at least deserves this. But Madison’s not the only one trying to keep what’s left of her life from further breaking down. There are a lot of people in the Big Apple. How can anyone be sure of anything—friendships, family, trust—when everyone has their own agenda?

Though I absolutely adored the first two installments in this series, The Elite and In Too Deep, I felt Simply Irresistible didn’t quite live up to its name. For me, this time around, the Bram Clan and other supporting cast were a little too “he said she said” for my taste. This over load of gossip as well as other annoyances such as the designer name dropping so frequent it became white noise and the fact that women were wearing sunglasses indoors in the dead of winter really distracted me and prevented me from really taking a liking to the story or characters. Yes, Drew caught his dad messing around with another woman, Sophie doesn’t know what to make of her real mother, Phoebe just wants to fool around with Jared, Madison is as ruthless as ever, and Casey keeps trying to blend in, but what else is new? This whole novel, the cast just seemed to be talking along the same lines as they had been in the earlier novels. I was looking for something bigger because the same old was getting boring and unfortunately, the reality shows was more in the background than I hoped it would be. The characters are too inwardly conflicted throughout the entire novel; I would’ve liked to see some progress in at least their conviction in their lives. Maybe it’s just me, but Simply Irresistible lacked a certain oomph I know Banash has in her.

I know that’s not exactly the most positive review for Simply Irresistible, but dedicated fans of The Elite series and guilty pleasure lovers will most likely want to read this novel. Though I was slightly disappointed in Banash’s latest work, I’ll probably still read the next installment in this series with high hopes.

Rating: 3.5

Review copy from publisher Berkley JAM

Everything Is Fine by Ann Dee Ellis

Mazzy tells herself that everything is fine, that things will work out, that it will be okay. So what if her mom won’t get out of bed? She will when she’s ready. So what if Mazzy’s dad is virtually absent? Mazzy and her mother can take care of themselves just fine. Everything will be just fine, or will it? And was it even fine to begin with? How can a family torn apart by tragedy and grief ever come together again?

Everything Is Fine is an interesting coming of age novel, one that also explores the effects of death of a loved one. The novel is told as Mazzy’s stream of consciousness which allows great insight into Mazzy’s character and mind. Some readers may be wary of Mazzy at first, because she is very strange; however, when readers learn about Mazzy’s family’s tragedy, Mazzy’s odd habits and peculiarities are easily explained. This novel is completely realistic from a psychological standpoint; the remaining three members of Mazzy’s broken family deal with death through escape, denial, self-blame, and severe depression. What made this story stand out to me was how this tragedy came at such a turning point in Mazzy’s life; she’s just a young girl, on the verge of puberty, heading into a new school, and she doesn’t know how to deal with the numerous changes in her life. She doesn’t really have a mentor to turn to. That made Mazzy so likeable to me, in spite of her strangeness, and the ending all the more sweeter and hopeful. I’ll admit, I was a little put off at first by the untraditional format of this story and Mazzy’s weird characteristics, but I’m glad I finished the book because Everything Is Fine was a touching story.

Some readers may be discouraged from reading this novel due to its strange format—it’s not poetry, but it’s a much simpler version of prose than in most other novels—but I hope this won’t stop everyone from reading this sweet story. Everything Is Fine may be enjoyed by fans of The Day I Killed James by Catherine Ryan Hyde, Love You Hate You Miss You by Elizabeth Scott, Freeze Frame by Heidi Ayarbe, and Saving Zoë by Alyson Noël.

Rating: 3.75

Review copy from publisher Little, Brown

Evernight by Claudia Gray

Bianca didn’t want to come to Evernight Academy. She knows she won’t fit in amongst its beautiful, confident, and moneyed students, but it’s more than that. There’s something almost sinister about the gothic academy, something few others will even acknowledge. Then Bianca meets Lucas, a mysterious outcast, and he seems to share her wary attitude toward Evernight. In fact, he shares a lot more with her, including a fierce mutual attraction. But their blossoming romance seems to be doomed by the secrets each of them keeps, secrets that could endanger they world as they each know it—and their very lives.

I was oddly disappointed in Evernight. From several friends’ recommendations, I was expecting a pretty phenomenal vampire story, but what I got wasn’t quite so. Don’t get me wrong, Gray weaves a unique vampire romance, since a vampire/vampire hunter relationship seems impossible unless one is trying to kill the other. However, much of the rest of the novel felt borrowed from other vampire tales. Vampire schools or safe havens were already done in Marked, Vampire Academy, and others, and Bianca and Lucas’s complicated and seemingly hopeless relationship felt very reminiscent of Bella and Edward. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but what may flatter other vampire readers failed to really impress me. I found myself drawn more to the minor characters like Raquel, Vic, and Mrs. Bethany in lieu of Bianca’s, whom I found somewhat naïve and annoying at times; it made me wish Raquel and Vic were more important than they actually were. However, what I found most irritating of all was how Bianca neglects to mention that her parents are vampires until she accidentally bites someone. This frankly ruined the rest of the story for me because it was just so obvious that this was supposed to be some kind of major revelation or plot twist, but it felt so out of place; it seemed more like a ploy for attention than a worthy part of the story. Once you get past that, Evernight does make for an interesting vampire story, although not one of the better ones.

Dedicated readers of vampire lore will enjoy Evernight. However, my disappointment in this novel disinclines me from reading the sequel, Stargazer and I recommend reading Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz, Peeps by Scott Westerfeld, and, of course, Twilight by Stephenie Meyer over Evernight.

Rating: 3.25

Review copy from personal collection

Vacation time, coming up!

Just a note to say I will be gone from the USA next week (7/13-7/20), so I will probably not be online during that time (means no email).

Blogger seems to have fixed the scheduling posts problem, so you can still expect book reviews during my absense.

The A-List: Hollywood Royalty by Zoey Dean

The A-List, that elite group of Hollywood’s finest, is back. But while some people are born into that kind of glory, such as the golden couple Myla and Ash, others have to work their way up the celebrity ladder to even be deemed worthy. And that’s what outsiders like the good girl Amelie, the reformed geek Jake, and the nobody who’s just discovered her Hollywood connections, Jojo. But making it to the A-List and staying on are two completely separate things, and being included among these privileged ranks calls for a whole new set of drama, not to mention a whole new playing field for it. Each of these teens will have to decide, is it all worth it?

Dean brings back the high fashion, sneaky lies and deception, and good old-fashioned unrequited love characteristic to the first ten installments of The A-List series in its next generation. The cast may be all new, but the plot remains much the same—a covert name-dropping, rumor-spreading, boyfriend-stealing war between the insiders and the outsiders. Yet even though I question the value in reading about retail therapy and the drama of Hollywood High, I can’t resist indulging in this guilty pleasure that realistically portrays the spoiled and sometimes scandalous lives of the young and filthy rich, and those trying to get there. There are really two ways to look at novels like this: as a guilty pleasure read or an inadvertent social commentary. Although I highly doubt it was Dean’s intention to truly criticize the glamorous lifestyle, it’s pretty plain to see that there is something seriously shallow and wrong about how people pay so much attention to the latest styles and celebrity gossip. Nevertheless, Hollywood Royalty is a quick read perfect for a sunny day at the beach.

Fans of any teen guilty pleasure, such as Dean’s original A-List series, The Elite series by Jennifer Banash, the Private series by Kate Brian, and the Gossip Girl series by Cecily von Ziegesar, is sure to enjoy Hollywood Royalty. Though not exactly brain stimulating material, I will probably check out the sequels to this gossipy read.

Rating: 3.75

Review copy from publisher Little, Brown

Shrinking Violet by Danielle Joseph

Teresa Adams is shy, so shy, the very thought of public speaking makes her feel queasy. But it’s only around other people that this unbearable shyness rears its head; from the safe haven of her bedroom, Tere has no problem pretending to be a radio DJ for Miami’s hottest station The SLAM, coincidentally owned by her stepfather. Music is the only thing that makes Tere feel like herself, so it’s no surprise when Tere volunteers to fill and empty slot for her stepfather’s station when it opens up. Now, it’s goodbye shy Tere and hello Sweet T. if only Tere could take Sweet T’s on-air confidence home and to school, when Tere could really use some support in standing up to popular queen bee Stacy and the mom Tere can never seem to please. Of course, it also wouldn’t hurt if Tere were able to hold a normal conversation with her crush Gavin. But now Tere has other things to worry about; her dual personalities are about to be put to the ultimate test when Tere becomes the grand prize in The SLAM’s latest contest, or rather, her as a prom date. Will Sweet T be victorious, or will Tere’s shyness rule once and for all?

Shrinking Violet is one of the sweetest stories I’ve ever read as well as one of the cutest music romances. Cuteness can only go so far though. This novel also is one of the most predictable I’ve ever read. Shrinking Violet held absolutely no surprises for me, and thus earned no points in the suspense department. I guess it’s a good thing then that I enjoyed this predictable romance as much as I did. It also helped that Tere’s character is well developed and realistic. Her painful shyness makes it easy to understand her reactions in various confrontations, such as with her mom, evil bully Stacy, cute Gavin, and even Pamela, the Mary Kay lady. It’s Tere’s poor self esteem that causes this shyness, and thus it makes the story all the more sweeter when Tere, predictably, gains even the smallest degree of self confidence. Lastly, I must really hand it to Joseph for her superb incorporation of music into Tere’s life and this novel. As a girl who can’t live without her iPod, I greatly appreciate this importance given to music and even found myself wishing Joseph’s fictional bands, such as Shrinking Violet, were real. Without a doubt, Shrinking Violet is a sweet story for music lovers that can cheer anyone up.

Shrinking Violet will be enjoyed primarily by readers who value music and enjoyed novels such as Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway, Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, and the Violet series by Melissa walker. Those looking for a satisfying romantic read will also want to check out this cute novel.

Rating: 4.0

Review copy from personal collection

Slept Away by Julie Kraut

Laney Parker is a city girl psyched for a summer of tanning, gossiping, and partying with her BFF Kennedy. But when Laney’s mother forcefully ships her off to sleepaway camp in Middle of Nowhere, Pennsylvania of all places, it becomes apparent that you can take the girl out of the Upper East Side, but you can’t take the Upper East Side out of the girl. Laney has no idea how she’s supposed to deal with sex segregation, athletic shorts, and actual sports in place of air conditioning, caffeine, and waking up post-noon. But once denied access to the real world via iPhone, Laney must make the best of the loserdom she’s allotted. But as the summer progresses, Laney begins to see that camp might not be the total nightmares she assumed it to be.

Slept Away is the classic tale of spoiled girl living the life forced out of her element to learn that there’s more to life than just physical stuff. There isn’t anything too original about Kraut’s version of this tale unless you count her remarkable skill for incorporating pop culture allusions and/or sarcasm on nearly every page. While this is a good starter for the novel, it quickly gets old and a little annoying. This whole novel has an undertone of immaturity running through it that makes me question the value and purpose of this novel. I even doubt the permanence of Laney’s realization that people are more than what they look like post-camp since Laney seems the type easily molded by circumstance and location. Three were times that I felt true sympathy for Laney’s plight, but I was more disturbed by the extent of her self-pity and the silliness of how big a deal Laney was making over having to attend camp. On the surface though, Slept Away is a cute and slightly enjoyable summer read.

Slept Away may appeal to younger teen readers who also enjoyed Alive and Well in Prague, New York by Daphne Grab, The Elite series by Jennifer Banash, and The Clique series by Lisi Harrison. This novel is cute enough, but I could not recommend it to readers looking for something more meaningful.

Rating: 3.25

Review copy from publisher Random House

And Then Everything Unraveled by Jennifer Sturman

Delia’s summer of lazily surfing under the California sun turns into just a fleeting dream when her internet genius mother T.K. Truesdale goes missing. The unexplainable disappearance of the research vessel T.K. was aboard leads most people to believe T.K. is dead—but Delia knows better. It would be impossible for someone as intelligent and organized as T.K. to just disappear from thin air. Nonetheless, Delia is sent to New York City to live with her polar opposite aunts, her new guardians. Now Delia has to deal with one ditzy but bohemian chic aunt, another uptight and severe, not to mention the snobby elite new school she’s been enrolled in and the unpredictable boy she shouldn’t like—all while trying to determine the whereabouts of her mother. But the deeper into the investigation Delia gets, the more she realizes that some people aren’t who she thought them to be, for better or worse, and that T.K.’s disappearance is just the beginning of something huge—and hugely dangerous.

And Then Everything Unraveled has the makings of a great mystery, with strange disappearances, shady characters, cryptic messages, danger, and the promise of a scandalous international conspiracy. What I love about this story is how Sturman puts everything in the context of the global economy, particularly fossil fuel dependence and corporate greed; it makes this mystery seem so much more important and relevant to the world today. Unfortunately, this is probably the best written part of the novel. The characters are not sufficiently developed; I understand that an important part of mysteries are the cryptic minor characters, but that does not mean that the main characters need to be neglected as well. I couldn’t get a clear image of Delia’s personality, and I don’t like how she is defined mostly by her search for her mother. She just seems kind of empty to me, and her mannequin role to her aunt Charley is more bothersome than an accurate portrayal of a teen girl. Sturman’s attempt at romance is also awkward. How Delia’s mental paralysis over a sighting her crush Quinn turns into Quinn being in love with her doesn’t completely add up, a situation only made worse by the fact that the reader barely gets to know Quinn’s character. Plus, I really dislike the end to this novel because practically everything is left up in the air, and I will be incredibly disappointed if And Everything Unraveled doesn’t get a sequel, because that would make this novel seem pointless.

Though lacking in character development, And Then Everything Unraveled is still an enjoyable, creative, and well structured mystery. I recommend it for fans of Dream Girl by Lauren Mechling and Linda Gerber’s Death by… series.

Rating: 3.75

Review copy from publisher Scholastic

North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley

Terra Cooper has a perfect body, tall, blonde, toned, in all respects except one—her face. The rest of her physical perfection seems to be forgotten when people see the birthmark splashing across her cheek. Terra can generally deal with this though, with layers of makeup, but she has a more difficult time handling her controlling father. It’s because of him that Terra’s mapped out future has become an impossible path since he’s forbidden her to attend the college of her choice. But then Terra unexpectedly meets Jacob, a surprising boy unapologetic for the way he dresses who’s more like Terra than she thinks. He challenges her perspectives on everything in her life, pushing her father off the course she’s charter for herself, until she doesn’t really know how to get back on track—or if she wants to.

North of Beautiful is a beautifully written story about identity, love, and inner beauty. Justina Chen Headley’s writing is very artistic and skilled with the way she creates such complex and realistic characters in emotionally trying situations. Terra’s character begins as an insecure girl who lets a birthmark and fear of her father dominate her life, but through meeting Jacob and traveling to China, she grows into a more independent, self aware, and confident young woman. Terra’s story is such an inspirational one, because Terra is able to learn to love herself despite having been ridiculed nearly all her life, especially by someone so close as her father, for something as insignificant as a physical characteristic. Justina Chen Headley brings the story and most of her characters to life by presenting both the negative and positive qualities of each situation and person, showing that even good people make mistakes and that even the bad guys can have some good in them. I honestly don’t think I can point out any major flaws in this structure or writing of this story, and any grievances I had concerning the occasional boringly descriptive passage were cancelled out the overall success of this novel in its sweetness, realism, and portrayal of true beauty.

I recommend North of Beautiful to any teen girl who’s ever doubted herself and fans of All About Vee by C. Leigh Purtill, Absolutely Maybe by Lisa Yee, Everything Beautiful by Simmone Howell, and anything by Sarah Dessen or Deb Caletti. I can’t wait to read more from Justina Chen Headley in Girl Overboard.

Rating: 4.5

Review copy from publisher Little, Brown