Corner Reviews: Rumors

Rumors
Anna Godbersen

We all remembered what happened to Elizabeth Holland, and the tragic events that led to her disappearance. But the town has put that behind them for the most part. Many matchmakers are now beginning to worry whether or not the catch of the ton, Elizabeth’s fiancé, Henry Schoonmaker, will be out of mourning for the Season.

And now that Elizabeth’s gone, the family troubles fall on her sister, Diana. She has no problem with this—especially since she’s got her eye on a certain someone. But would it be too improper?

Word has circled around that Elizabeth’s engagement ring has appeared. Could she still be alive? What does that mean for her family? Or… for her “friends”?

Whoever said that sequels don’t measure up to the first books obviously haven’t read Rumors yet. After awaiting somewhat impatiently for this book to come out, I devoured it with extremely high expectations. And I wasn’t disappointed! It was like I read The Luxe and Rumors back to back. There was no break in the story to distract me. Look for the next book in The Luxe series, Envy, coming soon.


Quote of the Day:

The things we know best are the things we haven't been taught.
-- Marquis de Vauvenargues

Review: The Year of Disappearances

The Year of Disappearances
Susan Hubbard

Thirteen year old Ari Montero is unique on both sides of the equation: she’s half human and half vampire. That doesn’t stop her from trying to find her place on both sides. While she lives with her mother, she makes a few friends. She thinks things are going good for once. But then her new best friend is murdered.

Scared, her mother enrolls her into college in another state. She meets some more interesting people. But one by one, they all start disappearing. Her family forms problems bigger than she could imagine.

But where does she fit into this equation? With factions pulling at her from every side, she’s bound to be confused.

The Year of Disappearances was definitely a unique book. I’ve been starting to get wary of new “vampire” novels that are coming out (because, face it—it’s a growing trend, and not all of the new novels are the best). However, I was impressed with this novel. It had a unique story line that I hadn’t encountered.





Quote of the Day:


I never seen nobody move the way she did
Well she did and she does and she'll do it again.
-- Jack Johnson, "Bubble Toes"

Review: Violet in Private

Violet in Private
Melissa Walker

Violet Greenfield’s back, but the question on everyone’s mind is “for how long”? Sure, she said she’s finished with modeling (except for that huge contract she landed) and going to college. And Violet’s worried that people will recognize her, or worse. . . that they won’t.

Of course, she really likes college and most of her classes. But when her ad comes out, she realizes that most people know who she is… and don’t like what she portrays in the ad. So Violet writes a piece for the campus newspaper. And it gets picked up by the Herald, she gets an offer that many would kill for: to be an intern at Teen Fashionista magazine.

But then, she’s Chloe’s responsibility. She has to deal with her when all she wants to do is be with Roger. Then, something happens that completely rearranges Violet and Roger’s friendship.

I’ve enjoyed all of Melissa Walker’s books in the Violet series. This one is no exception. When I picked up this book, it was like I hadn’t missed a single thing. The characters came back to me, and I was immediately absorbed into their story.

However, I do have one small criticism. It wasn’t enough for me to dislike the story (remember that, because I liked it a lot), but I didn’t really like how Violet and Roger’s relationship played out. When it got to a certain point, I kind of wanted to throw the book against the wall. It wasn’t what I was expecting at all. Still, it was a great book, and you should all immediately rush out and buy it!


Quote of the Day:

And our dreams, they are made out of real things
Like a shoebox of photographs with sepia-toned loving.
-- Jack Johnson, "Better Together"


Expect another post later today or tomorrow.

Review: Debbie Harry Sings in French

Debbie Harry Sings in French

Meagan Brothers

Johnny was only twelve when his dad died. With his mom suddenly too filled with grief to take care of them, Johnny learns how to take care of both of them. He also learns how to take care of himself – drinking, to make him buzzed.

Years later, Johnny is looked at as some kind of freak. He is pale, dresses in black, wears makeup, and listens to punk rock. He constantly gets called gay because of the way he dresses. When one night crawling into the bottle leaves him almost dead at a hospital, his mother sends him to get treatment for alcoholism at Parkview. Johnny’s glad he went, though, because if he hadn’t, he would have never discovered the band Blondie.

And even when Johnny is better and goes home, his mother packs him up and sends him to his uncle’s house in another state. And he meets Maria. And he thinks he’s falling in love. But he also thinks he wants to be like Debbie Harry from Blondie (and, well... dress like her). So does that mean he’s gay?

I can’t begin to describe how much I loved this book! Meagan Brothers didn’t hesitate to dive into the confusing world of sexuality. In fact, Johnny’s struggle with his sexuality gives a clear picture into Johnny’s mindset. Great music also played a large part in this story.

I love character struggles. Sometimes they get a little too cliché in some novels, but this novel was highly original! I was captured from the first moment, and I wasn’t disappointed.

Review: The Adoration of Jenna Fox

The Adoration of Jenna Fox

Mary E. Pearson

Jenna Fox has just woken up from a coma. Her parents told her that she was in an accident about a year ago. However, Jenna doesn’t remember. She doesn’t remember what her name is, her family, or anything from her life. She can figure out from the way her parents act around her that she’s the center of their world.

They try to help her remember who she was by showing her home videos from her past. Slowly, she begins to remember little pieces. But she knows enough to realize that something’s not right. She has memories of her grandmother being kind to her, but now it seems as if she hates Jenna. Her fingers don’t lace together quite right. What’s wrong with her? What really happened with the accident?

The Adoration of Jenna Fox was such a moving novel. Jenna’s struggle to find out who she really is was interesting. I really enjoyed the views I got into Jenna’s character since a good portion of the novel are Jenna’s thoughts. I would have loved to hear more about some of the other characters, but overall it was an amazing novel.

New Blog...

Well, sort of.

I created a new blog to keep links for my reviews in.

So if you're looking for a review, check there.

Corner Reviews.

Review: How to be Bad

How to be Bad

E. Lockhart
Sarah Mlynowski
Lauren Myracle

Jesse and Vicks have been friends for awhile. They work together; they get along great. Jesse usually feels like she can tell Vicks anything. But when she finds out her mom has cancer, she doesn’t tell anyone. She just wants to get away.

Vicks has this amazing boyfriend. They’re perfect together. But once he went off to college, things seem like they’re falling apart. He doesn’t call her. It’s been two weeks. And instead of telling her best friend this, she tells the new girl at work, Mel.

When Mel started working with Jesse and Vicks, she felt like the odd girl out. They were just good friends, and Mel never really had that. She’s used to people looking down on her because of her money, being second best to her sister, or being the tiebreaker in her family. So she invites herself along for the ride.

Each of their backgrounds are completely different, but they’re all united with the same goal: to get away. And though they may not be friends now, a series of events might make them closer than they could ever imagine.

How to be Bad was awesome! I thought that the writing would be inconsistent (as I’ve had previous experience with books written by multiple authors), but the story flowed continuously. The writing was seamed together; there were no flaws to distract the reader from the story. Which is good, because this heartwarming story of a blooming friendship is one that every person should check out.

Review: Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty

Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty

Jody Gehrman

Geena was definitely looking forward to this summer. She, her cousin Hero, and her best friend Amber were going to spend it all together. They were going to work together at the Triple Shot Betty, have sleepovers, paint each others’ toenails…

Her daydream crashed and burned when the two girls meet and instantly clash. They are completely different, Geena admits. While Geena is classified as a typical Skater Girl, Amber’s known for her not so innocent past, and Hero looks like an overprotected innocent princess.

Enter the guys: cute Italian, Geena’s “rival”, and the hottest guy in the city. But when Hero and Amber are messed with by the hottest guy in the city, Geena swears revenge. And when the three Betties are united with a common enemy, there’s nothing they can’t do.

Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty was such a cute novel! The characters continued to surprise me again and again as the novel progressed. Relationships were changed, images were changed, and the Betties were friends. This novel really showcased the old cliché with aplomb: we can do anything if we set our mind

Review: Mercy, Unbound

Mercy, Unbound

Kim Antieau

Mercy O’Connor is becoming an angel. She can feel the wings coming from her shoulder blades. Sometimes, she can hear them, and sometimes they are very uncomfortable. So she knows she’s becoming an angel. And angels don’t need to eat. So she doesn’t eat. Her parents, however, are not as sure.

Out of concern, her parents send her to a clinic called Mercywood that specializes in eating disorders. Mercy can’t understand why. She can see the other girls there definitely need help. But, she knows she doesn’t have an eating disorder. She doesn’t care about her weight. But when no one else can see her wings, Mercy begins to doubt. What if she’s killing herself?

I have to admit, I did take the first line of my review from the back of the book. It just seemed too perfect not to use it. So there, it’s cited. Mercy, Unbound was an amazing book. I was a little apprehensive when I saw that it only had 165 pages, but this book continued to surprise me. The lesson Mercy had to learn was deep. The number of pages didn’t keep the message away.

I loved Mercy’s character. Kim Antieau allowed half of the novel to be Mercy’s thoughts, and it gave a clear insight on her character. The more I would read this book, the more I would hope that Mercy would be okay. If you’re looking for a deep, meaningful read with a short page count, this is the book for you.

Review: The Strand Prophecy

The Strand Prophecy

J.B.B. Winner

Evolution has always been a huge part of our world. Now, it’s even bigger. We’re approaching a cycle of evolution brought on by radiation that will rapidly change everything. Prey will become predators. Predators will become prey. And humans are the most abundant in the world.

This is the message the mysterious Strand brings to the president. But when the president refuses to acknowledge it, he leaks the research on the internet. The next day, what he predicted occurs in Brazil.

Steve Cutter was a cold, indifferent scientist until his brother dies in a car accident. His brother’s daughter, Anna, has become the center of his world. He must do anything to protect her. He might even become someone else.

I wasn’t sure of what I was getting myself into when I picked up The Strand Prophecy. I had cringed at the words “It’s ‘X-Men Meets Jurassic Park…’” on the back cover. And I had to pull myself through the first few pages. But after that, I was pulled into the book. It kind of reminded me of a science fiction version of the movie Iron Man, but totally different on many different levels. I would highly recommend this book to any science fiction lover.

Review: Bewitching Season

Bewitching Season

Marissa Doyle

Twins Persephone and Penelope Leland couldn’t be more different. While Penelope can not wait to be presented to the queen and her first Season to begin, Persephone would rather stay at home and study. The two have one thing in common, however—magic. They both study magic under their governess’s care.

While in London, however, their governess goes missing. The twins immediately begin a plan to find her. But when their mystery links to the plot to gain control over the princess, they know they must do both—save their governess, and save the princess. And it doesn’t hurt to have a cute guy help them along the way, especially for Persy’s sake.

Since I really like novels placed during the 1700-1800s, it shouldn’t come as a surprise when I say that I really liked this novel. I actually ended up reading the entire book in one sitting. Once I got started, I could not put it down. I found that I could easily relate to Persephone. Although I’m not on a mission to help my governess or perform magic, her daily inside struggles are easy to relate to (especially when it comes down to her relationships). I highly recommend this novel to anyone who likes novels about magic, historical fiction, and/or mystery.

Review: The Patron Saint of Butterflies

The Patron Saint of Butterflies

Cecilia Galante

Honey and Agnes are two very different girls with one very big thing in common: they both live in Mount Blessing, a religious commune. While Agnes has a family with her and she tries to live a saintly life, Honey is by herself and doesn’t care to be a saint.

When Agnes’ Nana Pete comes for a visit and learns that the girls were punished in what the commune calls the “regulation room,” she decides that she’s going to take her grandchildren away. Her plan is suddenly set into motion when Agnes’s brother hurts his fingers and the commune leaders “perform a miracle” to put them back on. So she takes Agnes, her brother, and Honey back into the real world, and there, all of Honey’s questions about her past are answered.

The Patron Saint of Butterflies was hard for me to get into at first. But as the story went on, it was easier to see why the characters acted the way they did and why the plot moved as it did. It was pretty good, but one of those novels that I don’t think I’ll read again. The Patron Saint of Butterflies is, however, a novel worth looking for.

Review: The Summoning

The Summoning

Kelley Armstrong

Everyone thinks Chloe Saunders is crazy—her dad, her aunt, and even her schoolmates now. But then again, she was expelled for “attacking a teacher.” But Chloe isn’t sure what to believe about herself. She was seeing ghosts, so she must be crazy, right? There’s no such thing as ghosts, and they definitely do not talk.

So Chloe gets sent to Lyle House, a home for “crazy” teens. There she meets Rae, who has a ‘thing’ for fire, and Simon and Derek, two foster brothers who couldn’t be more different. When Chloe and Rae sneak in to look at Derek’s file, they notice that Simon doesn’t have one. Why is he here if there’s nothing wrong with him?

Maybe Chloe isn’t crazy. Rae, Simon, and Derek don’t seem to think so. There might be more than what meets the eye. And they might be the people to help her realize.

I absolutely loved The Summoning. With so many science fiction type books coming out recently, if most readers out there are like me, you start to wonder if any new good science fiction books are going to come. Believe me when I tell you that this is the book that we’re waiting for. The characters were interesting and unique, while the plot was strong and spellbounding. I absolutely cannot wait for the other two books in Darkest Powers trilogy to come out.

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by the time you read this, I should be somewhere between Louisiana and Georgia on my way to FBLA Nationals. Let me know if you're here too!

Review: Truancy

Truancy

Isamu Fukui

Tack is a fifteen year old just trying to get through school. Most of us would think that it’s not so bad. But for Tack, it’s even worse. Tack lives in a totalitarian city, where the Mayor and the Educators team up together to suppress the students and mold them into good, obedient citizens. But there are some students that just won’t be quieted. This group of students is called the Truancy, and their goal is to take down this school system.

Check out the rest of my review here.

Review: Roots and Wings

Roots and Wings

Many Ly

Grace’s whole world centers on the two people that make up her family: her mom and grandmother. She’s never met her father, and her mom won’t tell her about him. Yet she feels that there is something missing from her life. And when her grandmother dies, the hole in her heart gets even wider.

Check out the rest of my review here.

Review: The Fold

The Fold

An Na

It’s the last day of school, and Joyce has to find her courage. Today, she’ll ask her crush, John Ford Kang, to sign her yearbook. But her day goes all wrong. First she gets a huge zit and leaves her yearbook at home. The worst thing, however, is after she buys a new yearbook (fifty dollars!), and finally asks John to sign it, he mistakes her for someone else.

She knows she isn’t as pretty as her sister, Helen, is. But this event seemed to prove it to her. So when her aunt wins the lottery and offers Joyce a chance to get the eye fold surgery, she embraces the idea. Trying a temporary solution only reassures Joyce of what she wants to do. She can’t understand why Helen seems so disappointed in her… until she finds out her sister’s own big secret.

From a summary like that, it seems as if there isn’t anything that someone could not like about this novel. Many of my friends highly recommended An Na, praising her novel Wait for Me. So after reading this, I just wonder how someone who so many people rave about could write a book as horrible as this?

Yes, you might have guessed it. This is my first negative review. And believe me, it was hard to write. So let’s start with Joyce. It just amazed me how selfish and shallow she really is. She only worries about her looks and her crush and completely ignores her friends and family. Speaking of which, the book doesn’t cover a lot about her family. What is mentioned is extremely brief and sometimes confusing. I would have loved to know more about almost any other character in this book, especially her sister Helen and her friends. That would have made for a much richer story (and a much better novel).

Another thing: if you totally get embarrassed because your crush mistakes your name, not once but twice (he mistakes Joyce for Helen when she’s trying out a temporary eye fold), then why would you keep trying to impress him? Seriously. She needed to get a life and faced that there was someone right in her face for her and he was much better for her, too. I wasn’t very impressed with The Fold.

More Randomness... Yay!

Okay, I'm bad. I know. I just gave you a schedule and I already broke it. I'm disappointed in myself. Bad Megan! *slaps hand*

I've been reading; don't get me wrong. I just have written the reviews for them yet. There hasn't been much time between setting up that awesome new feature for you guys, work, and parliamentary practice (nationals is just a week away! eek). And if you don't know what that is, believe me. You don't want to know.

So, I'm going to try to crack down over the weekend (in between taking the ACT for the gazillionth time and work) to write some reviews for your reviewing pleasure. Some reviews for you to look forward to:

Bewitching Season by Marissa Doyle
The Patron Saint of Butterflies by Cecilia Galante
Roots and Wings by Many Ly
The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong
The Fold by An Na

AND I'm not going to disappoint you further. I did say that Fridays were going to be about my contests and/or extra entry opportunities. So! If someone can fix my problem with the stupid drop down arrow thingy not working. (see in my TBR list, that arrow thingy? I want one of those that will actually bring me to the review, instead of just listing them.) You'll get three extra entries if you can help me with this.

Review: Violet by Design

Violet by Design

Melissa Walker

Violet’s definitely enjoying her break back in her home town in North Carolina. She’s been ignoring all of her agents calls, determined to relax and be with her friends. But when she finally answers Angela’s call, she gets the offer of a lifetime. They want her to go to Brazil. She can see the world.

But in Brazil, Violet gets tangled up in a relationship that ends badly. And instead of wallowing in exercise, she wallows in pints of ice cream. Needless to say, she gains weight, and her agent isn’t very happy about it. When she gets an offer to be in a huge fashion show for one of the top designers, she couldn’t be more amazed. Except for the tiny fact that they want her to lose weight, scarily fast. Can she stay with her morals and be a true role model, or will she give into the time honored tradition of the modeling world?

And then there’s that thing with Roger. The Kiss. What does it mean to her? To him? Does he have any ties to the “I heart Violet Greenfield” that was scrawled on her locker junior year? Will she realize the truth too late?

Once again, Melissa Walker completely dragged me into Violet’s world. I was intrigued when I found out that Melissa brought out the dangerous topic of eating disorders in her novel. Not only was it interesting, but it showed readers that although many people worry about the way they look, it takes amazing courage to have the strength to turn away from those bad habits. On another note, I wanted to scream when the book was over about the tangled web that is the friendship of Roger and Violet. I can only hope to get my hands on the next installment, Violet in Private, as soon as I’m able.

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Okay, so I'm trying out that cool thing to have the posts show up at a later time, so if I posted twice today, I didn't mean to. I meant for it to post Tuesday.

I've got to figure this thing out since I won't be able to update personally with reviews and such between the 23rd and the 30th since I'll be at FBLA Nationals.

AND If someone knows how to put a drop down arrow thingy on my blog so I don't have a huge list of reviews in my TBR list, please tell me how to do it! I'd appreciate greatly!

Review: Violet on the Runway

Violet on the Runway

Melissa Walker

If you had asked Violet Greenfield to describe herself in one word, she’d tell you that she was plain with a capital P. It was her friends that were interesting: Julie, with her overachieving ways, and Roger, with his immersion of pop culture and a need to prove himself. And all Violet really wanted was to be a BK. A Bee’s Knees. One of those girls. The popular ones.

Then Violet meets Angela Blythe, who represents Tryst Models, at her dorky job at the movie theater. Not only does Angela think that Violet is gorgeous, but she wants her to go to New York City. To be a model. And you know what? She might just do it.

Melissa Walker’s Violet on the Runway is a definite “yes” when it comes to book recommendations. It was amazing to see how much Violet’s character changed when she hit the model scene in New York. And more importantly, her friendships and relationships only improve how interesting Violet truly is. With so much revolving around fashion these days, it was wonderful to get a novel that not only appeals to fashion lovers, but also to those of us who just want to see a “real” character.

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Mystery Prize extra entry opportunity:

Add me to your blogroll! Leave me a comment!

(I don't mind adding you to my blogroll, just ask :] )

Review: Suite Scarlett

Suite Scarlett

Maureen Johnson

Scarlett Martin’s family is unusual, even for New York City. They live in and own a hotel. The most unusual part about their family comes on the fifteenth birthday – in addition to the normal birthday gifts, each person gets a key to a room they have to take care of. Because, you see, the Martins may live in a hotel, but that doesn’t mean they’re rich. In fact, they’re a little bit further than that.

Check out the rest of my review here.