Abandon Review

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Author: Meg Cabot

Publisher: Scholastic

Release Date: April 26, 2011

Hardcover: 320 pages

Summary: (taken from Goodreads)

Though she tries returning to the life she knew before the accident, Pierce can't help but feel at once a part of this world, and apart from it. Yet she's never alone . . . because someone is always watching her. Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back.

But now she's moved to a new town. Maybe at her new school, she can start fresh. Maybe she can stop feeling so afraid.

Only she can't. Because even here, he finds her. That's how desperately he wants her back. She knows he's no guardian angel, and his dark world isn't exactly heaven, yet she can't stay away . . . especially since he always appears when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most.

But if she lets herself fall any further, she may just find herself back in the one place she most fears: the Underworld.

Review:

I am a huge fan of Meg Cabot, because whenever I pick up a book she's written, I know that it's going to be fun, hilarious, and entertaining. Her stories sweep me up, taking me into some sort of fiction-vortex, releasing me only after I've read through to the end. So it was a little surprising to realize that Abandon isn't this sort of fun, easy-reading type of story at all. In fact, it's dark, serious, and has very little laugh-out-loud humor at all.

But I liked it.

Given the subject matter, it only makes sense that this story isn't hilariously funny, and I think Meg does an excellent job in switching gears. What I appreciated most about the story is the set-up. For some, this book may drag a little, because of the care Meg puts into its development. (In my opinion, this just shows the trust she puts into her fans to stick with it until the end.) I really felt connected to Pierce and her situation. And though there wasn't a payoff large enough to make up for all the set-up at the beginning, the ending was enough to make me want the sequel, because I do think that Meg has an epic payoff for us at the end of the series and I can't wait to get it.

I also love how all the details at the beginning come together at the end -- I wasn't able to fully predict the ending of this one, which was very exciting. Also, this is a book that can lead to a lot of discussion about mythology and death, which I think is very cool. It would be a great addition to a book club or even a classroom, with the right lesson plan.

What can I say? Meg has once again got me hooked on yet another one of her series. (Not that I'm complaining!)

My rating: 4

**I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. A special thanks goes to Ann Larson, Meg Cabot's assistant, for making sure I got on the publisher's list of ARC requests. And another thanks to Scholastic for sending me an ARC of this book. I greatly enjoyed it.

The Goddess Test Review

Author: Aimee Carter

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Release Date: April 26, 2011

Paperback: 297 pages

Source: ARC (Thanks NetGalley!)

Summary: (Taken from Goodreads)

Every girl who has taken the test has died.

Now it's Kate's turn.

It's always been just Kate and her mom--and now her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld--and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he's crazy--until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess.

Review:

I have read so many good reviews of this book, and I tried really hard to like it. Really, I did. And it's not bad, it's just not as great as I thought it was going to be.

First of all, I really liked the premise behind this story. Like I've said before, I'm loving the new mythology twists everyone is coming out with. However, in this case, I think the author was far too ambitious. Dealing with Greek mythology is huge. It has a built-in set of expectations that I don't think this particular novel lived up to.

The thing I found most problematic was that there was very little development going on in this novel. Everyone instantly became friends or enemies, or enemies and then friends. I didn't understand it. Kate may feel like James is a good friend, but I don't feel the same way, because the relationship isn't explained. I don't know enough about him to make a decision for myself. Due to this, the characters were fairly weak; even Kate's character is weak. It's a first person novel, yet I don't know her at all. We don't get enough of her thoughts, just her decisions and actions. No inner conflict. Very little doubts or insecurities.

I also wanted a little more of an attitude on Kate. She just lets people boss her around! Why does she have to wear what Ella tells her? Especially when Kate's supposed to assume the role as queen. These conflicts didn't add anything to the novel, because they seemed trivial and easy to fix. Kate needs to show a little backbone if she's going to be Queen of the Underworld. She also needed a few more flaws. She was way too good and proper for me. I've been over characters like those since elementary school.

However, there were parts of this novel where I got excited and just had to read more. So that shows that the story isn't all that bad -- I was definitely interested. I cared about the outcome of the novel (even though it was painfully obvious to me what was going to happen), and I wanted to know more about the characters. I just wasn't given enough.

My Rating: 2

I'd like to thank Harlequin Teen via NetGalley for approving my request for an ARC of this novel.

Until later,

Trickster's Girl Review

Author: Hilari Bell

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin

Pub Date: 3 Jan 2011

Hardcover: 288 pages

Source: ARC (Thanks NetGalley!)

Summary: (Taken from Goodreads)

In the year 2098 America isn't so different from the USA of today. But, in a post-9/11 security-obssessed world, "secured" doesn't just refer to borders between countries, it also refer to borders between states. Teenagers still think they know everything, but there is no cure for cancer, as Kelsa knows first-hand from watching her father die.

The night Kelsa buries her father, a boy appears. He claims magic is responsible for the health of Earth, but human damage disrupts its flow. The planet is dying.

Kelsa has the powers to reverse the damage, but first she must accept that magic exists and see beyond her own pain in order to heal the planet.

Review:

I am loving all these mythological-based books now coming out and this one is no different. I love how Bell ties together all the different mythologies to incorporate it into the story she's made. It really works. The novel did have a few problems for me that I will go into later, but first let's talk about the good stuff.

Awesome thing #1: Subtlety. This is a futuristic world, but Bell doesn't make it so futuristic that I can't recognize it. Everything is similar but slightly off, which is exactly how I think the future will be. For example, there are hover vehicles, but regular vehicles still exist. People have "com pods" which I envision as some sort of really fancy iPhone. And some high school teachers seem to teach through computers, but it was still recognizably school. Some may argue that due to the rapid pace of technological advancements, it should have been more otherworldly, which I completely get; however, I really liked how I could recognize the old world in the new. Very well done.

Awesome thing #2: Native American mythology. I feel like this subject doesn't get written about a lot and it is SO interesting. Instead, many focus on Greek and Irish mythology (probably because that's what we mostly hear about in school). I liked the different flavor this mythology brought to the story, and I liked how it tied together with other mythologies. It especially works for the subject matter (healing the "leys," which are, essentially, a part of nature).

Awesome thing #3: It's a small thing, but I really liked how the evolution of the curse words was explained. I could totally see this happening in real life. Related to Awesome thing #1, it was similar enough that I recognized it, but just evolved enough to make it seem strange. Very cool.

Now for the problems.

Problem #1: Conflict. Using her "human magic" (as it's called) seemed to be really easy for Kelsa. And the incantations come rather easily to her. I know that the book says it takes her a little while to come up with the words, but I want to see the struggle. Especially since she's supposed to be conflicted about the existence of magic -- she is in denial, but then she just sits down and reaches out to the earth to heal it? Seems like a huge jump between mind frames. Conflict problems arose throughout the entire novel, I think. It was the biggest problem for me. I thought that things were fairly easy on Kelsa (until the end, of course), which I wasn't very happy with.

Problem #2: Development. Sometime between the beginning and middle of the novel, Kelsa got to become rather comfortable with Raven and his quirks. She would say things like "typical" when he did something, when I didn't find it typical at all. I really wished that there was more description of him and of the relationship they built so I could connect to him as well as Kelsa. This may have been a conscious choice on the part of the author since Raven is a spirit (or whatever you want to call him -- not human, anyway), and is therefore unrelatable. So I'm just going to list this as a personal preference.

However, I did think it was a good, fast read. I would recommend giving it a try.

My rating: 3

Until later!

One Hundred Candles Review

Author: Mara Purnhagen
Publisher: Harlequin
Pub Date: February 22, 2011
Paperback: 240 pages
Source: ARC (Thanks NetGalley!)

Summary: (Taken from Goodreads)

It's taken a long time for me to feel like a normal teenager. But now that I'm settled in a new school, where people know me as more than Charlotte Silver of the infamous Silver family paranormal investigators, it feels like everything is falling into place. And what better way to be normal than to go on a date with a popular football star like Harris Abbott? After all, it's not as if Noah is anything more than a friend….But my new life takes a disturbing turn when Harris brings me to a party and we play a game called One Hundred Candles. It seems like harmless, ghostly fun. Until spirits unleashed by the game start showing up at school. Now my friends and family are in very real danger, and the door that I've opened into another realm may yield deadly consequences.

Review:

I thought this story was interesting and creative, and I really enjoyed it. Charlotte certainly has a different life, and I liked seeing just how much her life revolved around the supernatural due to her parents’ job. The pacing of the book was perfect – it didn’t drag at all, and I was pulled in at all the right moments. I also enjoyed how Purnhagen pulls together the supernatural and the realistic. Adding the extra elements of protective crystals, candles, and ceremonies really made it stand out for me. Although this seems like stuff that would seem to be in all supernatural stories, I have found it in very few.

It’s also a great stand-alone book, even though it was the second in the series. I was able to catch on quickly as to what was going on and wasn’t confused as to who the characters were. However, I think that if I had read the first book, I’d have had a stronger connection with the characters, which would have been nice.

As I said, I really enjoyed the story, but the writing was a little too simplistic for me. The characters are very black-and-white and predictable. The main character says everything that’s going on in her mind in a very simple, direct manner. I think it’s a classic example of the writer “telling” rather than “showing.” Instead of showing that the main character was worried or sad by having her do something or act a certain way, she directly stated, “I am worried.” It makes the story less interesting to read, and definitely made me feel distanced from the characters, because I wasn’t interacting with them as much.
I thought the climax and ending was wonderfully done. By the time I got to the high point of the novel, I couldn’t put it down – I had to finish.

I would rate this at 3.5 stars, but it has a cool cover, so I’m bumping it up.

My rating:

Until later,

When Lightning Strikes Review

Author: Meg Cabot

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Reading Level: Young Adult

Paperback: 272 pages

Summary: (Taken from Goodreads):

Jess Mastriani has never been what you'd call a typical Midwestern teenager—her extracurricular activities, instead of cheerleading or 4-H, include fist-fights with the football team and month-long stints in detention. A part of Jess would like to be the prom queen her mother has always envisioned her being, but another part is secretly counting the days until she's saved up enough money to buy her own Harley.

Then something happens that guarantees Jess will be one of the in-crowd...at least until her newfound talent ends up getting her dead.

Review:

Meg Cabot is one of my all-time favorite authors. For real, though. Her books are always laugh-out loud funny and creative. Whenever I find myself in a bad mood, I know that I can just pick up one of her books and feel better in a few minutes. I like her Mediator series a little better than this one, but it's still really good!

I loved this book. It's a great mix of humor, danger, and a touch of romance. Jess is hilarious and an extremely strong female character, and Rob is HOT!!! This is my third time reading this book, and I find myself still laughing at the jokes and falling love with the characters. Meg's witty, fun writing style makes this book a fast and enjoyable read.

Besides making the characters fun, the premise of this story is really interesting. A girl gets struck by lightning and now can locate missing people. Meg takes it a step further and puts a little realism into it -- the government finds out and wants her to work for them. But she just wants to be an ordinary girl! The stakes are incredibly high, which I love. Meg certainly doesn't make it easy for her characters! I'm definitely looking forward to rereading the next books in the series.

Warning: If you start reading this book, make sure you have time to finish it, because you're not going to want to put it down!

My rating:

Until later,

Beautiful Creatures Review

Authors: Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (September 14 2010)

Reading Level: Young Adult

Pages: 592 pages

Summary (taken from Goodreads):

There were no surprises in Gatlin County. We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere. At least, that's what I thought. Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong. There was a curse. There was a girl. And in the end, there was a grave.

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them. In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

Review:

Honestly, I probably would have loved this book more without the romance factor. I’m getting rather tired of teen books that have the love-at-first-sight-I-can’t-live-without-you relationships going on. It’s very unrealistic and melodramatic. And it tends to make the main character whiney and mopey, because that’s what happens to a person when their “soul-mate” doesn’t want to be with them, apparently.

The characters were also seriously underdeveloped. For a book of this length, I have a higher standard for development but this one just didn’t come through. Ethan’s friends were ridiculous, as were most of the students (and parents and teachers) that were introduced. Most of the story worked off of stereotypes and clichés. That counts for the characters and the southern setting. The only part that I found unique was the magic. These authors write about witches rather than vampires, werewolves, fallen angels, or whatever. I greatly appreciated this and it was set up very nicely. I’m not going to say anymore, because figuring out exactly how the magic works for Lena’s family is a major part of the story. I will say that wanting to learn more about Lena, her family, and their magic is what got me through the book.

As for the story in general: I thought it was okay. There were parts that dragged, but there were also parts where I couldn’t put the book down. (The pacing could have been much better.) I did enjoy the flashbacks to the past and the history that was tied in with the Wate and Duchannes family. I thought this could have been done better, but was relatively satisfied with it.

Conclusion: It’s an okay book. A lot of people love it, but I thought that if it were condensed and then the characters were rounded out a little, it would have been much better. It has potential; it just doesn’t live up to it. But, if you’re in the mood for a semi-intriguing story about witches and star-crossed lovers, then this is the book for you.

Cover: 4/5

Plot: 3/5

Characters: 2/5

Writing: 3/5

Ending: 3/5

Overall: 3/5

The Book Thief Review

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf (September 11, 2007)

Paperback: 576 pages

Reading Level: Young Adult

Summary:

It’s just a small story really, about among (sic) other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . .

Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.

Taken from the publisher’s website:

http://www.randomhouse.com/features/markuszusak/books.html

Review:

I have been staring at the cover of this book on my “Amazon Recommendations” for the better part of 3 years. No joke. So, finally, after much self-promising that I’d read it, I decided to sit down and take the time to do it.

It only took me two days to finish – and that’s in the midst of final exams, group presentations, and research papers (written in French, no less) due within the week. Truly, this book is fantastic. There’s a reason it has been on the New York Times Best-Seller’s list for close to 170 weeks.

I was able to completely immerse myself in the story. Liesel’s family became my family; her friends, my friends. When she woke up from her nightmares and saw her Papa sitting by her bed, I was comforted with her. And the amazing thing is that I have very little in common with this girl. I live in a place that is nowhere close to being Nazi Germany; I don’t have to steal books to be able to read them; I don’t have a Jewish man hiding in my basement. But despite all this, within the pages of The Book Thief, I lived her life along with her.

Now, this isn’t a happy book. Not by any means. It’s set in Nazi Germany; there is a lot of suffering. But it does have its glorious moments. And I think that’s what I loved about it so much, because above all, this book is about life. There are moments that make you want to huddle in bed and cry until you pass out, but then there are moments – maybe with your dad, mom, or best friend – that make everything worth it. Life has its beautiful moments and its ugly moments; that’s how it is. This message, along with Zusak’s ability to get the reader to feel as if s/he is alongside Liesel, living life along with her, is what makes this book great.

Out of the 100 or so books I’ve read this year, this one is most definitely the BEST. I highly recommend it. If possible, read it in print; there are illustrations that greatly add to the story.

PS I thought I’d note that it is narrated by the grim reaper. Yeah, as if it wasn’t cool enough.

Cover: 5/5

Plot: 5/5

Characters: 5/5

Writing: 5/5

Ending: 5/5

My Overall Rating:

Until later,