In Your Room

In Your Room
Jordanna Fraiberg
Razorbill
$8.99 USD
October 2008
FTC: This is my book. I am not being compensated for reviewing this book.

Characters 15/20
Plot 20/20
Setting 15/20
Cover 18/20
Ending 18/20
Total grade: 86% B

Total rating: 12+

Summary: (Amazon)
Molly and Charlie have fallen head over heels in love—even though they’ve never met Molly is a fashion-conscious city girl in L.A. Charlie is an earthy, mountain-biking dude from Boulder, Colorado. Each of them has big plans with their respective friends for the summer—until they discover that their parents decided to swap houses!
Luckily there’s no amount of homesickness that a bit of snooping can’t cure. Charlie and Molly begin crawling under beds and poking around in closets to find out a little more about each other—and they like what they find.
Can Charlie and Molly’s long-distance romance survive jealousy, misunderstandings—and the thousand miles between them?

My Thoughts:
This book was nothing that I expected. I felt the characters were well developed but that there was no variety. I don’t think everyone could easily make a connection with this book. When I saw that it was compared to the MTV Show, Room Raiders, I was super excited. Whoever came up with that connection though must have never seen the show. It was nothing like it at all.

The plot was a nice change to the typical boy-meets-girl stuff we see. I thought it was fairly well developed for the difficulty of the plot.

I recommend this book to younger teen romance fans.

Quotes:
Here is a random quote I found by turning to a random page:

Tell me more about the stars.

Beautiful Americans

Beautiful Americans
Lucy Silag
Razor bill
$16.99 Hardback US
January 2009
FTC: This is my book that I bought. I did not receive it from the author or publisher.

Characters 20/20
Plot 20/20
Setting 20/20
Cover 18/20
Ending 20/20
Total grade: 98% A

Sexual content: 10/20
Violence: 0/20
Drugs: 5/20
Underage drinking: 15/20
Swearing: 10/20
Total rating: 15+

Summary: (goodreads)
What happens in Paris...
Secrets--PJ's deep blue eyes and angelic long blond hair conceal a truth that's anything but. Will her dark past stay where it belongs in the backwoods of Vermont, or haunt her in the city of light?

Passion--Always the good girl, Olivia plans to twirl her way to the top of the Parisian ballet scene. But that's not supposed to include dancing on a table all night...or stumbling into the arms of the wrong boy.

Lies--With his emo-trendy bedhead, hilarious comebacks and Southern drawl, Zack could win over anyone. Too bad he's after the only one who's forbidden...

Scandal--All Alex wants from Paris is to nab that berry-red Dior coat and seduce the perfect penny-loafer-wearing boy - and Alex always gets what she wants. But will her scheming pay off? Or is she risking more than she knows...?

Alex, Olivia, Zack and PJ are spending a year at the prestigious Lycée de Monceau in the sparkling city of Paris. This is their chance to sip cafe au lait in Le Marais, throw secret parties in their host families' Versailles-size apartments, and have the time of their lives. But when the secrets they thought they left behind come out, everything could be ruined…

My Thoughts:
I absolutely loved this book! I had seen a few reviews that were not so great but I like to be my own judge. I feel that I can be a bit over critical of books so for me to love one its for real.

There were so many characters in this book and they were all so unique. I found a part of myself in each and every one of them!

The plot was very unique too. Come on, foreign exchange AMERICAN students? Not something we really ever read about! We should though because it was super fun. I have the sequel in my TBR pile and I don’t know how I’ll wait for its turn! What a cliff hanger!

I recommend this book to all of my readers! Give it a try!!

Quotes:
Here is a random quote (or 2) I found opening to a random page:

“What were they taking pictures of?”

“Leave her alone!” I yell as people heckle her.

Tenner

Today Heidi R. Kling, author of Sea is here to chat.

1. What has been the most exciting part of getting published?
Honestly? Everything. Each new thing is more exciting than the last.

2. How long did it take you to get published?
That depends how you look at it. When I got serious about the business side of it (going to conferences, agent searching--) it happened rather quickly--but I have both my BA and my MFA in creative writing, so I've been working toward this goal a very long time.

3. Were you faced with rejection at first? How did you handle it?
Rejection is terrible. I handled it like most people do--with lots of whining. ;) Then I brushed the pity off and got back to work. You can't give up if you want to achieve your goal.

4. Where did you get your ideas for this book?
SEA was inspired by my husband's real life volunteer trips to Indonesia after the tsunami.

5. What do you think or hope readers will gain from your novel?
A heightened sense of awareness about their world. The appreciation that the human spirit can rise above tragedy. That there is always an underlying hope even in the darkest corners.

6. When writing do you outline or just begin?
I just begin. I sort of do a broad outline now for projects, because otherwise I end up on endless tangents that are fun to write, but that editors don't like so much. :)

7. What authors inspire you?
L.K. Madigan's debut novel Flash Burnout was crazy awesome. I found early inspiration in John Green's Looking for Alaska and Laurie Halse Andersons's Speak. Maggie Stiefvater's massive amounts of creative energy inspires me to believe I can take on more than I originally thought. I love YA and YA authors--to me they all have this youthful spirit and energy that is contagious.

8. Complete this: While writing this book I learned...
That writing a novel that will sell takes a lot of heart. I think you aren't totally in love with your project, the reader can feel that. Don't be afraid to fall in love along with your characters--don't be afraid to be disappointed when they are; feel fear when they do. You're on this journey together.

9. Complete this: You should buy my novel because...
It's awesome? Hee. I don't know. If you like love stories, if you like exploring deeper issues, if you like exotic settings. If you are a sucker for romance and hope and Big Life Things then you'd probably like it. Also, it has a pretty nice cover. :)


Thanks for having me, Ashley!

Thank you Heidi! You all should check out Sea :) I know I will be :)

Skeleton Creek Series

Skeleton Creek and Ghost in the Machine
Patrick Carman
Scholastic
$14.99 each
February and November 2009
FTC: I received these books from the publisher with the understanding that I would provide an honest review with no compensation.

Characters 18/20
Plot 18/20
Setting 16/20
Cover 15/20
Ending 18/20
Total grade: 85% B

Total rating: 13+ for creep factors

Summary: (Amazon)
Ryan McCray and Sarah Fincher wonder how Skeleton Creek, OR, received its name. Research takes them on a nighttime expedition to a mechanical dredge, where Ryan breaks his leg. The teens think the dredge is haunted by Joe Bush, a miner killed there. The book is interspersed with Sarah's videos, which can be accessed on the Internet. The mystery remains to be solved; sequels are guaranteed.

My Thoughts:
I will start right off and say I was not a fan. I did not like the bouncing between online and book. I want to be able to sit down and read a book all the way through without having to go online. I also felt the plot left much to be desired. It was unique but not full.

It was cool that is was set in Oregon since not many books are! I’m an Oregon girl (by birth not choice) so the publicity is kind of cool. No I’ve never heard of a Skeleton Creek though ;)

I recommend this to mystery and creepy book fans.

Quotes:
Here is a random quote from each book I found by opening to a random page:

When he saw me, dad sat me on his lap and touched my knees with a cold dishrag from the kitchen sink.

I had turned the light off so it was totally dark except for the light from my

Wednesday Wishlist

Before, After, and Somebody in Between
by Jeannine Garsee

Summary: (Barnes and Noble)

My sympathy fades as Chardonnay twists around to spread her lips in a demented grin. Her long yellow teeth probably haven’t seen a toothbrush in months. I take a chance and smile back, and what do I get? A pudgy middle finger jabbed under my nose.

My next thought is: Wow. I may not even survive homeroom.

One hour into her first day of tenth grade, Martha Kowalski knows she’s really in trouble. The school bully, Chardonnay, has already threatened her life—and at home, things are even worse. Martha’s mom, fresh out of rehab, is shacking up with an obnoxious jerk in a neighborhood that can only be described as a “ghetto.”

More than anything she’s ever wanted, Martha wants to play the cello. But even music becomes dangerous to her health—because nothing is what it seems in this place. With her mother’s willpower dissolving, Martha watches helplessly as her own dreams slip further away.

But in an exhilarating twist that would stun even Cinderella, everything changes. A wealthy lawyer invites her into his family’s home and Martha is given a chance to start over. The warm, caring Brinkmans treat Martha like one of the family and even though it feels so right, she knows they can’t be as perfect as they seem. And she knows that this fairy tale can’t last forever…

Why: It sounds unique and I hardly know anyone who has read it!

Fun

Here is a fun survey I took :)

01: What author do you own the most books by?
Zoey Dean. I have most of the A-List
02: What book do you own the most copies of?
None
03: Did it bother you that both those questions ended with prepositions?
Um no?
04: What fictional character are you secretly in love with?
Eric (Sp?) from Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Can you say ADORABLE
05: What book have you read the most times in your life?
Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume 4 times
06: What was your favorite book when you were ten years old?
Not sure… The Wanderer or Harry Potter
07: What is the worst book you’ve read in the past year?
Oh goodness. It was so bad I don’t remember the title but I can picture the cover.
08: What is the best book you’ve read in the past year?
Is this even a serious question?
09: If you could force everyone you tagged to read one book, what would it be?
Tiger Eyes. Its amazing. I don’t loan out my copy, that’s how dear it is to me.
10: Who deserves to win the next Nobel Prize for 'Literature?
Eh, everyone durrr. No seriously if you get published your awesome. An award doesn’t make you any better.
11: What book would you most like to see made into a movie?
The Naughty List
12: What book would you least like to see made into a movie?
The A List Series
13: Describe your weirdest dream involving a writer, book, or literary character.
None that I can recall
14: What is the most lowbrow book you’ve read as an adult?
Say what?
15: What is the most difficult book you’ve ever read?
The Iliad. It just sucked so I struggled. It wasn’t hard just not what I wanted to comprehend.
16: What is the most obscure Shakespeare play you’ve seen?
Haven’t read or seen Shakespeare to be honest.
17: Do you prefer the French or the Russians?
Um what the hell does this have to do with books?
18: Roth or Updike?
I am confused…
19: David Sedaris or Dave Eggers?
Uh… this is getting dumb
20: Shakespeare, Milton, or Chaucer?
ummmmm
21: Austen or Eliot?
Have read neither but I’ll say Austen
22: What is the biggest or most embarrassing gap in your reading?
none
23: What is your favorite novel?
Tiger Eyes
24: Play?
none
25: Poem?
The ones Lex writes
26; Essay?
none
27: Short story?
Again… NADA
28: Work of nonfiction?
Diary of Anne Frank
29: Who is your favorite writer?
Hahaha funny joke! Oh, were you serious?
30: Who is the most overrated writer alive today?
You all will stone me, but Stephanie Meyer. Her writing is no better than most yet she gets all this hype.
31: What is your desert island book?
Cant I take all?
32: And… what are you reading right now?
Heartless Sara Shepard
Perfect You Elizabeth Scott

My Soul to Save Contest

No Must Monday today, instead I am hosting a contest!

The publisher says US addresses only and no PO Boxes

Three (3) winners will receive:
Book #2 in the Soul Screamers series: My Soul to Save

The contest ends 2/9/2010

CHECK OUT THE BOOK TRAILERhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XAEKAXRN8E

VISIT THE OFFICIAL WEBSITEhttp://www.soulscreamers.com

ABOUT THE RELEASE
When Kaylee Cavanaugh screams, someone dies.

So when teen pop star Eden croaks on stage and Kaylee doesn’t wail, she knows something is dead wrong. She can’t cry for someone who has no soul.

The last thing Kaylee needs right now is to be skipping school, breaking her dad’s ironclad curfew and putting her too-hot-to-be-real boyfriend’s loyalty to the test. But starry-eyed teens are trading their souls for a flickering lifetime of fame and fortune in exchange for eternity in the Netherworld—a consequence they can’t possibly understand.

Kaylee can’t let that happen, even if trying to save their souls means putting her own at risk….

Soul Screamers: The last thing you hear before you die.

To enter:

comment

follow +1

blog post +5

Sing me To Sleep Contest

I am giving away a signed copy of Sing Me to Sleep!

This contest is open to US and Canada only.

The contest ends 2/5/2010

+1 comment
+1 follow
+5 blog post
+5 each new follower you bring me

Tenners

Swati Avasthi is the author Split.

1. What has been the most exciting part of getting published?
The conversations about Split have been incredible to me. When readers / bloggers discuss it, I am thrilled that these characters that existed only in my head now have a life of their own, that people have opinions about Jace, and that they cared about what happened to him. When I discuss Split with my editor or agent, I am tickled that there are people who take my work as seriously as I do and who want the novel to succeed the way I do.

2. How long did it take you to get published?
My fabulous agent, Rosemary Stimola, sold Split at auction in three weeks. (I've nicknamed her my fairy godmother.) That was in October, 2008. Split will come out on March 9, 2010. The good people at Knopf put a lot of time and energy making sure that their books are published well and that takes time.


3. Were you faced with rejection at first? How did you handle it?
Sure, I've faced rejection. Primarily for the short stories I've had published. First, my husband and I decided that someday we'd press all the little slips into a dart board. Then, I realized that rejection is one of the rites of initiation into the biz and started just tossing the slips. That's what I tell my students -- might as well start collecting them.

For Split, I had very little rejection: I suppose, a couple of the houses we sent it to didn't bid on it, but that feeling was lost in all the excitement of an auction. It was an amazing process. I was looking down at Cloud Nine for months.

4. Where did you get your ideas for this book?
Split is about a 16 year old boy who has been thrown out of his abusive home and needs to start over. The idea germinated when I was coordinating a domestic violence legal clinic in Chicago. People -- primarily women -- came in seeking orders of protection. Once, when a victim was telling me about about a pretty brutal incident while her kids were in the room, I asked her I should have an intern look after them. She said no, that they had seen it. And that bothered me and what bothered me even more, perhaps, was that I felt angry at her for failing to protect her kids. Of course, what I was doing was victim blaming and I knew that didn't make sense; I knew I should be focusing my blame on the abuser. The incident helped me realize the extent of helplessness women face. I understand that a parent can't give to her child what she doesn't have for herself. If you don't have food, you can't give some to your child; if you don't have a safe place, you can't make one for your child, but I still struggle with what a mother's responsibility is to her kids. In that struggle, I gave the problem to Jace to see what he could make of it.


5. What do you think or hope readers will gain from your novel?
First and foremost, a good story. I hope readers stay up late because they can't put it down and I hope at the end of the journey, they feel satisfied with the book. A reviewer recently suggested that Split asks the reader to imagine and that, to me, is a great source of satisfaction; I hope for fan fic, re-imaginings, and characters who have staying power.

Second, that an abuse story isn't over after the escape; it many ways, that's only the beginning. Third, I hope the book forces readers to decide for themselves what to do with Jace's conundrums, all of them.


6. When writing do you outline or just begin?
I begin. As I'm writing it, I document what I've written in something like an outline so I can keep track of where I've been. Then I use that outline to help me as a revise.


7. What authors inspire you?
Laurie Halse Anderson, Harper Lee, Pete Hautman, John Green, Julie Schumacher, Gene Huang, Tom Stoppard, Aaron Sorkin, William Styron, William Faulkner, Nicholson Baker, Jim Moore, Billy Collins, Emily Bronte, Emily Dickinson... so many.


8. Complete this: While writing this book I learned...
The difference between a Polar Star mock orange tree and a double mock orange tree; how complicated it is to keep a secret when writing in first person; the extent of my family's patience with me (a lot); how to transition between sections and chapters; that the average YA novel is around 60,000 words; the difference between the marketing and publicity department and so much more.

9. Complete this: You should buy my novel because...
a) It will bring peace and good will to mankind.
b) It's not that expensive.
c) "You like me. You really like me."
d) You want to know what Jace is hiding, you like Jace's voice, and you want to find a new author that might give you a good book; it's worth the risk.

Once Was Lost

Once Was Lost
Sara Zarr
Little, Brown
$16.99
October 2009
FTC: I received this book from the publisher with the understanding that I would provide an honest review with no compensation.

Characters 18/20
Plot 18/20
Setting 15/20
Cover 18/20
Ending 18/20
Total grade: 87% B

Sexual content: 0/20
Violence: 0/20
Drugs: 0/20
Underage drinking: 0/20
Swearing: 0/20
Total rating: 10+ in cleanliness and 14+ in connections

Summary: (Barnes and Noble)
As a pastor's kid, it's hard not to buy into the idea of the perfect family, a loving God, and amazing grace. But lately, Sam has a lot of reasons to doubt. Her mother lands in rehab after a DUI, and her father seems more interested in his congregation than his family. When a young girl in her small town goes missing, the local tragedy overlaps with Sam's personal one, and the already worn thread of faith holding her together begins to unravel.

My Thoughts:
This was another book where it just started out to slow for me. I need the plot to really begin within the first 50-60 pages of a book and this book made me make it almost half way through before it really started!

The kidnapping idea is a very good one. Not too many YA books are about kidnaps so that got this book a few extra points from me!

I would recommend this book to people who are interested in “pastors kids” and kidnapping.

Quotes:
Here is a random sentence from a random page:

“I wish we could take it out onto the freeway,” he says.

Tenners

Leah Cypess is the author of Mistwood.

1. What has been the most exciting part of getting published?
It’s hard to say, because every time I reach a new milestone, I find
it more exciting than the one that came before! Getting the offer was
definitely the biggest rush. Seeing the jacket cover was amazing,
especially because I love my cover so much. It was a thrill to see my
text in galleys, looking like a real book. Being a published author
has been a lifetime dream for me, so every time something happens that
reminds me that it’s real, I feel like I should pinch myself.

2. How long did it take you to get published?
A loooong time. I’ve been writing pretty much my whole life, but
started getting serious about market research and submissions during
high school, which was when I published my first short story. It’s
been more or less 15 years since I sent my first novel-length
manuscript to a publisher. (In retrospect, I’m very happy that no one
agreed to publish the book I wrote in high school!)

3. Were you faced with rejection at first? How did you handle it?
Loads and loads of rejection. :) For the most part, I took it pretty
well. I read in a NYT obituary of Katherine Hepburn that when she was
fired from a play when she was younger, she didn’t mind; talking about
it in retrospect, she said, "I am terribly afraid I just assumed I'd
be famous." I think a part of me always believed I was going to get
to be a published writer eventually. It helped that there was obvious
improvement in the types of rejections I was getting -- from form
rejections, to detailed rejections, to invitations to send more work,
to revision requests, to editors who wanted to buy my books but were
turned down by the acquisition committee.

4. Where did you get your ideas for this book?
I couldn’t tell you – the first scene just came into my head one day,
and I wrote it down without knowing whether it was going to be the
beginning of a novel or a short story. (This actually happens to me
often; usually, though, those scenes end up going nowhere.) The plot
and characters just unfurled in front of me as I wrote.

5. What do you think or hope readers will gain from your novel?
Most of all, I hope they’ll enjoy reading it! But I also hope they’ll
identify with Isabel’s struggle, and that it will be helpful to them
if they’re facing a similar struggle in their own life.

6. When writing do you outline or just begin?
I always just begin and see where the story is taking me. In
Mistwood, it took me all the way to the end! But more often, about a
third of the way in, I start writing fragments out of order, so
eventually I have stop and make an outline to impose structure on the
book. Then I come up with more ideas that don’t fit with that
outline, so I write them out, and change the outline. I’ve usually
gone through three or four outlines by the time a book is done.

7. What authors inspire you?
Any time I read a book that takes me into another world, I feel
inspired. Juliet Marillier, Megan Whalen Turner, Dave Duncan, and
Libba Bray are four examples of authors who inspire me.

8. Complete this: While writing this book I learned...
about castles, senses animals have that humans don’t, and the various
ways to throw a knife!

9. Complete this: You should buy my novel because...
if you like fantasy, adventure, and mystery with a little bit of
romance mixed in, I think you would enjoy reading Mistwood.

You all should check out Mistwood! I know I will be!

Wednesday Wishlist

Here is what is on my wishlist this week!

Beautiful World (Beautiful World Series)
by Anastasia Hollings

Summary: Barnes and Noble

Amelia Warner will stop at nothing to get what she wants: everything.

Seventeen-year-old Amelia Warner is always on the outside. Moving from boarding school to boarding school with her brother and their father, the untenured professor, doesn't help. Amelia lives inches from the sons and daughters of the elite, forever looking in on the beautiful people. A natural-born charmer who doesn't lie so much as rework the truth to her advantage, Amelia is well-versed in the art of faking a high-society identity to get limited access to the luxe life, but she's never figured out how to truly belong. Then she meets Courtney Moore, the Upper East Side heiress who needs a friend as badly as Amelia wants to be that friend, and suddenly a world of opportunity opens up for her. Parties, shopping, her own wing in the Moore mansion—it's all hers for the taking, as long as she can keep her real life a secret, especially from the new acquaintance who's been asking way too many questions. Can Amelia stay one step ahead of the doubters to secure her place in the beautiful world?

Why?

This sounds dramatic and we gotta love out book drama :)

My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters

My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters
Sydney Salter
Graphia
$7.99
April 2009
FTC: I received this book from the publisher with the understanding that I would provide an honest review with no compensation.

Characters 18/20
Plot 15/20
Setting 15/20
Cover 18/20
Ending 20/20
Total grade: 88% B

Sexual content: 2/20
Violence: 0/20
Drugs: 0/20
Underage drinking: 0/20
Swearing: 2/20
Total rating: 11+ in Cleanliness, 13+ in connections.

Summary: (Barnes and Noble)
It’s the end of junior year, and summer is about to begin. The Summer of Passion, to be exact, when Jory Michaels plans to explore all the possibilities of the future—and, with any luck, score a boyfriend in the process. But Jory has a problem. A big problem. A curvy, honking, bumpy, problem in the form of her Super Schnozz, the one thing standing between Jory and happiness. And now, with the Summer of Passion stretched before her like an open road, she's determined for Super Schnozz to disappear. Jory takes a job delivering wedding cakes to save up for a nose job at the end of the summer; she even keeps a book filled with magazine cutouts of perfect noses to show the doctor. But nothing is ever easy for accident-prone Jory—and before she knows it, her Summer of Passion falls apart faster than the delivery van she crashes.

My Thoughts:
This book was actually better then I expected. My friend that usually has the same taste as me did not like this book but I really enjoyed it.

The plot was cute but some-what predictable. The characters were adorable and showed real chemistry.

I would recommend this book to fans of cute romances.

Quotes:
Here is a random sentence I found by opening to a random page:

She yanked her blouse up, exposing her stomach.

Wish Tour

I am a day late posting this because my grandpa had a heart problem so I was out of town! Here it is now though!

Alexandra Bullen has gifted us with a guest post!

If you could have anything, what would you wish for?

This is the question that WISH asks of you—both in the story and, hey, it’s right there on the back of the book!—and, fairly enough, it’s also the question I have been asked most frequently, over the course of the past few weeks.

I had no idea how hard it would be for me to imagine what I’d do with three wishes. I’ve thought about it long and hard, day and night. I’ve thought about it standing up and doing the dishes, I’ve thought about it on long walks with the dogs. I’ve even done that annoying thinking-too-much-in-the-shower thing, where you accidentally condition your hair before shampooing it, or wash your face with shaving cream. (I’ve really done this. Not awesome. Not at all.)

I’ve thought and I’ve thought and I’ve thought, and then, one morning, as I was staring into my refrigerator for no reason, it hit me. The reason I can’t think of any wishes is exactly the reason why, if I were to walk into Posey’s magical dress-making shop tomorrow, she’d probably take one look at me, make some kind of snide remark about whatever I was wearing, and send me on my way.

See, Posey only has the power to grant wishes to people who deserve them. People who really, truly need her help. At the beginning of WISH, Olivia is completely stuck. She is head-to-toe buried in sadness and no matter how hard she tries, she can’t see a way out. By granting her three wishes, Posey is able to give Olivia the opportunity to side-step her grief, first by bringing Violet back, and then by helping Olivia to slowly build a road out of her sadness, on her own terms.

This is the kind of wishing I’m most interested in—the wishes we make when we’re the most desperate, when we know in our hearts that we can’t do it alone. I’ve made them before, and I have no doubt I’ll make them again. And it’s nice to think that, when I do, there might be somebody like Posey to hear me.

But as for right now, things are pretty okay. I won’t begin to pretend that I’d deserve Posey’s help. I couldn’t waste her time like that—besides, between helping Olivia, and helping the new Olivia and lucky star of WISH 2, I’d say Posey’s got enough on her plate. :)

Must Monday

This is what I'm waiting to be released as of this week.

For Keeps
by Natasha Friend

Summary: Barnes and Noble

Josie's never met her dad, and that's fine with her. To Josie, Paul Tucci is just a guy who got her mom pregnant and then moved away. It all happened sixteen years ago, when Josie's mom was still a teenager herself. But now Paul Tucci is back in town, and Josie has to deal with not one but two men in her life—her father and her first boyfriend, who Josie fears will hurt her just like Paul hurt her mother.

Why?

The plot of this book sounds really intriguing and like something I would LOVE!

Tenner

Holly Nicole Hoxter is the author of The Snowball Effect.

1. What has been the most exciting part of getting published?
There have been so many exciting moments, but holding the book in ARC form literally made me cry, so that's probably my favorite part so far. It didn't feel real until I saw the actual book. I may drop dead from excitement the first time I see it in a bookstore. Not literally, though. I’ll probably just make a scene and cry again.

2. How long did it take you to get published?
Well, it took a year from the time I started writing The Snowball Effect until it sold, and then a two year wait until the publication date. But before that, I started my first novel when I was 17 and worked on that for six long years. Once I started actively trying to get an agent and get published, it didn't take long at all, as far as these things go. But it took me awhile to get serious and actually start trying.

3. Were you faced with rejection at first? How did you handle it?
Rejection? Never! Hahaha. My first novel probably received 30-40 total agent rejections before I stopped querying that one. The Snowball Effect had much less because I only sent it to a select few agents, and then of course we had a few publisher rejections. I had a shockingly healthy attitude toward rejection. I accepted it and rarely took it personally. I had my share of disappointment and frustration (like the time I spent the entire day irate because an agent rejected me AND got my name wrong), but I always knew that writing is what I was born to do, so I didn't let rejection rattle me. I just waited patiently for the right people to say "yes." Okay, I don't know why I'm being such a liar. I did not wait patiently AT ALL. I could handle rejection just fine, but the waiting nearly KILLED me. There's so much waiting in the publishing business. It's not fun. It's much worse than rejection.

4. Where did you get your ideas for this book?
A weird dream sparked a "what if" moment. I wondered how I would handle things if my parents died and I had to raise my younger sisters. Because I'm not a perfect wonderful daughter, it occurred to me that I would probably be pretty angry with them. Then Lainey appeared, like magic, and I knew her entire story. On a personal level, I was going through a rough time in my life emotionally, so I poured all of my anger and bitterness into Lainey. Part of me would have rather cried all day and ate blocks of cheese until I was too fat to move, but writing the novel was more healthy and productive.

5. What do you think or hope readers will gain from your novel?
I don't have any expectations. I'm reminded of that Anais Nin quote, "We don't see things as they are, we see things as we are." Everyone's bringing their own personal experiences to the novel so everyone will get something different out of it. Some people will hear a message that never even occurred to me, and I think that's great. My mother and I argue about whether Lainey ended up with the right guy at the end, and I don't think I'm necessarily right just because I wrote it.

6. When writing do you outline or just begin?
Outline FTW. I can't begin if I don't know where I'm going. I'm stubborn like that. I have notes and outlines and color-coded post-it notes carefully arranged on my storyboard. I'm not rigid, though, and things can definitely change at any time. It's like leaving for a road trip and taking a map. You never HAVE to follow it, but it's there when you need it.

7. What authors inspire you?
As far as YA goes, Elizabeth Scott, Garret Freymann-Weyr, and Dominique Paul because I love their writing. And Justine Larbalestier and Scott Westerfeld because they always live where it's summer!

8. Complete this: While writing this book I learned...
That I should marry my current boyfriend because he took such good care of me and was so wonderful while I was in my writing haze (and query hell). I know he'll always support my dreams and make sure our future kids are fed and bathed while I barricade myself in my office and make up stories.

9. Complete this: You should buy my novel because...
...you have $15 and want to read it?
...it will lift your spirit, renew your faith in humanity, and other cliches?
...I need to earn enough royalties to buy a sweet Corvette?

You all should get yourself a copy of this book! I have mine and cant wait to share my review with you!

Tenner (Day 2)

Today I have Kristina McBride, author of Tension of Opposites here for a chat.

What has been the most exciting part of getting published?
The most exciting part of my publishing experience is that my lifelong dream has finally come true. It’s one of those things I never really knew would or could happen. I doubted myself the whole way, and still have moments where I feel like I’m not going to measure up. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure it’s all real.

How long did it take you to get published?
There are two answers to this.

The first is: My Whole Life. I have always loved reading and writing, and have always dreamed of holding my own book in my hands. The problem I had from childhood until just recently was that I was too shy to share my work. I think the best part was that when I sent my manuscripts off to agents asking for representation and editors to see if they’d like to work with me was that I didn’t know them. There’s something really scary about people I know personally reading my work.

The second answer to this: Since I Quit Teaching in 2005. I quit teaching to stay home with my first child and to work on making my dream of being published come true. THE TENSION OF OPPOSITES is the third manuscript I have written since 2005, and it was the lucky one that attracted my agent, Alyssa Eisner Henkin.

Were you faced with rejection at first? How did you handle it?
I received over 100 rejection letters from agents for my first manuscript. Probably half as many for the second (though I received much more promising feedback). And for the early draft of THE TENSION OF OPPOSITES, I had about seven agents reading the full before I accepted representation with my ever-so-talented agent. How I handled it? I just kept writing and querying agents and writing and querying agents . . . Oh yeah, I also ate pounds of chocolate!

Where did you get your ideas for this book?
One day while my daughter was napping, I took a break from life and sat down to watch Oprah (which I rarely do). Oprah was interviewing a young man who had been kidnapped and held prisoner for four years before being found and returned to his family. I was enraptured by his story. Within a few days, the main character of Tessa started speaking to me. (I know that makes me sound a little loopy, but that’s how I work.)

What do you think or hope readers will gain from your novel?
That’s a hard question. I hope that people realize that relationships of all kinds require a lot of work. There are ups and downs and you have to ride that wave and not give up when things get tough or sticky.

However, the most important thing I hope people think about as they read my book is that there are a lot of kidnapped kids out there who are still alive, and we might pass them in public. There are several current news stories that prove this is true. I hope so very much that people will simply pay a little more attention to that voice inside when it tells them something doesn’t seem right. If more people acted on their intuition, we might possibly see a whole lot more of these reunions.

When writing do you outline or just begin?
I do a little of both. I need to start writing so I can meet my characters. It helps me to see them in action. But once I meet them, I have to outline their story to make sure enough will happen to create a novel. Plotting is by far the most difficult aspect of my writing process. I’m very thankful to have a gifted agent who is willing to hang out on the phone with me while I throw ideas out there. She’s great at asking the perfect questions to lead me to the best scenes and plot developments. (LOVE her!)

What authors inspire you?
This might be the hardest question of all! Every book I have ever read has inspired me in some way. My favorite YA authors are Laurie Halse Anderson, Jay Asher, Sarah Dessen, John Green . . . oh, this is too hard!

Complete this: While writing this book I learned...
That revision hurts and it’s fine to spend a day mourning a great scene that just doesn’t fit the storyline (while mourning, I tend to eat loads of chocolate), but that the most essential part of writing is to keep going and see it through.

Complete this: You should buy my novel because...
Is there a PC answer for this? “Because I think it rocks!” just doesn’t sound right. I simply hope people will think my novel sounds interesting enough to pick up and read. If not, pass it up and find something more your style. We’re all lucky for the state of YA literature right now. There are so many wonderful books to choose from. So go find a good book and dive in, people. And if you happen to choose mine, I certainly hope you enjoy!

Links:
Website: www.kristinamcbride.com
Blog: http://kristinamcbride.livejournal.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/McBrideKristina
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6889070-the-tension-of-opposites

Be sure to check out Kristina's book. I will be!!!

I Heart You, You Hanut Me

Just recently I met Lisa for the second time! She is such a sweetie and I adore her!

I Heart You, You Haunt Me
Lisa Schroeder
Simon Pulse
$7.99
January 2008
FTC: This is my friend’s book. I did not receive it from the publisher or author.

Characters 20/20
Plot 20/20
Setting 15/20
Cover 20/20
Ending 18/20
Total grade: 93% A

Sexual content: 2/20
Violence: 0/20
Drugs: 0/20
Underage drinking: 0/20
Swearing: 0/20
Total rating: 10+ in cleanliness, 14+ in connections

Summary: (Barnes and Noble)
Girl meets boy.

Girl loses boy.

Girl gets boy back...

...sort of.

Ava can't see him or touch him, unless she's dreaming. She can't hear hisvoice, except for the faint whispers in her mind. Most would think she'scrazy, but she knows he's here.

Jackson. The boy Ava thought she'd spend the rest of her life with. He's back from the dead, as proof that love truly knows no bounds.

My Thoughts:
A few months ago I had the lovely opportunity to meet the author of this great book. It was super cool to find out that she lives 45 minutes away from me! After meeting her, my good friend, Sarah, bought this book and it made its way to me. I am so happy I had the chance to read it!

I love when books are written in lyrical format, especially books with tough subjects. I loved how with that format the story seemed to keep flowing at a steady pace. That always is nice.

The plot was very different than what I normally read and the characters were very well developed. I would recommend this book to romance fans AND paranormal fans. You don’t have to be both to enjoy this.

Tenner- Day 1

I will not be posting who the winners of my contest are but they will be emailed.

Today I am introducing something I have going on this month and next! Bringing out the tenners!!!!

Today I have Dia Reeves, author of Bleeding Violet. This is of course her first YA Book, and it just came out a few days ago!

1. What has been the most exciting part of getting published?
I think the most exciting part was when my book was listed in Amazon. I remember feeling like a complete superstar just because I had an ISBN. But it's such an awesome ISBN: 9781416986188. I dare you to find an awesomer sequence of numbers.

2. How long did it take you to get published?
Not long. My book went out on submission the beginning of August 2008, and on August 28th, Simon Pulse made an offer.

3. Were you faced with rejection at first? How did you handle it?
Well, rejection is always the first thing. Bleeding Violet got rejected by all sorts of people, even within the short while that it was out on submission. But even before I wrote BV, I wrote short stories back when I was in college that all got rejected pretty much by everybody, so there's no way around rejection. My way to deal with it is to brood for a bit and then watch something funny/silly like Mystery Science Theater 3000 or Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Giggling until milk comes out of your nose helps to put most everything, even rejection, into perspective.

4. Where did you get your ideas for this book?
From brainstorming. I wrote down a bunch of ideas one day and just picked the one that resonated--in this case, monsters and a really cool, crazy girl.

5. What do you think or hope readers will gain from your novel?
BV isn't one of those books that crams morals and values down your throat like some lame afterschool special from the eighties. It's just a fun book full of people thumbing their noses at convention and basically getting away with murder. Literally, in some scenes.

6. When writing do you outline or just begin?
I outline. Then I write. Then I write a new outline based on what I wrote. Then I rewrite. If I'm lucky it ends there. I am almost never lucky.

7. What authors inspire you?
Stephen King, Anne Rice, and Laura Kinsale are the three biggest influences: Kinsale for romance and moodiness, Rice for characters and description, and King for just being an all-around genius.

8. Complete this: While writing this book I learned...
...that sometimes manic-depressive people hallucinate (usually when they're manic). I also learned that a person needs to have a LOT of self-confidence to make it as a writer. Self-confidence and stubbornness, because the urge to give up can be overwhelming.

9. Complete this: You should buy my novel because...
I can almost guarantee you've never read anything like it before.


This book became available January 5, 2010! You should check it out! I know I will!

Wednesday Wishlist

Here is whats on my wishlist today:

Saving Grace
by Darlene Ryan

Summary:

When fifteen-year-old Evie gave birth to her daughter Brianna, her father pressured her into giving the baby up for adoption ("Just because you were stupid enough to get yourself pregnant doesn't mean you're going to ruin the rest of your life."), but Evie has never felt at ease with the decision. Convinced that her daughter's adoptive parents are neglecting her, Evie tricks Justin, the baby's father, into helping her kidnap their daughter. When Justin has second thoughts, Evie is left on her own, on the run, with few resources and an increasingly sick baby on her hands.

Why?

Teen Pregnancy books always fascinate me. The psychology behind the choices the girls make.

Exposed

Exposed
Susan Vaught
Bloomsbury
$16.99
November 2008
FTC: I received this book from the publisher with the understanding that I would provide an honest review for no compensation.

Characters 12/20
Plot 16/20
Setting 15/20
Cover 18/20
Ending 15/20
Total grade: 76% C

Sexual content: 18/20
Violence: 0/20
Drugs: 4/20
Underage drinking: 4/20
Swearing: 10/20
Total rating: 16+ in cleanliness and connections.

Summary: (Barnes and Noble)
Chan Shealy’s got most things going right in her life—straight A’s, a shot at the regional majorette championships in baton twirling, and the best best friend a girl could wish for. But after the football quarterback spreads a vicious lie about her, and the whole school decides she’s too trashy for words, Chan begins to wonder if the only place she’ll find love is online.

She’s careful. She follows all her parents’ rules, mostly anyway. A girl’s got to trust herself at a certain point, right? But what if your gut is telling you something that you’re just not hearing… until it’s too late?

From the moment Chan logs on and meets Paul, until the truth begins to show through, Susan Vaught sends readers on a fast-paced and gripping ride. Even when you know something bad will happen, you still might not see it coming…

My Thoughts:
When I received this book in the mail I was super excited. It seemed like the kind of book I would love. To be honest it wasn’t anywhere near as good as I expected. I felt that the story took way to long to take off. Nobody likes a book that has 100 pages of nothingness.

I felt that some characters were extremely well developed and some were left up to the imagination. You need to develop all clearly in order to have a GREAT book.

I would recommend this book to older teens who don’t mind a long start to the plot.

Quotes:
Here is a random quote I found from opening to a random page:

“It’s not like you did anything illegal.”

Sweet 16!!

There will be no Must Monday today because I am off celebrating my SWEET 16... During finals week. Wish me luck, in a few days I may be a licensed driver! Lets take a trip down memory lane...

It all started with a baby Ashley, fighting to breath.

Then came infant Ashley, the pony rider.

Then I was "given" a "blessing" named Erica :)

Then I was a freshman.

There is my sister and I all grown up. She is now 12, and I am 16.

SWEET 16!!!

DupliKate

DupliKate
Cherry Cheva
Harperteen
16.99
9/29/2009
FTC: I received this with the understanding that I would provide an honest review for no compensation.

Characters 15/20
Plot 15/20
Setting 20/20
Cover 15/20
Ending 20/20
Total grade: 85% B

Rated: 14+

Summary: (Amazon)

To Do List:
Ace SATs
Ace finals
Ace AP physics project
Avoid murdering lab partner
Submit Yale application
Resolve possibly evil twin situation

Due date: December 15thCountdown: 11 days

By the time Kate Larson accidentally fell asleep at three a.m., she'd already done more work in one night than the average high school senior does in a week. Getting into Yale has been her dream for years—and being generally overworked and totally under-rested is the price of admission. But when she opens her eyes the next day, she comes face-to-face with, well, her face—which is attached to her body, which is standing across the room. Wait, what?
Meet Kate's computer-generated twin. Kate doesn't know why she's here or how to put her back where she belongs, but she's real. And she's the last thing Kate has time to deal with right now. Unless . . .
Could having a double be the answer to Kate's prayers? After all, two Kates can do more work than one. Or will keeping her twin a secret turn her dream future into a living nightmare?

My Thoughts:
I thought this was a good book but to be honest something about it didn’t feel right. I usually know wither I will like a book or not by the 3rd chapter. I think I just didn’t feel a connection from page one and that really turned me off too it. Once I got over that it got better but if you are looking for a book with a guaranteed connection this is not it. It’s as if not all the characters were developed enough to have a relationship with them.

I think fans of fun, light, fresh books will like this.

My Fun Stats of 2009

I have some fun stats to let you know about the books I read in 2009.

What percent of books were read when?
Jan. 8%
Feb. 7.6%
Mar. 8%
Apr. 2.8% (wow this was a BAD month)
May 4.7%
Jun. 9.5%
Jul. 9.5%
Aug. 8%
Sept. 5.7%
Oct. 7.6%
Nov. 13.3%
Dec. 13.3%

What did I read?
I read 5 books appropriate for the 10+ crowd.
I read 34 books appropriate for those 13+.
I read 13 books that you should be 15+ to read.
I read 5 books that I rated "R".

What grades did I give?
I only gave 1 F and 1 D.
There were 11 C books.
The rest were A's and B's.

What were ten books I loved this year that I read? (no special order)
1. Frenimies by Alexa Young
2. Hanging on to Max by Margaret Bechard
3. Purge by Sarah Littman
4. Giving up the V by Serena Robar
5. Going too Far by Jennifer Echols
6. Being Nikki by Meg Cabot
7. And Then Everything Unraveled by Jennifer Sturman
8. I Cant Keep My Own Secret
9. Stealing Heaven by Elizabeth Scott
10. The Naughty List by Suzanne Young

What authors did I spend time with in 2009?
I saw Suzanne Selfors, Suzanne Young, and Lisa Schroeder. They all live semi-close to me!

Sunday Sell Day- on saturday

I have decided that every other sunday I will be listing books I have for trade/sell. Paperback books will be $1 and Hardbacks $2 unless I have a price next to them. I'll relist the books that dont go each week in the next week and be adding new ones each me. If you have questions about condition email me at princessashley9@gmail.com. I will also ask that you pay shipping unless we are swapping. How and when you pay is negotionable.

Here are the ones I have for now:
High Noon- Nora Roberts Hardback $3
She Said Yes- Misty Bernall
The Pretty Committee Strikes Back- Lisi Harrison
Gossip Girl- Cecily von Ziegesar
You're the one That I want- Cecily von Ziegesar
I Like it Like That- ""
Only in Your Dreams- ""
Because I'm Worth It- ""
All I Want is Everything- ""
The Lost Sister- Megan Kelley Hall
Teen Idol- Meg Cabot
Jenny Green's Killer Year- Amy Belasen
Dylan- Lisi Harrison
Kristen- ""
Best Friends for Never- ""
The Clique- ""
I'd Tell You I Love You, but Then I'd Have to Kill You- Ally Carter
Its Not Easy Being Mean- Lisi Harrison
Mending Fences- Sherryl Woods
Tom Sawyer- Mark Twain $3

If you are in Canada or the US I can send to you! If you are in another country I will require you to pay ahead of time. Shipping is UBER expensive just to warn you. Email me if you have any questions. Princessashley9@gmail.com

Cleaning out the books to get some new books!

That Summer

That Summer
Sarah Dessen
Speak
$7.99 USD PB
April 6 2006
FTC: This is my own book that I purchased. I didn’t receive it from the publisher or author.

Characters 15/20
Plot 10/20
Setting 20/20
Cover 20/20
Ending 15/20
Total grade: 80% B

Sexual content: 2/20
Violence: 0/20
Drugs: 0/20
Underage drinking: 0/20
Swearing: 2/20
Total rating: 10 for cleanness. 13 for connections.

Summary: (Amazon)
That Summer could refer to the current one through which 15-year-old Haven is suffering, or it could be the one a few years ago when everything seemed perfect. Nevertheless, both summers affect her and she is a different person at their conclusions. Dessen has cast her story with a group of forgettable characters who plod their way through a cliche-ridden coming-of-age novel with a lot of subplots. There is the long-suffering mother and her scatterbrained best friend. Then there is toupee-wearing Dad, who honks from the driveway on visitation nights. Add the boy-crazy best friend and the moody older sister who is planning her wedding and making everyone miserable. The most memorable character is Summer Lee, a remnant of that long ago season when everything was just right, who shows up at the precise moments he is needed and offers support to Haven. The setting is a suburb where all the houses look exactly the same (kind of like the characters). There is nothing seriously wrong with Haven's life, except that she doesn't fit in, physically or emotionally; she is six-feet tall and still growing. She is unwilling or unable to accept change in her life, and pines for the days when her parents seemed happy and she didn't fight with her sister and the sun always shone...Sigh. Still, Haven has a good sense of humor, and her insightful barbs about everything from shopping malls to TV-news readers add some depth to the story.

My Thoughts:
To be honest this was not what I expect from Sarah Dessen. With her books that I have loved I was hooked instantly. This book took forever to get into and was not very connectable for older teens. I felt as if the girl was my little sister, not my equal. I would recommend this book to younger teens, like 12-14.

Again sorry for the short review. My wrist was not quite better at the time I wrote this

Contest

I am having a contest to celebrate having 200 followers. I will let the winner pick from 4 mystery ARC's :)



If I get 220 followers during this contest (by January 14th) I will give away a second ARC.



To enter:

+1 Comment

+5 Old Follower

+3 New Follower

+5 Blog post linking my contest (leave link)

+10 for every new follower you bring me (have them mention you)

+5 telling me who brought you here (new followers)

Wednesday Wishlist

Here is whats on my Amazon List this week.

Crazy in Love
by Dandi Daley Mackall

Summary:

High school senior Mary Jane Ettermeyer has been the good girl for a long time. To date, she's proud to say she's been able to keep her pledge of abstinence (not that anyone has challenged it). But when the cutest guy in school starts flirting with her, she suddenly finds herself crazy in love, even though her inner Plain Jane tells her he can't possibly think she's cute, while her inner Sexy M. J. is questioning her vow to keep herself pure until marriage. Not to mention that hot Jackson House shouldn't even be talking to her, because he already has a girlfriend! There are a ton of good reasons why she should never speak to Jackson again, except that every time she sees him, all of her resistance seems to melt away. . . .

Why? ADMIT IT! Sounds so cute

Challenge

I finished my 100+ Reading Challenge for 2009 and will be doing it again in 2010.

Here is what I read:
Wicked
New Moon
Dylan
Sloppy Firsts
Frenimies
Sea of Love
Confessions of a Shopaholic
Hanging on to Max
Alicia
Sophomore Switch
Anthology of childrens poetry
A Girl Like Me
Claire
Faketastic
I like it like that
PS I loathe you
In too Deep
Purge
Giving Up the V
Sea Change
Bloom
Killing Britney
Every Young Womans Battle
Mean Girls
A Bad boy can be good for a girl
Hottie
The Blonde of the Joke
Isabelles Boyfriend
Dreamland
Courage in Patience
Breathing
Going to far
Being Nikki
Then everything unraveled
Kiss and Blog
Slept Away
Pure
What A life
Identical
Left Behind
Teen Idol
Testimony
Second Skin
After The Moment
Lovestruck Summer
Killer
One Lonely Degree
I cant keep my own secret
Would You
Runaway
Death by Bikini
Rich Girls
Death by Latte
Stealing Heaven
Coffeehouse Angel
Fade to Blue
The Hills Lessons in Love
Seventeen True Crime
Learning the Ropes
Along for the Ride
Girlfriend Material
13 Reasons Why
The Lost Summer
Lock and Key
Viola in Reel Life
Boys "R" US
Bad Girls Don’t Die
The Naughty List
Eclipse
Stolen
Breaking Dawn
Its not you, its me
What my Girlfriend Doesn’t know
Where People Like Us Live
Jane in Bloom
Umbrella summer
Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging
If I Stay
Prada and Prejudice
The Iliad
Lipstick Apology
The Lost Sister
What I Wore to Save the world
You're the one That I Want
Secrets of Truth and Beauty
Cinnamon
My Fair Godmother
Breaking up is really really hard to do
Nothing Like You
Ash
It Happened to Nancy
Just One Wish
How to be a Vampire
Doing it Right
Undiscovered Gyrl
On the Bright Side I'm Now the Girlfriend…
That Summer
Death by Denim
Something, Maybe
Secret Society
Prey
DupliKate
I Heart you, You Haunt Me
Exposed
Once Was Lost

Must monday

Here is what I am waiting for this week!

Flirting with Disaster
by Rhonda Stapleton

Summary:

Felicity is a total romantic. That's why she follows her heart—not the rules—in her job as a cupid. But when Felicity turns her matchmaking magic on her best friend, Andy, it's Andy who breaks their golden rule: friends always come first. Andy is so wrapped up in her new guy that she's ditching everyone else. How can Felicity stop her BFF from letting a BF come between them?

Meanwhile, Felicity decides to get over her crush on Derek by setting him up with someone else—but in her impulsive haste, she accidentally matches him with the whole school, and now everyone is in love with him. The entire student body is headed toward heartbreak, just weeks before prom. Does Felicity have what it takes to make everyone's heart happy?including her own?

Why? This series looks adorable!

Secret Society

Title: Secret Society
Author: Tom Dolby
Publisher: HarperTeen
Price: $16.99 USD
Release: October 2009
FTC: I received this book with the understanding that I would provide an honest review with no compensation.

Characters 18/20
Plot 20/20
Setting 18/20
Cover 18/20
Ending 18/20
Total grade: 92% A

Age: 13+

Summary: (Amazon)
Secrets, secrets are no fun. Secrets, secrets hurt someone. . . .
An eccentric new girl. A brooding socialite. The scion of one of New York's wealthiest families. A promising filmmaker. As students at the exclusive Chadwick School, Phoebe, Lauren, Nick, and Patch already live in a world most teenagers only dream about.
They didn't ask to be Society members. But when three of them receive a mysterious text message promising success and fame beyond belief, they say yes to everything—even to the harrowing initiation ceremony in a gritty warehouse downtown and to the ankh-shaped tattoo they're forced to get on the nape of their necks. Once they're part of the Society, things begin falling into place for them. Week after week, their ambitions are fulfilled. It's all perfect—until a body is found in Central Park with no distinguishing marks except for an ankh-shaped tattoo.


My Thoughts:
I found the plot of this book to be awesome! Not only was it unique but it kept changing. I felt that some characters could have been developed a little bit better but most of them were pretty well done.

I got some swag with this book. They were lovely tattoos. I wore one while reading the book so that made me feel even cooler. Everyone will be able to connect with this book though, tattoo or not!

Prey

Title: Prey
Author: Lurlene McDaniel
Publisher: Delacorte
Price: $10.99
Release: February 2008
FTC: I purchased this book with my own money. I did not receive this from the publisher or the author.

Characters 20/20
Plot 20/20
Setting 18/20
Cover 20/20
Ending 20/20
Total grade: 98% A

Sexual content: 15/20
Violence: 0/20
Drugs: 0/20
Underage drinking: 0/20
Swearing: 5/20
Total rating: 15+ (extreme sexual situations)

Summary: (Amazon)
A teacher is supposed to impart a love of learning and a thirst for knowledge. It’s a bit different with Ms. Lori Settles. All the kids are talking about how hot she is–and she is especially interested in Ryan Piccoli. When she starts giving Ryan extra attention, he’s feeling more than happy–at first. He’s used to being the class clown, but really he’s a loner. One day after school, the friendship with Lori Settles goes farther than he ever expected. She’s his teacher. She’s at least twice his age. Intimacy with a teacher is wrong, yet it feels so good in every way. Soon, Lori is making demands and Ryan begins to feel overwhelmed, but Ryan refuses to even admit anything is going on. Something immoral is going on and before too long the choices made will change lives forever.

My Thoughts:
I shall not lie. I LOVED this book. I had never really read a novel that had sexual relations between an adult female and youth male. It was different to be able to see how the young men are affected differently than the young women.

Ryan was adorable but had douche tendencies. (Sorry younger blog readers for my language but if you cant handle that this isn’t a book for you anyways.) His choice at the end made me mad but I didn’t see it coming so it was a great ending!

I think this is a good novel for all older teens.

Happy New Year

I would like to say Happy New Year and lets welcome the lovely Tenners to the stage as we wave good bye to a fantastic group of '09 Debs :)