In My Mailbox (4)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren. It's to show off all the books we've gotten recently. This week I got:

My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent

The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg

Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopcus

I got all these from my library and I will be reviewing them all when I finish them. What did you get in your mailbox this week?

Deadly Little Secret

 Author: Laurie Faria Stolarz
Rating: 4/5 Stars
 Summary: Some secrets shouldn't be kept... Up until three months ago, everything in sixteen-year-old Camelia's life had been fairly ordinary: decent grades; an okay relationship with her parents; and a pretty cool part-time job at the art studio downtown. But when Ben, the mysterious new guy, starts junior year at her high school, Camelia's life becomes anything but ordinary.
Rumored to be somehow responsible for his ex-girlfriend's accidental death, Ben is immediately ostracized by everyone on campus. Except for Camelia. She's reluctant to believe the rumors, even when her friends try to convince her otherwise. She's inexplicably drawn to Ben...and to his touch. But soon, Camelia is receiving eerie phone calls and strange packages with threatening notes. Ben insists she is in danger, and that he can help--but can he be trusted? She knows he's hiding something... but he's not the only one with a secret. (From Goodreads.com)

Review: I saw this in the bookstore, and knew I wanted to read it only because it had a pretty cover. I didn't even read what it was about. So I ordered it through my library and found out it was a mystery. I was pretty pleased with it, overall. The writing was good, the characters well-developed, and the story eerie.
    And let me tell you, was it creepy. It wasn't scary like a slasher movie is scary. But it was scary because all these weird stalker-y things kept happening to the main character. I was reading this late last night, and it was so creepy I got paranoid and was checking all the dark corners in my house. It was so chilling when the main character, Camelia, got a new note or package. But I haven't read a book that did that in a while, so it was refreshing.
     I also really liked how all the characters were so deep and well-developed. Camelia wasn't one of those airheads in horror movies. Although it was very stupid of her to not tell her parents or the police about her stalker. I did find Ben a little meh, though. He was a little lifeless. He had potential, because of his background story, but he just didn't do anything for me. I didn't feel the connection between him and Camelia.
     The ending was so unexpected! Everything happened so quick, and it was so thrilling! Also, the person who was behind it all, I didn't expect at all. Usually I'm good at picking out who the person is in a mystery, but not this time. Stolarz did a great job of hiding their identity,
    So, I really enjoyed this book, I just didn't LOVE it. If you are looking for a creepy, chilling, book, this is for you. Also it was a pretty quick read, so it was good it didn't drag when it didn't need to.

Heartless

 Author: Sara Shepard
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Summary:
In picturesque Rosewood, Pennsylvania, neighbors gossip over picket fences, and gleaming SUVs sit in every crushed-granite driveway. But recently, friendly smiles have been replaced with suspicious glares and accusatory whispers—and it's all because Hanna, Aria, Emily, and Spencer just can't keep their mouths shut. . .


First they claimed they found a dead body in the woods behind Spencer's house, only to have it vanish without a trace. Then when the same woods went up in flames, they swore they saw someone who's supposed to be dead rise from the ashes. And even after all that, the pretty little liars are still playing with fire.
Hanna's trading in her Dior trench for a straitjacket. Aria's trying to contact the dead. Emily's dumped her boyfriend and is skipping town . . . again. And Spencer thinks someone in her family has gotten away with murder.
The friends insist they're telling the truth about what they saw, but all of Rosewood thinks they're simply out for attention—and nobody likes a girl who cries wolf. So when the big bad killer comes after the girls, will anyone believe them . . . or will they be the next to disappear?(From Harpercollins.com)

Review: So, let me just say that I don't watch the show Pretty Little Liars, and I was reading these books before there was a show. Don't you just love discovering something before everyone else does? I do. But anyway, sometimes it annoys me though. Like in the show, none of the actresses look like how they're described in the books. Emily has blonde hair and her family doesn't like black people in the books, but in the show, she's black! It makes no sense! Okay, rant over.
     This is the seventh book in the series. A lot of times, I can't make it this far in a series. But with Pretty Little Liars, I really can't get enough. Each book ends in a major cliffhanger; I just finished it about ten minutes ago, and I'm DYING to get the last book. I need to know what happens!!!
     So since this is way into the series and I'm not reviewing any other books fro this series, I'll just review all of them.
    Okay, This is one of my favorite series ever, because there is never a dull moment. There's pretty much every kind of drama happening without it being overkill. It starts out with a murder of the girls' best friend, then fast forwards to present-day when they are all in high school. So there is everything from coming out of the closet to the whole school at a party, cheating parents, and hooking up with teachers. It seriously never gets boring. Also, each character is so different, which I love. After spending seven books with them, I feel like I know them.
     The author, Sara Shepard, is also soo talented. I really don't know how she can come up with all this stuff, then weave it all together, all the while answering questions, but posing even more new ones. I just love it.
    I feel like from the show, this series is avoided by a lot of readers. Well, please don't. A lot of people think it's like Degrassi or something, where it's a bunch of petty he said she said, but it's so much better than that! It's an actual murder. So please, if you were avoiding this series because of the show, don't because I know you'll love it. Even if you don't really go for realistic fiction, it's so exciting and fast-paced that it's not like other realistic fiction books. So, the next time you are at the library, check out the first one, Pretty Little Liars. You won't regret it!

Waiting on Wednesday (6)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This week I'm waiting on:

Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Summary: The conclusion to #1 bestselling Shiver trilogy. In Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. In Linger, they fought to be together. Now, in Forever, the stakes are even higher than before. Wolves are being hunted. Lives are being threatened. And love is harder and harder to hold on to as death comes closing in.


That's all I could find for the summary, but if you haven't heard of this series, it's about werewolves. And it's soooo good. This is the final book in the series, and I don't want it to end! Sam is one of my favorite fictional boys, and I'll miss him. So, if you haven't read these books, I would highly recommend doing so. :)

Hah.

I wish the cover artists would be more creative and use less of the stock photos. Just pointing that out.

 

Revolution

Author: Jennifer Donnelly
 Rating: 5/5 Stars
 Summary: BROOKLYN: Andi Alpers is on the edge. She’s angry at her father for leaving, angry at her mother for not being able to cope, and heartbroken by the loss of her younger brother, Truman. Rage and grief are destroying her. And she’s about to be expelled from Brooklyn Heights’ most prestigious private school when her father intervenes. Now Andi must accompany him to Paris for winter break.

PARIS: Alexandrine Paradis lived over two centuries ago. She dreamed of making her mark on the Paris stage, but a fateful encounter with a doomed prince of France cast her in a tragic role she didn’t want—and couldn’t escape.

Two girls, two centuries apart. One never knowing the other. But when Andi finds Alexandrine’s diary, she recognizes something in her words and is moved to the point of obsession. There’s comfort and distraction for Andi in the journal’s antique pages—until, on a midnight journey through the catacombs of Paris, Alexandrine’s words transcend paper and time, and the past becomes suddenly, terrifyingly present.

Jennifer Donnelly, author of the award-winning novel A Northern Light, artfully weaves two girls’ stories into one unforgettable account of life, loss, and enduring love. Revolution spans centuries and vividly depicts the eternal struggles of the human heart. (From Goodreads.com)


Review: I really loved this book. I'm usually not a fan of historical fiction novels, because they can sometimes get really boring. Also, this is the first time I've learned about the French Revolution. In my school, we take a couple years of American History, the World Cultures, and Government. So we never learn about other MAJOR historical world events like this. (I know, annoying, right?) And this book made the French Revolution sooo interesting. Instead of from the standpoint of another country, like they teach in American schools, you get to experience the French Revolution from a poor girl who is hired by the royal family to be Louis-Charles's friend. And I think this was a really good thing, because you could see the corruption from all standpoints.
    The plotline was also unlike anything I've ever read, and believe me, I've read some pretty weird books. (Going Bovine, anybody?) I really loved the main character, Andi. And I think one of the reasons I really connected with her was because she was so different from the characters in the last book I read, Teenage Waistland. Compared to Andi, they were really shallow.
    One of the reasons this book was so unique, was because about three quarters through the book, it turned into a (drug) trip of Andi's. Or was it? Anyway, it kinda of changed to its own made-up genre at that part, and I loved it.
    Another reason why I loved this book was because it was so emotional. At one point I was on the verge of tears. And some people I know won't pick up a good book if it's sad. Well, this wasn't depressing, but it was just... I don't know. But if you're one of those people, just try it, please! It was so deep, and it was refreshing after all of the non-emotional books I've been reading lately.
    Also, if you are on the young end of your teenage years, I would wait a little if you want to read this. I know I definitely would have not gotten as much out of it as I did a year or two ago. It's quite the beast of a book, but that's not really the reason, though it is a little intimidating. I said that because you really should have some experience analyzing literature, and the ability to pick out literary devices, like symbolism, and the ability to connect things. Even if you don't like to analyze books in school, and would rather just enjoy the story, I really think it makes this book a lot better. It makes the story that much better. The writing alone was beautiful, and it really was art the way the stories were woven into each other.
    So, I really think that most people will really enjoy this book a lot, even if you are a little hesitant to read some historical fiction for fear of being bored. You really should pick this one up. You won't regret it. :)

Teenage Waistland

Author: Lynn Biederman and Lisa Pazer
Rating: 4/5 Stars
 Summary: Marcie, Bobby, East, and Char are candidates for a teen surgical weight-loss trial. Each is severely overweight, and each has significant issues in their past that have led to their current need for surgical intervention. Three of the teens alternate the narration in a novel that is surprisingly upbeat given its emotional intensity. A mandatory support group dubbed Teenage Waistland brings the teens together with others undergoing the trial. They are encouraged to explore their habits and relationship with food, and in doing so, they uncover and face demons ranging from parental disapproval to suicide and statutory rape. Although group-leader Betsy’s role sometimes lends the air of a self-help book wrapped in a novel’s cover, the teens themselves are vibrantly drawn characters whose journeys into their past as they envision a healthier future for themselves will draw laughs, tears, and much compassion. (From Booklist).

Review: When I first discovered this book on another blogger's Books to Pine For, I new I wanted to read it. And not only because it's got a funky cover. I think the topic is really interesting. I actually thought at first that the Lap-Band surgery was something made up by the author, until someone I know mentioned they were getting it.
    But anyway, once I got into the first few chapters, I was afraid that the characters would be phony and get annoying, because they were taking the easy way out of their problems. That really annoys me. But then I really got to get to know them, as they were very well developed and deep characters. I also really liked how they weren't always serious and were really fun characters to read about.
    I also really like the authors' writing styles. That and the plot kept me interested throughout the book, where most books usually get a little boring.
   Well, I feel like I should write more, but I can't really think of anything as the book was a simple story. But I definitely think that most people who read this will enjoy it. It's a nice beach read, or at least a spring break read.

Waiting in Wednesday (5)

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It's for us bloggers to get pumped about upcoming books. This week I'm waiting on:

Author: Ellen Hopkins
Summary: Everyone has something, someone, somewhere else that they’d rather be. For four high-school seniors, their goals of perfection are just as different as the paths they take to get there. Cara’s parents’ unrealistic expectations have already sent her twin brother Conner spiraling toward suicide. For her, perfect means rejecting their ideals to take a chance on a new kind of love. Kendra covets the perfect face and body—no matter what surgeries and drugs she needs to get there. To score his perfect home run—on the field and off—Sean will sacrifice more than he can ever win back. And Andre realizes to follow his heart and achieve his perfect performance, he’ll be living a life his ancestors would never understand.
Everyone wants to be perfect, but when perfection loses its meaning, how far will you go? What would you give up to be perfect?
A riveting and startling companion to the bestselling Impulse, Ellen Hopkins's Perfect exposes the harsh truths about what it takes to grow up and grow into our own skins, our own selves.


Oh. My. God. That is the prettiest cover I have ever seen in my life. Ellen Hopkins is one of my all-time favorite authors, and I've read all of her books and LOVED them. My two favorites were Identical and Impulse. And actually, Cara's brother Connor was a character in Impulse. I bawled at the end of it, it was so beautiful. (I know, cheasy!) If you haven't read any of her books, then what are you waiting for?! Go get one from the bookstore or library or something! I also know of some people who heard wonderful things about these books, but were afraid of the content. I mean, that's your opinion, but I think people get scared away because they're so raw. But they stay with you. So go read one! What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

In My Mailbox (3)

IMM is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi over at the The Story Siren. It's to show everyone all the new books we got this week. And, by the way, that unnamed author who bashed IMM is totally wrong! It's awesome and we enjoy it! Anyway, this week I went to the library and got:

A Song for Summer by Eva Ibbotson

Teenage Waistland by Lynn Biederman and Lisa Pazer

Revolution by Jennifer Donelly

Friend Me by Cathy Hopkins


Reviews for all coming soon! What did you get in your mailbox this week?

P.S. Sorry for the crappy shine on Revolution! :)

Extraordinary

Author: Nancy Werlin
Rating: 2.5/5 Stars
Summary: Phoebe finds herself drawn to Mallory, the strange and secretive new kid in school, and the two girls become as close as sisters . . . until Mallory's magnetic older brother, Ryland, shows up during their junior year. Ryland has an immediate, exciting hold on Phoebe, but a dangerous hold, for she begins to question her feelings about her best friend and, worse, about herself. Soon she'll discover the shocking truth about Ryland and Mallory: that these two are visitors from the faerie realm who have come to collect on an age-old debt. Generations ago, the faerie queen promised Pheobe's ancestor five extraordinary sons in exchange for the sacrifice of one ordinary female heir. But in hundreds of years there hasn't been a single ordinary girl in the family, and now the faeries are dying. Could Phoebe be the first ordinary one? Could she save the faeries, or is she special enough to save herself?


Review: So I originally didn't really plan on reading this book, but I was at the library and I didn't have anything new to read, so I thought I'd give this book a try since I really liked Nancy Werlin's other book, Impossible. And when I read the summary, it didn't say anything about a faerie realm. (I usually try to skip books with faeries in them because I find the subject boring.)
    So at the beginning I really liked this book. I found Mallory to be unique and intriguing and Phoebe was so innocent and sweet it was kind of weird. But then towards the middle of the book, when Ryland came and the faerie realm was getting to be a bigger part in the plot, I didn't really like it. Ryland was not developed at all, and seemed so fake and empty it was like he was a plastic doll. Pretty much the only thing that kept me interested was why the faeries wanted Phoebe so much, and what she would do about it. The other thing I did like about this book was there was no epic paranormal romance with true loves that could never be together, like it seems is in every other paranormal book lately. There was a "relationship" between Phoebe and Ryland, but it was all a lie, and you could tell it had no meaning. It was even a happy fling that you find in realistic fiction books. The only real relationships during the book was Phoebe and Mallory's friendship, and Phoebe's relationship with her parents. That was a breath of fresh air. In most books nowadays the parents are the enemy and are not cool or kind at all.
    So this book wasn't really my cup of tea, but the writing and plot wasn't bad, it was just not for me. But if you like faeries and need a break from all these dramatic love stories, this is the book for you.

P.S. Isn't that cover GORGY?! I'm a sucker for pretty covers.

Something Like Hope

Author: Shawn Goodman
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Summary: Shavonne is a fierce and desperate seventeen year-old who finds herself in a large juvenile lockup hundreds of miles from home.  She wants to turn her life around before her eighteenth birthday, but her problems seem too big, and time is running out. Amidst corrupt guards, out-of-control girls, and shadows from her past, Shavonne must find the courage to fight for a redemption she’s not sure she deserves.

Review: So I got this book for free in a contest at Random Buzzers. Let me tell you, I would NOT have picked this one up otherwise. But really only because it's so short and the cover isn't very pretty or creative. Also, on covers I hate when it shows someone's full profile, because that's how I imagine the main character instead of how I wanted to imagine them. But I'm glad I did read it because it was really good. And it was not what I expected at all. I mean, I always knew that a juvenile detention center is at all fun, but I didn't know it was this bad. You always hear about how in prison there is rape and beatings and set ups, but you don't hear about it in juvy. The guards of her center were also not what I expected. I thought guards just stood around quietly and broke up a fight if needed. But some of the authority figures and guards in this book were just plain evil for no reason other than their lives weren't very good so they thought they needed to take it out on someone.
     This book was also really eye-opening to the lives of teenagers who grew up in homes where the parents were either absent or doing drugs and prostituting themselves and teenagers who grew up in the really poor areas of cities and just had to do what they had to do to get by. Compared to these other teenagers, I'm really fortunate and I'm so glad. The characters in this book had been through terrible things, and some didn't even really have a chance to be kids.
    I've never heard of the author before this, but I can kind of see why. Most of the writing was just average, and a book this thin and with an average cover like this that isn't about a popular topic like vampires or something can be easily overlooked and unnoticed. So I'm really glad that I came across this at Random Buzzers and had a chance to read it. I really think everyone would like this book and should, as it is very eye-opening and educational. It's also only like 150 pages or something, so it's not a big commitment to read this book; I finished it in like a day. So, if you see this book at your library, definitely check it out!

Waiting on Wednesday (4)

First, i just wanted to say sorry I haven't posted in FOREVER! I've been busy with midterms and I also just got a huge load of books from the library I'm reading. So look out for a bunch of new reviews.

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine . This week I'm waiting on:

Summary: Clara’s relationship with Christian is intense from the start, and like nothing she’s ever experienced before. But what starts as devotion quickly becomes obsession, and it’s almost too late before Clara realizes how far gone Christian is—and what he’s willing to do to make her stay.
Now Clara has left the city—and Christian—behind. No one back home has any idea where she is, but she still struggles to shake off her fear. She knows Christian won’t let her go that easily, and that no matter how far she runs, it may not be far enough....


I've never read a book about a realistic stalker before! It sounds like a one-of-a-kind book. I've read a few of Caletti's other books, Wild Roses, Honey, Baby, Sweetheart, and The Nature of Jade, and I really liked the style, so I'm really looking forward to reading this! What are you waiting on this week?