Review: Killer - Sara Shepard

Where I got it: my collection
Rating: 5 stars 
Cover Rating: 4 stars 
Genre: Young Adult 
Publication Date: June 30, 2009 
Publisher: HarperTeen
Page Count: 321 p.

** Series/book Spoilers and Rant**

So in this book Spencer finds out who her real mother is, which was really just a carrier mother. This mother seems fabulous, but then ends of ripping Spencer off, which isn't too nice but is sort of Spencer's fault for being hasty and young. Hanna and Kate both go after Mike Montgomery, Kate says she likes him, but when Hanna starts to go after him she realizes she might actually like him. Emily starts dating a guy she likes (a guy? you ask, yes yes a guy) but after they have sex his mom goes pretty psycho. Aria starts going after Jason DiLaurentes because she doesn't think he's wicked scary and a possible murderer. Though when A tricks Aria into going over to Jason apartment, he comes back and finds her there and pretty much freaks out and Aria tries to invite him to this grand reopening of a mental hospital turned hotel and he gets quite upset and asks her if it's a sick joke. So of course the girls each think they have their own sets of clues to share, and Aria spills that she's been keeping Ali's time capsule flag (which Jason gave to her back in the day) and the make her get it and then they meet in the barn. Before Aria can get there though, the woods get set on fire and the girls escape with their lives and Aria saves someone from the woods. Someone who looks a lot like Ali. Which really was insanely frustrating, having that be how the book ended, I'm just glad I started reading them after they had all been published so I didn't have to wait FOREVER for the next book to come out, I probably would have cried. It's not too surprising that Emily likes a boy she young and battling feelings and I think people love people and gender sometimes gets in the way of what a person really wants. Spencer's mother seemed a little too good too be true so it was a little weird finding out that she really did birth Spencer. And of course Hanna starting to like like Mike is a little weird but bound to happen, there aren't  that many guys at Rosewood.

First Line:
"What if, all of a sudden, you could remember every single second of your entire life?"

Favorite Line:
"When she got to the silverware she paused, puzzled."  

Teaser Tuesday #41

This week's Teaser Tuesday is from Revolution - Jennifer Donnelly

(page: 42)

"I play until my fingers are blue and stiff from the cold, and then I keep on playing. Until I'm lost in the music. Until I am the music--the notes and chords, the melody and harmony. It hurts, but it's okay because when I'm the music, I'm not me. Not sad. Not afraid. Not desperate. Not guilty."

(I cheated this week and did a whole paragraph ;P )

Teaser Tuesday is brought to us by Should be Reading.
Rules:
1) Grab your current read
2) Open to a random page
3) Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
4) BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
5) Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

In My Mailbox #56

In My Mailbox brought to you by The Story Siren

For Review:
The Magnificent 12: the Call - Michael Grant
Twelve-year-old Mack MacAvoy suffers from a serious case of mediumness. Medium looks. Medium grades. Medium parents who barely notice him. With a list of phobias that could make anyone crazy, Mack never would have guessed that he is destined for a more-than-medium life. 
And then, one day, something incredibly strange happens to Mack. A three-thousand-year-old man named Grimluk appears in the boys' bathroom to deliver some startling news: Mack is one of the Magnificent Twelve, called the Magnifica in ancient times, whatever that means. An evil force is on its way, and it's up to Mack to track down eleven other twelve-year-olds in order to stop it. He must travel across the world to battle the wicked Pale Queen's dangerous daughter, Ereskigal—also known as Risky. But Risky sounds a little scary, and Mack doesn't want to be a hero. Will he answer the call?


Bought/Swapped:
The Visibles - Sara Shepard
In her tightly constructed and captivating first adult novel, bestselling YA author Shepard (the Pretty Little Liars series) explores a family’s biological and emotional interconnectedness—for better or for worse. When 15-year-old Summer Davis is told by a substitute biology teacher that “DNA makes up everything inside you,” and that “nothing else matters... you can’t escape your parents and they can’t escape you,” the silken threads that she imagines link her to her vanished mother become something more like shackles and chains as her mentally ill father’s slow decay continues and eventually lands him in an institution. Summer clings to the hope that her father will get better while simultaneously experimenting with ways to escape the gloomy life she’s inherited; her path eventually leads to the genetics lab at NYU, but the opportunity to pursue her own dreams is undermined by her father, whose deeply hidden secrets begin to trickle out and eat away at the family’s foundation. It’s complicated, rewarding and full of heart, and Shepard creates a rich reading experience in shying from simple answers and happy endings. 

Zombies vs. Unicorns edited by: Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier
It's a question as old as time itself: which is better, the zombie or the unicorn? In this anthology, edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier (unicorn and zombie, respectively), strong arguments are made for both sides in the form of short stories. Half of the stories portray the strengths--for good and evil--of unicorns and half show the good (and really, really bad-ass) side of zombies. Contributors include many bestselling teen authors, including Cassandra Clare, Libba Bray, Maureen Johnson, Meg Cabot, Scott Westerfeld, and Margo Lanagan. This anthology will have everyone asking: Team Zombie or Team Unicorn? 

The Poison Eaters - Holly Black
In her debut collection, New York Times best-selling author Holly Black returns to the world of Tithe in two darkly exquisite new tales. Then Black takes readers on a tour of a faerie market and introduces a girl poisonous to the touch and another who challenges the devil to a competitive eating match. These stories have been published in anthologies such as 21 Proms, The Faery Reel, and The Restless Dead, and have been reprinted in many “Best of” anthologies. The Poison Eaters is Holly Black’s much-anticipated first collection of stories, and her ability to stare into the void—and to find humanity and humor there—will speak to young adult and adult readers alike.

Stupid Cupid - Rhonda Stapleton
Felicity's no ordinary teen matchmaker...she's a cupid!Felicity Walker believes in true love. That's why she applies for a gig at the matchmaking company Cupid's Hollow. But when Felicity gets the job, she learns that she isn't just a matchmaker...she's a cupid! (There's more than one of them, you know.)
Armed with a hot pink, tricked-out PDA infused with the latest in cupid magic (love arrows shot through email), Felicity works to meet her quota of successful matches. But when she bends the rules of cupidity by matching her best friend Maya with three different boys at once, disaster strikes. Felicity needs to come up with a plan to set it all right, pronto, before she gets fired...and before Maya ends up with her heart split in three.
Flirting With Disaster - Rhonda Stapleton
Pucker Up - Rhonda Stapleton

Hex Hall - Rachel Hawkins (my review)
Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father--an elusive European warlock--only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters. By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect.
As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her.

Review: Dirty Little Secrets - C.J. Omololu

Where I got it: Library
Rating: 4 stars 
Cover Rating: 5 stars (Very story fitting and the title draws you in) 
Genre: Young Adult 
Publication Date: February 2, 2010
Publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers
Page Count: 210 p.

Lucy's mom has a problem, she can't stand to throw anything away. Lucy's sister and brother have long since moved out of the house and the junk has piled up into their rooms. Lucy can't have people over and can barely even walk through her house in order to get in or out. Everybody has dirty little secrets, and this is Lucy's. After she transferred to public school, Lucy got a friend named Kaylie. Kaylie didn't seem to pry too much and was a great friend. When Lucy comes home after at a night at Kaylie's to find something she never expected her life is turned upside down. Panic grows as it gets harder and harder to keep her mom's hoarding a secret. What Lucy needs is a miracle, she needs that right idea that will save her from drowning in the mess her mom has made.

This was a very interesting novel about a subject I have never read about. Maybe you've seen the TV show Hoarders? That's exactly what this book talks about. Lucy has to put up with her mom's obsessive collecting and her mom's rages when she excuses Lucy or others of stealing her "treasures". Lucy's mom is completely normal, as is their house, from the outside. Her mom works as a nurse and is a really nice friendly woman, who just happens to be hiding a disgusting secret. Lucy doesn't feel at home in her house. The bathroom and kitchen are pretty much unusable and the furnace is impossible to get to so she has no heat. This is a very eyeopening book into the minds of the children of hoarders. I'm sure quite a few kids have to go through this, maybe it's not as extreme in some cases but it's still sad. It's very upsetting when a young children is embarrassed of their home for a reason like this. C.J. Omololu brilliantly executed Lucy and all of her emotions and how she handled things. It's hard being the much younger sibling stuck with a mentally unstable parent. I think this was an excellent book to help kids learn about parents with mental disorders like hoarding and compulsive shopping. This was an excellent debut, very well written and I look forward to seeing what topic C.J. will tackle next.

First Line:
"Everyone has secrets."

Favorite Line:
"If only the house would disappear--vaporize into the night until there was nothing left but Teddy B. in my jacket and my memories locked safely away where nobody would ever see."  

Review: Blindsided - Priscilla Cummings

Where I got it: Inter-library Loan
Rating: 3.5 stars 
Cover Rating: 4 stars (I really like how the eyes are covered in braille.) 
Genre: Young Adult 
Publication Date: July 8, 2010
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Page Count: 226 p.

Natalie was born without irises, this condition causes her eyesight to slowly decline. She has to wear a brimmed hat all the time because the sun is too bright for her and she has to use eye drops. When her sight starts to get worse her mother thinks it's time for her to go to Baltimore's School for the Blind, so that Natalie can learn the skills she would need if she went blind. Natalie however does not want to face the fact that the if is more like a when. Natalie is frustrated that she is losing her vision and refuses to learn braille or how to walk with the cane. After taking a nasty fall however, Natalie thinks that maybe it's time she realize she might need to prepare herself for the inevitable future that awaits. She gets a new roommate and together they agree to work hard together, that is until something happens and Natalie again is left by herself.

It is a little weird reading a book that seems like it would be very helpful for someone going through losing their sight. Just the very act of reading each tiny word, I feel like I lose the true meaning of this novel. Regardless of this, it was a really great read. I didn't like it that much in the beginning, I feel like it jumped a lot, from Natalie being able to see to it being really bad. There just wasn't enough progression, but then again the novel would have been much longer had the beginning been drawn out. Natalie was a genuinely scared and frustrated young girl who doesn't want to except that something this terrible could be happening to her. You could really get inside Natalie's head and all the ups and downs of having to learn all these new techniques and having to make new friends and trying to still keep her old friends. It's a lot to ask of somebody and though Natalie falters at the beginning it was very nice to see her grow and learn that she has to accept her fate. I think this is a great book that addresses a topic that many of us don't deal with on a day to day basis. I personally don't know any blind people and so it was interesting to see the many different aspects of sight impaired individuals. Some of the kids in this story were not completely blind, but it was nice how they banded together. This was a great book about disabilities and how you don't have to be the victim if you don't want to be. I say definitely pick this one up.

First Line:
"Like so many of Natalie's early memories, this one is full of color: the fresh yellow straw, the red blood that was pooling way too fast, the silver bucket kicked aside, the damp, quivering brown fur." 

Favorite Line:
"Natalie stopped, mesmerized, and took several slow steps inside the door of Serena's room."

HAPPY RELEASE DAY!

To Brenna Yovanoff and her debut novel the Replacement! Buy your copy today! It's very shiny and if the fantastic cover doesn't catch your eye you can check out my review here. If you don't believe me check out what they are saying at The Bibliographic Book Blog, Musings of a Reader Happy, Beyond Books, Bookworming in the 21st Century and The Nerd's Wife. You can go here and listen to Brenna's playlist of songs she listened to whilst writing The Replacement.

Also... A BIG FAT RELEASE DAY SCREAM FOR

ZOMBIES VS. UNICORNS!!!!!! 

Order your copy here.

Review: The DUFF - Kody Keplinger

Where I got it: Library
Rating: 5 stars 
Cover Rating: 5 stars (Pretty freakin' fantastic) 
Genre: Young Adult 
Publication Date: September 7, 2010
Publisher: Poppy
Page Count: 277 p.

After Wesley Rush, Womanizer extraordinaire, calls Bianca a DUFF she realizes how fitting it is to her. The word starts to haunt her and she starts looking at other people a little differently, spotting the DUFF in other groups of friends. Although Wesley is the boy who labeled her as the "designated ugly fat friend" he is exactly who she turns to for distraction when her home life starts going downhill. After sleeping with him for awhile Bianca starts to realize that they have quite a few problems in common. Maybe Wesley isn't such a bad guy after all, he's just looking for a distraction too.

This book was fantastic. I can't even tell you how much I loved this book. Bianca was sassy and fierce. Everything about Bianca was just fantastic. I loved how easily the characters flowed and you could completely picture them rolling their eyes and cocking their heads to the side. Kody Keplinger shines with this debut abut how everyone sometimes feels like the ugly friend. Bianca and Wesley's relationship was hilarious. Watching how rude they were to each other and how flirty they were without entirely realizing it made me chuckle. They were very realistic characters. There was a lot of sex in this book, but I think a lot of people in high school have a lot of sex. Heck, a lot of people in middle school have a lot of sex. I think the use of sex as a distraction was portrayed nicely in this novel and the consequences of characters' actions were reflected on in a realistic and teenaged way. I think this is another one of my favorite books for the year. I just loved how bold Bianca was and how her and her friends fit together. I'm glad Kody touched on some really big issues but never once did the book feel overwhelmingly depressing. Issues were brought up, the characters handled them the only way they could think of, but they learned from it all. I checked out Kody's website and saw that she would cast Ellen Page as Bianca, and I totally have to agree. Ellen's fierce nonchalance is exactly Bianca's voice. Kody Keplinger is an author to look out for and I look forward to reading her next novel A Midsummer's Nightmare. I would recommend this book to everyone who loves YA realistic fiction, it was just too fabulous for you to pass up.

First Line:
"This was getting old."

Favorite Lines:
"I realized I'd been biting my lip a little too hard as the metallic taste of blood touched the tip of my tongue."

"I could look like a gorilla, and he still wouldn't hesitate to fuck me, but dating is a totally different situation."

In My Mailbox #55

In My Mailbox brought to you by The Story Siren

 

Bought/Swapped:

Good as Lily - Derek Kirk Kim

Clubbing - Andi Watson

Re-Gifters - Mike Carey

The Plain Janes - Cecil Castellucci

Lament - Maggie Stiefvater

I Am Rembrandt's Daughter - Lynn Cullen

Fire - Kristen Cashore

Word Nerd - Barbara Ann Kipfer

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell - Susanna Clarke

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You - Ally Carter

Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy - Ally Carter

Cathy's Key: If Found Please Call 650-266-8202  -  Jordan Weisman, Sean Stewart

Sister Slam and the Poetic Motormouth Roadtrip - Linda Oatman High

Candy Girl - Diablo Cody

Finding Alice - Melody Carlson

Hard Love - Ellen Wittlinger

 

So that's what I got this week. What did you all recieve?

Princess Bookie Recreate a cover contest

Enter Here

Official Rules:
Open To US Only
One Entry Per Person
Open Until we hit 50 entries!
First 50 participates In Mr Linky
We will be voting in rounds!
Your Image Must be savable, meaning I can right click on it and save it.

Prize:

• A finished copy of Anna And The French Kiss!
• An eiffel tower figure
• Anna Bookmarks

Review: The Best and Hardest Thing - Pat Brisson

Where I got it: Arc from my collection
Rating: 4.5 stars 
Cover Rating: 4 stars (Certainly eye-catching, but also tells you how the story is bound to go.) 
Genre: Young Adult 
Publication Date: May 13, 2010
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Page Count: 231 p.

Molly Biden at fifteen is a saint. At least that's what everyone calls her. She always follows the rules, does what she is told and is in general a good girl. Molly decides that she wants to kick her saintly image and decides to try on a more rebellious side. She starts to flirt with the (extremely attractive) new guy. When one thing leads to another Molly at sixteen winds up pregnant and facing a very difficult decision.

Hooray for novels in verse, they really are just fantastic. This novel was a bit different from others I have read in verse because this novel explored many different types of poetry instead of just one to tell the whole story. Molly is a scared and alone teen. Molly's voice rings clear and true with the heaviness of the world bearing down on her. Sure there are people who have to suffer worse but, each person has their trials and Molly's are some that many would not want to have to endure. Having lost her mom at a young age and being raised by her grandmother, definitely had an effect on her actions and emotions. Molly looks at the challenges she has to face and honestly I think she succeeded admirably. There are hard decisions and life and some people have to face them really early on. I think this is a great novel about accidental teen pregnancy and girls should definitely read it. Not only does this novel make you feel better about having to make those hard decisions, but it tells you that every decision you make can lead to something bigger. This book wasn't super preachy saying that teen sex is wrong. Molly is rueful, but isn't overly depressed and wishing she did something different. Molly gracefully accepts the consequences of her actions and I think that is an excellent and important message. Although teen pregnancy is not necessarily a light subject, this novel approaches it with a more jovial feel. Molly cracks jokes, writes poetry to her virginity and in general is a pretty positive person. If you love novels in verse make sure you make time for this debut from Pat Brisson, it was a truly fantastic read.

First Line:
"She was a Golden Rule kind of girl--
doing-unto-others-as-she-would-have-them-
etcetera."

Favorite Line:
"Molly, 
this is your virginity speaking."  

Review: Paranormalcy - Kiersten White

Where I got it: Library
Rating: 3.5 stars 
Cover Rating: 5 stars (OOOOOOOHHHH AAHHHHHH) 
Genre: Young Adult 
Publication Date: September 1, 2010
Publisher: Harperteen
Page Count: 335 p.

Evie always thought of herself as normal. Despite the fact that she was an orphan, saved from certain death by the International Paranormal Containment Agency. Also despite the fact that she can see who people really are, she can see through paranormals' glamours. Inside she knows that she is just a typical teen. She watches Easton Heights and longs to roam the halls of a high school and have drama filled  relationships, instead she gets to bag and tag monsters. When an unidentified paranormal sneaks into the Agency headquarters, Evie's whole perspective starts to change. She finds that maybe being paranormal isn't necessarily a bad thing...that is until something starts killing the paranormals and no one knows who or what is doing it. Evie has to make some tough decisions to save herself and possibly the ones she cares about.

Evie was in turns annoying and charismatically funny. It's hard knowing how Evie should be acting since I have never been locked up underground with no one my own age for more than a decade. Still Evie seemed relatively normal. This novel managed to incorporate all sorts of oddities into one interesting story. You get to read about mermaids, hags, faeries, werewolves, vampires and more all in one convenient story of a teenage angst. It seemed like Evie had too much freedom to roam about and do whatever she wanted, she rarely got in any actual trouble and seemed to have little self-restraint despite how she grew up. The action scenes were at times very lackluster. The climax seemed to fall short of extraordinary, lots of build up and then it just sort of tapered off slowly. At times parts of this novel moved a bit too fast while other things seemed ridiculously drawn out. I can't say too much on this without ruining the novel but people just seemed to go with the flow and a lot of characters seemed severely undeveloped despite the major parts they would play. Granted, underdevelopment of some characters is necessary because they are elusive beings, but still other characters could have had a little more meat to them, Evie included. Even though this debut had it's faults, I still think it was worth the read, it was quirky and fun. I can see that Kiersten White has a lot of potential and look forward to reading her next novel. This will certainly appeal to YAs who are looking for a paranormal read with maybe a little romance but also some action.

First Line:
"'Wait--did you-- You just yawned!' The vampire's arms, raised over his head in the classic Dracula pose, dropped to his sides."

Favorite Line:
"'It ranks right up there with lockers. In fact, sometimes I put my license in my locker, and it's so cool I worry that the whole thing might explode with the sheer coolness of it all.'"  

Review: The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks - E. Lockhart

Where I got it: Library
Rating: 5 stars 
Cover Rating: 3 stars (It's okay. That is not exactly how I pictured Frankie though. I do appreciate the Basset stamp on the letter thingy though.) 
Genre: Young Adult 
Publication Date: August 25, 2009
Publisher: Hyperion Books
Page Count: 342 p.

I present you Frankie Landau-Banks, named Frankie because her father wanted a son. Although, regardless of the name, her father does not think much of her. Neither does anyone else for that matter. Over the summer she blossoms into a young woman, but still no one thinks of her as more than "bunny rabbit". When she learns of a secret society, and just perhaps stumbles on some society secrets, she thinks she could run the society much better than "Alpha". When her pranks go too far though, Frankie knows she has to own up and admit it was her at the front of the pack, even if it means losing the boy of her dreams.

This was a ridiculously entertaining read. You will instantly either love or hate Frankie, there is no in-between. I loved her, I loved her word obsession where she decided that some words (those which aren't really words, but should be) are neglected, mostly neglected positives (I guess you'll have to read to find out). While Frankie's sister and mother claim to be feminist, Frankie takes it to a new level and completely dominates the secret society(all male) at her school. This is a fantastic girl power book akin to Fried Green Tomatoes (girl power wise, no crying and murder here). TOWANDA!!!! So, yes read this book. It has girl power, romance, secret societies, secrets, pranks and basset hounds. E. Lockhart is a really great funny, fun writer and this book is certainly no disappointment. So throw this on top of your TBR pile because you deserve it.

First Line:
"I, Frankie Landau-Banks, hereby confess that I was the sole mastermind between the mal-doings of the Loyal order of the Basset Hounds."

Favorite Line:
"Of course, anything named after a floppy-eared dog with short legs isn't deadly serious."  

Teaser Tuesday #40

This week's Teaser Tuesday is from The DUFF - Kody Keplinger

(page: 46)

"When the Friday of our Girls' Night In finally rolled around, I was more than ready for a nice, relaxing evening with my best friends--and the wonderfully Scottish James McAvoy, of course. I'd shoved the copy of Becoming Jane that Jessica had given me for Christmas, a pair of barely used pajamas (yeah, I sleep naked at home--so what?), and my toothbrush into my backpack."

Teaser Tuesday is brought to us by Should be Reading.
Rules:
1) Grab your current read
2) Open to a random page
3) Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
4) BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
5) Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Review: The Replacement - Brenna Yovanoff

Where I got it: Arc from publisher
Rating: 4.5 stars 
Cover Rating: 5 stars (Perfectly amazingly awesome!) 
Genre: Young Adult 
Publication Date: September 21, 2010
Publisher: Razorbill
Page Count: 343 p.

Mackie is a replacement, switched into the baby's crib of an unsuspecting family. His family knows, it's hard to hide that Mackie can't be around iron or on hallowed ground, especially when his father's the minister.  Lately Mackie feels worse than usual and nearly makes a scene at a school blood drive(blood is filled with iron). He feels like he's dying and when a musician corners him at the club and tells him this, he feels hopeless. He's invited to the Slag heap, a place where others like him hand out together. They lure him in with promises or potions to make him feel better, all he has to do is play in their band. When another child, the sister of a girl named Tate,  goes missing, Mackie doesn't want suspicious eyes following him. When Tate seeks him out he's cold at first, but when he starts to find out the horrible things the town of Gentry has been hiding he knows something must be done.

This was a spectacularly spooky read. Horrifyingly grim in detail, with disgusting monsters lurking about in the shadows. I applaud Brenna Yovanoff of the exquisite debut. The dialog is spot on amazing, it flows so smoothly with genuine voices that speak of feelings beyond the context. I was creeped out and curious throughout this book, wondering where Mackie fits in and why the town of Gentry is okay with the way things are. Each of the characters played their parts nicely, although it's weird taking into consideration that everyone knows what goes on they just ignore it. At times it made it seem unbelievable that some of the characters took this new information in stride, without questioning anything. I loved the little tidbits of folklore that the town created against the creatures in the shadows. This book will have you up late at night hanging horseshoes and cutlery from your ceiling, while you finish reading this book. I think this was definitely a good start for a new author and I am dying to read some more of her work. If you aren't afraid of things that go bump in the night check this out. It was truly a must read debut.

First Line:
"I don't remember any of the true, important parts, but there's this dream I have."

Favorite Line:
"In the daylight, everything looked gray and weak."  

In My Mailbox #54

In My Mailbox brought to you by The Story Siren

For Review:
Revolution - Jennifer Donnelly
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. 

Bought/Swapped:

Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots - Abby McDonald 
Jenna may hail from the ’burbs of New Jersey, but Green Teen activism is her life. So when her mom suggests they spend the summer at Grandma’s Florida condo, Jenna pleads instead to visit her hippie godmother, Susie, up in rural Canada. Jenna is psyched at the chance to commune with this nature she’s heard about — and the cute, plaidwearing boys she’s certain must roam there. But after a few run-ins with local wildlife (from a larger-than-life moose to Susie’s sullen Goth stepdaughter to a hot but hostile boy named Reeve), Jenna gets the idea that her long-held ideals, like vegetarianism and conservation, don’t play so well with this population of real outdoorsmen. A dusty survival guide offers Jenna amusing tips on navigating the wilderness — but can she learn to navigate the turns of her heart? 

Clockwork Angel - Cassandra Clare
Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still.
           When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.
           Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.
           Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: Jem, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa.
           As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.


Extraordinary - Nancy Werlin
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: Wicked - Sara Shepard

Where I got it: Library
Rating: 5 stars 
Cover Rating: 4 stars 
Genre: Young Adult 
Publication Date: June 1, 2009 
Publisher: HarperTeen
Page Count: 310 p.

** Series Spoilers and Rant**
Okay so now Ali's brother is introduced and thrown right into the equation. I'm not too concerned about him however, cause check out sketchy Officer Wilden over there. Yeah I'm looking at you, mister. Trying to act all innocent because you're a cop. I totally suspect that Wilden is the new A, maybe he was working with Mona all along. Maybe Sara Shepard is just trying to make me think new A could be Wilden when really it's Jason. I feel like Jason has something going on I mean "sibling issues". I don't think he could be A though. It's possible but I don't feel it, plus Wilden has been there all along. Kate is kind of bizarre. I can never tell what she's up to. I am currently undecided about whether she be friend or foe. Plus is Spencer adopted???? Please tell us Sara!!!! AARRRGGGHHH... Also, why can't Aria just date boys even close to her age range. I mean staying within a decade of her age range shouldn't be too hard at least. Jeez Louise though... We shall just have to see what book 6 brings I guess. I still thing Wilden is suspect.

First Line:
"Wouldn't it be nice to know exactly what people are thinking?"

Favorite Line:
"And didn't herpes lead to cold sores?"

Review: Unbelievable - Sara Shepard

Where I got it: Library
Rating: 5 stars 
Cover Rating: 4 stars
Genre: Young Adult 
Publication Date: December 1, 2008 
Publisher: HarperTeen
Page Count: 335 p.


**Series Spoilers**
Emily is at her super conservative Aunt and Uncle's house in Iowa, Spencer is starting to remember what happened the night Ali went missing, Aria's teacher/boyfriend was arrested and Hanna is in the hospital. The girls are very down on their luck and it's all thanks to A. The mysterious know-it-all A. What did Hanna know before she got struck by the car?

Okay so this is going to kind of be less of a review and more of an OMG REALLY?!?!?! REALLY?!?! So In this book Hanna is recovering from her trauma of being struck by a car. She has forgotten everything that happened after she received the (way too tiny) dress for Mona's birthday party. So of course Luke has been hanging around and she doesn't really know why. She also forgives Mona, well, except she doesn't know what actually happened with Mona. Meanwhile Emily was of in Iowa getting superfriendly with the (female) locals. So Emily thinks Trista is pretty super maybe even better than Mona but when Trista comes to visit Emily, Trista decides to make out with Noel Kahn instead and by this point Emily kind of blew it with Maya (read: blamed her for being A). What I would like to point out in this reiteration/rant is that it was brilliant having Mona be A and that she got her hands on Ali's diary which stored everyone's secrets. We do have to realize that Mona couldn't possibly be working alone though, because how could she be everywhere at once. I also have to wonder how much she actually liked Hanna. Were they really friends or was Mona just biding her time until she could destroy Hanna? Also the other thing I would like to rant about is Ian being the murderer. Seriously? I don't buy that for a second, he's too Ian-y. Not that I'm in love with him or think he is above reproach, I just don't think he would go as far as murder someone. I also think he's a really bad liar, so if he did do it we would totally be able to tell. Besides, I'm still not entirely convinced that Melissa is no longer a suspect. She is very competitive and otherwise a sketchzilla and more than likely has something to do with all the bad things in Rosewood. Or maybe I'm just a Spencer sympathizer. I guess that's all for this rant. Feel free to join in on ranting in the comments section, it would be appreciated ;)

First Line:
"Ever wish you could go back in time and undo your mistakes?"

Favorite Line:
"Then, with her good hand, Melissa picked the Barbie up by its neck and popped its plastic head clean off."