Game ****

Myers, Walter Dean. Game. 2008.

I generally enjoy everything Myers writes, and this is no exception. This novel follows a HS basketball team through one season, through the eyes of Drew, a senior on the team. The team has a great chance of making it to the playoffs, and Drew thinks he has a chance of getting recruited by some big name colleges to play ball. Suddenly, the coach adds two new white guys to the team and it shakes things up. The rules all change and it seems that the coaches are favoring the white guys, who they encouraged to move to Harlem so they could be on their team.

Recommended for male readers. This is also a great book for reluctant readers who enjoy basketball or sports.

The House of Djinn. ****1/2

Staples, Suzanne Fisher. The House of Djinn. 2008.

This is a sequel to Shabanu and Haveli. It's not necessary to read the previous novels to read this. It seems to stand all on its own.

Mumtaz (Muti), daughter of Shabanu, is living with her cousin Omar and his hateful wife Leyla. Leyla mistreats Muti and treats her like a servant. It is her desire to get rid of Muti as fast as she can, but as long as her Baba is alive, she is safe from Leyla. When Baba, the family patriarch, dies suddenly, Muti's life becomes more unstable, particularly when she finds out she is to married to her cousin Jameel, who is to become the head of their tribe. Jameel, who has been living in the US, does not want to come back to live in Pakistan and he doesn't want to marry Muti. Complicating matters is the fact that Muti has discovered her mother has been alive this whole time, living in secret with her Aunt, to stay safe from Uncle Nazir who would kill her if he knew she was still alive.

This was a fantatic book and I highly recommend it for most readers.

Me and Orson Welles ***

Kaplow, Robert. Me and Orson Welles. 2005.

Why this book was recommended by School Library Journal is beyond me. I don't imagine any teenager would be interested in reading this. In fact, I can't imagine many people would be interested in reading it.

The book follows a week in the life if Richard Samuels who lives in NJ. In an unlikely turn of events, he is cast as Lucius in an Orson Welles production of Julius Caesar. He has to skip school to get to the rehearsals and the performances. He falls in love with Sonja and gets involved in the drama that is the theatre.

I am not sure if the goal of the book is to be coming of age story or a story that exemplifies how crazy Orson Welles was. Either way, it doesn't matter because I don't think either angle is working very well. I also find that most teens aren't all that interested in historical fiction so I don't think a 1930s NYC theatre novel would fly off the shelves of many libraries. I would skip this book unless you have some sort of fascination with Orson Welles.

In the Cards: Fame ****

Fredericks, Mariah. In the Cards: Fame. 2006.

I didn't realize this was a part of series until I started reading it. The first book was In the Cards: Love. Unlike some other series, however, this book is fine all on it's own; the reader doesn't have to have read the first book in the series to understand what is happening in this one.

The school is abuzz when the music teacher, Mr. Courtney decides to put on the first musical the school has ever had. Eve, a total drama queen auditions for the show and does get in. Her friend Anna is the stage manager and their other friend Syd is also brought in to help out with playing the piano. The show is filled with drama right from the beginning with backstage fights, romance, and feuds. The star of the show has a famous father and starts to fall apart; it's not clear whether or not she will be able to perform at all. All the while, Eve keeps wondering what will happen because the tarot cards predicted something, but she's not sure how it's going to happen.

I recommend this for middle school/early high school girls interested in the theatre or performing, or girls just interested in reading a story with a whole lot of drama and backstabbing.

Cheater ***1/2

Laser, Michael. Cheater. 2008.

Karl is really smart. So smart that a group of students ask him to join their cheating group. The kids all come from different groups in school and no one would ever suspect they are working together. They use high tech cheating methods, like using cell phones and electronic pencils that send radio waves. Karl knows it's wrong and tries to get out, but he's in too far at that point. The maniacal Vice Principal starts going after cheaters with a vengeance, vowing to expel everyone he catches cheating. This makes things even riskier, but Karl can't seem to get out of it.

The only aspect of the book I had a problem with was that it was unrealistic. I know kids cheat, and they do it a lot. However, I don't think many are using methods like this. If they were smart enough to organize like this and get it to work, they probably don't have to cheat in the first place. Furthermore, the VP expelling people for cheating was also a stretch. A policy like that would never fly. At the very least, the parents would need to get a lawyer and there would be an expulsion hearing, but that didn't seem to happen here. These sorts of things made the book impossible to enjoy thoroughly.

The Pull of the Ocean *****

Mourlevat, Jean-Claude. The Pull of the Ocean. Text copyright 1999, Translation copyright 2006.

This book won the French Prix Sourcieres and won the American Library Association's Batchelder Award.

This was a great book but it is only appropriate for the middle grades, not high school.

This novel is basically a re-telling of Tom Thumb in modern times. Tom Thumb is a midget/dwarf. He comes from a family of 7 children-- all of the sets of twins except from himself. His father is abusive and his mother is useless. Tom doesn't speak so everyone thinks he is stupid. He is, however, the smartest one in the bunch and he talks with his eyes and body. One night Tom warns his brothers they are in dangers from their parents and they run away.

The novel is written from multiple points of view, from the social worker that brings Tom home from school at the beginning of the story, people they encountered along the way, and all of the siblings themselves. This change in point of view makes the book interesting and keeps it flowing. It wouldn't be nearly as interesting and compelling if it were told from only one character's perspective.

Highly recommended for middle school.

The Missing Girl ****

Mazer, Norma Fox. The Missing Girl. 2008.



This was a disturbing book. The chapters alternate between five sisters and a man who is obsessed with them. The sisters are having lots of problems at home-- their father is out of a job and the mother is making the only income. She is stressed out and they have no money. The family makes the decision to send one of the sisters to an Aunt so she can help out and take the burden off the family. Meanwhile, a pedophile is obsessed with the girls. He looks forward to seeing them every day. His only problem is choosing which of them he wants. They are all enticing to him in one way or another.



The pedophilia angle can be disturbing to some readers so I would urge caution for readers that might be sensitive to this sort of thing. Otherwise, this was a great book and I had a hard time putting it down.

Ask Me No Questions ***

Budhos, Marina. Ask Me No Questions. 2006.

This book received a starred review in Booklist and has received favorable reviews just about everywhere else. Despite that, I found I had a hard time getting into this book. Nadira and her sister Aisha are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. After 9/11 they got caught up in a situation where the government was trying to roung up alll potential enemies. They got caught as they tried to escape to Canada. Their father was thrown into prison and left there for questioning. Nadhira and her sister are left to try to help get their father out of prison and get permission to stay in the country despite their illegal status. I found the ended really implausable. I think if the ending was more realistic I would have enjoyed the book a lot better.

I think teens may enjoy the book, particularly those that are interested in the issue of the Patriot Act or illegal immigration.

Repossessed ****

Jenkins, A.M. Repossessed. 2007.

This is a Printz Honor Book.

What I love about Jenkins is how her books all seem to be so different from each other. It must keep things interesting for her as a writer.

As the book begins, Shaun is about to walk in front of a truck and die. Kiriel, who comes from Hell, has been observing people for some time, and Shaun in particular. Sick of his job in Hell, he takes over Shaun's body just before he is about to die. He is then himself, but in Shaun's body. He takes over his life, but only better. He is actually nice to his annoying brother. He is nice to all of the kids at school. He dresses decently. He does his homework. His one goal now that he is a human it so have sex, specifically with Lane, who he finds beautiful but no one else does.

This book was amusing. It's funny to have a person take over the body of a teenager and to see what his reactions are to the whole thing. Highly recommended for any readers, but male readers in particular.

Catalyst ****

Anderson, Laurie Halse. Catalyst. 2002.

This was a great book about a girl whose life seems to be falling apart. Kate lives with her brother Toby and her minister father. She seems to take on a lot of the responsibility around the house. Her father means well but seems to always be busy with things. She is really stressed out about college. She only applied to MIT and is eagerly awaiting their decision.

Teri, an unpopular girl at school, steals Kate's watch. Kate follows her home and discovers that Teri's mom is unable to do much for herself and Teri is the one taking care of things at her house too. Then her house burns down. Her father lets Teri and her little brother move in which really gets Kate's blood boiling. She has to give up her bed and can't sleep for all the snoring.

I won't give anything more away about the plot. This was a great book about a high strung high school student, which is something many readers will relate to.

Feathers ****1/2

Woodson, Jacqueline. Feathers. 2007.

This is a Newbery Honor Book.

This was a great book. I normally only read books aimed at HS students, but this book was a Newbery Honor book so I thought I would read it anyway. No high school student would be interested in this book at all, but younger readers would.

Frannie is going through a lot. She lives on the side of town where all of the black people live. Her brother is deaf. Her mother has lost babies in the past and is pregnant again. A new white boy moves in and is the only white boy at their school. Because of his long hair, people start calling him Jesus Boy. Immediately, some of the school bullies start to give him a hard time. Frannie feels a connection to him but doesn't want to get involved and become a target of the bullies herself.

Frannie is an honest and flawed character. She is easy to like and her story should keep readers interested.

Before I Die ****

Downham, Jenny. Before I Die. 2007.

I read this book because it's on the ALA's Best Books for YAs List. In fact, it's in the Top 10. After reading the book and finding it lacking, I looked at some reviews of it on Amazon. It seems that people either really love this book or, like me, don't understand what all the hype is about. I wanted to give three stars, but given the fact that so many people loved it, I decided to bump it up an extra star. I figure dozens of other people have loved it, so I should take that into account.

The main character, Tessa, is dying from Leukemia. She has a list of 10 things that she wants to accomplish before she dies. Some of these things include having sex, falling in love, getting her parents back together and breaking the law. She manages to fulfill all of the things on her list, or least tries.

The book might be rather depressing to some, although I didn't think so. I saw it as a positive story, at least insofar as Tessa was trying to make something positive out of the little time she had left. I think the problem I had with the book is the characters, Tessa in particular. They were unlikable. Tessa isn't really likable at all. Her best friend Zoey seems like a bad influence. Her mother is a loser. Her father is a main character, but I didn't get a sense of anything about him. I think, since Tessa is the narrator, that it's all about her and she doesn't bother with telling us much about him and his life. I don't think she even bothers to know what her father's life is like outside of taking care of her. I know she is dying but she seems awfully self-centered which makes her unlikable to me.

American Born Chinese ****1/2

Yang, Gene Luen. American Born Chinese. 2006.

I am a little late to the party as far as this book is concerned. It won all sorts of awards and accolades and I am just now getting to it. In my defense, I am not really into graphic novels, so I put it off for that reason.

Anyway, the book starts out with appears to be disconnected stories. Then, as the book comes to an end, the different story lines come togehter and it all makes sense. The story primarily revolves around Jin Wang, a new student in school. He was born in America, but is of Chinese decent. He eventually befriends a new Taiwanese kid who is, as he calls it, fresh off the boat. They stay friends all through school until there is a fight that splits them up. Meanwhile, we hear the story of the Monkey King. We also have a story line with a white boy that is followed around by his embarassing Chinese relative who is a total stereotype. It's a little hard to explain the book, honestly.

Fans of graphic novels would enjoy it. Anyone looking to read something different should check this one out. It's definitely different and interesting.

If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince? ***1/2

Kantor, Melissa. If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where is my Prince? 2005.

I could tell you what was going to happen in this book right from the beginning. This is stereotypical YA lit. In a nutshell: Girl's mother dies. Girl's father remarries a woman with two children. Father moves them across the country. Stepmother treats her unfairly. In the end, they come to an understanding and live happily ever after. And, on top of that, there is the "new girl" stereotype on top of it. She falls for the most popular guy in school, he falls for her and now she is instantly popular too, even though no one would talk to her just last week.

There is nothing new here, but it's still entertaining if if you are into this sort of thing and haven't read it 20 times already. The good thing about this one is that Lucy is pretty cool and readers might enjoy her sarcastic wit.

The UnResolved ****

Welsh, T.K The UnResolved. 2006.

I have to admit that I had never heard of the boat accident that is detailed in this book, despite the fact that it was apparently a huge disaster. The book in narrated by Mallory who is dead. She begins by telling us how she died--her and her family were on a boat headed to Long Island for a church activity in 1904. She meets Dustin in an empty room so they can kiss. While they are in the room, a group of boys catch them and a bit of a scuffle occurs. Shortly thereafter, the boat catches fire.

Mallory dies in the blaze and then sticks around, visiting her family, Dustin, and those that are partially responsible for the wreck. There is plenty of blame to go around but no one seems to be able to figure out the truth. The grieving familes, thirsty for revenge, want revenge on Dustin, who they believe to be at fault.

This was a great book. It's another in a recent trend in YA lit in which a dead person narrates the story. This one was very well done and I recommend it for fans of historical fiction.

Persepolis *****

Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood. 2003.

I'm a little embarassed to admit it has taken me this long to read this fabulous graphic novel. I saw an advertisement for the new movie and it reminded me that I had been meaning to read it for years.

This is an autobiographical work about Marjane's childhood in Iran. It starts out with her going to school as a carefree girl, and then shows the changes that occurred in the country as it came under religious rule. All of the girls had to wear the chador and follow other Islamic rules. This was a hard time for Marjane's family since they were a modern family and opposed the new regime. Then the war with Iraq occurred which made things even more unsafe for the citizens of Iran.

I think even people that aren't generally interested in graphic novels would enjoy this book.
Not only is there now a movie version of this book but there is a sequel entitled Persepolis 2.

The Heroines ****

Favorite, Eileen. The Heroines. 2007.

This is an adult book appropriate for YAs.

Penny and her mother Anne-Marie live in the Bed and Breakfast in which Anne-Marie grew up. Throughout her life Anne Marie has had visits from famous book characters. The first was Cathering Ernshaw from Wuthering Heights. She arrives at the part where she is deciding who she should marry. Heathcliff comes after her and eventually they are sent on their way to finish their story. Over the years other characters have visited, including Ophelia, Scarlett O'Hara, and Madame Bovary.

Now, in the present, Deirdre arrives. At first they don't realize she is a Heroine but then they figure that out, but not from what story she comes. Conor, a King, comes for her and Penny is the one that ends up dealing with him. When she returns home, the cops have been called already so that forces a trip to the ER for a rape kit, even though she wasn't raped. Sick of her mother putting the heroines first, Penny goes nuts in the ER and is finally placed in the psych ward for being a paranoid schizophrenic.

This is a really cute story. It's light-heared and it's nothing serious, just some good fun. Recommend for female readers who enjoy off-beat books.

The Luxe ****

Godbersen, Anna. The Luxe.

I am just getting back into reading YA novels again after taking a break. I forgot to review The Luxe a few months ago when it first came out. I had been eagerly anticipating it and was over the moon when it came in at my local public libary.

The book didn't disappoint. I would describe this as a historical Gossip Girl. The characters are all rich teenagers growing up at the turn-of-the-century. Elizabeth is in love with one of the servants but she is forced to marry Henry. Henry doesn't want her either, but he must marry her or he will be disinherited. Meanwhile, Henry is in love with another girl who also wants to marry him. When he chooses Elizabeth, she freaks out. Elizabeth supposedly dies by plunging into the Hudson River, but it's not clear if she is dead or if she ran away. This leaves things open for further installments of this new series.

I highly recommend this new series to girls who are fans of series fiction or historical fiction.

Poseur ***

Maude, Rachel. Poseur. 2007.

I found this book to be "just OK." It didn't draw me in like some other series like Gossip Girl. The characters in this book all attend a private school in LA. They are all registered in a special projects class in school. These four girls decide to start their own clothing line, and they only have a short time in which to do it. Complicating matters is the fact that they are all very different from each other. Janie isn't rich and she comes from The Valley. Charlotte is rich and spoiled. Melissa is the daughter of a famous musician. Petra isn't into fashion or the rich lifestyle.

While not realistic, teens who enjoy this sort of series fiction will probably enjoy this new series.

21 Proms ***1/2

Levithan, David, and Daniel Ehrenhaft, eds. 21 Proms. 2007

The editors drafted various YA authors to write a short story about Prom. Some authors include Jacqueline Woodson, Cecily Von Ziegesar, John Green, and others. Most of the stories are pretty enjoyable.

I had a hard time rating this one because I enjoyed it, but I know other people may not. I would recommend it for fans of short stories, which I know leaves lots of people out! Anyone that is prom-obsessed might also enjoy reading about some prom experiences. And, of course, if you are a fan of any of the authors that are included, you will want to at least read their story!

Pretty Little Liars ****

Shepard, Sara. Pretty Little Liars. 2006.

I just discovered this new series and am totally hooked. This series follows 4 girls that live on the Main Line in Philadelphia, which is a fancy suburban area. Years ago, they all were friends along with a fifth girl who mysteriously went missing. Alison had dirt on each of the other four girls, so when she disappeared, it was almost a bit of a relief to them even though they missed her. After her disappearance, Aria moved away and the others drifted apart.

Now, they are well into high school and Aria is moving back into town. Each girl starts getting text messages from someone who seems to know everything they are up to, and knows all of their secrets. Is Alison alive and stalking all of them or does someone else know the truth about everything?

Anyone reading the first book has to continue on with the series because there is a cliffhanger. There is enough juicy stuff going on to keep readers interested to see what will happen next. The only problem is probably the same with all other series-- the wait in between books!

Hex Education ****

Gould, Emily and Zareen Jaffery. Hex Education. 2007.

I received this ARC many months ago, but this is the first chance I had to read it.

Sophie Stone's father is a Hollywood Director. He decides to move back to Mythic, Massachusettes where he grew up, to make a horror film. The location is perfect since it had been the home of accused witches hundreds of years before. Sophie is annoyed to leave LA. She quickly makes friends with a group of girls and also meets 2 guys, both of whom like her romantically. The girls eventually find out that they are really witches when mysterious things start happening around town. They know there is also an evil force at work trying to destroy the town and it is their job to find out before the whole town is ruined.

Highly recommended for most female readers.

Summer Boys ***

Abbott, Hailey. Summer Boys.

I am a little late to the party as far as getting into this series. I had heard of it, but never bothered to try reading them. The series follows a group of cousins and friends each summer at their summer cottages in Maine. The story lines all seem to follow the romantic lives of the girls and guys and nothing else. So, while the books are interesting in the soap-opera sort of way that keeps you coming back for more, there isn't anything else going on aside from crushes, dating, and sex. I would recommend the series for fans of series fiction.

UPCOMING REVIEWS

**NOTE: I am in the process of proofreading and editing the entire blog, so please forgive any grammatical and spelling errors you find. They will be fixed within a few weeks. :) **

I am always looking for something exciting to read so if anyone reads a new YA book that they think is good, please let me know and I will be sure to check it out. I am also continuing my quest to re-read some of my favorites so the reviews will be a mix of new fiction and older fiction.

I sometimes get asked if I accept ARCs from publishers and authors. I have received some in the past and would be happy to accept more in the future. Just email me for my address.


Upcoming reviews:
* Red Moon at Sharpsburg
* Haters by Valdes-Rodriguez
* Echo by Morgenroth

Tyrell ****

Booth, Coe. Tyrell. 2006.

This was a great book but it's not necessarily appopriate for all high school library collections due to some coarse language. While it would be fine in many schools, it may not be ok for some schools that are more conservative.

This novel takes place in NYC. Tyrell is 16 and he is more or less the man of the family. His father is in prison and his mother is unable, or unwilling, to take care of the family. She never wants to find a job and spends her time complaining about how Ty needs to make money to support them. She is irresponsible and often leaves Tyrell's younger brother alone or doesn't supervise him properly. The family has been living in the Projects, but now they can't even live there and are homeless, being shuttled around from shelter to shelter.

Ty is dating Novisha, who goes to Catholic School and is strict about not having sex. Ty meets Jasmine who has had a troubled life and uses sex to get attention. She likes Ty but Ty is committed to Novisha. However, the free sex Jasmine is offering is tempting, especially since Novisha is waiting until she gets married to have sex.

Ty decides to make money by using his father's audio equipment to throw a big party, with him as a DJ. He has to get help from his father's friends and other criminals from the neighborhood, but he doesn't know of any other way to make enough money to get his family into an apartment. The entire time the reader hopes Ty can pull himself together and not get arrested.

Love, Meg ****

Purtill, C. Leigh. Love, Meg. 2007.

I received an advanced reader's copy of this book. I enjoyed it a lot. It's about a girl named Meg. She is obsessed with the TV show Friends and Jennifer Aniston. She believes that her and Jen are friends. She writes letters and she writes back. Even though Jen hasn't written back in a few years, Meg keeps writing to her.

Meg lives with her sister in California. Her sister is a mess and they move all over the place, all the time. When Meg discovers that her sister is really her mother, she leaves to go stay with her Grandmother and Uncle, who she didn't know existed. She learns who her father is and tries to find him. Her Grandmother is manipulative and mean. Her Uncle is sick and tired of taking care of his mother and wants to get on with his life. Meg makes a good friend who comes from a nice family, one that shows her what a real loving family is like. This makes her want to find her father even more, so she can be a part of a happy family.

Readers will like Meg. She is a great character and really likable. Highly recommended.

Does My Head Look Big in This? ****

Abdel-Fattah, Randa. Does My Head Look Big in This? 2005.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel about a Muslim girl living in Australia. Amal's family lives near Melbourne. While they are somewhat strict and religious, Amal has never worn the hijab, nor has she even been encouraged to do so. Suddenly, she decides to start wearing it full-time, not just to religious services. This is a big decisions in a post 9/11 world, in which Muslims from all over the world were looked at with suspicion. The hijab would bring attention to her and make her appear different, which is the last thing any teenager needs. Amal has a crush on Adam, who is white and Christian. He doesn't seem to get why she wants to wear the hijab, but does try to understand. Because her culture doesn't really allow for dating, particularly outside their religion, their relationship really can't go anywhere, but she likes him anyway.

There are other side stories going on with Amal's friends, which brings more depth to the novel. Simone is a little overweight and spends her life obsessing over her weight. The most interesting character is Leila who is also Muslim, but her family is ultra-conservative. Her mother doesn't even want her to continue her schooling and continues to try to marry her off to every available guy she comes across. They don't like Leila going out and particularly at night, thinking it makes her look like a bad girl. All Leila wants to do is graduate HS and go on the become a lawyer. This conflict adds to the story and shows the differences that exist even within Islam itself.

I recommend this novel for anyone interested in learning a little bit about Islam. And, certainl Muslim teens will love being able to find someone like themselves in a book for once!

A Thousand Splendid Suns *****

Hosseini, Khaled. A Thousand Splendid Suns. 2007.

While this book is somewhat advanced, I wanted to mention it here because it was superb. This is the author of The Kite Runner which was awesome. I didn't think he could top that one, but he did manage to do just that with this book.

Hosseini follows three decades of upheaval in Afghanistan. Unlike the characters in The Kite Runner, these characters don't leave Afghanistan, so they are there to see all of the turmoil that went on there for decades. The main character is Mariam, who is the illegitimate daughter of a rich man. He eventually marries her off to an older man when she is only in her teens. Rasheed is old and mean. After she is unable to produce an heir for him, he becomes even meaner. Then, he takes another wife.

Laila is that wife. She is alone and scared. Her parents have died from a bomb. The love of her life has left for Pakistan. Mariam and Rasheed, who had been her neighbors, take her in and nurse her back to health. When she finds out Tariq is dead, she agrees to marry Rasheed because she realizes she has nowhere else to go.

As time wears on, things continue to get worse as the Taliban takes over the entire country. Rasheed becomes even meaner, particularly now that the Taliban has stripped women of all of their power.

I highly recommend this book to advanced readers. This was a gripping novel and readers will not be disappointed.

The A-List ****

Dean, Zoey. The A-List. New York: Little Brown & Company, 2003.

We have another hit series on our hands. Similar to the Gossip Girl series, this new series features rich spoiled kids who are backstabbing each other while wearing Manolos.

Anna, a high school senior, decides to leave NYC to live with her father in LA. On the plane ride out, she meets Ben, a student at Princeton, who is traveling home to LA. They hit it off and he invites her to a wedding he will be attending that evening. The wedding is between a hot A-List actor and his very pregnant and very young girlfriend. His daughter, Sam, isn't happy about it, but is looking forward to seeing Ben at the wedding because she is secretly in love with him. So are her two best friends. All three plan to hook up with Ben at the wedding, but haven't told each other. Imagine their surprise when he shows up with some stranger he met on the plane. The action all happens in 24 hours, from the plane ride, through the wedding, and through to the next morning.

This isn't exactly a literary masterpiece, BUT, it will be very popular with teen girls, much like the similar Gossip Girl series. The rest of the series will probably continue on with all four girls fighting over Ben or various other guys, and lots of other drama. The plot will be interesting for teen girls and keep them coming back for more.

Update 2/22/05: I just finished reading the 2nd book in the series, Girls on Film and will be moving on to Blonde Ambition. So far this series is promising to be as exciting as Gossip Girls. Anyone who wants to read something that reads like a soap opera, check out this entire series!

Update 3/24/05: I just got Book 4 from Amazon.com. I can't wait to read it!

Updates 4/23/05: I just read Book 4. It didn't disappoint. Book 5 will be out in September!

Update 8/26/05: Back in Black, Book 5, came out before its published availabilty date. Imagine my surprise when I saw it at my local Borders a few days ago. In this book the gang goes to Vegas in lieu of theSenior Class Trip to DC. Fans of the series will be happy to see a new installment. The next isn't available until April of 2006. Waaaah!

Update 3/28/06: Some Like it Hot. Book 6. Details the Prom at Bevery Hills High. Not as exciting as the previous novels.

Update 9/11/06: American Beauty. Book 7. Life continues at BHH as the gang graduates. Sam tries to get Eduardo back by becoming a bit of a stalker. Anna and Ben hit a rough patch (which they seem to do every novel anyway). Dee seems to have gotten on an even keel. Cammie and Sam continue to investigate the death of Cammie's mother.

Update 6/18/07: Heart of Glass. Book 8. Sam tries to break up Poppy and her father when she suspects she is sleeping with her yoga teacher. Cassie wonders if Adam will ever come back from vacation. Anna is dating a new guy but Ben wants her back. Despite dating Adam, Cassie decides she wants Ben back too. Dee, now out of the hospital, can't decide who to date between the 2 guys that are interested in her.

Good Girls *** 1/2

Ruby, Laura. Good Girls. 2006.

This was a fairly good book. Audrey randomly hooks up with Luke at parties. When it becomes apparent that they are only going to hook up and never have a relationship, she cuts things off with him at a party, but not before giving him a parting blow job in a closet. While she is *ahem* on her knees, someone opens the door and takes a picture of the couple but they don't know who it was. The next day, the picture is flying around the internet and being sent from cell phone to cell phone. It even appears on the school's library computers. All of a sudden, Audrey goes from being a good girl to being the school slut, even thought she is a virgin.

Girls will enjoy this book. It's a serious topic, but it is dealt with in a non-serious sort of way. I don't mean that in a bad way. It's not preachy or anything, it's just an interesting and entertaining story.

Gossip Girl *****

Von Ziegesar, Cecily. Gossip Girl. Boston, Little Brown, 2002.

Is this series a literary masterpiece? Absolutely not. Is this series wildly popular? Heck, yes. That is why there are five starts up there next to the title. If it's popular, I think it's a good thing, because it means people are reading something. I read the first book and the next few in the series over a year ago, but I couldn't read the rest because they are always checked out. One thing I know is that they are definitely addictive.

This series is basically a soap opera in a book. It's fabulous. Blair and her friends are all rich and go to a fancy prep school. Blair is dating Nate, who goes to a fancy prep school for boys. All of a sudden, Serena, her former best friend, comes home suddenly and throws things totally off-kilter. Serena used to go out with Nate and now Nate doesn't really want Blaire anymore. There are many other characters that will all play a part in the series as it continues to unfold. The series is supposed to have 11 books in it, total. I can't wait to get to the end!

Anyone that enjoys drama drama drama will like this book. It it chick lit at its finest-- it's addictive and juicy. If you haven't read this series, what are you waiting for?!

Update 5/29/06: Book 9 is out. Serena starts her life as a movie star while Blair goes off to London with her new royal boyfriend.

Update 10/3/06: Book 10 is out! This book follows the crew as they continue their summer in the Hamptons.

Update: 6/12/07: Book 11: Don't you Forget About Me. *Sob*. This is the last book in the series. The group has graduated and moved on. A set of triplets will be moving into Blair's apartment and the series will continue with a whole new set of characters. I am not sure if this will continue the series or be a new series altogether. Stay tuned!

Fans of this series should try A-List and also It Girl, which is actually a spin off of Gossip Girl, with Jenny Humphrey as the main character at a boarding school she starts to attend.

What Happened to Cass McBride *****

Giles, Gail. What Happened to Cass McBride? 2006.

This was a great book! This book alternates perspective between Cass, who is currently buried alive; Kyle, who is now in jail; and Ben, the cop working the case. Kyle has buried Cass alive because he blames her for the death of his brother David. David was a shy kid who had a hard time at home, dealing with constant criticism from his mother. When he asks Cass out on a date, she is polite to him but writes a note to her friend telling her how David was a loser and had just asked her out. David read the note and then killed himself by hanging himself from the tree in his front yard. Blaming her for the death, Kyle decides to bury her alive to torture her like her brother had been tortured his whole life.

This was a great novel that really gets into the heads of all of the characters. The reader will be fascinated by all of the characters and won't want to put the book down until they get to the end.

Angels on Sunset Boulevard ****

De La Cruz, Melissa. Angels on Sunset Boulevard. 2007.

I had been eagerly anticipating this novel because I am a fan of the Au Pairs series by the same author.

This novel folllows a group of teens in LA that are involved in an odd sort of cult. They all gather on a MySpace type of web page, Tap.com. There are TAP parties every other weekend. There is a goal by everyone invited to eventually get invited into the private party at the parties where they are initiated into the group for life. Some of the people involved are Nick, a rich kid, who is dating Maxine. Johnny, a singer, becomes famous just from his exposure on TAP.com. His girlfriend, Taj is also involved. After Johnny disappears suddenly at his first concert, Taj tries to figure out what is going on. She suspects Johnny's manager, who also happens to be the head of TAP, is behind it but she can't figure it out. Nick's sister goes to one of the parties and also disappears, along with other LA teens. Nick and Taj are both trying to figure out what the real story is behind these parties, but the people in charge don't want the truth to come out.

This was an interesting stor, filled with parties, drinking, and rich kids. It has a totally different feel than Au Pairs, however. It's less soap-opera-ish and more angst-y.

Impulse **** 1/2

Hopkins, Ellen. Impulse. 2007.

I enjoyed this book far better than Crank. In fact, I found Crank so hard to get through that I don't believe I ever finished it. This is a novel told in verse, so for anyone that can't stand that, read no further.

This story follows three teens in a mental institution. All three are there for trying to kill themselves. Conner is the child of rich, overbearing parents that only care about his success. After shooting himself, he is in the hospital. Even now, his parents continue to pressure him about his grades and college. Tony is a gay teen who has been abused by a number of his prostitute mother's boyfriends over the years. He has also sold himself for drugs. His father dropped he and his mother years ago and left to make a new life for himself, leaving Tony to try to fend for himself. Vanessa is bi-polar and tried to commit suicide. Her mother had been bi-polar as well, and had also tried to kill herself. Her father had essentially abandoned her with the mother and let the Grandmother handle it all. These three teens enter the facility at around the same time together and go through treatment together. The story changes perspective between the three characters throughout the book.

This book is really long, 666 pages to be exact. But, because it's poetry, it isn't full pages, so it goes really fast. Don't let the size scare you. This was a great book with sympathetic characters. Their stories were interesting and readers should be interested in readind about their lives and how they got to this place.

Story of a Girl ****1/2

Zarr, Sara. Story of a Girl. 2007.

When Deanna was 13, her father caught her having sex with Tommy, a 17 year old friend of her brother. From that point on, Deanna's life changed. Her father can barely look at her and he doesn't talk to her anymore. At school, she became known as the girl with a bad reputation. As a consequence, she isn't very popular. Her best friend is a guy. She is sort of interested in him, but he is dating her only other friend, Lee. Deanna's home life is tense. In addition to her father not talking to her, her brother Darren lives in the basement with his girlfriend Stacy and their infant daughter. Deanna dreams of getting out of her house. In her fantasy, she moves out of the house with her brother and Stacy and lives with them. To reach that dream, she gets a summer job. The only one she can get is at a local pizza place, where she discovers Tommy works.

This was a great novel and I highly recommend it to any reader. Deanna is a great character. Readers will appreciate a character like Deanna-- someone who has made mistakes and who is trying to make her life better.

Twisted ****

Anderson, Laurie Halse. Twisted. 2007.

I enjoyed this latest book by Anderson. Tyler has always been a bit of a nerd and never really popular. He got it into his head to deface school property and got caught. Because of this, he was arrested and is now on parole; he had been forced to do community service as his punishment. Now, as school is about the begin, he finds he is being received differently-- now some kids are scared of him and some are in awe of him. One kid that has always hated him was Chip. Chip is a rich kid. Tyler just so happens to have a crush on Chip's sister Bethany. Tyler's father also happens to work for their father. Chip seems hell bent on making Tyler's life miserable, especially when Bethany starts to pay attention to him. After an incident at a party involving Bethany, Tyler is accused of being the perpetrator, even though he isn't. He is blamed primarily because everyone knows he likes her and also because of his criminal past.

Readers will feel Tyler's pain as they read the book. He is so unhappy and also really misunderstood, particularly his own father who is also a bully. As Tyler begins to contemplate suicide, the reader can really feel his pain and understand how he got to this place.

Highly recommended for all readers.

An Unlikely Friendship ***1/2

Rinaldi, Ann. An Unlikely Friendship: A Novel of Mary Todd Lincoln and Elizabeth Keckley. 2007.

This was an interesting and enjoyable historical fiction novel.

The first half details the troubled childhood of Mary Todd Lincoln, wife of President Lincoln. The lives of her and her siblings became messy and unhappy after her mother's death and her father's subsequent remarriage. Their step mother was somewhat "evil" and made the house an unhappy one.

The second half was about the interesting life of Elizabeth Keckley who was born into slavery. Her mother was her white master, and her mother one of his slaves. She experienced a better upbringing because of her status. When she learned she could buy her own freedom, she decided to do that. She was an excellent seamstress and managed to make some great connections. Finally, after she had bought her own freedom, she managed to hook up with Mary Todd Lincoln and they became great friends.

The only problem I had with the book was that the friendship wasn't really fleshed out. There wasn't really any details on why these two women were friends. I felt that the stories of both women were really interesting. Frankly, I wish there was more detail for each woman and that each woman got her own book. After all, the friendship wasn't really important to the novel anyway, so there wasn't a need to bring both girls together into the same novel. Still, their lives were both fascinating and I think fans of historical fiction will enjoy reading about them.

Flora Segunda ****

Wilce, Ysabeau S. Flora Segunda. 2006.

This is a fantasy novel. Anyone that has read this blog before knows that I am not a fan of the genre and I am not really all that good at evaluating it.

Flora's mother is Commander of the Army and they live in Crackpot Hall. Her father doesn't really leave the house and he is a total mess. Her mother is never home, which leaves Flora to take care of the house and her father all by herself in addition to going to school. She is about to have a party for her 14th birthday and go off to military camp, as per her family's tradition. She doensn't want to go, however, and would prefer to be a ranger.

While her mother is away on another of her business trips, Flora comes across the mansion's butler, who she thought was dead. Rather, she discovers that her mother had banished him to the library in a weakened state. Valefor convinces Flora to try to help him with magic, to be restored to his former glory so he can be free and help out in the house again. This works for Flora because she is sick of taking care of the house. Meanwhile, Flora and her friend Udo find out that famous pirate is about to be put to death and they want to save him, even though it is her mother that signed his death warrant. Both story lines come together as the novel progresses.

As I said, I am not all that good at evaluating fantasy. However, I did enjoy this book and I feel that many readers of Fantasy will enjoy it also. The plot was interesting and engrossing so it will keep the reader interested.

Surrender ****

Hartnett, Sonya. Surrender. 2005.

When Anwell is young, he becomes responsible for the death of his cognitively impaired brother. His mother doensn't have a full handle on reality and his father isn't altogether warm and loving either. Anwell meets Finnigan in the woods near his house and he is really his only friend. Finnigan begins to start fires around town and noone seems to be able to figure out who is doing it. Anwell also adopts the name Gabriel, after the angel. His father starts to spearhead a vigilante group to find the perpetrator and also go against the Sheriff who has been unable to catch the arsonist.

This book can be best described as a psychological thriller. As we are reading, we aren't entirely sure what is really happening and if the narrators are telling us the truth or the whole truth. In fact, for most of the book I was wondering of Finnigan existed at all, or if he was even possibly one of Anwell's multiple personalities. This is a great book for anyone interested in reading a book that keeps you wondering what is really going on right up until the end.

The Trap ***1/2

Smelcer, John. The Trap. 2006.

This book alternates between Johnny and Albert, two Native Americans that live in the far North. Albert is elderly but healthy. As he is checking his animal traps, he accidentally steps into one of his own traps. He spends the next several days just trying to survive. Wolves try to come after him; he begins to wonder what will kill him first-- the wildlife or the cold. As he tries to stay alive, he looks back on his life and the times he spent trapping and hunting. His Grandson Johnny starts to wonder why his Grandfather is back yet, but his Grandmother and Uncle convince him that he is ok and will come home. After awhile, he decides to go find his Grandfather, and just hopes he isn't too late.

While this was a good book, I believe it has a limited audiece due to its lack of plot. There isn't a whole lot going on here. This is more about the characters and their thoughts as opposed to focusing on any sort of action. From experience, I know most readers prefer some action in their books. Teens interested in literary fiction will love this book and I highly recommend it to those readers.

Anatomy of a Boyfriend ***

Snadowski, Daria. Anatomy of a Boyfriend. 2007.

This entire book essentially revolves around Dominique and her entry into the world of dating. She falls for a guy named Wes and they start to go out. She has never really dated before, so she is detailing all of the details of her dates including kissing and other things all the way up to them losing their virginity together.

This book is written in the first person point of view, so we feel like we are reading Dom's thoughts and feelings exactly how they are. Some readers might not enjoy that Dom goes into quite a bit of detail in the sex parts, probably more detail than is necessary. Still, the book is realistic to the feelings teenagers have while dating and eventually going off to college, separated from their boyfriend. Recommended provided you (or your parents!) don't mind the more graphic sex parts.

Princess on the Brink ****

Cabot, Meg. Princess on the Brink: The Princess Diaries Volume VIII. 2007.

This is the latest installment in the popular Princess Diaries series. I wouldn't recommend anyone read this book if they haven't already read the others in the series since a lot of it won't make any sense. For anyone that hasn't read any of these books, I recommend them to anyone that enjoys reading books with neurotic characters and people that enjoy diary-style books. In case you have been living under a rock, the Princess Diaries books and movies are about a common NYC teenager that finds out that she is really the Princess of a small European country. She has to get ready to lead her country of Genovia so she must be fixed up and learn how to be a Princess while also trying to navigate being a teenager, which is hard enough as it is.

Cupcake ****

Cohn, Rachel. Cupcake. 2007.

This is another book in the Cyd Charisse series of books. In this latest book, Cyd moves to NYC to live with her brother Danny. After breaking her leg and dropping out of culinary school, she gets a job as a barista in a local place and works with her brother part-time at his new cupcake business. Danny isn't over Aaron yet, and he is having a hard time dealing with Aaron dating someone new. Cyd isn't really over Shrimp, who has moved to New Zealand with his hippie parents. One day, Shrimp appears out of nowhere, wondering if she and Shrimp belong together or not.

I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone that hasn't read Gingerbread and Shrimp since this is really a continuation of everything that went on in those books. Readers that aren't familiar with the background won't get everything that is going on. Fans of the previous books, however, will love this latest installment!

Forever in Blue *****

Brashares, Ann. Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood. 2007.

I can't believe this series is OVER. I guess maybe Brashares felt she had taken the girls as far as she wanted to and wants to leave the rest up to our imagination. I was so sad the series was over, but when I told my husband about it, he thinks that this will lead to a new set of girls and a whole new series. Who knows? I hope so!

There is probably no need to go into details here. This book basically follows the girl in the summer after their Freshman year. All of them are separate again. Bridget is off to Greece working on an archaological dig while her boyfriend is at soccer camp. She starts to fall for a married guy on the dig and doesn't know what to do about it. Carmen is convinced to go to a theatre camp by a college friend so that she can work on sets, but ends up getting invited to audition for the plays. Lena is at her college for the summer and meets a fellow artist. She likes him, but is she truly over Kostos? Tibby is in NY for the summer too, and is taking a screenwriting course. She becomes lost after a pregnancy scare.

All readers know that the girls will come together at the end of the book, otherwise it wouldn't really make any sense. Fans of the series will love this book and should gobble it up all in one setting. For anyone that hasn't read this series, go out and start reading it NOW.

Anahita's Woven Riddle ****1/2

Sayres, Meghan Nuttall. Anahita's Woven Riddle. 2006.

This book was just voted as one of the Top10 Best Books for Young Adults by the American Library Association.

Anahita lives with her family in Iran, 200 years ago. Their tribe is still nomadic and they don't want to settle down in one place. Anahita's father is somewhat of a governor for their tribe. The Khan, who is like a governor, wants to marry Anahita. The Khan is old and has already been married to three women that have died. She finds him to be creepy and she doesn't want to marry him. She asks if she can weave a riddle into a rug and then have a contest--the winner would be able to marry her. The Khan doesn't like the idea but there isn't anything he can do about it. He tries to force the matter by cutting off their water supply.

During the year Anahita stuggles with who her true love is. She has a friend that she has known her whole life, but he is like a big brother to her. The new school teacher is nice and likes her, too. She also meets a mysterious man in the bazaar that leaves her with a book of poems by Rumi that she is very much interested in. Or, should she just marry the Khan to make things easy on her people?

This was a wonderful book about a spunky teenager from another time. Readers should like her and be interested in her story.

A Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life ****

Reinhardt, Dana. A Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life. 2006.

Simone is adopted, and has always known this. Now she is older and her parents tell her that her birth mother, Rivka, wants to meet her. Simone has never really been interested in that, but her parents push her to do so. When she does, she learns that Rivka has a terminal illness. Simone learns about Rivka's background and the circumstances surrounding her adoption. She learns a lot about family and herself. There are a lot of other threads going through the story, too to keep things interesting and moving along.

Recommended for anyone that has been adopted as they may identify with Simone's feelings. Also recommended for anyone interested in reading about families and the characters's changing place in their family.

Welcome to Wahoo ****

Carr, Dennis and Elise. Welcome to Wahoo. 2006.

Victoria's parents are very rich and she attends an exclusive European boarding school. She is somewhat unruly and is always getting into trouble. Her father gets into some trouble and his life is in danger, so they send Victoria off to live in the middle of Nebraska with one her father's personal assistants. They give them no money to live on and they have to change their names. They move onto a farm with a widowed woman and her daughter Millicent (Mills). This is a whole new world for Amanda/Victoria. She has to get a job (!!) and since they have no money, she has to do her back to school shopping at WalMart. She has a bit of a hard time adjusting, but she ends up settling in, but not accepting the status quo of Wahoo.

This was a really fun and cute book. Amanda/Victoria is a smart and witty character so reading the book from her point of view is entertaining. The story alone is interesting, but her "voice" makes it fantastic. Highly recommended for readers interested in fun fiction with smart, witty characters.