Minor spoilers.
Title: Halo
Author: Alexandra Adornetto
Year of Publication: 2010
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 484
First Line: "Our arrival didn't exactly go as planned."
Summary: Three angels -- Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, the youngest and most human -- are sent by Heaven to bring good to a world falling under the influence of darkness. They work hard to conceal their luminous glow, superhuman powers, and, most dangerous of all, their wings, all the while avoiding all human attachments.
Then Bethany meets Xavier Woods, and neither of them is able to resist the attraction between them. Gabriel and Ivy do everything in their power to intervene, but the bond between Xavier and Bethany seems too strong.
The angels' mission is urgent, and dark forces are threatening. Will love ruin Bethany or save her?
Source: Back/Inside of book
Review: There wasn't anything terribly special about this novel. I found the main character's voice to be strong and somewhat unique. I was impressed to know that the author, Alexandra Adornetto, is only 18 and was first published when she was 14, according to the author biography at the back of the book. The general plot was fairly predictable. I found it was difficult to connect with any of the characters, Bethany included. Unfortunately, the book ended without tying everything up and even started a new conflict on the last page. This book could have done without a sequel, and I'm not sure I'm interested in reading the sequel.
Worst part: Molly, Bethany's friend, wasn't likable at all.
Best part: The concept was interesting, though I could have been executed better.
Grade: C
Other Books by This Author: None available in the US as of right now.
9 / 100 books. 9% done!
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
Freefall by Mindi Scott
Title: Freefall
Author: Mindi Scott
Year of Publication: 2010
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 315
First Line: "This was Daniel's deal."
Summary: Seth McCoy was the last person to see his best friend, Isaac, alive, and the first to find him dead. It was just another night, just another party, just another time when Isaac drank too much and passed out on the lawn. Only this time, Isaac didn't wake up.
Convinced that his own actions led to his friend's death, Seth is torn between turning his life around. . .or losing himself completely.
Then he meets Rosetta: so beautiful and different from everything and everyone he's ever known. But Rosetta has secrets of her own and Seth will soon realize he isn't the only one who needs saving. . . .
Source: Back/Inside of book
Review: This book was kind of like a light-hearted version of Looking for Alaska by John Green. And it was also like Jerry Spinelli's Stargirl. Scott's style is fairly conversational, and I think, like all books like this one, it was best in first-person and could not have been done well in any other point of view. I found most of the characters to be interesting and well-rounded, although Daniel's character could have been done better. The ending was very much like a movie, which I wasn't a fan of, but at the same time, I understood that there weren't a whole lot of ways to end this book. All in all, not bad, but I don't think it's something I'd rush to read again.
Worst part: Daniel.
Best part: Everything that happened was super realistic and things came naturally.
Grade:
Other Books by This Author: None, but there is another coming out in 2012 called Live Through This.
8 / 100 books. 8% done!
Author: Mindi Scott
Year of Publication: 2010
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 315
First Line: "This was Daniel's deal."
Summary: Seth McCoy was the last person to see his best friend, Isaac, alive, and the first to find him dead. It was just another night, just another party, just another time when Isaac drank too much and passed out on the lawn. Only this time, Isaac didn't wake up.
Convinced that his own actions led to his friend's death, Seth is torn between turning his life around. . .or losing himself completely.
Then he meets Rosetta: so beautiful and different from everything and everyone he's ever known. But Rosetta has secrets of her own and Seth will soon realize he isn't the only one who needs saving. . . .
Source: Back/Inside of book
Review: This book was kind of like a light-hearted version of Looking for Alaska by John Green. And it was also like Jerry Spinelli's Stargirl. Scott's style is fairly conversational, and I think, like all books like this one, it was best in first-person and could not have been done well in any other point of view. I found most of the characters to be interesting and well-rounded, although Daniel's character could have been done better. The ending was very much like a movie, which I wasn't a fan of, but at the same time, I understood that there weren't a whole lot of ways to end this book. All in all, not bad, but I don't think it's something I'd rush to read again.
Worst part: Daniel.
Best part: Everything that happened was super realistic and things came naturally.
Grade:
Other Books by This Author: None, but there is another coming out in 2012 called Live Through This.
Beatle Meets Destiny by Gabrielle Williams
No spoilers.
Title: Beatle Meets Destiny
Author: Gabrielle Williams
Year of Publication: 2009
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 336
First Line: "John Lennon was named John Lennon after John Lennon."
Summary: Imagine your name is John Lennon but everyone calls you Beatle.
And then you meet your dream girl, and her name is Destiny McCartney.
But you meet her on Friday the 13th -- and you're very superstitious. Not to mention that you're already dating the perfect girl, who happens to be your twin sister's best friend. . . .
Beatle can't imagine ever leaving his girlfriend, Cilla, who supported him after the stroke that changed his life and left him with a limp. Still, he knows that the only thing worse than staying with the wrong person is missing the chance to be with the right one.
Source: Back/Inside of book
Review: I was kind of surprised at the lack of actual Beatles-related stuff in this book, but at the same time, I guess I'm kind of glad it wasn't really included because it would have been so obvious. (Although if you're looking for a book that has more Beatles stuff, read Pepperland.) Williams' style wasn't anything special. In fact, I found the style itself a little bland and sometimes difficult to pay attention to. That said, it was a quick read that was fun, "brainless," and easy. Not sure I'd recommend it to younger teens because of some references, but it's nothing horrendously graphic or anything. As far as characters go, I felt Destiny was very contradicting. She came across as one way through Beatle's perception, but then when we "saw" her acting, it was totally different. To fix that, I might've done this (or preferred it, rather) in first-person rather than third. In any case, it was pretty good and worth the time I spent reading it.
Worst part: The style.
Best part: The concept. But like I said, I would've liked a little more Beatles stuff.
Grade: B
Other Books by This Author: There is another, though I can't find the title. It was not a YA-novel.
7 / 100 books. 7% done!
Title: Beatle Meets Destiny
Author: Gabrielle Williams
Year of Publication: 2009
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 336
First Line: "John Lennon was named John Lennon after John Lennon."
Summary: Imagine your name is John Lennon but everyone calls you Beatle.
And then you meet your dream girl, and her name is Destiny McCartney.
But you meet her on Friday the 13th -- and you're very superstitious. Not to mention that you're already dating the perfect girl, who happens to be your twin sister's best friend. . . .
Beatle can't imagine ever leaving his girlfriend, Cilla, who supported him after the stroke that changed his life and left him with a limp. Still, he knows that the only thing worse than staying with the wrong person is missing the chance to be with the right one.
Source: Back/Inside of book
Review: I was kind of surprised at the lack of actual Beatles-related stuff in this book, but at the same time, I guess I'm kind of glad it wasn't really included because it would have been so obvious. (Although if you're looking for a book that has more Beatles stuff, read Pepperland.) Williams' style wasn't anything special. In fact, I found the style itself a little bland and sometimes difficult to pay attention to. That said, it was a quick read that was fun, "brainless," and easy. Not sure I'd recommend it to younger teens because of some references, but it's nothing horrendously graphic or anything. As far as characters go, I felt Destiny was very contradicting. She came across as one way through Beatle's perception, but then when we "saw" her acting, it was totally different. To fix that, I might've done this (or preferred it, rather) in first-person rather than third. In any case, it was pretty good and worth the time I spent reading it.
Worst part: The style.
Best part: The concept. But like I said, I would've liked a little more Beatles stuff.
Grade: B
Other Books by This Author: There is another, though I can't find the title. It was not a YA-novel.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
A New Blog
In honor of NaPoWriMo (National Poetry Writing Month), I have started a blog on which I will collect all of my poetry. There are thirty or so poems that I have written since August up there now. All of them are raw and unedited, so don't expect great quality. Comments and critiques are always appreciated and I will continue to update after NaPoWriMo.
The link is below. Enjoy and happy reading!
http://aprotestagainstdeath.blogspot.com/
The link is below. Enjoy and happy reading!
http://aprotestagainstdeath.blogspot.com/
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Finding Lubchenko by Michael Simmons
Sorry about the lack of paragraphs, guys. The HTML is being funky. I'll fix it when I can. No Spoilers. Title: Finding Lubchenko Author: Michael Simmons Year of Publication: 2005 Genre: Fiction Pages: 280 First Line: "So this is basically a story about a murder." Summary: "Let me offer a preliminary description of myself. I was a poor kid trapped in the surroundings of great wealth and oppulence." So says Evan Macalister, the slacker anti-hero of Michael Simmon's new novel. Since his tightfisted millionaire father never gives him any money, Evan "liberates" equipment from Dad's business and sells it online. But when a man is murdered at the office and Mr. Macalister is accused of the crime, Evan is faced with a terrible dilemma. he alone can clear his father's name -- but only by revealing his own theft operation. And then he'll be grounded forever. There's just one thing to do: find the real murderer himself. Armed only with a cryptic e-mail from someone named Lubchenko, Evan sets off on a quest that catapults him and his two best frineds into a world of danger and international intrigue. Source: Back of book Review: Another reviewer, Jen Robinson, compared this book to Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and I think that's a great analogy. She examines this analgoy a bit more closer (and I recommend reading her review, especially after you read the book, but before is fine, too) and makes it really interesting. In any case, this story is slow-moving in the first half then quickly pick sup the pace and moves too fast for the second half. However, the story is interesting and, especially in the climax, almost overly-complicated. That said, I reccomend this to older teens because of that. Besides this, the voice of Evan is very strong and the book comes off as someone is telling you this story, rather than you are reading it in a book. It makes it personal and interesting for the reader, and it is easy to relate to Evan, even though he's unlike anyone you've ever met. Worth the time it took to read, but nothing absolutely spectacular, despite the clever witicisms and general idea. Worst part: The odd pacing was frustrating. Best part: Characters were pretty well developed for the kind of novel it was. Grade: B Other Books by This Author: The Rise of Lubchenko
6 / 100 books. 6% done!
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Lucky T by Kate Brian
No Spoilers.
Title: Lucky T
Author: Kate Brian
Year of Publication: 2005
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 291
First Line: "On a warm and sunny Saturday morning, Carrie Fitzgerald stepped out of her walk-in closet wearing a lime green miniskirt."
Summary: Some girls have all the luck. So far, Carrie Fitzgerald's sixteen years have been pretty sweet. Straight A's, an adorable boyfriend, a starting position on the varsity basketball team. . .
But Carrie's luck is about to, well, change.
Suddenly, her boyfriend dumps her (to "hang out with his friends"), she and her best friend have a massive blowout, and she gets a D on a biology test. Carrie knows what's wrong -- her mom accidentally donated her lucky T-shirt to Help India. That one adorable, perfect T-shirt was the source of all her good fortune.
So Carrie does what any girl would do: she's going to India. Cross your finger sand hope that Carrie finds adventure, love, and maybe just a little good luck along the way. . . .
Source: Back of book
Review: A bit slow in some places. I previously read Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys which is also by Brian and enjoyed that more than this novel. This is a cute and fun read, but not challenging in any way. I expect this would be the same for any age reading it. The novel was missing something that I can't quite put my finger on that made it just an "okay" book (or even a step below "just okay"). Furthermore, I found the fact that she would go to India to find this shirt incredibly unrealistic. While the summary on the back of the book addresses that with a sort of joke, I found it too implausible for a "realistic" novel which made it less enjoyable as a whole. Despite this, I found her character otherwise (especially her flip-flopping) to be very real and believable.
Worst part: The pace kind of jumped all over. It was weird and jolting.
Best part: I liked everything to do with Doreen.
Grade: C-
Other Books by This Author: Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys, The Princess and the Pauper.
5 / 100 books. 5% done!
Title: Lucky T
Author: Kate Brian
Year of Publication: 2005
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 291
First Line: "On a warm and sunny Saturday morning, Carrie Fitzgerald stepped out of her walk-in closet wearing a lime green miniskirt."
Summary: Some girls have all the luck. So far, Carrie Fitzgerald's sixteen years have been pretty sweet. Straight A's, an adorable boyfriend, a starting position on the varsity basketball team. . .
But Carrie's luck is about to, well, change.
Suddenly, her boyfriend dumps her (to "hang out with his friends"), she and her best friend have a massive blowout, and she gets a D on a biology test. Carrie knows what's wrong -- her mom accidentally donated her lucky T-shirt to Help India. That one adorable, perfect T-shirt was the source of all her good fortune.
So Carrie does what any girl would do: she's going to India. Cross your finger sand hope that Carrie finds adventure, love, and maybe just a little good luck along the way. . . .
Source: Back of book
Review: A bit slow in some places. I previously read Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys which is also by Brian and enjoyed that more than this novel. This is a cute and fun read, but not challenging in any way. I expect this would be the same for any age reading it. The novel was missing something that I can't quite put my finger on that made it just an "okay" book (or even a step below "just okay"). Furthermore, I found the fact that she would go to India to find this shirt incredibly unrealistic. While the summary on the back of the book addresses that with a sort of joke, I found it too implausible for a "realistic" novel which made it less enjoyable as a whole. Despite this, I found her character otherwise (especially her flip-flopping) to be very real and believable.
Worst part: The pace kind of jumped all over. It was weird and jolting.
Best part: I liked everything to do with Doreen.
Grade: C-
Other Books by This Author: Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys, The Princess and the Pauper.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Return to Paradise by Simone Elkeles
No spoilers.
Title: Return to Paradise
Author: Sarah Mlynowski
Year of Publication: 2010
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 291
First Line: "Some people are damn lucky."
Summary: Caleb Becker left Paradise eight months ago, taking with him the secret he promised to take to his grave. If the truth got out, it would ruin everything.
Maggie Armstrong tried to be strong after Caleb broke her heart and disappeared. Somehow, she managed to move on. She was determined to make a new life for herself.
But now Caleb and Maggie are forced together on a summer trip. They try ignoring their passion for each other, but buried feelings resurface. Caleb must face the truth about the night of Maggie's accident, or the secret that destroyed their relationship will forever stand between them.
Source: Back of book
Review: Although most of Elkeles' books have a basic formula to them, each of them manages to be individual. They are wonderful books and this one was just as good. Her characters are entertaining but also real and easy to relate to. I love her stories and plots and her dialogue is wonderful.
Worst part: This one was not long enough for me. I wanted more.
Best part: The characters.
Grade: A
Other Books by This Author: Perfect Chemistry, Rules of Attraction, Leaving Paradise, and others.
4 / 100 books. 4% done!
Title: Return to Paradise
Author: Sarah Mlynowski
Year of Publication: 2010
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 291
First Line: "Some people are damn lucky."
Summary: Caleb Becker left Paradise eight months ago, taking with him the secret he promised to take to his grave. If the truth got out, it would ruin everything.
Maggie Armstrong tried to be strong after Caleb broke her heart and disappeared. Somehow, she managed to move on. She was determined to make a new life for herself.
But now Caleb and Maggie are forced together on a summer trip. They try ignoring their passion for each other, but buried feelings resurface. Caleb must face the truth about the night of Maggie's accident, or the secret that destroyed their relationship will forever stand between them.
Source: Back of book
Review: Although most of Elkeles' books have a basic formula to them, each of them manages to be individual. They are wonderful books and this one was just as good. Her characters are entertaining but also real and easy to relate to. I love her stories and plots and her dialogue is wonderful.
Worst part: This one was not long enough for me. I wanted more.
Best part: The characters.
Grade: A
Other Books by This Author: Perfect Chemistry, Rules of Attraction, Leaving Paradise, and others.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)