WILL WORK FOR PROM DRESS by Aimee Ferris

Title: WILL WORK FOR PROM DRESS
Author: Aimee Ferris
Publisher: Egmont USA
Release Date: February 8, 2011
Number of Pages: 240
Source of Book: Book Divas review
Author's Website: aimee-ferris.livejournal.com

Goodreads Summary:
Quigley Johnson has, reluctantly, given up the rest of her last year of high school to take part in her best friend Ann's Betterment Plan, which will turn them into the best-dressed, most sought-after, most admired girls at their senior formal. Because - hey - who doesn't want the perfect prom, complete with a dream dress and a devastatingly handsome date?

But the prom costs money - lots of money - and even though the girls could easily have Ann's mom design their dresses (she's only Victoria Parisi, one of the most famous designers in the world), Ann insists that they pay their own way.  And that's how Quigley gets stuck making artistic topping masterpieces on frozen pizzas canvases, before becoming a live model for Ms. Parisi's fashion design class, where she meets Zander.

He's cute, and cool, and funny, with a killer design sensibility (even if he can't sketch).  But is he too good to be true? And what about David, the hot, talented artist at school, who's also kind of a jerk, but won't leave Quigley alone? And Ann - she started the Betterment Plan to improve Quigley and herself, but it seems like it's ripping their friendship to shreds.

This road to the prom dream may just end in disaster.
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WILL WORK FOR PROM DRESS was a really cute, fun read. It ended up having more heart than I expected, but it did take a little while to get to it. This book has elements of celebrity and fame; friendship and honesty; figuring out what's important in life; choosing which direction to go with life's path; learning to like oneself as is and learning to like others for who they really are. Ferris did a great job of adding humor and comedic misunderstandings into this story and creating ridiculous working situations for these two girls as they try to find jobs to earn money for their prom dresses. They're working on bettering themselves to find dates to prom, and numerous antics happen along the way that take them a direction they didn't expect with boyfriends and family and school.

I really appreciated the message that comes at the end of the book when Quigley makes decisions about her life that relate to her realizing what home and family really means. It was a light, cute book with some good messages; however, it was a little bit predictable and I felt it lacked some character depth in places. One thing I noticed also was the "YA pet peeve" of the missing parents - Quigley's parents are mentioned, but never appear in the book; however, Ann's mother is well represented and serves as a mother-figure in many senses. The romantic subplot is enjoyable as well especially because Zander is a really good and sweet guy and nothing goes too far, something which can sometimes be missing in books like this. Also, it is a very honest relationship beginning/progression as it's not lust at first sight. It's a very real growing of feelings based on how he treats her, while she is confused and doesn't know where she stands with him. Their relationship also endures a major conflict that is resolved in a good way. Overall, I enjoyed the book for the plot, humor, unique take on celebrity, realness of the relationships, and the relationship between Quigley and Zander, and I think many teen girls will as well.

3.5 STARS for WILL WORK FOR PROM DRESS

THE ANTI-PROM by Abby McDonald

Title: THE ANTI-PROM
Author: Abby McDonald
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Release Date: March 8, 2011
Number of Pages: 288
Source of Book: ARC from Star Book Tours
Author's Website: abbymcdonald.com

Goodreads Summary:
Three unlikely allies team up for a night of rebellion, romance, and revenge in a high-stakes dramedy from acclaimed young author Abby McDonald.

They’ve spent years at the same high school without speaking a word to one another, but that’s all about to change. Popular Bliss was having the perfect prom until she found her BFF and boyfriend making out in the back of a limo. Bad girl Jolene wouldn’t be caught dead at the prom, yet here she is, trussed up in pink ruffles, risking her reputation for some guy - some guy who is forty minutes late. And shy, studious, über-planner Meg never counted on her date’s standing her up and leaving her idling in the parking lot outside the prom. Get ready for The Anti-Prom, Abby McDonald’s hilarious, heart-tugging tale about three girls and one unforgettable prom night.
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I ended up really enjoying this book, although I wasn't sure if I would when I first started reading it. It ended up being much more meaningful and deeper than I expected from the beginning, so I was happily surprised by the time I got to the end.

This story is told from three different perspectives - that of Bliss, Jolene, and Meg in alternating chapters - throughout prom night. The opening scene of the book starts off with Bliss catching her boyfriend cheating on her with her best friend - at prom. This leads to the unlikely alliance between the three girls who would never have spoken to each other if not for the circumstances that led to them meeting up that night. This turns out to be one of the best things for them. I didn't care for Bliss very much at the beginning because she was a stereotypical, shallow, mean girl type character - and I never relate to them very well, but she came around in the end, but it took awhile.

I so enjoyed the journey of this story. It was written in a classic - tale of one night - type of plot where one thing after another happens throughout just that one night that brings the characters closer together, to a deeper understanding of their goals, and shows them the type of people they want to be. It's one night that leads to self-discovery and inner changes that changes the direction of their lives. It's about getting out of bad situations, needing to accept oneself first before being able to open up to others, and not judging people. These three girls go on an adventure that shows them that opening up to others does not make them weak, but instead can create better relationships.

It's a great story about friendship and not bowing to the stereotype of high school groups and being open to understanding the experiences that others may be going through. This book does it in such a fun way with an endlessly turning plot and all-night adventure to get what each girl wants. It's about finding one's own way and deciding what kind of person you want to be and how you want to be seen by others. And that is a great message to send to teen girls. I'll definitely be putting this one into my classroom and am sure the girls are going to love it.

4 STARS for THE ANTI-PROM

UNEARTHLY by Cynthia Hand

Title: UNEARTHLY
Author: Cynthia Hand
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: January 4, 2011
Number of Pages: 435
How I Got It: Bought the Hardcover

Goodreads Summary:  
     In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . . 
     Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.
     Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.
     As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?
     Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart.
************************* 

This is a really interesting paranormal because it reads more like a contemporary. It was hard to put down and moved forward with an urgency to Clara's angel purpose and figuring out the good angels vs. Black Wings showdown that I could tell was coming, and had a take on the angel back story that was really interesting. I also really liked that Clara knew from the start that she was an angel-blood and was figuring out how to deal with it while trying to remain a normal high school girl. Along with this, this story had a true sense of a contemporary with a high school girl stuck between following her purpose to what she's told should do or following her heart to what she wants to do. Of course, those paths tie directly in with the two boys that she is dealing with - Christan (the boy from her purpose vision) and Tucker (her best friend's twin brother). I did definitely have a preference for one through the whole story, even before I knew he could be a real possibility for her, and when something finally developed, I enjoyed those parts of the story - in fact I think they were my favorites.

The story also deals a lot with family dynamics between Clara and her mother as another piece of the typical coming-of-age decision-making process Clara is going through - following the path her mother wants, or striking out on her own. Of course, with the angel background, it also portrays beliefs and fate and faith as thought-provoking conversations. This book, ultimately, is about decisions and choices and why we choose what we do and the impact that can have on others and ourselves. Early in the story, Clara's English teacher is talking about how people really get to know each other and wonders if it based on the actions we take - that nicely sets up the strong undercurrent of choices for the entire book. It also deals with the typical adolescent views on finding one's place in the world and having that change based on situations one encounters.

Another piece of this book that I really liked was the setting. The move to Jackson Hole, Wyoming is a big one for Clara and her family, and the descriptions of the setting and the way the author makes good use of the scenery available by the story taking place there adds greatly to the overall feelings of the story for the reader. I had a good time getting to know Clara and Tucker, but I was left feeling like there were things I was missing from other characters in Clara's life. I wanted to know a little more about some of the characters and what was going on with them - I have some lingering doubts about the intentions of some of them. I was left with a little bit of a sense of a let down by some of the pieces that I felt like I should have known more about, but didn't get in this book. Overall, I liked the book, and read it quickly, but as much as it wraps things up, it still ends with a lot of loose or unsure ends in my mind, and now there will be a long wait until the next book to find out where things go.

4 STARS for UNEARTHLY
The second book in the series will be coming out next year & I'll definitely be looking for it.

Book 2 of 12 for DAC 2011

THE MOCKINGBIRDS by Daisy Whitney

Title: THE MOCKINGBIRDS

Author: Daisy Whitney
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date: November 2, 2010
Number of Pages: 332
How I Got It: Won it from The Contemps Challenge


THE MOCKINGBIRDS is one of those books that is so powerful for young adults to read, but deals with a very sensitive topic. In the same way that SPEAK by Laurie Halse Anderson brought the topic of date rape and it's psychological impact on a high school girl to adolescents eleven years ago, Daisy Whitney is doing it now in a more straight-forward way in her debut novel, THE MOCKINGBIRDS. To then find out that the author herself has personal experience with this, makes it all the more clear how true and accurate the portrayal of Alex's experiences in the aftermath of this horrifying experience are throughout this novel. At the start of the book Alex wakes up next to a boy she doesn't know and isn't able to remember how she got there. As she goes through that day trying to figure out and remember what happened to her, it becomes apparent that she was incapacitated and date raped. At her boarding school, where the adults trust the students to behave honorably because they are so exceptional in all they do, she has no adults to turn to for help, especially because she herself isn't sure of what happened. So, with the help and support of her close and loyal friends, she debates about turning to The Mockingbirds, a secret society made up of students who have decided to police and judge their own and right the wrongs fellow students commit. Alex's journey to find her truth and path is searingly honest and provides a powerful example of struggling to discover one's own truth and sense of right and wrong, and what one will do to find it.

I read this book in one day - I just wasn't able to put it down because Alex's story is so engrossing and captivating, providing a powerful message for young adults. It provides an interesting look at how those who want to stand up for others and do the right thing can organize a system to police themselves that works. It sends a strong message that "the absence of a no does not mean yes." It touches on bullying issues as well, and shows another way of looking at high school students: if they know what others are doing is wrong, what are they willing to do about it? At Themis Academy, The Mockingbirds are willing to do what it takes to call out those who have wronged others and support the victims in every way. Whitney's writing style drew me in, made me interested in the story and what was happening, and gave me clues along the way that propelled the story forward along with my desire to read it. She wrote smart, real characters with real friendships and struggles and desires. This book has main and secondary characters who were written so I honestly cared about them, wanted to know more about them, wanted to root for them, and would love to hang out with them.

This book is about doing the right thing, finding yourself and your inner strength and beliefs by standing up for yourself and others, becoming stronger in knowing the truth and fighting for it, and surrounding yourself with ones you love who would stand up for and support you when you need them. I think the book speaks for itself: "Maybe, ultimately, that's what we're all aspiring to - to have our own sense of right and wrong and to act on it."

This is without a doubt one of the best books I've read this year, any year really, and I highly recommend that you read it!
5 STARS for THE MOCKINGBIRDS
I look forward to reading more by Daisy Whitney! In fact, book 2 in The Mockingbirds is coming out in fall 2011 - it will definitely be on my to-read list!

Other Books You Might Like: SPEAK by Laurie Halse Anderson and THE DISREPUTABLE HISTORY OF FRANKIE LANDEAU-BANKS by e. Lockhart 

NOT THAT KIND OF GIRL by Siobhan Vivian

Title: NOT THAT KIND OF GIRL

Author: Siobhan Vivian
Publisher: Push
Release Date: September 1, 2010
Number of Pages: 336
How I Got It: In my box of free books at ALAN


When I met Siobhan Vivian at the ALAN Workshop, she signed my book and said "I hope you enjoy it." and I told her that I had already pulled it out of my box of books I was going to ship back and hers was in the pile of books to take on the plane with me to read on the flight home. That is how intrigued I was by the premise of this book based on the summary alone. I had not read any of Siobhan Vivian's other books before NOT THAT KIND OF GIRL, but I already bought her others to read based on how much I enjoyed this one!
Summary (from Goodreads) 
     Natalie Sterling wants to be in control. She wants her friends to be loyal. She wants her classmates to elect her student council president. She wants to find the right guy, not the usual jerk her school has to offer. She wants a good reputation, because she believes that will lead to good things.

     But life is messy, and it's very hard to be in control of it. Not when there are freshman girls running around in a pack, trying to get senior guys to sleep with them. Not when your friends have secrets they're no longer comfortable sharing. Not when the boy you once dismissed ends up being the boy you want to be with yourself - but only in secret, with nobody ever finding out.

     Slut or saint? Winner or loser? Natalie is getting tired of these forced choices - and is now going to find a way to live life in the sometimes messy, sometimes wonderful in-between.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book about the high school drama, relationships, friendships, goals, and reputations. It is a combination book: it's light-hearted, but also deals with heavy, important topics for high school age girls. It is about discovery and finding yourself and figuring out what you really want in life. It's about learning to live your life for yourself and not for what others think of you, but figuring out what it is that others actually do think of you because of how you portray yourself. It's about being OK with the kind of girl you are, and making sure it's the kind of girl you want to be and want others to view you as. It's about reputations (good and bad), how to get them, how to change them, and how important they should really be in making your own decisions. It's a book about girls standing up for each other and supporting each other in being successful. It's about girls having to own up to their bad decisions with boys, but also finding when they're honest about who they are, they are stronger with each other, themselves, and the boys they're focused on. It's about not judging people based on rumors or who you think they are, but giving them a chance to get to know them for who they really are. It's a book that shows girls and boys in all lights - the good and the bad. It's a book showing serious social consequences for actions. 

This book doesn't pull punches. It's honest. It's scary. It's full of heart. It's full of empowerment messages. There are several subplots to keep track of, and the plot kept me interested with all of the things going on. I appreciate the fact that the boy character was a genuinely good guy, although it didn't seem that way in the beginning - again going back to the idea of judging without knowing, just as the main character does. It has characters I'd want to be friends with, characters I'd want to mentor, and characters I'd be interested in. It's enjoyable - an easy, straight-forward read, and highly recommended. It's for a more mature reader, but nothing too graphic, and it's an important before high school read. Vivian writes with a friendly, realistic voice. She writes real characters who have lots of layers. High school is a breeding ground for rumors and ridicule. It's a dangerous balancing act and this book sends the message that you really need to have a strong sense of who you are, your values, and your goals in order to survive it.

Other Books that I was reminded of: The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulburg, She's So Money by Cherry Cheva, and Good Girls by Laura Ruby

4 STARS for NOT THAT KIND OF GIRL

DASH & LILY'S BOOK OF DARES by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

Title: DASH AND LILY'S BOOK OF DARES

Author: Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Release Date: October 26, 2010
Number of Pages: 272
How I Got It: In my free box of books at the ALAN Workshop


I'm so glad I chose to read this book just after Thanksgiving because it's such a great, feel-good story that takes place from right before Christmas to right after New Year's. It's such fun to read these kinds of stories around the holidays. From the authors of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist and Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List comes their new collaborative story, told in alternating points of view chapter by chapter. Dash and Lily are both high school students in New York City who are home without parents for the holidays. Dash and Lily are both looking for someone who understands them and someone to share their time and thoughts with. Dash and Lily have not met when this story starts, and don't actually meet until about halfway through, because Dash and Lily are communicating via messages written in a notebook and dares to each other and clues to find the next hiding spot. Dash first finds the notebook at his favorite bookstore as he's browsing the shelves, and there are clues to hidden places - and with nothing better to do he figures them out and discovers the notebook is from Lily. She's looking for a guy that will be right for her, and figures if someone has gone far enough to get through all of the clues, he just might be the right one. Intrigued, Dash writes her a lengthy message back and starts them on their path to exchanging the notebook back and forth. They continue to dare each other to go deeper and reveal more about themselves and their dreams and desires. As their messages get more in depth, the reader learns about each of them just as they are learning about each other. This book has it all: adolescent awkwardness, romantic entanglements, missed opportunities, friendships changing, family discoveries, and above all, the realization that sometimes you need to grab the opportunity and make it work for you, instead of waiting for it to happen to you.


This was a really enjoyable book with a great cast of likeable and funny secondary characters supporting the antics of the two main characters who I was rooting for throughout the book. Dash is a highly intelligent character who uses big words and is very thoughtful. He is a character that is not your typical "leading man" for a romance story, in fact he is often described by others as "surly;" however, it is obvious that he is just a very in-his-head kind of guy. Lily is confident in herself and her uniqueness of style and attitude and able to accept that she is not the "popular" type; however, she comes to discover that the way she's looking at the world isn't necessarily the way the world is looking at her. Both are mature, intelligent characters who are very accepting of others and working to figure out the status of their family, friend, and romantic lives. 


These two authors make a great writing pair. Their plot continues to move forward without the generic or stereotypical teenage angst or drama events. The story feels real and honest. Neither one is ever sure if they or the other will live up to their notebook selves. Can they be that honest in real life also? New York City itself becomes a character in this story and the setting adds to the romantic nature of what happens throughout the book.  I haven't read either of their other books, but I will definitely be picking them up.


4 1/2 STARS for DASH AND LILY'S BOOK OF DARES

ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS by Stephanie Perkins

Title: ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Publisher: Dutton Books (Penguin Group USA)
Release Date: December 2, 2010
Number of Pages: 372
How I Got It: Bought the hardcover


ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS takes me back to my visits to Paris - the city of romance - and this book certainly has that.  Young adult romance books are all about discovering who you are, what you want, who you want to be with, and how that impacts everything you think about yourself and your path in life. They're great for escapism and hope and entertainment, and this book has all of that. In her debut novel, Perkins has tapped into the adolescent hope and drama of first loves and crushes and developing relationships in a realistic way. It's a cute book that takes place in a great setting making me want to go back to visit Paris and see all of the specific places the author mentions along with just the feeling of being there in that city - it's like a guidebook for living in Paris and makes me want to do so. It is a book with real characters who have highs and lows and family problems and friendship problems and relationship problems and screw things up and have to work to fit it all back together again. It's a book with light-heartedness and some deeper emotional issues all wrapped up in a fun book. It's a book that deals with adolescent hopes and desires and fickleness and friendships and changes and confusions and first loves and kisses - all while remaining appropriate for a wide audience - who will be able to read it and relate to the realness of the emotions and communication breakdowns and misunderstandings of these teens.


Anna, a great and entertaining narrator, is sent off to boarding school in Paris for her senior year of high school. She has a crush and a best friend and a brother and mom back home who she doesn't want to leave, but her father isn't giving her an option. When she gets to school in Paris, as the new girl (who doesn't speak a bit of French) in a senior class of only 25, she feels lost and lonely. Then she meets some key people and starts to make friends, and develops a major crush on the cute English/American/French classmate, accented and cute, Etienne St. Clair. Only one problem: he has a girlfriend. The book's story unravels over the course of the school year as Anna and Etienne grow to become really good friends through long talks about things they may not share with anyone else. There are starts and stops and near misses along the bumpy road of their developing relationship, ending in a climatic moment on top of the Notre Dame Cathedral where all of their truths come out. 


I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and taking this journey with Anna, Etienne, and their friends.  Although some events throughout were a bit predictable, the setting and the deeply developed characters adding a unique aspect to this story that kept me engaged. The book portrays the realistic young adult "does he like me or not" drama of so many adolescent thoughts. I appreciated that Anna and Etienne were both complex characters who developed a true friendship as they fell for each other - instead of just a love at first sight thing that didn't make any sense. In the scenes when it was just the two of them talking, it was easy to see why those conversations led to the deep relationship that developed for the two of them.  It's ultimately a book about being honest about your feelings and knowing that it isn't as important where you are as much as who you are with that matters the most in making you feel at home.


4 STARS for ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS
I look forward to reading the two companion books that Stephanie Perkins is writing:
Lola and the Boy Next Door (Fall 2011) & Isla and the Happily Ever After (Fall 2012)

MATCHED by Ally Condie

MATCHED (out today) by Ally Condie is a book about a dystopian society that thinks it is utopian. In the same vein as The Giver and The Hunger Games, there is a main character who has bought into the way society has been made better, but through the course of events in the story, begins to learn that her society isn't all it's cracked up to be. I loved the characters, the plot, the society/world created, the conflict, the writing - I LOVED this book! This has definitely become one of my favorite books I've read this year, and the trilogy will be on my must-read list for my students!


In Cassia's society, everything is highly controlled by the government: where people live, what they can do, when they can marry and have children, where they can go, information available to them, and who they can be with. On their 17th birthday, the people go to a Matching Banquet where they receive the person that the computer system and technology have found to be their perfect match for their future. At that point, they get to start dating and when they are older, they can choose to marry that person or be single. This is a society in which the government doesn't make mistakes because they have systems that they have found to be better than information that was available in the past.  However, on Cassia's matching day, her disc reveals her best friend as her match, but also shows the face of another boy that Cassia wasn't meant to see. What she chooses to do with this information, how the two boys involved react to it, her family's secret knowledge revelations, her interactions with the officials at the matching department, and the way her world is shown to her once the haze of perfection has worn off become the push for moving this intriguing story forward.


The plot of this book was fast-moving with many events happening that made me want to know what would happen next. It also had great thoughtful and thought-provoking moments. One of the most interesting aspects of this book was the idea of this society that felt that the world had gotten too complicated and busy which affected people in a bad way, so they took the 100 best of everything: poetry, books, songs, etc. and that is all the information/learning people had access to anymore. Ally Condie created a world in this book that I want to keep reading about. The way that Cassia's journey of discovery happens throughout the story made me want to root for her to rebel against what the society has told them. I wanted to root for her to find her own path and to find ways to work against the society as she discovered more about Ky and Xander and what role they both play in her overall view of her society. I also felt they were both represented true feelings and choices for Cassia.


This book is the first in a planned trilogy, and I for one, am anxious to find out where this story will go. Just as anxious as I was to find out what would happen to Katniss, Peeta, and Gale in Catching Fire, I can't wait to see where Ally Condie takes Cassia, Ky, and Xander in the next book in the series. One of the best things about this book though, is that there is a clear resolution at the end for the first part of the story for these characters, and as much as I'm looking forward to what will happen next, I still felt fulfilled by what I was given. It's not a cliffhanger of an ending and it's very satisfying.


5 STARS for MATCHED
I'll definitely be first in line to buy the next one in the series!


Disclaimer: I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of this book from a giveaway on whatchyareading.net which they received from the publisher. I was not compensated or persuaded in any way for this review.

THE UNIDENTIFIED by Rae Mariz

A society in which Generation AAA's schools are now in abandoned refurbished malls, run by corporate sponsors, and all of the main communication is done through social networking - how far into the future is this in reality? THE UNIDENTIFIED takes place in a near future in which teens go to school each day in "The Game" where their every move is monitored by the corporations who sponsor their schools and the more popular they are, the more they can get branded and have nicer things. The majority of their interaction is done through facebook and twitter-like status updates on ipod touch-like handheld devices with GPS tracking. The goal is to set fashion trends, score points at the games (classes), and become popular to be "branded" and hang out in the VIP area while becoming a spokesperson for your corporate brand. Kid is not very popular, and she likes it that way, she can just produce her music and stay out of trouble. It's all fine until the day the body falls into the food court in front of her from the 5th floor railing. The body was a dummy, but the note attached was not - it's from "The Unidentified" - those who are rebelling against the corporate sponsors running their everyday school lives - and refusing to be identified by the material things they own. Once Kid starts to look into it more, she actually becomes more interesting to the corporations and as she gets more involved, she finds out more about how the Game really runs. Can she help out her family without losing herself to the corporate game and lose all of her friends? 


Overall I liked this book and the issues it brought up and the movement of the plot; although, I did have a little trouble totally getting engaged with the characters in the beginning, but was intrigued by the mystery. The book moves along with the mystery to be solved - who are "The Unidentified" and what do they really want and why? It also has quite a bit of action with different scenes wondering what will happen to Kid and her friends and the people she knows within the Game. Ultimately this book is about the choices we make, why we make them, and who is watching. This book is about identity - finding your own, keeping it, and portraying it in the face of others who might be looking for something else. It's an interesting commentary on the social networking society we now live in and the choices we make because we know people are watching - are we really our true selves or are we the self we want to portray to everyone who's reading? 


Reminds me of/Other anti-corporate books like this: Teen, Inc - So Yesterday - The Gospel According to Larry 


4 STARS for THE UNIDENTIFIED

CRASH TEST LOVE by Ted Michael

CRASH TEST LOVE by Ted Michael is the story of a boy and a girl and how they become the crash test dummies of high school love. Henry Arlington is a player - he and his best friends crash local Sweet Sixteen parties just to hook up with girls - helping Henry forget his troubles at home with a father who won't talk about his missing mother. Garrett has just moved from Chicago to New York leaving a boyfriend and best friend behind. They meet at a party, talk briefly, and then on the first day of school, they run into each other and aren't sure what to think. Garrett has no friends, has a boyfriend and best friend back in Chicago who aren't talking to her, and doesn't want to be in New York - so she's giving up on boys and focusing on herself. Henry isn't enjoying the party crashing so much anymore and can't stop thinking about Garrett. One day at lunch she is invited to sit with the "J Squad", the most popular girls at school, and is invited to join them on a probationary basis - as long as she can get Henry to take her as his date to the biggest Sweet Sixteen of the year - the one being filmed by MTV. The J Squad has a hidden motive, but Garrett doesn't worry too much about it until she starts to fall for Henry, and Henry has never stayed with a girl longer than one date.

I liked this book, even if it was somewhat predictable at times. It's like a classic teen movie plot, but with characters that I liked and cared about once I got to know them. There was some good character development in how Henry and Garrett grew up through the course of this novel because I certainly didn't like them in the beginning. I thought they were both doing things that didn't make sense, but as I learned more about each of them, I ended up liking both - I didn't agree with all of their choices, but I was rooting for them. It's an interesting and entertaining coming-of-age story for two characters who aren't quite sure how to handle what happens to them, but since we get to hear the story from both characters' alternating points-of-view, it helps the reader care about them. It's a little more mature, but not too graphic in details. I also really liked that this story didn't have the typical happy ending of a romance story, but left me with hope for these characters who would figure it out and have a decent chance for successful relationships in the future.

3.5 STARS for CRASH TEST LOVE

This book was provided by Book Divas (http://www.bookdivas.com).

ACES UP by Lauren Barnholdt

When I was trying to decide what book to read next last week, I decided to go with another light-hearted cute book and chose ACES UP by Lauren Barnholdt. I supposed because I've been watching the World Series of Poker Main Event each week on TV lately, I had poker on the mind when I gravitated toward this book.  


The summary goes like this: high-school senior Shannon Card needs money for college tuition because her father lost his job and she's been accepted early-decision to Wellesley, so she gets a fake ID and to get a job as a waitress at a casino to make as much money as she can. But she discovers it's a little more difficult than she imagined carrying trays of drinks while walking in high heels, and then gets the mysterious invitation in her work locker to join Aces Up, a secret group of poker players who are really talented because of their math knowledge - and she's just the kind of player they need. Only one problem - she's underage and has never played poker before. As if all of that isn't enough, Shannon's dealing with Max, who used to be her friend until there was an almost kiss they haven't talked about, and Cole, the cute college guy trying to recruit her for Aces Up.  All of that made me think this might be another fun book, and it pretty much was. But really, this book is about a girl who tries to take a quick fix for her problems, ends up getting into bigger trouble, losing herself in the process, disappointing those around her, and has to figure out how to work her way out of the mess she's created.


The thing I liked most about this book is the voice of the main character. Shannon has a great way of narrating in first person that at times seems as if she's talking to the reader in asides.  I really like it because it makes me more invested in what she's going through because I like her - although at times I do wonder if she shouldn't have seen where there was headed long before she did.  I also really liked her way of describing things - she just does it in a way that seems true to the voice of someone her age and she has a sense of humor in her voice that is somewhat snarky at times. The thing that bothered me about her though was that I think she could have taken more control over her relationships, and for as intelligent as she is supposed to be, she sometimes made really stupid decisions in parts of the book.


Here's the problem I had with the book: I feel like it was too easy for Shannon to fall into something with Cole that had no depth to it other than him being mysterious. It seemed like Shannon's character was made out to be more independent and strong than how she was acting with him, so it was hard to buy into her being that into him and into the trouble she got in to. Because that part was a little unbelievable, the story came across as a bit shallow in those parts. I really liked the parts where Shannon was dealing with Max and what was happening with their relationship, and even the stuff with her sister and work friend Mackenzie, I just wanted a little bit more depth to round out all of the characters for a light-hearted, cute, fun, girly read.


Overall I liked it for the voice and humor of the main character, the storyline with her guy friend Max, her relationship with her sister, and the fun poker references.
3 1/2 STARS for ACES UP

My Summer Reading List (Really Quick Reviews)

I didn't have time to do lengthy reviews on each of the books I read this summer, but I wanted to be sure to mention and give quick opinions on all of them, so here goes...

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie 
I love Sherman Alexie's voice - I've loved his writing and movies for a long time, so I was excited to finally read this book.  It is a fabulous book - I can see why it won the awards it did - a must-read! Handles issues of race issues, adolescent boys, high-school, friendships, family, etc in a humorous and sensitive way. I will recommend this to all of my students to read with a caution of some mature concepts.  5 Stars


My Most Excellent Year: A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins, and Fenway Park  by Steve Kluger
For the more mature reader - great book told from multiple points-of-view with three high-school friends who are the main characters. They are almost seniors, and writing an English paper on their most excellent year - all three write about their freshman year and the flashback part of the story is told through their journal entries from freshman year English class.  I really like the voice and methods that the story was told in with letters and emails and instant message chats and journals. Deals with coming out of a gay character in a realistic and sensitive way. It's a book about relationships and discovering who we really are. Made my top books list for the year.  5 Stars

Gone by Michael Grant
I expected this to be a dystopian along the lines of Lord of the Flies; however it threw me off with the supernatural parts of it that I wasn't expecting. I enjoyed the basic storyline of a town where everyone over the age of 14 disappears one day, and how the kids survive, but didn't like the supernatural parts of it so much - they distracted me from the main plot. I will probably read the sequel though because I did get drawn in by some of the main and secondary characters. 3 Stars

NUM8ERS by Rachel Ward
I really, really wanted to like this book about a girl who sees a string of numbers every time she looks at a person's eyes. On the day her mother died, she learned that the numbers stand for the day that person is destined to die.  I knew going in that it was a book from England, so some of the words would be different. However, I wasn't quite expecting it to be such an on-the-run story, and I wasn't hooked into the love interest storyline, which became more of a focus at the story moved on.  Overall, I was disappointed in the twist at the end. Several times I wanted to abandon, but forced myself to finish it. Overall, it's an OK book for me. 2 Stars

Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer by John Grisham
I've like John Grisham's adult books, so I was really intrigued to read this one.  There's just something about series books that are obviously intended to be a series from the start so the ending feels a little incomplete that throws me off sometimes, and this is one of those.  Overall, the story was cute with Theo and all of his knowledge of the law and his ability to be in with the judges and other court workers when a big trial is starting. There is quite a bit of law speak in this book, but it is explained pretty well. The plot kept moving fairly well and kept me interested. Overall, I think this is a book for those students who like to watch the procedural shows on TV and would be interested in trial stories and a new series. 4 Stars

Lament and Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater
I love, love, love Maggie Steifvater's writing!  I first discovered her when I heard her speak at a conference and got an advance copy of Linger, so of course I had to go buy Shiver and read it right away (stories with werewolves). As soon as I read them, I knew she was one of my favorite authors, and I recommended the series to all of my students and coworkers.  So, this summer I wanted to go back and read her first books (stories with faeries), Lament and Ballad.  I really enjoyed both of these books: the writing drew me in, I was invested in the characters and what would happen to them, the suspense in the plot and wondering how these human characters would deal with the faeries kept me reading, and I was eager to read the second once I had finished the first.  All of these things are what I want in a book. i enjoy reading books with paranormal/fantasy romance aspects, especially ones by Maggie Steifvater, and these didn't disappoint!  5 Stars


The Last Thing I Remember (The Homelanders) by Andrew Klavan
I picked this book up because I saw the cover in the bookstore and the back summary made me think this might be a good suspense/adventure series that would engage eighth grade boys. Mostly I think it will, but I was a little disappointed. I felt that the beginning, when Charlie wakes up in a room being held prisoner, all beat up, doesn't know what is going on, and doesn't remember how he got there was a great start especially as he's trying to escape and figure out what's happening. It flashes back to the last day he remembers in alternating chapters. The problem that I had was that after he escapes and is on the run it got very slow for me.  It wasn't until almost the end that the plot picked up again and we started to get answers on who these terrorists were. By the end I was a little disappointed because I didn't get as many answers as I would have like on how Charlie ended up there.  I will probably recommend it to boys looking for adventure books, but ask them to read the second one in the series and let me know how it is.  3 Stars

The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins 
Re-read these two for the second time in anticipation of Mockingjay's August release, and so glad I did.  It was nice to catch back up on the story of Katniss, Peeta, and Gale after one and two years since I read them, and reminded me of why this is one of my all-time favorite series! 


This series is one of the best dystopian stories I've read - a story taking a country similar to ours and putting it in a near future in which the world has changed in some way in which is is supposed to be better and is controlled by a different leading organization than our current governmental structure. 


In The Hunger Games, the country is run by The Capitol - the only area of the country in which they have enough money and food to live a good life. To remind the twelve districts of the failed rebellion from years ago and to make sure they don't rebel again, they hold the annual Hunger Games, a televised event that everyone in the country watches, in which one boy and one girl, between the ages of 12-18, from each of the districts, enters the game world and fights to the death. The winner is set for life and gets food for his or her entire district. When Katniss goes to the games, things change not only for her, but for the entire country of Panem. If you've been waiting to read these books, now that the third one will be out, it's time to read them all in a row.  5 Stars

Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles
I loved Perfect Chemistry so much that I definitely wanted to read the sequel and learn Carlos' story. Overall I liked it, it's a good romance escape novel, but was pretty similar in storyline to the first book. (See full review blog post)  4 Stars

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan
Enjoyed the new series with Egyptian mythology from the author of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. (See full review blog post)  4 Stars

RULES OF ATTRACTION by Simone Elkeles

RULES OF ATTRACTION is the sequel to Perfect Chemistry (which was one of my favorite books I read last year - of course I'm a sucker for a good romance story), and continues with some of Alex and Brittany's story while showcasing Alex's younger brother, Carlos, who unwillingly moves from Mexico to Colorado where Alex is in college. Carlos is not happy about moving because he still feels like Alex betrayed him when they all had to move from Chicago; however, since Carlos got caught up in the gang's in Mexico, his mom sends him to live with his brother. Although he acts tough, he doesn't really do anything wrong, but still gets into some trouble and can't live with his brother anymore. Alex arranges for Carlos to move in with one of Alex's professors (who has his own reasons for wanting to help out), who has a daughter who Carlos met at his high school. Carlos was not impressed with her at first, but she seems to be the only one who can break through his tough exterior and see the decent person he is inside. As Carlos works through his issues and they get to know each other, they realize there is a deeper connection there.  As this develops, Carlos gets deeper into trouble and has to learn to rely on others to help him get out of a sticky situation.

It is again a good romance and coming-of-age story. The thing about this book, though, is that it does stick to the tried-and-true formula of the first book and as such at times seems a little familiar/too similar. It doesn't seem quite as new (although, of course, the first was essentially an updated Romeo and Juliet wrong side of the tracks type love story) in the second book because Carlos' story is similar to Alex's from the first book. However, it was still a really enjoyable escape to read. If you loved Perfect Chemistry, you will like reading Rules of Attraction and getting to spend more time in this world with these characters.
4 Stars for RULES OF ATTRACTION