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Category: Children’s Books

Review: She’s So Dead to Us by Kieran Scott

[ 2 ] September 5, 2010

Reviewed by Abby A.

She’s So Dead to Us by Kieran Scott immediately appealed to me simply because of the author’s name. As a faithful reader of the Private series under her pen name of Kate Brian, I knew that I had to look into her other works. Her style of writing is one that I feel appeals to almost everyone. From her in-depth descriptions of the novel’s characters to the vivid imagery she paints of the situations at hand, She’s So Dead to Us was a clear example of Kieran Scott’s intelligent sense of writing.

The teenage focal characters of the book, Jake and Ally, take us through a community bound together by wealth and elitism in suburban New Jersey, and display just how exclusive and unforgiving it truly is. Ally, a former member of said community called “the Crest”, returns to reclaim her friends and lifestyle that she had to forcibly leave behind. Jake, her male replacement over the years Ally had been away, is left to decide whether to join in his new friends’ collaborative cold-shoulder or befriend the excommunicated member.

She’s So Dead to Us was a fun read that kept me anxious for more after every section, which ended with a page of short gossip that preluded the drama in the next chapter. I thoroughly enjoyed the novel and once it was finished, I actually hoped that it was not going to have a sequel. Kieran Scott’s cliffhangers are so clenching that you are almost compelled to go out and read the next novel, leaving you addicted to every book in the series. But for this book, the fixation is well worth it.

Abby lives in coastal New Jersey and spends her free time writing anything from short articles to multi-chapter novels. She loves to read and her favorite book genres are Young Adult, Chick-Lit, and How-To/Guides.

This book was provided free of any obligation by Simon & Schuster. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Anxious Hearts by Tucker Shaw

[ 11 ] August 30, 2010

Reviewed by Michelle S.

Anxious Hearts by Tucker Shaw, is a modern retelling of Henry Wadsworth’s epic love poem “Evangeline”: the tale of Evangeline and her beloved Gabriel – with a twist. The novel alternates between the modern day, voiced by Eva, and the past, voiced by Gabriel.

Eva lives in modern day Maine with her father and cares for her neighbor, Ada. Out of the blue, her estranged best friend from childhood, Gabe, comes back into her life – only to disappear again.

Gabriel lives in Maine, centuries before Eva. His story is one of his love for childhood friend Evangeline. The two are wed, only to be separated by an attack on their village. Gabriel is determined to reunite with her, no matter what it takes.

I thought both Eva and Gabriel’s stories were interesting to read. Gabriel’s side is a more thorough telling of the actual poem “Evangeline”, while Eva’s side explores her modern life.

I enjoyed reading about Eva’s interactions with Ada, and about the strong bond shared by Evangeline and Gabriel. However, I wish that there had been more character and plot development. Too much, in my opinion, was left to the imagination. While I imagine I understand Gabe’s motivation in running away, it didn’t make complete sense. Eva’s complete acceptance of Gabe after ignoring each other since they were children was also hard to understand. Additionally, I didn’t feel like I understood Gabriel very well, either. Gabriel rarely interacted with Evangeline, choosing to watch her from a distance, making me wonder if he truly loved her, or was just obsessed with her.

Overall, Anxious Hearts was a fun read, though it lacked in depth and soul.

Michelle recently returned to her West Virginia roots to re-invent herself. She is the principal (okay, only) web and graphic designer at Michelle My Belle Designs and uses the rest of her free time to write her own book blog 52 Self-help Books. Putting up with her madness is her husband Jason, dog Leo, and rabbit Macchiato.

This book was provided free of any obligation by Amulet Books. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Siren by Tricia Rayburn

[ 7 ] August 24, 2010

Reviewed by Cal C.

Siren, Tricia Rayburn’s first novel aimed at Young Adults, falls pretty squarely into a familiar genre for its audience: supernatural romance. Vanessa Sands has always played second fiddle to her gorgeous, fearless, outgoing older sister, Justine, but they were still remarkably close. One night, however, after a fight at home that reveals Justine’s relationship with Caleb Carmichael to her whole family, Justine runs away… and washes up on the beach the next morning, dead, leaving Vanessa and the rest of her family bereft and confused. While Vanessa’s family returns home, she opts instead to return to Winter Harbor for the remainder of the holiday season to try and piece together any explanation she can for why her sister might have killed herself.

The romantic aspect is pleasantly underplayed for the first two-thirds of the book as Vanessa investigates Justine’s death and Caleb’s subsequent disappearance with Caleb’s older brother, Simon. The investigation keeps the plot moving along at a healthy clip, but Rayburn smartly keeps the pacing extremely measured, more concerned with introducing and building up all the important characters and locations than with revealing and combating the titular monsters. Vanessa and Simon have an easy chemistry, but it’s the scenes where Vanessa is alone, facing her fears without her big sister for the first time, that really sell the character.

Unfortunately, however, the final third feels extraordinarily rushed. Relationships that had been building slowly are suddenly laid bare, while conflicts we had only just begun to understand consume the whole story. The climax seems rushed and a bit cluttered, and the villains are given extremely short shrift. Finally, a late-game twist doesn’t entirely mesh with what we’ve seen before, and casts some characters in an entirely different light.

Ultimately, Siren is an enjoyable mystery/romance that falters as it approaches the finish line, but remains a satisfying read. Rayburn displays confidence and skill when approaching the book’s quieter moments, which makes her handling of an underused and potentially fascinating mythology all the more disappointing. Despite its flaws, however, Siren is a quick, engaging book you won’t want to put down.

Check out Tricia’s blog, Maggie Musings & More.

Cal is a young, underemployed librarian and a frequent contributor to Read/RANT comic book reviews. He’s currently living in the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio, with his family and using the post-grad-school grace period to read and write as much as he can.

This book was provided free of any obligation by EgmontUSA. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Blog Tour & Giveaway: Rae by Chelsea Rae Swiggett

[ 173 ] August 17, 2010

Please join us for the TLC Book Tour of teen authored memoir series Louder Than Words! Know a teen who is interested in writing for the Louder Than Words series? Have them submit their story here.

Reviewed by Vera (Luxury Reading)

Rae: My True Story of Fear, Anxiety, and Social Phobia, part of the Louder Than Words series, is the story of Chelsea Rae Swiggett as told in her own words. As far back as Chelsea could remember, she felt different. The sounds of airplanes kept her up at night, worried that one might crash into her house at any minute. Family road trips were a source of constant anxiety as Chelsea imagined dozens of different ways to die in a car. High school was its own ordeal. Transferring to a new school for freshman year, Chelsea hoped to make a fresh start, but her fear of social interactions led her classmates to believe that she was at best extremely socially awkward and at worst mute.

As Chelsea struggled to step outside her perceived comfort zone and be more social, the result was just more uncomfortable silences and missed opportunities to form bonds with her peers. Her admissions to her mother that she was different were met with “you’re just shy”; Chelsea finally met with a psychiatrist when she blurted out that she was depressed, and was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.

Constant anxiety was a new concept for me, and reading Rae gave me a better understanding of what it’s like to live with this disorder. Chelsea was very honest in describing her feelings and experiences, and I think her story is an important read for anyone. Those who don’t know much about the disorder will hopefully learn to be more sensitive towards individuals suffering with anxiety. For those who deal with anxiety on a daily basis or who have family members that do, Rae will show them that they are not alone and that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Giveaway:
Here’s the big giveaway you’ve been waiting for! One grand prize winner will receive copies of all 3 Louder Than Words books we’ve reviewed here – Alexis, Hannah and Rae! (click on the names for our reviews)

Another winner will receive a copy of Rae, courtesy of the publisher!

Mandatory entry: Please comment on this post with your e-mail address.

Extra entries (please post each entry separately, i.e. 2 posts for subscribing):
- Subscribe via e-mail, follow or subscribe to the feed. You must verify the subscriptions. (1 entry each)
- Enter another current giveaway and tell me which one you entered (1 entry each)
- Share this giveaway on a social network of your choice. Click the “Share/Save” button at the bottom of this post (1 entry each)
- Become a fan on Facebook (2 entries)

This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada residents only. Deadline to enter is midnight on September 3rd.

Review and giveaway copies were provided free of any obligation by HCI Teens. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Blog Tour & Giveaway: Hannah by Hannah Westberg

[ 116 ] August 10, 2010

Please join us for the TLC Book Tour of teen authored memoir series Louder Than Words! Know a teen who is interested in writing for the Louder Than Words series? Have them submit their story here.

Reviewed by Jenna A.

“At least this chaos filled the emptiness. I longed to be void of emotions again.” – Hannah

Hannah Westberg is a 19-year-old living with boderline personality disorder. In her self named memoir, Hannah discusses growing up with and around mental illness, and brings her trials and tribulations to light.

Hannah’s story starts the readers at the very beginning, indulging us in the assorted stories of her mother, father, sisters, brother and friends. Hannah grew up not knowing normal from abstract, black from white. Her mother suffered from schizoaffective disorder, abandoning Hannah and her siblings, forcing them to live with a depressed father, and an unwanted stepmother.

Such chaos only worsened things for Hannah, and she continuously battled with drug use, suicidal thoughts and difficult relationships. In her memoir, she lets the readers in on her roller coaster of a life leading up to her rape, stints in mental wards and bouts of self mutilation.

Well written and emotionally charged, Hannah shows us the power of truth, pain, and strength with a maturity beyond her years. The story is serious, yet the knowledge that the author has lived through this pain and has written this story for others like her to share in is extremely refreshing. I would reccommend this book to anyone who has ever loved someone with a mental illness or experience it themselves.

Jenna lives in a small town in Ohio with her fiance and cat Osiris. Along with her passion for reading and the literary world, she is also a painter, poet, fiction writer, and amateur photographer.

Giveaway:
1 winner will receive a copy of Hannah, courtesy of the publisher!

Mandatory entry: Please comment on this post with your e-mail address.

Extra entries (please post each entry separately, i.e. 2 posts for subscribing):
- Subscribe via e-mail, follow or subscribe to the feed. You must verify the subscriptions. (1 entry each)
- Enter another current giveaway and tell me which one you entered (1 entry each)
- Share this giveaway on a social network of your choice. Click the “Share/Save” button at the bottom of this post (1 entry each)
- Become a fan on Facebook (2 entries)

This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada residents only. Deadline to enter is midnight on August 30th.

Look for our review of Rae: My True Story of Fear, Anxiety, and Social Phobia on August 17th for a chance to win all 3 books in the series!

Review and giveaway copies were provided free of any obligation by HCI Teens. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Blog Tour & Giveaway: Alexis by Alexis Singer

[ 184 ] August 9, 2010

Please join us for the TLC Book Tour of teen authored memoir series Louder Than Words! Know a teen who is interested in writing for the Louder Than Words series? Have them submit their story here.

Reviewed by Jennifer J.

In her senior year in high school, Alexis felt disconnected from her friends and her parents. The previous year in school left her feeling friendless and without anyone to talk her through her rough moments. She turned to the one place where she felt she belonged and was accepted by others, an online forum she referred to as The Board. Most of her time outside of school was spent on The Board talking about everything from music to politics to life in general. There was always one person on those forums that intimidated Alexis; at the same time, she was fascinated by this older man.

Then there was the instant message from that member that would change the course of her life. She knew she should ignore it and log off, but her curiosity got the best of her. Soon Alexis became dependent on the 37-year-old married man whom she knew only as “Phil”. She relished in the attention he gave her, and grew depressed when he ignored her for days on end. Alexis learned how to manipulate the situation, providing revealing and obscene photographs of herself in order to gain more of his attention. Though she knew her behavior was destructive, Alex did not know how to stop herself. She became careless in erasing the evidence of her illegal activities, and was eventually caught by her concerned and angry mother. Even as she received the help she needed, Alexis still longed for Phil. Alexis: My True Story of Being Seduced By an Online Predator is the story of these events in her own words.

I have always felt that writing is a great outlet for any type of pain. It allows the writer to put down all of his or her thoughts and feelings to paper and release it from the inside. In writing this gripping teen memoir, Alexis was able to finally let go of some of that pain and give other teens the opportunity to learn from her mistakes. Online predators are more common than we think, and as a parent it’s important to know the signs that might indicate something isn’t right in our children’s lives.

I absolutely love the concept of the Louder Than Words series because it is about teens speaking to teens about their real life events. Programs such as Dateline appeal to parents, but I don’t think it’s a show I took seriously when I was the same age as Alexis. I would recommend this book to any parent of teenagers who spend a great deal of time online and interacting with perfect strangers. While there are some really wonderful people out there online, not every single one of them has the best of intentions, and it’s important to be able to tell the difference between those types.

Jennifer graduated from the University of Utah with a BA in English. She occasionally dabbles with her own fiction writing, particularly with the Young Adult and Paranormal genres. She currently resides in Utah with her husband and daughter.

Giveaway:
1 winner will receive a copy of Alexis, courtesy of the publisher!

Mandatory entry: Please comment on this post with your e-mail address.

Extra entries (please post each entry separately, i.e. 2 posts for subscribing):
- Subscribe via e-mail, follow or subscribe to the feed. You must verify the subscriptions. (1 entry each)
- Enter another current giveaway and tell me which one you entered (1 entry each)
- Share this giveaway on a social network of your choice. Click the “Share/Save” button at the bottom of this post (1 entry each)
- Become a fan on Facebook (2 entries)

This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada residents only. Deadline to enter is midnight on August 30th.

Look for our review of Rae: My True Story of Fear, Anxiety, and Social Phobia on August 17th for a chance to win all 3 books in the series!

Review and giveaway copies were provided free of any obligation by HCI Teens. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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“Zen and Xander Undone” by Amy Kathleen Ryan

[ 6 ] July 24, 2010

Reviewed by Melanie K.

Zen and Xander Undone is a coming of age story of two teenage sisters and their family learning to cope a year after their mother’s death.

Xander is the older wild child who escapes into drinking, drugs, sex and trouble.  Zen, the younger “good” girl, concentrates her energy on practicing and teaching martial arts and trying to look after her older sister. Their father has an extremely difficult time dealing with his wife’s death. On a sabbatical from his job at the university, he retreats to the basement, seldom coming out to shower, dress or interact with the girls. Grandma rarely approves of their actions and has a flatulence problem that she deals with by pretending that it never happened. Aunt Doris devotes her time to painting and recreational marijuana to recover from her sister’s death.

The girls happen upon some information that leads them to believe that their mother may have had an extramarital affair when they were very young. They dive whole-heartedly into an investigation that not only causes them to commit illegal acts, but also to sneak out and travel many hundreds of miles away.

Zen and Xander Undone is witty, fast paced and full of sarcastic humor sure to make you smile, if not laugh out loud. The story is written for young adults and touches on many issues that they may be dealing with. The girls’ antics ring true and keep you wondering just what they will get into next. The girls suffer from typical teenage sister rivalries, but are always there for each other in the end.

For more information, please visit Amy Kathleen Ryan’s website.

This book was provided free of any obligation by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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“I Now Pronounce You Someone Else” by Erin McCahan

[ 4 ] July 9, 2010

Reviewed by Jennifer J.

After the death of her biological father, Bronwen starts to envision that the life she is stuck living is not really her own. Someday soon, her real parents, the kind and loving Lilywhite family, will come and claim her. Then she’ll be able to live the life she was meant to, as Phoebe Lilywhite. As Phoebe, she will not have a mother obsessed with turning her into something she is not (her mother has been Making a Day of It and dying her daughter’s hair from brown to blond since she was 13), a stepfather who keeps her at arm’s length, or a brother who sets the bar so high he might as well be Jesus.

As her high school career comes to an end, Bronwen breaks up with her lousy boyfriend Chad who attempts to take their relationship to the next level. When Jared Sondervan, a sensitive older guy, walks back into her life, Bronwen falls head over heels in love with him. Unlike Chad, Jared’s intentions are pure and he is willing to take as much time as Bronwen needs. At age 18, Bronwen begins to plan the rest of her life around Jared, putting his goals and desires before her own.

Though I Now Pronounce You Someone Else deals with some rather difficult situations including overbearing parents, uninvolved stepfathers, and commitment at a younge age, Erin McCahan approaches it lightheartedly and with so much innocence that it almost felt like a fairy tale. Jared Sondervan is literally the perfect guy. I kept waiting for the “catch” with Jared, but I couldn’t find one. His biggest flaw was being a little too naive for his age (around 21) about getting married, but that only made me more attracted to him.

How Bronwen thought it was a good idea to get married at her age was shocking to me, but her parents did not set the best life examples for her. Her mother was a horrible role model to her, and her stepfather was too unsure of himself to step in and be the father she needed. I was pleased with how the relationship between Bronwen and Whitt was resolved, but had hoped it would happen sooner. Even though I thought the circumstances in this novel were too squeaky clean and implausible for most relationships between young couples to day, it was a refreshing and fun book to read.

Bronwen made me laugh, and she even made me cry. When you read it, you’ll feel like you are getting an all access pass into the mind of your best friend.

Jennifer graduated from the University of Utah with a BA in English. She occasionally dabbles with her own fiction writing, particularly with the Young Adult and Paranormal genres. She currently resides in Utah with her husband and daughter.

This book was provided free of any obligation by Arthur A. Levine Books. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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