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Review: Between Here and Forever by Elizabeth Scott

[ 8 ] July 29, 2011

Reviewed by Grace Soledad

Between Here and Forever is the emotional story of a girl in a coma….and her sister. Abby is convinced that her sister, Tess, is perfect. She’s the one everybody picks, she’s beautiful, she’s smart, and she’s popular. Everyone loves Tess, even Abby’s ex-boyfriend! She’s convinced that she will never measure up to her.

After Tess gets in an accident and ends up in a coma, Abby is once again overlooked. She does want Tess to get better, but for a selfish reason: so that Abby won’t be connected to her anymore. When Abby learns a shocking secret about Tess, she suddenly has to come to terms with the fact that she doesn’t know her sister as well as she thought she did.

It took me quite a while to write this review because I could not figure out how to channel the pure emotion radiating through Between Here and Forever. Elizabeth Scott has captured grief and wonder all in one book. Abby was honest and completely realistic. I could feel her pain as she realized that everyone always picked Tess.

Elizabeth Scott has perfected the art of throwing in unexpected surprises and creating emotions that course through every word on every page. The plot was wonderful; the characters deeply complex and different. Her books are wholly unique and no author I have encountered has come close to her standard for emotional young adult novels.

I read Between Here and Forever in one sitting, not noticing the pages thinning until I reached the end. I both laughed and bawled while reading this book; not even Living Dead Girl is more powerful. Stunning and beautiful, Between Here and Forever is sure to captivate any reader.

Rating: 5/5

Grace Soledad is a teenage bibliophile who runs the blog Words Like Silver. She is described as “antisocial” because she constantly has her nose buried in a book or a notebook. When not reading, she can be found dancing, writing, or at the beach. She wants to become an author someday and is incredibly passionate about books, and holds several reading awards.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Simon Pulse. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Pretty Bad Things by C.J. Skuse

[ 6 ] July 27, 2011

Reviewed by Grace Soledad

After their mother died of a drug overdose, the “Wonder Twins” Paisley and Beau were found wandering the forest, miraculously alive after three days alone. Their father was arrested; their grandmother began stealing money donated to them after the world heard of their plight.

Now, the twins are sixteen and separated by their grandmother. After Beau finds a stash of hidden letters from their father, he contacts Paisley. They reunite to embark on a wild goose chase around Vegas to find their father. In attempts to get his attention, they begin to steal, creating a stir everywhere as people come to see the “Wonder Twins” in a new light. But the question weighing on their minds is: will attracting everybody’s attention actually lead them to their father?

I’m a twin, so I love reading other books about twins. After reading the back of Pretty Bad Things, I was instantly drawn to the story. It sounded hilarious and bizarre – a great combination.

The emphasis on fame was interesting to read about. It brought up questions about doing bad things for good reasons. I couldn’t decide whether I liked Paisley or not because she was so determined, but sometimes she was incredibly rude to the people she encountered. Her and Beau’s relationship was interesting and I laughed when the therapist started asking about twins. Those questions aren’t really ones that any twin can answer because we don’t know what it’s like not being a twin.

The delicious backdrop of Vegas was entertaining and there was so much opportunity for deviation and plot twists. The descriptions are elaborate and glamorous and dirty. Although it’s not for me, Pretty Bad Things did a great job of explaining the attraction so many people have to this city.

One aspect of the story that I scoffed at was the idea behind the twins finding their father. Sure, it made for a clever and entertaining story, but I just found the plot a little ridiculous. Where were Paisley’s morals?! She was pretty one-sided in her views of the world.

All in all, Pretty Bad Things is riveting and entertaining, and a perfect road trip book for anybody who enjoys a fun read.

Recommended for anybody who loved Beauty Queens, Two-way Street, Bonnie and Clyde or Stealing Heaven.

Rating: 3/5

Grace Soledad is a teenage bibliophile who runs the blog Words Like Silver. She is described as “antisocial” because she constantly has her nose buried in a book or a notebook. When not reading, she can be found dancing, writing, or at the beach. She wants to become an author someday and is incredibly passionate about books, and holds several reading awards.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by The Chicken House Books. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Love, Love, Love by Deborah Reber and Caroline Goode

[ 7 ] February 17, 2011

Reviewed by Poppy J.

Love, Love, Love offers two stories on love for the price of one. Deborah Reber’s Language of Love focuses on a high school student Molly and her BFF Janna, as well as Molly’s boy-pal Emmett. Janna lives in Molly’s blonde hair and blue eye shadow, with Emmett as Janna’s biggest cheerleader. Janna’s younger brother, Henry, rounds out the cast, and the story is definitely written for the younger tween set.

Janna uses a prank to snare her new beau Julian, which is a definite boost to her self esteem, but will end up biting her where it hurts in the end. Her rouse of pretending to be a foreign exchange student backfires (predictably) as her true identity comes to light. Through it all, Janna realizes the one-sidedness of her relationship with Molly, and discovers that she can be interesting on her own without needing someone else to warm up the crowd for her first. The middle school crowd is likely to find Janna’s “fake” accent endearing and will enjoy discovering how she sorts it all out in the end.

The second story is Cupidity by Caroline Goode and centers around Laura Sweney and her best friend. They both read mythology for school, but during one of their adventures,  a book character becomes very real. With a bit of fantasy and whimsy, Cupid is personified and a mythical pact is made. As Laura battles the popular crowd, fights the bullies and discovers herself, her ally protects and serves as she looks for lasting love. The characters are honestly portrayed with a predictable ending, but the story is a good source of “what if” feelings for a young reader interested in how to eventually find the right one.

Rating: 5/5

After a decade of working in several NYC law departments and teaching, Poppy decided she enjoyed writing full-time. She currently works as a freelance writing consultant, and lives with her husband and sons on the East Coast.

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Simon Pulse. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Trapped by Michael Northrop

[ 10 ] February 6, 2011

Reviewed by Melanie K.

“The day the blizzard started, no one knew that it was going to keep snowing for a week. That for some of those in its path, it would become not just a matter of keeping warm, but of staying alive.” – Trapped

Intrigued by the description above, I started Trapped excited to find out what was to come. I had high hopes of an adventurous tale complete with all sorts of twists and turns. Unfortunately, I got nothing of the sort.

Trapped by Michael Northrop is about seven students and one teacher who find themselves trapped inside the school as the most freakish of blizzards rages outside – completely cutting them off from the rest of the world.

Utterly disappointed is the only way to describe my feelings after reading the story. I found no enjoyment in the book at all. It was boring and drab – something that could have been found in a newspaper blurb. The most exciting piece of the whole tale was the blizzard. Imagine a blizzard that produces enough snow to reach the roof of the school! Growing up in Ohio and experiencing “real” snowfalls that never came close to this, I was thoroughly wrapped up in the idea and the possibilities of what was to come.

Sadly, all that Trapped by Michael Northrop had to offer was the electricity going off and shutting off the heat, the batteries dying in the backup lights, food foraging in the cold, dark cafeteria (which had no spoons??) and a bathroom roof collapse from the weight of the snow – and even these events could have been much better written. I would definitely not recommend this book to anyone except those who might be inspired enough by the idea to write their own, and better, story.

Rating: 1/5

Review copy was provided free of any obligation by Scholastic Press. 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.

[amazonify]0545088186[/amazonify]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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