Hearts At Stake

Honestly, this book rocked!! I cannot WAIT for the sequel, and I LOVED how (and I know everyone says this!!) this book had some major differences from all the rest of the vampire novels out there. This time, all the vampires who are born are human until they are sixteen. Thats when their body either dies, or is given vampire blood and it survives for the rest of it's life as a full blown vampire. In this book Lucy's best friend Solange, she's not only about to be a vampire, but is also the only female born vamp living currently. So of course, there is a prophecy, and it talks about how a female born vapire to the Drake clan will take over and unite all the clans. Well, Lady Natasha (who is kind of leading the clans) is PISSED!!!!! She wants revenge of the worst sort, she wants Solange DEAD and wants to...eat her heart?????? Well, Lucy isn't having any of that!! Lucy however, cannot stop thinking and wanting Solange's older brother Nicholas!! Solange has seven brothers and she had to go after the one who she fights with constantly?? Well, now that Lucy has a crush, Solange does too, on one Kieran Black, who just so happens to be a vampire slayer who is looking for revenge of his murdered father. Then, he starts to fall for Solange as well, but not before drugging Lucy with Hypnos to let him free. This is a wild tale about love, anger, more love, fighting, and a heck of a lot more!! Overall grade...b+!!!

After

I literally just finished this book a few hours ago, and all I can say is that I loved it. Plain and simple, it was AMAZING, yet it was also terrifying, hard-hitting, and so much more. The main character, Devon Davenport, leaves her baby in a trash bag outside in Tacoma Washington, to die. It follows Devon through her beginning stint in a juvenile rehab facility of sorts, through her court trial, and so much more. You may not learn to the T why Devon did what she did, but eventually you do find out a lot more about how it all happened, and what went on while she was denying that she was pregnant to everyone, even herself. I really loved this book, even though it was disturbing and kind of creepy at parts, I loved the descriptiveness the author brought out, even when it was about the birth or Karma's freak out. The words I'd usually use to decribe this book, just don't do it justice. So I have to just say, overall grade...A+!!!!

Heist Society

This is another of Ally Carter's wonderful books!! I, like so many others, have read ALL of her other spy series, and LOVED Heist Society just as much as I did Don't Judge A Girl By Her Cover. This book however follows a whole different set of characters, from the intoxicating Katarina Bishop, to the eccentric W. W. Hale the fifth. Ally Carter delivers another of her wonderful stories in this book just as well as she does her others. While Katarina has been off at boarding school for the last three months, she hadn't realized just how far behind she had gotten. After she meets with a powerful mobster Arturo Taccone who accuses her father of stealing five of his priceless paintings, she sets off with a two week deadline, a crew of teenage thief's, and a lot of hope, that will hopefully be enough to recover those paintings in time to get her father off the suspect list of Taccone and Interpol, while still making it back in time for soup at her Uncle Eddie's. This book follows Kat and her friends from one side of the world to the other and back again. And with each step it just gets better and better. Overall grade, A- of course!!

Some Girls Are...and some girl's aren't??

Super popular Regina Afton has it all, the friends, the boyfriend, she's a member of the all-girl clique at Hallowell High The Fearsome Five, well, she was part of it. That is until rumors about her and her best friend's boyfriend start going around, by none other then the girl she mercilessly teased until she was popping diet pills like candy and becoming bulimic. Now her ex-best friend, Anna, is out for revenge in the worst ways. That's when Regina starts taking solace in the "bad boy with a hardened past" Michael Hayden, one of the people she herself used to bully. Soon she starts to see that Michael just might start being more then a friend, but that's only if the Fearsome Foursome don't break them both first as they have done to so many others. Ending with more then just an explosive conclusion to their senior year we'll see who is left standing, and who's been taken down a peg, or maybe even more. After reading this book I was blown away by how Courtney Summers did it again, actually this time she may have even done it better then the first time with the AMAZING book Cracked Up To Be, it shows the true inner workings of high school's, maybe not all, but a lot of them. I LOVE Courtney Summer's novels and cannot WAIT for her next one!! I'm sure it will be even better (if possible) then her first two!! So of course, overall grade A!!!

The Dust of 100 Dogs

When I read this book I was AMAZED. I loved the back story involving Emer and the current story about Saffron. Emer's story takes place in the 17th Century and starts of in Ireland, it then continues on her journey through France and across the seas all the way to Jamaica. Saffron's story takes place in America and then also in Jamaica. I absolutely loved Emer, from the beginning where she was just a innocent girl to when she fell in love with Seany Carrol, to her lives as one hundred dogs. The same goes for Saffron, when she makes her way to Jamaica. Sadly there is not much more I can say about this book without giving to much away except to say READ IT!!!!!! It was so good and I would definitely read it again!! This book is a great read, though is extremely sad at parts. I loved it SOOO much so of course, overall grade...A+!!!

The Big Empty

Though this book was published back in 2004 (wow, it feels so long ago sometimes!!) it kind of pertains to what we are involved with right now. A lot of conspiracy theorists are afraid of a "super virus" that will kill over half of the population, and they think that the government is cooking it up right now or something silly like that. The thing about this book is that for anyone who has read or watched Stephen King's The Stand knows that there are fears of a super virus and this book more then just puts it perspective for the reader. This book occurs about a year after the virus Strain 7 killed three quarters of the human race. This book follows seven teens through the abandoned zones through the Big Empty to the secret community of Novo Mundum. On the way each teen somehow or another meets up with one another and some even fall in love (or out of it) with each other, causing some serious tension in some places, and their journey really shows how life could be if this ever happened. I loved this book as well as the next books in the series. It was suspenseful as could be and had a great story line that was easy to follow and kept you extremely interested the whole time. Overall grade A-

Candor

I read this book and though I have seen a LOT of really good reviews for this book, and I would have agreed while reading most of the book, the farther into it I got, the more predictable the ending became. Sadly that made me kind of lose interest, though I still wanted to see how everything would end up, and sadly I was right about my predictions. This book revolves around Oscar Banks. His father owns and runs Candor, Florida. He controls everyone, even his own son, or so he thinks, using subliminal messages. Oscar however, discovered these messages and started making some of his own. He would help get some teens out, but for a price, and then when Nia comes to town, he has to make a choice, either let her become another Candor teen, or help her escape and lose her forever. When Oscar gets closer to her, he starts giving her his own messages, keeping her like she is while making sure she won't rat him out. When Sherman, the most annoying kid in the history of fictional characters, fails to leave Candor when he's supposed to and gets caught trying to run away, Oscar must make some quick decisions as to whether his love for Nia is worth the risk of being sent to the Listening Room, where all his messages he made for himself, all his memories of Nia, and so much else, will be erased. Overall this book was good but not the best, I did like so so my grade will have to be a B.

Third Warped Musing

I was reading the book The Sky Always Hears Me And The Hills Don't Mind the day before I had my audition at UWF and the night I got home I had this very odd dream. I couldn't remember all of it but what I did somehow made me connect the book and what happened before my audition. I kept thinking "why do this sound so familiar?" I thought about how I was sitting there waiting for my audition and I kept going over my monologue and kept going up to where my mom and friend were waiting and kept coming back down, and one time I came back down wearing a different shirt, pretty early on actually, and this guy started talking to me. He told me how I was going to do great and I had nothing to worry about I knew he was a musical theatre major and I told him how of course he'd say that, he's not only a guy auditioning for theatre but also for musical theatre!! It's not like there are a ton of guys comfortable enough to sing and act!! At the time I didn't think anything of it, but I realized he'd been on the campus tour with me and went to FTC with me as well!! Then it dawned on me that (if I get accepted) I'll be seeing him a LOT next year as well!! For some reason my brain connected this to The Sky Always Hears Me And The Hills Don't Mind when it came to Morgan and Rob!! The thing is, someone asked me "who do you like right now?" And I had to seriously think about it, not knowing who, and turning out there wasn't any!! Then I thought of this random nice guy I met, the one who's name I didn't even know, and realized that maybe the reason he kept smiling at me and reassuring me was because he thought that when I see him in the fall he'll remember me and I'll remember him and not only will I have already made a friend, but an important one since I'll be so involved in theatre and so will he. So in a way (no matter how weird) my brain connected how Rob and Morgan worked together and ended up a couple and so somehow with enough time apparently my brain says so will this guy who's name I don't know and me. The saddest part is that I only know he's from Miami and what school he goes too!! I don't even know his name!! What's even worse is that he knows mine (and how to pronounce it correctly) and what area of theatre I went out for...including my private tour of the theatre that blew me away!!! This theatre is AMAZING I can't imagine going anywhere else!! It is just PERFECT for me!!

Darklight

This book out the first book to shame, it was just that AMAZING!! The ending alone was just so heart-wrenching and sadly enough, AWFUL because no one would want it!! I think I speak for almost everyone who read this book in saying WHY can't Sonny and Kelley be together!! I love their love story, and I love what Sonny would do if Kelley ever died. The thing is, I can't wait to read the third book, but I wish that the ending to the second one hadn't been so heart-wrenching sad. Overall though, this book was AMAZING, and I loved how you got to see into the Faerie world so much more, plus you learned SOOO much about Sonny, and surprisingly, about Mabh as well. So, without further ado, Much has changed since autumn, when Kelley Winslow learned she was Faerie royalty, fell in love with changeling guard Sonny Flannery, and saved New York City from a rampaging Faerie war band. When a terrifying encounter in Central Park sends Kelley tumbling into the Otherworld, her reunion with Sonny is joyful—but cut short. For they have been plunged into a game of Faerie deception and wavering allegiances in which the next move could topple a kingdom...or part them forever.

Fade Out...Morganville Vampires #8!!

Over the last year or two I have read every single Morganville Vampires Book. They have all been very suspenseful and just plain wonderful!! This book is no exception, it starts out right where book seven left off where Bishop was finally gone. So now without the evil vampire Bishop ruling over the town of Morganville, the resident vampires have made major concessions to the human population. With their new found freedoms, Claire Danvers and her friends are almost starting to feel comfortable again…Now Claire can actually concentrate on her studies, and her friend Eve joins the local theatre company. But when one of Eve’s cast mates goes missing after starting work on a short documentary, Eve suspects the worst. Claire and Eve soon realize that this film project, whose subject is the vampires themselves, is a whole lot bigger—and way more dangerous—than anyone suspected. That doesn't even include how Myrnin's pet Ava is acting stranger then usual, or how oddly Amelie is acting as well. This book is AWESOME and I can't wait for the next one!!

Lament

When I began this book I didn't know if I was going to really enjoy it, but overall I really did. It was a fantastic novel and I cannot WAIT to read the sequel!! This book started off strong, and only grew in intensity leaving you with a heart clenching cliff hanger. It follows a brilliant Harpist Deirdre Monaghan and the mystical boy she meets Luke Dillon. Caught right alongside her is her best friend James. When she gets caught in the crossfire of faeries Luke is there to save her, or is that really what he wants to do?? Deirdre wished her summer was less dull, but maybe she's getting a bit more then she can handle. It only gets worse when the sinister faerie Aodhan shows up, thirsting for Deirdre's blood as well as the beautiful Eleanor another of the deadly Faerie Queen's minions. The plot thickens even further when James as well as Luke go missing, leaving behind blood, Luke's car, and a strange concoction of Deirdre's grandmothers.

Demon Princess: Reign or Shine

I just finished this book and could NOT STOP SMILING!!! It just made me so happy inside!! This book was happy, sarcastic, suspenseful, and so much else!! It made me want to read the next one IMMEDIATELY!! I cannot wait till June to read the next one, but anyways, this book follows recently-turned sixteen Nikki Donovan. She thinks she just this ordinary teenager until the surprisingly sexy Michael turns up telling her that not only is her father alive and wants to see her, but is also a demon. A demon king to be exact. And that, of course, makes her a demon princess, but also a Darkling, which is a half-demon, and she's the first one in over a millennium. Add the fact that her father is dying and since she's his only heir wants her to be queen of the Shadowland, well, you can guess that she doesn't really believe him (or want the job) right away. After a trip to the Shadowland and an assassin trying to kill her, and Nikki just might start to like her dad a bit more. But then again, she starts to like Michael a LOT more as well, which just so happens to be forbidden. Michael is a Shadow, a servant to the demon's like herself, and her father seems stuck in the old ways, even though he broke the rule about having human-demon relationships when he got Nikki's mother pregnant!! Nikki is just trying to survive high school and a new step-father, but of course it wouldn't be that simple!! I LOVED this book and cannot WAIT to read the sequel, so overall grade...A!!

Kissed By An Angel

At first glance Kissed By An Angel by Elizabeth Chandler looked like any other book, but when I read the back cover, I knew immediately that it wasn't. Though there have been other books that involve Guardian Angels, I hadn't read any that involved "A love beyond life." Ivy and her boyfriend Tristan are in a horrible car crash, and Tristan is killed, killing Ivy's belief in Angels, even though now, Tristan is one too! He's been kept back because Ivy's in danger, except he doesn't know who or what is out to hurt her. He must complete his mission and save Ivy, but when he does and his mission is finished, won't he lose her all over again?? First published in 1998, this book follows Tristan's and Ivy's journey as they try to piece together the accident that just might not have been, and Ivy's new stepbrother, who seems to like Ivy a bit TOO much. This book is a three in one, but is still suspenseful as can be. Also, it's depressing as can be. It starts off with the accident killing Tristan, then goes back in time to show how Ivy and Tristan fell into a love that really would do anything, even die, for each other. Using the help of a deceased film star, Tristan discovers his powers that help him influence other's actions, materialize his voice and parts of his body, and maybe even save Ivy from not only her unweilding grief, but from the killer who's out to get her. Overall grade...B-

The Everafter

This book may have been another debut novel, this one by Amy Huntley, but it was nothing but amazing. This book is unlike any other I had read. This book was absolutely amazing. An A+ doesn't even begin to cover it. Amy Huntley more then just outdoes herself with this book. Though you know from the very beginning that that Madison Stanton is dead, you don't know how, why, or anything else about her for that matter, until she goes on a trip to find all the things she's lost over her lifespan. It shows the beauty of how important the little things can be, how important things people take for granted everyday can be, whether it's a first kiss, a charm bracelet, or even physics homework, it's what happens because of these things, what happens around these things that makes this story come to life, in a way that Maddy can't anymore. This story blew me away and there is absolutely nothing that should be changed about it, from the first word to the epilogue, the story is just spun so well, so precise, that it is as close to perfect as anything can be. This story puts beauty to shame, it makes the reader appreciate more of life then ever before, and it was definitely a novel no one would be able to put down from beginning to end. The most beautiful thing about this book was Maddy's journey to find how she died. This book made me cry my eyes out for sure. This book takes you on a journey to find all the things Maddy lost throughout her life and relive them, over and over again if she wants. Though if in the end of the memory she finds something, she can never go back. The best part is when Maddy shares a memory with people she knew before she died. Though some people said it made them hopeless of the future, I think it made even more hopeful. To be able to go back through parts of life, and accept that you've died. This story is heartwarming and touching in every way. It is a wonderful book that is definitely an A+ all the way.

Second Warped Musing

Last night around 11:56 EST I finished the MASSIVE book This Is All by Aidan Chambers. I had started this book in August of last year, then in about October, after stopping several times to read other books, I just quit it altogether, I was about halfway through and just frankly got bored. Then a week or two ago I picked it up and read about twenty pages, instantly interested again. Though I stopped and read something else again and again. But after I finished other books I would read a few pages (well more then a FEW) and eventually just got so sucked in that while reading another book, whenever that book got to be to heavy in the sadness department I would pick up This Is All and lose myself in Cordelia's world all over again. It got to be that I HAD to finish the other book I was reading, so the moment I was done I picked up This Is All and went to town. I managed to finish half of book three, all of four and almost all of five by the time I needed to "go to bed" last night. Then, since I just couldn't sleep, I stayed up and read until 11:56 PM EST and finished This Is All. It was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. Partially because I just didn't want it to end, and partially because it was just the saddest story I had ever read. This book (not including the afterword and glossary) is 808 pages. In every since line of text you learn something new about the way Cordelia thinks. You learn something about life, or love, or relationships, or friendship, or about why girl's behave the way they do, you learn something in every line. I have read books that are "sad" or "heartbreaking" but NONE even begin to compare to this book that I have read. It may be because I relate to Cordelia when she's younger and sometimes when she's older, or because I have never been able to know a character as well as Cordelia, but I think the main reason why this book touched me in such a distinctive way was because Cordelia felt more real then any other character, it felt like you were reading words from a real person. To me at least. I know for a fact that I have never cried with such abandon or as hard as I did during the entire sixth box of this book, except for the very last page, page 808. When I got to page 808 my tears had finally stopped flowing (as well as my nose THANKFULLY) and as I read the last words it felt as if the book had finally come full circle, it was finally, truly over, in ways no other book has ever been. You know exactly what happened to Cordelia, and you know nothing can ever change it (though she's fictional) and by page 808 you had accepted the fate that had befallen her and you had your closure (or whatever you want to call it) and you felt GOOD again, because you finished it, because it was over, but most of all, because nothing could have changed it, nothing could have happened differently, and you went through all stages those silly stages, and accepted it. Once and for all. "To live is to remember, to die is to forget."

The Lonely Hearts Club

This book starts off with a BANG! This may have been Elizabeth's Eulberg's debut novel but it was still excellent and, since I am a hardcore Beatles fan, just like Miss Penny Lane is in the book, got a kick out of all the wonderful Beatles references that kept popping up throughout the book. Penny becomes sick and tired of boys and dating after her lifetime friend Nate betrays her and breaks her heart. She forms a club, The Lonely Hearts Club, named after Sgt. Peppers Lonely Heart's Club Band, and soon enough her club of one turns into two, three, and then soon enough so many girls in her school that the boys get jealous!! One in particular, who was scorned badly after Penny started her club, Todd, starts spreading nasty rumors and comments. So do a few other people as well, even club members!! What's even worse for Penny is that she's falling for Ryan, a boy at her school who had broken up with one of her fellow club members. What is Penny to do?? She formed the club, so how can she go back on her word not to date any one?? Even someone as wonderful and as sweet and Ryan?? This story was cute and sweet (just like Ryan) and would warm anyones heart!! Overall grade...A of course!!

Swoon...I sure did!!

At first glance the book Swoon captured my interest. Reading it though, captured more then my interest, how about my heart and soul until the last page fell. Actually for a while after that as well. For some reason a lot of people didn't like this book that much while I LOVED it so much!! It was one of my favorite books and I can honestly say I cried so hard reading it. It follows Dice from her posh apartment in New York City to Swoon, Connecticut, the land of the cookie cutter house, wives, and kids. After her cousin Penelope falls from a tree and inherits more then just a bump on the head, how about a soul?? His name is Sinclair Youngblood Powers. And he's out for revenge, and maybe to fix Dice's broken heart?? When Dice accidentally sets Sin loose he starts to wreak havoc on the whole town rather then just Penelope. The biggest problem though, is that she's in love with him, and seems to be unstoppable. The story continues to show you not only why Dice had to leave New York but also, just who helped murder Sin back when he was first alive. In this twisting tale of love, lust, and rage, you will discover a part of yourself awakening in ways you never thought possible as you fall head over heels for Sin, maybe as much as Dice does...This book captured my heart and soul, even after the story was finished so I have to say, overall grade...A!!

The Secret Year

This book was good, it had situations that many people want while at the same time they think they want but really don't. When you begin this book Colt had been dating a girl named Julia for a year and she had just died, then it goes on to explain how he felt about her, what she felt about him, tons of other things, mainly about his trying to sort out not only his feelings he still had for this dead girl but feelings for others around him, especially when her younger brother gives him her journal about all the nights they shared together. In a way you can both love and hate Colt. You can love him for falling for someone, but hate him for not giving it up, getting past it, moving on, but that's only because we do the same. The best part about this book, is that anyone who has ever loved, or even just liked someone from afar, up close, anything, and lost them somehow, feels the way he does, even if it's just for a moment, and that is what made me like this book. Though at times this book drove me nuts and had me wanting to throw it, it was only because I knew that if I loved someone, the way Cole did, and they died unexpectedly, or if they were with someone else while with me, I'd act almost the same way. We do crazy things when we're in love. We just can't help ourselves. Overall (and because we can all relate) I'd give this book an B+ mainly because he just wouldn't let her go and it drove me nuts.

Captivated By Captivate!!!

Captivate by Carrie Jones is the sequel to the amazing book Need. It follows Zara on her continuing journey of finding that she's part Faerie, has a shape shifting boyfriend as well as Grandmother, that no matter where she goes in this town will be haunted by her father, and now a new Faerie king as well. One who wants to kiss her pretty badly. This new king, Astley swears he and Zara are meant to be together, that he's one of the good guys, but Nick isn't buying it and Zara isn't sure about anything, except her feelings for Nick, anymore. This book comes with laughter, heartache, tears, a lot of tears, and TON of new twists that you won't see coming at all!! The only hint I'll give is Valhalla might not be that far off for more then a few people in this book, and that can only end badly. This book is definitely an A, and if it hadn't been for all the tears you shed, an A+, you just can't help but get sucked into Zara's world and hope for the best.

Undead Much?????

The sequel to the awesome You Are So Undead To Me, Undead Much continues to follow Megan Berry and her (hottie) boyfriend/fellow settler Ethan. This time however, things are getting hotter (and better) then ever!! If it's not between Megan and Ethan it's between Megan and the undead psychic hottie predicting that there's going to be a zombie apocolypse!! What's a girl to do?!?! You can't forget the turf war going on between the cheerleaders and the pom squad!! And don't forget all the secrets going on!! Whether it's the ones Megan is keeping that could land her in settler prison, or the one's others are keeping from her, that might just land her in more trouble then she's already in!! This book, i'm sad to say, surpassed You Are So Undead To Me sooooo much, it was just THAT good!! I loved it, and so will almost anyone!! One of the BEST things about this book though is that it's not like ANYTHING else out there today. It's a fun read that has a serious side that will attract almost anyone, I can't wait to find out what comes next!! Overall rating A+++!!!

Dreamland...who's been lately??

The first Sarah Dessen book I ever read was an ARC copy of Along For the Ride. I really enjoyed it, then I read a few of her other books and realized that most of the time they have a very common factor. A girl find this quiet, shy boy, or the guy people want but can't have bad boy types, and ends up with them. Every time. Dreamland however was different. Caitlin got the boy in the beginning. She may have landed a drug dealing psychopath but she still got him. While reading about Rogerson hitting her though, I couldn't help but think about how almost every girl has been used, abused, or something of that sort by a guy. Every time a guy cheats, doesn't call, dumps us, something like that, the poor girls of the world experience just a slice of what Caitlin felt. For those who have been abused, whether physically, verbally, or whatever else, they knew why she never said anything, they knew why she never spoke up. The thing is this wasn't one of her best books, it was good and hits home for a lot of people, but it just had parts in it that could have been better. Mainly because she was still in love with Rogerson all the while he beat her. He was a psycho and yet she kept with him, and she let him beat the snot out of her over and over. Overall I'd give this book a B-

First Warped Musing

So I never realized just how hard it would be to make a header and a background and make sure everything look REALLY good on your blog. THANKFULLY I had a BIT of help along the way from my awesome step-sister who has her own blog and websites from experienced bloggers. If you couldn't tell by now, I LOVE books a LOT, they are one of my favorite things and besides my cats and dogs, and friends and THEATRE they are my LIFE!!! So of course last night I stayed up until THREE in the morning finishing this AMAZING book called Fat Cat by Robin Brande and t came out in Oct. 2009. I have to say, at first I didn't think I would LOVE it, I know I shouldn't judge books by their cover but I did, and I was SOOOO wrong!! This book was awesome. It follows this girl Cat, o her journey to no only lose a LOT of weight and compete in the Science Fair at her school, but to discover why she felt the need to go on a kick butt diet. It may seem odd at first glance but is DEFINITELY worth reading!! I loved how a lot of people in high school today can relate to Cat, since our whole society struggle with weight and appearance everyday!! This book hits home for a ton of people, not only or weight issues, but also because so many people (girls and boys alike) struggle with liking themselves daily. High school puts a TON of pressure on EVERYONE, from appearance, to grades, to how you act, so many things!!This book really shows how to overcome your fears and just be yourself, since that's the only way you're going to like who you are.

The Lost Summer

This is something that most girls around Helena's age has experienced. That summer before "growing up" and feeling like you are leaving parts of your old life behind. For some of us it happened much earlier, and some much later. But in the end, it happens to everyone. We may not realize that we have grown up and are leaving things behind, but we do it's inevitable, and sometimes it can be very hard. For Helena this was seen all during her weeks at camp. Especially whenever she was around Ransome (what kind of name is that!!!!) and talking about what she was doing as a counselor while her best friend Katie Bell was still a camper and having a better time then Helena was by a long shot. Helena kind of turned into one of those girls who thought she had to rely on a guy to fix all her problems, but that ended up getting her friends even more angry with her then they already were which isolated them from her even more so. Thankfully Helena isn't stupid, so she realizes this and tries to fix it. The Lost Summer was about heart ache and break, life-long friendship and so much else. It showed you that a summer crush can become a summer love (well, maybe) and that most of the time, friends are always worth more then the guy of the moment is. Who else is going to be there with the ice cream and chick flicks after you break up?!?! Teen romance almost never lasts forever, and actually, maybe it's better that way, especially some of the ones in here. I liked this book since it had the real feeling of camp, and of the last summer, and overall I'd give this book a B.

Dirty Little Secrets...we all have some!!

This book took place in just one day. Well, actually, a little over twenty fours hours I'm pretty sure. It was amazing though, I loved it from the very beginning and did not want to put it down for a second!! The main character is Lucy, and since her father left when she was about five, her mother has been a hoarder, a collector, a nut-case. When Lucy comes home to find her mother dead under a giant stack of national geographics she starts to dial 911, but then realizes what would happen if she did, all her friends, and her crush Josh, her neighbors, everyone, would find out her dirty secret. What would everyone think about her? How could she stand to live in that filth for so long? She has been without hot water or a door for years, plus she has been living in a mold-infested house as well. She can barely move through her house, so how could the paramedics get through? She decides to do something about it, to not call until she has time to clean everything up, but what will happen if she can't clean everything up in time?? Her sister Sara may be turning into her mother, and her brother is no help now that he has a new life in college with a girlfriend he loves, Lucy's the last one left, so what's a girl to do?? Her mother is dead and not coming back. So how far will one girl go to keep her dead mother's dirty little secret?? Overall grade will have to be an A!!!

Envy...somebody's green with it

And that somebody would be one Penelope Hayes, oh wait, sorry that is now, one Penelope Schoonmaker (have to say though, what kind of name is THAT???), the girl who stole poor Henry from his beloved Diana Holland!! Here's the issue, Henry used to be engaged to Elizabeth, Diana's older sister, before Elizabeth ran off to California to be with her love Will Keller, and after they returned to New York and got (legally) married, Will was shot and killed. THEN Diana slept with Henry, which in the early 20th century, just wasn't done!! It would have RUINED Diana, and Henry couldn't have that, soooo he married Penelope who found out. So now that we are pretty much all caught up, Henry is STILL in love with Diana, who is still in love with Henry but is burning all the letters he is sending without reading them because she's angry with him, Elizabeth is grieving for Will and feels awful every time she feels the least bit happy since she is still in love with Will, Penelope is pissed because Henry won't (and hasn't gone to) "bed" her in the two months they've been married, and the real kicker is the girl who sold out Diana, Carolina Broad (little Lina Broud) is still under the watchful caring eye of an old unmarried bachelor who's health is failing. This book was AMAZING, and I LOVED it, and cannot WAIT to read the final conclusion!! After all these wonderful characters, along with Leland, the man Carolina has a hardcore crush on, Grayson Hayes, Penelope's older brother, and Henry's friend Teddy Cutting join them, the group is off to Florida!! That's where Grayson, because of Penelope, falls for Diana, Teddy expresses his true feelings for Elizabeth, and Henry comes truly clean to Penelope that he pretty much hates her. And don't forget about Lina!! She goes off with Leland and falls even harder for him!! And of course, he starts falling for her too...I have to say, I really hate Penelope, but only because I want Henry and Diana to be together, but I think because Lina screwed everything up between Henry and Diana, I think I like her less then even Penelope!! But, without further ado, overall grade...A+

Eternal

This is "technically" the sequel to Tantalize, though when I read this book I did not know this and honestly, it didn't make a difference, I still really enjoyed Eternal. It follows Miranda and Zachary, two people who are different in the best ways, Zachary is Miranda's Guardian Angel and Miranda just so happens to be a vampire, and was adopted by the reigning King of the Mantel of Dracul. Since he didn't stop Miranda from being turned Zachary loses his wings and the only way to get them back is to save Miranda's soul. This story jumps back and forth bet wen Zachary's and Miranda's POV which is something that I loved, though this may not have been executed in the best way since they sounded just too alike sometimes. Other times though, they were executed quite well. The cool thing about this story however is that vampires have a, however small, chance at redeeming their souls. The thing I didn't like about this book however, was that the ending, while good and I really enjoyed, was just a bit too predictable and I figured it out a little too long before the actual end. This was a book that is very hard to know whether or not a lot of people would like. I think that while some would like it more then others, there will still be a lot of people who are against it simply because of it's content. So, overall grade...C+

Sixth Warped Musing!!

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!!!!!! AND I'M SOOOOOOOOO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!! So I'm sooooooo excited since TODAY happens to be my BIRTHDAY!!! And it also happens to be a GREAT day!!! Mostly because it's my birthday and I love this day since no one can even TRY to be mean or say anything rude and I get to go out with my friends and have a grand old time with them which is something I'm really looking forward too!!!! So YAY for me and my birthday!!!! I was just SOOOOOOOOO excited that today is my birthday!!!! I know that I've already say that but hey, when it's YOUR 16th/18/21st birthday, you get SOOOOOOOO exited because something MONUMENTAL happens!!!! Whether or not that monumental thing allows you to 1) drive, 2) vote, or 3) drink, it matters to you and by proxy EVERYONE ELSE AROUND YOU AT THE TIME!!!! I have been waiting for this day to come for YEARS!!!!!! So...at 10:32 AM I OFFICIALLY the birthday girl!!!! Yes, I DO know the EXACT time I was born...I feel it is important...

From Paris With Love

So I recently went to see the awesome action packed movie From Paris With Love. This movie starts not only John Travolta who I loved in many films, but also one of my personal favorites, Johnathan Rhys Meyers. You may recognize him from the popular showon Showtime The Tudors, or August Rush, or a few other hit films, but this movie is without a doubt one of the best I have seen lately. It starts of a little slow, but as soon as John Travolta's character, the gun totting, wise-cracking, trigger happy Charlie Wax walks on you know you are in for a real treat. Rhys-Meyers character, James Reese is an uptight personal aide to the U.S. Ambassador in France who is also a low-level agent for the CIA. He meets Wax who is to be his new partner, earning him the chance to be a real agent, not just the guy who switches license plates anymore. But when he meets Wax, it is nothing like he expected. Wax takes James on a white-knuckled ride through Paris, saying at first that they are hunting down drug dealers who killed the Secretary of state's niece. James quickly learns that it is much more then that, it is actually about trying to stop a terrorist attack on all the Consulates of the world. It is soon after that James realizes he may be in deeper then he thought, especially when he finds pictures of himself all over an apartment Wax has just finished terrorizing trying to find the leader of the possible attack. James has been romantically involved with a French women Caroline for the last six years and when she sees him and Wax in an elevator with a hooker she gets the wrong idea, making James want to desperately go home to her and explain things. This movie has something for everyone, the shoot 'em up thrill that most like, the romance between Caroline and James, the silly comedic ways of Wax, and the brain busting thrill of finding out...who really is behind it all? This movie was one I truly enjoyed, though definitely not one you could bring children to. But, with that said, overall grade...A-

Fairy Tale

This book was originally called Fairy Lust and when I read this book I felt that the original title would have fit MUCH better. I'm not saying there was tons of stuff that would make it lustful or anything, I just think it's a better title. This book starts off with Morgan and Cam, two fifteen year olds who have been best friends since birth, share the same birthday, live next door to each other, and best of all, are a match made in LOOOOOOOVVVVVVEEEEEE heaven. Until a week before their joint sweet-sixteen, Cam's awkward cousin Pip comes to visit, and Cam seems to be a lot less attentive and a lot more absent then he ever was before. Morgan wants answers to why this is suddenly happening, but it's definitely not what she bargained for. She finds out that her boyfriend isn't cheating on her, he's actually not even human. He happens to be a fairy, the son of the Fairy King and his true father wants him to return so he can take his rightful place on the throne. Morgan starts making a plan to fool the fairy's but the closer she gets to their shared birthday, the less likely it seems that it will work. Morgan is at a loss, especially since even though she still loves Cam with all her heart, it seems that Pip is earning his own place in there as well. It doesn't help even more that the person teaching Cam how to live and rule happens to be this girl he supposedly "destined" to be with according to her. This novel is one that I knew I would love and did, and is something that most anyone would love as well. Overall grade...A+

Viola In Reel Life

Sadly when I first read this title I didn't really realize what this book would be about, but I quickly found out it was not at all like what it seemed either. Viola has been shipped off to an all girls boarding school. Not because she did something horrible or anything, but because her parents are film makers and are off in Afghanistan making a documentary. Viola doesn't really understand why she can't go with them and a small part of her resents them for that. This story was one that I found that most anyone could relate too since a lot of people feel left out by their parents at least once in their lives and most people have boyfriend or girlfriend problems at least once in their life as well. Viola is rooming with three other girls and over the course of the story they seem to really come together which is something that I really enjoyed reading. I loved how Viola went through things that most people go through on a regular basis like school, fights with friends or parents, and most of all, trying to achieve something great and to make something of yourself. I think that is something that almost everyone strives for at least part of the time in their lives and reading about Viola really doing that in her video diaries and in her life really touched me. I loved how the author added in a little mix of mystery with the lady in red in the book, that seemed to make it even better. So, overall grade...B-

Taken By Storm

When I first picked up this book I'm not entirely sure what I expected. What I got however, was definitely not what I thought. I thought this book would be all about Michael and Lessie falling in love even though she's a Mormon who has these rules that are a mile long. I was so wrong though. It was more about Michael finding his way back to sanity Lessie finding a way to deal with her strict religion and her heart's desires. I actually enjoyed this book much more then I originally thought also because it describes it as such a star-crossed lovers type when really it's not. Lessie's parent's know that she is dating Michael and they even allow her out with him. They don't hate him whatsoever even though he isn't a Mormon and doesn't follow any rules now that his parents died in the violent hurricane that only he survived. This book takes you back to the heart of the storm Michael was in and the real truth that Lessie has been hiding from even herself. Though i have to admit there were some issues I had with book. Number one was it was kind of boring in parts, and you just wanted to skip things sometimes. Also Lessie seemed to give up and give in too easily when it came to anything Michael related sometimes, even though she always stopped it just didn't seem realistic. Other then a few minor issues this book was actually pretty well written and not a bad story at all. Overall grade...C+

Meridian

Meridian has just turned sixteen and since she can remember she has been surrounded (literally) by death/dying since she was born. On the day of her sixteenth birthday a car crashes in front of her house and her entire body explodes in pain, her parents then proceed to rush her into the car and sends her off to her Aunt Meridian's house in Revelation, Colorado. She learns there, after nearly dying in a snow storm, that she is what is called a Fenestra. The half-angel, half-human link between the living and the dead. Her Aunt Meridian is trying to teach her everything she knows before she passes on, something that seems to be coming closer with each passing day. With the help of her Aunt Meridian, and her sworn protector Tens, Meridian tries to learn all she can and save as many people's souls as possible while battling the Aternoci, the band of dark forces that want to capture the souls and cause more chaos then is already there. This book is one that I really enjoyed reading and definitely hope that there will be a sequel too. This is a book that not all would truly enjoy because it is a bit darker then most books because of the Aternoci, but for those who can get past it will probably really enjoy this book. So overall grade...B

The Bounty Hunter

Here is a romantic comedy movie that both men and women can enjoy. It has most of the aspects of a romantic comedy mixed in with some good old action, some awesome mystery and even a bit of suspense. This movie starts off with Jennifer Aniston's character, Nicole Hurley, who is a journalist trying to find out the truth behind this suicide she reported on earlier. She finally gets a lead but it is on the same day and time that she is supposed to be in court for assaulting an officer, after she skips her meeting her ex-husband gerard Butler's character Milo Boyd, who has become a bounty hunter since he was let go from the police force, finds out that he is to bring her in. This is just the beginning of this funny movie. It includes some extremely funny chase scenes, an overturned golf cart, an aging Atlantic City diva, and much much more. While I know there are some people who just won't watch romantic comedy's there are those who sometimes just need a good laugh, and the people who refuse to watch these movies just aren't laughing as hard as they should. I have watched more then just one or two romantic comedies in my day and this one is definitely one of the better ones. So overall grade B+

As You Wish

The first thing I can say about this book is that it is as good as it looks. Honestly at first I was a bit skeptical since I had read very mixed reviews about it, but honestly this book was NOTHING but good. I loved it from the VERY beginning all the way to the end. It starts with Viola who has spent every day since her boyfriend broke up with her wishing she could find someone to love her again. Her old boyfriend is still best friends with her, but the problem is, he's gay, and he didn't tell her until it was too late to save her from serious heartache. Then one day when she must of been wishing really hard or just that deserving, she meets Jinn. He's one of many and is eager to return home but can't until he grants Viola three wishes. Viola is so terrified of wishing for the wrong thing that she is hesitant to wish at all. They spend so much time together that by the time Viola wishes for her first wish she realizes that she has fallen in love with Jinn, and he with her. She knows that is she wishes twice more he will not only disappear from her world, but from her memory as well, forever. She is desperate to keep him with her but with forces pressuring them both Viola will have to make a decision, one that may chance their lives forever. Overall I truly loved this book and that is why my overall grade has to be an A.

Oh. My. Gods.

Before reading this book I had heard very good things which made me REALLY want to read it, I also now REALLY REALLY REALLY want to read the sequel as well. This book starts off with a great start where Phoebe's mother tells her that she s getting re-married and they are moving to Greece. Phoebe had just won this huge race that pretty much guaranteed her a full athletic scholarship to USC. It continues to where Phoebe finds out that her new step father is part God, that's right GOD. Like Zeus, Hera, Apollo, etc. Super cool right?? Well Phoebe doesn't think so, and she doesn't believe him at first either, until she sees a demonstration of his power after her new (somewhat evil) step sister uses them on her to snap her backpack strap that incidentally hits her in the face instead of Phoebe. Phoebe them meets Griffin. He's this amazing guy who's even on cross country, the problem is that he happens to a huge jerk, which this awful girlfriend who immediately hates Phoebe. Phoebe doesn't really fit in at her school since she's the only person who isn't descended from a god. There she meets two new people who end up becoming good friends with and after one or two times where she accidentaly lets something slip to one of her best friends back in California, she seems to start getting the hang of things...until it seems that she may be falling for Griffin. Overall this book is very good and it's such a cute novel you just can't put it down. So overall, I'd have to give this book an A-

Front And Center

So this is the third book in the "Dairy Queen" series, but the problem is, I haven't read the first two books!! While reading Front and Center I didn't understand some of what happened, like how her brother win ended up in the hospital, why she and this guy Brian had broken up, what this HUGE deal about her playing football was, and so much more. Then it all started to come together the more the book progressed. The one thing I for sure DIDN'T know and still don't though, is what happened to Win. All I knew was that something REALLY bad happened to him and put him in a wheelchair and may have effected his ability to type and dial as well. This book other then the things I didn't know, was actually quite good and I really enjoyed it which kind of surprised me since I hadn't read the first two books. One part I really enjoyed was how D.J. had to go through a LOT of personal issues in order to choose what college she wanted to go too. I really enjoyed seeing that since I went through something very similar around the same time that I read this book. I thought that this book was something that a lot of people would enjoy since it pretty interesting and now I really want to read the first two books. So, overall grade...B-

Nothing Like You

I hate to say this about a book that I tried REALLY REALLY REALLY hard to like...but I really just didn't this book. It just plain wasn't very good. It was very short which was probably the only plus. This book start off strong and then went downhill from there. At first you feel very strongly toward Holly but after you get to know her, you see how whiny she can be and after she keeps screwing up time after time and does nothing but complain, you start to lose interest fast in both her and the book itself. Though I have to admit there was a pretty good conflict in the story and had Holly not seemed to be such a reved up version of Bella from Twilight this book could have been much better. sadly the main character was just much of a nut job who screwed with peoples heads and feelings and really should have just sat at home with her dog. The ending was thankfully better then I had hoped around the middle of the book but this book is short with bigger print so it's not only a quick read but it doesn't have a lot of subject matter either. This book has a of potential to be much better then it was but sadly the main character is what kills it. So overall grade...D.

Hold Still

Caitlin's best friend Ingrid has committed suicide and left Caitlin a journal of farewells. Caitlin just can't seem to get over Ingrid's death, and at the beginning this seemed to just kind of get out of hand. Then LeCour introduces Caitlin's new friends Dylan, Dylan's girlfriend, and Caitlin's crush/new friend Taylor. The best part about that though, is that LeCour doesn't make Dylan's sexuality into this huge issue. That is something you don't see very often anymore, and is great when the author has enough class to make the book about the issues the main character is facing and not involve more and more issues just to make the book more interesting. LeCour didn't need to do that, her book was interesting enough on it's own and I really enjoyed reading about Ingrid's last thoughts, words, feelings, etc. Another part I truly loved about this book was how Ingrid and Caitlin had shared a love of photography. While Caitlin thought that Ingrid was a genius and that she herself would never come close, you start to see that maybe she was wrong, maybe she was selling her self much shorter then she should have since her photography teacher is not only grieving for Ingrid as well, but is also trying to tell Caitlin that she can do better, and that she is just plain better then she used to believe. Another part I liked was how through Ingrid Caitlin learned that she had a crush on Taylor, and how to deal with her feelings in ways Ingrid never could. As Caitlin reads more of Ingrid's journal she starts to realize just how insecure and depressed Ingrid really was, and how much Caitlin actually seemed to help her when she could, she starts to see that Ingrid was just beyond help and no matter what nothing could have really saved her, no matter how much Caitlin wishes she could. Overall grade...A-

Little Black Lies

Sara Black has just been enrolled in on of the most prestigious public high school, Anton High, no one gets in after their freshmen year and it's almost impossible to pass the test, she got in as a junior. Which helps her stick out more then she usually would riding in her dad's old VW bus. When her new classmates mistake her coming from Lundon, Massachusetts, for London, England, she doesn't correct them. She rather likes this new found popularity she has started to develop, until another girl at Anton becomes jealous of Sara's social climbing. When the girl is close to discovering the truth behind Sara's lies one little slip up could ruin Sara's reputation and blooming romance with one super hottie, Leo, the guy who also happens to be dating her new found friend Carling. the problem is Leo and Sara just keep bumping into each other, sometimes literally. Sara doesn't want to hurt her new friend Carling, especially since Carling knows a bit to much about her, but also because she just doesn't want to become one of those obnoxious boyfriend stealing girls she hates. This is a story that is filled with real life situations like divorce, OCD, honesty, lies, and starting over. All these things happen every day whether we deal with them or not, and it all fit together very well in the story. Everything seemed to really connect and the way the story progressed was done excellently in my opinion. So, overall grade...B.

Toy Story

Since Toy Story 3 is coming out in June, I thought I should review a movie that changed the movie industry...for the better. Toy Story was the first full-length fully animated film. People from Pixar had messed around with this concept in other movies, like the Pixar Shorts, and Rescuers Down Under, but Toy Story really made Pixar into what it is today. The story is about Woody, he is a toy that can talk, move, sing, dance, etc. And so can all the other toys. Then his owner Andy, has a birthday party and gets Buzz Lightyear. Woody feels like he's being replaced and so he knocks Buzz out a window. So when Andy goes out for the night he takes Woody, who feels so guilty about what he did to Buzz he grabs Buzz and puts him into the car with him. Then when Andy's mom is getting gas, they start fighting and end up rolling out of the car, so they try to make their way to Pizza Planet, where they end up being captured by the evil Sid, the next door neighbor who destroys toys. Woody tried to convince his friends, Hamm, Rex, Mr. Potato Head, and the others that are still at Andy's. They go through various silly experiments trying to escape, but still don't succeed. This movie is silly, sweet, and all-around heartwarming. You really see how Buzz and Woody come together to become good friends. They are some of the best characters and they make a great movie for anyone of any age. This is one movie that is especially timeless and will be shown for years to come...overall grade...A

Of All The Stupid Things

This book starts off with one of the characters, Tara, and soon after the first few pages you realize that her boyfriend, Brent has been having sex with a guy, Chris Sanchez, one of the male cheerleaders. This "rumor" does more then just hurt Tara, it starts breaking up a previously inseparable trio, Tara, Whitney Blaire, and Pinky. Whitney Blaire has a male friend, David, who is in love with Whitney Blaire, but Whitney Blaire just can't seem to fall in love with him back. She seems much more interested in herself then poor David who is strung along through pretty much the whole book. I did like Pinkie in parts, though in others she annoyed me to no end. I liked how much she seemed to mother her friends and keep them together, but didn't like how she was obsessed with knowing where everyone was, and constantly calling everyone. I know we all have our quirks but this was just TOO MUCH sometimes. Then we come to Tara. She has just been heart-broken by a guy she thought she loved and this wasn't the first time either. She had been burned before when her dad left a couple years before. Then Tara meets Riley, a girl who Whitney Blaire hates, while Tara seems to be falling in love with her. Tara seems to be the one who goes through the most in this story. She deals with her boyfriend having sex with a guy, falling in love with a girl, fighting constantly with her two best friends, and worst of all, an accidental meeting with her father and his new family. All while training for a twenty-six mile race. This is a story of finding yourself, finding your real friends, and overall loneliness I guess. This is a book that most wouold find alright, but it seems more often, that most wouldn't like it all that much since it isn't their taste. I thought this too at first but found I was wrong, since this book has something for almost anyone to relate too. Overall grade...C

Fallen

This story is one that most people call the "ultimate love story" "perfectly magical" and so much more. They are SOOOOOO right!! It starts off with this AWESOME prologue and then jumps to Luce Price who has been sent to Sword & Cross because of an "incident" at her last school where a fire started and accidently killed a boy she kissed named Trevor. This is a school for troubled teens. Almost immediately she meets bad boy-looking Daniel Grigori. Luce feels as though she has met him before, even though he won't even give her the time of day and is down right rude to her from the second the smile leaves his face. She also meets Cam, this strange sweet boy who is so sweet to her while also being tall, sexy, and charasmatic to boot. He, unlike Daniel, would love to get it on with Luce, except Luce isn't sure what to think or do, since Trevor died. There is also the girl who is becoming a good friend Arianne, and another Penn (short for Pennyweather) who is becoming her best friend. This is definitely more then just a tale of forbidden love, it is a tale of love that is unjustly ripped away almost every time the two lovers kiss. This is a story that I absolutely loved and cannot WAIT to read the sequel too. Overall grade...A+ since nothing else would do of course!!

Beastly

By the title alone you can tell that this is a story that is kind of like Beauty and the Beast. Actually, it's a LOT like that. The main difference is that the "Beast" Kyle Kingsbury, is a teenager, not a prince, and a much bigger snob then the original Beast was. Kyle Kingsbury invites a homely looking girl to the dance at his school even though he already has a date, just to make fun of her. His first date demands an orchid as her corsage, while the other girl wants a plain white rose. Kyle's maid Magda gets him a white rose and while at the dance his first date, Sloane doesn't accept the rose, he instead gives it to the girl sitting taking tickets as an act of kindness. Since two petals had fallen off the rose the homely looking girl who is actually quite beautiful, and a witch, she agrees to give him two years to fall in love with a girl and have her love him back and kiss him in order to break the spell and make him into himself again. The biggest difference that I noticed was that the girl in the story didn't really come in until nearly the end of the story. More then 150 pages pass before Kyle, now calling himself Adrian, has the girl come live with him. Other then that this story is pretty much just like the original Beauty and the Beast. Adrian/Kyle even has two people living with him, Will and Magda, who could represent characters from the original story. Will happens to be Kyle's blind Tutor and Magda does all the cooking and cleaning. He even has a magic mirror that allows him to see whoever he wants too. So with that, overall grade...B-

Ephemera

This is a book that contains both poems and short stories. There's really not much you can say about it besides most of the poems were very well put together and fit together well. The short stories were also pretty good, though I have to say my favorite was definitely The Lowliest of Humans which involved a man with a gunshot wound who feels it isn't serious and goes about his day all day long bleeding. This book may have been short but also kind of had an impact in a strange way. Though it was short it wasn't really a book that you could read all in one sitting, mostly because though the stories fit together, they kind of needed to be taken in at different times to really understand what the author was saying. Since short stories have to pack so much in such a short amount of space I have to say the ones in this book were definitely some of the better ones out there. Some of them I could even see becoming novella's, though most not novel's since they seemed just a bit to much too the point for that. So, the overall grade of this book would have to be B-

Bachelor Boys

This here is a book that I'm extremely glad that I didn't listen to most reviews. Most reviews said all it was about was sex, sex, sex. Well, they were wrong. It was about love, love, and well...love. Love for the mother you never had, love for the boy you always wanted, love for those around us. This particular story is about Cassie. Cassie is a women who's childhood was at first filled with absent parents and a nanny who could care less. This was before she met next-door neighbors Phoebe, her two sons Frederick and Ben, and Phoebe's husband Jimmy. Though Jimmy isn't as present in the story as Phoebe you still feel for all the characters when you learn how Jimmy had recently died of cancer and now, Phoebe was as well. Phoebe has been more of a mother to Cassie as a child and an adult then her mother ever had been. So, as Phoebe's dying wish to see her two sons married off before she passes Cassie reluctantly agrees. This story involves a few flashbacks to Cassie's childhood that really help solidify the reason's why she isn't close to her real mother. Besides the fun-loving, silly parts of this book that make up most of the parts with Frederick and Ben, parts of this book will honestly drive you to tears. As the story progresses and you see Phoebe weakening you can't help but wish she wasn't. You can't help but wish there was something more you could do then sit there and watch it happen. This is a book that you won't be able to put down from beginning to end. This is the type of book that most anyone would enjoy if they just stopped judging and listened to the words. That's exactly what I did and I was not dissapointed in any way. I thought the characters were developed in a great way and I loved how quirky some of them were. So, overall grade...A+

Broken Soup

Jenny Valentine is like a breathe a fresh air in the reading world. That is what I thought the entire time while reading Broken Soup. Not only is this book set in London, but it is written differently from almost all other books I have read, especially lately. In a time when writing quality has dropped significantly, Jenny Valentine shows that it is possible to be a great writer and pack a TON of content into a semingly small book. When I picked up Broken Soup I thought it would be just another easy read but I was very mistaken. Broken Soup took very real parts of life like grief, love, sturggle, and turned it into something incredible. Her story started with a negative of a photo that she didn't even know existed, and ended with and incredible journey that leaves you wondering just how well you really know those around you. This story follows Rowan from the time when a beautiful stranger, the mysterious Harper Greene, the New York wanderer, gives her a negative, to when she meets Bee, the girl who she thinks her dead brother Jack would love, had he lived long enought to meet her. This book starts off strong and follows through to the end. It starts of as though it will be a story of self-worth and ends as a story of self-loving and just so much more. This story makes you realize that you have it better, that you can be, do, are better then you may ever realize. So, overall grade...A.

Wild Things

So, surprisingly a lot of people I know have never seen this movie. Some haven't even HEARD of it. And I think that is just not right!! How can you play Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon without this movie?? It is CRITICAL!!! The reasoning behind it....Matt Dillon, Denise Richards, Bill Murray, and Neve Campbell!! So, any movie they starred in can now be used to connect someone ELSE to Kevin Bacon!! (I know this because we somehow connected Hannah Montana and Shirley Temple to Kevin Bacon, it was AWESOME!!) Anyways...this movie has it all, sex, drugs, violence, backstabbing, double-crossing, murder and soooo much more. This movie starts off with a millionaire's daughter, Kelly Van Ryan (Denise Richards) accusing her teacher (Matt Dillon) of raping her, probably because he wouldn't sleep with her. Then Kelly's trashy classmate Suzie Toller (Neve Campbell) accuses him as well. So, after loosing the respect of everyone he used to work with and his community Sam Lombardo (Dillon) hires freelance lawyer Ken Bowden (Bill Murray) to defend him in court. This is where Ray Duquette (Kevin Bacon) comes in. He's the one investigating the two girls claims, but the deeper he digs, the more sinister things seem to become. This movie was wild and crazy, and kept you guessing until the very end. And actually, even at the end, you kind of wanted to go back and see what you missed. I really enjoyed this movie, but some of the double-crossing got a bit confusing since it kept happening so much, so quickly, and sometimes it was hard to follow. With that said, overall grade.....B!!

Curse The Dawn

I realized that I had yet to review an actual ADULT book, only young adult, so I decided to review an adult fantasy book. That book just so happens to be one of my all time favorite books of all time. CURSE THE DAWN!!!!!!! This is the fourth book in the series which is partially why I love it so much since by this time it has gotten even better then I ever imagined it could. This series Cassie Palmer, the chief clairvoyant, along with her friend/maybe/might be lovers Pritkin, a war-mage-demon-hunter-half-incubus and a few other cool things. There is also Mircea, who is Dracula's oldest brother, and also Cassie's sort of lover, since they do love each other, but he's a vampire and centuries old, and she's twenty-four. This book starts off with a bang and just keeps getting better, from Pritkin and Cassie accidently switching bodies, so Cassie's brain in now in Pritkin's body and vice versa. There is also the god Apollo who is trying to get Cassie to join forces with him and let him rule the worls and make everyone pay and make her his servant. All in all this is definitely one of Karen Chances BEST books and I cannot WAIT until next June when her next book comes out!! Overall grade...A+!!!

Project Sweet Life

This was the type of book that I'd call a "feel-good novel." It just makes you feel pretty darn good at the end. This book was from the perspective of Dave, and it followed Dave and his two best friends Curtis and Victor. They are on a mission, a mission to save their last summer of freedom. They are fifteen and that's the last summer before they HAVE to get a job, they COULD, but they don't want too, so they set out to make enough money legally, and not doing any work!! I thought this concept was new and such a good idea!! You follow these three boys through ten weeks of the summer and the best part is how they just keep screwing up!! But, in the most comical ways!! One including getting held-up only to be saved by an old lady who claims all the reward for herself!! They need 7,000 dollars to fool their dad's into believing they truly have jobs but it may not be as easy as they once believed it to be. One of the best parts about this book however, was how well developed all the characters were, they all seemed to fit together and get along in the best way possible. I truly enjoyed this book and I think so many others would as well. Overall grade...B

Suicide Notes

The first thing I noticed about this book was that it was written very well. I loved the style that Michael Thomas Ford wrote this book. It spans over a time period of 45 days. Those 45 days are the time that fifteen-year-old Jeff spends in the Psychiatric Ward of the hospital. The reason he's there?? He tried to kill himself. The reason he tried to kill himself?? You have no idea. This story sounds like it would be super depressing and sad, but here's the thing, it's NOT!! Not at all!! Jeff is sarcastic, witty guy who thinks the four other patients are the crazy ones, not him. He makes up these silly names for the nurses and his shrink. One is Nurse Goody Two-Shoes, real name Nurse Good, Moonie who's name is Nurse Moon, and my all time favorite. Dr. Cat-Poop. Dr. Katzrupus. (Though I think Cat-Poop sounds a bit better!!) From the very beginning Jeff sucks you into his world. One of the best parts about this book however, was that it felt real. It really felt like this was a real person living through all the things he had to do. You follow Jeff from his first day in group therapy with Julie who is in love with Bone, Alice who's the nuttiest of all, and Sadie, the girl who tried to drown herself but was saved by a man named Sam that she now idolizes in a very strange way. As some of the patients end their 45 days or just go crazier then before, you meet a few new people. Some who have a more serious impact on Jeff, like Rankin, the creepy football player, and Martha who never talks except for one time to Jeff. Then there is Squirrel, who is just some weird guy. You do eventually figure out/find out why Jeff tried to kill himself, but before you do you discover so much about him, and about everyone else too. This book was just so good, and so my overall grade has to be an A+!! Anything less just wouldn't do for this particular book!!

Spell Hunter (Faery Rebels #1)

When I first saw the cove of this book I thought it was going to be a silly little children's book, like something that I would read in elementary school or something...boy was I wrong!! This was anything BUT a children's book!! It was DEFINITELY meant for teenagers. This book starts off with one of my favorite YA book themes...Faeries!!! From the very beginning it just got BETTER and better!! When I first started this book I thought that the back cover was wrong, since I didn't realize I was reading about Knife, I thought I was reading about another character. You learn a bit later that she changes her name to Knife, which makes sense with the story, obviously. Knife travels outside her home, Oakwyld, and discovers Paul, after almost being killed by a crow of course, and after she gets trapped inside his house, starts befriending him. This is of course directly disobeying the Faerie Queen, but Knife doesn't care, she's not afraid of anything, and actually, befriending Paul may just save them both. This is a gripping tale that will leave you wanting more, and thankfully there is a sequel!!! This is a one-of-a-kind story that I could not put down and truly loved. It was unlike any other story I had ever read, since in this one, the faeries had lost almost all their magic mysteriously years ago, instead of most others where all faeries may have too MUCH magic. I really enjoyed this story and so would most anyone else. Overall grade...A.

Breathe My Name

This story didn't hit home exactly, but it did have some similarities to my own life, which made this story an even better book then I originally thought. Francis is now living with her adoptive parents and having a pretty alright life. The thing is, she didn't use to be Francis, she used to be Shine, and she lived with her three sisters and her birth mother Afton Jelks. That was before Afton had a psychotic break and tried to smother all her children. She almost succeeded, since only Francis escaped. Her mother went to prison for her crime, but now she's out and she wants to finish what she started. Francis meets Nix, this all around pretty much perfect guy...which kind of got annoying at times, since he just seemed TOO perfect sometimes. Francis dealing with her past as well as her new mother and father, plus her birth mother being released is obviously the main problem, which was great, it was interesting and not easily solved with just the push of a button, Francis had to really face her demons to overcome them. There were alternate chapters, some in Fireless where she was Shine, and others in the present where she was Francis again. This really helped you understand why it was so difficult for Francis and how she came to be who she was. This story was one I truly enjoyed and would definitely read again. So, overall grade...A-

Watchmen

The reason I picked this particular movie was because I am a Greys Anatomy lover. I am in LOVE with that show!!! I watch it EVERY SINGLE Thursday PLUS (almost) everyday from 6 to 9 on Lifetime. I just LOVE syndication. Anyways, the REASON for picking the movie Watchmen was because Jeffery Dean Morgan (The Comedian) in Watchmen also played Denny Dukett on Greys Anatomy and was one of my favorite ARC characters. So, without further ado, Watchmen. First off, I'll start with the GOOD things. The score (music) of the movie was FANTASTIC!! If I could grade a movie on JUST the score this would be one of the only movies to EVER receive and A+, however, I can't. So, the other good things about this movie...the guy who played Rorschach was quite good, I really enjoyed his character. as well as Jeffery Dean Morgan as The Comedian, and not just because of Greys Anatomy, I didn't even regocnize him the first time I tried to watch the movie. Also, Ozymandias did a fabulous job and I really liked his character, even though he wasn't in there much till the end. So, now on to the bad things. Silk Spectre 2...well, no offense to Malin Akerman, but your character was slutty and stupid, I really just didn't like her at all. And sadly, a LOT of people agree with me. I had to try THREE TIMES to watch this movie all the way through, then when I finally did, I watched the directors cut, which added about a half hour to an already TOO LONG movie. There were some serious issues with the violence in this movie. It seemed to be there just to satisfy the males in the audience, I'm not being sexist, it's just true. I also believed that hiring a bunch of B-movie actors to play for a (shoulda-been) A-movie did not go over all that well. This movie had a TON of potential, but failed to follow through. Parts of this movie were good, parts of it were actually pretty funny and quite good, but overall, this movies good parts didn't overcome the bad parts. So...I guess I have to give a grade now...well, sad as it is since some VERY good actors were in this....overall grade....D-