Archive Page 38

Nobody’s Princess by Esther Friesner

Published October 26, 2009 Adventure , Fantasy , Historical Fiction , Mythology , RAC 3 Comments
Tags: , , , ,

nobodysprincess

Genre: Historical Fiction/Mythology

# of Pages: 305

RAC Book: Yes

In this fictional account of the childhood of Helen of Troy, Helen grows up wanting to learn swordplay with her two older brothers and fighting with her twin sister, Clytemnestra. She is heir to the throne and in her sister’s eyes it seems like she gets away with everything. Helen does manage to get the same training her brothers have because their teacher believes her motives for wanting to defend herself are reasonable. When her sister is betrothed and asked to leave at the age of 14, Helen and her brothers accompany her so that she will feel safe. This begins a few crazy adventures for her and her brothers that include a boar hunt and visiting an oracle. The story is continued in Nobody’s Prize.

This retelling of Helen of Troy’s childhood puts a fun spin on a character that has been mainly known for starting the Trojan War. The author does a nice job of explaining why these characters worshiped the gods and why they had to provide valuable offerings in order to please them. Helen seems unaware of her beauty throughout a lot of this book, which makes her seem more driven to reach her goals in her own way. Her desire to hunt, use weapons, and even go on dangerous adventures endears her to readers. For those readers who like adventures and mythology this will be a winner.

Three Willows by Ann Brashares

Published October 20, 2009 RAC , Realistic Fiction Leave a Comment
Tags: , , , , , ,

cover-3-willows

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Level: 12 and up

# of Pages: 318 p.

RAC Book: Yes

Ama, Jo, and Polly are three friends who met in 3rd grade and have drifted a bit over the last few years. In the summer before their freshman year of high school they each take a different journey. Ama reluctantly takes an opportunity to go on a wilderness adventure in which she can earn school credit.   In order to get credit, however, she has to survive to the end and rappel off of a mountain. Jo goes to her family’s summer home with her mother and gets a job at a restaurant. Polly decides to go to a modeling clinic. Ama has a difficult time adjusting to her wilderness adventure because she is weak, slow, and seems to get hurt a lot. She thinks about giving up and going home several times, but she doesn’t feel comfortable talking to anyone about her real feelings. Jo realizes that her parents’ marriage is in trouble and makes some bad choices over the summer in order to avoid dealing with it. Polly feels very lonely with no friends and a mother who spends all of her time in her workshop. She responds by putting herself on a strict diet. As the three struggle with their personal problems they all realize how important it is to keep your true friends close.

Those who were fans of the original sisterhood books will like this story. The writing style is the same and it is easy to care about these three girls and the struggles they have to deal with over this very important summer. The girls from the traveling pants series are mentioned briefly, but it is not a sequel to those books. Instead, it is a book about friendship with three new girls. These girls are a bit younger than the traveling pants girls, but they will find an audience who cares about them and wants to hear what happens to them after they start high school. The transition to high school is a time of many changes for young girls and that is illustrated beautifully in this story as each girl struggles with different challenges and finds inner strength she never knew she had. Brashares knows how to write very relatable and interesting teenage girls.

Persistence of Memory by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

Published October 16, 2009 Fantasy , RAC 1 Comment
Tags: , ,

persistance

Genre: Fantasy

Age Level: 14 and up

# of Pages: 212

RAC Book: Yes

Erin grew up believing she was mentally ill because from time to time she becomes an alter personality, a personality which is extremely violent. Over the years she has visited many hospitals and therapists and is taking multiple medications to try and help her condition. She is very surprised when two friends of hers reveal themselves to be shapeshifters and tell her that she is not Schizophrenic, but in fact many of the hallucinations she has are actual magical things that do exist in this world. The only question is how to convince Erin that she is not crazy and how to stop her alter personality from taking over her mind.

This is a complex fantasy story packed into a short amount of pages. The characters are interesting and multi-dimensional as they struggle to figure out the situation and correct it without causing any undue harm to anyone else involved. Although the characters are not entirely human, they are rational and compassionate when they need to be. Fantasy lovers will enjoy following Erin’s story as it is revealed. The ending is a bit abrupt, but definitely worth a read.

To Be Mona by Kelly Easton

Published October 13, 2009 Realistic Fiction Leave a Comment
Tags: , , , ,

mona

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Level: 15 and up

# of Pages: 218

RAC Book: No

Sage Priestly wants to be just like the most popular girl in school, Mona. She wants to be her so bad that she highlights her hair, loses weight on a crash diet, and throws out all of her black clothes and starts wearing pastel colors. The problem is that her mother has undiagnosed bi-polar disorder and cannot be depended on to get a job, buy groceries, or do any motherly duties. Her best friend, Vern, lives next door and tries to take care of her, but does not like the new changes she has made. Despite his efforts to become more than friends, Sage does not want to date him. Worse yet, she decides to date the high school jock who forbids her to see Vern. As Sage tries to deal with her mother spiraling out of control, the abandonment issues of her father, and completely changing her life, she starts to wonder if she really wants to be Mona at all or if she is happy being Sage.

This story has a good message to share with young readers, but takes a slow path to get there. The book has a few characters who do not seem to ever fully develop and one character that uses some very derogatory language which may offend some young readers. The ending is a little abrupt and it is unclear how Sage’s life will continue from this point. Mona’s character is not at all what most readers will expect and is a nice surprise in an otherwise fairly predictable book.

Dirty Laundry by Daniel Ehrenhaft

Published October 9, 2009 Mystery , RAC , Realistic Fiction Leave a Comment
Tags: , ,

dirty

Genre: Mystery/Realistic Fiction

Age Level: 14 and up

# of Pages: 229

RAC Book: yes

Carli is an actress who has just landed a role as a tough boarding school girl, which is a problem because she considers herself a “nerd.” Her agent sends her to The Winchester School, which is the boarding school where all the students who were rejected from other boarding schools go. They are called the “dirty laundry.”  Her agent’s son, FUN, is supposed to be Carli’s assistant and help her keep her undercover identity of Sheila Smith. On the first day of school a girl named Darcy goes missing and no one seems that worried about it. Carli and FUN decide to do some investigating on their own and start to worry about some of the people around them. Could some of their friends be possible kidnappers or even murderers? Or is someone setting others up to take the fall for their crimes?

This is a very lighthearted mystery in which there is a sinister plot going on, but it is very subtle and not always the focus of the story. The perspective changes from Carli to FUN throughout the story.  Both of them focus a lot on themselves and their own situations and observations of what is going on around them. Some students will feel it drags in the middle, but if they make it, will enjoy the ending. A fast and enjoyable, but fortgettable read.

Jet Set by Carrie Karasyov and Jill Kargman

Published October 6, 2009 RAC , Realistic Fiction , Romance 4 Comments
Tags: , , ,

jet

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Age Level:  14 and up

# of pages:  240

RAC Book:  Yes

Lucy Peterson is an army corporal’s daughter and a great tennis player.  When she decides that she is tired of moving around and wants to have a more stable high school experience, she decides to apply for a scholarship to the exclusive Van Pelt Academy boarding school in Switzerland.  She quickly discovers that these are by far the wealthiest and most powerful teenagers in the world, some of them are even royalty.  The three most popular girls are called the Diamonds and immediately dislike Lucy, so she befriends a girl named Sofia.   Sofia is nice enough, but seems too worried about gossip and pulling mean pranks on the Diamonds and Lucy starts to wonder what her true motives are.  At the same time she works hard at her tennis and gets to know two powerful boys.  One is a powerful prince that seems nice, but distant.  The other wants her attention, but Lucy can’t get over the fact that so many people have warned her about him.  Which boy should she try to get to know better?  Can she trust Sofia or is she going to be an enemy?  Can she ever learn to get along with the Diamonds?

Readers who enjoyed Bittersweet Sixteen and Summer Intern will not be disappointed with this new book by the same authors.  Teen drama, gossip, and of course fashion labels are all mixed together to create an enjoyable light read.  The characters are all unpredictable and interesting to watch as they grow and develop.  The ending is a bit predictable, but that’s what readers who like this type of book will want.

The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes by Diane Chamberlain

Published October 2, 2009 RAC , Realistic Fiction Leave a Comment
Tags: , , , ,

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Age Level:  14 and up

# of Pages:  522

RAC:  Yes

CeeCee Wilkes is a sixteen-year-old girl whose mother died when she was twelve.  Now she is a high school graduate and living on her own trying to support herself as a waitress.  She hopes to save enough money to go to college one day.  Her favorite regular customer, Timothy Gleason, is rich and handsome, so she is thrilled when he shows some interest in her.  Soon they are dating and she feels she is in love with him and finally has a place to belong.  When he tells her his sister is on death row for a murder that was self defense, CeeCee finds herself helping in a scheme to get her freed.  Timothy and his brother plan to kidnap the governor’s wife in order to get him to release their sister.  Meanwhile, CeeCee is supposed to watch the hostage while the negotiations go down.  What CeeCee doesn’t count on is the fact that the governor’s wife is 8 months pregnant with a high risk pregnancy.  When the stress of the situation leads her to go into labor early, CeeCee does not know what to do or where to go and the situaiton quickly escalates out of control.  Once the baby is born, CeeCee is unable to stop the bleeding and the woman dies.   CeeCee knows that her life will never be the same again and she has some very difficult decisions to make.  Will she ever see Timothy again?  Will she have to change her name?  Will she have to go to jail for her role in this crime?  What will happen to the baby?

For readers who enjoy Jodi Picoult, Anita Shreve, or similar authors this would be a good story.  It delves into the emotions and motivations of the characters while following an interesting story.  Readers will come to care about what happens to CeeCee and the baby despite the terrible circumstances that bring them together.  The ideas of taking responsibility for one’s actions and second chances are pronounced throughout the story.  The plot will keep readers thinking about justice long after finishing the book.

The School for Dangerous Girls by Eliot Schrefer

Published September 29, 2009 RAC , Realistic Fiction 4 Comments
Tags: ,

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Age Level:  14 and up

# of Pages:  341

RAC:  Yes

Angela Cardenas is sent to the Hidden Oak School for Girls for a reason she does not readily explain.  Her family does not even take her to the school.  Instead, she has to take a bus and then walk up a big hill to get there.  When she arrives she is placed in a temporary facility with other new girls who begin to disappear one by one.  When she is finally taken to live with the general population of girls she notices that she is the last one to arrive, even though several girls remained in the temporary facility when she left.  She begins to grow suspicious when she asks about them and is severely punished.  Despite several warnings against finding these girls, Angela decides she has to know where they are and if they are okay.  Are they in danger?  And if so, can she save them without meeting a similar fate?

This book follows Angela as she tries to come to terms with the reason why she has been sent to this school, but at the same time tries to find out why there are so many secrets about the school.  Is the school really looking out for her best interest or are they merely hiding some illegal actions and punishments that are currently practiced at the school?  The story drags a bit in places, but there is a surprise in the plot when Angela slowly discovers what they do to the bad girls.  Readers who like gritty books and survival stories will enjoy this.

Twice Upon a Marigold by Jean Ferris

Published September 22, 2009 Fantasy , RAC 1 Comment
Tags: , , , ,

Genre:  Fantasy

Age Level:  12 and up

# of Pages:  297

RAC:  Yes

Marigold and Christian are living happily ever after in this sequel to Once Upon a Marigold until one day when they have their first fight.  Little do they know that it is foreshadowing trouble ahead as Marigold’s mother, whom they thought was dead, is actually regaining her memory in a town far away.  She has had amnesia for a year since her accidental fall into the river, but now she remembers who she is and is determined to reclaim her throne.  King Swithbert has been enjoying having his kingdom back under his own control and has no plans to relinquish that control, unless it is to Marigold and Christian.  When Olympia returns and sees what has happened to her kingdom she immediately makes plans to change it back to when everyone was unhappy and afraid of her.  She is only too happy to get rid of anyone who stands in her way, even her own husband and daughter.

For fans of the first book, this is a must read.  The returning characters are fun and great new ones are introduced.  The story itself moves very quickly too as the different characters make their plans for gaining control of the kingdom.  It’s not quite as captivating as the first one, but a fun read nonetheless.  Fantasy and fairy tale lovers will enjoy it.

Suck it up by Brian Meehl

Published September 17, 2009 Fantasy , RAC 2 Comments
Tags:

Genre:  Fantasy

Age Level:  13 and up

# of Pages:  318

RAC Book:  Yes

Morning McCobb is a sixteen-year-old boy who was accidentally turned into a vampire.  He has never tasted human blood, however, and prefers a protein substitute called Blood Lite.  After he completes his training, he is approached by the leader of the Vampire League and asks him to become the first vampire to “come out” to the world.  If Morning is met with acceptance and understanding then the League hopes to have a “coming out day” in the future where all vampires can live peacefully with humans.  The only problem is that there are a few vampires who refuse to join the league called Loners.  These Loners still prey on humans.  One loner in particular does not like the idea of vampires coming out into society and vows to destroy Morning before that can become a reality.

This story is a fun, lighthearted vampire story that takes a different approach from many other vampire stories.  Morning is a nerdy kid who does not want to have to relive high school over and over simply because he will always look sixteen.  He sees this as an opportunity to do something with his life and make a difference, which would never happen if he had to hide his true identity.  He quickly learns that it is not easy to be in the spotlight and all vampires can be dangerous at one time or another, even the ones who have never been a threat to humans before.  For vampire lovers, this is a fun story that does not have some of the violence and darkness that some other vampire stories have.

Defying the Diva by D. Anne Love

Published September 14, 2009 RAC , Realistic Fiction Leave a Comment
Tags: , , , ,

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Age Level:  14 and up

# of Pages:  257

RAC:  Yes

Haley Patterson was a perfectly happy freshman with two best friends and a place writing for the school newspaper.  After she writes something for the paper that the most popular girl in school, Camilla Quinn, takes offense to Haley’s life changes dramatically for the worse.  Camilla spreads vicious rumors about Haley and forbids anyone to talk to her.  Everyone is terrified of Camilla turning on them and suddenly Haley finds herself alone and tortured by everyone all day long.  This bullying takes its toll and by summer vacation she wants to hide out.  When her parents send her to stay with her aunt for the summer, her aunt insists she get a job at a nearby county club.  Haley is unsure of how to make friends anymore and how to trust people in general, but she begins to realize that some of the people she has met over the summer are truly good people who want to get to know her.  Can she let her guard down and become friends with them?  Can she tell her parents or aunt why she had such a difficult spring?  Can she ever return in the fall to face Camilla?

This story discusses bullying from a girl’s perspective.  Nothing physical is ever done to harm Haley, but the mental abuse is just as bad as anything else she could imagine.  The power of peer pressure and the need to fit in and feel accepted is very real and present in every high school.  Haley’s story of despair to hope and eventually revenge is a good story to give those suffering from this type of bullying hope.  However, in many instances students do not have the support system Haley finds.  It’s important for all students to be aware of this type of bullying and to be willing to stand up for those around them that are the victims of it.

Out of Reach by V.M. Jones

Published September 10, 2009 RAC , Realistic Fiction , Sports 1 Comment
Tags: , , , , ,

Genre:  Sports/Realistic Fiction

Age Level:  14 and up

# of Pages:  264

RAC: Yes

Pip McLeod hates it when his dad comes to his soccer games because he yells the entire time.  He yells from the sidelines about every call, every play, and every score.  When a talent scout for a more competitive league comes to the game Pip tries hard to do his best and has a good game, but when the scout does not choose to talk to him he has to hear about all of his mistakes all the way home.  Pip has had it and no longer even likes to play.  His older brother, Nick, is a great player and chosen for the elite team, which doesn’t help Pip’s feelings of failure.  One day on his way home he sees that the new sports complex has a door propped open and he finds himself wandering in.  He notices a big room with walls for indoor climbing and feels drawn to it.  After trying a little climbing on his own, he realizes that this is something he loves to do.  The problem is how to tell his parents he wants to do this and how to pay for lessons when they are on a very tight budget.  In the end, Pip (who becomes Phil around the other climbers) must do what he needs to do in order to challenge himself and put himself into a more positive environment than he is used to, which means entering a very challenging competition to prove he has what it takes to be a superior climber.

For anyone who likes sports or climbing stories this is a good story.  There are not that many books about climbing, especially indoor climbing, which makes this story interesting.  Pip’s struggles with his family, friends, and even himself are all somewhat relieved once he starts climbing.  Communication is a big issue in this story as Pip and his father fail to communicate their true feelings to each other and instead let the tension and anger build and fester. Many readers will be able to identify with Pip in some way.

The Temptress Four by Gaby Triana

Published September 10, 2009 RAC , Realistic Fiction Leave a Comment
Tags: , , ,

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Age Level:  14 and up

# of Pages:  247

RAC Book:  Yes

Fiona, Killian, Alma, and Yoli are four best friends who are planning to take a cruise together after their high school graduation.   The night before graduation a fortune teller at a carnival predicts that one of them will not come home from the cruise and that the cruise itself will be full of strife.  Even though none of them want to admit it, this prediction bothers all of them.  As they  leave for their journey, Fiona has a fight with her boyfriend about a dress she wants to pack.  His stubbornness and determination to tell her what to do makes her wonder if he really is the right guy for her, especially when she meets another guy on the cruise.  Meanwhile, the girls do find themselves fighting more than usual and Killian and Yoli pull ridiculous stunts to get themselves noticed by a wild boy.  Will one of them get in over their heads?  Will they find a dangerous situation they can’t handle?  Or, is the fortune teller merely a fake and they have nothing to fear on this trip of a lifetime?

This story follows four friends as they celebrate graduation for a week on a cruise and at the same time decide if the decisions they have made are the right decisions for them.  Fiona, for example, is unsure if the life she has perfectly mapped out is actually what she wants right now.  Killian doesn’t even know what she wants, but she knows what she doesn’t want to do with her life.  Through the course of this trip, the four will begin to separate as well as come together as they realize their time as a foursome is drawing to a close.  The ending is interesting and will not disappoint readers, but it is foreshadowed throughout the story so it is not a real surprise.  Readers who like books about friendship will enjoy this.

Don’t Judge a Girl By Her Cover by Ally Carter

Published September 2, 2009 Adventure , RAC , Realistic Fiction 7 Comments
Tags: , , ,

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Age Level:  14 and up

# of Pages:  263

RAC Book:  Yes

In this third installment of the Gallagher Girls series, Cammie Morgan is back with her friends and about to start junior year in the private spy school, Gallagher Academy.  Before going back to school, Cammie decides to visit her friend, Macey, on the campaign trail with her father who is running for Vice President of the United States.  When they are unexpectedly attacked by skilled kidnappers, Cammie realizes how much danger her friend is in and worries about keeping her safe.  Abigail Cameron, Cammie’s aunt, is brought to the Gallagher school in order to protect Macey and keep anyone out who might blow the academy’s cover of being a snooty prep school for wealthy girls.  Meanwhile, Cammie can’t help but think about Zach, who left her at the end of the last book to go back to his spy school, Blackthorne.  She  feels like he is always on her mind for no apparent reason.  Is she paranoid or a very perceptive spy?  Can the Gallagher Girls manage to keep Macey safe during this crazy and very public election time?

This series is a lot of fun and many students eagerly awaited this third installment.  They were not disappointed in the quality of the story.  The election added an interesting new spin on the girls’ spy training because they were actually in real danger many times during the course of events and had to act as real spies would act in order to create new and adventurous plans to protect themselves.  The characters are just as interesting as ever and the story kept a brisk pace.  The only complaint I heard was that it went by too quickly.   All in all, a fun ride.

oh.my.gods by Tera Lynn Childs

Published August 27, 2009 Fantasy , Mythology , RAC 1 Comment
Tags: , , ,

Genre:  Mythology/Romance

Age Level:  14 and up

# of Pages:  264 p.

RAC Book:  Yes

Phoebe Castro is a dedicated runner who plans to attend USC after her senior year on a full ride track scholarship.  She has planned to go there with her two best friends for many years.  Understandably, she is upset when her mother announces she is marrying a man she met in Greece.  They will both be moving to a small island in the Aegean sea where her new stepfather is the principal of a private school.  Not only does she have to leave her best friends for their senior year, but she also has to go to a new school.  The big surprise for Pheobe is that once her and her mother arrive in Greece she is informed that the school she will be attending is actually a secret school for the children of Greek gods.  Due to the fact that Phoebe is not a child of a god she is treated as an outcast by many of the people who attend the school, including her own stepsister.  Phoebe tries to make the best of it by trying out for the track team and making an effort to meet people, but many make it clear that she does not belong.  This is especially hurtful coming from the cute boy on the track team, Griffin Blake.  Does Phoebe have what it takes to make it in a school full of “gods?”

This story is a lot of fun and does not require a reader to know a lot about mythology to enjoy it, although it might inspire a reader to want to learn more after reading it.  The ending was a big predictable, but still entertaining nonetheless.  The characters are interesting and multi-dimensional as Phoebe struggles to make it in this new environment.  Despite all the changes thrown at her, Phoebe never loses her determination and resolve to make the best of the situation.  There are fantasy elements in it, but readers who like authors like Meg Cabot and Ann Brashares will also enjoy it.

Archives

Design a site like this with WordPress.com
Get started