Triple Shot Bettys in Love by Jody Gehrman (review)

Summary

Geena's life tangles up rapidly in Triple Shot Bettys in Love. She's completely out of her comfort zone with the way things are heating up with her first boyfriend, Ben, and she's having difficulty keeping up. Then there's Sophie, Ben's "old friend" who is back in town with the appearance of having every intention of stealing Ben away. At school, things aren't any less simple when the gorgeous and profound new English teacher steals away all the female hearts, including that of Geena's best friend, Amber. Amber gets Geena's help to put on a sophisticated front to capture his interest. Geena, a bit besotted herself, agrees to compose messages and texts to be sent to him. In great contrast to Geena's muddled relationship with Ben is her mother's stable relationship with her new boyfriend. Nothing seems to be going right for Geena as her life grows more intricate and abstruse.


Review

Though this book is a sequel to Gehrman's earlier Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty, reading the first book is not a necessity for enjoying Triple Shot Bettys in Love, though it may prove helpful. I found this novel to be one of the most delightful I have read in months and was extremely pleased. For one thing, Geena had an impeccable taste in reading (in my opinion), with Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre ranking amongst her favorite books.
I loved the dynamic relationship between Geena and Ben and watched in horror as Sophie sabotaged it. And Sophie was truly the boyfriend stealing demon from every girl's nightmares. She proved a fashionable, sleek, and provocative opponent for a not-so-fashionable, slightly insecure skater girl like Geena. At first, readers may be unsure of Geena's views of Sophie stem from Geena's insecurities or from actuality. But by the end, readers will have no doubts of Sophie's true motives. Though Sophie may add to the problems between Geena and Ben, the greatest enemy is Geena's insecurity which is magnified when the Sophie-catalyst is added to the equation. Her feelings of inadequacy are emotions thousands of teenage girls can empathize with.

Gehrman's presentation of the steamy physical aspect of Geena and Ben's relationship was flawless. She aptly described how awkward and almost amusing certain moments can be with one's first boyfriend while other moments are delightfully intense. I felt Amber and Geena's fascination with the new English teacher a little over the top, but not so much that it distracted overly much from the general tone of the novel.

Reader's who decide to pick up Gehrman's Triple Shot Bettys in Love should not be disappointed.
~bella aire~

Triple Shot Bettys in Love (released in late January) can be preordered here:
http://www.amazon.com/Triple-Shot-Bettys-Love-Gehrman/dp/0803732481/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1226615477&sr=1-2

and the first book, Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty, can be bought here:
http://www.amazon.com/Confessions-Triple-Shot-Betty-Gehrman/dp/0142412686/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1226615454&sr=8-1

Invisible Lines by Mary Amato (Review by Jeannie Jones- MG)

Review

Invisible Lines by Mary Amato was one of the most awesome, entertaining books I’ve ever read. It’s about a boy named Trevor, but everyone calls him Trev. His family is not very wealthy. Trev lives with his mom, his little sister Tish, and his little brother Michael. Trevor is going to a public school and meets some rich, awesome, soccer-playing boys. Meanwhile Trevor is very good at soccer himself. The boys that become his friends are Xander and Langley. But when Trev threatens Xander’s repudiation as the best soccer player, Xander makes trouble for Trevor.

As a middle school student, it is easy to relate to Trevor. The storyline was strong as well as the author’s writing. Amato understands how the minds of middle schoolers work and never talks down to us because of our age.

I would recommend this fun, realistic fiction novel to any person 5-8 grade. 5 stars.

JEANNIE JONES

Buy Invisible Lines from Amazon here.

Jeannie Jones is in sixth grade.

Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines (review by Bella Aire)

Synopsis:
Lyn is a neo-gladiator’s daughter, through and through. Her mother has made a career out of marrying into the high-profile world of televised blood sport, and the rules of the Gladiator Sports Association are second nature to their family. Always lend ineffable confidence to the gladiator. Remind him constantly of his victories. And most importantly: Never leave the stadium when your father is dying. The rules help the family survive, but rules—and the GSA—can also turn against you. When a gifted young fighter kills Lyn’s seventh father, he also captures Lyn’s dowry bracelet, which means she must marry him... For fans of The Hunger Games and Fight Club, Lise Haines’ debut novel is a mesmerizing look at a world addicted to violence—a modern world that’s disturbingly easy to imagine.

Review:
This book was certainly one to pique my interest. The premise was a promising one, and it possessed a theme that I suspect will hit a wave in young adult popularity in these next few years (not unlike the popularity seen with pirates and vampires in this age group).

Girl in the Arena has a wonderful idea...but a poor execution. The violent dystopian spin on this novel is reminiscent of great works such as 1984 and, as the inside cover boasts, Fight Club. Like those novels, Girl in the Arena makes a reader pause to think..what if? Books such as these serve as a reminder to our culture to be wary of the direction in which we are heading, and, for that reason, these novels are always useful.

This novel didn't stop at creating a warning through the plot; it proceeded to issue warnings through the characters. For example, Lyn's mother has married seven times and no longer knows how to keep her life together without a man's presence in it. As the novel progresses, we learn that her seven husbands weren't exactly strong candidates for that role (with her second husband perhaps being the sole exception). The only interruption in her role as a wife is her role as a mother. Unfortunately, this interruption is not strong enough to fight her identity as a wife. In addition, Lyn's mother has to follow a strict set of rules as the wife of a gladiator and holds little, if any, freedom in life. This character makes it obvious that no woman should live for a man...nor should she be completely reliant on him.

Other than the strong social commentary, Girl in the Arena proved to be a rather weak novel. The writing was choppy and uneven in certain places, and the book ended somewhat abruptly. But what bothered me most was the lack of connection between the author and Lyn. This author/protaganist connection is vital to any strong novel. This does not mean that the author has to like their character (some of the greatest classics in literature have some of the most unlikable protaganists). Rather, the author has to fully understand their character. I didn't get the feeling that Haines reached out and truly felt what Lyn was thinking, feeling, or seeing.

Still, despite its lack of finesse in certain areas, Girl in the Arena serves as a good compare-and-contrast novel against the world we live in today. I particularly recommend it to anyone interested in dystopia and the decline of humanity. However, if a reader really wants a strong, modern, Young Adult novel in this catergory, I would have to reference them to The Hunger Games, the first in Suzanne Collins' brilliant trilogy.

always,
~bella aire~


Check out this amusing Girl in the Arena YouTube video here.
Or stop by Lise Haines' site.

Finally, you can purchase Girl in the Arena here.

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

Synopsis

Sookie Stackhouse is just a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. Until the vampire of her dreams walks into her life-and one of her coworkers checks out....

Maybe having a vampire for a boyfriend isn't such a bright idea.

Review

Despite some less than complementary reviews, I chose to take a chance on Sookie Stackhouse. This was in no small part due to the Anthony Award Charlaine Harris’ novel received.

While I generally enjoy supernatural stories, I’ve been very wary of them lately, thanks to a certain current fad involving vampires, werewolves, and bad writing. Since Dead Until Dark features both vampires and shapeshifters, I was cautious about purchasing the first Sookie Stackhouse novel.

Dead Until Dark was neither as good as I had secretly hoped, nor as bad as I had outright feared. The writing has a straightforward, frank quality that appeals to me, and the vampires were not overly romanticized. However, the novel fell short at characterization.

I’ve read in some reviews that Sookie is unlikable, and I wouldn’t say that this is necessarily true. Sookie has dealt with a lot in her life, and I felt she deserved a bit of leeway. What I didn’t like was her borderline “love-at-first-sight” with her romantic interest, Bill Compton. She seemed primarily attracted to him because she couldn’t hear his thoughts*. While this makes a relationship easier, it doesn’t make a relationship necessarily “right”. Especially when she seemed to know so little about Bill.

In addition, many readers will feel a disconnect with the characters. All of the characters display apathy on some level throughout the novel. While I appreciate characters with faults (Scarlett O’Hara, Heathcliff, and Mr. Rochester are a few to name), I much prefer emotional faults, and ones that readers are easily able to empathize with. While I wouldn’t rule out apathy as a "good" fault immediately, I found the fact that it was so prominent off-putting.

I am in no way saying that Dead Until Dark is a bad, or even poorly written, novel. Those who like easy thrills and a chaotic mystery will probably enjoy this novel. I suppose it just wasn’t for me.

Your thoughts?

~bella aire~

Interested? Purchase Dead Until Dark here.

*Side Note: Dead Until Dark was published in 2001, nearly 5 years before the Twilight phenomenon.

Perfect You- Elizabeth Scott

Summary

Kate really can't imagine her life getting any worse. Her best friend ditched her for the popular crowd. Her older brother moved back in after college. And now her father has quit his normal job to sell Perfect You vitamins at the mall. Vitamins that no one wants to buy. Vitamins with horrible infomercials and carrot hats. As her family's financial situation becomes increasingly precarious, Kate works with her father and sells vitamins at the mall. While there, she runs into popular boy Will, the guy she can't stand…or stop fantasizing about. Soon their verbal sparring becomes something more- and Kate's never been more confused.


Review

Perfect You is a truly touching novel. Readers will recognize their own doubts and confusion magnified in Kate. Her self-doubt continually sabotages her relationship with Will, a situation that is easy for readers to empathize with. Kate is remarkably relatable…I mean, who hasn't fantasized about that out-of-reach guy in biology (…not that I have. Much.) or felt completely confused by their own feelings? Elizabeth Scott has a unique voice and the strong ability to bring a story to life. This was the first book I've read by her, and I'm looking forward to reading more of her work.

~bella aire~



Perfect You can be bought from Amazon here:
http://www.amazon.com/Perfect-You-Elizabeth-Scott/dp/1416953558/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1225410284&sr=1-1

**Elizabeth Scott has been added to the NSCG's List of Favorite Authors

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith and Jane Austen (review by Angela)

Hello, NSCG readers! I have recently decided to review Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, a book I had noticed a few times in bookstores, but never picked up. The book has mixed reviews on Amazon, many of the critical reviews coming from hard-core Jane Austen fans who do not like seeing her most famous work “defiled”. Since I had just read Sense and Sensibility and consider myself an Austen fan, I decided I would read this book, no matter how many strange looks I got from people who saw the cover. Therefore, on to the review:

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith (and Jane Austen) takes the basic plot of P&P and adds in—guess what?—zombies. Currently, England is being overrun by the flesh-eating, dim-witted monsters. People are infected and turn into zombies everyday, and there are few people that have the skills to do anything about it. These few people include Elizabeth Bennet and her four sisters, all who have traveled to China with their father to learn how to defend themselves and fend off zombies. The plot continues as it did in P&P, with Lizzy being rejected by Mr. Darcy, Jane falling for Mr. Bingley, Lizzy refusing to marry Mr. Collins (who is then quickly snatched up by Charlotte), Wickham sweet-talking his way into everyone’s good graces, Lizzy meeting Lady Catherine (and Darcy!) during her trip to visit Charlotte, and so on, except zombies (and even ninjas!) pop up every once in a while. I advise reading P&P before this book so you can focus on the new aspects of this book (the zombies) and not have to worry about keeping the plot straight. Plus, then you will notice the subtle (not really) changes to many of the famous quotes from P&P. For example, the first sentence: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife” changes to “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a zombie in possession of brains, must be in want of more brains”. This quote-changing-for-effect is used repeatedly throughout the book, as is crude humor. These jokes may be funny the first couple of times, but doubles-entendres on the word “balls” can get old quickly.

The zombies definitely add a new twist to this beloved story. Whether it helps or hurts the book is up to you. It may be strange at first to imagine the five Bennet sisters as warriors, especially timid Jane and intellectual Mary, but somehow Grahame-Smith gets this to work (at least for a little while). Reading about Lizzy beheading a zombie with a swift kick or Lydia cutting a zombie in half is good fun at first, especially when the sisters work together to take down the monsters. However, the book starts to go downhill when it crosses the line. The sisters seem to have an unlimited amount of gruesome weapons, including guns, knives, swords, and much more, and they seem to relish using them. Lizzy even seems insane at one point when she kills a ninja, rips its heart out, and then takes a bite of it. However, the book is highly entertaining when it sticks to the plot, adding only small details that bring new humor to the story. For example, Charlotte may have a devastating secret; Darcy is the best zombie killer in the county; Bingley (and certainly his sisters) have never touched a gun; Wickham has a tragic accident; and Lady Catherine (a highly esteemed zombie killer herself) was trained in Japan, has her own personal ninjas, and looks down upon anyone who was trained in the Orient (China). The book falls apart a little near the end, where the craziness and gruesomeness reach new heights (ex: heart-eating), but overall, I really enjoyed reading through this silly parody. My advice: Don’t take it too seriously. If you do, you will probably end up hating it. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy a little romance/zombie horror for a while.

You can buy Pride and Prejudice and Zombies here.

P.S. If you liked this book, check out Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters by Ben H. Winters and Jane Austen!

~Angela

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (review by Angela)

Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility is the story of two sisters, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood. When their father dies, he bequeaths his entire estate to their shallow half-brother and his spiteful wife, leaving the Dashwood sisters and their mother virtually penniless. When a distant relative of Mrs. Dashwood, Sir John Middleton, kindly offers them a small cottage on his estate to stay in, the family leaves their beloved home, Norland, and moves to Barton Park. Elinor must also say goodbye to her friend and secret love, Edward Ferrars, her unpleasant sister-in-law’s brother, who would visit and talk with her often at Norland. Soon after the Dashwoods become settled in their new cottage, they are invited to the Middleton’s house, where they meet jovial Sir Middleton, haughty Lady Middleton and her spoiled children, talkative Mrs. Jennings, and kind, quiet Colonel Brandon, a retired soldier. It is obvious that Colonel Brandon falls in love with Marianne, but she has lately fallen under the spell of the charming, young, and handsome Willoughby. Marianne’s emotions lead her to behave indecently around Willoughby, but when Elinor finally begins to chide her for her behavior, Willoughby abruptly disappears, leaving Marianne heartbroken and miserable. Soon after Willoughby leaves, Elinor finds out an awful secret about her beloved Edward, also leaving her disheartened. The two sisters leave for London with Mrs. Jennings, weary of the countryside and not expecting much out of the visit, but they soon discover that being in the bustling city will answer many of their questions and might even lead them to a happier ending.

Sense and Sensibility’s main theme that defines the book is the relationship between Elinor and Marianne. While Elinor is very sensible, always striving to be level-headed and logical, her sister Marianne is wild in comparison. Marianne’s emotions are always extreme—when she is happy she is joyful, when she is sad she is dejected and almost lifeless, and when she is in love, she becomes filled with reckless abandon and believes her admirer can do no wrong. Even their talents illustrate their differences: Elinor loves to draw, while Marianne is passionate about music. Both want what is best for the family, but it is Elinor who must help her mother make the important decisions in their household. This unique and loving relationship between the two sisters keeps the novel interesting and provides some very witty conversations.

***WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!***

However, besides featuring a strong female character(s) and many pages of witty banter, Sense and Sensibility has quite a different feel from the rest of Jane Austen’s work, especially Pride and Prejudice. While Pride and Prejudice uses a light, witty tone to describe the adventures of its spunky heroine, Sense and Sensibility seems darker and not quite as optimistic. From the very beginning of the book, the Dashwoods are surrounded by spiteful, sly, greedy, small-minded, and foolish people. Their father, who was thought to be a good man, leaves nothing to his wife and daughters. Their half-brother seems well-meaning, wanting to help his half-sisters and stepmother somehow, but his greed and dim-wittedness make him easily controlled by his hateful wife. Willoughby is a deceitful and money-obsessed flirt (think Wickham from P&P), unwanted acquaintance Lucy is selfish and whiny, and Lady Middleton is proud and haughty, for the most part ignoring the sisters. Even the people who are nice to the sisters, such as Mrs. Jennings and Mrs. Palmer, seem like silly and somewhat airheaded gossips. The only “good” characters in the book are the Dashwoods, Colonel Brandon, and Edward (kind of—he was flirting with Elinor while secretly engaged to another girl). In addition to the general dark tone of the book, the ending is relatively unsatisfying. Elinor does end up with Edward, but her devotion to sense and self-control makes her engagement to him seem passionless. Marianne, after being rejected by Willoughby, ends up with Colonel Brandon, a much-older man she has never expressed interest in. While this seems implausible considering Marianne’s emotional nature, this serves to reinforce the point that the right balance of sense and passion is needed to live happily.

***END OF SPOILERS***

This is not to say that I do not recommend S&S. While not as thoroughly enjoyable as P&P, this book still has much to offer. In typical Austen style, there is much gossiping, entertaining conversations, and surprising secrets just waiting to be revealed. The satire on the wealthy class of England during Austen’s time is not lost either. The love stories are still touching, and the relationship between the two sisters is very well developed. If this is your first Jane Austen book, I suggest you read Pride and Prejudice first, but if you are an Austen fan, this book is a must-read for you.

~Angela

You can buy Sense and Sensibility here.

Inception (Movie Review)

Synopsis

Dom Cobb is a skilled thief, the absolute best in the dangerous art of extraction, stealing valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during the dream state, when the mind is at its most vulnerable. Cobb's rare ability has made him a coveted player in this treacherous new world of corporate espionage, but it has also made him an international fugitive and cost him everything he has ever loved. Now Cobb is being offered a chance at redemption. One last job could give him his life back but only if he can accomplish the impossible-inception. Instead of the perfect heist, Cobb and his team of specialists have to pull off the reverse: their task is not to steal an idea but to plant one. If they succeed, it could be the perfect crime. But no amount of careful planning or expertise can prepare the team for the dangerous enemy that seems to predict their every move. An enemy that only Cobb could have seen coming.

Review

Inception has been pulling in some good reviews, so I went to see it tonight.

Wow.

Inception is an intricately woven fabric made up of colors that can’t yet be seen by the human eye. The concept is nothing less than astounding. While the basic premise, meddling with minds, is nothing new, Christopher Nolan*, Inception’s writer, twists it into something brilliant and incredible. The details and complexity of Nolan’s ideas are beyond belief. Many viewers will need to go back to the movie for a second or third showing to accurately, or semi-accurately, grasp the elusive full picture of Inception.

The other aspects of the movie weren’t all that shabby, either. The special effects were up to par, and the casting brightly offset Nolan’s imaginative script. Leonardo DiCaprio and Ellen Page both had stand-out performances**. I also found the actress who portrayed DiCapio’s character’s wife to be intriguing. Her name is Marion Cotillard, a native Parisian, and she already has won numerous awards (both American and French) for her role in La Vie en Rose. She adds necessary contrast to the movie.

In a time where I find good movies difficult to find, I cannot recommend Inception highly enough.

Your thoughts?

~bella aire~

*Nolan was one of the writers who created The Dark Knight, a movie that revolutionized superhero films.

**I almost felt like there was some chemistry between Leo and Ellen’s characters. Which is odd because of the age gap and because I felt Nolan might have been hinting at a possible relationship between Ellen’s character and “Arthur”, a supporting character. Did anyone else notice this?

Generation Dead by Daniel Waters

Synopsis

Phoebe Kendall is just your typical Goth girl with a crush. He's strong and silent...and dead.

All over the country, a strange phenomenon is occurring. Some teenagers who die aren't staying dead. But when they come back to life, they are no longer the same. Feared and misunderstood, they are doing their best to blend into a society that doesn't want them.

The administration at Oakvale High attempts to be more welcoming of the "differently biotic." But the students don't want to take classes or eat in the cafeteria next to someone who isn't breathing. And there are no laws that exist to protect the "living impaired" from the people who want them to disappear--for good.

When Phoebe falls for Tommy Williams, the leader of the dead kids, no one can believe it; not her best friend, Margi, and especially not her neighbor, Adam, the star of the football team. Adam has feelings for Phoebe that run much deeper than just friendship; he would do anything for her. But what if protecting Tommy is the one thing that would make her happy?

Review

While it may be shallow, the first thought in my head when thinking of Generation Dead is, “It is nothing like its cover.” The cover displays a zombified cheerleader reclining on a set of bleachers. It looks like a cover for a book full of fluffy fear and stereotyped supernatural love. However, the very fact that it displayed zombies and not, say, affectionate vampires, or Taylor Lautner sans shirt, gave me pause. Zombie YA books are pretty rare. After doing a quick Amazon search, I found that Generation Dead had received some very positive reviews. So I bought it.

No, Generation Dead will not be one of my favorite books of all time. I won’t reread it every day for a week or be found spouting off my favorite phases to unsuspecting strangers. But, Generation Dead will likely be one of my favorite books I’ve read this year. And I cannot emphasize enough how thought-provoking it was. Daniel Waters’ concepts were completely fresh and original, his execution was realistic and witty, and his ending was absolutely, painfully beautiful. The character dynamic was extremely interesting, and I cannot wait to read Kiss of Life, the sequel. So. If I were you, I’d stop reading this review and go out and buy Generation Dead. Or at least rent it from your local library. Enjoy!

~bella aire~

Purchase Generation Dead here.

Hearts at Stake: The Drake Chronicles by Alyxandra Harvey (review by Bella Aire)

Product Description:

On Solange’s sixteenth birthday, she is going to wake up dead. As if that’s not bad enough, she also has to outwit her seven overprotective older brothers, avoid the politics involved with being the only daughter born to an ancient vampire dynasty, and elude Kieran Black—agent of an anti-vampire league who is searching for his father’s killer and is intent on staking Solange and her entire family.

Luckily she has her own secret weapon—her human best friend Lucy—who is willing to defend Solange’s right to a normal life, whether she’s being smothered by her well-intentioned brothers or abducted by a power-hungry queen. Two unlikely alliances are formed in a race to save Solange’s eternal life—Lucy and Solange’s brother Nicholas, and Solange and Kieran Black—in a dual romance that is guaranteed to jump start any romance-lover’s heart.

Even fans of the genre who’ve seen it all will find a fresh read with kick-butt characters and family dynamics that ring true for all brothers and sisters—vampire or otherwise.

Review:
Hearts at Stake piqued my interest by advertising a unique friendship in the novel between Lucy and Solange. However, my interest was crushed early on in the novel.

The plot was dragged-out and overused, and the characters were flat at best. Readers, no matter how great their normal reading stamina, will find their attention wandering during these rambling passages liberally strewn with cliches.

I wish I could've enjoyed this book more. But after reading, it just seems like another high-publicized, low-quality YA vampire romance to me.

For those looking for top quality fantasy YA, I highly recommend Fire by Kristen Cashmore- a true gem in it's genre.

always,
~bella aire~

Purchase Hearts at Stake via Amazon here.

The Stolen One by Suzanne Crowley

The Stolen One by Suzanne Crowley, set in Elizabethan England, is the story of Katherine Bab, an orphan and talented embroiderer who longs to know her true history. On the day that her best friend, a farmer boy named Christian, proposes to her, a strange, sick woman shows up at her house and demands that Kat’s caretaker, Grace, give her a mysterious necklace. Both the mysterious woman and Grace die of the plague the next day, and Kat finds the hidden necklace with the help of Grace’s deaf daughter, Anna. Against Grace’s last wishes, Kat leaves for London with Anna in an attempt to find out more about herself and to escape from Christian’s startling proposal. When Kat arrives in London, her flaming red hair and beautiful embroidery quickly get her summoned before Queen Elizabeth, and she is made one of the queen’s ladies-in-waiting. As Kat gets closer to the queen, rumors swirl about their very similar appearances, and Kat begins to uncover the truth about the necklace and her heritage. All the while, surrounded by suitors, Kat just can’t keep her mind off a certain sheep farmer…

This book, full of romance, intrigue, and beautiful dresses, will especially satisfy anyone who loves historical fiction or the Elizabethan Age. The clothing and setting are lavishly described, and the many historical facts make this book a fun learning experience as well. The Seymour family especially is explored in great detail, as apparently there is a missing daughter in the family (who knew?).

As for the heroine, Kat is spunky, determined, and likable. Her “sister” Anna is sweet, but doesn’t have much importance in the story besides making Kat feel guilty. Kat is pursued at court by two charming gentlemen, Nicholas and Rafael. Nicholas is the stereotypical pretty-boy, but Rafael has an intriguing storyline that is unfortunately left mostly undeveloped. Queen Elizabeth is actually one of the main characters in the story, adding a unique twist to the book. She is portrayed as both powerful and vulnerable, a combination that makes her seem human and realistic. Christian is, of course, the requisite sweet, caring farmer boy who has loved Kat her entire life.

I really enjoyed The Stolen One. The story is interesting and moves along quickly, especially as Kat finds out more about herself. Making Queen Elizabeth an important character really added depth to the story. However, the only complaint I have about the book is Kat’s apparent bipolar-ness. When she leaves Christian, she claims she could care less about him, but two chapters later, she longs to return to him all the way from London just because he breaks his foot. Also, she claims to care so much about Anna, but completely ignores her once she is accepted at court. Besides this, The Stolen One was a very enjoyable historical mystery/romance that I would recommend to any YA reader.

~Angela

P.S. You can buy The Stolen One here.

Coffeehouse Angel by Suzanne Selfors

Just in time for hot chocolate and mini marshmallows, I’m reviewing a sweet novel perfect for the holidays, Coffeehouse Angel by Suzanne Selfors. The book, set in the Norwegian-influenced town of Nordby, Washington, revolves around Katrina Svenson and her grandmother’s coffee shop. Katrina, who spends every afternoon working in the coffeehouse, feels like she doesn’t have a direction in life. Her best friends, Vincent and Elizabeth, already have their futures planned out, but she doesn’t even know what she likes to do, besides work in the coffeehouse. However, her life turns upside down when she nonchalantly gives some food to a guy she finds sleeping in the alley beside the coffee shop. The guy, Malcolm, finds her at school the next day, begging her to be able to grant her greatest desire, but Katrina just thinks he’s crazy. To get him to leave her alone, she lies to him, resulting in two wishes that cause unhappiness in her life. Malcolm refuses to leave until he finds out Katrina’s “true desire”, and she begins to realize that Malcolm isn’t exactly human, but possibly an angel. In addition to giant rats, traitorous best friends, and villainous next-door neighbors, Katrina now has to deal with something even crazier: falling in love with an angel.

While often sweet and heartwarming, this book has both its upsides and downsides. When I first saw the cover, I felt like it was screaming I AM CLICHÉ at me. However, you should ignore the strange long-haired, glowing boy on the cover, as the book is not actually that bad. As I began to read, I found that I actually did like it. Katrina is sweet and realistic, and her two best friends are developed well. The plot is an interesting concept, and the small-town setting really adds to the book. However, as I continued reading, a few things started to bother me. Katrina began to seem whiny, as she constantly moans about her “lack of talent” and uncertain future. Since when is everyone supposed to know exactly what they want to do with their life when they’re only in 10th grade? The rest of the book is enjoyable, even though it can be a bit uneven. It’s hard to believe that a book that features such hilarious thoughts as “Is it easier to kick a guy in the balls if he’s wearing a kilt?” could be the same book that contains the horrendous sentence “His thighs spread out like corduroy logs”. The only other thing that bothered me was the ending. Everything works out much too perfectly, giving the ending an almost fake feel. However, Coffeehouse Angel was a fun, quick read, and I would recommend it for anyone with some extra time on their hands.

~Angela

P.S. You can buy Coffeehouse Angel here.