Review: The Secret Year

Title: The Secret Year

Author: Jennifer R. Hubbard

From GoodReads, "Seventeen-year-old Colt has been sneaking out at night to meet Julia, a girl from an upper-class neighborhood unlike his own. They’ve never told anyone else about their relationship: not their family or friends, and especially not Julia’s boyfriend.When Julia dies suddenly, Colt tries to cope with her death while pretending that he never even knew her. He discovers a journal she left behind. But he is not prepared for the truths he discovers about their intense relationship, nor to pay the price for the secrets he’s kept."

This is a novel about rich girl verses poor boy, but it has a huge twist. Julia and Colt were together, but it was a secret for a whole year until her sudden death. Julia haunts Colt in many ways: the journal she left behind, the mystery of her death, and the closure to their relationship that no one knew about. The Secret Year was a love story and a mystery, all in one. I kept reading to find out how he was ever going to get past his misery and if anyone would ever find out about their affair. In the end, Colt reveals a secret of his own regarding their last night together. The novel concludes with Colt learning a lot about himself. The cover fits the mystery within the novel. I really felt for Colt, I couldn’t image going through his situation and not being able to tell anyone. This was a great read!

Review: The Lonely Hearts Club

Title: The Lonely Hearts Club

Author: Elizabeth Eulberg

From Shelfari, "Penny is sick of boys and sick of dating. So she vows: no more. It's a personal choice. . .and, of course, soon everyone wants to know about it. And a few other girls are inspired. A movement is born: The Lonely Hearts Club (named after the band from Sgt. Pepper). Penny is suddenly known for her nondating ways . . . which is too bad, because there's this certain boy she can't help but like. . . ."

I'm a Beatles fan, so I really liked the premise of the book (and the cover). Penny Lane is the main character whose parents love the Beatles so much that they name their two daughters after famous Beatles songs. Penny decides, after some bad experiences, to form a club. The Lonely Hearts Club is committed to not dating high school guys.

The Lonely Hearts Club is the perfect girl-power book. Reinforcing the themes of friendship, trust, devotion, and never having to sell yourself short to catch the attention of a guy. What I loved most about the book, is that the characters are so believable. You can go to any high school and find these characters. I also liked the way in which the book was written. It was like you were a confidant of Penny and in on all the drama. The funniest thing about the book was Penny's dilemma of being attracted to guys (one in particular) that she isn't allowed to date because of a club that she formed.

The biggest lesson in the book is the power of resilience. No matter the bad experiences of the club members, they figured out a way to support one another and come out stronger because of their experiences. I would recommend reading this book if you've been beat down by a failed relationship or to just have a great time reading. You won't be disappointed.

Review: Slob

Title: Slob

Author: Ellen Potter

From GoodReads, "Twelve-year-old Owen Birnbaum is the fattest kid in school. But he’s also a genius who invents cool contraptions— like a TV that shows the past. Something happened two years ago that he needs to see. But genius or not, there is much Owen can’t outthink. Like his gym coach, who’s on a mission to humiliate him. Or the way his Oreos keep disappearing from his lunch. He’s sure that if he can only get the TV to work, things will start to make sense. But it will take a revelation for Owen, not science, to see the answer’s not in the past, but the present. That no matter how large he is on the outside, he doesn’t have to feel small on the inside."

This summer I was looking for authors on Twitter and came across Ellen Potter. She had just announced that she was giving away an autographed copy of her book to the first several people who sent her a direct message... luckily, I was one of them.

The front cover of Slob is simple, yet appeals to the kid in all of us. After reading the book myself, I purchased a copy for the library and the cover draws many readers to the book. The book is about Owen, who at twelve, is both intelligent and overweight. Owen isn't the most likable character, mostly because of how much he brags about his own intelligence. However, what makes him stand out is his determination to get even with the classmates (and teacher) that bully and steal from him. There were many times in this book, that I was rooting for Owen and secretly wishing that his unique inventions would be his ultimate revenge.

Potter tells Owen's story with humor and compassion and anyone that has ever witnessed or experienced bullying will be able to identify with. I especially liked that the book was not predictable and its twists and turns made it even more enjoyable to read. Every time I thought that I had this book figured out, something new would emerge and totally throw me off.

Ellen Potter is a wonderful writer who deserves to be read. Here's hoping many of you will pick up this unique, endearing, and funny book!

In Our Mailbox (1)

In Our Mailbox is a weekly post, created by The Story Siren, which explores the books that have been delivered to our mailbox.

For Review:

The Beautiful Between by Alyssa B. Scheinmel

The Naughty List by Suzanne Young

The Secret Year by Jennifer Hubband

Top Ten Uses For an Unworn Prom Dress by Tina Ferraro (Many thanks for the autographed copy and The Abc's of Kissing Boys bookmarks!)

We were extremely excited to receive our very first ARC! Thanks to Alyssa B. Scheinmel for making that happen for us!

Review: Geek Magnet

Title: Geek Magnet

Author: Kieran Scott

From GoodReads, "Everyone loves KJ Miller, especially the geeks. She's pretty, smart, and super nice to everyone, which has made her the geek pied piper of Washington High. If only Cameron, the star of the basketball team, would follow her around and worship her the way her dorky entourage does.

As the stage manager of the spring musical, Grease, KJ has to deal with a few geeks, but she also gets to hang out with Tama, queen of the popular crowd and star of the play. Tama has the solution to all of KJ's problems: get cruel. After all, the nice girl never gets the guy. Can KJ actually pull off a transformation into a mean girl?"

Have you ever met a girl that was too nice? Well, that's KJ Miller. She is popular in school, but not with the crowd that she would like. For some reason, geeky guys are just drawn to her. More than anything KJ wants to be popular with the right crowd and get the attention of her crush, Cameron.

I really liked the character of KJ mainly because I can think of a lot of teenagers who are just like her. KJ's life isn't what it's cracked up to be, she has a father who is an alcoholic and a mother who doesn't know how to deal with it, so she pretends there isn't a problem. With all of the family drama that KJ has, she still manages to be a decent student and involved in school activities, in this case drama. KJ often worries more about herself than others, which causes rifts in her relationships. To me, that's just a typical day in high school.

The story moved along at a quick pace and although predictable at times, was enjoyable reading. KJ's interactions with her family were realistic and you could feel KJ's embarrassment with her father's antics. The scenes at the theater rehearsal's were appealing to me because I'm a musical theater geek myself and I could relate to KJ's fear of being on-stage and her comfort being the stage manager.

I thought this was the first book I had ever read by Kieran Scott, but Kieran also works under the pen name of Kate Brian. I've read several of Brian's novels. I really like her writing style, which is very conversational and gave me the feeling that I was living KJ's life. I would recommend this book to anyone that is interested in theater, loves Grease, likes romance, and doesn't mind a strong female character.

Review: The Summer I Turned Pretty

Title: The Summer I Turned Pretty

Author: Jenny Han

From GoodReads, "Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer -- they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one wonderful and terrible summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along."

Did your parents hang out with another family and their kids felt like your own sisters and brothers?? I think most of us can relate with that scenario. Did you ever notice when you were younger those kids were just annoying? But the as you grew older they became not so bad and maybe a crush began to develop? Well this is a book you need to pick up. The only difference between this story and myself was the beautiful beach house and hanging out all summer in paradise. Belly, is her nick name and used to be that annoying little sister that followed the older ones everywhere. But this summer is different….she isn’t so annoying anymore. She is turning into this pretty girl isn’t so bad after all. As you read this novel you will see how quickly things change. What a feel good book that will leave you smiling the whole time! Definitely would recommend this book.

Review: Leaving Paradise

Title: Leaving Paradise

Author: Simone Elkeles

From GoodReads, "Nothing has been the same since Caleb Becker left a party drunk, got behind the wheel, and hit Maggie Armstrong. Even after months of painful physical therapy, Maggie walks with a limp. Her social life is nil and a scholarship to study abroad—her chance to escape everyone and their pitying stares—has been canceled. After a year in juvenile jail, Caleb’s free . . . if freedom means endless nagging from a transition coach and the prying eyes of the entire town. Coming home should feel good, but his family and ex-girlfriend seem like strangers. Caleb and Maggie are outsiders, pigeon-holed as "criminal" and "freak." Then the truth emerges about what really happened the night of the accident and, once again, everything changes. It’s a bleak and tortuous journey for Caleb and Maggie, yet they end up finding comfort and strength from a surprising source: each other."

This is the second book I have read by Simone Elkeles and I have to say she is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. I absolutely loved this book! I wondered if she could write one as good as Perfect Chemistry. This book was just as good. I recommend her books to all the students that come into our library because I know they won’t be able to put them down. I love the characters Maggie and Caleb. It’s a story about overcoming an event that dramatically changed their lives. I loved how she brought them together in unique ways and it was so true to life. I actually felt I was there!!! I can’t say enough good things about this book, you just need to read it and you will see what I mean. I also recommend her book Perfect Chemistry. I noticed on her website both of these book have a sequel to them and I am anxiously waiting for those to come out!!

Review: Nothing Like You

Title: Nothing Like You

Author: Lauren Strasnick

From GoodReads, “You think he’s yours but he’s not, I thought. You think he’s yours but really he’s mine.”
"When Holly loses her virginity to Paul, a guy she barely knows, she assumes their encounter is a one-night stand. After all, Paul is too popular to even be speaking to Holly, and he happens to have a long-term girlfriend, Saskia. But ever since Holly’s mom died six months ago, Holly has been numb to the world, and she’s getting desperate to feel something, anything—so when Paul keeps pursuing her, Holly relents. Paul’s kisses are a welcome diversion, and it’s nice to feel like the kind of girl that a guy like Paul would choose.

But things aren’t so simple with Saskia around. Paul’s real girlfriend is willowy and perfect… and nothing like Holly. To make matters worse, she and Holly are becoming friends. Suddenly the consequences of Holly’s choices are all too real, and Holly stands to lose more than she ever realized she had."

Lauren Strasnick’s novel, Nothing Like You, hooked me in the first couple of pages. I love it when an author starts right off with such excitement that you can’t even think of putting the book down. We ordered this book for the library, based on the description alone and when I pulled it out of the box and saw the cover, I took it home that night. Up until one in the morning, I fell in love with the main character Holly Hirsh and her problem: Hooking up with one of the most popular guy in school. Are you wondering why would that be a problem?

He has a girlfriend and its not Holly! Plus, the affair continues and he tells her nobody can know about their secret. So here's Holly getting used by Paul while a perfectly great guy lives right next door. Nils has been her best friend since they were kids and he always has her back. So that’s why I couldn’t put the book down. I couldn’t wait to see who she ends up with. The ending surprised me, but I won’t give any hints on what happens... you will have to read it for yourself!

Review: Hush, Hush

Title: Hush, Hush

Author: Becca Fitzpatrick

From Shelfari, "For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan.
She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her.
Not until Patch came along.
With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment.
But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to trust.
Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends.
She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide.
And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.
For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life."

I purchased the audio book version in an attempt to do something more productive on a recent long car ride. I enjoyed the book so much that when I reached my destination and realized that I would be unable to listen to the book inside my hotel room, I made an emergency trip to a nearby Barnes and Noble.

I have never read a book with such a unique concept: a fallen angel trying to earn his way back. I found Patch to be the James Dean of fallen angels. I was drawn to his story and really wanted to know more about why he was on earth. Patch's bad boy antics attracts good girl, Nora. His mysterious pull is just too hard for her to resist. I liked how the plot moved at a thrilling pace which made it difficult to put down. I really liked the chemistry between Patch and Nora.

Although I really liked the book, my one criticism is that it is difficult to believe that Nora's mother would leave her alone so much after the death of her father, especially in a farmhouse that is so isolated. Granted, Nora's mother constantly makes Nora check in with her, but what would she be able to do so far away? Even though this part of the story was a little far-fetched, I would still recommend reading this book. I felt very connected with the characters and found myself wanting to know more about them. The sequel, Cresendo, is coming in the fall and I can't wait to see more of Patch (and Nora)!

Review: Boys, Girls & Other Hazardous Materials

Title: Boys, Girls & Other Hazardous Materials

Author: Rosalind Wiseman

From GoodReads, "Looking for a new beginning after a terrible mean girl past, Charlie Healey realizes there’s no escaping high school drama.

Charlie Healey thinks Harmony Falls is the beginning of a whole new life. Middle school was brutal. But high school is Charlie’s big chance to start over and stay out of drama, except that on her first day she runs into Will, her ex–best friend, who had moved away. Now a varsity athlete and hotter than Charlie
remembered, Will hangs with the crowd running the school. But Charlie doesn’t understand their power until an innocent delivery guy falls victim to a near-deadly hazing prank.

Torn between doing what’s right and her secret feelings for Will, Charlie must decide whether to turn in her very best friend or live with the guilt of knowing what he did.

Rosalind Wiseman’s first novel for young adults is a fresh, funny, and juicy read about friendship, betrayal, and how far some will go to be accepted.

The cover really enticed me to pick up this book. I really like the cute quote, colors used, and mystery behind the notebook! Secondly, the title is very catchy. I started the book and immediately could relate the characters to memories I had back in high school. Charlie is the kind of friend I would have had in high school. She is a, “what you see is what you get kind of girl.” Beginning a new school, Charlie starts and new life for herself and gains some great friends. Charlie and her friends are faced with many high school issues from drinking to the politics of high school sports. I can relate to Charlie because I am someone that also has trouble dealing with the politics in everyday life. This book was an easy, fun read and I would recommend this book to those who like to take trips down memory lane.

2010 Debut Author Challenge

The Story Siren is hosting a challenge called the 2010 Debut Author Challenge...and since we are new and competitive, we decided to participate in the challenge. The challenge is to read at least 12 debut novels, but you can do more or less if you prefer. Since there are two of us, we decided on fifteen each.

The challenge goes from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010, and you can start at anytime.

After much debate, we came up with the following lists:

Lori's List

1. The Secret Year by Jennifer Hubbard
2. The Naughty List by Suzanne Young
3. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
4. Forget-Her-Nots by Amy Brecount White
5. The Mark by Jen Nadol
6. Mistwood by Leah Cypress
7. The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson
8. Dirty Little Secrets by Cynthia Jaynes Omololu
9. Princess for Hire by Lindsey Leavitt
10. The Cinderella Society by Kay Cassidy
11. The Tension of Opposites by Kristina McBride
12. The Karma Club by Jessica Brody
13. 13 to Life by Shannon Delany
14. Party by Tom Leveen

Melissa's List

1. A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker
2. The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg
3. The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin by Josh Berk
4. Escaping the Tiger by Laura Manivong
5. The Red Umbrella by Christina Gonzalez
6. Palace Beautiful by Sarah Deford Williams
7. The Line by Teri Hall
8. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
9. All Unquiet Things by Anna Jarzab
10. The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting
11. Tell Me A Secret by Holly Cupula
12. Nevermore by Kelly Creagh
13. Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson
14. The Ghost and the Goth by Stacy Kade
15. Voices of Dragons by Carrie Vaughn
16. The Beautiful Between by Alyssa B. Scheinmel
17. Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
18. Split by Swati Avasthi
19. Wolves, Boys and Other Things That Might Kill Me by Kristen Chandler
20. A Blue So Dark by Holly Schindler

Happy reading!

Review: Shiver

Title: Shiver

Author: Maggie Stiefvater

From Shelfari, "For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf--her wolf--is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human . . . until the cold makes him shift back again. Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human--or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever."

Maggie Stiefvater's words remind me of the cover of the book, stunning, artistic, and lyrical with a sense that something wicked is lurking nearby.

Sam, lives a life that has its complications. In the warmer months, he's a human. In the colder months, he is a shape shifter that becomes a wolf. Every year, the time that he is a human becomes less and less. Sam knows that eventually, he will become a wolf forever. The one thing that remains constant in Sam's life is Grace, the girl that he watches.

Grace is obsessed by the wolves that live in the woods behind her house. As a child, she was attacked by a wolf and survived to become even more intrigued by the wolves... especially the one with the yellow eyes that saved her.

One thing that I really liked about Stiefvater's writing was that although the story was told from both perspectives, the writing captures the essence of both characters. Feeling the joy and pain of both characters was an amazing, and at times, sad experience.

This is a love story that will stand the test of time. I'm very excited to see what happens next, but will have to wait until the next book in the series, Linger, comes out July 20, 2010. Here's hoping that time flies!

Review: How to Take the Ex Out of Ex-Boyfriend

Title: How to Take the Ex Out of Ex-Boyfriend

Author: Janette Rallison

From GoodReads, "Boyfriends are supposed to be loyal, caring, and handsome. Giovanna's boyfriend, Jesse, has perfected the last two. But when her twin brother, Dante, runs for student body president, Jesse doesn't support Dante, choosing to campaign for his opponent instead. Shouldn't the fact that Jesse is Giovanna's boyfriend count for something? So Giovanna dumps Jesse and becomes Dante's campaign manager. But as the political debates heat up, Giovanna begins to regret breaking up with Jesse, and realizes that maybe her decision wasn't the political strategy she should have used . . . ."

Let me start by saying, don't start this book unless you have time to finish it. I had read this book awhile ago and after several books in between, I couldn't remember it very well, so I took another look to refresh my memory. The good, bad, and ugly of it is... good, I got the chance to read it again (actually, great!), bad, I started at 9:05 p.m. and finished at 1:30 a.m., and ugly, had to get up early the next day! (Yikes!)

I loved the character of Giovanna. She was a wonderfully developed, solid character, who was totally likable and believable. Although by outer appearances, she seems to have the perfect life... a handsome, attentive, too-good-to-be-true boyfriend and a circle of friends that are supportive of her, Giovanna's life is far from perfect. A combative relationship with her stepmother and a rift in her relationship with her boyfriend, Jesse, have Giovanna in a tailspin.

While rooting for a happy ending, the book was filled with unpredictable moments that made it very enjoyable to read. (Twice!)

This reader is looking for more from Rallison!

Review: Going Too Far

Title: Going Too Far

Author: Jennifer Echols

From Shelfari, "HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO? All Meg has ever wanted is to get away. Away from high school. Away from her backwater town. Away from her parents who seem determined to keep her imprisoned in their dead-end lives. But one crazy evening involving a dare and forbidden railroad tracks, she goes way too far...and almost doesn't make it back. John made a choice to stay. To enforce the rules. To serve and protect. He has nothing but contempt for what he sees as childish rebellion, and he wants to teach Meg a lesson she won't soon forget. But Meg pushes him to the limit by questioning everything he learned at the police academy. And when he pushes back, demanding to know why she won't be tied down, they will drive each other to the edge -- and over.... "

I really enjoyed reading my first book by Jennifer Echols. The book is about a girl named Meg... the rebel type, you know, the one you were or at least knew in high school. I had a wild time in high school, but never took it as far as Meg.

The other character, John, is the straight-laced guy, bound and determined to teach Meg a lesson. I liked that Echols added an element of romance to Meg's life experiences. Even though the story was predictable at times, it was still pleasurable to read. I enjoyed taking the ride, right alongside the characters. I would recommend this book to high school girls who feel they are in the most exciting, wildest time of their lives OR those who want to remember that feeling.

Review: Sweethearts

Title: Sweethearts

Author: Sara Zarr

From Shelfari, "As children, Jennifer Harris and Cameron Quick were both social outcasts. They were also one another's only friend. So when Cameron disappears without warning, Jennifer thinks she's lost the only person who will ever understand her. Now in high school, Jennifer has been transformed. Known as Jenna, she's popular, happy, and dating, everything "Jennifer" couldn't be---but she still can't shake the memory of her long-lost friend. When Cameron suddenly reappears, they are both confronted with memories of their shared past and the drastically different paths their lives have taken. From the National Book Award nominated author of Story of a Girl, Sweethearts is a story about the power of memory, the bond of friendship, and the quiet resilience of our childhood hearts."

From the moment I saw the cover all the way to reading the last page of the book, I was captivated. Sara Zarr tells the story of Jennifer Harris and Cameron Quick, two elementary students who are outcasts and become friends until the day Cameron disappears. Left alone to deal with her tormentors, Jennifer transforms herself into her alter ego, Jenna Vaugh. A girl who is pretty, skinny, and popular. Just when Jenna begins to feel cautiously comfortable, Cameron returns.

I'm trying really hard not to give out too much information. This book is AMAZING! The characters are well-developed and so real that sometimes it hurts to read this book. The writing was incredible and made me look for more books by Zarr to immediately get my hands on. Although the ending isn't predictable, I have to give Sara Zarr credit for making it totally believable and not going the easy route.

I recommend this book and loved it so much I made a book trailer that I would be happy to share.

Review: The ABCs of Kissing Boys

Title: The ABC's of Kissing Boys

Author: Tina Ferraro

From GoodReads, "Parker Stanhope has played soccer practically since she could walk. And now that she’s a high school junior, everything she’s worked for is finally coming together. She’s paid her dues on the field, and as an upperclassman, she’s a shoo-in for the varsity team. But that’s not what happens.

This year, Coach Hartley moved up every JV player but two—and one of those two was Parker. Now, she’s stuck with the freshmen, her friends are cutting her loose, and her love of the game is seriously beginning to fail. But Parker is determined to get her life back. She has to get on the varsity team, and she has the perfect plan. All she needs now is the right kind of coach. A kissing coach."

I loved, loved, loved everything about this book! From the cover, to the font, to the plot, to the way it made me feel while reading it... comforted, like a warm, fuzzy blanket on a cold day. This novel, although endearing and entertaining, still managed to pull off a deeper message without standing on a soapbox. Parker has to learn how to deal with a bad situation, which is made even worse by her former friends. Ferraro is an expert storyteller... weaving together the pressures of Parker's 'mean girl' friends with the struggle of her own independence.

I really liked how Parker's revenge plan, turned out to be something completely different. (I'm being careful so I don't give away too much of the plot.) While reading this novel, I became aware of the fact that I don't know as much about kissing as I thought I did. I guess I'll have to try out some of the new ones suggested in the novel. (Oh, well. I can call it in-depth research!)

Review: In Your Room

Title: In Your Room

Author: Jordanna Fraiberg

From GoodReads: Molly and Charlie have fallen head over heels in love— even though they've never met. Molly is a fashion-conscious city girl in L.A. Charlie is an earthy, mountain-biking dude from Boulder, Colorado. Each of them has big plans with their respective friends for the summer, —until they discover that their parents decided to swap houses!

Luckily there’s no amount of homesickness that a bit of snooping can’t cure. Charlie and Molly begin crawling under beds and poking around in closets to find out a little more about each other—, and they like what they find.

Can Charlie and Molly'’s long-distance romance survive jealousy, misunderstandings —and the thousand miles between them?

MTV’s Room Raiders meets You’ve Got Mail in this sweet, old-fashioned love story for the digital age. . . .

I picked this book up because I really liked the cover. I began reading it at a wrestling tournament in between matches. I was 3/4 of the way through by the time I left the tournament. It is one of those books that is hard to put down. I thought the characters were both believable and likable. It was an interesting premise for a book and one that I have never seen before. I liked how the characters were in two different locations with their families, but managed to be connected through what they found out about each other in their rooms and by chatting online. The love story part of the book was actually my favorite part because the characters fall in love with each other based on personality more than physicality. What made the book so believable was that the characters had both strengths and flaws and the dynamics between the two characters and their families and friends were realistic. This book is Jordanna Fraiberg's debut novel and with writing this impressive, outstanding character development, and a completely original plot line... I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

Review Policy

We love reading and reviewing books, but please understand that we try to be as selective as possible to make sure that the books we review get the time and attention that they deserve. First and foremost, we are school librarians and love to read books that we can share with our students. Our goal is to motivate students to read, so audience appeal are very important to us. The books that we love to review the most are young adult books, but will also consider books for upper elementary students as well. If we don’t think we are going to like a book then we won’t review it. We promise that are reviews will be honest.

Genres we DO review: We prefer chick-lit, realistic fiction, historical fiction, mysteries, and science fiction/fantasy (especially if it has a romance angle.)

We don’t read non-fiction, memoirs, horror, or e-books.

Your ARCs are safe with us- we do not believe in selling them! We will try to review the books in a timely manner. For ARC’s with a release date, we will try to publish the review on the release date, or very close to it. For already released books, we will review them in a matter or 2-6 months.

For any other questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us.