Girl Parts - John M. Cusick

Girl Parts was a very interesting novel. I received an ARC of it a while back, but after a few false starts trying to read it, I gave up and put it back on the shelf. I only recently discovered it again, and decided to pick it up and give it a good shot this time. What really drew me in is the cover: the girl on the front has the NICEST color of red hair!

The book begins with a suicide scene. The girl committing the act does get a name, and while this is her only real appearance in the book, she is crucial to the story. I liken her to Drew Barrymore’s character in the movie Scream: she is only in the beginning, but she is really the catalyst that sets the whole plot in motion. In this case, the girl committing suicide is doing it online, via webcam. Many of her classmates come across her webcast, watching her die right there, live on their computers at home.

David’s parents find out via his computer history that he took part in viewing this webcast. Even though David came across this webcast by accident, he didn’t call the cops or anything to report what he was seeing; he just watched it, the same as everyone else. His parents get in touch with his school therapist, who diagnoses David as “dissociative” and prescribes a very strange solution: a sort of living doll, created to be a companion to David and help him have become less dissociative. Of course, David sees this as a different kind of companion, and keeps interacting with it in hopes that it will eventually become a sex doll. This takes him a while, however, as Rose (the companion) is built with a reward-and-punishment system: good behaviour is rewarded, but bad behaviour (such as kissing before Rose is ready) is punished with an electric shock. Eventually, David gets to the point he wants with Rose, but is enraged by a discovery about her and sends her away. Enter Charlie, another dissociated boy who is very different from David. Rose connects with him, and they begin a friendship.

Girl Parts has some flaws, as most books do, but was an overall well-written book once you get into it. The ARC I was given describes the book as "hilarious", which I don't agree with. I went into this book expecting some sort of a comedy, but it was instead mostly serious. As for characters, they all came across the way they were meant to, I think: Rose was my favourite, gaining her own personality and feelings as the book went on, and coming-of-age in her own right. Charlie was nice and sweet, though a bit strange sometimes, and David was - well - a jerk.

The technology in the book was well-described, and it was a nice little satire of the age we live in today. A robot designed to help teens become more social? Ironic, but Cusick makes it work. The book was clearly well thought-out, and managed to give its message without cramming it down your throat.

The ending, however, left something to be desired. With the fates of the boys pretty much given to us (though still somewhat ambiguous), I was left wondering what happened to Rose. Will there be a sequel, or are we just supposed to forget about her? "Okay, we've explained what's happened to David and Charlie. Maybe they'll just forget about Rose."

A good book overall, with some reread value. But this isn't one that I'll keep I think - I have too many books that I like more that need a space on my shelf.

SCORE: 6.5/10
IF YOU LIKE: Flip (Martyn Bedford), Absolute Boyfriend (Yuu Watase)

Betwixt - Tara Bray Smith

It's pretty much a given for me that if a book is about teens and something paranormal, I'll read it, and probably love it. Bonus points to the book if it's already on sale, as this one was. This book was very intriguing even just from the dust jacket: one character seems to have a dark secret, one can make paintings come to life (what even??) and the third can see halos of light around those who will be dying soon. Immediately I started to speculate on what the plot would be about... Casters? Psychics? Something entirely new?

Well, I was partially right. This book is about fey, but the idea of what you know about fairies has been taken and twisted so much that it can hardly be called fey anymore. The book begins very promising, and the characters are introduced in a way that makes the reader want to continue discovering more about them. While some of the characters do posess powers, none of them know how to use them or why they even have them in the first place. The characters begin talking about a summer rave in the woods fairly early on in the book, and anyone can see that this is where their fates will start to be revealed.

And this is where the book began to lose me. For the first two hundred or so pages, we are given tiny teases of what lies ahead, but not much more. In fact, the first third of the book mostly revolves around the two main girls in the book planning throwing a party. This party serves as an introduction for other characters who will become more important later, but feels like a completely different book entirely. There are not many revelations made about the characters in this first part, and it feels somewhat like filler.

About 200 pages or so in, we finally make it to the secret rave in the woods. At almost 300 pages in, the main teenagers have finally left the party. Do you see where I'm going with this? The book definitely had its moments, but it seemed to drag on and on with not much direction until the very end. The climax definitely had me turning the pages to see what would happen next, but led to a very disappointing ending. Will there be a sequel? I'm not sure, and I'm not sure the author knows either. The ending feels like the ending of the first season of a television show: the writers want to make sure that all loose ends and major plot points are tied up, so that it has closure if the show is cancelled, but leave enough questions and "what ifs" so that a second season can be made if need be.

The book was confusing, and the plot could have been a lot better. Many portions of the book were very promising, and the powers that the teens had were for the most part very unique. However, the book dragged on, and felt more like a chore to read than I would have liked. Normally a book with a plot like this and of a similar length would take me about a day to read; this book took me over a week.

One last thing I'd like to mention: what's with the character names? Morgan D'Amici is normal, but the other two characters leave something to be desired. Nix Saint-Michael sounded like it was trying too hard to have a 'cool' name... I didn't like how the author shortened "Nick" to "Nix" for no reason. The one that bugged me the most, though, would have to be Ondine Mason. Ondine is a Latin name, I know, but it felt made-up to me. Who would name their daughter Ondine? There are much prettier names out there if you want to go for a mythological name that has some historical meaning to it. Really though, a parent is not going to name their daughter "Ondine" and their son Max. You either name your kids weird things, or you don't. Not to mention - the characters in the book were constantly commenting on how weird the names "Nix" and "Moth" (short for the character's last name, Motherwell) were. REALLY? Those are weird, but ONDINE isn't?

Anyways, /end rant. The book wasn't great, but it was somewhat readable if you really like the teen paranormal genre. Not recommended to the average reader, but if you're of the type who must read every book of the genre like I am, go for it. Just don't expect great things. If you go into it with lower expectations than I did, who knows... you might like it!

SCORE: 4.5/10
IF YOU LIKE: Wicked Lovely (Melissa Marr), Tithe (Holly Black)

Juliet Immortal - Stacey Jay

Have I ever mentioned how much I love getting ARCs? I get books that I would have never normally picked up, or even heard about. This novel is one of those: it came out officially in September, but I've yet to see it in a bookstore. It's a shame, because the idea of this book is so new and exciting.

Juliet Immortal takes the world's most famous love story - Romeo and Juliet - and twists it around entirely. Yes, Romeo and Juliet did the whole 'forbidden love' thing, and then got married. But soon after, Juliet awakes to find Romeo... in the middle of sacrificing her. Okay, so he didn't just flip out one day and decide to sacrifice his new wife: he was talked into it by the Mercenaries, a group dedicated to stopping true love. They convinced him to do this by promising him eternal life if he complied. Who wouldn't do that, right?

But it's all okay, because Juliet's nurse happens to be someone sent from the Ambassadors of Light, a similar immortal organization that does the opposite of the Mercenaries... that is, ensuring that soul mates remain together. They offer Juliet one last chance at life, to dedicate her existence to preserving romantic love and the lives of the innocent. Juliet, however, doesn't get to have a full life; she is brought down to earth at various points in time to protect soul mates in danger.

Now, there IS a love interest in this book. The problem is, Juliet falls for him while she is using a host body during one of her missions. He doesn't know who she really is, and Juliet has to wonder whether he is falling for her or the body she is currently using. I did like the character of Ben, but there could have been a bit more character development beyond the fact that he was good-looking and overprotective of Juliet. He wasn't all bad, though, and I looked forward to him being around.

The character of Romeo, on the other hand, was very well written. He was messed up, but not completely evil, and I spent much of the book wondering if he was going to stab Juliet in the back or if he was being somewhat truthful. I like when characters are not simply black and white. Yes, Romeo was the 'villain' of the book, but there were times where the reader felt bad for him, and times where you wanted to rip his head off.

Now, I'd just like to mention the ending. While I can't say here what exactly the twist at the end of the book was (because that would violate my unwritten 'no major spoilers' rule), I would like to say that I didn't like it, at all. After all that we went through, the twist took everything and threw it away. Essentially, the end of the book was as frustrating as if they had said everything contained in the book was a dream. It feels like the ending was rushed, and didn't really make sense with the motivations of EVERY character in the book and the rest of the plot. But whatever, I'll deal. Still, I feel that the second twist, about Ben, is probably worst of all... it just didn't need to happen.

While I do recommend this book, be cautious: it's great, until the last few chapters or so. Enjoy it, but don't feel bad if at the end you're pretending that the book finished differently.

SCORE: 7.5/10
IF YOU LIKE: Illuminated (Erica Orloff), After Obsession (Carrie Jones)

Insatiable - Meg Cabot

Meg Cabot books have always had a special place on my bookshelf. I've been reading her since I discovered her Mediator series when I was around 13 or 14, and I've pretty much bought every one of her books after that simply because they were written by her. The thing I like most about Meg Cabot books is her style of writing - they're always very stream-of-conciousness and go off on tangents sometimes, which a lot of writers since her have tried to emulate. Insatiable is no exception to this, though it's written for adults instead of her usual teen audience.

Sick of vampires? Lots of people seem to be these days. Franchises like Twilight and True Blood have taken vampires and shoved them down everyone's throats in the past few years... yet vampire still SELLS. Meena Harper (get it? Meena? Like Mina in Dracula?) works for a soap opera as a dialogue writer, and is waiting for a well-deserved promotion. Unfortunately for Meena, she doesn't get the promotion - and she hates teh woman who does. The network and sponsor decide to take the soap opera in a different direction at the same time, and since vampires are what sells (and Lust, another soap opera, already features them and is killing in the ratings) their show will just have to add vampires into the mix as well. A vampire is very quickly cast and Meena is ordered to start writing vampire dialogue.

Of course, she isn't very happy by this. But Meena's life is about to get a little more complicated, too. Her nosy, annoying neighbor invites Meena and her brother Jon (get it? Jon? Like Jon in Dracula?) over for a party to meet her husband's cousin, a supposed Prince from Romania. Meena and the Prince hit it off... but he's hiding a pretty important secret about who he really is.

Oh, and that isn't all. There's been a lot of murders lately, where young girls have been drained of all their blood. This has attracted the attention of the Palatine, a secret military group fighting for the Vatican... to vanquish evil. Vampires. The Palatine have sent hunters to find and exterminate whatever is causing these murders. Which happen to be in New York City, the same place that Meena lives.

Did I mention that Meena has a special power that lets her see how people will die?

Yes, the plot is a bit far-fetched, but I don't expect anything less from Meg Cabot. She's created an intriguing story where characters have faults and vampires aren't beautiful, sparkling creatures. The story itself begins as a sort of a parody of the genre, and points out many of the faults of the whole vampire craze.

The characters, as usual, were some of my favourite parts of this book. Meena is headstrong and resists the typical damsel in distress stereotype. She can handle herself well enough (though she does need saving on occasion) and has a bit of a hero complex. Lucien (the prince) shares this hero complex and, while he can be nice sometimes, is also a bit controlling and seductive. Alaric, the hunter sent from the Palpatine, is... well... an ass. He's ridiculous and rude but one of the best written characters.

Overall, a great book that's a fast read. It's laugh-out-loud funny, and everything Meg Cabot is known for. Highly recommended.

SCORE: 9/10
IF YOU LIKE: Overbite (Meg Cabot), Sookie Stackhouse series (Charlaine Harris)

A Sweet Disorder - Jacqueline Kolosov

A Sweet Disorder is another one of those books I picked up for cheap simply because the cover looked pretty. I've always wanted to get into historical fiction, but every time I try to pick one up I find myself not being able to get into the setting or the style of writing. Movies are a completely different thing for me - I love movies like The Other Boleyn Girl. The books, however, I struggle with, and this one was no exception.

Once I got into the book (which took a few tries, let me tell you!) I found an enjoyable story about a teenager, Miranda, whose father dies suddenly. Because of this, her and her family are left in relative poverty with no dowry and no prospective suitors for Miranda. The man she was promised to, Henry, is forced by his family to pull out of their arranged marriage. With nowhere else to go, Miranda gets sent off to live with some distant family relations who prepare her for her final destination: the Court of Queen Elizabeth. Though she is going to court, the Countess of Turbury (her distant relation) is planning on marrying her off to a rich old man. This marriage will benefit both the Countess and Miranda's family, as the man is very wealthy and will be able to support them.

At court, Miranda is singled out for her sewing talents (How do I keep reading all these books about sewing and fashion?) and quickly becomes a favourite. This angers many of the other girls there, who would also like to be the favourites of the Queen and the court. Miranda realizes that this sewing talent may be her only way out of the marriage the Countess has arranged for her, and attempts to become a royal seamstress.

During this, Henry shows up at court. All the other girls would love to marry him, and many are very catty about it, willing to do anything to beat the competition and become his wife. Miranda, however, is still in love with Henry and (though she tries to hide it) finds herself drawn to him.

The main gripe I have with this book is the characters. Aside from Miranda, many of the ones that we were supposed to care about seemed like stock characters. For example, there was a small amount of character development on Henry, but for the most part he just played the 'gorgeous unattainable guy' stereotype and was very wooden. One of the antagonists in the book, a girl who wants to marry Henry, seems to have little to no motivation aside from wanting to marry Henry. Other characters showed promise, such as Chidiock Kyd. However, after a great introduction and development, Kyd only showed up again near the end of the book.

The dialogue didn't always feel real, especially for a historical book. I imagine it must be very difficult to write using language and sentence structure that isn't what we're used to today, but sometimes the lines coming from the character's mouths didn't seem consistent with the setting and events. I found that Miranda's thinking was sometimes a little ahead of her time as well. Overall, I enjoyed the book, but I definitely would have changed the ending (which was predictable) and given other characters like Kyd and Elizabeth I their time to shine.

SCORE: 6.8/10
IF YOU LIKE: The Red Queen's Daughter (Jacqueline Kolosov), The Other Boleyn Girl (Philippa Gregory)

The File on Angelyn Stark - Catherine Atkins

It's rare that I dislike the premise of a book. This is one of those cases. It's not that the whole thing was unenjoyable - that would be unfair to the author, and to the book. My problem is... well, you'll see what my problem is.

This book is about a girl named Angelyn Stark. Angelyn is a 15 year old girl who is a troublemaker, but has potential. Unfortunately, not many people see this potential in her - in fact, her support system is limited to about 5 people, two of which she is holding a grudge against, one of which she tries to avoid on a daily basis unless she has to, and her mother, who loves her because she's her daughter but doesn't treat her well all the time due to pressure from both her boyfriend and her job. Oh, and Angelyn's got a boyfriend who pressures her to have sex and deserts her when she refuses, and two wishy-washy friends who only like her because she's a delinquent, but they don't support her unless it's convenient for them.

That's one of my main problems with this book, actually - I know that teens face social problems all the time (I was a teenager, too!) but it seems improbable that EVERYONE at her school, with the exception of Jeni (who Angelyn makes fun of despite her being basically Angelyn's only friend at points), is a total and complete jerk. The school doesn't really seem to care about all of the bad things going on in the school, either; Angelyn's two 'sometime' friends get into fights and openly pick on other kids without any teachers or principals even bothering to step in.

The other problem I had with the book lies with the sheer amount of important plotlines in this book. Any one of these would have made a decent book on their own, but Ms. Atkins took all of her ideas and crammed them in one book. Angelyn has many problems going on in her life, you see. (Now's the time when I give a short list of them, so if you REALLY don't want any plot spoilers go past this part, but all of these are touched on very early in the novel)

1. Her stepfather/Mom's boyfriend is a jerk. He's not good for her mother, or for Angelyn. He is parasitic and oversteps his boundaries with both Angelyn and her Mom often. He is, quite simply put, a jerk.
2. Her boyfriend pressures her for sex, and expects a lot more from her. He's not a bad guy necessarily, but is under the impression that a 15-year-old girl should be putting out for her boyfriend if she doesn't want him to stray.
3. Her teacher, Mr. Rossi, is one of the few people who believes in Angelyn and thinks that she can make something of herself. Angelyn's friends think that he is in love with her, and Angelyn starts to blur the lines between student and teacher relationships.
4. When Angelyn was young, her neighbor and friend Nathan witnessed something between Angelyn and her stepfather. He claims that he saw the stepfather touching her - Angelyn claims that it was simply the way they were playing around. Since then, the Starks stand by the fact that Nathan (and his grandmother, who cared a lot for Angelyn as well) were lying about what they saw. Angelyn told the police that nothing happened... but Nathan and Angelyn can't both be telling the truth.

This book reminded me, in tone, to Prey by Lurlene McDaniel. However, where Lurlene's book was focused on just one of the subjects Catherine Atkins touches on, Angelyn Stark tries to cover a very broad range of topics all at once.

Not great, but not terrible. I wouldn't buy this one when it comes out in hardcover, but rather wait for the paperback or borrow it from the library. It's an easy read in the sense that the writing style isn't very difficult to understand, but the topics it covers might not be appropriate for the younger readers. The book isn't explicit or anything but the sheer amount of 'taboo' topics is a little overwhelming at times. This is the first book I've read by this author, and while I won't be running out to get her other books I wouldn't be against reading them.

SCORE: 5.5/10
IF YOU LIKE: Prey (Lurlene McDaniel), Alt Ed (Catherine Atkins)

The Other Side of the Island - Allegra Goodman

This is another one of those books that I picked up simply because it was a teen book, and cost only $2. I've been reading a lot of dystopian books lately, and this seemed like another good one to add to my collection.

Imagine a world where everything, from weather to school, jobs, and housing, is controlled by one person. This "Earth Mother", as she is called by the characters of the book, has slowly started controlling the world, island by island, after a flood. This was not just any old flood - it was a pretty major, earth-changing flood. Earth Mother decided that real weather is too Unpredictable. Unpredictable things can be dangerous, which instilled so much fear into the human race that people started fleeing to these controlled areas, where Earth Mother is regarded as a god of sorts, and all traces of old government and old religion are abolished. Earth Mother takes everything into her own hands - songs of praise are changed to worship her, books are not allowed to be owned in homes, drawing is forbidden, and portions of books are even changed (and only found at schools and libraries, of course) to fit with the new teachings.

While some people are essentially brainwashed and follow anything and everything Earth Mother/her government tells them to do, there are of course those who rebel. Bad things happen to people who rebel and are caught - they disappear forever. Honor's parents happen to be rebels to Earth Mother's plan.

I wasn't blown away by this book or anything, but I did enjoy it and read through it in one sitting. The story was somewhat predictable, but that didn't take away from the experience at all. While I had theories on what was going to happen and where Honor's parents were, I was glued to the book waiting to figure out if I was right or wrong.

One interesting thing to note is that Honor's age changes as the book progresses. She begins at a younger age (10) which was a bit strange for me to get used to, as I normally read books with much older protagonists. However, the book spans a number of years as Honor grows and learns more about the world and forms her own opinion of Earth Mother. I thought this was a nice touch, as it isn't something I've encountered often in my readings.

An interesting read that goes beyond your typical "teen wants to fit in" plotline. If you're looking for something dystopian but fresh, I would recommend this one. It's not your typical teen book by any means, and it lags at parts, but the author has created a compelling world.

SCORE: 7/10
IF YOU LIKE: The Sky Inside (Clare Dunkle), Floodland (Marcus Sedgwick)

Breakfast At Bloomingdale's - Kristen Kemp

I picked this book up a few years ago for something ridiculous like $2 on clearance. Given my giant backlog of books, it was inevitable that this book was going to get lost in the crazy mess I call my room. I forgot about it for so long - it was only while cleaning up recently I managed to find it again. I was looking for something light to read, and this seemed like just the kind of thing I needed.

The first thing couple of pages grabbed me immediately. The opening setting is not one that is used often in books: Upstate New York. (I know, I know, saying "upstate New York" is very vague. For native New Yorkers, "upstate" is anything that's not NYC or Long Island.) Specifically, the book opens in Queensbury, NY, a small city located north of Albany and Saratoga Springs in the Adirondack mountains. This is especially significant to me as my family has a summer cottage in the Adirondacks, and I often find myself in Queensbury. It was fun to read about a place that I have actually been to for once! :)

This didn't last long, though. Very early in the book, the heroine, Cat, moves to New York City to reinvent herself as a fashion designer. She has a dream to accomplish, one that she once shared with her recently deceased grandmother: sell her Audrey Hepburn-inspired clothing line, Breakfast, in Bloomingdale's.

Of course, this doesn't go as easily as Cat would hope. She meets a group of people who redefine the word 'eclectic', including the book's love interest: a hot guy who happens to moonlight as a clown.

This was a very funny, fast read, though it did lose me at times. In a nutshell, this book is about fashion. While you don't have to necessarily be a designer to understand this book, I imagine it certainly would help. I have an appreciation for fashion but know next to nothing about sewing and how clothes are created. There were many scenes in this book describing how exactly Cat is creating the clothes; I imagine the author either researched this book a lot or has worked in fashion. Picturing some of these outfits in my head, especially those made by the people Cat is working alongside, was a chore at times.

Overall, though, I did enjoy this book. While it was not the best book I have read this year, month, or even week, it was still fun and fast. I didn't LOVE this book, but I did like it. It didn't bring anything new to the table... but that's exactly what I was expecting. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who has a passing interest in fashion.

SCORE: 7/10
IF YOU LIKE: The Daughters (Joanna Philbin), Ripped At The Seams (Nancy Krulik)

13 Little Blue Envelopes - Maureen Johnson

I just read a FANTASTIC book. It took me less than a day to read it from cover to cover, and I just couldn't put it down.

It's called 13 Little Blue Envelopes and it's by Maureen Johnson. I've never read any of Johnson's books before, though I've certainly seen them around. I was drawn in by the cover - I know, I know, I'm bad - but in this case, it was a good decision on my part!

The story is about Ginny, a girl who just lives life day by day and doesn't take any risks. She receives a letter from her dead Aunt Peg who, years ago, ran away to Europe and only kept in touch through a series of postcards and letters. In the letter, there are 13 smaller, blue envelopes. Peg gives Ginny a challenge, of sorts: open each letter one by one. The first can be opened on the plane, but the rest can only be opened upon successful completion of the previous letter. They must be done in order. There are some rules Ginny has to follow:

* Rule #1:
You may bring only what fits in your backpack. Don't try to fake it with a purse or a carry-on.
* Rule #2:
You may not bring guidebooks, phrase books, or any kind of foreign language aid. And no journals.
* Rule #3:
You cannot bring extra money or credit/debit cards, traveler's checks, etc. I'll take care of all that.
* Rule #4:
No electronic crutches. This means no laptop, no cell phone, no music, and no camera. You can't call home or communicate with people in the U.S. by Internet or telephone. Postcards and letters are acceptable and encouraged.

And so, Ginny gets on a plane and begins the single most exciting journey of her life. As she travels from country to country, completing the letters, she meets new people and finally starts coming out of her shell.

Now, I'm not going to tell you guys exactly where she goes, or what she does there. That defeats the purpose of the book - you find out, with Ginny, the locations and tasks and have to piece together the mystery surrounding Aunt Peg, and the people she came across in her journeys.

This book is a must-read. It's not paranormal, the kind of book I most like to read, but I found myself getting more into it than most books I've read in a while. One of the best parts of this book (in my opinion) is Keith, a boy she meets early on in London and gets a bit of a crush on. Keith is funny, smart, but also a bit messed up in his own way. Johnson nailed the accent on him, too - as I read, I heard his voice talking with an accent in my head! I've read some criticisms about Keith, with people saying that they didn't like the way he acted, and thought he could have been better written. I don't think so - yes, he has flaws, but doesn't everyone? I was actually a fan of him; he wasn't perfect, and he didn't treat Ginny perfectly all the time, but guys aren't perfect. I actually think that Johnson did a good job making him feel like a real person.

The only downside to this book, really, was the inclusion of a group of Australians later on in the book. I found that they didn't really do much to push the story along, were added in very quickly, and weren't that interesting. Had Johnson spent more time developing these characters I might have liked them, but I felt like they were kind of one-dimensional (filler, in a way).

If you can get past the fact that the story is about a girl who, at 17, is allowed to go off to Europe on her own (it happens all the time here, but we finish high school while we're 17) then I highly suggest you read this one.

I'm so excited that there's going to be a sequel - it comes out April 26th! Be sure to pick this one up now and read it before the next one comes out! :)

SCORE: 9/10
IF YOU LIKE: Paper Towns (John Green), Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (Rachel Cohn)

Prey - Lurlene McDaniel

Lurlene McDaniel is mostly known for her teen books about tragedy and recovery. I'm not talking Romeo and Juliet, but rather sick teenagers, tragic accidents, and the healing that follows these sort of events. I've read a few of Lurlene's books in the past, mostly when I was younger, but eventually outgrew them. She's good at what she does, but never really seems to deviate from the inspirational teen genre.

That's why I was so shocked to see Prey on the shelf at the bookstore. This story is one completely ripped from today's headlines; the taboo relationship between a student and a teacher. You hear more and more about situations like this one on the news these days, and the news always paints the teacher as the seducer, or the predator.

McDaniel's novel takes this to a whole other level by speaking entirely in first person throughout the story, with chapters alternating between the three main characters: Lori, the teacher; Ryan, the student; Honey, Ryan's friend who harbors a crush on him. Lori, from the start of the book, pinpoints Ryan and says that she knows he will be the One. Ryan, on the other hand, thinks that his new teacher is gorgeous and wants to get to know her better.

As their relationship progresses, it gets harder to tell who seducing who. Both Lori and Ryan try desperately to impress one another, and while the blame should be put on Lori, as she is the adult, it is just as much Ryan's fault that they are doing what they are doing. The sex scenes are handled well, with activities being implied, but never explicitly described. Most readers should be able to know exactly what's happening during these parts, but for those of you who don't: they have sex. Multiple times. And it's consensual (even though Ryan is 15 at the beginning of the book).

The story plays out pretty much the way you would assume it does: Lori does get caught, and goes to jail for a small amount of time before her and Ryan get back together. The true draw to this book lies in the psychology behind the actions, the way the characters think and reason. I very much disliked the character of Lori; I'm not sure anyone would like her. However, I thought she was well written, and I enjoyed reading her view on what was happening. Ryan, on the other hand, did not sound like a 15/16 year old to me. My youngest sister is that age, and she would never think the way that he did. His voice seems like that of an older teen, 17-18, or possibly even a young adult. I know it must be hard to write as a 15 year old boy, but his character didn't seem realistic to me.

Honey, on the other hand, is a whole other story. While her voice is fine - she speaks and thinks exactly like a girl her age should - I felt that her parts were added in only to progress the story later on in the book. While she was indeed the catalyst that brought on the climax of the book, her earlier scenes didn't seem that important; I felt like they were only there so that her inclusion later on in the novel wouldn't be as random. There wasn't much depth to her character, or the character of Ryan.

While this was not an amazing book, I think Lurlene did a good job with the subject. It's hard to write about something like this, and I commend her for leaving her comfort zone and writing about something unfamiliar to her. While I wouldn't read this one again, I certainly read through it fast, and found myself wondering about what would happen to the characters.

SCORE: 6/10
IF YOU LIKE: Go Ask Alice (Anonymous), The Face on the Milk Carton (Caroline B. Cooney)

Tighter - Adele Griffin

From the first page, we are introduced to Jamie, a girl who is being sent off to work as an au pair on a small, secluded New England island. The island is mostly off the map to everyone except the locals, and a handful of 'lifers' who come every year to vacation in their summer homes. Jamie is put in charge of Isa, an 11 year old girl with a wild imagination and an unconventional family. Isa lives alone with Connie, her housekeeper, while her father is away in Hong Kong.

Soon after Jamie settles in, Milo, Isa's trouble making brother (who, at 14 years old, is gorgeous and totally off-limits) arrives after being kicked out of summer camp. While Isa loves Miles, the town and Connie all seem to be very against him being on the island.

Jamie quickly learns about the previous au pair and her boyfriend, and the tragedy that happened on the island last year. Jessie, Isa's old babysitter, was killed in an accident with her boyfriend, Peter. The town is very reluctant to talk about what happened, making Jamie more curious as to what happened. Jamie becomes more and more consumed by the deaths and the mystery surrounding them as she begins to see the dead couple around the island. This is not new to Jamie - she has been seeing her dead relatives, Hank and Uncle Jim, for a while now. While she is not sure why they are coming to her, or what they want, she has resorted to stealing pills from her family's medicine cabinet to make them go away.

Part ghost story and part psychological thriller, this book was fantastic from beginning to end. The whole thing played out very much like a movie, and reminded me quite a bit (in terms of tone, not story) of the movie The Others. The story kept you guessing right until the very end, and was loaded with twists and turns that caught you off-guard.

I especially liked the character of Jamie. She is not your typical cookie-cutter heroine - she has problems, like everyone else. She struggles with events from her past and the reality of her future throughout the book, and speaks in a very real voice. It is hard to tell what is real and what isn't for Jamie, as the pills she takes skew her vision of the world and the events that are happening. The fact that the main character is unsure of what is actually real throughout the book makes it all the more disturbing and unsettling for the reader. How can we draw conclusions about the outcome of the book if the heroine herself can't fully tell us what is happening? I thought this was a fantastic way to write the book; I was creating theories and making guesses right until the very end.

One thing I particularly liked was the ending. Looking back on the book now, there are so many little hints about what is coming at the end that just went right over my head when I read them. This book definitely merits a reread - I feel like I'll discover more clues and foreshadowing as I go through it. The twist at the end of this is definitely on par with the ending of The Sixth Sense and The Others in my mind, which is great!

This book is not out for the general public yet (it only comes out in May) but I do hope it gets the recognition it deserves. It was a fantastic YA novel, and I will definitely be singing praises about this one for a long time!

One thing to note: this book is partially based on Henry James' The Turn of the Screw, a novella from 1898. While I have not read the original (I certainly will if I can get my hands on it, though!) I've skimmed over the summary. It's not exactly the same - the story is similar at the start, but then Griffin takes the story to a whole new level and makes it her own. Since this is a modern retelling, with a different story at its core, the reader will get the same experience whether they've read the original or not.

SCORE: 8.8/10
IF YOU LIKE: The Turn of the Screw (Henry James), Ruined (Paula Morris)

A Shore Thing - Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi

I borrowed this book from work (when you work at my store, you're allowed taking books home for 2 weeks. How cool is that?) a while back. I picked it up for one obvious reason: it's written by Snooki! I've never actually seen Jersey Shore, except for the first half of the first episode, which I had to shut off. I've followed Snooki in the tabloids, though, so I'm pretty familiar with her escapades. I decided to read this book for a laugh, thinking it would be the absolute biggest piece of trash I've ever set eyes on.

I was right, for a while. The first page introduces the main character, Gia, who pretty much looks exactly like Snooki. Gia is in the process of getting her signature poof up for a night out. Gia and her cousin, Bella, are spending time at the Jersey shore this summer. They're ready to spend the summer partying and meeting boys. Gia wants to meet a nice gorilla juicehead (read: large Italian man on steroids), and Bella is looking to get over her last boyfriend.

They hit Seaside Heights like a hurricane, causing destruction and chaos wherever they go. They get into completely ridiculous situations, from "rescuing" a shark on the beach and setting a building on fire, to getting involved with a boy who's up to no good and his equally slimy best friend. They also run into some of Gia's old jealous classmates, who are out to ruin her summer (and her life). Honestly, it seemed like there was never a dull moment for Bella and Gia.

Of course, each girl ends up finding a guy during the course of the book - Gia with Frank, a fireman, and Bella with her employer, the manager of a gym. Each couple runs into many problems during their relationship, breaking up or fighting in almost every chapter.

Each chapter plays out like an episode of Jersey Shore, making the whole book like watching a whole season. This made for very interesting reading. It's not a fantastic piece of literature, or anything, but I found it difficult to put the book down at times.

I did find this book slow to read, though. Normally I'm a very fast reader, and I'm able to knock back a book (or two or three) in a day. I took over a week to finish this book. It's not because the language is too complicated (ha!) or even that the story dragged. My guess is since there's SO MUCH information in this book, and so much drama, my brain just took longer to process it.

Snooki definitely put a lot of herself in this book, and I could picture her saying everything as I read it. She did write this with the help of a ghostwriter, but based on the writing itself I think they only helped her to get her ideas onto paper. This book is all Snooki. It's no Jane Eyre, but it's funny, and I was definitely rooting for Gia and Bella, as annoying as they were at points.

Not bad for a first time author, at all. I was pleasantly surprised with this one! Wait for the paperback this summer or borrow it from the library, but don't avoid this just because it's Snooki! Perfect for a trashy beach read this summer - it's like being in Seaside Heights without actually having to go there and deal with the guidos/guidettes :)

SCORE: 7/10
IF YOU LIKE: L.A. Candy (Lauren Conrad), The Rules According to JWoww (Jenni Farley)

Delirium - Lauren Oliver

I received this book at work months and months ago, before it came out. That's one of the perks of working at a bookstore - you get Advance Reader Copies (ARCs, as they'll be known on here!). They're always uncorrected proofs, so there are occasionally typos or mistakes, and the cover is not always the final one (as it was in this case). However, it's a free book, an EARLY book, and I would never turn down something like that!

So, let's get cracking. The premise of this book was certainly an interesting one - not one I'm sure I'd ever seen done before. I would consider it to be teen science fiction; it's not paranormal, but it is certainly not your average story. Without giving too much away, here's the basic plot:

Lena lives in a world where love is a disease, and has a cure. When someone nears their 18th birthday, they have to have an interview to help them find a potential mate for the future. After this is done, as soon as their birthday happens, they go in for surgery to 'correct' the disease. People then either go to college, if they're smart enough, or go directly to their new life with their new spouse. 'Cured' people all bear a similar scar from the surgery, and go through life without ever experiencing love. Life is considerably boring for these people, but once the surgery's been done, they see their lives as happy and fulfilling.

Those who are not fixed by the surgery either die, or live in "The Wilds". The Wilds are barren, destroyed, and - according to the government - nonexistent. They are kept out of the rest of the USA by electric fences, meant to keep out both their disease and their ideas.

Lena, however, does the unthinkable right before her birthday... she falls in love with a boy from the Wilds. Hiding their romance is hard as they are constantly surveillanced, and as Lena gets to know the boy, Alex, she begins to question the surgery, her ideas, and her government.

I won't lie - it was a bit slow at the beginning. I knew from the back of the book that Lena would meet a boy, and I spent the first bit of the book waiting for it. Once it finally introduced him, the book took its time creating the romance between Lena and Alex. Once it got started, however, it was SO worth it. The book picked up and I found myself so caught up in it that I didn't sleep one night! The characters were well written, though I wish the character of Hana would have been in it a bit more; she was a main character at the beginning, but then disappeared and didn't come back until the end of the book. I guess this is what the sequels will be for, though! Alex had a fantastic personality, and I was glad to see that he had a back story and real motives, unlike many male characters.

I'm looking forward to reading the following two books in this series. I wish they were out now... I'm not sure I can wait for them! In the meantime, I think I'll pick up Oliver's previous work, Before I Fall.

SCORE: 9/10
IF YOU LIKE: Matched (Ally Condie), Gone (Michael Grant), Uglies (Scott Westerfeld)