Lizzie's Book Reviews and Other Important Stuff

2010-01-27T11:06:00.000-08:00

I totally forgot I had this blog :(
Not into reading so much anymore, busy with school 24/7.
It's taken me almost two months to get through the first Gemma Doyle book, because I've only got time to read at dinner and in the bath lol.
Oh well.

The Hunger Games

2009-03-30T15:10:00.001-07:00

Name: The Hunger Games
Author: Suzanne Collins
Rating: 4.5/5

Synopsis:

Sometime after the world as we know it ends a new nation called Panem emerges. Panem is divided into 12 districts, and one Capitol. Katniss Everdeen lives in District 12 with her mother and little sister. Since her father died in a mining accident she has had to fight everyday, breaking laws and risking her life just to keep her family fed. Once a year the Capitol holds The Hunger Games, where one boy and one girl over the age of 12 from each of the 12 districts are thrown into an arena. At the end, only one person is still living, and they are the winner. To decide who goes, each district holds a “Reaping”. At the age of 12 you automatically get one ticket added to the Reaping hat. If you’re poor and cannot get food to eat, you can trade more name tickets for grain. That means you now have a better chance of being called out at The Reaping, and sent into the unknown to fight for your life. After Katniss’ sister is pulled out of the “Reaping Hat”, Katniss volunteers to take her place. The boy that is called out is Peeta, the son of a baker (get it? Peeta? Baking?), and the boy Katniss credits with saving her life after her father died. Suddenly they are hauled away from their family and taken to The Capitol, where the rich people of Panem live. After a week of training, preparations and ceremonies, The Hunger Games have finally begun. Since only one person can win, that means either Katniss or Peeta has to die. Or do they?

Review:

In a world where Twilight is considered the best YA novel ever, I am very happy to see The Hunger Games get so much attention. It is a great example of what a YA novel should be. It is unique, creative, and makes you think long after you’ve finished the book. The plot is gripping; you hate having to picture these kids killing each other, but you also want the main characters to win! Typical of a YA novel is has much gooey romance to win over the stubborn sci-fi readers. The ending is both inspiring but worrying. My only complaint is that the author could have been a tad bit more creative when naming the characters. It reminded me of those celebrities who name their kids wacky things like Zuma and Pilot. But once you get over that, you wont want to put this book down.

Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott

2009-03-30T14:30:00.000-07:00

Name: Living Dead Girl
Author: Elizabeth Scott
Rating: 5/5

Synopsis:

Three days before her tenth birthday she went on a field trip to the aquarium. This is the day her life ended. Now, five years later she is Alice. Her “dad” is Ray. But she is not a little girl anymore, and Ray only wants a little girl. She knows he must kill her and find a new Alice. The thought excites her. She can’t wait to finally go home. The question is; when is it going to happen?

Review:

Living Dead Girl is both gripping and highly disturbing. Author Elizabeth Scott takes a subject matter that is highly unappealing to other YA authors and turns it into a short but beautiful piece of work. The short chapters and rushed dialog forced you to feel a part of what Alice was feeling. You could clearly picture her sadness, her hopelessness and her greed. Though it seems like the decisions she makes are horribly selfish and cruel, you can understand why she feels this way. The ending was both happy and sad, and leaves you with a lot of things to think about. The story itself reminded me of The Collector by John Fowls, a book that holds a permanent position on my “favorites” shelf. Living Dead Girl will be placed next to it. It is a near perfect novel in my eyes. Due to the graphic nature of the story it is not for everyone though. People who have experienced trauma in their life may be “triggered” by the events that take place. I also think the author should consider publishing a version that has a reading guide at the end, as some teens may not know how to gather their thoughts when the story ends.

Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging

2009-02-24T16:11:00.001-08:00

Title: Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging
Author: Louise Rennison
Rating: 4.3

Georgia Nicolson is a pretty normal 14-year-old British girl. She hates her parents, her little sister is insane, her cat wants to eat the poodle next-door, she’s questioning her sexuality, and of course she thinks she will never get a boyfriend (or girlfriend for that matter). Through her journal entries we get all the juicy insight into her life. Georgia suspects her mother of having an affair while her father is away in New Zealand. She also thinks her best friend has betrayed her by going for a coffee with Robbie, the boy Georgia is in love with. She also shaves off her eyebrows and accidentally tears a large clump of hair off her head. Finally, she loses her beloved cat/beast, Angus, which leads her to Robbie, who it turns out is in love with her too. But as soon as they finally do some “full-frontal snogging” Georgia finds out she’s leaving for holiday in New Zealand next week. Will her new relationship withstand a summer apart? You’ll have to read the next book in the series to find out.

Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging is written in diary form. You will either love this format or hate it. I found that for this series it works a lot better than a regular novel; if a part is getting boring (which is a problem I had with this book) you can simply move to the next entry. It definitely wasn’t as hilarious as it’s supposed to be, and as I said it got a bit boring in some parts. I suffered from much second-hand embarrassment, even if the characters were fictional. The situations Georgia gets herself into are not at all un-realistic, which made them more cringe-worthy. This is a British book so some of the language Georgia uses may be unfamiliar to American teens. The version I read had a handy glossary with clever definitions for all the British slang. Overall Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging is a prime example of a great YA novel. It is unique, fun, and highly enjoyable.

Privilege by Kate Brian

2009-02-23T22:14:00.001-08:00

Title: Privilege
Author: Kate Brian
Rating: 2.9/5

Ariana Osgood used to be the queen of Easton Academy. But then she accidentally killed Thomas Pearson, the love of her life. For the past sixteen months she’s been locked up at the Brenda T. Trumbull Correctional Facility for Women. She has been plotting her escape the entire time, and on the Fourth of July she finally gets her chance. Once Ariana is free she will do anything to get the life she’s always wanted. And I mean everything.

I will start off by saying I have not read the Private series that this book was based on, nor have I read it’s prequel Last Christmas. I have no intention of reading them either. I wouldn’t say Private is necessarily a bad or even poorly written book. The author is clearly an accomplished YA novel writer, and her books have quite the following. This story just wasn’t my “cup of tea” so to speak. The plot was extremely un-realistic, and the characters were all insane to the point that it slightly frustrated me. The ending was also pretty ridiculous. At the end I was left confused, I didn’t know whether to love or hate Ariana Osgood and her new identity. I was also a little upset that the only seemingly innocent character in the book turned out to be the bad guy. The sequel, Beautiful Disaster, comes out in June, maybe I will have to check it out.

Coming soon

2009-02-22T16:04:00.001-08:00

Hello! Here are the upcoming reviews you will see from me this week:

Privilege
Hoppergrass
Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging
Stolen

I need to figure out some ways to advertise this thing. Maybe I will become affiliates with other book review blogs?

Kisses and Lies review

2009-02-16T18:32:00.000-08:00

Title: Kisses and Lies
Author: Lauren Henderson
Rating: 4.8/5

What this book is about:
Scarlett Wakefield is being forced to build a new life at Wakefield Hall. Six months ago, at a party at a posh London penthouse, her longtime crush Dan McAndrew died in her arms at after they shared a hot, steamy kiss. Since then, the London tabloids have deemed her the “Kiss of Death Girl”. But one day she receives a mysterious letter in her school desk that leads her on the path to finding Dan’s real killer. She finds out that someone stole Dan’s Epi-Pen, an emergency syringe that would have saved his life. As if this isn’t shocking enough, she finds the allergen that killed him- peanut oil. Someone poured peanut oil on the crisps that Scarlett ate. Another clue leads her to Dan’s twin brother, Callum. Could he have killed his own brother? Or, was it his greedy girlfriend Lucy? Scarlett takes a holiday to the McAndrew family castle in Scotland, determined to find the killer.

My Thoughts:
Kisses and Lies is a really fun novel. It actually was even better than the first book; Kiss Me Kill Me. Scarlett is still confident, witty, and a little catty, but this time her personality is even more extreme. The pace really picked up in the second half of the book, when Scarlett gets to Scotland. She meets a whole new group of fun characters, and takes her sleuthing to the next level. When the killer was finally identified, I thought it was a bit ridiculous, as was the last action scene. But the ending seemed to work, and though not everything was tied up, it felt complete.

Kiss Me Kill Me

2009-02-01T21:15:00.001-08:00

Title: Kiss Me Kill Me
Author: Lauren Henderson
Rating: 4.7/5

What this book is about:

Scarlett Wakefield has two New Year’s wishes. The first is to get boobs. The second is to kiss Dan McAndrew. In a classic case of “be careful what you wish for” she gets both of these things. Her boobs grow a little bit too much, which makes gymnastics a little harder. And when she finally gets her kiss with Dan McAndrew, he dies with his tongue in her mouth. Off the bat, everyone blames Scarlett. Her only friends hate her, and she’s been expelled from her school and forced to move back in with her grandmother who runs the prestigious Wakefield Hall for girls. The police say Dan died of an extreme allergic reaction. But what was he allergic to? And why didn’t he have his Epi-Pen in his pocket- Something he never left home without? Everyone is left wondering until Scarlett receives and anonymous note that leads her on the journey to clearing her own name and finding the true cause of Dan’s death.

What I thought about it:

Kiss Me Kill me is a prime example of the “don’t judge a book by it’s cover” philosophy. At first glance you might think, “Ick! A cheesy romance novel.” But really, this novel contains a very small amount of romance. The book has that very British feel- a little bit catty and very witty- feel similar to Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging, which is something I love. In fact, I wish more American books would have that British feel. There were some bits in between the beginning of the chapters that were in handwriting, and while the handwriting resembled thick black squiggles and was hard to read, it really added to the mystery. Overall I was really surprised at how much I enjoyed Kiss Me Kill Me, and though the year has only just started it is my favorite so far! I can’t wait to read the sequel, Kisses and Lies.

Review- Must Love Black

2009-01-24T16:57:00.001-08:00

(I'm trying a new format for these posts)

Name: Must Love Black
Author: Kelly McClymer
Overall Rating: 2.5/5 (nothing special)

Philippa is a slightly-abnormal black-clothes-loving high school junior. Still mourning the death of her mother several years ago, and bummed both about her best friend going on a Habitat for Humanity trip and her father marrying the evil Krystal, she takes a nanny job at the secluded Chrysalis Cliff. The classified ad is strange, reading:

Wanted: Nanny for 10-year-old twins. Main Coast. Own room and generous salary. MUST LOVE BLACK.

And of course, this sounds like the perfect job for her. Discreetly planning to be picked up in a limo at her father's wedding, Philippa promptly falls in love with Chrysalis Cliff gardener and part-time driver, Geoff. Unfortunately, like in many other YA novels, Geoff seemingly already has a girlfriend, who happens to be not only Philippa's boss, but her polar opposite as well. Upon arrival she finds two very well behaved little girls, and a father who is too busy managing the Chrysalis Cliff resort to spend time with his daughters. She also finds out that the girls mother has "fallen off" the notorious Cliff of Chrysalis, and they now believe she is a ghost. So begins Philippa's very eventful summer.

Must Love Black, despite the premise, is a very typical YA novel. This may, or may not be a good thing. I personally expected something a little more out-there, and was slightly disappointed. But; if you're looking something that is very quick and cute, with characters that have slightly abnormal personalities, you'll probably enjoy this.

Review for Rancho Weirdo by Laura Chester

2009-01-15T18:00:00.000-08:00

Rancho Weirdo is a compilation of short stories about Hispanic people, and Hispanic culture. In one story, a man and his friend who live near the Mexican border open their home to illegal aliens traveling through the hills and get more than they expected. In another story a woman struggles with her gender identity, finding peace only in her later years of life. A story titled Breaking it all Down is about a woman who is having a conversation with her ex-husbands fiancé. There are 17 stories in the book, and each story is accompanied by full-color illustrations by Haeri Yoo.

I enjoyed most of the stories in Rancho Weirdo very much. My favorite was probably The Spoon, a story about a man who spends a couple days at a strange Bed and Breakfast. The narrative voice was light and refreshing, but changed slightly for every story. You could tell they were written by the same author, yet they were unique. As much as I enjoyed the stories though, I really loved the illustrations. Some were simple sketches done in black ink, while others were done with a combination of crayon, colored pencil and marker. The drawings are in full color, which is good, because you wouldn’t be able to appreciate them as much if they were in black and white. I also liked that the book is printed on high-quality gloss paper, which makes the “book” smell that I love stronger. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves short stories and illustrations.

2009-01-08T12:16:00.000-08:00

Blahhhhh. Things have not been going my way this week.

Moxy Maxwell Does not Love Writing Thank-You Notes

2008-12-31T21:52:00.000-08:00

Moxy Maxwell and her twin brother Mark are supposed to spend the last week of Christmas vacation with their father in Hollywood. They are supposed to go to a big Hollywood party, with big Hollywood stars. But first Moxy has to write twelve thank-you notes for the Christmas presents she received the day before. This task is a lot harder than it seems.

Moxy Maxwell Does not Love Writing Thank-you Notes is short and fun. It did not have the charm that I expect out of a children's book though. The photographs were a nice touch, but in many of them it was hard to tell what was going on, because they were shot in color, but copied in black/white. I felt the chapters were much too short, and I didn't really enjoy the dialog. It tried to be funny but just didn't work out. I would have enjoyed the narrative better if it had been from Moxy's point of view instead of an unknown third person. While the book is OK, I wouldn't recommend it.

(An actual review) The Crazy School

2008-12-31T21:46:00.000-08:00

Madeline Dare is a reformed Debutante from Syracuse, New York. In the fall of 1989 she moves to the Berkshire Mountains in Massachusetts with her husband Dean. She takes a job as a history teacher at the Santangelo Academy, a “therapeutic” boarding school for outcast teens. One night a student named Mooney punches his fist through a window, and then revels in secret to Madeline that his girlfriend Fay is pregnant. Madeline vows to tell no one but her best friend and fellow teacher, Lulu. When Fay and Mooney are poisoned at Fay’s birthday party, Madeline is arrested for murder. She must then uncover the secrets of this “crazy school” and clear her name at the same time. The Crazy School is a follow-up to 2006’s A Field of Darkness.

The Crazy School is a somewhat accurate portrayal of damaged teens. The Santangelo Academy is a place my parents would most definitely send me if it were real. In fact I’m pretty sure my three brothers would’ve been sent there as well, though they would’ve ran away. The story does not divulge too much into the lives of the mentally-ill and drug addled teens, but instead focuses more on the murder mystery at hand. While I would’ve preferred a deeper look into their lives, I definitely enjoyed this story. Having not read the synopsis or the first book, I was very surprised when the two teens turned up dead, especially since the characters Fay and Mooney were so easy to relate to, I really felt sad for them. Though the book quickly turns into a darker more serious novel, it is filled with dry humor and silly characters like Madeline’s lawyer Markham and the stuffed-toy obsessed Mindy. It is nicely balanced out with the heartbreak felt within the character of Dhumavati, who is the school’s Dean of Students. This novel tackles hot topics such as teen pregnancy, without the political narrative being too overpowering, which I really liked. The ending was definitely not predictable, in fact I was a little shocked when the murderer was finally revealed. Actually I was very shocked! Though at times the book was a little slow-moving, The Crazy School is a good read filled with lots of mystery, a little suspense, and a dash of silliness good for those nights when you just can’t sleep.

I wrote this review a while ago, in fact it was one of the first I did. To sum it up, I love this book, and highly recommend it.

Freeze Frame Review

2008-12-31T21:45:00.000-08:00

Heidi Ayarbe’s debut novel, Freeze Frame is certainly very exciting. It’s fast pace, short sentences and back-and-forth timeline makes it almost TOO exciting. Reading this book just nearly drove me into panic attack mode. The novel stars Kyle Caroll, a 15-year-old from Nevada. On a cold Winter morning Kyle and his best friend Jason decide to into the shed. The next thing Kyle knows, Jason is lying on the floor bleeding to death. Kyle has apparently shot his best friend. He then wakes up in police custody, not knowing where he is or that Jason is even dead. The novel is set up like a movie, some scenes are re-shot, and it is filmed out of order. It may seem confusing but it was really easy to get into. I felt really bad for the characters Jason and Kyle. Being a huge movie nerd, I loved all the Pop Culture references. The story’s format makes it all the more heartbreaking, since you only get bits and pieces of the story at a time and it’s up to you to piece them together. This made it a very unique read and though it’s a hefty 300+ pages, I read it in one day. I would definitely recommend this novel for the teen who likes darker stories, but it’s probably not for the Gossip Girl crowd.

A very short review of Emmaline and the Bunny

2008-12-31T21:42:00.002-08:00

Emaline lives in the very tidy town of Neatasapin, where Mayor Orson Oliphant has banned everything untidy. Spaghetti is a no-no, and all the wild animals had to go! But the one thing Emmaline longs for most is a wild bunny companion. She finally meets one! But her parents think it's just a dream. What can Emmaline do to convince her parents to give the wild bunny a home?

Emmaline and the Bunny is an adorable book. It's a perfect bedtime story, or anytime story. It'd be good for new readers. I really enjoyed the pictures also, they were simple but very cute.

Yeah I know this is short, IDC it was for the Firstlook thing and they don't care how much you write, OK?

Lion Eyes review

2008-12-31T21:42:00.001-08:00

Claire Berlinski is the author of a spy novel called Loose Lips. She lives in Paris and begins exchanging emails with an Iranian man whom she calls the “Lion”. When Claire takes a visit to Istanbul to meet the Lion , she finds herself in the middle of a real-life spy novel, and realizes that not only is the Lion not who she thinks he is, but she isn’t who the Lion thinks she is.

The plot of this book is a little more than confusing at first. In real life, there is an author named Claire Berlinski, and she really did write the 2004 novel Loose Lips. So you could consider Lion Eyes sort of a memoir of another dimension. Now, besides the fact that Lion Eyes was pretty much just a long advertisement for Berlinski’s first novel, Loose Lips, I did enjoy it. The main plot with Claire’s adventures in Istanbul was indeed thrilling, but the ending was kinda blah, and I actually enjoyed the subplot with Sam and Lynne more. Their love story was really sweet, and the ending for them was adorable. Claire’s story didn’t seem to really have an end though, and it kind of left me even more confused then when I started reading the book. I think it does well for a romance/spy novel though, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes those genres.

The Child- Review

2008-11-24T19:32:00.001-08:00

Stewie is a gay 15-year-old from a troubled family. He begins a relationship with a 39-year-old man named David, whom he met on the internet. When he is arrested at Grand Central Station and his family finds out, David is charged with molestation. Stewie is forced to testify against him, though he maintains he was not forced into sexual contact. His family does not want him in their house anymore and is upset when a social worker refuses to put him in a juvenile detention center. Eventually he is accused of killing his 7-year-old nephew and tried as an adult.

Eva and Hockey are David’s defense attorneys. Eva is a lesbian who is having issues with her lover Mary. She is also battling health problems. Hockey is a HIV+ gay man whose lover has just died of AIDS. Together they struggle to create a defense for their client without putting too much blame on Stewie, who they feel is also a victim.

The controversial premise may stray people away from The Child, but those who pick it up will not be disappointed. Sarah Schulman is no new face to the LGBT community, and what other authors may avoid like the plague, Schulman takes head on. Dealing taboo subjects- AIDS, homophobia, and teen sexuality, and even pedophilia, the author shows us just how important it is to be educated on these subjects. The Child is a book everyone can learn something from, and it will be appreciated by people of every type.

Review- Run by Ann Patchett

2008-10-30T13:18:00.000-07:00

Tip and Teddy were abandoned by their mother as babies and adopted by Bernard and Bernadette Doyle. Four years later Bernadette dies of cancer. The story is set 12 years after their mother dies, Tip and Teddy are now university students, Tip studying to be an ichthyologist (fish specialist), and Teddy considering the priesthood (the Doyle's are Irish Catholics). Their father is the former mayor of Boston and is disappointed since his sons do not want to go into politics. One night they are scheduled to attend a lecture taught by Jesse Jackson with their dad, and after the lecture they get into a heated argument. Tip walks into the middle of the street and narrowly avoids being hit by an SUV, only saved by a woman named Tennessee who is with her daughter Kenya. It is then discovered that Tennessee is Tip and Teddy's biological mother and has been watching them all these years, carrying her daughter Kenya along with her.

Run brings together many concepts- interracial adoption, religion, politics, and family. It has many main characters, and everyone in this story is a protagonist. It has a lot going on at all times, and takes place over the span of just 24 hours. Though I did enjoy the book it is a little more chiclit-ey than I hoped for, and not something I would normally read. I'm not into reading about religion and I didn't enjoy that aspect, but I did like aspect of the Virgin Mary statue, and I think that tied in with the book well. Run is a book you're likely to find at an airport shop. It's perfect for long trips, or maybe a day on the beach.

Weekly Update

2008-10-24T10:14:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone that has stumbled across my blog. I decided on Fridays I will do a little update of what books I've gotten this week and whatever else I feel is important. M'KAY

I got the following books this week:

Dark Dude by Oscar Hijuelos (Simon PulseIT)
We All Cant be Rattlesnakes by Patrick Jennings (Harper-Children Firstlook)
Run by Ann Pratchet (BookDivas)

I have read zero (0) of them so far! Yay me!

In other news- I accidentally ate the little push-in gem thing that went on the top of my lip stud. OOPS! I was so engrossed in that delicious pizza I didn't even notice until I started chewing on the stud itself and was like WTF MATE WHY IS THERE A BONE IN MY PIZZA. It wasn't a bone! So I am off to order a new one because I am definitely allergic to the metal in this ring I'm wearing now. I think this time I'll get the pink gem instead of red.

This is all very interesting, yes? I know you love reading about some random persons mouth jewelery. I do it all for you, my creepy stalker friend.

Review- Freefall by Anna Levine

2008-10-21T15:15:00.000-07:00

“Absolutely nothing is fair in love and war”

It is 2006, and Abigail Jacobs has just turned 18. She now has to do at least two years of compulsory service in the Israel Defense Force. Aggie does not want a boring desk job so she decides to try out for the elite girl’s combat unit. The first boot camp is really hard, hauling sand bags up and down hills, eating meat out of a can and sleeping with no blankets or pillows on the floor of a little tent. She makes it through and even meets some new friends, she also runs into her crush, Noah, who is also on a combat force. When the Lebanon War of 2006 breaks out, Noah goes to the front-lines and Aggie goes to northern Israel to help her new friend Lily, whose house has been destroyed by a rocket. As the rockets go soaring through the sky, both of their lives are in great danger.

Freefall is a very interesting look at life in Israel. The beginning has a lot of fluff that I didn’t really enjoy, but the middle and end of the book were really good. I liked reading about the Lebanon War of 2006, and the impact it had on the lives of Israelis. Though there are some sad parts, it is mostly a very light-hearted book about war. It definitely could’ve pulled off being gut-wrenching but I’m glad it wasn’t. If you’re looking for a short and fun but informational read about a different culture, Freefall is definitely a book to check out.

First review- Wake by Lisa McMann

2008-10-19T18:11:00.000-07:00

Janie doesn’t dream. Well not exactly anyway. When someone around her falls asleep, she is sucked into their dream. She can’t control it and it’s getting annoying. When one of her favorite residents at the nursing home she works at dies and leaves her a mysterious note, Janie’s life is turned up-side down. Janie goes on a school trip to Canada and has a seizure on the bus. This forces her to reveal her secret to her crush, Cabel, who then admits that knew she was in his dream. Janie then goes on an adventure to discover her true powers and take hold of her life. But can she juggle being a “catcher”, her crush Cabel who is apparently selling drugs, and getting into college all at once?

At first I thought Wake was the perfect YA novel. It wasn’t scared of swearing, and tackling hard subjects. It was fast-paced and fun. But at the end it got really corny. The sex scenes were unbearably cliché, and the story-line became even more unrealistic than it already was. The author definitely did her research on dreams, but it didn’t have that paranormal feel I was hoping for. It was an OK quick read, and I’ll probably pick up the sequel at the library when it comes out, but I wouldn’t recommend it.

Welcome

2008-10-19T15:04:00.000-07:00

Helllooo....I decided to put all my book reviews on a blog. This is not my main blog. My main blog is on Xanga, and the link is on the right side. It's not very suitable for little kids to read though, because there's lots of swearing, and cursing of Jesus.

Please note that my reviews are not in-depth chapter-by-chapter analysis of an authors work. It is simply two paragraphs, the first a summary and the second an explanation of why I did or did not like a book. OK? Thanks.