Heaven Looks A Lot Like The Mall

Heaven looks A Lot Like The Mall

By Wendy Mass

Summary:

One day, 16 year old Tessa suffers a terrible accident in gym class and she goes into a coma. But in her head she is in heaven, and for her, that means that she is in the mall where her parents worked and where she has, in a way, grown up. That's her heaven.

In the so-called heaven/mall, she meets a boy who has also suffered a traumatic accident. When Tessa asks him why she is in the mall, he tells her she is here to figure out who she is and to try to understand why and how she has changed over the course of her life. Just before he leaves, he gives Tessa a shopping bag and tells her that it contains the most important things that she has ever bought from the mall.

At first Tessa is confused, but soon she lets her memory take over and remembers her old life as it flashes before her eyes once again...

As Tessa remembers the good and decisions that she has made, she also remembers a very different version of herself than who she is today. She regrets choices and actions that she took and she can't help wondering if it is it too late to change?

Review:

Once again, Wendy Mass has done it! This book is brilliant! It is a page-turner that talks about a girl who goes to 'heaven' while she is in a coma. It was a unbelievably fantastic plot with lots of twists and turns.

Tessa is a realistic character who a lot of teens will be able to relate to. I think that a lot of teen girls would like to go to 'heaven' like Tessa and figure out what we did wrong in our lives and see the mistakes that we made without realizing it. Also, none of us are perfect and I think that after reading this book, I feel more comfortable in my own skin and have learnt to accept that everybody makes mistakes, and that that is just part of life and that I wouldn't learn from my mistakes if I didn't have any.  I think that I lot of girls, tween or teen, would benefit from reading about Tessa's trip to 'heaven'.

I loved that when Tessa was in 'heaven' each item that was in the shopping bag that was given to her had its own story and that after reading about every item and its story, I felt like I knew her. Wendy Mass builds the character of Tessa throughout the book.

I also found it very interesting that the entire book was written in verse.  It didn't rhyme, but it was written as if it was a poem. At first I thought that it might have just been the first page or two that was written like that but, but no, the entire book. I am surprising myself by saying this, but I absolutely loved it! It is what made the book such a page turner! In one verse was a bit of her life which suddenly stopped and I just needed to get to the next verse, and then the next, and since the verses are quick and easy to read, the story progresses quickly.

This was the best Wendy Mass that I have ever read and one of the best books ever!

Recommended for all teen girls 14+

Someone Like You

Someone Like You

By Sarah Dessen

Summary:



Halley and Scarlett have been best friends forever. Scarlett is the popular one, who is outspoken and outgoing and Halley is the shy sidekick who is always known as 'Scarlett's best friend Halley'. The two girls balance each other perfectly though and have an unbreakable friendship.

Now it's summer and it's the day after Scarlett's only true love, Michael died in a motorcycle accident, and now Scarlett finds out that she is pregnant with his child. For once it's Scarlett who needs Halley's support.
Scarlett is heartbroken about Michael's death, but is uncertain about what to do about her baby, keeping in mind that she is only sixteen and that her future lies in front of her.

Scarlett's mother is forcing her into abortion, but Halley is telling her to do what she feel's is right. Realizing that her baby is the only bit of Michael left in her world, Scarlett decides to keep her baby and go on an incredible adventure with her best friend, Halley, for the next nine months of her life.

When the two best friends go back to school, Scarlett introduces Halley to Michael's best friend Macon Faulkner. Halley and Macon soon develop a good relationship, which leads them to start dating. But before Scarlett and Halley know it, Scarlett is five months into her pregnancy and Halley is sneaking out to see Macon. Everything seems to be going perfectly, but when Macon asks Halley to take their relationship to the next level, Halley is unsure about developing her relationship even more with Macon if their is a chance that she might end up like Scarlett...

Scarlett and Halley soon get into a fight that might ruin their so-called-unbreakable-relationship and for once both girls need each other more than ever...

Along the way of nine months Scarlett and Halley realize that life is the worst place not to have a best friend.

Can they make it through together without ruining their one of a kind relationship?

Review:


Someone Like You. Wow. I am speechless. Once again Sarah Dessen had written a masterpiece. Absolutely incredible. Someone Like You is the ultimate coming of age book that all teens must read. I read this book in about four days and it was extremely thought provoking.
In this book, Dessen, forces us to reflect and to think about our future life as teenagers. Dessen also write about all of the mistakes that the teenagers at Scarlett and Halley's school make and the mistakes the two best friends themselves make. I think that the book prepares us in some ways, for the next step in our life.

The plot of the story was a good one which combined all of the elements of a teenager's life; heartbreak, worry, friendship problems, insecurities and growing up. I think that all tweens want to be prepared for their teenage years and want to know what silly things not to do and what to do when you have a friendship problem, or any kind of problem and I find that Dessen has done a very good job of explaining many things.

I also find that Halley is a very believable character and I think that any tween of teen would be able to feel as if she was Halley in the book, just the way that I felt while reading the Someone Like You. Halley is real and alive and the description of her actions is well done that makes us, the readers, feel as though she is coming off of the page and telling us all about her life as a teenager with so many worries and uncertainties in her life.

I do think though, that I might have been a little too young to read Someone Like You and I think that teens should read it when they are about 13 or 14 years old, because of Halley and Macon's relationship. But having said that, I am extremely happy that I read this book because I was waiting for a book like this to come along on my list!

What a magnificent and thought-provoking book, one of Dessen's best!

Recommended for all teens age 14+

Mockingjay

Mockingjay

By Suzanne Collins

Happy St. Patrick's Day Bookworms!!! In honor of St. Patrick's Day, we have a guest blogger! The Anonymous Pug! Happy St. Patrick's Day, and a special shout out to all of my Irish bookworms! -Gia

Summary:

Katniss Everdeen, aged 17, has managed to make it through two Hunger Games, the second of which being the third Quarter Quell, where the tributes were picked from a pool of surviving victors, meaning that Katniss and Peeta were sent back into the arena. Near the end, she sent an arrow into the 'chink in the armor' of the force field, effectively destroying the entire arena. She, Beetee and Finnick were successfully rescued by the rebels; however, Peeta, Johanna and Enobaria were taken captive by the Capitol.

Katniss and the other two were taken to district 13, which was destroyed by the Capitol at the end of the dark days, 75 years ago, for rebelling. They rebuilt their society underground, doing everything in and orderly (and rather boring) fashion. On the way, Katniss learns from Gale that district 13 has been bombed, that 90% of it's people are dead, and that he organized the escape of the 900 or so who survived. 13 have been planning to take over each of the district one by one, ending with the Capitol. Panem is in a state of open warfare, and the rebels are desperately trying to get the rest of the country to side with them. Meanwhile, Katniss is being forced to accept the truth. Katniss Everdeen, the girl who was on fire, has become the face of the rebellion, the rallying point for all rebels. She has become the Mockingjay.

Review:

Once again, big thanks to Gia. This is probably my favorite book in the trilogy, primarily because now Katniss really started to take action against the Capitol. The are some EXTREMELY intense battle scenes, and readers must be prepared to lose many of their favorite characters.

As Katniss and Finnick say themselves, it feels, towards the end, like they really are back in the Hunger Games, the Capitol watching their every move. The rebels are deadly and unforgiving, determined to make the Capitol suffer as they have suffered. The battle is very frighting, as it seems so incredibly real.

This book has an undeniably sombre air to it. They are constantly watching people die, and many of them their close friends. The final battle everyone has been dreading has arrived. Some of the deaths are rather gruesome, which is saying something, given the amount of gore in the earlier books.

A truly incredible book, and the last of the Hunger Games trilogy.

445 pages

The Cardturner

The Cardturner 

By Louis Sachar

Summary:

Alton Richards's summer is looking pretty bad. His now ex-girlfriend, Katie, just dumped him for his best friend, Cliff. He has no money. His dad lost his job. His parents need money to finish installing their new pool. And to make things worse Alton is forced to drive his extremely wealthy Uncle Lester to Lester's bridge tournaments four days a week.

Alton wants absolutely nothing to do with his Uncle Lester, especially because Alton knows that his mother is making Alton drive Lester to bridge tournaments just so that it will look like Alton cares about his 'dear Uncle Lester' and will make Lester want to give his money to Alton's family.

Unknown to Alton and his family, there is another family, the Castanedas, also fighting for Uncle Lester's inheritance...

Before he knows it, Alton is discovering family secrets of betrayal and backstabbing between the Castanedas and the Richards, Alton is playing bridge with Toni Castanedas, Alton is fighting for his Uncle's inheritance, and he is being taught that life is just like a game of bridge...

Welcome to a world of discovery, betrayal, confusion and romance...

Review:


The Cardturner is the third book that I have read by Louis Sachar and it is probably the most difficult, but at the same time most interesting book that I have read by this author.

It was difficult to read because, in the middle of every chapter Alton stopped the story and explained to the reader what he learned that day during his game of bridge. The author clearly wanted to make us read a great book, and at the same time learn how to play bridge.  I found the plot so confusing that it was hard to do both. The plot was confusing, but addictive, because it was such a good puzzle.   It was very hard to concentrate on both, so in the end, I just put my mind to the plot, and that was the right thing to do...

The book has a great plot and timeline. I liked how Sachar (author) took us to the past so we could see what happened between the Castanedas and the Richards. It gave us a break from Alton playing bridge, and him explaining to us what he had learned.

The Cardturner isn't a page turner, but it is a book that, forces the reader, after every chapter, to take thirty seconds to think about the chapter.  I think it is good to read books like that every once in a while, because we all need to read something that will make us think and try to understand what is going on in a book or in life.

The last thing that I want to say about The Cardturner is that whenever Toni and Alton are together, they bring a very comedic side to the story. There was always something or someone to laugh at when they were together. I think the story's humour made the story very enjoyable to read, because it made the story seem less bridge-serious!

The Cardturner was a fun and interesting book to read, which I recommend to girls in their late tweens and early teens.

336 pages

Only the Good Spy Young

Only the Good Spy Young

By Ally Carter

Summary:

The Circle is out to get them. The Gallahgher Girls are in danger.

The Circle is a private group of spies that are spread out around the world and they are out to kill one person... Cammie Morgan.

The Circle kidnapped Cammie and Macey.

The Circle drugged Cammie and Liz.

The Circle almost-successfully tricked Cammie and Bex into kiling each other.

The Circle shot Cammie's aunt, Abby.

The Circle killed Cammie's dad.

One of the Circle's agents is Cammie's boyfriend.

One of the Circle's agents is Cammie's most trusted allie.

The Circle wants Cammie.

Survival is more important than anything to Cammie and she dosen't know who to trust any more.

A world of mysteries, murders, lies, betrayal and romance awaits for the four Gallagher Girls.

Review:


The plot in Only the Good Spy Young was definitely more exciting that the ones in all of the other Gallagher Girls books and Ally Carter (the author) used a different place to set the plot, which was in London, and I think that it changed the story a lot. We weren't just reading about a mystery that the girls can solve (if they have the right facts) inside of the Gallagher Academy but we are actually traveling around the world in this book to find out how Cammie will survive and who her allies are. It makes the book a lot more interesting and enjoyable to read.

I also really like how this book is mostly just : Cammie against The Circle. It makes us think that this is more like a war than a little Gallagher Girl mystery! We also have fewer characters to worry about (i.e. Cammie's three best friends: Liz, Macey and Bex!) There is a lot more action in this book and it makes the story move faster, which leads us to having a really good, well written, interesting and 'fast-moving' story. It also makes the reader more attached to the book, because the story is constantly changing which makes us (the readers), wanting to keep reading even more!

[Spoiler alert!!] The last thing that made me fall in love with this book is the fact that Carter added a romance between Zach and Cammie in this book because in all of the other books, he is present, but he and Cammie are never really in love and I think that I was just waiting for them to fall in love! Their relationship is very up-and-down so it adds a very love-mystery effect to the book, which, as you probably already know, is my kind of book!

I loved Only the Good Spy Young for many, many reasons and I cannot wait for the fifth book to come out in March 2012!

This is probably the best book in the Gallagher Girls series so far. It was brilliant and I would recommend it to absolutely and tween or teen.

P.S. Before I end this review I would like to thank Ally Carter so much for all of the Gallagher Girl books that she has written because they are books that have helped me all throughout my tweens and Cammie, Liz, Bex and Macey inspire me to be a better person. Thank you!

265 pages

What Happened To Goodbye

What Happened To Goodbye

By Sarah Dessen

Summary:

After her mom's scandalous affair with another man, McLean and her dad are on their own. Every year though, they have to move town because of McLean's dad's work. Every year McLean 'reinvents' herself; new name, new personality, new clothes, new everything. But this time, McLean wants nothing more than to be herself...

When she arrives at her new school McLean finds herself already slipping into another person: Liz, smart, stylish and friendly. She decides to live with it. But when McLean meets Dave, a very cute popular boy in her class, she starts to wonder who she has really become. Dave brings out the best in Liz, but all that McLean can think about is what happened to McLean? What happened to goodbye?

As McLean tries to figure out who she really is and where and with who does she fit in, Dave is still madly in love with her... Or is he in love with Liz?

McLean only wants one thing... Reality.

Review:
What Happened to Goodbye is one of the most thought-provoking books that I have read. It makes you think about who you really are, and about what makes a person themselves. While I was reading this masterpiece, those thoughts where going through my mind and I realized that you never really think about that kind of thing. It made the plot even more addictive because you wanted to know the answer to the hundred of questions that where passing though you mind.

I think that Sarah Dessen, the author, chose a very good main character for this book. It seems like Dessen has every little thing and fact about McLean just right, and she is a very believable and realistic character. She isn't a perfect or terrible person, but a struggling person, someone with a flaw in her life. Her background and everything about her and her life is so intriguing. You just can't stop reading a book with a character like that!

The plot was absolutely incredible! Romance, friendship, adventure and discovery where all genres of the book. Sarah Dessen had everything in that book, and reading it, you learn about everything that happens in a teenage girl's life. I would definitely recommend this book for any tween who is about to be a teenager.

Before I end my review I will admit that I cried multiple times throughout the book, I unfortunately can't tell you why (for book-ruining reasons!) and there is not much more to say about this book except: GO AND READ IT! It is unbelievable!

Thank you so much Sarah Dessen for your masterpiece. I look foreword to reading some more of your books!

Recommended for any tween age 12+

402 pages

Small Steps

Small Steps


Louis Sachar


Summary:

Armpit has just been released from Camp Green Lake and is now trying to rebuild his life. It will not be easy, but be is dedicated to trying his best.

Three years after Armpit's release everything is going well but as soon as X-Ray, Armpit's friend from Camp Green Lake, is released from the camp Armpit begins to worry. X-Ray engages Armpit in everything that he does. Armpit is worried at first but then is convinced that it is fine as long as he isn't influenced in the wrong way or gets into trouble alongside his on and off friend.
But before Armpit knows it, X-Ray is pushing him to buy and resell tickets to a Kaira DeLeon concert. X-Ray claims that they will earn a lot of money and nobody will even notice. Armpit on the other hand does not feel as comfortable as X-Ray to resell the tickets.

After Armpit naively lends X-Ray seven hundred dollars to buy a bunch of tickets, he knows that he is playing with fire...

Armpit wants to believe the best in X-Ray, but when X-Ray lies to him, makes two copies of one ticket, and cannot repay Armpit the money, Armpit doesn't know if he wants to continue helping X-Ray.

Armpit needs to figure out who his is, what he is capable of doing and if he prepared to deal with the law-breaking activity if scalping tickets.

A lesson of trust, forgiveness and courage is about to be learnt...

Review:

Small Steps is the follow-up book to Holes, which was a great book, but probably not as good as Small Steps. First of all, in Small Steps there are not as many characters that we have to focus on. We just have Armpit, X-Ray and Kaira. I think that this makes the reader more focused on the actual plot and makes the story more enjoyable. This book is the most cliff-hanging book that I have ever read, it has such a great plot that it impossible to put down!

I remember that I got this book at around 4 pm in the afternoon and I finished it abut 6 hours later! I unfortunately had to take a snack break, dinner break, walk break and shower break between those six hours! The point is though, that I could NOT put the book down, after Armpit agrees to help X-Ray sell the tickets the story gets so exciting, daring and, lets just say, ADDICTIVE!

All of the characters in Small Steps are very well portrayed. I can picture all of the characters in my head and feel as if I know them personally. Kaira is a very interesting character. She seems very happy on the outside, but she is actually very different inside. I like the fact that we get to learn about both sides of her. It was interesting to see how she is behind closed doors, she was pushed around and was unaware of what was actually going on, but onstage she looks glamourous and sings and dances like she is just having fun. She is one of those characters that remind you that you, and everyone else, is very different on the outside and inside.

I think that this book would be very good for teens that are trying to figure out who they really are.

The author, Louis Sachar, does an amazing job at showing how important friendship and trust are. He also explains to the reader how racism is wrong. Armpit is colored and he is made fun of, ignored and teased in the book, but Sachar shows us through Armpit's courage that we are all equal and the same.

Recommended for any tween 13+

257 pages

Catching Fire--Guest Review!

Catching Fire

By Suzanne Collins

Merry Christmas Bookworms!!! It's Gia here and I am extremely pleased to present to you the long-awaited guest review by The Anonymous Pug on Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins! The Anonymous Pug suggested the Hunger Games series to me, and after I had finished reading the first book of the series, I asked her to review the next one for me. All of the credit goes to The Anonymous Pug. Merry Christmas Bookworms,

-Gia

Summary:

Katniss Everdeen, the girl who was on fire, has, against all odds, managed to win the Hunger Games, along with her fellow tribute, Peeta Mellark, who has loved her since childhood, as the star-crossed lovers from district 12. He was rather angry with her when she told him that she was half-pretending to return his romantic feelings. Katniss has been living in a fancy new house with her family for almost half a year, dreading the upcoming victory tour, which happens 6 months after the Games, where the victor (or in this case, victors) goes around to each of the districts giving speeches and meeting the families who's children they killed. Before she leaves, she is cornered by President Snow, for she has caused him an inconvenience.

At the end of the last Hunger Games, when she and Peeta were the last two in the arena, they refused to kill each other, and they put in their mouths some deadly nightlock berries, so that the Capitol would be forced to let them bot win, then spat them out and were crowned victors. This act, which at first seemed to be out of love and loyalty, has caused plots of uprisings in the districts, as people view this as an act of rebellion, because they did their best not to be a piece in the Capitol's games, and because certain people think that Katniss didn't really love Peeta back, that the "star-crossed lovers bit" was all an act, a strategy to get sponsors.

Snow fearing an uprising, threatens to kill Prim, Katniss's mother, Gale, and his family if Katniss can't convince the citizens of Panem that she is deeply in love with Peeta. Another thing worrying Katniss is the upcoming Hunger Games, where she and Peeta will be mentoring two tributes. Even worse, this year will be the third Quarter Quell, so there will be a change in the rules. The fist one, the people of each district had to hand pick the tributes. The second Quell, twice the number of tributes were sent into the arena. Everyone is wondering anxiously what will happen this time...

But the biggest problem is that Katniss Everdeen, the girl who was on fire, has created the spark that will ignite the flame of the rebellion, a fire raging out of her control...

Review:

First of all, HUGE thank you to Gia for letting me do this. It's a really cool opportunity.

This is a truly amazing book, more specifically an amazing sequel, because some of the best books ever had the cruddiest sequels on the planet, then the author's reputation gets ruined,and the books can even go out of print, which is always a shame.

Anyway, the plot gets extremely addictive after a while. The only problem with it was that I couldn't put it down. It is in this book that the war really starts, and people who aren't tributes start dying, which didn't really happen in book 1. Huge character development regarding President Snow, who was only barely introduced in the last book. He now gets the opportunity to show of his cold and cruel husk of a heart.
A lot of new characters appear, many of which will be crucial to book 3. There really isn't much action in part 1, but once the Quell starts, it's FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT.

An amazing sequel to "The Hunger Games", and a incredible book overall.

480 pages

A Brief History of Montmary

A Brief History of Montmary

By Michelle Cooper

Summary:

It is 1936 and Princess Sophie FitzOsborne of Montmaray is living in Montmaray, an island in the middle of the Bay of Biscay, between France and Spain. She lives a crumbling castle with her sister Princess Henry (Henrietta) who insists she is a boy, with her cousin Princess Veronica and Veronica's mad father, King John the Seventh of Montmaray. Sophie isn't exactly the kind of princess that you might imagine her to be. She washes all of the dishes, mends all of the clothes, visits her subjects and helps them live (e.g, make a meal, wash the bed sheets). Although the FitzOsbornes are a royal family, they no longer have any servants, maids or cooks. They survive on their own. Veronica manages their finances along with her Aunt Charlotte (a rich aunt who lives in England). Sophie manages the household, Henry and her dog Carlos go fishing and watch for boats passing by with hope of sending a letter to her brother (and Sophie's) Toby, who is studying in England with Aunt Char'. They just manage to make it in life and Sophie, who has a crush on Simon, one of Toby's friends, is more than happy to be at Montamaray with her beloved cousin and best friend, Veronica.

This sharing of tasks seems alright -- until Germans invade the island. Sophie and Veronica are both extremely worried. They have no defense, or power. Aunt Char' soon invites the girls, along with Henry, to come and stay with her in England so that they can meet ‘suitable men.’ Sophie quickly agrees, wanting to escape from German-controlled Montmaray, but Veronica insists on staying, refusing to leave her beloved Montmaray.

Yet when bombs drop, Veronica is attacked by a German solider with an ax, King John has a stroke, someone is murdered, German spies rip up everything in Veronica's beloved library, Toby comes back and is almost killed. Everything and everyone that Sophie knows is about to change.

Little does Sophie know, there are even worse things on the horizon, waiting for her.

Montmaray and everything that Sophie loves, including Veronica's friendship towards her might be gone forever...

Review:

A Brief History of Montmaray is now officially my favorite book!

I should probably mention that the entire book is written as a journal. But what surprised me most about A Brief History of Montmaray, is that the journal was written SO well, as if it was just the narrator telling us the story. It is unbelievable how well written and described all of the events are. I have read some other journals (that, of course have been made into books) and they now seem very dull compared to this journal. Sophie tells us how everyone looked and seemed at a specific event, and she gives us the answers that we want at the right time in the story. It makes the reader feel more involved with the story.

I love the characters in the story. Henry makes me laugh on end as she is always making unnecessary remarks and observations! Veronica is obsessed with historical facts and she is always spitting them out. I love history and historical books, so Veronica amazes me whenever she talks. King John is someone who makes you think, because he has lost his wife, feels lost in the world and is still in shock from the Great War in which he fought. He makes you think, and reminds you that you are different from other people. And finally, Princess Sophie, our heroine, is the most wonderful character that you could ever read about. She is so full of life, happiness and is brave. Whenever I read about her, I am inspired to become a strong, brave and very intellectual person.

One other bit about the story that made it so interesting is the fact that Montmaray is a made up place. I like that it is made up because we (the readers) don’t already know anything about this place so we can’t judge it based on what we already know about it. We get to read about a new place.  

I especially like the way that the book is written. The author, Michelle Cooper, has a very nice and smooth, that is to say, an easy-to-follow style of writing. It is very enjoyable to read a book that is written as well as this one. 

I look forward to reading more of Cooper's books and hopefully the second Montmaray book (it has just been published)! I hope that it is underneath the Christmas tree, wink, wink!

Recommended to any tween 12-13+

294 pages

P.S.#1 Thanks to Sarah at KidsBooks in Vancouver for recommending this book to me. It was an absolute pleasure to read! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

P.S.#2 Please note that we will be having a guest blogger next week for this year's Tween Bookworm Christmas Surprise! 

The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games

By Suzanne Collins

Summary:
The story takes place in the country of Panem, which is what is left of North America in the future after natural disasters, flooding, and wars. Katniss Everdeen (age 16) is a girl who lives in District 12, (one of 12 plus 'the Capitol') in Panem. Her father is dead and she hunts everyday with her friend Gale for food to keep herself, her mother and younger sister Prim alive.

In Panem, every year a game called The Hunger Games is held for the country to watch. The leaders in the Capitol have held The Games every year since the uprising of Panem to show how powerful they are. The names of one girl and one boy are picked out of a box in each of the districts. In The Games, all of the contestants are put into the arena, whose landscape changes every year, to fight for their lives. Every single moment of The Games is televised and there is only one rule: KILL OR BE KILLED. The last person standing is the winner and is given a life of luxury. But for those watching The Games it is a terrible reminder of the power of the Capitol, and how powerless those watching really are.

When Prim's name is pulled out of the box, Katniss immediately volunteers to take her young sister's place in The Games. Soon Katniss finds herself along with Peeta (the boy chosen from District 12) and all of the other contestants stepping into the worst adventure of their lives.

On the night before The Games Peeta confesses his love for Katniss, is it real, or is it a trap? It quickly becomes clear that The Hunger Games are not the only games taking place inside the arena and that surviving might not be the only goal, but their can only be one person left standing...

Review:

Before I start my review I would like to thank the Anonymous Pug for suggesting The Hunger Games because it is now at the top of my 'Top 10 Books' list and because it is amazing! The Hunger Games is one of the best books that I have ever read and it is a real page-turner! The story is so addictive and intriguing that you can't stop reading! The book becomes addictive when Katniss and Peeta enter the arena and you want to know what they will do next and how they will survive. 

The setting of the story in a post-apocalyptic North America is very interesting and a little scary.  Suzanne Collins (author) does a great job at making it seem familiar but also foreign. It is also really interesting to read about the districts that the other Games contestants are from. Each district is known for something and it is neat to find out what they are and why that is their 'famous activity'.  It's unusual, but it's something which makes the book unique. 

Collins does a great job at showing us what's going on with Katniss and Peeta, she is always jumping back and forth between every contestant and what they are doing, and it makes the reader feel like they are sitting in front of the T.V. watching The Games.

Brilliant book! It is a must-read!

Before I end my review I would like to mention that I have bought the second and third books and that I am going to start the second one tonight. More reviews will follow!!!

Recommended for any tween age 13+

453 pages

Petals in the Ashes

Petals in the Ashes

By Mary Hooper

Summary:

The number of deaths from the plague are beginning to die down and Hannah Brown is returning to London with her younger sister Anne to re-open their sweetmeats shop. Hannah is prepared and determined to begin working again, to care for her sister, and to appreciate the fact that she had not been taken from her beloved sisters by the plague.

When Hannah and Anne arrive they find their shop covered in a layer of dust and many pieces of wood from the walls falling down. The two girls set to work and re-open the shop within a week. Hannah longs to find her beau, Tom, whom she fell in love with before the plague broke out.
On her way into they city Hannah hears many people saying that fortune tellers send warnings of fire and of an event even worse than the plague. At first Hannah and Anne believe that it is nonsense because the worst (the plague) has already come....

As days go by, Hannah has still not found Tom and she is beginning to worry because the fortune tellers had already correctly predicted the plague. Could their really be a fire and when?

Hannah and Anne don't know it yet, but the worst is yet to come...

Review:

Petals in the Ashes is the sequel to At the Sign of the Sugared Plum by Mary Hooper. Both books are about an event in English history. I love historical books so this was a very enjoyable book for me to read. I have read a lot of historical books and no other author describes historical events as vividly and as well as Mary Hooper. Petals in the Ashes was also an interesting and engaging book because Hannah is a character, who from page 1 (of the first book), is very alive and real in my mind. She longs for adventure and for an exiting life, and when reading the book you start to become as exited as her and sometimes even 'slip into her skin' and become her.

I think that a lot of tweens would like Petals in the Ashes because when you read the book you are also learning about a famous historical event. It is a great read and an education wrapped up in one!

I don't have anything else to say except "wonderful sequel Hooper, I hope that Hannah has a few more historical events to live through!" I am waiting for the Hannah Brown series to become a trilogy!

Recommended for all tweens. You will adore Mary Hooper's stories.

187 pages

Distant Waves

Distant Waves

By Suzanne Weyn

Summary:

It's the beginning of the 19th century and teenage Jane Oneida Taylor is living in Spirit Vale, New York with her four sisters and mother. Jane's father abandoned her mother after Jane's youngest sister Mimi's birth, leaving the five girls in the care of his wife. Jane's mother works as a medium in Spirit Vale while Jane and her sisters are left to occupy themselves. Jane doesn't have her mother's talent but has a talent for journalism. Jane dreams of one day being known for writing the best article of the decade or even the century...but she needs a story for her glory.

As the years fly by Jane and her sisters find themselves in Europe each wanting to start their own life and have an adventure. The girls are all busy traveling, reading about new inventions, going to parties and taking strolls along the seaside. 

Mimi is in Paris as a companion to a rich lady.  Jane, along with her three other sisters, is  staying with their mother's cousin just outside of London. Jane starts to write articles about her time in Europe hoping that they will be published later on her her life. As Jane spends more time with her younger sisters Amelie, Emma and Blythe, she feels that although her best friend (and sister) Mimi has left her, she still has her other sisters' company, sympathy and love. Jane develops a strong sisterly bond with Blythe that she never had with any of her other sisters... 

 

When Jane's mother arrives in London with Mimi (whom she picked up in Paris) she is persuaded that her daughters' futures do not lie in Europe. Jane agrees because she still hadn't found an article which would launch her career. However, the only way home is...on the Titanic. Many things lie on board the Titanic, greatest ocean liner in the world, including love and death. Maybe Jane has found her article after all.

Review:

Distant Waves  is a hard book to review because it has so many up-and-down moments. The first 150 pages of the book are just about Jane's life in Spirit Vale. Nothing 'adventurous' happens while Jane is in Spirit Vale. We learn about what Jane does everyday and how she interacts with her sisters. At the same time it prepares us to see the difference between Jane's early life and her days on the Titanic.

I like reading about big families and how they interact with each other, so reading about Jane's life was very interesting. I love Jane's interest in journalism and she inspired me a lot with her opinions. She has a different view of everything. She sees the good and the bad in people and objects in a different way than a normal teenager would. The author has made up a lot of new characters in this book (which is common), but I like how she wrote about some characters who were actually on the Titanic, for example, John Jacob Astor. 

As I have mentioned in other reviews, I love historical books and reading about historical events but it has been a really long time since since I have read a book about the Titanic. I have a My Story book about the Titanic and I have read it many times, but not recently. I think that the story of the Titanic is very interesting but at the same time sad. Suzanne Weyn (author) has, from my view, written a great story about the Titanic (after page 150) and in the end I enjoyed the book. 

I recommend this book for tweens over the age of 11.

The Unrivalled Spangles

The Unrivalled Spangles

By Karen Wallace 

Summary:

In the Victorian era, not far from London, the two Spangle sisters, Ellen and Lucy, are living and working in their family circus. Ellen and her younger sister Lucy perform an act called the Incredible Scarletta Sisters. It is a dangerous act: it involves standing on horses, doing somersaults, and jumping off a horse to land on another. In their act Ellen is a sensational perfectionist.  Lucy is a daredevil and is always trying new tricks. Ellen and her sister have a good friendship and are the best performers in the circus, but Ellen hates being a circus girl. She doesn't want her future to lie in the circus because she knows  there is more to discover.   She also knows there is a world of experiences waiting for her outside of the circus.

After years and years at the circus, Ellen decides to take tutoring under a false name, behind her parents' backs, so that she might one day leave the circus and become a teacher.  Soon, however, she finds herself in love and must balance her new love and studying with preparations for the the end-of-season performance. Lucy is aware of her sister's lessons and her boyfriend but doesn't mind because it gives her more time to practice dangerous tricks on her horse.  Soon, however, Lucy finds herself in love -- but with the wrong person -- Joe Morgan, of a rival circus.

With Joe, Lucy becomes more reckless in her training and begins training for a backwards somersault on a moving horse -- the most dangerous trick ever known.  The trick could cost Lucy her life. When Ellen becomes aware of this, she knows that she must stop her sister at all costs.

Review: As you may know from my last review, I didn't enjoy the last book I read. When my mum showed me this book, I thought 'circus -- boring.'  And I felt that my bad book rut was going to continue.  However, The Unrivalled Spangles was great! It was a good book to put my reading interests back on track. It had a great story, cliff-hangers and was not boring! I haven't really read a lot of books about the circus, and that is because I am not a big fan of circuses. However, The Unrivalled Spangles made circus life interesting. I enjoyed reading about how people prepared their tricks for their acts, and I enjoyed reading about the life of people living in a circus.  It is a very different lifestyle.  Everyone is always practicing and performing new and difficult tricks -- even some you might not be able to imagine!  This book was also very appealing to me because I love horses and when Ellen and Lucy do their acts on their horses it is even better! I think that Ellen is a character that a lot of young girls (ages 9-14) could relate to. Ellen is a great role model because she is someone who always wants to learn about the world and help others, even when her parents forbid her. Ellen is also someone that girls could find inspirational because she is a very caring and loving older sister. Ellen always wants to protect and help Lucy and the two sisters are like best friends in the book. I think that a lot of girls who are older sisters (or even younger sisters) and are fighting with their sister (or brother) could maybe think of their sibling in a different, more kind, more supporting way after they read The Unrivalled Spangles. This book shows that your sibling could also be your best friend. 217 pages

Sovay

Sovay

By Celia Rees

Summary

Sovay Middelton is a young girl living in England in 1794.  She is living all by herself in a large house in the English countryside while her brother, Hugh, is away studying and her father is mysteriously lost. She amuses herself by disguising herself as a highwayman (someone who robs people on the highways). Everyday she goes and waits at a highway for a carriage to pass by, then she starts her acting. One day Sovay steels a wallet, she does not realize how important it is. She had just stolen the wallet of one of the most important but also dangerous people in England.

Sovay continues using her pass-time as a highwayman not thinking about taxes, rent or expenses. But one day when Sovay returns from the stables she finds that a "trusted" friend, Sir Royston, had come on a government mission to arrest her and destroy her house. Sovay wouldn't let it happen because Sir Royston had no papers to approve the arrest--she had stolen them just hours before!

Sovay is worried and wants to do what is best for herself and her family so, she sets off to her family home in London. She saddles up her horse and sets off as fast as possible. On the way she meets a handsom young man, Captain Jack, who is also a highwayman heading to London. The two of them ride together all the way to London, where Sovay goes to her house and to her surprise, finds one of her old friends, Gabriel Stanhope the son of the Middelton's stewart.

Sovay and Gabriel work together to figure out the mystery of Sovay's lost father their friendship becomes even more important and Sovay finds herself in love.

All this time, they are being watched...by one of the best spy masters ever known. His name being Sir Dysart. He is determined to get rid of the Middeltons. He had received news that the youngest Middelton, Sovay, had escaped from her French home and was now in London, where he was. This was his perfect opportunity. Sir Dysart has plans to always have Sovay near him, but also near his new purchase, a guillotine, from France.

Can Sovay escape Sir Dysart's presence and his guillotine but also find her father?

This is not just any adventure, but a story of a young girl, a mystery, an adventure and a romance all-in-one.

Review

I absolutely adored Sovay, I love historical books and have read a lot of them, but never, ever, have I read a historical novel as attaching, exiting and dramatic as Sovay. At the end of every chapter there is a cliff hanger. In every chapter Sovay solves a mystery, but there is always another mystery to solve. Celia Rees (author) has a very unique writing technique. That is to say that, for example, she will write a sentence with an romance side of it and a mysterious side of it. She twists different reading genres into one sentence. In this book Sovay has a mystery to solve but also an adventure (which turns into a romantic adventure) that she has to handle, that she has to go through, along the way.  I like the way that the author has added a bit of an 'introduction to English society' for Sovay. Sovay and Gabriel explore London together and I think is a very romantic thing to do. I find that the plot is bit unrealistic at some points (and it would make a great Hollywood movie!) but is still very enjoyable.  Celia Rees is an author who needs to be reconsigned for her amazing work.

I have nothing more to say than: brilliant. That is the only word that you can really describe this book as. Just brilliant.

Strongly recommended for ages 11-12 and up.

404 pages

I'd tell you I love you , but then I'd have to kill you

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You

By Ally Carter

Summary:
Cammie Morgan is not who you think she is.  She is not just a normal teenage girl at a normal school.  She speaks 14 languages, can kill with her bare hands, and attends a CIA training school. Cammie's school is very secret.  The girls who attend it are probably the most well-educated girls ever known.  When a new girl, Macey, arrives, it's Cammie's job to help Macey fit in.  On one of Cammie's missions she meets a normal boy who thinks that Cammie is a normal girl.  Cammie's crush on this boy is undeniable, but this crush is also a secret kept from her mom, the headmistress of her school. As the school year goes on Cammie has more missions waiting for her.  Things get complicated when Cammie's missions involve her crush.  Like math, each mission and challenge has an answer.  The trick is to find it.  Along the way Cammie finds out more about Macey and also about keeping secrets.

Every mission gets harder and harder but what Cammie doesn't know, is that her biggest mission yet is sitting right in front of her...

Review:
I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You is the first book in the Gallagher Academy series.  It is a great book for any tween or teen. This book takes you into a brand new world. You become a Gallagher Girl.  I like how in every one of Cammie's classes she takes on another dangerous task. I love how Ally Carter, the author, gives a 'behind the scenes look', that is to say that she tells us how, why and which way Cammie handles her missions.  It shows us what Cammie is like, and what she can do with her special skills learned at the Gallagher Academy.

I'd Tell You... is more or less an introduction to the series. It shows an extremely different lifestyle from the one we all know.  That side of the book is good, but I have to say that there is no real mystery in this book. I am not saying that it is a bad book. On the contrary, it is a wonderful introduction to the following books in the series. I'd Tell You... still has the excitement of Cammie's first secret crush. I think that Cammie's expressions and feelings are very well shown. You can tell when Cammie is worried, in shock, pain or even scared.  I'd Tell You...  takes you into the 'spy world' and makes you want to know all the adventures that she will have in the future.

Overall this is a great introduction to the series.  I will be review the next book in the series soon, don't miss it...

284 pages

Prisoners in the Palace

Prisoners in the Palace

By Michaela MacColl

Summary:
In 1836, Liza, a 17 year old girl living in London, is shocked by the sudden death of her wealthy parents. Liza is left with taxes and houses to pay for and is forced to find a job. Liza is offered a job as a lady's maid to princess Victoria. Even though the life of a maid will be difficult, it is the only job Liza is offered, so she accepts right away.

Liza struggles to fit in amongst the other maids at Kensington Palace.  Princess Victoria accepts Liza as more than a maid, as a friend.  On one of Liza's days off she meets a newspaper boy, Will.  Although Liza is deeply in love with Will, her loyalty belongs to the princess. 

King William IV, Victoria's Uncle is close to death and Victoria is next in line to the throne. When Liza figures out that Sir John, a close confidant of princess Victoria's mother, is plotting to steal the throne from Victoria, she knows she must help Victoria.  The two girls team up, but it turns out they have more things to worry about than they had realised.  They can trust no one but themselves, and they don't have much time to find the people plotting against Victoria and to save Victoria's throne.

Review:
Prisoners in the Palace my favourite historical book. Queen Victoria is my all-time favourite queen of England and Prisoners in the Palace is a wonderful representation of Queen Victoria's last months as a princess.

Liza is a fictional character, she is a very real character for me. Liza's life seemed so miserable but when she becomes closer to princess Victoria she is puts all her sadness aside and finds another side of herself. I can feel the friendship between Liza and princess Victoria developing and I see how much stronger and braver Liza becomes. Liza's loyalty, love and care for the young princess is very well shown. In this book Liza faces many challenges alongside princess Victoria. I find that Liza is a very influential person and I hope that one day I will have the same courage as Liza.

Spectacular read! Highly recommended for EVERYONE.

This book was chosen for me by one amazing lady at KidsBooks in Vancouver, all my thanks go out to Sarah. You always find me the best books, don't worry I'll be back soon!!!

362 pages

At the sign of the Sugared Plum

At the Sign of the Sugared Plum

By Mary Hooper

Summary:
Hannah Brown is a normal teenage girl living in a little town not far from London.  Hannah's oldest sister, Sarah, is living in London and is the owner of a sweetmeats shop.   When Hannah is invited to help her sister in London she is filled with excitement.  But when Hannah arrives in London, things are not what she had expected.

As Hannah struggles to fit in with the city styles, she also struggles to survive her worst fear, the plague.  Hannah and her sister Sarah take all the remedies to protect themselves.  Hannah's doctor also  happens to be a young man her age, and she soon has even more on her mind. As Hannah's love life takes hold, so does the plague.  Hannah can help others survive, but can she survive? 

Review:
I really enjoyed this book since it is historical and I love historical books. I had never imagined that the plague could have such an impact in English history. Mary Hooper (author) really makes you feel the same way any other person that was trying to survive the plague would feel.

When I read this book I traveled back more than 300 years and became Hannah Brown. I felt the terror and shock that she felt. I love how Hooper added a love life for Hannah during the plague. This book shows the truth in love, sisterhood and most importantly, survival.

161 pages