• Book Reviews

    Book Review: The Dark Divine

    Media Type: Print Book (ARC) Title: The Dark Divine    * Series: The Dark Divine #1 Author: Bree Despain Publisher: EgmontUSA Pages: Hardcover; 372 Release Date: December 22, 2009 Source: Around the World Tours —————————————- Intended Reading Group: Young Adult Content Screening: Mild Violence —————————————– HDB Rating: 4 Keys to My Heart Recommended to: Readers who love a good, honest, and twisty paranormal romance. Add it on: Goodreads / Shelfari / Amazon / B&N Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared–the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the…

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    Book Review: Never After

    There is no place like a dysfunctional home. Leaving everything behind for the Island was Ricky’s dream come true. When his happily ever after is not quite what it seems, he discovers that running away means running toward bigger problems. Trapped on the Island, Ricky must join together with the only people he can trust to help him face his fears and return home. But the only way off the Island is to confront the person who trapped Ricky and his friends in the first place. With countless enemies and true peril staring them down, Ricky’s mission to leave this…

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    Book Review: The Forest of Hands and Teeth

    In Mary’s world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary’s truths are failing her. She’s learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and…

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    Book Review: Need

    Zara White suspects there’s a freaky guy semi-stalking her. She’s also obsessed with phobias. And it’s true, she hasn’t exactly been herself since her stepfather died. But exiling her to shivery Maine to live with her grandmother? That seems a bit extreme. The move is supposed to help her stay sane…but Zara’s pretty sure her mom just can’t deal with her right now. She couldn’t be more wrong. Turns out the semi-stalker is not a figment of Zara’s overactive imagination. In fact, he’s still following her, leaving behind an eerie trail of gold dust. There’s something not right – not…

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    Book Review: Tithe

    Sixteen-year-old Kaye is a modern nomad. Fierce and independent, she travels from city to city with her mother’s rock band until an ominous attack forces the sixteen-year-old back to her childhood home. There, amid the industrial, blue-collar New Jersey backdrop, Kaye soon finds herself an unwilling pawn in an ancient power struggle between two rival faerie kingdoms — a struggle that could very well mean her death. –From Goodreads Cover Inspection: The wings on this cover are absolutely gorgeous! First Thoughts: Kaye is my kind of girl. *** My Review: Tithe is a very well put together story. From the first…

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    Book Review: Thirteen Reasons Why

    Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker–his classmate and crush–who committed suicide two weeks earlier. On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he’ll find out how he made the list. Through Hannah and Clay’s dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers. –From Goodreads Cover Inspection: Hauntingly appropriate…

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    Book Review: Wings

    Laurel was mesmerized, staring at the pale things with wide eyes. They were terrifyingly beautiful—too beautiful for words. Laurel turned to the mirror again, her eyes on the hovering petals that floated beside her head. They looked almost like wings. In this extraordinary tale of magic and intrigue, romance and danger, everything you thought you knew about faeries will be changed forever. –From Goodreads Cover Inspection: I love this cover so very very much. It’s too gorgeous for words! First Thoughts: Pure magic. *** My Review: Enchanting. That is the first word that comes to mind to describe this book! Aprilynne…

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    Book Review: The Tooth Fairy

    Media Type: Print Book Title: The Tooth Fairy Author: Graham Joyce Publisher: Tor Books Pages: Paperback; 320 Release Date: October 15, 1998 Source: Purchased at a thrift store ——————————————- Content Screening: Sexual Content HDB Rating: 3 Keys to My Heart Recommended to: Readers who are comfortable with sexual situations in a coming of age novel. Add it on: Goodreads / Shelfari / Amazon / B&N The disquietude in Graham Joyce’s coming-of-age tale is that of having too much power as a child–the kind of power that turns your slightest wishes into mayhem. This power is granted to the rather ordinary…

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    Book Review: The Glass Castle

    Jeannette Walls grew up with parents whose ideals and stubborn nonconformity were both their curse and their salvation. Rex and Rose Mary Walls had four children. In the beginning, they lived like nomads, moving among Southwest desert towns, camping in the mountains. Rex was a charismatic, brilliant man who, when sober, captured his children’s imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and above all, how to embrace life fearlessly. Rose Mary, who painted and wrote and couldn’t stand the responsibility of providing for her family, called herself an “excitement addict.” Cooking a meal that would be consumed in fifteen minutes had no…

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    Book Review: The Unwritten Rule

    Everyone knows the unwritten rule: You don’t like your best friend’s boyfriend. Sarah has had a crush on Ryan for years. He’s easy to talk to, supersmart, and totally gets her. Lately it even seems like he’s paying extra attention to her. Everything would be perfect except for two things: Ryan is Brianna’s boyfriend, and Brianna is Sarah’s best friend. Sarah forces herself to avoid Ryan and tries to convince herself not to like him. She feels so guilty for wanting him, and the last thing she wants is to hurt her best friend. But when she’s thrown together with…