The Clique by Lisi Harrison

Disclaimer: I get all my books from the library.    

Today's novel is The Clique by Lisi Harrison.

This book is definitely MG, and a total surprise for me. I was sitting in a junior high English class with nothing to do because I'd already finished my other book. So I went to the teacher's book shelf and chose a short one that I thought I could finish in the time left.

I don't know what I expected, but this short novel about 12-year-old girls trying to fit in with each other was refreshingly fun. Claire, a typical middle class girl, moves into a posh neighborhood where the other girls her age carry around credit cards and spend $600 on a dress. Yikes!

Thus begins a very severe battle to fit in. Claire wants to fit in, just like most girls, so I think teenage girls will be able to connect with the characters quite well. At least Claire. The other characters are so out of my league that I could hardly fathom their lives, though for this reason it was quite interesting when the book got behind their eyes and into their POV.

There were a few moments where I thought Claire switched her personality too drastically, but overall she remained true to herself. A very hard position to be in. There are several books in this series, apparently. They are quick reads and I would enjoy picking them up and reading them. I wouldn't buy these for myself, but a preteen girl would enjoy them a lot.

I'd give this book a C+.

A = Buy this book NOW
B = Buy this when you can
C = Check it out from the library
D = Don't bother reading it
F = Burn it

LA Candy by Lauren Conrad

Disclaimer: I get all my books from the library.   

Today's book is LA Candy by Lauren Conrad.

This book had a lot of potential. The subject matter is extremely interesting; it's a novel based on Conrad's actual experiences moving out to LA and getting involved in a reality show. Since most of us have no behind-the-scenes experience with reality shows, this is fascinating. I really wanted to into this aspect of the book.

But there were a few problems that kept me from really getting into it. The main characters Scarlett and Jane, were very disagreeable. Not so much Jane in the beginning, though she did come across as kind of mousy. I just don't much like people with no backbone. I didn't find anything likable about Scarlett except her loyalty to Jane.

Jane, however, turned out to be somewhat of a disappointment. I suppose it's typical that one moves to LA (or some other place) where everyone has a different moral standard than your own, so you decide to try it out. But I can't relate to people who switch moral codes just because everyone else is doing something it. Do we only act/believe a certain way because those around us do? I hope there is more substance to us than that.

Also, I thought the writing felt very amateur-ish. Just because someone was on a reality show doesn't make them qualified to write a novel. The POVs switched a lot more than necessary, IMHO.

Overall, the book was interesting but not great. I'd give this book a C.

A = Buy this book NOW
B = Buy this when you can
C = Check it out from the library
D = Don't bother reading it
F = Burn it

Liar by Justine Larbalestier

Disclaimer: I get all my books from the library.  

Today's book is Liar by Justine Larbalestier.

I really wanted to like this book. I read another book of hers, How to Ditch Your Fairy, and thought it was cute and humorous. This one, Liar, looked like it would be more thriller, suspense, with a lot of anxiety.

The MC, Micah, is a chronic liar, so you know right off that everything you're reading is subject to the unreliable narrator. But instead of being a book where you could infer things and figure it out, it went from being a thriller to being bizarre.

Without giving away any spoilers, there's a point where Micah announces something paranormal and supernatural as if it were a fact. From that moment on, the book lost all meaning to me. It was like listening to someone tell me their dream. Uh-huh, uh-huh, cool. Just a dream. A little weird, but nothing to be remembered.

 One time in an English class we had to read "The Yellow Wallpaper," a short story about a demented woman, only in the beginning she doesn't know she is. As a reader, you believe her until her dementia begins to be apparent. When the story ends, it's fascinating to analyze because you can see how the 'facts' she told the reader were delusions in her mind. It makes sense.

Which is more than I can say for this book. I finished it and felt like I'd wasted my time. I had no idea what happened. No idea what was real and what wasn't, and not in a good way. It didn't leave me thinking and pondering, it left me frustrated for reading it when I could've been reading something else.

My opinion: skip it. I give this book a D.

A = Buy this book NOW
B = Buy this when you can
C = Check it out from the library
D = Don't bother reading it
F = Burn it

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Disclaimer: I get all my books from the library. 


Today's book is Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garci and Margaret Stohl.

I really wanted to like this book. It's got all the makings for a great book: Nice and thick, romance, paranormal, historical fiction.

Yet it fell short for me. The story is told from the POV of a boy. It felt like the authors were really trying to be masculine, but somehow he came across as a little too femmy for me. A little too compassionate, anxious, open with his feelings. Kind of like the way girls want boys to be.

Lena, on the other hand, felt like an enigma. She didn't show her feelings. She seemed empty and vague, and other than her looks, I'm not really sure what it was that made him like her. She wasn't very likeable. So I had a hard time believing in the romance.

And then the book dragged on and on and on. The beginning was exciting, and the ending was tense. Almost everything in the middle just felt like a useless scavenger hunt, killing time until we could finally get to the conclusion. I wanted to get to the ending, so I finally started skipping. Not a good sign.

Don't take my word for it, though. Find out for yourself. I give this book a C.

A = Buy this book NOW
B = Buy this when you can
C = Check it out from the library
D = Don't bother reading it
F = Burn it

The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull

Today's book is The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull.

Disclaimer: No Disclaimer. I actually bought this book.

I read and thoroughly enjoyed all of the Fablehaven books. So, while waiting for the fifth one to come out (which I hear is in a few weeks), I decided to invest in Mull's other book.

This book is middle grade fiction, just like his other series. However, this books feels more MG. It still had the supernatural elements, the fast-paced action. But there's something missing. Some element of tension that I wanted and didn't find.

The story revolves around four children who  become secret agents for a candy-maker. This candy gives them magical powers while they are eating it, and it's also delicious. Yum. But then they realize they might be helping the wrong side. A bunch of chaos and mild, magical violence ensues while the children try to set things straight.

Mull is an excellent writer. There are no plot holes and the story is fun. Not quite as gripping as Fablehaven, but still very enjoyable. I highly recommend for the younger readers.

I'm going to have to give it a B.

A = Buy this book NOW
B = Buy this when you can
C = Check it out from the library
D = Don't bother reading it
F = Burn it

P.S. I recently joined The Hop. Hop on board if you review books and want your blog to get more attention, or if you are looking for books to review. 

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

Disclaimer: I get all my books from the library.

Today's book, The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, is not a new release. It was a book I often heard of in English classes, but I had never taken the time to read it.

Until now. You've probably all read this book, but it is fascinating. It follows the lives of several first-generation Chinese-American girls and their mothers. Each chapter is told from a different POV. While the book does have a happy ending, it is also hauntingly sad and painfully real.

Each of the daughters tries to find a new way of life, rejecting the traditional Chinese of their mothers and seeking to be fully American. They are not successful, however, and discover that in rejecting their mothers' ways of life, they've also rejected the wisdom and knowledge that come with age and experience. The girls experience heartache and failure as adults, struggling with self-identity.

Tan also gives a realistic view into the depraved lives each mother lived in China before making her way to the United States. The stories are horrifying and sad, especially when the loss of children is involved.

Overall, this book is definitely a classic. It has withstood the test of time. I'm going to have to give it a B.

A = Buy this book NOW
B = Buy this when you can
C = Check it out from the library
D = Don't bother reading it
F = Burn it

The Fatal Child by John Dickinson

Disclaimer: I get all my books from the library.  

Today's book is The Fatal Child by John Dickinson.

This book is the third in a trilogy, but it is also very much a stand-alone. I didn't read the other books. I felt no need to. I'm not sure how much information or history is pulled from them, but this book was quite clear.

It's medieval fantasy, though I couldn't tell if it was based on Earth or a fictional place. I found it in the library in the YA section, but I would consider this book adult.

I most liked Melissa, a main character in the book. She's a peasant girl whose parents are brutally murdered by knights. The king takes pity on her and she becomes the princess's maid. She is also in love with the king, and she stands by quietly while the princess marries him and then betrays him.

Though the story is only told from the princess, Atti,'s POV a few times, the book is about her. And this is probably why I didn't like it. There is nothing to like about Atti. Everyone loves her because she is beautiful, but she herself says she is poison. And she is. She destroys everything she touches.

The book was very brutal and uninspiring, though full of historical fascinations. It was interesting, though it took about halfway for it to grab me. And in the end I felt disappointed.

I give this book a D+.

A = Buy this book NOW
B = Buy this when you can
C = Check it out from the library
D = Don't bother reading it
F = Burn it

Wings by Aprilynne Pike

Disclaimer: I get all my books from the library. 

I haven't stopped reading; just took a break from reviewing.

Today's book is Wings by Aprilynne Pike.

Laurel is a very unique character who is attending public school for the first time, after having been home schooled her whole life. Everything appears quite normal, with her first crush on the horizon, and even a zit on her back.

But the zit grows until one day, Laurel sprouts wings.

That's when her life changes. She begins to realize that there have always been strange things going on, things that she forgot or her parents forgot. The suspense deepens when stinky, evil trolls decide they want Laurel's inheritance for themselves.

I really enjoyed this book. Aprilynne has just the right amount of romance and intrigue and reality! It was very enjoyable. You need to get your hands on this book!

I give this book an A.

A = Buy this book NOW
B = Buy this when you can
C = Check it out from the library
D = Don't bother reading it
F = Burn it

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Disclaimer: I get all my books from the library.

Today's book is The Forest of Hands and Teeth, by Carrie Ryan. 

This was my first zombie book, and I found it quite fascinating. It had a bit of an "I Am Legend" feel to it, but it's very different. I'd heard that zombies were the new rage, and I had wondered how on earth zombies could be interesting.

This book is definitely interesting. Mary and her village live in small clearing surrounded by zombies, people who have died from a zombie bite and come back to life, hungry for more people. Mary begins to uncover secrets from the Society of Sisters, and realizes that they're hiding something from her people. Besides that, she also falls in love--with someone who is not her betrothed.

The book started out with so much potential. There was so much going on. And then it all went flat. Without giving too much away, the secrets are never fully explored, nor is the love relationship. Well, it's explored, but Mary's character proves herself far too easily bored to maintain a relationship. Mary struck me as a self-centered person incapable of truly loving. I didn't like her. The elements of the story that reeled me in fell short of expectations.

Read it for yourself and see what you think. I give this book a C.

A = Buy this book NOW
B = Buy this when you can
C = Check it out from the library
D = Don't bother reading it
F = Burn it

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

Disclaimer: I get all my books from the library.
 
Today's book is City of Glass by Cassandra Clare, the last in her three book series. IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE FIRST TWO, THIS REVIEW WILL GIVE YOU SPOILERS.

Clary finally gets to the capital city, the secret home of her people. But things aren't right. Her brother (and would-be lover), Jace, acts strange around her and tries to keep her from staying. Her vampire friend Simon is in prison, and it looks like there might be more than one corrupt person in the city council.

But that's not the worst of it. Demons break down the barriers protecting the city, and the Shadow Guardians are thrown into a war where they must unite with the werewolves, faeries, and vampires if they think they'll have a chance to overthrow Valentine.

I could hardly put this book down. It was very good and had me riveted. And yet a part of that was because I kept waiting for something to resolve itself between Jace and Clary. It finally did...and was very anticlimactic. After all the tension, the passion that was built between them over the whole trilogy, I felt let down in the end. That was my only complaint about the book.

I give this book a B.

A = Buy this book NOW
B = Buy this when you can
C = Check it out from the library
D = Don't bother reading it
F = Burn it

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

Disclaimer: I get all my books from the library.

Today's book is City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare.

Warning: SPOILERS if you haven't read book 1!

Picking up right where City of Bones left off, City of Ashes continues with an action-packed adventure as Jace tries to prove his innocence. The forbidden love between Jace and his sister Clary is HOT, and even those of us who are absolutely not in favor of incense (like myself) find ourselves rooting for them to break all laws and be together.

Simon got on my nerves in this one--a little too much of Jacob from New Moon.

This book was even better than the first. It had me riveted. We see more of the werewolves and vampires and get to meet the fairies. But most importantly, we find out there is something special ability that Jace and Clary have--something that they gained through their common blood.

I give this book an B+.

A = Buy this book NOW
B = Buy this when you can
C = Check it out from the library
D = Don't bother reading it
F = Burn it

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Disclaimer: I get all my books from the library. 

Today's book is City of Bones, by Cassandra Clare.

Clary thinks she is an ordinary girl until one night she witnesses a murder. The next thing she knows, her mother has been kidnapped, her adopted 'father' tells her never to speak to him again, and her house destroyed. The group of people who take her in to protect her are the very ones who did the murdering.

And it gets worse. Clary finds out that she isn't ordinary after all. She is gifted, like those protecting her, with the power to fight demons.

With that gift, any pretense at normality is destroyed.

This is an excellent book. Clare pulled me, had me rooting for certain characters, and definitely swayed any conventional views by throwing a horrible twist into the love story. She took some liberties with the POV, which I found unnecessary: almost the entire book was told from Clary's POV, but we had about two pages (one page each) told from someone else's POV, one being a person who died two seconds later. Obviously, she's a bestseller and published books afterwards, so she's allowed to get away with it. Still, it felt contrived to me.

Secondly, she's huge on description. Great for world-building, but a bit boring. No problems. I skipped most of it, jumping to the next strand of dialogue, and read the book faster than most.

I give this book an B.

A = Buy this book NOW
B = Buy this when you can
C = Check it out from the library
D = Don't bother reading it
F = Burn it

How to Ditch Your Fairy by Justine Larbalestier

Disclaimer: I get all my books from the library.    

Today's book is How to Ditch Your Fairy by Justine Larbalestier.

This book is written for a younger YA audience, probably 13-14 year olds. It's based in a fictitious place where most people are born with a fairy. The fairy is supposed to be helpful, but in Charlie's case, her fairy is causing problems. She was born with a parking fairy, and it seems she only has friends because they can drive her around and get good parking spots.

So Charlie sets out to get rid of her fairy. It's a lot harder than she thinks. She learns a lot of life's lessons about friendship, family, and boys along the way.

This book is hilarious. I read it quite quickly and enjoyed it very much. It's light reading, and many younger girls will enjoy it. I am excited to read more mature books by this author.

I give this book an B.

A = Buy this book NOW
B = Buy this when you can
C = Check it out from the library
D = Don't bother reading it
F = Burn it

Fallen by Lauren Kate

Disclaimer: I get all my books from the library.   

Today's book is Fallen by Lauren Kate.

On the whole, I was disappointed in this book. I was very excited for it. I saw the trailer on barnesandnoble.com, and it made me want to read the book. So I requested it from the library.

It starts off interestingly enough. We realize quickly in the beginning that the girl, Luce, is either being reincarnated or is unknowingly some kind of immortal. This was the third book in six months that I've read that takes place in a group home/reform school. The reasons for Luce being in the home are very mysterious. She kissed a boy and he caught fire. Whoa. Crazy. Unfortunately, this mystery, which pretty much fueled the entire book, wasn't resolved by the end of it. Which meant I felt pretty much unresolved.

It's difficult to critique this without giving away spoilers, but by the end of the book we find out that the group home is not a real group home (hmm...sound like any other book I've reviewed?), but some sort of respite for...special types. And the way it plays out is totally unbelievable (for paranormal suspense, mind you).

Still, it was a good read, and I'll be interested in reading the sequel. So overall, I give this book an C.

A = Buy this book NOW
B = Buy this when you can
C = Check it out from the library
D = Don't bother reading it
F = Burn it

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Disclaimer: I get all my books from the library.  

Today's book is The Maze Runner, by James Dashner.

This book was another 'end of the world' sort of book (funny how these things tend to go in phases). It was also incredibly good. The only thing I wish I'd known going into it was that this book is part of a series. You finish it, but you don't! And it just leaves you with more questions burning.

Thomas wakes up inside a stone maze with no memory of who he was before. He adapts to his surroundings, finding a niche as a maze runner, the people who travel the maze by day looking for a way out. And it must be done during the day, because at night horrible monsters, part slug and part machine, come out and kill any person they find.

But then Thomas gets a few memories back. What he remembers is that he helped build the maze--and it has no way out.

This book gripped me from the beginning. I loved it. I was confused a bit in the ending because I wanted answers, and it left me with more questions. But alas, I'll just have to wait for the sequel.

This is a must have.
I give this book an A.

A = Buy this book NOW
B = Buy this when you can
C = Check it out from the library
D = Don't bother reading it
F = Burn it

Hush Hush by Becca Fitzgerald

Disclaimer: I get all my books from the library.   

Today's book is Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzgerald.

I kind of cringe inside doing this review, because I've already seen other people's reviews. People love this book, but I did not. I didn't hate it, but it frustrated me. Let's get down to the nitty-gritty.

Patch is a fallen angel with a self-promoting agenda. He's sinister, cocky, arrogant, dangerous and sadistic. In spite of this, Nora Grey, our weak-minded MC, is attracted to him.

Hold on. What? She's attracted to him?

That's right. Because he's got a nice body and black eyes.

I couldn't get over this. There was nothing likeable about Patch. What an awful message. If a guy is terrible, but cute, go ahead and explore the relationship?

And there was a very Twilight-ish moment when Nora hops on the internet and googles fallen angels, then realizes what Patch is. Only Patch wasn't endearing, protective, romantic, or anything like our favorite vampire counterpart (Edward, in case you're wondering) that might redeem him in my eyes. He's mysterious and creepy up until the very end. The VERY END.

In the last chapter, he suddenly acts like a nice guy that you might want to have as a boyfriend. Whoa. Personality change.

The book held my attention, but it also annoyed me. There were also two other creeps who followed Nora around, beating people up and getting in her mind. It was one of those books that I kept reading because I thought, "Everyone likes this. It has to get good somewhere."

Uh, no. Sorry, all you fans out there.


I give this book an D.

A = Buy this book NOW
B = Buy this when you can
C = Check it out from the library
D = Don't bother reading it
F = Burn it