He's With Me by Tamara Summers

2/5 Stars

Goodreads:

Just in time for summer comes the perfect beach read! Humor and romance abound in this fresh, fun take on summer love.

Lexie has always had a crush on Jake, her brother Colin's best friend. But she knows Jake thinks of her like a sister, and has never made a move. But when beautiful alpha girl Bree McKennis sets her sights on Jake, he has to come up with a plan to turn her down...without incurring the wrath of the most popular girl in school. That's when Colin comes up with the plan: Lexie can pretend to be Jake's girlfriend. But Lexie has never had a real boyfriend, let alone a pretend one! Can she manage to convince Jake that they're meant to be...and avoid getting killed by Bree McKennis?

My QUICK QUICK QUICK Review:

This is definitely a young adult book. It would be perfect for 7th and 8th graders who are young. This book was very basic.

A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker

2/5 Stars

B&N:

When the principal announces that every senior must participate in a mandatory year-long Marriage Education program, Fiona Sheehan believes that her life can't get any worse. Then she marries her "husband": jerky jock Todd, whose cheerleader girlfriend, Amanda, has had it in for Fiona since day one of second grade. Even worse? Amanda is paired with Fiona's long-term crush, Gabe. At least Fiona is doing better than her best friend, Marcie, who is paired up with the very quiet, very mysterious Johnny Mercer.
Pranks, fights, misunderstandings, and reconciliations ensue in an almost Shakespearean comedy of errors about mistaken first impressions, convoluted coupling, and hidden crushes.


My Review:

I could see how this may be a "cute" read for younger girls, but I found the main female character wicked annoying. I don't know how she calls herself a good friend. She constantly only talks about herself with her friend ignoring what's going on in her friend's life completely. The character of Todd was pretty funny in some instances.

One other thing that really annoyed me was how the main character treated a particular boy throughout the book and especially at the end of the book. It was like all of a sudden her opinion changed and she "settled" for him. Not a great message to send to young people.

Quarantined by Joe McKinney

2/5 Stars

B&N:

The citizens of San Antonio, Texas are threatened with extermination by a terrifying outbreak of the flu. Quarantined by the military to contain the virus, the city is in a desperate struggle to survive. Inside the quarantine walls, Detective Lily Harris is working burial statistics duty at the Scar, San Antonio's mass graveyard, when she finds a murder victim hidden amongst the plague dead. But Lily's investigation into the young woman's death soon takes a frightening turn as yet another strain of the deadly flu virus surfaces, and now Lily finds herself caught up in a conspiracy orchestrated by a corrupt local government intent on hiding the news from the world and fighting a population threatening to boil over into revolt. As the city erupts in violence, Lily is forced to do the unthinkable. With the clock ticking toward annihilation, Lily must lead her family through the quarantine walls and escape with news that just might save us all.

My Review:

I read this book a bit ago, but I guess I forgot to post it. I think the basis of the book is strong. If the author went a little further, this book would have been better. It was interesting to see what the world would be like if a virus took most of us out.

Bloodfever (Fever Series #2) by Karen Marie Moning

2/5 Stars

B&N:

I used to think my sister and I were just two nice southern girls who'd get married in a few years and settle down to a quiet life. Then I discovered that Alina and I descend, not from good wholesome southern stock, but from an ancient Celtic bloodline of powerful sidhe-seers, people who can see the Fae. Not only can I see the terrifying otherworldly race, but I can sense the sacred Fae relics that hold the deadliest of their magic.

When my sister was found dead in a trash-filled alley in Dublin, I came over to get answers. Now all I want is revenge. And after everything I've learned about myself, I know I have the power to get it....

MacKayla Lane's ordinary life underwent a complete makeover when she landed on Ireland's shores and was plunged into a world of deadly sorcery and ancient secrets.

In her fight to stay alive, Mac must find the Sinsar Dubh-a million-year-old book of the blackest magic imaginable, which holds the key to power over both the worlds of the Fae and of Man. Pursued by Fae assassins, surrounded by mysterious figures she knows she cannot trust, Mac finds herself torn between two deadly and irresistible men: V'lane, the insatiable Fae who can turn sensual arousal into an obsession for any woman, and the ever-inscrutable Jericho Barrons, a man as alluring as he is mysterious.

For centuries the shadowy realm of the Fae has coexisted with that of humans. Now the walls between the two are coming down, and Mac is the only thing that stands between them....

My Review:

Ok. So, this is the 2nd book in the series. Again, not extremely happy with it. Yes, it's good. Yes, it kept me reading because I wanted to know what was going to happen....but that's the thing. These books seem like teeny installments on what's happening. Like they're almost 300 pages but with the overall plot...not much happens. I think that's what annoys me.

I do really like the characters. I think they're very well developed, but it just seems like it's taking way too long for the plot to move on.

It seems like the author just wanted to make a series, so she extended little things to get more books out. It looks like there are 5 books, when I think the entire story could have been told in probably 3ish.

Another thing that really really annoyed me was how much the author back tracks during the book (especially at the beginning). Like she gives you all the information about what happened in book 1 all over again. I know authors do this sometimes to get people caught up, especially if the books came out far apart, but really... you don't need to tell us everything again! It put me in a bad mood reading the book and not liking it which may have caused me to just be thoroughly annoyed for the rest of the book.

Does the author do a good job of making you want to read the next book? Of course because she just ends the book. It seems like it's more so an end of a chapter instead of the end of the book.

I will read the rest of the series because I do want to know what's happening and have answers answered.

Again- this is probably just my opinion. I'm seeing it's being rated 4 stars everywhere else.

A good book, just one that annoyed me.

Darkfever (Fever Series #1) by Karen Marie Moning

2/5 Stars possible 3/5 Stars....I keep going back and forth!

B&N:
MacKayla Lane’s life is good. She has great friends, a decent job, and a car that breaks down only every other week or so. In other words, she’s your perfectly ordinary twenty-first-century woman.

Or so she thinks…until something extraordinary happens.

When her sister is murdered, leaving a single clue to her death - a cryptic message on Mac’s cell phone - Mac journeys to Ireland in search of answers. The quest to find her sister’s killer draws her into a shadowy realm where nothing is as it seems, where good and evil wear the same treacherously seductive mask. She is soon faced with an even greater challenge: staying alive long enough to learn how to handle a power she had no idea she possessed - a gift that allows her to see beyond the world of man, into the dangerous realm of the Fae…

As Mac delves deeper into the mystery of her sister’s death, her every move is shadowed by the dark, mysterious Jericho, a man with no past and only mockery for a future. As she begins to close in on the truth, the ruthless Vlane - an alpha Fae who makes sex an addiction for human women - closes in on her. And as the boundary between worlds begins to crumble, Mac’s true mission becomes clear: find the elusive Sinsar Dubh before someone else claims the all-powerful Dark Book - because whoever gets to it first holds nothing less than complete control of the very fabric of both worlds in their hands…

My SHORT review:

So, first I thought this book was wicked good. The characters drew me in as well as the story line. Then it slowed down a bit. When I finished it, I was like, "Hmmm not so great." I was going to give it a 3/5 Stars, but because it was really good then just became "eh" I brought it down to a 2 star.

I heard the rest of the series is really good. Started the 2nd one tonight. We shall see.

Waiting for You by Susane Colasanti

2/5 Stars

B&N:

It's sophomore year, and Marisa is ready for a fresh start and, hopefully, her first real boyfriend. But after popular Derek asks her out, things get complicated. Not only do her parents unexpectedly separate, but Marisa has a fight with her best friend, and Derek-the love of her life-delivers a shocking disappointment. The only things keeping Marisa together are the podcasts from the anonymous DJ, who seems to totally understand Marisa. But she doesn't know who he is . . . or maybe she does.


My Review:

This is the second book by this author that I've read. I must say, not a huge huge fan. I remember thinking the same thing about another of her's. I have a couple more of hers on my Nook and I will probably end up reading them, but not really excited about it. You know how when you find an author that you really enjoy you're wicked excited about reading the author's other work...yea not so much with this one.

What didn't I like about it? Well, it was kind of slow in the beginning...and the middle. I really only started enjoying it the last 1/4th of the book. The main female character annoyed me. She was pretty whinny. She has anxiety- which all fine and good (I have anxiety), but all she did was kind of complain to herself and then yearn for this guy (but in an annoying way).

I did like her childhood friend though. His character was developed better than the main character.

I'm all about character development. :)

Gone by Michael Grant

2/5 Stars

B&N:
In the blink of an eye.

Everyone disappears.

Gone.

Everyone except for the young. Teens. Middle schoolers. Toddlers. But not a single adult. No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. Gone, too, are the phones, internet, and television. There is no way to get help.

Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents—unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers—that grow stronger by the day.

It's a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen and war is imminent.

The first in a breathtaking saga about teens battling each other and their darkest selves, gone is a page-turning thriller that will make you look at the world in a whole new way.


My Review:

I was very surprised that I did not enjoy this book that much. Everyone else has loved it. I figured out why I didn't like it. It was actually kind of painful to finish. I was very surprised that I did not enjoy this book that much. Everyone else has loved it. I figured out why I didn't like it. It was actually kind of painful for me to get through. I gave it 2 stars because the concept is pretty neat.

You see, I'm a character driven type of person when reading. I need the characters to be so developed I feel like I actually know them. I need to care for them. These characters were not like that. Even the main character, Sam. I honestly did not care if he lived or died.

Will I read the rest of the series? I'm not sure yet. I own the 2nd one. But, still just not that sure.

Pretty Face by Mary Hogan

2/5 Stars

B&N:

That's what I am. A funny girl. A friend. Nobody's girlfriend. The girl with the pretty face.

Hayley wishes she could love living in Santa Monica, blocks from the beach, where every day—and everybody—is beautiful and sunny. But she just doesn't fit in with all the blond, superskinny Southern California girls who have their plastic surgeons on speed dial. Hayley is smart and witty and has such a pretty . . . face. Translation: Don't even think about putting on a bikini, much less dating superhot Drew Wyler. A bikini will never be flattering, and Drew will never think of her as more than a friend.

Just when Hayley feels doomed to live her life in the fat lane, her parents decide to send her to Italy for the summer—not for school, not for fat camp, just for fun. It's there, under the Italian sun, that Hayley's vision of herself starts to change. She's curvy, not fat. Pizza isn't evil. And life is so much more than one-size-fits-all. Who knows? Once Hayley sees herself in a new light, maybe the girl with the pretty face will finally find true amore.

My Review:

Eh. I was expecting much more from this book. The topic really had me interested. But, the author dropped the ball. The characters weren't great. I didn't really feel for them at all. And there was no need to introduce sex towards the end of the book. It was like- hey this is a young adult book, so in order for people to want to read it/buy it I better add sex. The girl new the guy for a few days and then had sex with him... not a great message. And it was supposed to be "true lo...more Eh. I was expecting much more from this book. The topic really had me interested. But, the author dropped the ball. The characters weren't great. I didn't really feel for them at all. And there was no need to introduce sex towards the end of the book. It was like- hey this is a young adult book, so in order for people to want to read it/buy it I better add sex. The girl new the guy for a few days and then had sex with him... not a great message. And it was supposed to be "true love"- blah blah blah, but it just didn't work.

It was interesting to read about Italy, but even that could have been better.

I Know What You Did Last Summer by Lois Duncan

2/5 Stars

B&N:

It was only an accident -- but it would change their lives forever. Last summer, four terrified friends made a desperate pact to conceal a shocking secret. But some secrets don't stay buried, and someone has learned the truth. Someone bent on revenge. This summer, the horror is only beginning....

My Review:

This was neat book to read only because I've seen the movie a few time and heard that the book is very very different. And it's true...it is different. So, it was kind of neat seeing all the differences and how the author wanted the story to go. It wasn't an amazing book, but for young adults, it was good. It wasn't too scary- but it had just the right amount of suspense and such. It also kept you guessing on who was the "killer" and such.

Amazing Grace by Megan Shull

2/5 Stars

B&N:Gorgeous teen superstar Grace Kincaid has it all- an electric smile, million-dollar endorsement deals, and blond cover-girl looks. But what happens when America's "It" girl doesn't want "It" anymore? With the paparazzi stalking her every move, Grace quietly slips out of a TEEN PEOPLE photo shoot, ducks the press, and call s her mom from the boiler room of the fabled USTA National Tennis Center. And right there, in her custom-made Nike warm-ups, tears streaming down her face, Grace says the three magic words that her mom told her she could say anytime, anytime this whole crazy life wasn't fun anymore. Three simple words-and her new life begins. For the hottest girl on the planet, life's about to change. Grace gets a make-under, a new identity, and a new life in a rugged little town on the edge of nowhere, population 813 (including one cute boy: one very cute boy).

My Review: Ehhh... I've read better. I picked this up to see if I wanted to put it into my class library, and it did seem interesting. I think it has the potential to be really good- but the author just misses the mark. It's a cute story and I read it in a day, but I just wanted more. It was too neat of an ending. There needed to be more of a conflict. I'll still put it in my class library for the kids who need a quick read.

Smart Boys and Fast Girls by Stephie Davis

2/5 Stars

This book is a stereotypical book about a girl who likes a guy, but doesn't think she can get him. Meanwhile she gets put together with another guy who she's not interested in...but guess what happens...she gets interested.

This is a book for teens. It's like an 8th grade chick-lit book. The characters are all spelled out...there are the jocks and the geeks and the drama of school.

Overall, it was a cute easy read. Predictable, for me...yes. For an 8th grade girl...not sure.

Love on the Lifts by Rachel Hawthorne

2/5 Stars

B&N:
Kate's Aunt Sue invites Kate and her two friends, Leah and Allie, to spend winter break in her rental condo in Snow Angel Valley during their three-week winter school break. Meanwhile, Aunt Sue invites Kate's brother, Sam, and his two friends, Joe and Brad, to come for break and stay in the same condo. Aunt Sue is an adult that Kate respects and looks to for answers in this coming-of-age story. Aunt Sue has never married, but she always has a new, young boyfriend. In Snow Angel Valley, Aunt Sue rents condos and operates a bookstore/hot-chocolate cafT. Several of the book's chapters take place in this bookstore/cafT setting. Kate has a huge crush on Brad, who ignores her. Meanwhile, Joe becomes interested in Kate. Kate's friend, Allie, pairs up with Kate's brother, Sam. Brad moves out to another girl's condo, while Leah pairs up with one of the ski instructors. So, what will Kate do and what choices will she make? This teen romance, written in first person, is a sweet book, which will prove a quick read even for the most reluctant teenage girl. 2006, Avon/HarperCollins Publishers, Ages 12 up.

My Review
I got this book used thinking it was an adult chick-lit book...surprise it's a teen romance! It reads like one, too. I almost put it down, but then decided to read it like I was a teen. So, after getting in that mind frame- it's a decent book. Yes, it's predictable- but it's still cute. There is no swearing or sex! Well- they do say that a girl sleeps in a guys bed- BUT they really don't make it sound like they have sex, so you could actually believe that they're just cuddling and kissing. The characters were typical stereo-type characters...but it's not meant to be a deep book. It's a fun, quick read for teens. I was happy with who ended with whom. Again- it was cute.

m or f? by Lisa Papademetriou and Chris Tebbetts

2/5 Stars

B&N: Frannie is desperate to get the attention of her crush, Jeffrey, but too shy to make a move. Frannie's gay best friend, Marcus, advises her to get the ball rolling by chatting with Jeffrey online, but Frannie won't type a word. Marcus takes over at the keyboard, and soon his plan is a success! But the more he chats, the more it seems Jeffrey is falling for Marcus, not Frannie. Whose romance is this, anyway?

My Review: I picked up this book for like $1. I bought it because I wanted to know who ended up getting Jeffrey! I didn't expect it to be amazing writing. It wasn't so bad though. It kept me reading the whole time- read the whole thing in one sitting and it's 320pages... The ending was so good. It had such a neat twist that made me happy that I read it. Again, wasn't a fantastic read that I'd read over and over again, but the ending made it worth the read.