Review: The Secret Rites Of Social Butterflies by Lizabeth Zindel

Summary/Cover Image from Goodreads:

When does truth become gossip?

Maggie's parents have just split up, and she's moved from New Jersey to New York City with her mom. Desperate to make new friends and to distract herself from troubles at home, she falls in with a group of social butterflies at the ritzy private school she now attends. These girls keep a top-secret record of their classmates, most intimate details on a wall in one of their apartments. Maggie's friends insist they are collecting the truth--not gossip--about the lives of today's teenagers. But she soon learns that certain information in the wrong hands can do irreparable damage.

This is the second novel from Publishers Weekly "Flying Start" author and literacy legacy Lizabeth Zindel.

Review:

When I began this book I didn’t know what to expect. I thought, maybe, it could be another one of those copycats of Gossip Girl . Since it took place in not only New York but in a private school with rich girls. It turned out I was wrong after I read the first chapter for some little things and a big thing. As, the story begins Maggie seemed like not only a typical nice girl going through a tough time but a good friend. Though that kind of gets ruined when she meets The Revelers, who surprised me by how mean and awful they where to their classmates and friends. At the beginning I, stupidly thought, that they where nice and semi pleasant though I began to not think that after what they made Maggie go through to be their friend. The thing that made me like The Secret Rites Of Social Butterflies the most was how when I got farther into the book I saw it not only had excellent and well developed characters, a good fast paced plot , but important questions to think over. Questions such as where should girls draw the line at gossip and rumors, how can a teenage girl let herself be open and truthful to the people she cares about , and well if your secret gets out will there be anyone who’s going through the same thing or fells the same thing you do. Lizabeth Zindel , I thought, answered them perfectly by saying in her own words that there will most likely be someone who feels the same making you feel better and when you mess up you’ll eventually end up in a better place than where you started. In addition, the events in this book lead to the idea that maybe you should always be truthful with friends and family since if you aren’t it may end up hurting you, like it did to Maggie. The Secret Rites Of Social Butterflies is a definite must read and might likely be my favorite book of the year, though I think that about most books I read.

Grade: A

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

Aislinn has “the sight” otherwise know as being able to see fairies. There is three rules to having this talent which Aislinn must follow because if she doesn’t want to end up like her mother or the others who have come before: dead.

Rule Number 1: Don’t stare at invisible fairies.
Aislinn has always seen this rule as being hard. Since, how can she go on with her life if she sees the disgusting things fairies do to humans such as touch them or hit them. Also, seeing them is like admitting to herself that their really there and she can’t possible do anything about it except blind herself, which she could never do since the fairies would always be sharp in her memory.

Rule Number 2: Don’t speak to invisible fairies.
This rule is getting more tempting to disobey as fairies begin to stalk and ask questions that she is afraid to answer. So, as they begin to circle her and whisper about her, how can she not scream for them to stop.

Rule Number 3: Don’t ever attract their attention.
This rule is basically put to an end when she does attract their attention with their kings. Now, a mysterious and extremely attractive guy named Keenan is following her and attempting to talk to her. He has the crazy idea that she is the Summer Queen and that she will put an end to the haunting coldness on earth.

As the book goes on how can Aislinn possibly follow the rules with the fairies looming over her with intrigue and interest? Will the wall she put between her and the fairies come down when they find out her secret? Will everything she has- her loving grandmother, her best friend, Seth, her everything-come to a halt with Keenan’s interest in her?

Wicked Lovely was simply a lovely and interesting look at the world of a girl who has a secret that she wishes she doesn’t have. How Aislinn dealt with all the fairies was very believable. The whole fairy world, though, was the thing that made me love this book the most. The interactions between Dona and Keenan where funny though at the same heart breaking which made me sad of how Dona didn’t turn out to be the one. Also, the relationship between Aislinn and Seth was cute and real. The only thing that made me dislike this book was how predictable the ending was.

I can’t wait to read more by Melissa Marr and I hope she continues with more stories about the faeries interesting world.

5/5

Undone

A book by another awesome 2k8 author is coming out today!! The book is called Undone by Brooke Taylor and I have been waiting to read this book since I read the summary on her website and watched the book trailer, which was surprisingly good.

Here's the Summary from Barnes and Noble:

When Kori Kitlzer, the “dark angel” of the 8th grade, tells Serena Moore that they are more alike than she thinks, Serena is instantly intrigued. As their friendship solidifies and their lives entwine, Serena tries to become more like the fearless, outspoken, and ambitious Kori. Soon Serena doesn't know where she begins and Kori ends. But when a twist of fate yanks Kori away from Serena, she will need to find a way to complete her best friend's life left undone. Undone is a striking debut novel about friendship, family, and the secrets we keep from the people to whom we are closest.

Here's the book trailer:

Anyway, if you would like to win this book Reviewer X is holding a contest and so is Brooke Taylor who is also giving away other books with Undone.

I will be posting the review as soon as I get it from Amazon!!

Dedication by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus

When Kate Hollis get a phone call in the middle of the night from her best friend, Laura, saying her Kate’s rockstar ex-boyfriend is back in town , Kate leaves her apartment in Virginia to go to Croton, Vermont. All Kate wants from seeing Jake is closure from their high school romance that was turned into number one hit songs. Kate wants to get on with her life without hearing those songs and thinking about the guy who left her in the blue right before prom to go to LA to get a recording contracting leaving not her ,but his best friends who helped him right all of his songs. When Kate arrives in Croton she goes to her parents house to wait for the perfect moment to make Jake Sharpe regret his entire existence. Though as she’s waiting the reader gets to see the past with Jake and the future with Jake leaving the reader to wonder what Kate will do: Get back with him in a spur of the moment or leave him letting him look like a jerk?

Dedication was a truly great book about closure and coming to age with forgiving and forgetting. Kate is truly believable of how she deals with Jake as the reader sees her waver though middle school to her thirties going back and forth between hating Jake for what he does to not only her but their friends and forgetting, going right back to him. Jake in the early years could be extremely likable but in the future he gets that rockstar life which changes him, which made me mad for doing what he did but then he would do something nice and thoughtful changing my mind about him and most importantly Katie’s. I thought this novel had a good ending that was bittersweet but just right for Katie’s life. The only problem I had with the Dedication was how it could lag at times making it boring but it would then pick up again which made me forgot the boring parts. I am truly looking forward to reading more by these talented authors.

4.5/5

The Pretty One by Cheryl Klam

Meghan Flecter is used to having her sister, Lucy, being “The Pretty One” who has boys droll over her and girls wanting to be her. Meghan is considered to be the ugly one with her buck, her too big for her face nose, and her round and plump shape. She is mostly fine with this because she has her funny best friend Simon and Lucy who is always supportive of her little sister.

On a the night of a school dance Meghan arrives with Simon planning to have a good time but that quickly goes wrong when she hears Lucy and Lucy’s friend talking about her in the bathroom. They were talking about how Meghan looks hideous in her dress and how she should braces along with a nose job. Even though Lucy had told her before they arrived that she looked nice. Meghan runs away from the school in tears and runs into incoming traffic which causes her to be hit.

Now a year latter Meghan looks completely different because of the surgery she had to get after the accident. Now with her new nose, perfect teeth, and size two shape she is barley recognized by her school mates, best friend, and her self. Her parents and sister think this is good thing because they this will make her more popular and well liked. Which turns out to be correct when Meghan sees that boys find her attractive and other girls who barely talked to her before acting like they where always friends. Meghan can’t understand why having a pretty face can make her different by having more people like her including her father. Though with the pretty face causes drama between her and best friends because Lucy is now not “The Pretty One” and Simon begins to want to be more than friends causing Meghan to be repulsed. Plus, now with the leading role in a student production created and starring her crush Drew, she starts to begin a relationship with him even though Lucy has a crush on him. Now with the drama unfolding Meghan wants more than anything to hide and go back to her old life and face.

The Pretty One was a cute story inspired by Cheryl Klam’s sister’s accident (you can read more about that on her MySpace Page). I thought this book was really good and real, I thought. Seeing how even though Meghan was now considered pretty it didn’t boost her to the top of the popular chart and how Meghan had boy troubles which a lot of girls face. The Pretty One was a sad story that was fast paced and lovable in its own way making me think anyone should read this awesome book. I can not wait to read more by Cheryl Klam.

Guitar Girl by Sara Manning

When Molly Montgomery started a band with her friend, Jane and Tara, she just thought it was a way of hanging out and having a good time, thought this changes when the headstrong Dean joins the band with his quiet friend T. Dean only has one thing on his mind which is to get famous. As Dean and T start playing with Molly, Jane, and Tara they begin to get popular and better. So, when the glamours and ruthless Paul asks them if he can manage them and make then famous, they quickly agree. Now comes the up rise of The Hormones: with their witty lyrics and the pretty Molly and hot Dean they become well liked. Though with fame brings trouble, normally. So it’s no surprise when Jane spins out of control, Tara gets her feelings torn between T and Molly, and Molly begins to think she lost her self on way to fame. Which makes this a wild ride through the rings of fame and what comes along when you posses it.

Guitar Girl was an excellent story with the amusing characters, the plot that the author created with five people on there way to fame, and the funny but sad problems these characters create themselves. I read this story in one night because of the quick paced chapters and style the Sara Manning wrote in. Even though I enjoyed there was flaws such as how there was at least one spelling or grammar problem in each chapter, how Molly didn’t really get closure with anyone after she left the band, and how you never find out how lawsuit resulted. Though even with the problems I had I still want to read more by Sara Manning.

4.5/ 5

Fake Boyfriend by Kate Brian

Lane and Vivi have hit the last straw when their friend, Izzy, boyfriend, the infamous Shawn Litting, has broken up with her again. Also, if that can not be worse enough he did it right before the prom. This event leaves their friend a complete and utter mess because she loves Shawn and has dreamed about going to the prom since she was in elementary school. Hating seeing there friend like this Lane and Vivi decide to make up a boyfriend to take the place of Shawn on MySpace. After a few keystrokes, they have the perfect boyfriend for Izzy, though they only wish he was real. They then began to create a budding relationship between “Brandon” and Izzy online with the help of Vivi’s brother Marshall doing the talking. It’s all going perfect until Shawn decides he want’s Izzy back, which causes the friends to have to find a guy to take the role of playing Brandon. This is where the cute and nerdy Jonathon comes in leaving Vivi to fall for him. Even though Vivi knows this is the worst possible thing that could happen.

Fake Boyfriend reads like one of those reality shows where the some girl’s friends try to make their friend forgot about there awful boyfriend and choose from the guys her friends pick out for her. This book is different in the sense of the author having the friends create a fake boyfriend. Which I thought was an awesome and cool thing to do. At times this book could be cute and witty but it could drag on for times, which was annoying. Also, I was surprised when Vivi started to like Jonathon and how the book ended which put it up higher in my ranks. Anyway, I enjoyed this book and can’t wait for another standalone by Kate Brian.

4/5

Footfree and FancyLoose By Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain

The pursuit of ones dreams that began in the fantastic first novel, Bass Ackwards and Belly Up continues in this equally good novel by Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain.

The book opens up with a week after Bass Ackwards and Belly Up ended with Sophie, Becca, and Harper at a fancy Hollywood party. While they are at the party, Kate is already off to Ethiopia to work on a project to dig wells. With half of the year already gone they make a promise to complete their dreams. Meaning that Harper has to start her novel again and not quit working to play the all addicting spider solitaire which got in her way before. Sophie, meanwhile, is living the pleasant life in her Mother’s best friend’s guest house. Though, when the friend decides abruptly to kick Sophie out,so her presonal trainer can move in, Sophie is forced to sleep on her frenemy Sam’s couch in his small apparent he shares with his friend. Kate is in Ethiopia, where she is working at a non profit organization helping build wells with four other people around her age. Though when she meets the all controlling and rude Darby will it make her work harder? Even though Becca has already completed her goal of falling in love doesn’t mean everything’s perfect. Actually it far from it because she can’t seem to trust her boyfriend Stuart no matter how much he reassures her he’s faithful. Also, her parents have gotten back together leaving her confused off how two people can get back together in spite of how much hating they have down of the years of each other. As this all exciting year goes on for these four best friends learn that even if something goes wrong they’ll always have each other.

First off I overjoyed when I read in the first book that there would be a sequel because I wanted to see how Sophie, Harper, Kate, and Becca lives would turn out in the end. So, when I first got this book I started it immediately when I got home feeling like no time had passed since the pervious book even though it had been two years since Bass Ackwards and Belly Up began the story. Footfree and FancyLoose started slowly but picked up in the middle and carrying through to the end with twists and turns in the plot. I loved Kate’s story because I thought is was cool how she did everything in her power to get running water in the grief stricken town. I loved this book and was sad to see it end. I hope their will be another book because I think two of the couples didn’t really get their chance of being together. The only problem that I had with this book was how long it took to come out though I quickly forgave the authors when I was reading the book, seeing how good it was. I can’t wait to read another book by these talented authors.

I highly suggest you go out and buy Footfree and Fancyloose and Bass Ackwards and Belly Up if you haven’t had a chance to read them.

5/5

The Year Nick McGowan Came To Stay by Rebecca Sparrow

Rachel Hill is one of the smartest girls in her class and is always described as being pretty nice, pretty smart, or just pretty. Never the girl to be called compelling or striking like her best friend Zoë. All she wants to do in her last year of High School is get good grades and win the Party Hostess at the Restaurant she works at.

Then Nick McGowan comes to live at Rachel's house for a semester and suddenly nothings in control. Rachel sees this happening as a way for her under control life to go askew but Rachel's BFF, Zoe, sees Nick McGowan as a possible boyfriend for Rachel. Rachel is against this idea thinking Nick McGowan is nothing but trouble after hearing the many nasty rumours about him. For example that he tried to commit suicide the previous summer. Though if Rachel thinks he's trouble then why does she get butterflies in her stomach everytime she sees him and tries to like the things he enjoys like the Ramones? It's because even though she tries not to she falls under his charm. Though when they get off on the wrong foot and everything is ruined on her trying to get him to like her after he thinks she's a stuck up brat. She begins to wonder if he will ever like her.

I first found this book when I was on Amazon one day a couple of mounts and when I read this summary of this book I thought it would be a typical Teen Romance book. So, when I saw it at the library this week I thought I would give it a try and see what if I liked it or not. I am now glad that I did because this book was so funny and thought out. I loved the conversations between Rachel and Zoë and the embarrassing things that happened when Rachel was with Nick. The Year Nick McGowan come is a must read for the summer, I think. I loved the message of this book was a good one to because it showed that you shouldn't always believe what you her about other people because most of the time it's wrong. The only problem I had with this book that was it took place in '89 and with the most of the references Rebecca made I didn't really understand. Anyway, I can not wait to read more by Rebecca Sparrow.
4/5 stars

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

“Who Is Jenna Fox?”

That is all Jenna Fox wants to know. Was she nice? Did she have friends? Was she loved? Are some of the many questions Jenna asks her self after the car accident in which she was nearly killed. It has been a year since that accident and in that year Jenna was in a comatose state where she did not respond to anyone. Now she is awake the world is different then it was before and can’t remember a thing of her past.

As she begins to piece together her past she forms questions in her mind. Questions her parents won’t answer for some reason. Leaving Jenna very suspicious of them and what they did to her. So as she starts to find out that they not only lied to her but kept a huge secret of how she is alive today. And when that secret comes out will Jenna’s life ever be the same or will she be considered a freak of nature?

I simply loved this book. The thing that drew me to this book was the unusual topic I don’t see today in young adult fiction. I was intrigued by the thought that if you got in a terrible accident leaving doctors lie to you and rebuild you from scratch using only 10% of your original body. That thought that you could be built the way you where from just about scratch is very creepy but very realistac in today’s advanced medical world. That topic alone made me love this book and the Jenna’s telling of the story in such a descriptive way. I hope that we see more of this kind of story in the future since I thought it was excellent ways of showing how technology is so advanced now, that we may possible see this kind of event in the future. I can not wait to read more books by this creative author.

5/5 stars

When It Happens By Susane Colasanti

When It Happens with Sara and Toby’s beginning of senior year where they both come up with goals for their last year in High School. Sara’s are to get into NYU, her dream college, and to find real love. Toby’s are getting his band to win Battle of The Bands and to make Sara see him a new light that would make her fall in love with him.

Everything comes to a halt when Sara begins to go out with the all around popular guy Dave.

This happening makes Toby want Sara more. So, Toby and his Best friend come up with little things to do to get Sara to like him. Which, I thought that was a cute part of the story. I was so excited when Sara , finally, saw Toby in a new light which made her like him.

When It Happens was an extremely good read. I loved how Susane Colasanti switched POVs every other chapter letting the reader see what was happening in both of the characters minds. Though I thought Toby’s and Sara’s relationship was a little bit unbelievable since it seemed she going out with Dave and all or sudden she decides she wants to go out with Toby. I quickly changed my mind when I found out the real reason why Dave wanted to go out with Sara. Also, I liked how Toby and Sara got in little fights showing they where a real couple and not a fake and perfect one. Anyhow, I loved When It Happens and how it made me wish I had a boyfriend like Toby. So, I could have a relationship every girl envies. I can not wait to read more by this talentd auther.

I would suggest this book to just about anyone.

5/5

Perfect You By Elizabeth Scott

Kate life has went down the drain faster than you can say Mississippi three times fast. It all started when her BFF turned into one of the popular girls, pretending Kate doesn’t even exist. Her dad got his so called calling to sell Perfect You vitamins (where title came from) which means she now has to work at the mall to help her dad out. Where Kate doesn’t even get paid to commit this social suicide!

Then enters Will the notorious flirt at Kate’s school. Will and Kate start to make out behind the storage sheds at the mall and even talk a little. From this event Kate has no clue of what to make of this means, because she can’t seem to figure out if he’s just playing her or actually likes her. Though as she begins to see, from hanging out at the mall with him and seeing how nervous he gets when he talks to her, that on the inside Will is more nice and normal than she thought.

Perfect You was such a cute and charming book which I loved. Will was a great add to the book since I think he lighted the mood of the story by adding an irresistible charm to the story. I thought that how Kate handle the situation of her dad quitting his job and losing her best friend was very real. The only problem I had was how Kate kept pushing Will away again and again even though he was perfect for her.

Overall Perfect You was a good light read that I would suggest you read to! I can’t wait to read more by Elizabeth Scott!
5/5