Sunday at Tiffanys by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet

Jane Margaux's parents where hardly ever home because her mom, the famous Vivienne, was always directing the latest hit on Broadway and her father was always on business with his girlfriend, Ellie. This made Jane a very lonely little girl. So, when she gets an imaginary best friend. She suddenly has someone tell secrets to, hang out with, and just have some who would never leave no matter what. Though, as they say all good things have to come to an end. Jane sees this first hand when Michael leaves her on her ninth birthday with a promise that she will forget him the next day and if she does remember it would be like a dream.

Now, twenty three years later Jane still can't forgot Michael even though he sad she would. She is working at Vivienne's production company basically as her Mother’s beck and call girl. She has had a hit on Broadway called Thank Heaven which was based on her relationship with Michael . Hollywood now wants to make it into a movie making Jane happy. Though, as always Vivienne finds a way to control the whole thing form the actors to the setting. Also, Jane has a hot Broadway star boyfriend names Hugh who stared in Thank Heaven as Michael but she begins to see he’s only dating her to make his career breakthrough. So, basically Jane’s life has been a mess since Michael left her twenty some years before.

Then comes the day when Jane sees him in there old favorite restaurant with a beautiful lady. Jane thinks she has gone crazy because he’s supposed to be imaginary not real. So, she goes up to him to test her sanity and realizes he is actually a real person, somehow. Jane gets Michael to answer her questions of why can’t she remember him and how he’s there in flesh and blood. Michael doesn’t know the answers to these questions but thinks that now seeing Jane after years means he has to save her again. Here starts the confusing relationship of Jane and Michael who start to have feelings and test all odds when they begin to fall for each other even though one is somehow immortal.

Sunday's at Tiffany's was such an amazing and heart wrenching story of love can surpass all odds that start to pile up against it. I loved how this book kept you guessing of the whole story behind Michael until the last page. Also, Michael and Jane where well written characters, I thought, who had qualities that you could relate to your own life. Michael was my favorite character because he was such an smart, truthful, and witty guy that I wish more guys where like in real life. The setting was in New York which made James and Gabrielle fit little pieces of New York in every chapter which I thought was cool. Even though it has almost 400 pages it was told in alternating views ( Jane's in 1st person and Michael's in third) and had relative short chapters which made it go by very quickly. This was the first book I read by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet and it certainly will not be the last.

5 stars/ 5 stars

Suicide Notes by Michael Thomas Ford

Summary:

" When fifteen-year-old Jeff wakes up on New Year's Day to find himself in a hospital Psychiatric ward, bandages on his wrists, he's certain it's all a huge mistake. Jeff knows he's not like the other kids in there. They've got problems. But a funny thing happens as his forty-five-day sentence drags on-the crazies start to seem less crazy.

Compelling, witty, and refreshingly real. Suicide Notes is a darkly humorous novel that examines that fuzzy line between "normal" and the rest of us."

Review:

I got Suicide Notes from the Harper Teen First Look program not really expecting much from it. I thought it would be one of those dreary and depressing books on teen suicide but surprisingly it was humors at times making me laugh out loud but still serious about the topic it was about. The main character, Jeff, was funny to start with but not being serious about his condition which made me kind of dislike him. Though during the middle of the book to the end he kept growing more serious about the problem that brought him to want to commit suicide. The other people in the mental hospital where funny but their tails of why they got there where interesting and sad. My favorite character probably would have been a tie between Sadie and Amanda because they where good add to the book. Though I wished Amanda could have had a bigger role.

One problem I had with this book was the title and cover which made me think it would include suicide notes which it didn't have during the story. Also, how the reason why Jeff committed suicide wasn't really mentioned at all or supported until the end. Which made me think that Michael just through it in there so he didn't have a loose end to the book.

With a topic like teen suicide you expect a serious novel with a message but with Suicide Notes you got serious with funniness. This novel had a good way of getting the message out that suicide is never the answer even though it seems it at the time. Also, the message that you should accept yourself the way you are. Overall this book was funny and exciting at times making it a good read. Mr. Ford is a great new add to Young Adult fiction.

Suicide Notes comes out October 9 and I suggest you give it a try because it was truly funny at times making up for the semi weak suicide plot.

4/ 5 stars

*also reviewd for Harper Teen

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

All Chloe Sanders ever wanted to be was normal. She wanted to not have to always be the new girl or the poor rich girl who’s mother died. She got her chance to be a ordinary with no one knowing her past at the performing arts she strated in ninith grade where everyone was new like her. Now all she wants to do is get the guy she’s crushing on to crush back, keep her friends from attacking each other with insults, and keep being the normal girl.

Though somehow Chole can’t get want she wants. First she strats she people who are not their. Ghosts you can call them who want her help and won‘t stop talking to her. Second, when everyone finds this out she is suddenly shipped to the mysterious Lyle House where she is sent to recover with other teens who have similar problems.


Suddenly her schoolmates, friends, her dad, and even her ever trusting aunt thinks she’s nuts. Though she knows she’s not because when she arrives at Lyle House she sees that with the house and the teens-especially Derek and Simon- not everything meets the eyes and only she can figure the truth about them out.

The Summoning was an amazing book. The whole mystery that surrounds the Lyle House kept me interested in this book from the first chapter. Chloe was a very relatable character because most girls like her want just to be nothing but ordinary and well liked. Though with Chloe she finds out she may never get this normal feeling when she discovers she is a necromancer which means she can summon the dead. The supporting characters- Tori, Liz, Rae, Derek, and Simon- kept the book going to by having their story of how they ended up at the Lyle House come out at random times when the plot was getting a little dull. I felt sorry for Chloe when she found at that the people closet to her where keeping the secret that they knew she was seeing ghosts but instead acted like she was a crazy mess. The only thing I got mad about in this book was the ending which was a huge cliff hanger but I guess you need that kind of ending when your writing a trilogy. The Summoning was a fast paced book with a suspenseful plot that kept you wondering to the very last page. I suggest it to anyone who wants to read an incredible book.


5/5

Kitty Kitty by Michele Jaffe

Everything in Jas’s life had been going just fine. She has a hot new boyfriend and she was going to be starting her senior year at high school with her best friends Roxy, Polly, and Tom. Though all things in Jas life can’t go perfect, she is starting to see, when a day before school starts her dad and step mom announce they are moving to Venice, Italy for a couple of months because her dad wants to work on a book about soap or so they say. Since one night when Jas went by their room she heard them talking about how maybe she wouldn’t get in so much trouble with solving crimes if they lived in Venice. Jas decides she can’t do any murder solving like last time when she was in Vegas because doing that she well get home faster.

As the weeks go and come in Italy, Jas discovers she likes it there. Since, she has discovered they have awesome food including all the pizza and gelato she can eat and she has made a cool new friend named Arbella. Though, Jas can try not to look for murder but murder can find her because when Arbellla is murdered she doesn’t have a choice not to find the murder, right? As, she beings finding more about her friend like she is the child of a famous billionaire who mysteriously died in his locked office and Arbella leaves behind clues saying she was being followed by someone she could never catch. Jas starts to think this is true when she begins to have someone following her and knocking her out whenever she gets closes to solving the mystery. Soon she is involved in this murder with her friends Polly, Tom, and Roxy who have came to help her out and of course the evil trenches who now have faire names.

Kitty Kitty has most of the things people look for in books such as romance, a mysterious crime and funny, relatable characters. Jas in this book is as funny as ever with the hilarious things she gets involved in such as getting herself arrested which was one of the funniest things in the book. Also, Polly, Tom, and Roxy add to Jas’s humor by their side conversations which Michele Jaffe puts in side notes. The crime in Kitty Kitty was better than Bad Kitty since it kept me wondering what would happen next and how each person was murdered unlike Bad Kitty which mystery I figured out in the middle. Also, I thought Ms. Jaffe gave a awesome description of Venice while not going overboard. Overall, Michele Jaffe is back as funny as ever in a equally excellent installment compared to Bad Kitty. I truly hope she will continue with a third book about Jas and her friends.

5/5

Undone by Brooke Taylor

When Kori Kitzler tells Serena Moore that there are more alike than they think Serena is startled since they are nothing alike. Kori is the “dark angel” of her school because of her being dark, mysterious, and beautiful, while Serena is smart because of her being considered a “gamer” and being preppy and semi boring. Even though they have differences in there looks and behavior, they are best friends from that day in eighth grade in on. Leaving Serena to always wonder in the back of her head why a girl like Kori would want to be friends with her?

Then comes a traumatic night which ends in dreadful consequences . Suddenly, Serena is all by herself wondering what would have made anyone up there to take Kori away from her forever. All Serena wants to do is be with her again but every way of them being together would be too painful for Serena. So when Serena is going through Kori’s belongs one day she finds an old assignment they did which was the five ways they would tempt fate, Serena decides to finish the things Kori couldn't . Some of them are easy like getting a tattoo and singing with the band Blender Value but the other three are more difficult. One is confront D, the other is to talk to someone named Shay and last one being the most confusing of all: tell Serene. What couldn't Kori tell her wonders Serena though as she begins to cross of items from the list, the secrets Kori left start to come forward. With the secrets out Serena wonders how she can tell all the people who care about her and not loose them all.

Undone was one of the most amazing books I have ever read. It captures you form the first page not letting you go to the final word. The friendship between Kori and Serena is unbreakable and admirable. Also, the five ways that Kori would tempt fate kept me interested to the end because of the secrets Kori left behind to come out. When all them came out I felt sad for Kori because of the awful situation she had to face basically alone. I also felt bad for Serena who always thought her father would turn out to be a wonderful guy but really turn out to be a jerk. Undone tale of losing and letting go with some secrets left to be found which made this a enjoyable read. I can’t wait to see what Brooke Taylor will come up with next!

If you haven’t read this book yet I suggest you go buy it or get at the library because it is seriously awesome!

5/5

Vaction!!

Hi everyone,

I'm on vacation all week and I have limited Internet service. So, I won't be posting on the blog for a little bit. Though expect a lot of reviews when I get back next week because I brought a ton of books with me. Also, I'm going to think of some things that well make this blog more exciting like a contest!