Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings by Helene Boudreau

Summary/Cover Image from Publisher's Website:

Freak of nature takes on a whole new meaning…If she hadn’t been so clueless, she might have seen it coming. But really, who expects to get into a relaxing bathtub after a stressful day of shopping for tankinis and come out with scales and a tail?

Most. Embarrassing. Moment. Ever.

Jade soon discovers she inherited her mermaid tendencies from her mom. But if Mom was a mermaid, how did she drown?

Jade is determined to find out. So how does a plus-size, aqua-phobic mer-girl go about doing that exactly? And how will Jade ever be able to explain her secret to her best friend, Cori, and to her crush, Luke?

This summer is about to get a lot more interesting…

Review:

Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings not only is an extremely quick, adorable, and funny read, but it's also the perfect cross-over between tween and YA lit, so that truly anyone in those two groups can read it and have a high chance of enjoying it.

It all started with one of the most cringe-worthy shopping trips of Jade's lives because not only did she have to find the perfect bathing suit for her somewhat plus-sized body, but she also runs into one of the cutest boys of her grade with one of the most embarrassing purchases in her hands. Though, after a quick breather she tells herself it can't possible get any worse and to just move on. But it can and it does because that night when she goes to take a bath, she grows a mermaid tale. With that, Jade learns from her dad her mother was a mermaid and she is one as well.  Now, she's dealing with some very un-ordinary teen girl problems, and several questions, such as: How can she continue to live her life while also being a mermaid? And better yet, if her mom used to be a mermaid, how did she drown that horrible day a year ago? Only time will tell in this half light/ half serious reads about growing up while also being a mermaid.

Jade was an adorable main character, and one of the things I liked most about her was the fact that she was just a "real" teen girl, even with the whole mermaid thing. For one, while she wasn't the typical skinny girl, she was okay with having a little extra weight on herself. I also loved her moments with her crush Luke because they were adorable, sweet, and even a bit funny at times.

The premise of this was pretty great, and the execution was even better. I really enjoyed finding out more about the mermaids, as well as seeing how Jade came to terms with her situation as the novel progressed. Lastly, I loved how Helene tended to keep the reader guessing with the problem involving Jade's mother.

In all, Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings equals a tamer version of Tera Lynn Child's Forgive My Fins, and with that, it's an enjoyable read for anyone who loves mermaid books.

Grade: A-

Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings is now out!

Source: Publicist at Sourcebooks. Thanks, Kay!

Fused (The Samantha Granger Experiment, #1) by Kari Lee Townsend

Summary/Cover Image from Publisher's Website:

When you make a face or cross your eyes, do your parents tease that if you’re not careful, your face might stay that way forever?

Well, my parents said that if I’m not careful, I’ll turn into one of my gadgets.

I thought they were joking, people!

But—somehow, someway—I have become a living, breathing, walking piece of technology. Apparently my head now has a built-in GPS and my palm is equipped with talking and texting capabilities—just like my cell phone!

Now I’m a techno-superhero with powers that seem to have a mind of their own. And, in my case, keeping a secret identity is harder than it sounds. I short-circuit every time Trevor Hamilton looks my way.

Like being a girl isn’t stressful enough.

Review:

When I first heard about this book I knew I had to read it. I loved the idea of  techno-superhero and how it would be told from the eyes of a tween. Luckily this book was enjoyable in many aspects and I feel middle-grade readers will simply love it!

Fused is the first book in The Samantha Granger Experiment series and it begins the story of Samantha herself. Samantha is the typical tween. She loves her tech gadgets and hanging out with her best friend, as well as crushing on the cute boy in her grade Trevor Hamilton. Though, one day when out on a walk through the woods an accident occurs and she is turned into one of her gadgets. Suddenly, she has superpowers including be able to know anything in everything in the blink of an eye. Will she be able to figure out her powers and put them to good use? And what happens when the government catches wind of this? Will she be put in a secret lab as a testing rat? Most importantly, will she ever not make a total fool of herself when shes around Trevor? Only time will tell in this fun tween debut!

Samantha was such a funny and adorable protagonist. She reminded me a little of myself when I was her age. Better yet, I'm sure many readers Sam's age will be able to relate to her as well. One of my favorite parts of Sam's character was the fact that even though she has superpowers, she still is the typical girl. She gets in trouble with her parents, scared around her crush, picked on by the "mean" girl, etc. Furthermore, I loved the side characters in this such as Trevor and Samantha's best friend.

From the summary of this novel, I knew this would be a funny, light-hearted read and that's just what I got. I loved finding out more about Samantha's superpowers and what it meant for her every day-to-day life, as well as Samantha constantly held my attention with several burning questions, such as what exactly happened that day to what will the government do when they get a hold of Sam's story.

In all, Kari Lee Townsend's Fused is a fun, fabulous read for any age, specifically tween girls ages 10-13, so if you know a girl that age who likes to read, consider buying her this book. I'm sure she love it and you for buying it for her.

Grade: B

Fused is now out!

Source: Kay at Sourcebooks

Just Add Magic by Cindy Callaghan

Summary/Cover Image from Publisher's Website:

When Kelly Quinn and her two BFFs discover a dusty old cookbook while cleaning out her attic, the girls decide to try a few of the mysterious recipes inside.  But the ancient book bears an eerie warning, and it doesn't take long for the girls to realize that their dishes are linked to strange occurances.  The Keep 'Em Quiet Cobbler actually silences Kelly's pesky little brother and the Hexberry Tarta brings an annoying curse to mean girl Charlotte Barney.  And there is the Love Bug Juice, which seems to have quite the effect on those cute Rusamano boys...

Could these receipes really be magical? Who wrote them and where did they come from.  And most importantly, what kind of trouble are the girls stirring up for themselves? Things are about to get just a little too hot in Kelly Quinn's kitchen.

Review:

Looking for a adorable and hilarious read to give to a tween you know? Well, look no further because Cindy Callaghan's Just Add Magic is the perfect choice in this matter!

Just Add Magic tells the story of seventh-grader Kelly Quinn, a girl who loves to cook, play soccer, and hang out with her best friends Darbie and Hannah. So when Kelly and Darbie discover a old cookbook it's just the icing on the cake for Kelly Quin, because not only does she have fresh new cooking ideas to worth with, but she finally gets to start a cooking club with her friends! Though, the girls soon discover this cooking book is anything but ordinary. For one, not only does every recipe has a weird name such as Keep 'Em Quiet Cobbler or Love Bug Juice, but everytime they severe the final baked good something weird and magical occurs. But are the recipes really made of magic? Better yet, are they using this special cookbook in the wrong kind of way? A way that will break up their friendship once and for all? Well, you'll have to read Just Add Magic to find out!

Kelly Quinn, Darbie, and Hannah were one of my favorite part parts of this book for numerous reasons. One is the way that they reminded me of my friends and me during our seventh grade year, which leads me to my next reason- I loved the way that Hannah, Kelly, and Darbie were typical, normal seventh grade girls. Sure they had some unusual things happen to them, but when it comes down to it they had the regular tween girl stuff happen to them, making them and their situtians not only relatable in many ways but also role-model worthy to the tween girls who will be reading this book.

Yet another aspect of this book I enjoyed was the secret, magical cookbook the girls found early on in the book, because not only did it set the plot of in a great way, but it always proved an intriuging mystery throughout the whole book. There was barly a moment when I wasn't wondering out the cookbook and what it entitled for the girls and their freinds when I was reading Just Add Magic and I liked that.

Futhermore, Cindy Callaghan proves to have the voice of a tween girl down pat with this book. Better yet, her writing was smooth and clear and her plot lines and characters were well fleshed out.

In all, Just Add Magic proves to be a cute book for any age, especially all the tweens out there. So, do yourself a favor and buy this book if you're a middle-grade reader or have someone in your life who fits the age group this book is ment for!

Grade: B+

Just Add Magic is now out!

Source: Over the River Public Relations. Thanks, Rachel!