The Uninvited by Tim Wynne- Jones

Mimi Shapiro is running. Running away from a disturbing first year at NYU to a small and creepy town in Nowhere, Canada. She hopes that while there for the summer, she can get her first screen play written, while coming to turns with what happened to her in the previous year.

Though nothing can stay perfect for long. When arriving at her father’s deserted old summer house she finds that someone else is living there too. Her long lost half brother, a half brother that has been having his own problems, as of lately. Problems that involve a mysterious stalker who has been leaving him “presents” of dead birds and snake skin.

Can the two of them make it through the summer? Will they get to know each other the way only siblings can? Will they catch the stalker before their lives come to a crashing halt? Well, I guess you’ll have to find out for yourself, in The Uninvited by Tim Wayne- Jones.

Only one adjective comes to mind after reading this page turning thriller: Wow! The Uninvited is a book that mixes mystery and getting to know long lost siblings in a fresh and fantastic new way. I was constantly trying to figure out how everything tied together. The characters were my favorite part of this story. They were well developed, likable, and funny. Plus, Tim Wynne-Jones’ writing was pretty darn good. I loved how he slowly told the past of the characters and the stalker by reveling their secrets one at a time. Overall, The Uninvited is a definite must read for all teens and adults.

Grade: A+

* Reviewed For Flamingnet

Post Grad by Emily Cassel

Summary:

Post Grad opens up on the eve before Ryden Malby's college graduation, where Ryden and her best friend, Adam, are playing a typical game of "Who would you rather be?" Ryden is anything but nervous about her upcoming graduation, since she has an amazing, if she must say so herself, plan for the future.

First, do a great job in high school. Then, get a fantastic scholarship so she doesn't bankrupt her parents. Next, don't do anything appalling to lose said scholarship. Finally, graduate and get a sweet job at a publishing house in Los Angeles; Happerman & Browning, to be exact.

As the weeks go on, Ryden still doesn't have a job at Happerman & Browning, well, make that at any publishing house. She loses her chance at having a cute little apartment. And last but not least, she has to move back in with her parents. They are crazy people and she's always tried to distance herself from them. Ryden wonders if life will ever be the way she wants it to be.

Review:

To be truthful, I wasn't expecting a whole lot from this novel. A sweet quick novel, yes, but not the addicting read that it turned out to be. It had me constantly flipping the pages, laughing at Malby's quirks and wondering what would happen next. The whole Malby family and Adam, of course, were a great set of well rounded characters. I especially liked Ryden because we are both similar in our overachieving ways. Though, the plot was predictable at times, it threw a few twists that I didn't see coming. Overall, Post Grad is a great read for the summer. I look forward to seeing the movie adaption of this, which comes out this summer, as well as reading more by Ms. Cassel.

Grade: B+

* Reviewed for Flamingnet

Post Grad will be released June 14, 2009.

Sophomore Switch by Abby Mcdonald

Summary:

Can a Sophomore Switch make all the difference?

California girl Tasha's Sophomore year was supposed to be great. She had cool film classes, fun roommates, and a steady line of possible guys to date. Though, when the "Hot-Tub Incident" occurs, she only wants to do one thing, pack her bags, quickly.

Meanwhile, across the country, Emily's life isn't going that peachy either. Her boyfriend of five months has just broken up with her because she wouldn't go "all the way." Also, it seems like she can't fit it in at stuffy Oxford anymore.

So, when they are offered to switch places- houses, schools, friends- for a semester, both jump at the chance. But will this make their lives better or just plain worse?

Review:

Sophomore Switch was a fast paced novel filled with funny situations, well developed characters, and a question of what it means to be a feminist. I quickly devoured this novel in two short days, thanks to Abby McDonald's writing and her two lead characters: Emily and Tasha. I felt that both were realistic and quirky teenagers, making them extremely fun to read about. I loved how they each had traits that any type of girl could relate to. Emily was the up tight overachiever, while Tasha was the go with the flow party girl. My only problem with this novel was that the minor characters such as Morgan, Will, and Ryan were a tad under developed.

Overall, Sophomore Switch was a well written book that I suggest to fans of Meg Cabot and Sarah Dessen. I look forward to reading more by Abby Mcdonald in the future.

Grade: B+

Sophomore Switch is now out in hardcover.

*Reviewed For Flamingnet

Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols

Summary:

All Meg has ever wanted to do was get away. Get away from everything that makes her life the insane thing it is: her high school, her overprotective parents, and her annoying in the middle of nowhere town. To show her feeling for this she does everything a teen in her town isn’t expected to do: die her hair blue, ride a motorcycle, do drugs, and hook up with random guys. Though, one day she just goes way too far. She is caught hooking up with her boyfriend on a train track where two teenagers were killed 8 years ago, while her friends, Tiffany and Brian, were a few steps away . The police officer, John, decides to teach her friends and her a lesson. So, now on her spring break she is stuck riding around with a hot but totally frustrating guy named John ( the cop who arrested her) during the middle of the night busting up random things. As her week continues, secrets come out about him and her but will they end up falling for one another because of this or will it push them further apart?

Review:

Going Too Far was an amazing book that either had me laughing out loud or sitting on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next. I absolutely loved Meg. She was a funny and honest character who had a great back story to why she was the way she was. Also, John's personality was cute and great addition to the story. Though, the thing that had me mainly hooked was Jennifer Echols' writing. It was fast paced, detailed, and addicting. Basically, it was everything a good book should be.

Overall, Going Too Far is a book you will still be thinking about days after you have read it. I suggest this to fans of Courtney Summer's Cracked Up To Be and Brooke Taylor's Undone.

Grade: A+

Going Too Far will be released on March 17th, 2009! You can find out more about it here. Also, be sure to check out Jennifer's website, myspace, and blog.

* Reviewed for Flamingnet

The Anatomy Of Wings by Karen Foxlee

Summary:

When Jennifer looses her sister, she has no clue why this horrible thing has occurred. Her sister, Beth, was beautiful, popular, smart, and according to their grandma, could talk to angels. Plus, now that Beth is gone Jennifer has lost her stunning ability to sing. Every time that she opens her mouth, the words just will not come out. So now with the help of her best friend, Grace, Jenny is on a hunt to figure out what went wrong with her sister. In doing this, she thinks she will regain her ability to sing. Though, along the way, she finds a few secrets that she simply can't understand.

Review:

When beginning The Anatomy Of Wings, I thought I was going to love it since the summary made it seem like it was going to be fast paced and I loved the cover. Unfortunately it was none of those things. The plot moved incredibly slow and sometimes showed little or no relevance to the main plot at hand. Also, the writing was, at times, too descriptive and had little action. For example, there is one time in this book when the author spends around seven pages describing all of Jenny's aunts and uncles who are not part of the story at all! The only part that made this book somewhat decent were the characters. They were well developed and Karen perfectly captured the feeling of their love for and loss of Beth. Though, in all, the cons out weighed the pros. Overall, The Anatomy Of Wings was a big disappointment to me. Even though, I felt that way, I still think Karen has the ability to get better over time and I look forward to possibly reading some of her future books.

Grade: D+

The Anatomy Of Wings is out now in hardback. You can find out more about here.

*Reviewed For Flamingnet

My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger

Summary:

My Most Excellent Year tells the story of three students- now seniors- most excellent year (their freshman year) and how their lives all changed for the better. First, there’s T.C.( Anthony), who’s obsessed with all things related to baseball, his best friend Augie, and Alejeandra, the girl he’s in love with, but who doesn’t return his feelings. Augie loves all things that have to do with Broadway and his best friend T.C. Also, everyone knows Augie‘s gay, but he just hasn‘t realized his true feelings yet. Lastly, there is Alejeandra. Alejeandra grew up in a very political and fundamental family. Her father is a rich diplomat. Though, Alejeandra is expected to grow up to be just like her parents and her brother her true love is dancing and singing which is unacceptable to her family. As, she pursues this passion in life she begins to become friends with Augie and T.C. and just may fall in love with the T.C.

Review:

My Most Excellent Year was a truly hysterical and cute read that had me turning the pages nonstop. Steve Kluger told this story in diary entrees, instant message conversations, and letters. I’ve read this type of writing before, but have never enjoyed it as much as in this novel. It let me get to know the characters, probably better than it being told in first or third person, and it kept the story interesting most of the time. At the beginning his writing could feel a bit so- so , but as the story continued, and as the characters began to get more developed, it picked up and started to get pretty funny. Especially during Augie’s parts. Also, I enjoyed seeing how each character began to grow in one way or another throughout the novel. At the end, I was sad to see it come to a close, but knew that it was just the right time to conclude it. Overall, this story was a cute coming of age novel that I recommend to all age groups. Be aware, though, that the beginning was a tad boring.

Grade: A-

* Reviewed for Flamingnet