Into the Wild by Sarah Beth Durst

Genre: JV Fiction

Publication Date: June 2007

Author Website: www.sarahbethdurst.com

One Word Review: Amazing

First Line: “In the darkness, the heart of the fairy tale waited…”

Synopsis: “Twelve-year-old Julie has grown up hearing about the dangerous world of fairy tales, “The Wild,” from which her mother, Rapunzel, escaped. Now The Wild wants its characters back. Julie comes home from school to find her mother gone and a deep, dark forest swallowing her hometown. Julie must fight wicked witches, avoid glass slippers and fairy godmothers, fly griffins, and outwit ogres in order to rescue her mom and save her Massachusetts town from becoming a fairy-tale kingdom.” -GoodReads

Kathy’s Review: After reading this I’ll never look at fairy tales quite the same way. Durst creates a new world called “the wild” where our favorite characters are have to relive their stories over and over again. I don’t want to give away too much, but I’ll say that Repunzel has figured out a way to break free from the wild and live a “normal” life. Julie is our heroine in this tale, and it was fun seeing all the different stories come to life through her experiences. I think the book is probably meant for a younger audience, but I still enjoyed it quite a bit. I think I would have liked it more if Julie had been older and maybe had a romantic angle to the story, but it was still fun. If you like fairy tales then you will enjoy this book!

Wild Series:
Book One: Into the Wild
Book Two: Out of the Wild

BWN on Facebook

I'm not really into Twitter (although, maybe I should give it a chance), I am however a faithful Facebook-er (?) and thought it would be fun to create a page for Bookworm Nation. I'm still working out the kinks, but you should head on over and "become a fan"! Click here.

Library Loot Monday

Library Loot is a weekly meme that is hosted by A Striped Arm Chair. It gives book bloggers an opportunity to share what fun books we have checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate visit A Striped Arm Chair and add your post link to their site. It’s a fun way to check out what other bloggers are reading. Below are just a few of the books I have checked out this Monday.

Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantche
A Year in Europe by Rachel Hawthorne
The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer

Silksinger by Laini Taylor

Genre: YA Fiction

Publication Date: September 2009

Author Website: www.lainitaylor.com

One Word Review: Amazing

First Line: “Whisper Silksinger knew two kinds of death.”

Synopsis: “Whisper Silksinger is the last of the secret guardians of the Azazel, one of the powerful Dijnn who dreamed the world into being. Relentlessly pursued by bloodthirsty devils, she flees to the city of Nazneen to restore the Azazel to his temple. At the same time, Hirik Mothmage is also on a secret quest, to find the Azazel and restore his disgraced clan's ancient honor. And behind them all flies Magpie Windwitch, first champion of the new age of faeries, desperate to rescue Whisper and the Azazel alike before the fall in the clutches of a sinister hidden enemy.”-GoodReads

Kathy’s Review: Ever since I read Blackbringer back in April I have been dying to get my hands on Silksinger. I was eager to find out what happens with Magpie, Talon and their flock of lovable crows. I was surprised when I started reading Silksinger to find that the main focus of the story is a new heroine by the name of Whisper. I fell in love with Whisper right off the bat. She is very unique from Magpie, in that she is very quiet, tender, and timid. At the same time she is still very brave and strives to do the right thing. She has a huge responsibility which she takes very seriously. We’re also introduced to a new hero, Hirik, who I also loved right away and was eagerly awaiting the meeting of Hirik and Whisper. They are very cute together and I really enjoyed learning their stories. No worries though, Magpie and Talon are still very present in this story and I was pleased to see that they are still just as amazing as they had been before. We’re thrown into the action from the very first page and it doesn’t let up until the end. The story ends on a cliffhanger and once again I’m left eagerly awaiting the next installment!

I’m still amazed by the world Laini Taylor has created. She is a great writer and has created a very complex world full of amazing places and characters. This is one of my favorite faerie stories and I hope everyone reads it! Its full of fantasy, adventure, friendship, duty, heartache, loyalty, magic, and I could go on and on.

Dreamdark Series:
Book One: Blackbringer
Book Two: Silksinger

Troy High by Shana Norris

Genre: YA Fiction

Publication Date: August 2009

Author Website: www.shananorris.com

One Word Review: Fun

First Line: “It was a late Sunday afternoon when I kissed my best friend.”

Synopsis: “Narrated by Cassie, a shy outsider who fears that an epic high school rivalry is about to go up in flames, the story follows the Trojans and Spartans as they declare war on the football field. After the beautiful Elena—who used to be the captain of the Spartan cheerleaders—transfers to Troy High and falls madly in love with Cassie’s brother Perry, the Spartans vow that the annual homecoming game will never be forgotten. The Trojans and Spartans pull wicked pranks on each other as homecoming approaches. And the Spartans’ wildcard football star, Ackley, promises to take down the Trojans’ offensive line. But the stakes are raised when Cassie is forced to choose between the boy she loves (a Spartan) and loyalty to her family and school.” -GoodReads

Kathy’s Review: I really enjoyed this one! It’s a great retelling of Homer’s Iliad. Cassie is a likable character. I think she suffers from “brothers-shadow”. She has two popular older brothers and thinks the cool genes ran out by time she came along (I can relate to that, having three amazing older brothers myself). Since her brothers are so popular she never really tries to fit in at her school Troy High (Trojans). Her best friend goes to Lacede High (Spartans) and she seems to get along pretty well with people at that school, at least at the beginning. So, I’m thinking her “uncoolness” is really all in her head.

Anyway, I digress. Cassie is all about keeping the peace while maintaining her friendships. She is surprised when cute girl Elena befriends her and really wants to keep that friendship going even when it means risking her friendship with her Spartans friends. The pranks are pretty funny, all the encounters between the Spartans and Trojans were also entertaining and of course the chemistry with Cassie and Greg was fun to watch as well. I really enjoyed the book and how everything ended up. A great read for anyone who likes retellings mixed with a little high school fun.

Girl in the Arena by Lisa Haines

Genre: YA Fiction

Publication Date: October 2009

Author Website: www.lisahaines.com

One Word Review:

First Line: “The clerk asks for my autograph.”

Synopsis: “Lyn is a neo-gladiator’s daughter, through and through. Her mother has made a career out of marrying into the high-profile world of televised blood sport, and the rules of the Gladiator Sports Association are second nature to their family. Always lend ineffable confidence to the gladiator. Remind him constantly of his victories. And most importantly: Never leave the stadium when your father is dying. The rules help the family survive, but rules—and the GSA—can also turn against you. When a gifted young fighter kills Lyn’s seventh father, he also captures Lyn’s dowry bracelet, which means she must marry him.” -GoodReads

Kathy’s Review: I guess I’ll start with what I liked about the book. I really liked the cover, totally drew me to the book from the very begining. I liked Lyn, she was really understanding with her Mom and little brother. Even when they pushed her to her limits she still looked out for them and wanted to take care of them. I liked the overall idea of the book, the gladiators and politics involved. It created an interesting setting, especially the storyline with her Mom and the Wife Rules she had to follow. I thought the storyline with Uber (stupid name) was interesting as well. There is a bit of a love triangle, with Uber, Mark and Lyn. I kept reading to see what would happen, and again really liked the overall idea of the book.

There are just a few things that I didn’t like. I guess I will start with the setting, I really didn’t like that it took place in modern times. I know it’s a fictional book, but it just wasn’t very believable. We definitely live in a violent society, but there is no way they would allow people to kill one another in this fashion, even in the name of “entertainment”. I think the book would have been better if it took place in the distant future or in a fictional place. IMO. I didn’t really care for the writing style and thought it really dragged in certain areas. It would go from being really interesting to really boring. I also hated the absence of quotation marks, this really drove me crazy!

I didn’t really like how Uber was portrayed and how little his character was used, maybe because of that I didn’t really feel any chemistry between them. I thought it was a great angle to the story, but ended up falling a little flat for me. I also expected to see Lyn in action a little more. I won’t go into too much detail, but I will say I was a little let down in that respect.

I’ve read some reviews that compare this to The Hunger Games. I guess I can see where they are coming from, but I honestly think the books are totally unique, so I won’t compare the two.

Girl v. Boy by Yvonne Collins & Sandy Rideout

Genre: YA Fiction

Publication Date: July 2008

Author Website: www.collinsrideout.com

One Word Review: Enjoyable

First Line: “I glance around the auditorium, trying to take everything in without looking like I’m remotely interested.”

Synopsis: “When offered a chance to write an anonymous column for the school paper chronicling Dunfield High's efforts in Chicago's citywide literacy challenge, 16-year-old Luisa Perez jumps at the chance. She hopes to distance herself from her family's legacy of academic underachievement as well as to differentiate herself from the ten other Luisa Perezes in the school. The competition between the girls and boys heats up, as each group tries to outdo the other in fundraising. Luisa offers the girls' perspective for the paper, while another writer provides the male point of view. As if juggling her writing, a part-time job, school and a sudden rush of possible F.B.s (future boyfriends) were not hard enough, Luisa has to contend with her sister, Grace, who moves back home with her young daughter.” -GoodReads

Kathy’s Review: This turned out to be a very enjoyable story. I got a kick out of our main character Luisa. She’s had a somewhat hard life and has set a goal to graduate high school, something no one in her family has accomplished. Her English teacher see’s potential in her and asks her to write an anonymous column on a contest the school is having. She rotates each week with another anonymous male author. When she isn’t writing she is trying to figure out who the other author is. There are a few different possibilities and it was fun trying to figure out who the competition was. I figured it out early on and it was fun to see these two together, knowing something that they don’t know. I thought Luisa and “this guy” had good chemistry together. Luisa dates quite a bit in this book, so it was fun to see the different kinds of guys and was happy with who she finally ended up with. Overall, it was a fun read and would recommend it to anyone who likes cute high school stories.

It was pretty clean (I don’t remember any swearing?), a little talk of sex. Luisa’s older sister got pregnant pretty young and it shows the trials she’s had to go through by keeping the baby (instead of going the adoption route). I liked that Luisa had her head on straight and didn’t want to make the same mistakes that her sister or her mother made. One other note, the articles they write do have a lot of innuendo’s that I really don’t think a high school would allow, but it was still pretty clean.

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Fallen
By Lauren Kate
Release Date: December 8, 2009

Synopsis: “There's something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori. Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price's attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He's the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move. Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce--and goes out of his way to make that very clear--she can't let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.”-GoodReads

Why I’m Waiting: I’ve seen this on a lot of other WOW’s but couldn’t resist adding it to my list as well. I really like the cover, and the story sounds very promising as well. I’ve read a few reviews of those lucky enough to receive ARCs and so far they have all pretty been positive.

Masquerade by Sierra St. James

Genre: Fiction

Publication Date: June 2001

Author Website: www.janette-rallison.blogspot.com

One Word Review: Enjoyable

First Line: “…and they lived happily ever after.”

Synopsis: “Meet Clarissa, a young, divorced mother in desperate need of a job to support herself and her little girl. Bring in Slade, a handsome Hollywood star, also divorced and in desperate need of a nanny for Bella, his four-year-old whirlwind of a daughter. Throw them together in Hawaii and the scene would be set for the perfect romance – except that Clarissa had to pretend to be married to get the job in the first place, and now she doesn't dare tell Slade other-wise.” -GoodReads

Kathy’s Review: Just one more amazing book by Janette Rallison (Sierra St. James)! I started this book last night with the intention of only reading a couple chapters….so of course I ended up staying up way past my bedtime reading the entire book! I just couldn’t put it down. Clarissa and Slade have great chemistry and Rallison really writes wonderful dialogue between the two. I’m not sure how she keeps coming up with awkward and embarrassing moments, but she does. Clarissa has more than her fair share, but they really are endearing moments and make you like her all the more. I thought the storyline was pretty original and it was fun seeing a glimpse into the Hollywood lifestyle. I was sad when the book ended, I would love to have had a few more chapters but was of course happy with how things ended up. Great book!

New Moon

My last couple of book reviews have been quite negative and to prove to myself and to you that I do occasionally find things I really like, I'm happy to report that I saw New Moon Saturday morning and I really really liked it. Everyone kept saying, "It's way better than Twilight." and in the back of my mind I was thinking, "That's not that hard." It's not even on the same planet...heck same universe as Twilight. Gone was the weird uncomfortable stares and parts that were glaringly out of place. The movie stuck to the book so closely, with only a few parts that were all out invented. I felt like they moved the story along with good transitions. Bella was likable, Jessica and Mike hilarious, Jacob so adorable, Volturi very scary, and wolves spot on to my imagination. I must say I felt like such a cougar because if the guy that plays Jacob were 12 years older I would run away with him! His shirtless moments were of course my favorites and sadly made Edward look a little on the wimpy side. I'm excited to see what they do with Eclipse which won't be a long wait because it comes out in June 2010.

Fairy Tale by Cyn Balog

Genre: YA Fantasy

Author Website: www.cynbalog.com

One Word Review: Enjoyable

First Line: “People call me spooky.”

Synopsis: “Morgan Sparks and Cam Browne are a match made in heaven. They've been best friends since birth, they tell each other everything, and oh yeah- they're totally hot for each other. But a week before their joint Sweet Sixteen bash, everything changes. Cam's awkward cousin Pip comes to stay, and Morgan is stunned when her formerly perfect boyfriend seems to be drifting away. When Morgan demands answers, she's shocked to discover the source of Cam's distance isn't another girl- it's another world. Pip claims that Cam is a fairy. No, seriously. A fairy. And now his people want Cam to return to their world and take his rightful place as Fairy King. Determined to keep Cam with her, Morgan plots to fool the fairies. But as Cam continues to change, she has to decide once and for all if he really is her destiny, and if their “perfect” love can weather an uncertain future.” -GoodReads

Kathy’s Review: I started reading this one a little while ago and put it down to read a few other books and I decided today to give it another try. Looking back, I’m not sure why I didn’t get into it right away (maybe I was nervous for the outcome) because I ended up really enjoying the story. For me the whole thing was bitter-sweet, and I’m still a little sad about how everything ended up, even though it’s clear things ended the way they were supposed to. I liked Morgan, Cameron and Pip. It was an interesting love triangle, in which I still feel one of them gets the short end of the stick. I didn’t feel that Morgan’s “abilities” were really explained well enough, but they did add an interesting aspect to the story. I guess I’ve gotten used to reading so many series that I’m a little sad this is a standalone book. I wouldn’t mind a companion novel that follows a certain character and maybe give them a “happily ever after” of their own. A really enjoyable read, unique story and fun fairy lore.