For Keeps by Natasha Friend

Genre: Teen Lit

Publication Date: April 2010

One Word Review: Blah

Author Website: www.natashafriend.com

GoodReads Synopsis: For sixteen years, Josie Gardner and her mom, Kate, have been a team. It’s been the Gardner Girls against the world, and that’s how Josie likes it. Until one day, in the pet food aisle of Shop-Co, they run into the parents of Paul Tucci, Kate’s high school boyfriend—the father Josie has never met. If Mr. and Mrs. Tucci are back in town, it’s only a matter of time until Paul shows up. Suddenly Josie’s mature, capable mother regresses to the heartbroken teenager she was when Paul moved away. Meanwhile, Josie’s on the verge of having her first real boyfriend, while her free-loving best friend, Liv, begins yet another no-strings-attached fling. When Josie learns some surprising truths about Paul Tucci, she finds herself questioning what she’s always believed about her parents—and about herself. In FOR KEEPS, Natasha Friend tells a fresh, funny, smart story about what happens when a girl gets the guy she always wanted and the dad she never knew she needed.

Kathy’s Review: I’m wavering between giving this a 1 or a 2. The whole story idea seemed kind of clichéd. I liked the parts with Josie and Matt, but they were few and far between (and I would have preferred a more PG relationship with them as well). Another blogger, Janseen, compared this to Gilmore Girls and I totally see what she meant. The story is awfully similar, but it was lacking the charm of Gilmore Girls. I guess I’m also a sucker for happy endings and I really wanted things to work out for Kate. Anyway, the story was just kind of boring, but kept me interested enough to finish. I was more interested in the Josie-Matt story and enjoyed the times they were featured. Josie’s BFF Liv was on okay side character (although, I didn’t care for the gay dads storyline). Overall, it wasn’t what I was looking for and probably wouldn’t recommend.

Content: There is swearing, underage drinking, and mild sexual content.

Bookworm Rating: 1.5

Waiting to Score by J.E. McLeod

Genre: Teen Lit

Publication Date: February 2009

One Word Review: Pass

Author Website: www.jemacleod.com

First Line: “I didn’t want to look up.”

Synopsis: Quirky, smart, and good looking, Zack Chase is a book-loving, talented hockey player. New in town, Zack’s pitted against obnoxious Mac, the hockey team captain with something against Jane, the alluring Goth-girl who’s caught Zack’s eye. As he copes with sore losers, other people’s drinking problems, and the consequences of making out with too many girls, Zack discovers other ways he wants to score in lofe, especially as a 15-year-old guy with spiking hormones. Soon Zack finds out the hard way that people have secrets and burdens all their own, and that some actions have tragic, far-reaching consequences.

Kathy’s Review (Spoiler Warning): I really don't like writing negative reveiws, and you may read this and love it. This is the kind of YA book that I don’t like and I ended up skimming the last half just to get it over with. I could tell from the first chapter, maybe even the first page that I wasn’t really going to like this one. I prefer uplifting books, even when there are tough topics, I like books that make you feel better while teaching a lesson. For me, this was just a downer. In one review I read they said that the author tried to take on too many issues, and I have to agree considering the plot consisted of all your typical teen stereotypes: underage drinking, bullies, date rape, hook-ups, parties, suicide, mean parents, and absent parents…just to name a few. I also didn’t really care for Zack and by the third chapter I was tired of hearing how different he was from all the other guys. I personally thought he was a little arrogant, and while he did do some good things most of the time I did not like the perspective of a horny teenage boy. I also didn’t feel any real chemistry between Zack and Jane; I know I skimmed the second half so maybe I missed something later on. I don't think Zack was feeling the chemistry either since he cheats on her with his best friend Sheila, just another issue I guess the author wanted to tackle. In a nutshell, I wouldn’t recommend this one.

It does contain a lot of underage drinking and a lot of sexual content.

Bookworm Rating: 1

What was the last "underwhelming" book you read?

Captivate by Carrie Jones

Genre: YA Fantasy

Publication Date: January 2010

One Word Review: Disappointing

Author Website: www.carriejonesbooks.com

First Line: “There are these bizarre people who actually like physical education class.”

Synopsis: Zara and her friends knew they hadn't solved the pixie problem for good. Far from it. The king's needs grow deeper every day he's stuck in captivity, while his control over his people gets weaker. It's made him vulnerable. And now there's a new king in town. A turf war is imminent, since the new pixie king, Astley, is moving in quickly. Nick nearly killed him in the woods on day one, but Zara came to his rescue. Astley swears that he and Zara are destined to be together, that he's one of the good guys. Nick isn't buying it, though Zara isn't as sure -- despite herself, she wants to trust the new king. But it's a lot more than her relationship with Nick that is at stake. It's her life -- and his.

Kathy’s Review: I hate to write negative reviews and I really think if you enjoyed the first book, Need, then you will probably enjoy Captivate as well. Having said that, I just didn’t enjoy this book. It definitely fell in the “middle book syndrome” where not a lot happens and is more of a filler until the final book comes out. The writing was choppy, the dialog was unbelievable and I just can't relate to Zara. I didn’t really feel any real chemistry between Nick and Zara, even though it’s being shoved in our face. Like the first book, I just don’t like all of Zara’s political ideas and don’t see how any of them are relevant in a story about killer pixies. Zara's character is just okay for me, she is too wishy-washy. The ending was a joke as well; I don’t want to give spoilers so I’ll leave it at that. Again, if you enjoyed the first book you’ll probably like this one, it just wasn’t for me. I do like the covers though.

Bookworm Rating: 2

Reading Order:
Book One: Need
Book Two: Captivate

The Market by J.M. Steele

Genre: YA Fiction

One Word Review: Blah

First Line: “Somewhere in the distance I heard a cell phone ringing, and I slipped in unnoticed through the side door.”

Synopsis: “When Kate Winthrop stumbles upon the Millbank Social Stock Market (the MSSM), she's horrified to discover that out of the 140 girls in her class, she's ranked a bleak 71. Determined not to accept her fate as a "junk bond," she and her best friends set out to make her the fastest rising stock on the Market — and their plan works. Kate is suddenly embraced by the most popular girl in school and attracts the attention of the hottest boy. But what begins as a fun social experiment quickly turns into an obsession, one that threatens to ruin her reputation, friendships, and a chance at first love. Will Kate survive the high and lows of the Market, or will her security crash and burn?” -GoodReads

Kathy’s Review: It was pretty early on when I realized I wasn’t going to like this book. It opens with our main character Kate (Kat, Katie) at a party. She has a huge crush on a guy named Will and when he actually comes over to talk to her she is SO excited. He is totally wasted and for some reason she thinks that’s totally sexy. I guess I like my guys sober. I kept reading, but after 100 pages or so I sort of skimmed through the rest. Overall it was just kind of boring for me and not really that original. Unpopular girl goes through makeover and rises to the top of the high school food chain. Turns out things aren’t as they seem and she discovers who her real friends are and finds true love in the guy who was there all along. Blah blah blah. Maybe I’m being a little harsh, but I really think in the hands of another author this could have been a cute story.

J.M. Steele is actually a pseudonym for two NY “entertainment industry professionals” (whatever that means).

The Princess and the Bear by Mette Ivie Harrison

Genre: YA Fiction

Author Website: www.metteivieharrison.com

One Word Review: Boring

First Line: “Long ago, there lived a wild cat that was the sleekest, fastest, and bravest of its kind.”

Synopsis: “He was once a king, turned into a bear as punishment for his cruel and selfish deeds. She was a once a princess, now living in the form of a hound. Wary companions, they are sent—in human form—back to a time when magic went terribly astray. Together they must right the wrongs caused by this devastating power—if only they can find a way to trust each other. But even as each becomes aware of an ever-growing attraction, the stakes are rising and they must find a way to eliminate this evil force—or risk losing each other forever.” –GoodReads

Kathy’s Review: I actually couldn’t finish this one, so I probably shouldn’t even write a review. All I will say is that it was just very bland and hard to get into. The first 130+ pages were told from the perspective of the Bear and the Hound. I never really got how the two “fell” for each other in this form. It was just a given I guess. I kept hoping that once they transformed into humans it would get better…it didn’t. In fact, Chala (the hound), still seemed too much like a hound. I guess I didn’t like hearing about hounds and their behaviors all the time. I didn’t really care for her personality, and how she really didn’t like humans at all and was constantly comparing them to hounds. And I didn’t care much for Richon (the bear) either. I never felt anything between the two. I remember not really liking the first book that much, but I thought this one sounded good (and I liked both their covers) so I thought I’d give it a try. It just wasn’t for me.

Reading Order:
Book One: Princess and the Hound
Book Two: Princess and the Bear

The Laurentine Spy by Emily Gee

Genre: Adult Fiction

Author Site: www.emilygee.com

First Line: “Something moved ahead of her in the catacombs.”

One Word Review: Good question…Conflicting

Book Synopsis: “The Corhonase citadel is a place of virtue and debauchery. But nothing is as it seems, whether in the ballrooms and salons of the nobles’ Court or the catacombs beneath the citadel. Saliel has many secrets; her spying is one, but her most guarded mystery is her magic. She walks a narrow path between discovery as a spy and being burned as a witch. With a sadistic Spycatcher closing in, Saliel and her fellow spies are tested to the limits of their endurance—they must trust each other, or die. Magic may be their only hope of survival.” -GoodReads

My Review:
Hmmm, not sure where to start with this one, so I guess I’ll start by saying that before reading this all I could find was good reviews. The plot sounded very exciting, packed with mistaken identities, secret missions, magic and romance. What could be better? Saliel (Lady Petra, Three) is our heroine, she has decided to become a spy to escape her troubled past and earn enough money to start a new life. Athan (Lord Ivo, One) comes from a privileged past and has decided to become a spy mainly out of boredom. As spies they only know each other by their numbers. As their “covers” they are actually betrothed and can’t stand each other. The main plot idea I really liked, the book was well written and I liked Saliel & Athan okay. Lord Ivo actually reminded me a lot of Sir Percy Blakeney (The Scarlet Pimpernel) so I had a hard time not comparing the two. I think Percy ended up winning that contest. I guess this is where the “conflicting” comes in for me. In the city of Corhonase it is VERY common for the noble men to visit the courtesan salon (fancy name for whore house). I guess I wasn’t expecting so much sex in this story and for the first half (and a little throughout the rest) of the book that is a main part of the story. Lord Ivo would have to visit the courtesans to try and gather information about the Corhonaseans. I thought that was kind of silly really, but what bothered me the most was how he would think of Lady Petra while he was with a prostitute, that’s just gross. Another annoyance was the fact that the husbands could visit the prostitutes and enjoy themselves, but the wives were made to hate sex. It was something to be “endured” and not enjoyed. A pretty big double standard if you ask me. Needless to say, I was relieved when they finally left the citadel and were on the run.

Calling this a fantasy novel is a bit of a stretch. Saliel has a little magic in her, and I mean a very little. Her “power” was kind of lame in my opinion and it wasn’t something she could really do for more than a minute at a time. The only other person with “magical abilities” was the Spycatcher, granted his power was a little more impressive but overall the element of magic was really underdeveloped. I think if all the sex had been left out of the book I would have liked the story a lot more. It was just too crass and distracted from the story. So, overall it had the potential to be really good but ended up just okay for me.

Other Reviews:

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