Return To Paradise by Simone Elkeles Review

Published: September 1st 2010 by Flux
Paperback, 302 pages
Book Series: Leaving Paradise, Book 2
(Click here for review of book one of the series, Leaving Paradise)

Book Description:

Caleb Becker left Paradise eight months ago, taking with him the secret he promised to take to his grave. If the truth got out, it would ruin everything.

Maggie Armstrong tried to be strong after Caleb broke her heart and disappeared. Somehow, she managed to move on. She’s determined to make a new life for herself.

But then Caleb and Maggie are forced together on a summer trip. They try ignoring their passion for each other, but buried feelings resurface. Caleb must face the truth about the night of Maggie’s accident, or the secret that destroyed their relationship will forever stand between them.

Review:

I literally can't get enough of Simone Elkeles books. It's almost like an addiction!

Caleb and Maggie's relationship is one I can't forget because I'd never expect such a romance in a teen book, to me it was inspirational. When they're stuck in a summer stumble, we meet a few other characters, all who really made this book almost better than the first. And like most of Elkeles book, this story felt real...

Something I hadn't expected was the humor. I mean it wasn't just a few chuckles here and there...it was laugh out loud HILARIOUS!

The sequel, if you've read Leaving Paradise, is a must read...regardless on whether you thought Leaving Paradise was good or just plain awesome! Have yourself some hot romance, fun dialog and wicked humor. Definitely recommended.

5/5

Book 1 : Leaving Paradise

The Broken Lake by Shelena Shorts (mini review)

Published: August 19th 2010 by Lands Atlantic Publishing, LLC
Paperback, 304 pages
Book Series: The Pace, Book 2
Click here for Book 1, The Pace Review

Summary:

In the aftermath of Sophie's ordeal, Weston will make some uncharacteristic decisions to distance himself from the past in an attempt to change the future.
But, while venturing into the improbable, the present sneaks up in a chilling way that will lead to Wes' unexpected submission. Suddenly, Sophie will find herself watching as both his immortal secret and his own existence are threatened.
Continuously intriguing, The Broken Lake takes readers to a place where eternal bonds confront a division that is sure to leave everyone wondering whom they can trust.

Review:

Well this was a disappointment. The book was pointless if not painfully repetitive. It was like one long chapter with none or too many boring details.

I did like a few parts of the book thou, some scenes and dialog reminded me of how much I loved Book one, The Pace by author Shelena Shorts but...

I wish I hadn't disliked it so much because honestly, I couldn't find a reason to like the constant fluff-kisses and typical conversations this book offered. There was barely any "wow" to it.

2/5

Tyger Tyger by Kersten Hamilton Review

Published: November 15th 2010 by Clarion Books
Hardcover, 322 pages
Book Series: Goblin Wars, Book 1

Book Description:

Teagan Wylltson's best friend, Abby, dreams that horrifying creatures--goblins, shape-shifters, and beings of unearthly beauty but terrible cruelty--are hunting Teagan. Abby is always coming up with crazy stuff, though, so Teagan isn't worried. Her life isn't in danger. In fact, it's perfect. She's on track for a college scholarship. She has a great job. She's focused on school, work, and her future. No boys, no heartaches, no problems.

Until Finn Mac Cumhaill arrives. Finn's a bit on the unearthly beautiful side himself. He has a killer accent and a knee-weakening smile. And either he's crazy or he's been haunting Abby's dreams, because he's talking about goblins, too . . . and about being The Mac Cumhaill, born to fight all goblin-kind. Finn knows a thing or two about fighting. Which is a very good thing, because this time, Abby's right. The goblins are coming.

Favor Quote...

"...Did God create them evil?"

"Of course not." Mamieo stopped to pick up a piece of blue bleach glass. "Why would the Almighty do such a wicked thing? All creatures," she said when they walked on, "from the moment they exist, set about becoming through their own free will. Some are becoming more of what they were meant to be, and some becoming less..."

Review:

When I picked up this book...actually when I first saw the cover of Tyger Tyger I had hoped to be engaged into a vivid world filled with mythical creatures, adventurous characters and imaginative settings. Kersten Hamilton has done just that.

The beginning of the story starts with Teagan and her love for animals. Even thou the book wasn't love at first read, I had a lot of respect for the author's writing which made made it hard for me to keep my eyes off the pages. Come to think of it, the characters are what blew my mind away first. For a story dealing with goblins and Irish Mythology, Teagan and the others seemed so real. Abby, Teagan's friend, was so likable and hilarious...a true friend. Irish Traveler Finn Mac Cumhaill is one I couldn't get enough of either, he was smart, charming and the farthest thing from a cliche. I loved his accent, I even tried my best to portray the way he'd talk.

Basically it's a war against the Goblins and disgusting as they are, I couldn't help but love the ugly bad guys. Tyger Tyger only got more fascinating as I read but that actually became a small problem for me...

By the middle-end of the book I started to become more demanding but knew I'd have to wait for the sequels. The story had a few drags here and there but it was too good to consider it a bore. In all, kersten Hamilton has created a fun-enchanting read. I can't wait for more Finn, Teagan, and Abby...even the Goblins.

4/5

Over the Moon by Diane Daniels Review

Published: July 27th 2010 by Tate Publishing
Paperback, 256 pages


Book Description:

When seventeen-year-old Tiana moves to Hurricane, Utah, her comfortable world is turned upside down as she traverses the rough waters of adjusting to a small town and new school. Her father insists they were supposed to move here for some unknown, important purpose, and the voice in her head tells her not to argue. After resigning herself to being a miserable outcast, Tiana finds that she is not only accepted by most of the students at her new high school but is also the recipient of unwelcome attention from the opposite sex.

But then she meets the mysterious Andrew Martin and is soon Over the Moon crazy about him. Andrew seems to be the perfect boyfriend: protective, tender, good with her parents, and a fabulous kisser. But he also has a few unusual qualities: an intuitiveness that borders on mind reading, a touch that seems to heal, and almost superhuman strength. Tiana marvels at his talents but doesn't seriously consider the implications until she can no longer ignore the clues: Andrew does not belong on Earth. When Andrew admits his true identity, Tiana enters a world previously unknown to her and is plunged into mortal danger as it is Andrew's sworn duty to combat evil, extraterrestrial villains who wish to invade Earth and enslave mankind.

Review:

The author might as well have used all the names mentioned in Twilight, and I mean all of them. And what the heck, why not throw in the setting in there too.

Over the moon had a lot potential. There were times in the book where I was engrossed in learning all about the extraterrestrial and Andrew Martins' world. It was the only part of the story that was thought provoked. I could care less about Tiana...the only dialog that came from her was,

"The bell rang, and he was gone. How did he manage to get out of the room so fast? Was he trying to avoid me...?"

"...I feel so stupid. I was so angry at Jordan. He attacked me in a cave. I ran away..."

The passion in the novel was all to heard of by many of Twilight read-a-likes. However there were a few olden days love gestures that I liked but not enough to save the story in all. By the end of the book, I envisioned the author taking more time to make this a much more spectacular, unique read and thought...WOW, this could have been brilliant.

Too bad really. The best thing about this book was the cover art.

2/5

How to ruin my Teenage Life by Simone Elkeles Review

Published: June 1st 2007 by Flux
Paperback, 281 pages
Book Series: How to Ruin, Book 2

{Review for Book 1: How to ruin my Summer Vacation}

EVERYTHING in sixteen-year-old Amy Nelson Barak's life is going wrong! Her mom got married and moved to the suburbs, and now they are going to have a baby. Amy moves in with her dad in Chicago and signs him up for an online dating service. His first four dates are that night . . .

What else? Her dog Mutt impregnated her grumpy neighbor's prized poodle, so Amy will actually have to get a part-time job to pay for half the veterinary bill. And there's this totally annoying boy, Nathan Rubin, who just moved into her apartment building. Luckily, Amy has a cute boyfriend named Avi. Only he's more like a non-boyfriend considering Avi is in the Israeli army for the next three years.

What's a girl to do when everyone is conspiring to ruin her life?

Favor' Quote...

"You know what your problem is?" I ask him.

"Yes. I have a daughter who insists she knows everything."

"That's not your problem, Aba. That's your blessing."

Review:

This is the second book to the ruin series by Simone Elkeles. Now, I'm gonna be honest, this book was a little frustrating in the beginning...

Come on, Avi was no where in sight! Can ya blame me? Anyway, towards the middle and especially the end of the book, it got really hot. However, prior to Avi's return, I got a lot of laughs and fists in the air so surely, it was worth it from beginning to end.

Amy, who's back home in Chicago, is feeling more strained than ever. As if Avi's non presence until the summer isn't enough, her friends and family seem the least bit helpful in her love-sick situation. And Nathan, the dorky but mysterious new neighbor, seems to not only remind Amy of her "non-boyfriend" Avi, but might be intriguing enough to make her do something stupid. For reasons she doesn't know.

Hmm, what should Amy do indeed.

I'll admit, parts of the books were predictable but it was those kind of scenes I rooted for most. In general this book was really fun and entertaining. So thanks again Simone. Having such a unique way with words and ideas for young adult fans, it makes it hard, for me atleast, to dislike any of Elkeles books.

4/5

Other books from the "how to Ruin" series:

~How to ruin my Summer Vacation (Book 1)
~How to ruin my Boyfriends Reputation(Book 3)

*Ruined (Book 1,2, and 3)

How to Ruin a Summer Vacation by Simone Elkeles Review

Published: October 1st 2006 by Flux
Paperback, 234 pages
Book Series: How to Ruin, Book 1

Book Description:

Moshav? What’s a moshav? Is it “shopping mall” in Hebrew? I mean, from what Jessica was telling me, Israeli stores have the latest fashions from Europe. That black dress Jessica has is really awesome. I know I’d be selling out if I go with the Sperm Donor to a mall, but I keep thinking about all the great stuff I could bring back home.

Unfortunately for 16-year-old Amy Nelson, “moshav” is not Hebrew for “shopping mall.” Not even close. Think goats, not Gucci.

Going to Israel with her estranged Israeli father is the last thing Amy wants to do this summer. She’s got a serious grudge against her dad, a.k.a. “Sperm Donor,” for showing up so rarely in her life. Now he’s dragging her to a war zone to meet a family she’s never known, where she’ll probably be drafted into the army. At the very least, she’ll be stuck in a house with no AC and only one bathroom for seven people all summer—no best friend, no boyfriend, no shopping, no cell phone…

Goodbye pride—hello Israel.

Review:

I'm giving this book a "don't judge a book by it's cover" stamp. Nice and bold so everyone can see.

The setting of this book is Jerusalem, which for me makes this an even more interesting read because I'm Palestinian and know the country and it's people fairly well. The characters are, as usual in Elkeles books, fascinating! Amy, who's 16, isn't so much in control as she'd like to be. Her dad is living in Israel and so when she is sent there by her mom, away from her best friend and "boyfriend",stubbornness gets the best of her.

She's half Jewish but doesn't consider that side of her heritage or appreciate much until she truly sees Israel and meets Avi, an Israel hunk who I'd love to meet. Amy struggles with her misfortune and it doesn't help when a few people close by can't stand her as much as she can't stand the smell of goats in the air. For one, Avi and Amy can't stand one another but as much as this sounds cliche, they soon start to fall for each other. For reasons that are inspiring. Something else that was a general inspiration was the relationship between Avi and a Muslim boy, Tarik. I loved how that scene went.

I can't stress the admiration I have for Simone's stories enough. Her style in writing is so readable and unforgettable. I could never compare Elkeles or her books because they're so different, she always does her own thing.

Although not my favorite from this author because of the few times I rolled my eyes at Amy's obnoxiousness, I definitely recommend this book.

It's fun, loving, smile-to-yourself brilliant!

4/5







Other books from the "how to Ruin" series:

~How to Ruin My Teenage Life (Book 2)
~How to Ruin Your Boyfriend's Reputation (Book 3)

*Ruined (Book 1,2, and 3)

Masks by Patricia Caviglia Review

Published: July 8th 2010 by iUniverse
Paperback, 128 pages

Masks tells the story of two teenagers struggling to be normal together, despite their dysfunctional families.

Rebecca Jacobs is an unremarkable teenage girl-at least, that is what she wants the world to believe. But her private life is made public when her verbally abusive father embarrasses her at a school dance, and soon gossip and whispers buzz throughout the school.

One of the witnesses to Rebecca's public humiliation is David Miller, the high school bad boy. Unsure about how to help her, he settles for becoming her friend. Rebecca and David grow closer with each passing day, eventually falling in love.

Rebecca's main priority is keeping her relationship with David a secret from her overprotective parents, but there are other problems she must also confront. First, Rebecca's best friend tries to steal David away. Then, Rebecca is forced to face David's violent behavior, which closely resembles her father's temper. Rebecca's worst enemy, though, is herself. In her desperate need to keep her home life separate from her love life, she lies to her parents and to David. When the truth is exposed, she must confront reality-alone. She quickly learns that sometimes secrets are harder to live with than the truth.

This reminded me so much of Junior High, but I have to admit, David is a better memory than I ever had with any of the boys in my tween years...he sweet, determined and sexy. At first I thought he was a walking cliche, I mean the girls claimed he was "so romantic"...I didn't see it that way but as read on I learned his side in the story and grown to really like him. Rebecca, whom David soon falls in love with, is not too aware of the cruel world of JHS. As she begins to realize and have a new take on her surroundings, David supports her with as much control as he can steady.

The book was a breath of fresh air but a few things I disliked about the story was the constant cigarette smoking, ranting teens, and their lives in general that seemed pointless.

But hey, I'm a teen myself and I know that's how we get sometimes at are early teen years. (Excluding the cigarettes...never smoked a day in my life)

Having said that, I wish the vocabulary was more colorful. I still have hope for Patricia Caviglia because I've seen the brilliance in her work...parts of Masks had my eyes glued to the page...

In all, it was okay...I'm curious to see what she comes up with next.

2.5/5

Finding You by Kristen Kehoe Review

Published : April 30th 2010 by FriesenPress
Paperback, 176 pages

Sloan Sawyer's family began to dissolve the day her father died. Fifteen then, Sloan had turned to her mother for comfort, and had been turned away. Now, at eighteen, a senior in high school, Sloan is alone and playing the role of guardian for her fifteen-year-old younger sister, who appears to be set on ruining her own life. Along with trying to save her sister from her destructive decisions,, Sloan is working day and night to get into a prestigious art program, while working out twice a day to try and clinch a state title in swimming-the same state title that her mother had won when she had been Sloan's age. When an incident at school brings her into contact with the new kid, who also happens to be the principal's son, Sloan finds herself beginning one more relationship that she isn't sure she knows how to handle.


The only thing I can compare this book to is to a tree. Unmoving and just...there.

The title of this story, Finding You, already gives away the moral of the story and so as any reader would hope from a book description such as this, it's disappointing in the end to find the read to be nothing but dim characters living their typical, all too heard of lives.

However I was interested to see how the story would play out did after reading the first few pages but too quickly did the story seem to fade into nothingness. Sloan, who is meant to portray a mature eighteen year old with overwhelming responsibilities, turns out to have a messy personality instead...she has the thirteen year old complaints and the occasional eighteen year old ignorance...which for me doesn't mix well. Grady, whose the son of the principle where he and Sloan go to school, is a classic boy mixed in with a bland story. I did liked him more than Sloan but at the same time felt pity for him and his love life. I expected the romance to be a bit more original than it was but it came out as an attempt rather than the actual thing.

Something that bothered be the most though was change of point of views chapter after chapter. I felt like there should have been the names on the beginning of each chapter depending on who was telling the story...Sloan or Grady. Basically this book had a lot of cliches and not enough pizazz.

2/5

The Duff by Kody Keplinger Review

Published: September 7th 2010 by Little Brown/Poppy

Hardcover, 288 pages

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn’t think she’s the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She’s also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her “the Duff,” she throws her Coke in his face.

But things aren’t so great at home right now, and Bianca is desperate for a distraction. She ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him.

Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out Wesley isn’t such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she’s falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.

I thought I'd at least like this book but I think I might just hate it. Hmm. Let's see....

At first the author gives the impression that Bianca Piper( The Duff) is a down to earth, smart, retro fun kinda girl. The brute honesty in the writing was funny and surprisingly, I was able to relate to The Duff from her distaste in grinding in the clubs to her love for the movie Atonement.

But the book didn't hold my interest long enough to even say it was okay.

Just as the climax appears, the books sinks like an anchor. Even from the beginning Bianca's relationship with Wesley Rush was odd and it got even more preposterous as I read on. The side characters are typical enough...not much to say about the obvious...I mean, is this really how highschoolers are. I'm nineteen and I don't remember it being like how it was in the story.

As for the writing, all that was exciting in the beginning of the book repeated itself but just in different words as it went on. I had faith in Kody Keplinger, I was hoping to be blown away by an author my age who had made headlines for her story. But if I wanted to read a story such as this I'd visit sites such as quizilla and wattpad...not that those websites aren't any fun, they have good stories written by amateurs but I think The Duff, published, could have been much much better.

Good heavens...what a disappointment. But do give it a try, you never know. I'd recommend this to someone in JHS who likes ranting teens and a big twist in his/her books.

P.S I'm out in a hunt to find a good book by a young writer because I know it's out there...
So if you know any good young writers, let me know.

Favorite Quote(s)...

""Oh, come on," I fumed, "The guy is a man-whore. I can't stand him. He sleeps with everything that moves, and his brain is located in his pants-which means it's microscopic.""


2/5