By: Susan Wiggs
Reviewed By: Citlalli V.
Rating: I really liked it.
Perfect life, big house, successful spouse, following your dreams...
We all have dreamed of this, but what happens when you get your perfect life...only to lose it?
This book will take you on a journey through the ups and downs of a perfect life. The first time I read this book I didn't like it, but then read it again and I really liked it. It has a slow start, but it picks up speed and really gets you in all the right places. I recommend this book to young adults.
I would recommend this to: Young adults.
By: Gail Carson Levine
Reviewed By: Amanda S.
Rating: It was amazing!
A beautiful book about true beauty. I'm a singer, and not terribly attractive, so I could really relate to the main character, Aza. To be honest I think it would make a better musical than a book, because there's a lot of written lyrics, but it's fun to make up melodies yourself. Aza is trapped in a society that values beauty and singing over more than anything else, but it's difficult to sing for anyone when you can't show your face in public. This all changes, however, when the future queen to be makes her a dangerous offer...
I would recommend this to: Musicians and those who enjoy fairy tales.
By: Tamara Ireland Stone
Reviewed By: Amanda S.
Rating: It was amazing!
Samantha struggles with OCD, making her social life a continual struggle. Until she meets Caroline. She's a bit odd, and no one really seems to know who Samantha is talking about, but she becomes her best friend. Caroline introduces her to the schools secret world of underground poets, and Samantha slowly finds healing, until things take a turn for the worse and she has to confront herself with a very important question: Is Caroline... Real? Every Last Word addresses both social and mental issues that many teens deal with on a daily basis both tactfully and beautifully.
I would recommend this to: Teens, especially those that like poetry.
By: Tahereh Mafi
Reviewed By: Amanda S.
Rating: I really liked it.
I really enjoyed this book series. It was the perfect mix of romance, rebellion, and adventure. Forget Hunger Games, this is the best YA dystopian book I've ever read. It's about Juliette, a 17 year old with the power to suck the life out of any living thing with her touch, who's forced to work for the government as a human weapon. The writing style itself isn't that great, and the excessive use of "strikeout" is irritating, but I feel the plot makes up for it. Any more would give it away, and a lot of people had very differing opinions regarding this book, so I encourage people to read it for themselves. Would keep it 14+ though, for being a bit... racy at parts.
I would recommend this to: Teens
By: Sarah Prineas
Reviewed By: Amanda S.
Rating: It was amazing!
This book has earned a special spot on my shelf as an all time favorite. I received it as an ARC, and I wouldn't change a single thing about it. I've read it 6+ times, and it has never gotten old yet. A beautiful mash-up retelling of many beloved fairy tales, Ash and Bramble gives a whole new aspect to happily ever after, begging the question: What if I don't WANT my prince charming? Where do all the elaborate ball gowns really come from? Is a fairy tale, in all reality.... Actually a trap? 10/10, would read for a seventh time. It's wonderfully written; heart-wrenching and inspiring at the same time. Very detailed and riveting; I stayed up til 3 am to read it all in one night.
I would recommend this to: EVERYONE! :D
By: Eric Laster
Reviewed By: Amanda S.
Rating: I didn't like it.
I would have liked it a lot, if every other chapter wasn't about the main character trying to get laid, especially since the other main focus of the book is his brother's murder. The two don't exactly go hand in hand.
I enjoyed the author's description of the afterlife, and the plot was really good, and the writing was well done. I enjoyed the fact that the chapters were short and easy to digest. Unfortunately, the random references to sex were unnecessary and ruined the book for me. If you're alright with that, then by all means read it; it is really good otherwise.
I would recommend this to: 14-15+
By: Danielle Page
Reviewed By: Amanda S.
Rating: It was alright...
It was pretty good. However, from a technical standpoint, the character development was a bit bare, and the romance/plot was quite unoriginal. Girl must go out of comfort zone to retrieve her "one true love", kisses the guy helping with the rescue, is confused about her feelings; seems to be an extremely typical way to try and tie in romance with adventure, and it feels, frankly, amateur. Despite this, the rest of the plot was fairly good, I enjoyed this retelling of "Snow Queen".
I would recommend this to: Those who enjoy retellings of classic stories or "romance."
By: Ed Sheeran
Reviewed By: Amanda S.
Rating: I really liked it.
He wrote all the songs (although there were a few collaborations), and the lyrics are largely focused on love, a common theme in his work (along with drinking and heartbreak). However, songs such as "Firefly" showed a bit of a different side to his music: it was more bubbly and optimistic feeling, making it by far my favorite on this album. Overall I'd give it a 6-7/10, for the lack of more variation (i.e., majority of his songs tend to be extremely similar overall, from a strictly musical POV).
I would recommend this to: Those who enjoy Ed Sheeran/acoustic music
By: Meg Cabot
Reviewed By: Shauna H.
Rating: It was alright...
Avalon High is a modern retelling of the legend of King Arthur, starring Elaine Harrison (or Ellie for short). She is the daughter of two professors who research all things medieval and is forced to move to Annapolis due to her parents' sabbatical. She attends Avalon High, becomes friends with the golden boy of the school (A. William Wagner) after only a few days, and life seems to be going her way. At least, until strange coincidences start occurring.
After reading the summary for this book, I was excited. I mean, a modern retelling of the legend of King Arthur? Count me in! Besides, I had enjoyed the movie a long time ago, and the book is always better. Right? Sadly, not in this case. Nothing really happened until a little over halfway through the book, and there was a lot of unnecessary filler. The book just scratched the surface with the legend of King Arthur, and I was a little disappointed that more of the characters weren't included.
The story had a lot of potential, but for me it just fell flat. Perhaps I was expecting too much fantasy from this book? But it is supposed to be a retelling, so...
This is the first book by Meg Cabot I've read, and it was enjoyable, just not exceptional. I don't think I'll be reading another one of her books any time soon.
Side note: the verses from "The Lady of Shalott" at the beginning of each chapter brought back memories of Anne of Green Gables and made me want to watch the movies again. To be honest, that poem was probably one of my favorite parts of the book.
I would recommend this to: Teen fans of "Chick Lit."
Reviewed By: Aimee E.
By: Megan Shull
Rating: It was amazing!
This book is hands down the number one book that I have read. The setting of this novel is that Jack and Ellie switch bodies. Before they switched bodies, both of them thought that one had it easier than the other. After the weekend ends, both of them switch back to their original bodies. After a few years have passed, there is an exciting, emotional ending. This is a teen romantic novel. (By the way, I got this book last summer from this website. :) )
I would recommend this to: Anyone that enjoys romantic teen novels.
