Look Ahead, Look Back by Annette Laing=REVIEW

Hannah, her brother Alex and their friend Brandon feel that they are about to be transported back in time once again. They can't explain the feeling, they just see the signs. They don't know when it is going to happen though. When Brandon and Alex dig up a skeleton they know the time is getting closer. Hannah is tired of being transported to different time periods. She wishes they had more control about when they go. They have always felt secure in their travels because at some point they run into the Professor who guides them on their mission. But this time the Professor has disappeared!

The friends find themselves in 1752 London. Hannah manages to find work at an Inn, Alex is nowhere to be found and Brandon is now a white boy in the service of the local preacher turned missionary. Through a series of events they all find themselves in America. Alex is now black and a slave to Mr. Gordon who also holds servant papers for Hannah.

Determined to find out who the skeletal remains are, they must each adjust to their new lot in life. Alex(now called Cato) is now afraid of white men, as his owner has been known to be cruel to slaves as an example to other slaves. Likewise Brandon is afraid of the black slaves as he has heard about the rebellions against white owners.

Set in a time when slavery was just becoming legal in Georgia the 3 friends find themselves suffering along with their fellow slaves and wondering if the Professor will ever show up to transport them back to the 21st century.

I really like time travel books! I have really enjoyed the Snipesville Chronicles as each story is connected. Look Ahead, Look Back left many unanswered questions so I am going to assume that there will be another book in the series. I still get frustrated with Hannah's whining and her self-centeredness! I enjoy the historical facts in each story, it gives such a reality to each book. Learning about England shipping their prisoners to America and the slave trade was very educational, and having that history all interwoven into an exciting story made the book a fast and enjoyable read.

Check out my review of the first two books in the series:

Don't Know Where, Don't Know When
A Different Day, A Different Destiny

DYING TO KNOW YOU by Aidan Chambers-REVIEW

Karl is dyslexic so he hates to write. He also doesn't know how to express himself very well. When Karl's girlfriend Fiorella asks him to answer some questions she has by writing out his answers Karl turns to Fiorella's favorite author for help.

Not only is this author helping Karl with searching out his inner most feelings, but Karl is helping the author by once again giving him a reason and will to write after his wife's death.

Karl and the author develop a friendship that manages to withstand many ups and downs as they both explore who they are. They relate with each other in that the author can see that he and Karl have many of the same character qualities. Karl is brooding and moody and insecure, the author can see many of the same qualities in himself. He helps Karl deal with those emotions throughout the book.

The story was written from the authors point of view.We never know what the authors name is. I enjoyed how much he helped Karl discover himself. He helped Karl through depression and other emotions by offering wise advice or just listening when Karl had something to say. In return Karl gave the author a reason to start writing again after the death of his wife. There were a few sexual situations, but nothing graphic. There was also a bit of language. I think this was a story of healing both for Karl and for the author that befriended him.

CRYPTIC CRAVINGS AND IMMORTAL HEARTS by Ellen Schreiber-REVIEW

Raven and the other teens in Dullsville are excited about a new club opening up in their town. Jagger has decided to open up The Crypt in Dullsville. It will be the happening place since Jagger knows how to market such projects with his ownership in The Coffin Club.

What Raven and Alexander are afraid of is that Jagger will open The Crypt up to other vampires. Alexander has managed to live in Dullsville without bringing too much attention to himself. If other vampires relocate to Dullsville then that could not only put Alexander in danger, but also the humans of Dullsville could be in danger.

Their solution to the problem? Open the club to only mortals and a select few vampires. But will Jagger stick with this plan or does he have a  more "nefarious" agenda?

My first pet-peeve of the book is that word "nefarious". In my opinion it was used WAY TOO MUCH throughout the book. Everyone had "nefarious" agendas going on and it almost became comical to me. It was like the author just found this new word and had to sprinkle it throughout the whole book. The next peeve was the phrase, "My true love" or "My one true love" that Raven kept using to describe Alexander. UGH! Again, overuse of a word or phrase. I've really become disappointed in this series. I used to enjoy it, but now it seems just a bit too juvenile and silly and maybe even a bit like a Twilight wannabe. It even seems that the author is trying for that triangle since Trevor seems to be becoming less hated by Raven. Another overuse of a word when Raven refers to Trevor is "my nemesis". There is one more book in the series and YES, I am going to read it just to say that I finished it out!


 IMMORTAL HEARTS:

Alexander's sister Stormy is in Dullsville for a visit. Raven spends a lot of time worrying about how Stormy will feel about her. She prepares a room in the mansion for Stormy and manages to make a good impression. Stormy also hits it off with Raven's brother Billy and his friend Henry. More and more humans are becoming part of the vampire's secret. Trevor is still Raven's nemesis even though she has sentimental feelings for him. Jagger and Luna are still trying to hatch a scheme to break up Raven and Alexander. And of course Raven can't wait to be turned into a vampire by Alexander.

I am so happy I am done with this series! These last two books have totally disappointed me. The writing was choppy and the characters immature and silly. Sentences were repetitive and some didn't even make sense. An example, "His lips were always as tender as imaginable"(pg. 129). HUH? What does that mean? At least in Immortal Hearts there was not one "nefarious" used and I only noticed "my true love" or "my one true love" a couple of times. A question I have is WHERE ARE THE PARENTS? Raven is out all hours of the night. She parties at The Crypt which doesn't seem to have any adult supervision. Raven seems to be more of a middle schooler than a high school junior. I'm definitely ready to move on to something else.

One thing that I have always appreciated about the Vampire Kisses novels has been the fact that they are clean reads. Little to no cursing and no sex. Raven does like to cuddle with Alexander in his coffin, but there have never been any sexual references.

IRISES by Francisco X. Stork-REVIEW

As Mary and Kate's mother lays in a vegetative state once again the girls are faced with tragedy. Their minister father has now passed away and they are left with decisions too difficult for them to face.

Mary is an artist, but once her mother's accident happened the light has gone out of her paintings. Mary has devoted her life to taking care of her mother. Now she must give up her extra art class after school in order to be more available to care for her mother.

Kate has always dreamed of going to college at Stanford and becoming a doctor. It was her mother's dream for her, and her constant secret for the past several years. Now that dream is about to be realized but with the death of her father Kate is confused about her responsibilities.

Irises was an engaging story. Mary and Kate's struggles with what to do once their father dies kept me turning the pages because I wanted to find out how things turned out. There were so many other issues in the book though that I couldn't give it a better rating. I didn't care for the new minister(Andy) and his goal of some day being the head of a more affluent church. His willingness to allow Kate in his apartment with the idea that things may lead to a sexual encounter was just wrong. His preaching of love and faith without actual guidance of how to gain those things showed that he had no business being a preacher. The girls' father even though he had been a minister for years had led his family with rules and antiquated ideas rather than teaching them about faith. So I guess that the author's portrayal of the religious figures left a dis-satisfied taste in my mouth. Even with that I found empathy for both Mary and Kate's characters. Both struggling with what has happened in their lives, having to face giving up dreams, relationships that have turned disappointing, and the ultimate decision of what to do about their mother all were written to be very believable. Definitely not a waste of time to read this book!

BLACK DAWN by Rachel Caine-REVIEW

The draug have come to Morganville!

For the desert town of Morganville the recent torrential rains have brought the Vampires worst enemy to town. For the Vampires the draug have set up pools to feed on them. The draug prefer to feed on vampires, but they can make do with humans also.

As always Michael, Eve, Shane and Claire are all right in the middle of the action. Claire is helping Myrnin find something that will kill off the draug. They must find something because the main draug is after Claire. She is the only one that can see his form clearly. She is a threat to Magnus and he is determined to kill her once again.

While Amalie lays dying, the fight to take over her rule of Morganville is being played out. Oliver has set himself up to take care of Amalie, but make no mistake, he knows that when Amalie dies he will take her place as the ruler of the town. But Amalie's sister Naomi has a different thought. She too wants control, and neither one of them plan on extending the humans as many rights as Amalie has. Morganville is about to change.

Wow! I don't know how Rachel Caine does it, but each new installment of The Morganville Vampire series leaves me wanting the next one! The tension of fighting The draug, the humor between Claire and her friends, and the romance between Michael and Eve, and Claire and Shane keep the reader busy turning the pages. I would think, "I'll stop reading at the end of this chapter" and at the end of the chapter I would have to continue reading to find out what happened next. Speaking of romance! Oh my goodness! Michael and Eve are having some issues, but they always seem to have issues. And who wouldn't have issues if your fiance just tried to kill you in a wild feeding frenzy? Claire and Shane need each other! I'm not talking sexually, although there is a little bit of that(nothing graphic thank goodness), they need each other emotionally. It's like they survive for each other. The next book in the series, Bitter Blood, comes out in November and I can't wait. Black Dawn ended with so many loose ends needing to be tied up. What is to become of Morganville and it's inhabitants now?


Sexual Content: Some sexual situations but not graphic
Language Content: Some language including the "f" word
Violence Content: Situations of peril and killing


The Morganville books are definitely for the more mature teenager.

THE LIST by Siobhan Vivian - REVIEW

Nobody knows who writes "The List" each year. The Tradition has been passed on for years. The week before Homecoming "The List" appears with the names of the ugliest and the prettiest girls in each grade. Nobody has ever claimed to have written "The List." Years before the seal of the school was stolen and is used to officially emboss "The List." Each year it is passed on to someone else in secret. That person doesn't know who was the list maker before them, but then it is their turn to make "The List."

For the 8 girls on The List life changes dramatically during the week before Homecoming. This year Bridget Honeycutt is chosen as The Prettiest for the junior class. Immediately the pressure is on Bridget to look her best. This manifests in an eating disorder that she thought had been put behind her over the summer. But she is determined to fit into that smaller dress size by the end of the week. Jennifer Briggis becomes the first four-peat girl as ugliest. Her former best friend Margo was chosen as prettiest which puts her in the top running for Homecoming Queen. When Sarah finds her name on the ugliest list she is determined to fight back. She decides to not bathe for the entire week much to the disgust of the student body that have to be in classes with her. Each girl handles their fame or rejection in her own way, unfortunately letting The List change them whether for positive or negative. With one girl determined that this will be the last List EVER.

My Thoughts:

There were a few things that I disliked about this story. The cursing, the sexual situations, and the drinking/smoking. BUT, I think the story brought out a lot of how fragile young adult self-image can be. And then to have their flaws or assets brought out in public like "The List," how damaging it can be even to the most put-together teen. This was not a "feel-good" story, it didn't end with everyone experiencing their "happily ever after." High school is messy, egos and self-image are fragile and the author was able to show that in this story. And there were moments when friendships and relationships weathered the storm which made the story more palatable for me.


Sexual Content=Some sexual situations, but not graphic
Language Content=There were quite a few swear words peppered throughout including use of the "f" word
Other Content=Teens using alcohol and smoking cigarettes, partying

THE SELECTION by Kiera Cass-REVIEW

America is in love with Aspen. But Aspen is a Six and America is a Five. It is not common for a person to marry someone in a caste lower than they are. Plus America's mother has her heart set on America trying out for the Selection. A lottery of 35 young girls who get to go to the palace to compete for Prince Maxon's hand in marriage.

Thinking that he is doing America a favor Aspen breaks up with her and insists she put her name in for the Selection. Never dreaming that she will be chosen, and heartbroken over Aspen breaking up with her America puts her name in.

Having been chosen as one of the 35, America arrives at the palace determined to stay in as long as possible in order to help her family out financially. When a bout of homesickness and panic causes America to be too outspoken to the prince she fears that she will be going home soon.

Maxon appreciates America's candor. They soon have an understanding between them to become friends and to share secrets with each other. Maxon vows to keep America to the very end of the Selection process so that she can continue to help her family out.

Still in love with Aspen, America becomes confused by her growing feelings for Maxon. If they are only friends why is she so jealous of the time that the other girls get to spend with him? When Aspen is drafted into service at the palace, America becomes even more confused. She has never stopped loving Aspen, yet she now has feelings for Maxon. When rebels attack the palace it forces Maxon to narrow the Selection down to just 6 girls. Will America be part of the Elite group or will she be sent home?

I really enjoyed The Selection. Set in a dystopian society of castes I am reminded of all the Disney princess movies that I used to watch with my daughters. Although in this story there are two Prince's to choose from. I have to say I am not a fan of the love triangle. There are things I like about both Aspen and Maxon, but I'm voting for Maxon to win out in the end. The Selection is set to be a trilogy so I am looking forward to seeing what happens in the next book. Oh, and don't ya just love love love the cover?! I do!!


Language Content: Mild
Sexual Content: heavy kissing and some groping but not graphic
Violence: minor

MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH by Bethany Griffin-REVIEW

Based off of the short story of the same name by Edgar Allan Poe, Masque of the Red Death was an interesting read for me.

Araby is a troubled soul after witnessing the death of her twin brother Finn. Set in a time when the majority of the human population has died from a horrible contagion. Only the very rich can afford to buy the masks that filter out the contagious disease. Araby's father is the scientist that designed the masks. Prince Prospero is the one that controls the plant that makes the life-saving masks.

Araby desires to be numb so that she doesn't have to remember her brothers death. She seeks out dangerous drugs and alcohol to put her in this numbed state of mind. When Will, who works at the Debauchery Club, saves Araby's life and takes her home to his young brother and sister, Araby finds a reason to live.

With unrest in the city and Araby's best friend April disappearing, Araby is confused as to who to trust. Can she trust April's brother Elliot who's uncle Prince Prospero killed their father? Can she trust her father, who would do anything to get his wife back from Prince Prospero? Or can she trust Will who seems the most trustworthy of them all?

At first I had a hard time getting into this book. But as I continued reading I became invested in the characters. It was an interesting story that kept my attention. I even got out my Edgar Allan Poe stories and poems book to read the original Masque of the Red Death. I wanted to compare them. Of course it is a bit difficult to compare a short story with a 319 page novel, but I wanted to at least know what the original was about. I have to admit if there is some symbolism attached to either story I missed it. I just enjoyed what I read and didn't look any deeper into the writing than just the entertainment factor. I did get a bit frustrated with Araby in her drug use and her leading both Elliot and Will along. And actually in reality did she lead them along or did she just take advantage of the one that was with her at the time?


Sexual Content: tame
Language Content: tame
Violence Content: death from disease
Drug Use: The main character numbs her despair using some type of drug administered by a needle, but later on she determines to handle life without the use of mind-numbing drugs.

MONSTERS OF MEN(CHAOS WALKING #3) by Patrick Ness-REVIEW

WAR!

The Spackle are determined to get revenge on the humans(The Clearing). Spackle 1017 has a personal agenda to kill Todd. In 1017's eyes Todd helped the humans kill 1017's partner. The Spackle have a weapon of destruction that the humans had never seen before. A weapon that shoots flames that will incinerate whomever and whatever is in the line of fire. The humans are also significantly outnumbered by the Spackle.

Mayor Prentiss has been waiting for this war. It is almost like he craves destruction. Todd is keeping close tabs on the mayor. Todd has never wanted war with the Spackle. He desires peace. Todd also knows that Mayor Prentiss is getting into his head. He has given Todd the ability to quiet his noise. No longer can people hear every thought that Todd has.

Viola is with the scout ship that has just landed. There are 5000 more people coming to land and Viola is afraid that what they will land into is a planet destroyed by war. She and the pilots of the ship are trying to negotiate peace with the Spackle. But Viola is extremely sick from the band that the Mayor had put on all women. It is eating away at her arm, causing pain and sickness.

Mistress Coyle is determined to be the leader of her own band of rebels. Still bent on destroying the Mayor she enlists the help of several other mistresses to enact terrorist acts upon the Mayor and his army.

When Mayor Prentiss realizes that Todd will never consciously take the place by his side as his son he sets off a string of events that could mean the destruction of all.

Monsters of Men is the last book of the Chaos Walking trilogy. It was a bit hard to read with everyone being so bent on destroying each other. It shows that it only takes a couple of power hungry individuals to break up peace talks. I found it really paralleled "real life" wars. And it is hard to negotiate peace when there is so much bitterness buried deep in a persons soul. I liked Viola and Todd's continued loyalty and love for each other. Both determined to protect the other from the destruction around them. I have to say I was very unsatisfied with the ending. I was left with wanting just a little bit more closure. For the most part though Monsters of Men was an exciting ending to the series and I'm glad I was finally able to read it.

OUT OF SIGHT OUT OF TIME by Ally Carter-REVIEW

Cammie wakes up in a convent with no idea of how she got there. She is bruised and beat up. She believes that she is still on summer break but soon finds out that it is October. She has lost several months and has no idea of where those months were spent.

Upon returning to Gallagher School for Girls Cammie finds that her friends are angry at her. Cammie had left to protect them from The Circle that is after her. She also went to find out answers about her father. Her friends are angry that she left them behind and that she was caught and obviously tortured.

Cammie no longer feels like herself. She disappears in her thoughts for long periods of time. Desperate to remember what happened, but also afraid to find out, Cammie and her friends attempt to retrace her steps over the summer.

I love the Gallagher Girl books! It doesn't get much better than girl-kick-butt spies! This installment didn't leave me disappointed. More of the history between the Gallagher Girls School and The Circle is revealed. The friendship between Cammie and her friends is like a family. The suspense and action are worth the read! I'm disappointed that there will probably be a long wait for the next book in the series!

The Sweetest Spell by Suzanne Selfors-REVIEW

Emmaline was cast away at birth because of a deformed foot. Miraculously saved by a group of cows Emmaline has had a special relationship with them since her birth. An outcast among her people the dirt-scratchers of Root it seems that Emmaline's only friends are the cows.

Tragedy strikes Root when soldiers come and take all of the single men away. They are told they are being taken to fight in a war, but what is really happening is they are enslaved to dig in pits for gold to line the kings pockets. While the king and queen of Anglun live in splendor their people are starving. Taxes are continually raised to support the king and queen with no regard for the people that are serving them.

When a flood washes the village of Root away Emmaline is once again saved by a cow. Owen Oak finds her along the banks of a river with one of his family's dairy cows standing watch over her. His family help her back to health and provide for her. Owen and Emmaline find that she has the power to churn cream into chocolate. Chocolate is the stuff of legends among the people of Anglun. Emmaline hopes to use her gift to rescue her people from the pits that the king has put them in. Before she can do that though she is kidnapped by Peddler for his own gain.

Peddler hopes to sell Emmaline for his own profit. Fearing that Owen is dead, Emmaline doesn't stop trying to find a way to escape Peddler so she can go to the king and queen to negotiate the return of her people. What she finds though is that they too will stop at nothing to be in control of the chocolate that only Emmaline seems to be able to make.

This story is a retelling of The Ugly Duckling which I have never read so I don't know how it compares. This was a sweet story of one girl who rises above her own disability in order to save her country and become beloved by all. I enjoyed it very much.

I received my copy at ALA in January. The book will be published in August of 2012.

MONUMENT 14 by Emmy Laybourne-REVIEW

It starts out as just another ordinary day for Dean and his brother Alex. Both running to catch their buses to school. Dean is on the high school bus and Alex is on the bus for younger students. Nobody is expecting it when disaster strikes. Large hail starts falling from the sky. Dean's bus driver is inexperienced and immediately crashes the bus. Alex's bus driver is experienced and seems ready for any disaster. She heads her bus of students into the storefront of the Greenway, a superstore. Amidst the wreckage of the bus Dean is saved by fellow students and hauled into the Greenway.

Alex's bus driver decides to go for help. She insists that everyone stay behind to remain safe. She promises to send help. All together there are 6 high school kids, 2 eighth graders and 6 little kids in the Greenway.

After the bus driver leaves the Greenway's safety gates come down and lock the kids inside. Soon after a chemical is released in the the outside air that affects people with certain blood-types differently. Dean becomes filled with rage and wants to kill someone. His brother Alex takes a beating before he is subdued. From then on the kids are truly cut off from outside as they cover all air ducts to keep the outside air from getting in.

Niko becomes the official leader of the group. He helps them get organized and gives them each a job to do to keep them alive. Dean's job is cook. Each day he chooses a helper from the little kids. They all do very well setting up their new home in the Greenway. They have all of the supplies that they will need to survive for a very long time. Of course they don't all get along. Jake and Braydon the "popular" guys are not happy when Niko is voted in as leader. They do very little to help in their new home. Sahalia is an 8th grader but wants to be treated as one of the older students. She tries consistently to get the guys attention. Dean has had a crush on Astrid for a long time, but she is Jake's girlfriend. She too is affected with rage when she breathes the outside air. After a scary episode with one of the little kids she secludes herself from the others. Then there are all of the little kids who miss their parents and just want to go home. How much longer can they live in the Greenway not knowing what has happened with their families? When will they be rescued?

First off I love apocalyptic stories. There is something about survival after disaster happens that make for entertaining reads for me. I thought the story was very good and kept me turning the pages until the end. I'm finding though that I am getting very disappointed in YA literature lately. The use of Jesus Christ as a swear word is very offensive for me. It was used quite frequently in this book. In fact it was almost the exclusive swear word in this book. Normally I would have closed the book and not finished it. The only reason I kept reading was because I had recently closed another YA book for the same reason and thought I should at least try and finish this book. There were also a couple of sexual situations in the book. Was any of that necessary to move the story along? In my opinion NO. Putting those two things aside, the story was entertaining and different enough from other apocalyptic stories. I liked the characters, I liked the idea of being trapped in a super store with all of the possibilities there. But still I am disappointed in what I am seeing in YA reads lately.

Language Content=As mentioned above Jesus Christ as a swear word was prevalent, other than that the language was minimal

Sexual Content=A couple of scenes were graphic

Violence Content=There were a few instances of graphic violence

THE BOOK OF BLOOD AND SHADOWS by Robin Wasserman-REVIEW

Nora, her best friend Chris, his girlfriend Adriane and Chris' best friend and roommate Max all  are working on a translation project for a professor. Nora is assigned to translating letters written by Elizabeth Weston over 400 years before. What she discovers is a recipe for a machine that is believed to open up channels to God.

This discovery leads to murder, secret brotherhoods and betrayal. When Chris is found murdered in his home, Adriane catatonic by his side in a pool of blood and Max the last person seen leaving the house, Nora is determined to prove Max's innocence in the murder and to put together the puzzle pieces of where Elizabeth hid the parts of the machine(Lumen Dei).

When Max contacts Nora she and Adriane sneak away from a class trip and head to Prague to meet Max. They are followed by Chris' cousin Eli who has family connections in Prague and also has family secrets he is unwilling to share with Nora. From the time they reach Prague they are faced with those trying to protect the Lumen Dei and others that are trying to find it for their own purposes. Nora soon finds that she doesn't know her friends as well as she thinks she does. Hers and Elizabeth's lives seem to mirror each others and betrayal is around the corner for her just as it was for Elizabeth.

My Thoughts:

I found myself comparing this book to a cross between The DaVinci Code and an Indiana Jones movie. It reminded me of The DaVinci Code with the secret sects protecting a spiritual being/object along with lots of supposedly spiritual connotations. It reminded me of Indiana Jones in the fact that once the object was acquired the greedy person seeking the power suffered a grizzly demise of supernatural dimensions. Not to say that being compared to these is a bad thing, but the fact that this is marketed as a Young Adult book had me scratching my head. The writing was fairly technical and also at times hard for me to slog through. If I had a hard time keeping my attention on the text I cannot imagine a teenager staying with it through to it's ending. I have to say though that I did become invested in the characters and continued to read on just to find out what happened at the end.

Pet Peeve:
Like I said, The Book of Blood and Shadow is marketed for 12 and up. I started seeing very early in the book that the author was peppering the story with words that were not common for most adults not to mention middle school grades or high schoolers. This was frustrating for me, but I began to write down each word that I either didn't know the meaning of or knew from the sentence what the author meant, but wasn't quite sure that a YA student would know the word. I then looked these words up after I finished the book. I probably should have looked them up while reading, but seriously, what Young Adult would stop reading during a story to look up a word? So here is my list of words:

Ameliorated-heard of it, but don't use it!

Iterations-never heard of it

Ensorcelled-huh?

Egalitarian-heard of

Disingenuous-heard of

Caesura-never heard

Karass-couldn't even find it when I looked it up

Vertiginous-heard of

Soporific-heard of

Ethos-heard of

Matrices-plural of matrix!

Defenestration-never heard

Inchoate-never heard

Those are just the words that stood out to me. There were other words such as detritus that I knew the meaning of, but is not really a common word. I understand an author wanting to enlighten and improve our vocabulary, but if I had to stop and look up every word then that to me would detract from the story.  And once again this is a Young Adult book, stick with what they know because the unfamiliar will lose them just as it almost lost me.


Sexual Situations=Some, but nothing graphic
Violence=There are a couple of murders that are bloody
Language Content=Mild

CURVEBALL THE YEAR I LOST MY GRIP by Jordan Sonnenblick-REVIEW

Peter and his best friend AJ are the best baseball pitchers for their team. Their pitching skills are going to take them far. When Peter is pitching, AJ is catching then when AJ pitches then Peter is catching. They are quite a duo. That is until Peter messes up his arm and is told he can no longer pitch~EVER.

This does not seem to be Peter's year. Not only can he no longer pitch, but he is also starting his freshman year of high school. Also, there seems to be something disturbing going on with his Grampa. Peter's Grampa is a famous photographer. He has taught Pete everything he knows about cameras and taking the perfect picture. When his Grampa seems to miss the most perfect shot of all and then up and gives Pete all of his equipment Pete knows there is something terrible going on. His Grampa also seems to be frequently forgetting things.

Pete's mother insists that he enroll in an introductory photography class. Since he can no longer play baseball then she feels he needs to be in a "club" of some sort. Pete meets Angelika in class. They are soon put together as partners and things start to look up for Pete. Even though Pete has always told his best friend AJ everything he somehow can not bring himself to tell AJ about not being able to pitch again. The only one he really talks to about that is Angelika. She encourages him to not only be honest to AJ about his arm, but also to talk to his parents about what is going on with his Grampa.

Once again I love the emotions that Jordan Sonnenblick explores in his stories! Peter's relationship with his Grampa is so special and you feel for him as he watches his Grandfather fade into the world of Alzheimer disease. You feel for Pete in his awkward 9th grade self wondering what he is going to do with his life now that he can't play baseball. You admire AJ and Angelika for being Peter's best friends and helping him through his emotions. I have to say that once again Jordan Sonnenblick was able to bring a smile and tear to my eye in Curveball The Year I Lost My Grip.

ALL THESE THINGS I'VE DONE by Gabrielle Zevin-REVIEW

The year is 2083 and chocolate and caffeine are illegal. Anya Balanchine is the daughter of a now dead crime boss. Anya is determined to keep herself, her sister and brother and grandmother separated from her family's notorious connection. Having seen her father killed right in front of her she wants nothing to do with the family business.

For all intents and purposes Anya at 16 is the head of her little family. Her grandmother is dying, her brother has not been "right" since he was in an accident that killed their mother, and her sister is only 13. When some Balanchine chocolate ends up poisoning Anya's ex-boyfriend, she finds herself in trouble with the law and her family in the media spotlight.


Amidst all of this Anya meets Win,  the new guy at school, and is attracted to him until she finds out who his father is. With ambitions to become the next DA Win's father asks Anya to stay away from his son. It wouldn't look good for him in an election if his son was dating a crime boss's daughter.

Win and Anya begin secretly dating and soon fall in love with each other. Will their love be able to withstand her family name and his father's ambition?

All These Things is the first book in a series. I found the characters very believable but wasn't attached enough to them to continue on in the series. The storyline plodded along and I found myself getting distracted by other things. I guess it just wasn't the story for me.


Language Content=There was some offensive language that this reader did not appreciate. But I have to say also that the author did not overuse the offensive language either.

Sexual Content=Anya has made a promise to God to be a "good girl" which means that she has promised not to have sex before she is married. She struggles with this temptation throughout the story especially when her relationship with Win heats up. Sex is mentioned only in relation to her struggle, nothing graphic.

Violence Content=Some, but nothing graphic or offensive to this reader.

A TALE OF TWO PROMS by Cara Lockwood-REVIEW

Miranda is in her Senior year at the Bard Academy. Her boyfriend Heathcliff(yes Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights) has just asked her to marry him. Miranda is torn, does she marry Heathcliff the love of her life and have to stay on the Island forever or does she leave all of Bard Academy behind and go to Penn State University where she has been accepted?

Before Miranda can make a decision though strange things begin to happen. After all, it is Bard Academy, where strange is normal. Catherine shows up from Wuthering Heights, she is Heathcliff's true love. She also happens to look just like Miranda. Then Heathcliff begins to act strangely, when did Heathcliff begin to drink Miranda wonders. 

Miranda and her sister Lindsay are called away from the Island for a family emergency. Upon their return they find the Island empty. All of the faculty and students have disappeared. Heathcliff and Catherine are nowhere to be found either. Knowing that somehow Catherine is behind the disappearance of everyone Miranda and Lindsay must travel into other novels in order to find all of their friends before it is too late and the classics as we know them are altered forever.

I have totally enjoyed Cara Lockwoods Bard Academy series! Going to a school where the teachers are characters and authors from famous classics would be totally interesting. There's always a bit of danger in each one also, and of course the romance between Heathcliff and Miranda keeps the pages turning. I believe this may be the last book in the series. If so it was the perfect ending!

This is an advanced copy courtesy of Cara Lockwood through NetGalley.

LAST BREATH by Rachel Caine-REVIEW

Once again something bad is happening in Morganville. Vampires are disappearing. Nobody knows where they are going once they disappear.

Michael and Eve are determined that they will be married even though Amelie refuses them permission to marry. Both human and vampires alike are against the union.

Amelie obviously knows what is happening in Morganville, but she refuses to share with Claire and her friends what is going on. Amelie is determined to get all of the vampires out of Morganville.

Unfortunately an evil more powerful than Claire and her friends have ever faced before has arrived in Morganville. When tragedy strikes none of them are prepared for what happens next.

At first I thought oh no, here we go again. Claire and her friends are once again fighting for their lives. But Rachel Caine has managed to bring a new twist to their fight for survival that has me once again sitting on the edge of my seat waiting breathlessly for the next book!

Violence=A lot
Sexual Situations=Alluded to, but not descriptive
Language=Quite a bit for my taste