Kiss Me Kill Me by Lauren Henderson

Pub Date: January 2008

Summary: What do you do when your past suddenly catches up with you?

Scarlett Wakefield has to transfer from her posh private school, St. Tabby’s, to Wakefield Hall Collegiate, a world-renowned prep school that her grandmother runs.

The only thing Scarlett cares about is that no one at her new school knows her dark secret and past.

A few months before transferring schools, Scarlett got invited to an elite part by Plum Saybourne, the queen of St. Tabby’s.

The guest list was full of the hottest names in their society, including Dan McAndrew.

Scarlett’s secret crush.

She has always wondered what it would be like to kiss Dan.

Once they were on the penthouse terrace, she no longer had to wonder.

Dan leaned into kiss her.

It was perfect and magical.

Until, Dan McAndrew suffocated in her arms.

No one knows why or how he died but they all think Scarlett had something to do with it.

All Scarlett wants to do now is forget it ever happened.

Only she can’t.

Scarlett receives an anonymous note.

It says, it wasn’t your fault.

Now Scarlett is on a mission to clear her name and find out what really happened to the first boy she ever kissed.

Rating: 2.5 Stars

Review: Kiss Me Kill Me was not at all what I expected. I had an idea of the plot and such, but I really wasn’t sure. I bought it more on a whim and I wish I hadn’t. Although I did like Scarlett as a character, I didn’t really like all of the other characters. Well at St. Tabby’s that is. Once Scarlett got to Wakefield Hall Collegiate, I found most of the girls a lot more likeable. The mystery of what happened to Dan seemed like it was a big thing at the beginning and the end of the novel. But at the middle, it all seemed pushed aside. It was never really addressed fully until the end of the novel where the whole mystery was simply wrapped up in about 2 or 3 chapters. For me, that was the point when I really started to not like this book. What seemed like it would be an important thing in the story was, then wasn’t, then was, then wasn’t. Sadly I don’t think I would recommend Kiss Me Kill Me to many people.

-Lexi (:

Love You Hate You Miss You by Elizabeth Scott

Pub Date: June 2009

Summary: How are you supposed to move on after your best friend dies and it’s your fault?

Amy is getting sick of a lot of things.

Her parents suddenly caring. People asking her about Julia.

Amy doesn’t want to talk about Julia.

She was her best friend and how she’s gone.

Amy knows people won’t understand what it’s like for her.

What it’s like to have your best friend ripped away from you.

What it’s like to lose the one thing you really cared about.

What it’s like to lost the one person you would do anything for.

They wouldn’t know what it’s like to know that all of that is your fault.

Her shrinks told her to keep a journal, but of course she didn’t listen.

Amy starts writing letters to Julia instead.

But as she writes, Amy realizes that maybe the past she had with Julia wasn’t as perfect as she thought it was.

Maybe Amy needs to give the present a chance instead of always pushing things away.

Rating: 4 Stars

Review: Love You Hate You Miss You is the first novel by Elizabeth Scott that I have really liked reading. Amy was a really unique character. You could tell within the first few pages that the relationship she shared with Julia was very special and it meant a lot to her. You could also tell that Amy did blame herself for the death of Julia. I didn’t really like Amy at some parts but when I did like her, I could really relate to her. I understood how she felt about drinking and parties, guys and sex. A lot of the time I thought that she was very confused and unsure about the things that were going on around her. She felt empty and alone without Julia. Amy didn’t think anyone could fix that for her. But towards the end, a guy comes into her life and makes Amy feel things that she hasn’t ever felt before. The ending of Love You Hate You Miss You is sort of bittersweet in some ways. I really recommend this book. Now I just need to go out and buy my own copy so I can read it again whenever I want to.

-Lexi (:

Sing Me to Sleep by Angela Morrison

Pub Date: March 2010

Summary: Beth has always been known as, “The Beast”.

Height. Scars. Glasses.

Those are only some of the things that make people scared of Beth.

She only has one true friend, a geek named Scott.

That is until Beth is chosen for her choir’s soloist.

She receives the makeover of her life and now everyone loves her.

Or wants a piece of her.

On a trip to Switzerland, Beth meets Derek.

He seems perfect, maybe too perfect.

Derek soon helps Beth realize that she too can find love.

In Derek’s eyes, she is beautiful.

No longer a beast.

After a confession from Scott, Beth’s heart is torn in two.

If that doesn’t change things, Derek has a secret that could shatter everything.

Should Beth choose sweet and steady or danger and passion?

Rating: 4 Stars

Review: Sing Me to Sleep is the second novel that I’ve read by Angela Morrison and I have to say, I really like her as an author. She comes up with not so new plots but really makes them her own. From the first page, I found myself pulled into this novel. Even though I knew in my head that I couldn’t really relate with Beth, I FELT like I could. I think knowing you can’t but actually feeling like you can is very different. It takes a very skilled author to create a feeling like that. I was so happy for Beth when she actually found someone that liked her for her because I know what that feels like. But at first, I wasn’t so sure if things were going to work out with Derek. I thought “Hmm, he lives somewhere else. That couldn’t be easy for them. But it would be easier for him to end contact with her if he wanted.” Once this the relationship between Beth and Derek really started, my mind completely changed. I was happy for them but I really wanted what was going on behind closed doors with Derek, as Beth did also. The end of Sing Me to Sleep played out very nicely. The ending was so cute and had so much personality. I could tell that Beth and Derek would be headed in a very good direction with each other.

-Lexi (:

FTC: I received this novel from its publishing company/author with the understanding that I would provide an honest review. I am not getting paid in any way for writing and posting this review.

The Exile of Gigi Lane by Adrienne Maria Vrettos

Pub Date: April 2010

Summary: My name’s Gigi Lane. You wish you were me.

You can call it whatever you want, but everyone knows it’s true.

Gigi Lane is about to be crowned Head Hottie of the infamous Hot Spot.

It’s her job to keep the other girls at Swan’s Lake Country Day School in line.

She’s strict. She’s bossy.

Gigi Lane can’t wait for the night of the Founder’s Ball.

Everyone knows it’s when the new Hot Spot is announced in front of everyone.

But that night, one girl exposes Gigi for what she really is.

A Mean Girl.

Gigi’s world slowly starts to fall apart in just one night.

She ends up at the bottom of the social scale, struggling to find a place for herself.

Somewhere she’s never been before, something she’s never had to do before

Rating: 4 Stars

Review: I’m not quite sure what to say about The Exile of Gigi Lane and I don’t mean this in a bad way. I simply mean, where do I start?There’s a lot to say about this book, its characters, and the plot. Most of it is positive too! Hence the 4 stars I gave it. I loved Gigi, she was one of the best characters in awhile even thought she was kind of stuck up. Her and her friends thought they had it all until someone decided to put them in their place which I can say doesn’t happen all that often in high school. But this book is mostly about how Gigi struggles to make it back to the top of the social scale. This for her is a very hard task. The people who loved her now hate her. The people who hated her now hate her even more. I could feel myself connect with Gigi in some ways, but not in all of them. I myself have never been very popular, but I know what it’s like to try to fit in. Sometimes it’s hard. But you’re true friends will always be there for you in the end. That’s that one thing that Adrienne Maria Vrettos really showed in her novel The Exile of Gigi Lane.

-Lexi (:

FTC: I received this novel from its publishing company/author with the understanding that I would provide an honest review. I am not getting paid in any way for writing and posting this review.

Willow by Julia Hoban

Pub Date: April 2009

Summary: Some secrets are hard to keep, especially is they aren’t easily hidden.

Seven months ago, Willow’s parents were killed in a car accident.

She blames herself for losing control of the car, even though it wasn’t her choice to drive home.

Now as a seventeen year old, Willow finds herself living with her older brother.

Who barely speaks to her.

Willow has had to leave behind everything she knows.

Her home. Her friends. Her school.

But somehow, Willow has found away to survive.

She has found something that numbs her from the world around her.

But, it’s something she has to keep secret.

Willow has begun to cut herself.

Then Guy comes into her life.

He soon discovers her secret and makes it his mission to help her, to stop her.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Review: I thoroughly enjoyed reading Willow. Willow had to be one of the best characters yet. I could relate to her in so many ways. I myself use to have a serious problem with cutting and all throughout the novel, I knew exactly how Willow felt. The guilt, the pain she was causing other, the numbness. I knew it all too well and I felt bad for her. But I also knew that once Guy came into her life everything would change. He wanted to help Willow so bad but she didn’t make it easy for him. She didn’t want help. The relationship and loved between Guy and Willow really developed before your eyes. You saw him fall for her first from the first minute he met her. But for her, falling for him and letting him wasn’t easy. In the end, everything fell together. Guy wasn’t the only person Willow had though. She had her brother but she thought she hated him. When he really didn’t, he loved her more after the accident. Once Willow became friends with Guy, she became friends with his friends too. This meant girlfriends who she could go shopping with and get advice from about guys. Willow never had that after moving away from home. For me, the ending was almost beautiful in a way. I really recommend Willow, I think I’m going to have to read it again very soon.

-Lexi (:

Switch by Carol Snow

Pub Date: September 2008

Summary: What would you do if every time there was a thunderstorm, you switched bodies with someone?

Every since Claire Martin became another teenager, this happens to her all the time.

During every thunderstorm, Claire finds herself as someone else.

Usually she’s back into her own body by the next time she wakes up.

But this time, something goes horribly wrong.

Claire gets stuck in Larissa’s body.

Larissa happens to be the new hot blonde.

She’s also got the attention of Nate, Claire’s longtime crush.

Claire isn’t sure she will ever get back to her old body, her old life.

If she can, she’s not even sure if she will want it all back.

Rating: 3 Stars

Review: When I first received Switch in the mail, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect but I was excited to read it. For me, it kind of started out a little slow and at some points I found myself not really connecting with Claire like I hope to in books. But the plot was definitely different than anything else I’ve read. I really liked that about the book. The plot was unique and well written. But not all of the characters flowed and communicated well together. When Claire switches bodies with Larissa, I really didn’t expect her to get stuck. That was the big climax in Switch, but I think it might have came a little late for me. Sometimes the ending felt a little rushed. There wasn’t very much suspense before the book just ended. If you someone who thinks you would really like this kind of book, then you should definitely go for it! Chances are you will like it. It’s not a bad book, I just think some parts could have been a little better.

-Lexi (:

FTC: I received this novel from its publishing company/author with the understanding that I would provide an honest review. I am not getting paid in any way for writing and posting this review.

The Life of Glass by Jillian Cantor

Pub Date: February 2010

Summary: The stars. That’s the one thing Melissa’s father always told her about.

He told her everything about them especially that the brightest stars weren’t always the most beautiful.

Deep down, Melissa knew that beauty wasn’t just what was on the outside.

But the people around her didn’t view things the same way.

Her older sister, Ashley. The beautiful one.

Her best friend, Ryan. He’s falling for the new girl at school, Courtney.

Then, Melissa’s mother is dating someone new, someone who will never be able to replace her father.

Melissa begins to piece together the parts of her father’s life that she never knew.

She goes through his journals about love and relationships.

When another tragedy happens, Melissa begins to realize that she needs to start living in the present.

Will she finally begin to understand that being beautiful on the outside doesn’t make you beautiful on the in?

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Review: The Life of Glass was a fast read, but that’s not always a bad thing. One of my favorite parts was the relationship between Melissa and Ryan. They were best friends so of course you knew they would end up together in the end! I could find myself relating to Melissa a little bit and I felt very bad for her because she lost her father. But it was nice that she still had something that she knew she could remember him by and it also happened to be something really unique. The contrast between Melissa and her older sister, Ashley, was something that kind of pulled me in. They weren’t all that different on the inside, but on the outside they were. That was all that matter the Melissa though, she never felt close to her sister because her sister was the pretty one and Melissa never felt pretty. But I think at the end of The Life of Glass, both sisters finally understood that what is on the inside is what should really matter.

-Lexi (:

FTC: I received this novel from its publishing company/author with the understanding that I would provide an honest review. I am not getting paid in any way for writing and posting this review.

Cracked Up To Be by Courtney Summers

Pub Date: December 2008

Summary: What causes the perfect girl to make the perfect fall from grace?

Parker Fadley is known as the perfect girl at school.

Cheerleading captain. Girlfriend of the most popular guy. Future Valedictorian.

But she turns into someone completely different.

Someone no one could have ever imagined her as before.

Parker starts drinking at school and failing her classes.

The one thing Parker hates doing is talking about what made her this way.

She just wants everyone to leave her alone.

Parker wants to disappear, she wants everyone to just ignore her.

If she can act like it’s no big deal, then why can’t everyone else follow suit?

But, Parker’s parents put her on suicide watch.

And her counselors are demanding to know the truth.

When a nice guy starts falling for her, Parker doesn’t know how to handle the feelings.

He’s making her feel things that she hasn’t felt in so long.

Parker knows something bad has happened.

She knows it might be her fault.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Review: Cracked Up To Be was a wonderful debut novel by Courtney Summers. It had a dark and haunting angle to it, but it still had a hint of love and romance. Parker was the perfect character. She was haunted by everything that happened to her, everything that she saw. She doesn’t know how to handle things. She feels as if she’s lost it all, so why not act like it? The nice guy (whose name will go unsaid) was pretty much the exact opposite of Parker in every way, but yet they were pretty much perfect for each other. I could picture many parts of this book in my mind, which is always a plus. Most of Cracked Up To Be could be someone’s real life high school experience and I don’t think everyone’s ever had a plot quite like this before. I’m really happy I had the chance to enjoy this book. I think a lot of other people need to read Cracked Up To Be, I’m almost certain they will like it!

-Lexi(:

The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott

Pub Date: April 2010

Summary: Best friends are NOT supposed to like their best friends’ boyfriend.

Sarah is breaking that rule.

She’s had a crush on Ryan for years.

Sarah thinks he’s smart, easy to talk to, and he understands her.

But there’s one tiny problem.

Ryan is Brianna’s boyfriend. Brianna is Sarah’s best friend.

So Sarah decides to fix this situation.

She ignores Ryan. She tries to prove to herself that she doesn’t really like Ryan.

The last thing Sarah wants to happen is for Brianna to get hurt.

She’s had a hard enough life with two parents who could care less about her.

But when one night causes something to happen between them, Sarah is torn.

It was wonderful and terrible at the same time.

Sarah can’t help herself from wanting Ryan.

All she wants is him, but she can’t get him without hurting her best friend in the process.

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Review: The Unwritten Rule was something that I had been looking forward to reading for a long time. When I got this book in the mail I couldn’t wait to read it. Every blogger that I know who has read it said it was really good. But I need to take it one step further, I think The Unwritten Rule was actually amazing. I read this book in one night. I found the love triangle between Sarah, Ryan and Brianna intoxicating. I’m sure we’ve all been there. We like a guy but our friend get the guy instead of us. It doesn’t even have to be our best friend, it still hurts. So, I felt bad for Brianna but at the same time I knew exactly how Sarah felt. She really was torn between a great guy and her not so great best friend. To us this might seem like an easy choice but for Sarah it was the exact opposite. As I was reading this, I kept wondering why Sarah was friends with Brianna. I still really wanted Sarah to end up being with Ryan. Every moment of The Unwritten Rule was really good. All I wanted was to know what was going to happen in the end. I recommend this book to everyone!

-Lexi (:

FTC: I received this novel from its publishing company/author with the understanding that I would provide an honest review. I am not getting paid in any way for writing and posting this review.

Dear John by Nicholas Sparks

Pub Date: October 2006

Summary: Two simple words change their lives forever and broke his heart.

John Tyree knows what it’s like to be in Army.

He knows how hard it is to leave everything behind that you love.

But when Savannah Curtin enters his life, he wasn’t even prepared for how hard it could get.

After high school, John entered the Army, not knowing what to do with his life.

He was an angry rebel, he hoped turning over a new leaf would straighten him out.

While home on leave, John happens to meet the girl of his dreams, Savannah.

The attraction between them is undeniable.

Even from the very beginning.

The love they share is unlike either of them have ever felt before.

Savannah vows to wait for John as he finishes out his last year in the Army.

Then everything comes crashing down when 9/11 happens.

John is forced to choose between the person he loves and the country he loves.

After returning home, he realizes the love can change a person.

In ways he could never have imagined.

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Review: Since Dear John was the book I have ever read by Nicholas Sparks, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I had heard a lot of positive things about him and his novels. The expectations I had were greatly surpassed. I fell in love with Dear John, it was so hard to choose something negative to say about this book and its characters. I actually found myself falling in love with John right along with Savannah but I defiantly thought that they made the cutest couple! Right away you knew that they were going to fall fast and hard for one another. They were pretty much perfect for each other and they had what seemed to be the perfect relationship. That is until John’s time at home was other and Savannah’s vacation was also over. They promised each other that they would always be in contact with each other, they would always write. Over time their loved actually seemed to grow but a part of me had a feeling that it might now last forever. Knowing what I know about Nicholas Sparks, I never expected the ending that Dear John had but I truly think it really fit the book. I can’t say what the ending was without giving away the whole book. If you want to know what happens, I recommend you read Dear John! And even if you don’t really want to know what happens, read it anyways.

-Lexi (:

After Ever After by Jordan Sonnenblick

Pub Date: February 2010

Summary: What can you do with your life if you feel fragile?

Jeffery has accomplished a really scary thing.

He battled cancer and is now a teen in remission.

But he still feels so fragile.

Every moment has to be a memory because he still doesn’t know if his cancer will come back.

The affects that Jeffery’s treatment had on him will forever to a reminder.

He isn’t the best student and he can’t walk without a limp.

Jeffery’s parents can’t stop worry about him.

His older brother, Steven, completely lost it.

Now he’s in Africa.

He joined a drumming circle so he could do some soul searching.

Steven isn’t the only one that needs to “find himself” though.

Jeffery also needs to figure out who he is.

He’s not a little boy with cancer anymore.

Anger. Jealousy. Confusion. Secrets.

Jeffery’s lashing out at everyone.

Will it only make him stronger in the end?

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Review: I loved Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick but I’m not too sure if After Ever After fully lived up to my expectations. I really enjoyed seeing Jeffery grown up and dealing with his own life problems. But, I thought that Jordan could have added some things and taken away others. Jeffery was a very likable character though and the plot was kind of different. It was a nice was to add on to the DGAP series but with a different main character. I thought the romance part After Ever After was very subtle but it was still there. One could tell that Jeffery was falling for Lindsey but it was very cute. All of characters in this book interacted will and you could almost believe that they were actually real friends. A lot of the situations were believable. There was just some things that I didn’t really enjoy as much as I hoped I would. I think everyone who enjoyed Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie should read After Ever After.

-Lexi (:

FTC: I received this novel from its publishing company/author with the understanding that I would provide an honest review. I am not getting paid in any way for writing and posting this review.

Lost It by Kristen Tracy

Pub Date: January 2007

Summary: Tess Whistle’s junior year is starting off to be very bizarre.

Her best friend is plotting to blow up a poodle.

Her parents moved to a survival camp in the middle of the desert.

Her grandmother got her new bras and underwear that happen to be . . . sexy.

Oh, and her shoes explode.

Most people would not have a good reaction to this.

Some might say that their life was spiraling out of control if this happened to them.

With a new boyfriend and her good sense of humor, Tess is dealing quite well.

Or so she thinks.

Rating: 4 1/2 Stars

Review: I was so excited to be able to finally read Lost It. Everything anyone has ever said about it has been almost 100% positive and I really have to agree. Tess was a character that pretty much anyone could relate to. Unique yet so down to earth. She didn’t always know how to deal with things, so she just ignored it. Kind of like most teenagers do nowadays! Lost It was really close to getting 5 stars, but something just stopped me for giving it that rating. It was a really great book, and I really think that a lot of girls will enjoy it. I mean, it’s about your first time, something girls never get sick of reading about! But I just kind of wish the ending would have been different. I’m a sucker for happy endings, but I do get why Lost It didn’t have such a perfect, happy ending. Others might argue with my rating but I’m sticking to it! This book will always be on my shelf, ready for another read.

-Lexi (:

Deadly Little Secret by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Pub Date: December 2008

Summary: Sometimes there are certain secrets that shouldn’t be kept.

Camelia’s life had always been ordinary.

Three months ago, Ben started his junior year as the new kid Camelia’s school.

Everything seemed to change for a lot of people, especially for Camelia.

Ben had rumors about him everywhere.

People were saying that he was the reason was his ex-girlfriend’s death.

The rumors were the only thing the students listened to, it caused Ben to be ignored by everyone.

Except for Camelia.

She’s drawn to him, to his touch, to the way he makes her feel.

Soon, Camelia starts to get strange phone calls and presents.

Ben warns her that she’s in danger, that he wants to help.

The only question Camelia has is if he can really be trusted.

He’s hiding something, but he’s not the only one with a secret.

Rating: 5 Stars

Review: So far everything I’ve heard about Deadly Little Secret has been nothing but positive things, and I think I have to add myself to the list of people who love this book! Camelia was such a great character, I found myself feeling the things she did and thinking her thoughts. I love being able to connect with a character like that, it just adds so much more to the book. The plot of this book was very different. It was something that I don’t think I’ve seen before. Ben seemed like such a great guy, even in the beginning I felt the need to learn more about him right along with Camelia. He was a very intriguing character. Ben’s secrets made him have even more of a draw. Deadly Little Secret did have a sort of mystery side to it, and I personally have a soft spot for mystery books. The combination of a mystery and a romance was really enjoyable. Whenever I sat down to read this book, I had such a hard time putting it down! I just wanted to know what was going to happen next, I didn’t want to wait until the next time I was going to be able to sit down and read. This is one of the best series I think I will have read in awhile. Up next, Deadly Little Lies.

-Lexi (:

Boys, Girls and Other Hazardous Materials by Rosalind Wiseman

Pub Date: January 2010

Summary: Drama free.

That’s all anyone wants their freshman year to be.

And Charlie Healey is no exception to that rule.

For her, middle school was very hard.

Every day mean girls were all around her.

They judged and teased.

Always trying to hurt someone else to raise their own self-esteem.

Charlie thought high school would be completely different.

But now she’s about to find out that girls aren’t the only mean ones.

Charlie now has to add guys into her complicated life.

And try not to get a broken heart in the process.

Rating: 4 1/2 Stars

Review: I really enjoyed reading Boys, Girls, and Other Hazardous Materials. It was a very fun read. It really kept me entertained the whole time and I even found myself giggling at some points. Even though I did thoroughly enjoy this book, I couldn’t give it 5 stars. There was room for some small changes and I have read some better books. But don’t think that I’m telling you this is a bad book or anything, because it really isn’t! Lots of people will read this book and like it a lot. Some will also give it 5 stars, but it wasn’t quite there for me. I really liked Charlie though, she had a great relationship with her friends. She was my favorite character, even though I like almost all of them. They all interacted will and I could picture a lot of the situations in my head because they just seemed that real at time. Boys, Girls, and Other Hazardous Materials really portrayed what high school can really be like. Teenagers and the atmosphere have changed a lot since our parents were in school, even if they don’t want to believe it! I really do recommend this book to pretty much everyone. You’ll enjoy it!

-Lexi (:

FCT: I received this novel from its publishing company/author with the understanding that I would provide an honest review. I am not getting paid in any way for writing and posting this review.

Girl on the Other Side by Deborah Kerbel

Pub Date: October 2009

Summary: Tabby Freeman and Lora Froggett.

They go to the same school but seem to live in two different worlds.

Tabby. Rich, pretty, popular.

Behind closed doors, her perfect world is falling apart.

Lora. Smart, shy, target for bullies.

She’s becoming nervous. She doesn’t want anyone to find out her family’s secret.

Tabby and Lora might have something in common though.

They’re both hiding secrets and pain.

When a series of events causes the two girls’ lives to intersect, will they be saved or destroyed?

Rating: 3 Stars

Review: Two girls become unlikely friends. This plot is used a lot for Young Adult books, but for some reason it doesn’t get old. Girl on the Other Side was no exception. Yes, I know I only gave it 3 stars but I have my reasons! This book was really short. To me, it could have been a lot better if it would have been longer. Parts needed more description. I couldn’t always picture some of the situations in my mind, which is really an important part of reading for me. But Deborah Kerbel did make the plot unique. That’s why it still got a 3 stars rating. Tabby and Lora were really good representations of the two sides of the social scale. Girl on the Other Side showed that even though you may be really different on the outside, something on the inside could really be a lot alike. I think that’s a good thing of everyone to remember in high school. It’s not necessary to judge someone based on what’s on the outside because the inside could be so different.

-Lexi (:

FTC: I received this novel from its publishing company/author with the understanding that I would provide an honest review. I am not getting paid in any way for writing and posting this review.

Wild Roses by Deb Caletti

Pub Date: August 2005

Summary: Cassie Morgan, a seventeen-year-old girl, knows what it’s like to live with a ticking time bomb.

Dino Cavalli, her stepfather, has everything together on the outside.

He’s a world-renowned violin player and composer.

But at home it’s a different story.

Cassie knows what he really is, a self-centered bully.

Things at home are starting to get worse now.

Dino never sleeps, he’s paranoid, he starts fights.

At first Cassie was just angry at her mother’s new husband, but now she’s growing afraid.

Then Ian Waters, Dino’s first violin student,enters the picture.

From the moment Cassie sees Ian; she can only imagine what’s going to happen.

She thought she knew that with love could bring pain with it.

But this friendship may have consequences no one ever imagined.

Rating: 4 Stars

Review: Wild Roses was a lot more than I ever expected. I’ve read a couple books by Deb Caletti before but so far nothing has been as memorable as this. I loved almost everything about this book. The relationships all of the characters had with one another were really believable. Cassie was such a great character, you couldn’t help but relate to her. I often found myself hating Dino right along with her. I, like Cassie and her father, didn’t understand why her mother put up with him the way she did. I think that’s why I loved this ending so much. It wrapped up almost everything, BUT the relationship between Cassie and Ian. Ian has probably made it on my list of my top five favorite guy characters. I fell in love with him right along with Cassie! The way the book ended between then really surprised me but I don’t really think it should have. I don’t think I could picture the ending of Wild Roses any different. It’s definitely worth the read.

-Lexi (:

All Unquiet Things by Anna Jarzab

Pub Date: January 2010

Summary: Carly. Neily. Audrey.

Three friends who thought nothing bad could happen to them.

That is until Neily finds Carly dead.

Carly was sweet and smart and very self-destructive.

She knew secrets, secrets that got her killed.

Neily was Carly’s boyfriend, until she dumped him for the bad boy at Brighton Day School.

He blames himself for what happened, for not answering his cell phone when Carly called.

Audrey was Carly’s cousin and the reason Carly got involved with the bad crowd.

She also blames herself, but she thinks the wrong person is in jail for the murder.

Audrey wants Neily’s help to find the real killer.

They dig into the past that they both shared with Carly.

Finding the real killer will force both Neily and Audrey to face things about themselves and the girl they loved but couldn't’t save.

Rating: 5 Stars

Review: Every review I have read for All Unquiet Things had nothing but positive things to say, and now I know why. This novel is probably one of the best that I’ve read in while. The plot was unique, something I haven’t heard about in awhile, and the characters were all so different but interacted so well. The dialogue never felt forced, it always had some sort of flow to it. The friendship that grew between Neily and Audrey definitely didn’t start out like a normal friendship between strangers would. I found myself feeling sorry of Neily, he lost the one person he loved and he just didn’t really know how to handle himself. He was by far my favorite character even though all of them were just really amazing. Carly was a close second. She was confused by what was going on in her life but yet she kept trying to find some purpose for herself. She did find herself going down the wrong path, but who hasn’t? Carly tried to make it right for everyone even though she put herself in danger. I would really recommend All Unquiet Things to everyone. It’s so powerful and has a lot of insight into what can actually go on someone’s mind when they think that everything has gone wrong.

FTC: I received this novel from its publishing company/author with the understanding that I would provide an honest review. I am not getting paid in any way for writing and posting this review.

-Lexi (:

By The Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead by Julie Anne Peters

Pub Date: January 2009

Summary: In 23 days, Daelyn plans to be gone.

A suicidal teen is never easy for anyone.

But for Daelyn, being one makes every day a struggle.

After several botched suicides, she plans to make the next one count.

Everyone has tried to help her, tried to get her to stop.

She always has the same reasons.

She’s already made up her mind. She has been suffering her whole life. People were too slow to notice.

Her life sucks. The world sucks. People suck.

Then Santana enters her life.

Daelyn starts to develop feelings for him but she doesn’t plan on letting them interfere with her plan.

Rating: 5 Stars

Review: Mysterious and touching. Those two words are one of the best ways to sum up By the Time You Read This, I’ll Be Dead. Daelyn is a very unique character and within the first page you start to feel sorry for her. You don’t want her to kill herself, you just want to see her happy. Seeing inside her head is a different story, it’s dark and scary at times. Even though it helps you understand why she wants to end her life, it doesn’t really make it more acceptable. I could relate to this book in a lot of ways, I saw myself in Daelyn like I’m sure a lot of people did. This book is not just for teen audiences, even though that’s where it will get its strength. I took this book with me on a church trip and within an hour, one of my adult leaders had already gotten half way through this book. It’s hard to put down By the Time You Read This, I’ll Be Dead; you actually don’t want to put it down at all. Daelyn’s story and struggle is just intoxicating.

-Lexi (:

FTC: I received this novel from it's publishing company with the understanding that I would provide an honest review. I am not getting paid in any way for writing and posting this review.

Invisible I: The Amanda Project by Stella Lennon

Pub Date: September 2009

Summary: Amanda Valentino changed something for everyone.

Callie Leary, Nia Rivera, and Hal Bennett only have one thing in common.

All three were chosen by Amanda herself to be her guide.

Amanda lied. A lot.

Not just to parents and teachers, but from the first minute so meets someone new.

Callie was told by Amanda that the reason she’s at Endeavor High is she moves around a lot.

Another lie: Amanda always chooses just one person to help her at a new school.

Nia, Callie, and Hal all only have one question, why did she lie?

After finding cryptic clues, they all know they have a course to follow that only Amanda could have planned.

Soon, they all come to realize that Amanda has left behind more questions than answers.

Hal, Nia, and Callie want to find out what happened to their best friend Amanda more than anything.

They put aside all of their differences and learn to get along with others who are different.

But before they can find out what happened to the person who changed their lives…

They must find out, Who exactly is Amanda Valentino?

Rating: 3 1/2 Stars

Review: I love a good mystery novel, and this was no exception. Throughout Invisible I, I had no idea what was going to happen and I definitely couldn’t put it down. I wanted to know what happened to Callie, Nia and Hal so bad. All of the characters just pull you in right from the beginning. You can’t help put want them to get along and find their friend. Even though you couldn’t really get inside Amanda’s head in the usual way, all of the clues she left behind did a good job of letting you see inside her. One could easily tell that Amanda was a very complex character; I always got the feeling that maybe she didn’t exactly know what she wanted. That’s the great thing about this novel though, everything is complex but yet so easy at the same time. I can’t get over the ending either. It will really surprise whoever reads it. I never saw this ending coming but I think a different ending would have changed everything about Invisible I, which wouldn’t be what we wanted. (: Also, who is Stella Lennon?

-Lexi

FCT: I received this novel from it's publishing company with the understanding that I would provide an honest review. I am not getting paid in any way for writing and posting this review.

Secret Society by Tom Dolby

Pub Date: October 2009

Summary: Secrets. Are they fun or do they just hurt everyone?

Phoebe, the eccentric new girl.

Lauren, the brooding socialite.

Nick, a member of New York’s wealthiest families.

Patch, a filmmaker in the making.

These four teens are about as different as they get.

But, only three get invited to join the Society.

After becoming a member, more doors are opened for them than they ever could have imagined.

Every day their wishes are fulfilled, every day things fall into place for them even more.

On the outside, it all seems so perfect.

Until the body of one of their members is found in Central Park, dead.

The only way to identify the body was by the ankh-shaped tattoo on his neck.

Something all members are required to get.

But once things start to get too dangerous, these teens find that there is no way for them to get out.

Rating: 4 Stars

Review: Secret Society was definitely a fun read. I thought this book was going to be a lot different when I first started it, but I’m glad it didn’t turn out the way I thought it would! Because of the cover of the book, I thought this book was going to have an older setting, not something so modern. The modern setting changed this book a lot for me, but in a very good way. If the book would have had an older day setting, I don’t think some of the things would have come as such as a surprise. All throughout the book, I had very clear pictures in my head of the characters, setting, and such. For me, that’s an important piece to the reading experience. I really recommend this book; lots of people will really love it. It has all of the parts that make a book so likable by everyone, young and old.

-Lexi (:

FTC: I received this novel from it's publishing company with the understanding that I would provide an honest review. I am not getting paid in any way for writing and posting this review.