Bad Apple
Author: Laura Ruby
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen (October 6, 2009)
Full Disclosure: Borrowed ARC

My Rating: 3 out of 5

My Summary:
Tola is different. She has candy apple green hair, dresses in ratty clothes, and is always talking about fairy tales. She's also an artist, and is accused of having an affair with her art teacher. At first the rumors don't bother her, but after awhile it starts to cause some big problems for Tola.

Bad Apple, was an incredibly fresh out look on why someone may be different. It shows how all the little things going on in someones life makes them who they are. For Tola it was her parents divorce, that started pushing her towards the book of fairy tales. It was the divorce that changed the way she looked at things. I enjoyed watching her life and situations change.

In between every chapter of Bad Apple is a comments section from some of the other characters. At first this threw me off, and I really didn't like it. But as the book went on it allowed me to get to know more of not only Tola, but of what everyone thought of her. There are several comments from Seven, the boy who is supposed to be the romance interest, that made me smile. They were really sweet comments that for me added a little bit of fluff to the story.

OH and can I just say how different the cover is? It's a different take on the standing out/being different/bad apple thing. Love it!

For 2010, I'm stepping my toes into the big pond of Reading Challenges. Every Friday throughout the month of December I will be setting up and featuring the Challenges I am participating in. I've selected the Challenges based on the criteria for each individual Challenge. My goal is to find Challenges that allow for over lapping, so that I can get the most for my reading, and still feel massively accomplished.


Today's challenge is hosted by J. Kaye's Book Blog. Last year I participated and completed the 2009 Young Adult Reading Challenge, it was the first and only challenge I participated in. And honestly I was amazed at how quickly I had completed it. Apparently I wasn't the only one who completed it rather quickly, because for the 2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge, there are 4 different levels to compete in.

• The Mini - Read 12 YA books
• Just My Size - Read 25 YA books
• Stepping it Up - Read 50 YA books
• Super Size Me - Read 75 YA books

So I'm finally posting about my completion of the 2009 YA Challenge hosted by J Kaye at J Kaye's Book Blog. I've been finished with this challenge for quite some time, but haven't gotten around to posting my wrap up. This was my first time participating in a reading challenge. I'm pleased with how quickly I finished it. I'm looking forward to getting involved in more challenges in the future.

The books I read were:

1. Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen
2. Truth or Dairy by Catherine Clark
3. Marked by P.C & Kirstin Cast
4. Betrayed by P.C & Kirstin Cast
5. Chosen by P.C & Kirstin Cast
6. Untamed by P.C & Kirstin Cast
   
7. Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
8. Hunted by P.C & Kirstin Cast
9. Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott
10. The Good Ghoul's Guide to Getting Even by Julie Kenner
11. 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
12. Gone by Michael Grant

Not a bad list after all. I should have joined a series challenge as well since I read almost the whole House of Night series, well what was published at the time. Anyway, here's to YA books both new and old. I'll keep reading them especially because there are so many awesome YA books both coming out and already released.

Gone
Author: Michael Grant
Hardcover: 576 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen (June 24, 2008)

My Rating: 5 out of 5

Summary:
Gone is the first book of 6. It is a large book, but was a very quick read. As soon as I picked it up I was immediately sucked into it.

Sam once saved a large group of people, and is now expected to save the group of kids that are left behind when anyone over the age of 15 disappears into thin air. All he wants to do is be normal, but he's anything but. He carries a secret with him, something that he doesn't want anyone to find out, but it looks like once all of the adults disappear the chances of someone finding out is larger than he thought.

Astrid asks Sam for help finding her little brother Petey, and Sam sees it as a chance to get out of town. They set off with Sam's best friend Quinn, and have quite the time trying to find Petey. Once they do though and head back to town, they realize more has changed than just the adults disappearing. The bullies have taken over the town, and are now calling it the Fayz. People are still scared and still looking to Sam for help.

With the help of Astrid, Little Pete, Quinn and Elidio they start to push back against the bullies. They want to find out why this has happened and what's going on. When the rich troubled kids come down from the hill, Sam is relieved. It means that he doesn't have to be the leader. But a few days later they realize that these kids are hiding something else.

I love books like this. It has a very end of the world feel to it, which is something that I enjoy reading about. Plus there is just enough romance in it to make the romance lover in me go AWWWW, but there's also fights and mutants and talking animals.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys action. I would also say that this would be an awesome book to recommend to a teenage boy, maybe one who isn't too fond of reading. Yes, it is a large book, but it flows very well and is super action packed.

No excerpt could be found.

13 Little Blue Envelopes
Author: Maureen Johnson
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen (September 26, 2006)

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Summary:
Ginny was very close to her aunt. She felt that her aunt was truly the one person who understood her, and made her interesting by association. When Ginny receives a package from her Aunt Peg, who is deceased, she doesn't think anything of it. The package contains 13 blue envelopes.

The first envelope has the four rules that Ginny must follow, along with instructions to only open the envelopes one at a time in order. So she sets off on this journey through England. On her trip she starts to find out more about herself and her beloved aunt.

This book was such a quick read, and it was entertaining as well. Ginny really stood out to me. She was this girl who felt shy and uninteresting, but as her trip starts to really speed up began to feel more self aware and interesting. She made some great friends along the way and even managed to start a whirl wind romance.

I would recommend this book to anyone who has ever felt uninteresting, or to anyone looking for just a quick read.

No excerpt was available.

The Good Ghouls' Guide to Getting Even
Author: Julie Kenner
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Berkley Trade (APril 3, 2007)

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Summary:
This story is told from the point of view of Elizabeth. She's a junior in high school and has a whole lot going on. Including the fact that now she is a vampire. She goes to try out to be a cheerleader at her school, instead wakes up under the bleachers. She wasn't too sure what had happened until she realizes that suddenly a vampire. Now she has to deal with the fact that she didn't sign up for this! She didn't even want to be a cheerleader. She has to stop the vampires taking over before it's too late. But she can't do it alone. She gets some help from some people that she normally wouldn't be friends with, and realizes that they aren't too bad.

It's hard for me to review this book and tell what happend without giving away too much. It's also one that I read during the read a thon, and honestly didn't stick with me too well. It was a cute book, but it didn't leave a lasting impression on me. I would recomend it for anyone who likes vampire books, but doesn't want to spend a lot of time reading. It was a very quick book, and didn't drag.

An excerpt is below the break.

Prologue

If he weren't already dead, I swear I would kill Stephen Wills. I mean, the undead jerkwad completely ruined my sixteenth birthday. It's one thing not to get the car my dad promised me, but to be turned into a vampire? I'm sorry, but that's taking bad karma to a whole new level.

But maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. My name is Elizabeth Frasier and I'm sixteen years old (dead?). I'm a junior at Waterloo High in Austin, Texas. Or, at least, I was a junior until I woke up dead in a field behind the school. I'm pretty sure that the Austin Independent School District's budget doesn't cover the education of the undead.

Austin, you might be interested to know, has the largest urban colony of Mexican free-tailed bats in the world. I've known that fact for years. More recently, I've learned that Austin has a pretty hefty population of teenage vampires. Coincidence? I think not.

The thing is, I don't believe in coincidences. I believe in cause and effect, set-up and payoff. I've spent almost sixteen years' worth of weekends parked in front of a movie screen, and I know that it's always the stupid coincidences that have the audience groaning and throwing popcorn. But make the stupid coincidence part of a bigger plan, and we're right there on the edge of our seats.

It's like that in life, too. Something might look like a coincidence, but it's probably part of some overall scheme. Just because you don't see the big picture doesn't mean it's not there. And if you don't watch out, you might end up getting burned.

So you see, I should have realized. I should have known. But this is Stephen Wills we're talking about. Hunky, gorgeous, dreamy Stephen Wills. And all I can do is plead temporary insanity.

It started, like so many things in high school, during lunch...


Chapter 1

"Are you going to eat your banana?" Jenny was staring mournfully into the purple Container Store lunch sack that her mom had packed for her that morning.

We were in our usual seats at a small table tucked in the corner of the cafeteria, near the window that overlooked the faculty parking lot. The table sat six. Two chairs had been dragged away for a cluster of boys who had their Gameboys wired together and were getting down and dirty with some game or other.

The other two chairs were empty. I expected they'd stay that way. It's not that Jenny and I weren't popular. (Well, we weren't, but that's not the point.) It's just that we were average. And we'd been snagging this table for ourselves for the last two years. I edit the school newspaper, and Jenny's our weekly columnist, so we usually had articles and pictures spread all over the place.

Jenny also writes The Waterloo Watch, an anonymous blog that's hugely popular. But I'm the only one who knows about that. And since Jenny can't reveal herself as the brains behind The Watch, she's gotten no coolness mileage out of the blog at all.

Which is too bad, really. Because at the moment, the whole school's all hyped up with this Voice of Waterloo contest to pick a guy or a girl who'll be the on-campus reporter for a news segment one of the local television stations is starting.

The Waterloo Watch has been running a poll, but I hardly needed to see it to guess who was in the running. Either Stephen Wills or Tamara McKnight. Why? Because only one month ago they were elected homecoming king and queen. And, honestly, the student body just isn't that imaginative.

Even so, Jenny swears that we have a shot, too. Her theory is that because we control who's in the news, that makes us cooler than the kids in the popular cliques.

"We have the power," she's always saying. "And that makes us sooooo much cooler than Stephen Wills and Tamara McKnight and their whole crowd."

Um, whatever.

It's sort of like the whole tree falling in a forest thing: If you're popular but nobody knows, are you really popular at all?

I'm thinking the answer is no.

I passed Jenny the banana, then shoved my uneaten tuna sandwich back into the sack and crumpled it up. I so wasn't up for food right now.

"So why are you eating my lunch?" I asked, nodding toward her lunch sack. "Nothing good in there?"

"Peanut butter." She made a face. "My mother's sole purpose in life is to torture me. She knows this stuff is loaded with calories. I'll be the size of a blimp if I eat this."

Since Jenny was about as big around as Lindsay Lohan after a fit of bulimia, I wasn't terrible worried about impending blimpiness.

"Trade?" she asked, starting to peel the banana.

I shook my head. "Can't eat. Nervous." I'd missed first and second periods in order to audition for one of the drill team's replacement slots, and I was counting down the minutes until the faculty advisor posted the names of all the girls who were getting a callback.

"I still can't believe you actually auditioned," Jenny said, since I'm not exactly the drill team type even though I've taken dance and gymnastics since I was three years old. "My mom wanted me to, and I told her I wouldn't even consider participating in such a sexist, anti-feminist ritual." Jenny's all about sniffing out and eradicating sexism.

I shrugged. "Yeah, well, you know." Just so the record's straight, the drill team hasn't ever been a huge ambition of mine, but right now I'm all about rounding out my transcript. I've got the academic thing down with my grades and three years of AP science and math classes. And I've got the leadership thing down with the school paper. All of which sounds really good if you're chatting with your grandparents, but I knew my application needed more. I needed something on there that proved I didn't have to be the one in charge. Colleges like to see that you're a team player. That's very, very important. All the how-to books say so.

Even my mom (who's a pain about most things) is totally behind my crusade to up my college appeal. My mom's a trial attorney, and her motto is that you can never be too careful or too prepared. Which was why she made me take my SATs early, and then apply to a ton of in-state schools, just so I'd have something lined up if the Shangri-La of higher education turned me down.

Now I've got conditional acceptance letters and one early admission invitation from four schools in Texas. But those are just my back-up plan. My Shangra-La is the Tisch School at NYU (with UCLA and USC running close behind). True, I hadn't informed my parents of the whole Tisch Is Nirvana plan, but that was just a minor oversight. Because no matter how much my parents might be gunning for me to be a doctor or a lawyer, I just didn't see that happening. Instead, I was going to make great movies. I saw myself as the next Stephen Spielberg, but without the scraggly beard and baseball cap. Or the next Coen Brothers, only without the sibling. Or Sophia Coppola. Only with, you know, a plot.

Whatever. The point is, I want to get accepted to Tisch, and that meant I was doing everything—everything—to make sure my application was so stellar that there was no way they could turn me down. (Technically, I think they can now turn me down for being dead. Which sucks. And which is why Stephen Wills was going to pay big time. But while I was waiting for drill team callbacks that day, I was still blissfully alive and unaware of my impending vampiness.)

I needed a perfect college application, and that meant extra-curriculars, and that meant drill team.

Which is why I was totally stressing about whether I'd made the team.

"I hate this," I told Jenny. And I did, too. I always know how I did on tests and stuff. But right then, I had no clue what was going to happen, and it was making my stomach jump around in a really unpleasant way.

"So, are you too nervous to eat anything at all?" Jenny asked, and this time when I looked up she was holding a chocolate cupcake with a single candle. "Happy birthday!"

"Oh, man!" Honestly, I thought I was going to cry. "No one else remembered."

"No one?" Her tone was bland, but I knew she understood. My parents divorced six months ago. You'd think I would have suddenly been their priority, but it hadn't worked out that way. Instead, they just shifted me between Mom's house and Dad's apartment, and tried to pretend like everything was normal. Let me clue you in here: everything was far from normal. Very far.

"Whatever," I said, running my finger over the icing and then sucking it off.

"Maybe they're just waiting until tonight. Your dad said he was getting you a car, right?"

"He hinted heavily." A few months ago, my dad got me a part-time job in the lab of a nearby hospital where he has privileges, and last weekend he came into the lab and dropped some pretty heavy hints. But this was my dad we're talking about—a man who can remember the diagnosis of a patient from fifteen years ago, but can't remember to buy milk—so I knew better than to get my hopes up.

"Hmm," Jenny said.

"Hmm," I agreed. Then I took another fingerful of chocolate.

Jenny looked around the lunchroom, as if expecting my dad to drive a Mini Cooper into the room at any second. "Beth!" she hissed, whipping back so fast her ponytail smacked her in the face. "Ladybell just got here!" Ladybell is the drill team coach and—yes—that's really her name.

My stomach quit doing flips and started doing jazz hands, fluttering so much that I thought I'd barf up the tiny bit of frosting I'd just ingested. This was it, I thought. Fail, and my application's screwed.

Even worse, it would be the first time I'd failed at anything at school.

And honestly, I wasn't really sure I could deal with that.

Perfect You
Author: Elizabeth Scott
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Simon Pulse (March 25, 2008)

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5


Summary:
Kate's life was starting to fall down around her ears. Her dad quit his job to open a vitamin kiosk, and her best friend ditched her to hang with the in-crowd, then of course there is the guy that she likes but who has a massive player status reputation. Kate's life could be any girls life.

The main I didn't like about Kate is that she was very focused on herself. But then I have to stop and remember that at Kate's age I too was very self focused. It was more about me than anyone else.

Anna, Kate's best friend keeps jerking her around. Kate misses her so much, and is so desperate for any sign that her old best friend is in there somewhere. Anna does show that she still cares for Kate, but doesn't want to be seen with Kate. I feel that Anna jerked Kate around. She knew that no matter what Kate would be there, and yet took advantage of that.

Kate's dad is essentially just another one of the kids. He plays video games with her brother, and has no issues leaving his job to follow his dream, to own a vitamin kiosk. I really wasn't a big fan of her dad. The fact that he would have both of his children work at what he is calling the family business, but would have no problem leaving Kate there by herself to go play video games or something really annoyed me.

Kate's mom, brother and grandmother were all wonderfully supporting roles. And her mom and grandma's relationship dynamic was very realistic. Something that when her grandma was first introduced I thought would end up being extremely played out and cliche.

Will, Kate's player status crush was adorable. I totally want a guy like him. I felt bad that she wouldn't cut him even the smallest break. The way Kate felt was that everything he did or said had some ulterior meaning or was him just being a player. I had to remind myself though that that too was part of being in high school.

Growing up, falling in love, family issues. This book was really good. I would recommend it to young girls. Maybe 8th grade and up.

No excerpt to copy and paste here, but the author does have the first two chapters up on her website. Or you can click HERE to read them as well.

Hunted
Authors: P.C Cast & Kirsten Cast
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Press (March 10, 2009)

From the back of the book:
Zoey's friends have her back again and Stevie Rae and the red fledglings aren't Neferet's secrets any longer. But an unexpected danger has emerged. Neferet guards her powerful new consort, Kalona, and no one at the House of Night seems to understand the threate he poses. Kalona is gorgeous, and he has the House of Night under his spell. A past life holds the key to breaking his rapidly spreading influence, but what if this past life unearths secrets Zoey doesn't want to see and truths she can't face?

On the run and holed up in Tulsa's Prohibition era tunnels, Zoey and her gang must discover a way to deal with somethign that might bring them all down. Meanwhile, Zoey has a few other little problems. The red fledglings have cleaned up well - they've even managed to make the dark, creepy tunnels feel more like home - but are they really as friendly as they seem? On the boyfriend front, Zoey has a chance to make things right with super-hot ex, Erik, but she can't stop thinking about Stark, the archer who died in her arms after one unforgettable night, and she is driven to try to save him from Neferet's sinister influence at all costs. Will anyone survive the power evil has to hide among us?

Personal Review:
This book was amazing. I have to say that the House of Night series is quickly becoming one of my favorite Vampire Series.

Zoey had finally pulled it all together or so it seems. Her friends were back to being her friends, and even her relationship with Erick was getting back on track. Until the dreams started. She was having dreams about Kalona, and he kept telling her that she was his chosen mate. Zoey didn't want to be his mate, but what if she was?

When she met a nun who believed that the Goddess Nyx was the Virgin Mary reincorperate, Zoey knew that she had met someone special. So of course when something bad happend, Zoey knew to call on the sister.

This book was fast paced, and neatly tied up some of the story while creating a whole new set of questions. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Wicked Lovely
Author: Melissa Marr
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins (April 29, 2008)

From the back of the book:

Rule #3: Don't stare at invisible faeries.

Aislinn has always seen faeries. Powerful and dangerous, they walk hidden in mortal world. Aislinn fears their cruelty—especially if they learn of her Sight—and wishes she were as blind to their presence as other teens.

Rule #2: Don't speak to invisible faeries.

Now faeries are stalking her. One of them, Keenan, who is equal parts terrifying and alluring, is trying to talk to her, asking questions Aislinn is afraid to answer.

Rule #1: Don't ever attract their attention.

But it's too late. Keenan is the Summer King who has sought his queen for nine centuries. Without her, summer itself will perish. He is determined that Aislinn will become the Summer Queen at any cost—regardless of her plans or desires.

Suddenly none of the rules that have kept Aislinn safe are working anymore, and everything is on the line: her freedom; her best friend, Seth; her life; everything.

Personal Review:
A friend of mine lent me this book, and within a day I had read it and wanted more. The story is of Aislinn, a girl who has seen fairies her whole life, and all the rules she had to follow in order to not let them know that she can see them. The characters in this book, stood out so beautifully. While the main focus is on Aislinn, Seth and Keenan, the other characters in the book have distinct voices, and would I believe, be able to stand on their own in a story of their own. Which they do in the following book, Ink Exchange.

The story, is amazing. It made me actually feel for Aislinn, and made me cheer for her. I felt that she would be someone I would be friends with. Keenan sounds like he would be a bit bossy, and overbearing, but Seth. Oh my Seth, he would be a wonderful boyfriend. Both sensitive and strong, and always having Aislinn's back.

I couldn't put this book down, couldn't stop reading it, and when it was over I wanted to re-read it. Which I did.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Untamed
Author: P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (September 23, 2008)

From the back of the book:
Life sucks when your friends are pissed at you. Just ask Zoey Redbird – she’s become an expert on suckiness. In one week she has gone from having three boyfriends to having none, and from having a close group of friends who trusted and supported her, to being an outcast. Speaking of friends, the only two Zoey has left are undead and unMarked. And Neferet has declared war on humans, which Zoey knows in her heart is wrong. But will anyone listen to her? Zoey's adventures at vampyre finishing school take a wild and dangerous turn as loyalties are tested, shocking true intentions come to light, and an ancient evil is awakened

Personal review:
The more I read this series, the more I love it. Zoey's voice and perspective on things are written almost exactly as a teenager would see them. While I still agree some of Zoey's actions are a bit weird to me, I'm really starting to like her more and more. This book is extremely well thought out and written.

Zoey had to finally tell her friends the truth, either that or risk being ostrichized and chased by whatever it was that was lurking in the dark. As she found out though, her friends could be trusted. The new guy however, threw a kink into her plans, she was so totally over boys. At least that's what she thought. He was too delicous, too perfect though and when something happend to him, she wanted to make sure he would be alright.

As if those problems weren't enough, Erik is now teaching in the school. Things just go from bad to worse for Zoey and her crew.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Chosen
Author: P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (March 4, 2008)

From the back of the book:
Bloodlust and Dark Forces are at work at the House of Night, and fledging vampyer Zoey Redbird's adventures at the school take a mysterious turn. Those who appear to be friends are turning out to be enemies. And, oddly enough, sworn enemies are also turning into friends. So begins the gripping third installment of this "highly addictive series" (Romantic Times BOOKreviews), in which Zoey's mettle will be tested like never before. Her best friend, Stevie Rae, is undead and struggling to maintain a grip on her humanity. Zoey doesn't have a clue how to help her, but she does know that anything she and Stevie Rae discover must be kept secret from everyone else at the House of Night, where trust has become a rare commodity. Speaking of rare, Zoey finds herself in the very rare position of having three boyfriends, a situation with the potential to spell social disaster. Then vampyres start turning up dead. Really dead. But as Zoey and her friends find out, things are not always what they seem...

Personal Review:
Book 3 in the House of Night series, and usually by now most series seem to be lagging behind. Not so with Chosen. This book is my favorite so far of the series. Zoey really seemed to come into her own here. She felt some real emotion, and was no longer a whining teenager, instead she transformed herself into a young woman.

Zoey had a lot to deal with. Her bloodlust for Heath, her relationship with Erik and her new found attraction to one of the professors. Plus her best friend was a gross undead thing, it was a lot for Zoey to deal with. She didn't tell her friends what was going on, because she knew that by telling them it would put them in danger as well.

When vampyres start showing up dead, Zoey knows that the people from her Step-Father's religion are involved, so she turns to the only person she could trust, her sworn enemy Aphrodite. The two of them have to squash old issues with one another and attempt to work things out, otherwise it could be the end for a whole lot of people.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Betrayed
Author: P.C Cast & Kristin Cast
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (October 2, 2007)

From the back of the book:
Fledgling vampyre Zoey Redbird has managed to settle in at the House of Night. She’s come to terms with the vast powers the vampyre goddess, Nyx, has given her, and is getting a handle on being the new Leader of the Dark Daughters. Best of all, Zoey finally feels like she belongs--like she really fits in. She actually has a boyfriend…or two. Then the unthinkable happens: Human teenagers are being killed, and all the evidence points to the House of Night. While danger stalks the humans from Zoey’s old life, she begins to realize that the very powers that make her so unique might also threaten those she loves. Then, when she needs her new friends the most, death strikes the House of Night, and Zoey must find the courage to face a betrayal that could break her heart, her soul, and jeopardize the very fabric of her world.

Personal Review:
After reading the first book in this series, Marked (review up: HERE) I knew that I would have to pick up the next installment. And boy, oh boy am I glad I did. This book had it all, suspense and mystery, with a touch of romance and realism. I like Zoey's character much more in this book, because she seemed so normal.

Zoey had finally gotten used to everything at the House of Night. Her circle of friends was strong, and her reign as the leader of the Dark Daughters, while making her nervous, was going well. Her love life was confusing. But then again what teenage girl's isn't? She had both the yummy Erik Night and her ex-almost boyfriend Heath fighting over her. Even though sometimes she's not sure if it's really Heath, or his blood that she is attracted too.

Then everything seems to be going wrong. Some human boys that she knew from school wind up missing, and then later are found as dead. Zoey believes that nobody from House of Night would do that, but all the signs are pointing towards them. Zoey's best friend, Stevie Rae, is getting sick. And when Heath ends up missing as well, Zoey knows that it's time to step in and get to the bottom of this mystery.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Marked
Author: P.C Cast & Kristin Cast
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; 1st edition (May 1, 2007)

From the back of the book:
Enter the dark, magical world of the House of night, a world very much like our own, except here vampyres have always existed. Sixteen-year-old Zoey Redbird has just been Marked as a fledgling vampyre and joins the House of Night, a school where she will train to become an adult vampyre. That is, if she makes it through the Change - and not all of those who are Marked do. It sucks to begin a new life, especially away from her friends, and on top of that, Zoey is no average fledgling. She has been chose as special by the vampyre Goddess Nyx. Zoey discovers she has amazing powers, but along with her powers come bloodlust and an unfortunate ability to Imprint her human ex-boyfriend. To add to her stress, she is not the only fledgling at the House of Night with special powers: When she discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school's most elite group, is misusing her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look deep within herself for the courage to embrace her destiny - with a little help from her new vampyre friends.

Personal Review:
I picked up this book based first on the cover, it was a very mysterious cover and I felt that it would be a good read. Boy I was right!

This book starts off with Zoey talking to her friend Kayla about her almost boyfriend Heath. They're talking about a party when Zoey notices an undead guy, and in an ominous voice he proclaims her marked. Kayla freaks and Zoey is left to deal with it on her own. She goes home to tell her parents, and let's just say her mom is less than thrilled and brings out the People of Faith.

With home an unsafe place Zoey heads out to see her grandmother, the only person she knows without a doubt she can trust. However, things don't go as planned because while looking for her grandma Zoey trips and falls and hits her head. She has a weird out of body expierence and the next thing she knows, she is waking up in a strange room.

From there things just get equal parts better and worse for Zoey. She was taken to the House of Night, and she actually makes some friends. However, her ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend show up to spring her from the weird-o house. Zoey isn't sure she want's to be sprung. Besides if she leaves she'll have to leave hottie Erik Night, who might just be interested in her.

For Zoey it was one thing after another, but she never lost herself in the shuffle. The only thing I didn't like is that Zoey seemed to react to everything perfectly. Her life is in shambles and she has to totally reconfigure it, and she just kind of shrugs it off and goes with the flow.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Truth or Dairy
Author: Catherine Clark
Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen (May 3, 2000)

From the back of the book:
This is the journal of Courtney Von Dragen Smith: middle child, product of divorce, would-be vegetarian. She writes the first mega-negative page the day after her boyfriend, "such a Dave," breaks up with her because he's heading off to college. Angry and humiliated, Courtney vows to survive senior year on the anti-guy plan. But can she really give up guys and focus on friends, school, and her job at the hip cafe Truth or Dairy? Or will a stint in student goverment, an epileptic dog, and a guy named Grant ("like-the-lake") Superior turn her world upsided down and prove her jounal right?

Personal Review:
There is something about reading someones diary that really tickles my fancy. I like to know what people are really thinking, and what they are really feeling. So being privy to their most private thoughts is a real big favorite of mine. Reading Courtney's journal was a pleasure. She was your typical teenage girl. She had best friends, a crazy mom, a little brother and a whole slew of boy problems.

Truth or Dairy, starts off when Courtney's boyfriend Dave, dumps her because he's going off to college. As the story progresses, Courtney obsesses over Dave, gets elected to Student Government where she is hit on by the Tom. And realizes that she might have a thing for one of Dave's friends, Grant. Pretty normal girl stuff. All the while Courtney has to deal with her mom wanting to go to her grandparent's house for Thanksgiving, even though her grandparent's are thinking about splitting up.

This book was full of well rounded characters, which is unique for a book that is supposed to be someones diary. I felt like I knew all of Courtney's friends, like they were my own.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Lock and Key
Author: Sarah Dessen
Hardcover: 432 Pages
Publisher: Viking Juvenile (April 22, 2008)

From the back of the book:
“Ruby, where is your mother?”

Ruby knows that the game is up. For the past few months, she’s been on her own in the yellow house, managing somehow, knowing that her mother will probably never return.

That’s how she comes to live with Cora, the sister she hasn’t seen in ten years, and Cora’s husband Jamie, whose down-to-earth demeanor makes it hard for Ruby to believe he founded the most popular networking Web site around. A luxurious house, fancy private school, a new wardrobe, the promise of college and a future—it’s a dream come true. So why is Ruby such a reluctant Cinderella, wary and defensive? And why is Nate, the genial boy next door with some secrets of his own, unable to accept the help that Ruby is just learning to give?

Personal Review:
When I started reading this I had to make sure that I wasn't reading a V.C. Andrew's novel, which depresses me because I love love LOVE Sarah Dressen's writing. But the way it started at the beginning with Ruby's mom leaving her and her moving in with her sister and her sisters over attentive and nice husband made me freverently hope that I was wrong.

Which I was! This book once I got past my own trepidation was amazing. Ruby was a character that I could get behind 100%. I love stories where I feel like I can connect with the main character, and for me Ruby was one of them. Her fight or flight mentality was unique, while at the same time not too far stretched.

Nate, was a doll. He suffers from what many guys suffer from. Good Guy Syndrom, along with his unique problems with his father. Which, not going to lie I caught on to when Ruby saw Nate's dad with Roscoe the dog.


Rating: 4.5 out of 5