By The Seat Of Her Pants

By The Seat Of Her Pants by Jenifer Rubloff

(Summary taken from an email the author sent me)  "When Betsy Butters, American teen, vacations in Paris, from her Swiss boarding school, Château Mont Blanc, she expects to fall in love with the city, but never, with intelligent and handsome French teen, Alex Petrov. While Alex shows Betsy the city of Paris, they learn about their common likes and experiences, most teens their ages don’t share, and Betsy learns about the Petrov family’s loss in life and fortune. Betsy returns to Château Mont Blanc’s winter campus, in Crans-Montana, and makes a connection between her school and the Petrov’s chalets, misappropriated during WWII. When she experiences a freak ski accident, Interpol’s Inspector Bernard questions if it wasn’t really intentional, and what Betsy has done to cause someone to wish her bodily harm. Unflappable Betsy sets off a chain of events that puts her on a collision course with the thieves out to find the missing Petrov fortune. After more than seventy years of searching, will the treasure be recovered, and will Betsy’s detective work motivate someone to rid himself of her uncanny talents? Inspector Bernard has no clue what curious Betsy may uncover next, and worries how he will protect her until the school year ends."

This is a cute little story. I liked the characters, especially Betsy, Maria, Alex, Chip, and the Inspector. I thought they were fairly well developed and were very likable. I also liked Maria's family.  I got confused with all the girls back at school, but there were a few likable characters there as well. I liked the premise of the book, but was confused in a few places because I did not read the first book. Although it is mostly a stand-alone novel, I think it would help to read the first book. I liked Ms. Rubloff's descriptions of Paris and Switzerland, and her descriptions of the yummy food they ate. However, I did feel bombarded with descriptions and information, some of the time, and it made the book feel more like a travelogue than a novel. It almost felt like she was just trying to throw in as much information as possible.

I did enjoy the story, but I definitely think this book needs some editing. There were many punctuation, grammatical, and spelling errors that made it less enjoyable to read. The dialogue in the book drove me crazy. When the characters spoke, they always called each other by name, and in a real-life conversation that doesn't usually happen. You might use the person's name to get her attention, but after that you don't need to use her name in  each sentence. The other thing that bothered me was that the first half of the book is all about Betsy and her friend Maria in Paris. In my mind, if you invite someone to your home for Christmas break, you are really close friends. After the girls get back to Switzerland, Maria is barely mentioned, and when she is, it is more of a side note. I felt bad for Maria because she did so much for Betsy, and then Betsy didn't even acknowledge her back at school. I also didn't understand what the first part of the book had to do with the story if Maria wasn't involved in the second half. I guess it would be because of Alex. It was also hard to determine which language was being used, because Maria's family spoke Spanish, Betsy spoke English, and Alex spoke French, with a lot of French being used while they were in France. It was a little confusing sometimes.

This book was clean except for the random insertion of this awful story where Betsy is kidnapped and horrible things were done to her. I'm guessing it happened in the first book and Betsy was referencing it, but it seemed random and violent to me.

If you're looking for a cute story and some fun characters, then I recommend this book. Keep in mind my drawbacks, but I did enjoy the story.

Rating: PG-13+ (A graphic couple of paragraphs about Betsy being kidnapped, mild language)

Recommendation: 16 years and up. (I'd say 13 years and up if it weren't for those kidnapping paragraphs)

Disclosure: I did receive a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Puppet Parade

Puppet Parade by Zeinab Alayan

(Summary taken from goodreads.com) "The life of a puppet master is never ordinary. Oliver Deere knew this when he ran away from home to take up the trade of puppetry, but he had no idea just how much his life would change. After his puppets come to life and flee town, Oliver meets up with a masked girl who hides a mysterious past.

As they travel together in search for Oliver's lost puppets, they find that the line between puppet and master is becoming much less clear - and much more deadly.

When Oliver and his companion enter the strange world of The Parade, they begin to realise that their journey will lead them to discover the truth behind a dangerous villain's path, and in the end, discover more about each other."

I have to be honest. I did not like this book at first. I didn't like the puppets' language, especially. I didn't feel connected to Oliver or Sophie. I didn't like the puppets because they were crude and mean. I didn't understand why Oliver would create such detestable characters. I really couldn't tell where Oliver was, or where Sophie was. And, when did this book take place? Is this modern day or 200 years ago? Not knowing these details made it hard to get into. I could not wait for this book to be finished. Had I not been reviewing it, I probably would not have finished. But then something happened. I kept reading and I got picked up by The Parade. I found a softer side of Oliver and Sophie, and really came to like them. I even found myself liking some of the puppets. The puppets' language got a little better, and I found myself immersed in The Parade. Yep, I got sucked in. The different towns in The Parade fascinated me, and I wanted to know how it all worked. I wanted to know what was in the Fog and who was in charge. And, the ending did not disappoint. It wasn't what I expected, but I thought it fit well and it all came together. I liked how the two worlds came together. I didn't understand, really, but, I am not a magician. If I could pick, you'd find me with Sophie in the library and the college.

This book does have quite a bit of language in it. Like I said, the puppets have "potty" mouths. It gets better as the story goes on, but the beginning is full of it. There is some violence, especially in the Violence Town. That part was quite graphic and awful. Thankfully, it was a short stay in that town, because it was shocking. Sophie and Oliver fight others (sorry....can't give it away), and that isn't too bad. There is some light kissing and some hints at intimacy, but it never happens. There are a few spelling and grammatical errors as well.

I ended up enjoying this book. It has some fun twists and surprises, and is very creative. I haven't ever read anything like it. I would recommend it, with the previous warnings.

Rating: PG-13+ (Language, violence--including graphic murders)

Recommendation: 16 years and up. As always, I recommend parents read it first to see if it is appropriate for their child.

Disclosure: I did receive a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back

 

 

The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back by Sariah Wilson

 

(Summary taken from an email the author sent me)

Everyone knows how all those fairy tales go. The princess gets beautiful, nabs her prince, falls instantly in love, lives happily ever after and leaves her evil stepsisters in the dust.

But what happens when you’re the ugly stepsister and your obnoxiously perfect—read pretty, smart, and, worst of all, sickeningly nice—stepsister is dating the charming, tall, devastatingly handsome guy you’ve had a thing for since you were nine years old?

Quirky, artistic and snarky Mattie Lowe does not lead a charmed life. Her mother is constantly belittling her on Skype. Mercedes, the school mean girl, has made it her personal mission to torment Mattie. But worst of all? Her stepsister Ella is the most beautiful, popular girl in school and is dating Mattie’s secret longtime crush, Jake Kingston.

Tired of being left out and done with waiting for her own stupid fairy godmother to show up, Mattie decides to change her life. She’ll start by running for senior class president against wildly popular Jake.

Ella can keep her Prince Annoying. Mattie’s going to rule the school.

And no one, not even a cute and suddenly flirty Jake, is going to stop her.

I loved this book! It caught me off guard and just drew me in. I liked Ms. Wilson's writing style a lot. It is witty, well written, and fun. I really liked the characters, especially Mattie, Ella, and Jake. I loved Tilly's wit and candor, and that she was normal, just like I was in high school: not especially pretty and definitely not popular. Nerdy, yes; talented, yes; unnoticed, yes; but fine with it, yes. Ella is the girl everyone wants to be in high school, but, unfortunately, there aren't very many Ellas around. It's hard to be perfect. And Jake sounds dreamy. If I didn't already have my prince charming, I'd probably want to steal Jake. I also enjoyed the storyline. This book has almost everything you could want. It has high school drama (which I would never want to do again, thank you very much........I hate girl drama, and high school drama is even worse), romance, revenge, sister bonding, and so much more. There are a few surprises, and some fun twists.  There are also some good "Ahhhhhhhh" moments. You know, where every girl in the room says, "Ahhhhhhh." So cute! There are a few spelling and grammatical errors, but not enough to distract you from the story.  

 

Also, this book is clean! I can't remember any language, there's no "physical intimacy," besides some kissing, and no violence, except some mean high school pranks. Yay! I love a true young adult book.

 

Rating: PG+ (High school drama, some mean pranks, some kissing)

 

Recommendation: 13 years and up.

Disclosure: I did receive a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Turn of Mind

Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlante

(Summary taken from the inside book jacket) "Alice LaPlante's Turn of Mind is a spellbinding novel about the disintegration of a strong woman's mind and the unhinging of her family. Dr. Jennifer White, recently widowed and a newly retired orthopedic surgeon, is entering the beginning stages of dementia--where the impossibility of recognizing reality can be both a blessing and a curse. As the story opens, Jennifer's life-long friend and neighbor, Amanda, has been killed, and four fingers surgically removed. Dr. White is the prime suspect in the murder and she herself doesn't know if she did it or not. Narrated in her voice, fractured and eloquent, a picture emerges of the surprisingly intimate, complex alliance between this pair--two proud, forceful women who were at times each other's most formidable adversaries. The women's thirty-year friendship deeply entangled their families, and as the narrative unfolds we see that things were not always as the seemed. Jennifer's deceased husband, James, is clearly not the scion he was thought to be. Her two grown children--Mark, a lawyer, and Fiona, a professor, who now have power over their mother's medical and financial decisions respectively--have agendas of their own. And Magdalena, her brusque live-in caretaker, has a past she hides. As the investigation intensifies, a chilling question persists: is Dr. Jennifer White's shattered memory preventing her from revealing the truth or helping to hide it?"

Although some people may find this book a little slow, I found it intriguing and couldn't put it down. My grandpa had dementia, and I found this book to be true-to-life from a loved one's viewpoint. It brought back many memories of times I spent with my grandpa towards the end of his life. I loved Ms. LaPlante's writing style. It was a little difficult to understand at points, but that was because it was written from Jennifer's point of view. The story does not progress chronologically. It progresses as you see flashes of Jennifer's memory, and then you put the events together. People also confess things to Jennifer, because they don't think she will remember, and you are able to piece things together that way as well. The question of "Did she really do it?" nagged at me constantly and bothered me when I wasn't reading. Ms. LaPlante did a very good job crafting this story.

I will definitely treat people with dementia a little differently because of this book. It would be so hard to see only strangers where others see family and life-long friends. This is not a happy book. It is a bit of a downer, but worth the read. There is a bit of language, and a couple of "f" words at the very end of the book. There is a murder scene along with affairs, drug dealing, and fraud, among other things. I didn't love the ending, because I was really disappointed in someone, but it worked with the storyline. This is not a book I'll read again, but I'm glad I read it.

Rating: PG-13+ (Murder, language, affairs, drug dealing, fraud)

Recommendation: 18 years and up

Shifted Perspective

Shifted Perspective: Book One of The Tails of Change series by J. Bridger

(Summary taken from an email the author sent me)

"Caleb Byrne is a bright high school senior who has enough to deal with between college choices, taking care of his single dad, and dealing with his headstrong girlfriend Joanna and an eccentric set of cousins in California. He was managing to get by until the day he woke up a Cocker Spaniel. Even if it only happens monthly and is more embarrassing than painful, the so-called ability is something that he's anxious to be rid of.

He didn't realize his transformations would drag him into a hidden society of canine and lupine shape shifters as well as a family legacy he hates. To make matters worse, after moving to Los Angeles to learn more about his heritage from his Aunt Moira and his cousin Kalista, Caleb now struggles through life-and-death matters. He keeps angering the werewolves in charge of the shifter world, especially Kalista's boyfriend Peter, the Southern California alpha's son, who also happens to be grade-A sociopath. Worse, Caleb's floundering to keep his secret from Joanna.
While his family offers him some support, they may not be enough as Caleb realizes that the rules in shifter society---number one is supposed to be don't kill humans---are not so ironclad. Some werewolf out there is leaving a blood-soaked trail across the Midwest and it might just be with the alpha's blessing..."

This book surprised me. It's not really a spoof on other paranormal books, but it kind of is. Caleb's ability is not "cool" like a werewolf or anything, so you kind of need to read it with that in mind. I think it's supposed to be a little humorous, just because the situation he finds himself in is a little humorous. There is a more serious side to it, though, with people all over the country being killed by a rogue shifter. Caleb, Joanna, and Penny find themselves in a dangerous position, and it could have been fatal.

The book is written well, with the exception of a few spelling and grammatical errors. It flows well and is a fast, easy read. The characters are well developed and interesting. Even though Caleb's ability may be a bit corny, it is a nice change of pace, and I like that. I like Joanna, Penny, and Kalista as well. I felt for Caleb's dad, and can only imagine what went through his mind when he found out. I think he took it very well. The plot has a twist at the end that surprised me and definitely made me want to read the next book.

There is some language in this book, which makes it inappropriate for younger readers. There is also some violence associated with a rogue shifter murdering people. There are some innuendos about "physical intimacy" but it never happens. I liked the book and would recommend the book with the previous warnings.

Rating: PG-13 (Language, violence, and innuendos)

Recommendation: 14 and up

Disclosure: I did receive a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Kirby Puckernut and the Christmas Surprise

Kirby Puckernut and the Christmas Surprise by Alicia Richardson

(Summary taken from the inside book jacket) "Kirby Puckernut is Santa's cleverest little elf. While dreaming up marvelous toys for good girls and boys, Kirby has his best idea yet--a real elf in every home, all through the holidays, spreading Christmas Magic! Santa finds the perfect family and allows Kirby to serve as the test elf for the first momentous visit. Fun and adventure are at every turn, but not everything goes as planned....Will Kirby's idea be a success?"

If you're like me, you love Christmas books. I love Christmas books! I try to have books for every holiday, but I have at least three times more Christmas books than any other holiday. I like to get a new Christmas book every year, and this year's book is fabulous! It's a cute story, well written, and it talks about the "Christmas Magic." It is not just about the presents, it's about the feeling of Christmas, the opportunities for service, and about thinking of others during Christmas. The characters are believeable and quite life-like. The 13 yr-old girl Izzie has a grumpy attitude about Christmas and no longer believes in "Christmas Magic." She thinks it's only for babies. Unfortunately, her feelings and how she behaves with those feelings, impact the entire family, especially her younger siblings. It's a good story about attitude and family.

The illustrations in this book are amazing! I love them! They are beautiful and bring the book to life. I had all four of my kids squished around me on the couch, even my 11 yr-old, and they were captivated with the story and the pictures.

On a side note, you can purchase your own "Kirby" on the author's website, and have your own personal elf this season. I didn't do that, but it could be fun!

I really enjoyed this book and so did my kids. I'm sure we will be reading it over and over before Christmas comes. I definitely recommend it!!! It's a new Christmas favorite.

Rating: G (Clean and great for everyone!)

Recommendation: Everyone will enjoy this book, young and old.

Disclosure: I did receive a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Book Thief

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

(Summary taken from the book jacket) "Narrated by Death, Markus Zusak's groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a young foster girl living outside of Munich in Nazi Germany. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she discovers something she can't resist--books. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever they are to be found. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, Liesel learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids, as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement."

This book took me awhile to get into because it is so different, but it is very well crafted and the language is beautiful. It is very descriptive, and strangely, that is what threw me at first. There were images that didn't make sense to me, but then I just decided to read on and enjoy the imagery. I LOVE books, so I related to Liesel, although I don't think I'd steal them. I loved the characters in this book, and they are developed so well. I think my favorite character was Liesel's foster father. I picture him as so gentle and loving and patient. I also picture him as fun and happy. He's also a hard worker and very compassionate. Liesel's foster mother is definitely rough around the edges, but I think she is also a very loving woman, she just shows it in a different way. Rudy. Rudy is Liesel's best friend and what a character he is! I love the scene where he runs like Jesse Owens. I felt so bad for Max. What a terrible time in our world history. Yet, how wonderful that there were still people with common sense and courage to help the Jews. I loved that Liesel loved him so much. I cried when I read the book he wrote for Liesel.

The story in this book just drew me in. What an amazing story of survival, hope, despair, courage, and love. Like I said, the imagery is beautiful, and yet a little confusing at times. This is not a happy book. It's World War II in Nazi Germany. There are Jews paraded down the street, there are many deaths, and war violence. There is a suicide hanging. The children steal. A lot. There are bombing raids and bomb shelters. However, there is also enough hope and love and courage and survival that it's not too depressing. I was left with hope that challenges can be overcome and difficult situations can be worked through. I was also filled with hope because there are still good people in the world. I really liked this book and recommend this book with the previous warnings.

Rating: PG-13 + (Language, violence, death, war violence, cruelty to Jews)

Recommendation: 16 and up. This may be too early for some kids, so I recommend that parents read it first to make sure it is appropriate for their child.

Dark Matter Heart

Dark Matter Heart (Book #1) by Nathan Wrann

(Summary taken from an email the author sent me) "A new town. A new school. A new beginning. Seventeen year-old Cordell Griffin, and his mother, moved from Southern California to the Pacific Northwest to deal with his "sun allergies," and bizarrely restrictive "human blood diet". Cor has one goal: To blend in and be invisible. Unfortunately for him, no matter how far he goes, danger and tragedy lurk around every corner. "

Mr. Wrann hooked me on this book from page one. Cor's character intrigued me from the very beginning. Why was he hiding under a blanket in the car? Why did he and his mom need to leave Los Angeles? Why is he a fugitive? Is he in trouble with the law? And, in order to find the answers to these questions, I kept reading and reading and reading. I liked the character development in this book. I really liked Cor, Taylor, Caitlyn, and Mr. Gifford. Cor did make me nervous hanging out at scary parks in the middle of the night with a murderer nearby, but as I read I understood a little more. I pretty much knew what was going on before Cor did, but I kept reading because I couldn't stop. Although it has a storyline that is similar to a lot of current books, it does have a different twist that makes it interesting.

I loved this book.....until I got to the last few pages. Oh man. I was really disappointed. In what had been a fairly clean book, suddenly there was a barrage of "f" words and other harsh language. There was a graphic rape scene and graphic murders. It became very violent and gory. I, the reader, felt violated after reading the last couple of pages. I didn't like it at all. And the sad part was, there was a really good twist at the end, and I just felt blah. Even though I really want to know what happens in the next book, I don't know if I'll read it because of those last few pages. I wish it hadn't ended on that note, because I really want to read the next one. I just don't know if I want to read it if it is going to continue to be that violent and graphic. I may give it a shot just because I'm kind of hooked, but I'll let you know.

Rating: R (Language, including a few "f" words, violence, a rape scene, murders, graphic descriptions)

Recommendation: College and up

Disclosure: I did receive a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Beau and the Beanstalk

Beau and the Beanstalk by Lee Baker

(Summary taken from www.mediaguests.net)
"Beau and the Beanstalk is being released as a revolutionary Interactive App. Children will be able to read along with the text as Lee Baker narrates the story as well as hear the characters speak as they interact on their PC, Mac, ipad, iphone, Android pad, Android phone or Kindle Fire.

Author Lee Baker created a fun new book for children of all ages to enjoy. A reverse on the classic tale, Jack and the Beanstalk, Baker's Children's book Beau and the Beanstalk is about an adolescent giant who is ridiculed in a magical kingdom in the clouds and climbs down a beanstalk to meet Jack, a hack-magician with a love of fire tricks, who will do anything to be the star of the circus.
This book is an instant hit with parents and educators. The book teaches values like overcoming difficulties, taking care of mistakes, standing up to bullies and choosing the right friends. The illustrations will immediately draw the reader into the story."

This is a fun book! It's not like your ordinary picture book you read to the kids at bedtime. This book will definitely engage younger readers because it is on the computer and it is fun! The story line is really cute and a play on your typical "Jack and the Beanstalk." The illustrations are wonderful and it was fun clicking on all the characters to see what they had to say. There are some really good lessons for kids in the story as well. It teaches taking responsibility for your actions, that bullying others is not okay, and that if you work hard enough you can overcome whatever problems you may have. It isn't very long and will for sure hold the children's attention. There are some scarier pictures, but they aren't too bad and should be okay with the kids. I enjoyed reading this story and will definitely open it up for my kids tomorrow. I think all my kids will enjoy it, even my 11-year-old son. I did receive it for my PC, but I think I'm going to look for it for my android phone, that way I have it at those unexpected times when I need something to keep the kids busy and all I have is my phone.

Rating: PG (A few pictures are a little bit scary, bullying, some fighting)

Recommendation: Everyone! Just make sure with the really little kids that you go through it beforehand to make sure it's not too scary. It will be fine for my four-year-old, but it might scare yours--all kids are different.

Disclosure: I did receive a free copy of this book/app in exchange for my honest review.

Flurry

Flurry by J.G. Hewitt

(Summary taken from an email the author sent me) "Laurel Fairchild is high born. She is a gifted student and athlete. Parker is an acrobat in a travelling circus. He is street-smart and charming. They were never supposed to meet but fate intervened. Laurel knows the circus boy and his secrets will be her unraveling and lead to her execution but like a moth to a flame, she cannot resist him.

The Crystal Treaty requires Laurel to compete in the Stadia Games at seventeen to be ranked for her Senior year when she will be forcibly married in a mass wedding to a husband that she neither knows nor wants, or face death by stoning. In a post-apocalyptic world, the Earth's surface has been drained of water and civilization destroyed. There are no clouds, no trees, no rain. There is no freedom. There is only the Realm, which is ruled by a Guild of power-hungry Barons who command the Division, a brutal army that maintains social order through violence among the working class serving the Realm’s elite for a meager daily water ration. It has been this way since time immemorial but the catastrophic events at this year’s Games are going to change everything, not the least of which for Laurel and Parker."

 

I enjoyed this book. It is another book about controlled society, but it does have a different twist. It has some elements of "Matched" and "Divergent" and a few from "Hunger Games," but it does throw in its own twists and turns. I liked the main characters, Laurel and Parker, and thought they had a lot of courage. I thought the character development in this book was good.  I enjoyed the story and did get drawn in.  I liked the images of the circa and the interesting things they did. It reminded me a lot of Cirque du Soleil and the things they do. This story made me thankful to be able to go to my tap and get water whenever I want to. It also made me very thankful for the freedoms we have, and that we don't have arranged marriages.

 

There were a lot of grammatical and spelling errors in this book, which was annoying, but they can be fixed. I did continue reading, but there were some errors that I had to read and reread several times before I could figure out what was happening. There were also some graphic scenes in this book that I don't think are appropriate for younger readers. There was a murder that was too descriptive and made me sick. It was very graphic. There isn't any "intimacy" besides some kissing. I don't remember any language, but there may have been a couple of words. I also got confused with all the characters. I had a bit of trouble remembering which person came from which group, and who that person was in the group.

 

I did enjoy the book, though, and will read the next one. I recommend it with the above warnings.

 

Rating: PG-13+ (Graphic murder, violence)

 

Recommendation: 16 and up. As always, I recommend that parents read this book first to see if it is appropriate for their children.

 

Disclosure: I did receive a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.