The Luxe

I did a short and I mean short review of The Luxe back in June, so this is just a longer more formal version of the review.

The Luxe by Anna Godberson.

It's 1899, and Elizabeth Holland and her sister Diana rule Manhattan's social scene. Elizabeth is every man's dream- beautiful, well-mannered everything a woman should be in 1899. Diana is the exact opposite of Elizabeth, though good looking, she wants nothing to do with the expectations of being a young woman in high society. But all is not perfect, the Holland sisters learn that their high status in New York's elite is threatened. Anyone- including Elizabeth's back stabbing friend Penelope Hayes, the handsome and oh so rich bachelor Henry Schoonmaker and the Holland's housemaid Lina Broud with aspirations much higher than being a housemaid- could ruin everything.
The fate of the Holland family is in Elizabeth's hands and she must choose true love or family duty. Then, Elizabeth's carriage overturns, throwing Elizabeth into the rough current of the East River. While of Manhattan mourns, some start to wonder was this accident really an accident or was this life too much for their beloved socialite or even worse, did someone want Elizabeth gone?
Where appearances matter more than anything, five teenagers lead exceptionally scandalous lives, luxury, scandal, false friendships, love and deception run amok in Manhattan.

This book was one of the best historical fiction books I have read. Many historical fiction novels drag and get boring because everything is so innocent and proper, that it seems fake. Of course, many people lived their lives exactly how it is described in those books, it just does not always make for good reading. But The Luxe was fast-paced and scandalous. Sometimes when telling people about the book, I say it is the Gossip Girl of 1899. It is a perfect combination of romance, suspense, scandal and historical detail. The characters are great as is the dialogue. The sequel to the book Rumors is equally as good, and I cannot wait until the third book, Envy, comes out later this month. This book receives 5 out of 5 stars.

I Was A Non-Blonde Cheerleader by Kieran Scott

I Was A Non-Blonde Cheerleader by Kieran Scott
Annisa Gobrowski is a New Jersey transplant in Florida, a very blonde Florida. She has a problem- she is the one of the only brunette girls in her entire school. At least two people make her feel welcome, Bethany a cynical teen, who just happens to also be a brunette, and Daniel her uberhot neighbor, who just happens to be a popular football-wrestling-track star, and secret guitar-player. After Annisa breaks the most popular girl in school's nosein a disatorous first day, it seems as if it can't get worse.Though Bethany objects, the fact that Annisa is a brunette is not going to stop her from trying out for the cheerleading squad at Sand Dune High when two girls get kicked off the team. And who would have guessed that the girl who's nose Annisa broke would be the cheer captain, but despite all of this she makes the squad. Follow Annisa as she tries to survive as a non-blonde cheerleader.
I didn't really know what to expect from this book. It looked good, but a book about a cheerleader, in Florida? It just seemed a bit to perky and like fluff to me. And I was partially right, but that didn't stop me from liking it. Annisa is very perky, but the thing is many of her fellow cheerleaders are not.The team is falling apart, and the typical stereotype of cheerleaders being popular is held, but not the cheerleaders being stupid. Annisa's character shows that it is possible to maintain who you are even when you are being pressured to change. And a plus, there is a bit of romance! I also have new respect for the sport of cheerleading, seeing how hard and dangerous cheerleading can be. The characters were great, I loved Annisa's brother Gabe who has been described as a chameleon because of how often he changes his look. It's not a book you want to read if you're looking for a serious, but if you're looking for a quick and fun read this the perfect book for that. If I were to use a star rating, it would be between 3 3/4 and 4 stars out of 5.

Twilight

Okay, this isn't a normal review, I'm just gonna say that these are great books. If you had talked to me about four months ago I would have told you I would never read Twilight and sequels and when I orginally told my friend I would go see the movie with her it was to get her off my back about watching it. Then, I decided I would read the book if I liked the movie, and then I realized I didn't want to become one of those people who watch a movie to decide whether or not to read the book, so that started my search for a copy of the books. But, I didn't have the money to buy it, no library around me had a copy, and my friends were reading their's, so I started with New Moon, then read Breaking Dawn, then Twilight and finally Eclipse. And if you're wondering how I knew what was going on, I admit I read the book summaries on Wikipedia. So, just to say I still like Harry Potter better, J.K Rowling is a better writer is some ways and I loved the world she created, but I also loved Twilight. So this reccomendation is coming from someone who said she would never read the books and only decided to read them because she promised a friend she would see the movie, then they must be good. So if you are like I was, I would get over yourself and read them. They are not perfect, but they are a great and exciting love story.

This Lullaby

This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen.
Remy, an 18 year old recent high school graduate, was raised by her mother who has had four husbands and is about to marry the fifth. Remy always knows when to break up with a guy, right after the romantic rush and before anything long-term happens. Watching her mother have so many failed relationships, Remy no longer believes in love. Her father abandoned the family while her mom was pregnant with her, and then wrote a song for her the night she was born called "This Lullaby". Then Remy meets Dexter, who is everything she hates, clumsy, messy and a musician. But, for some reason she finds that she can't keep to her usual rules regarding boyfriends. Could Dexter finally be the one to teach her that the love songs may actually be true...

I absolutely loved this book!! The characters are great and seem real, and Dexter and his band are hilarious. I wish the book had gone farther, because I wanted to see what happened. So if and when you read this, be prepared for songs about potatoes and diet cokes that manage to hit people perfectly on the head!

Audrey, Wait!

Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway, is a book that came out a little while ago, but I couldn't force myself to buy it because it was a hardcover. I finally got it this fall and I finished reading it ages ago, but I lent the book out and still have yet to get it back (so, therefore have been unable to do the summary) and then I decided that I should review it anyway. Before I start though, my heart goes out to any people who still have power out from the ice storm (or who just got it back), and hope that you are staying warm (or stayed warm).

Audrey, a pretty typical music loving teen, breaks up with her self-involved boyfriend Evan, who happens to be the lead singer of a band called the Do-Gooders. Upset about the breakup, Evan writes a song called Audrey, Wait! which becomes a hit and skyrockets up the billboard charts, and now everyone wants to know the girl who inspired this hit song. And all Audrey wants is to be able to hang out with her friends and maybe get some peace and quiet with her new crush, which of course is impossible when you are getting mobbed by paparazzi. So follow Audrey as she navigates this fame, and enjoy the book.
So, I gave this book to my friends to read after I read it and loved it. And I got reports back that it was a bit slow moving in the beginning. I hadn't even really noticed, but they were somewhat right. But the beginning is just to getting to know the background, and soon the book picks up and personally, I had trouble putting it down. So I say read it, and just know that the beginning is slow, but the rest is not.

Sloppy Firsts

Sloppy First by Megan Mccafferty is about a hyper-observent teen trying to survive high school without her best friend Hope. Hope has just moved to Tennessee after her brother's overdose when we meet Jessica Darling. Jessica is a track star, with a crush to end all crushes on the senior captain who doesn't even know she's alive. And Scotty, her first boyfriend of 11 days in eighth grade, still likes her, and everyone thinks she should so totally go out with him. And to make things worse, her sister Bethany is getting married, and her mother is in wedding overdrive. As she writes about life, love (or lack there of) and poseurs, you find yourself laughing along with Jessica and feeling her sorrows. This book is extremely funny and a must read for teens. Also check out the rest of the series: Second Helpings, Charming Thirds and Fourth Comings. Perfect Fifths, the final book in the series, is coming out in April.





Hey everyone, sorry it took so long to get this up! More reviews to come I promise!!!!!

Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott

Kate's life is completely ruined. Her dad quit his job to sell infomercial vitamins and her best friend is acting like she is invisible. Then Will enters her life. She has known him for a little while, and she likes him. But Will is notorious for hooking up with girls, and when he starts to show interest in her, Kate protects herself by not taking what he says seriously. Even though they make out daily during her breaks from selling vitamins, she still doesn't believe he genuinely likes her. But Will was the only one who cared that her best friend ditched her and he was the only one who didn't make fun of her dad's job.

This book is absolutely perfect! Kate is a stubborn, bossy 16 year old whose life was ruined by her father. Will is popular, gorgeous, and completely out of Kate's league- at least she thought so. Elizabeth Scott portrays teenage emotions perfectly. Kate's development in the story was there, but not extreme like in many books. When the book ends Kate's life is still a mess, but it is a much smaller mess. Go to your local bookstore or library and get this book now! And for you who like to read on Google Books, it is not up there!

The Assist... Review is Here

So, I know I said to wait till Monday for the review, but I finished the book. Enjoy!

The Assist, by Neil Swidey, follows Charlestown High School basketball coach Jack O'Brien and his players through a three years of their lives. The book focuses on O'Brien, Jason White, or Hood, and Ridely Johnson, though it does follow a few other people. O'Brien is unlike any other coach around. He dedicates himself to the game and to his players. His goal, other than winning, is to help his kids of the streets of Boston, go to college and make a better life for themselves. Unfortunately, his intensity is often misinterpreted, and is disliked among the public. Jason, nicknamed Hood for his appearance, is one of the stars of the Charlestown team. A senior when the book starts, he is co-captain with Ridley. Ridley, known as the nicest kid in school, is extremely talented, but not aggressive enough on the court. The book portrays around three years of their lives, following all the twists and turns of life in the projects.

From scholarships to jail time, this book has it all, happy and sad, it shows how some people are determined to get off the streets, and others just sit around waiting for it to happen. I absolutely loved this book. It shows the terrible conditions these kids live in and how it is almost impossible to rise above it. The story was so powerful, and though I usually do not like non-fiction, it has become one of the best books I have read in a while. For those who don't like non-fiction, it is like no other non-fiction book you will ever read. While it is an extremely true story, the writing style that the author chose made it flow like a fictional story. Not to say it sounded fake, but it kept my attention and interest which many non-fiction books can’t do. I was so impressed by this book and I can only sing its praises.

Ghost of Spirit Bear

I read the book Touching Spirit Bear in English class last year and did not like it. First off I didn't understand it, it dealt with anger and nature, and second there were some parts that were gross, Cole (the main character) ate a mouse and even more disgusting stuff. I'm not going to do a full review because I know many haven't read the first book and I don't want to ruin it. I liked the book, it really helped me understand the first book, I actually liked it better than the first. It is rare that a sequel is better than the first, but this is one of those instances. The Ghost of Spirit Bear comes out June 17 this year! Really, try both books!

First Book Review: Lawn Boy

So, I figured I should get the first review up quickly, so I got a book at the end of lunch, started it in study hall and finished it by the end of study hall. So right now I'm guessing you know it is a short book, which it is, under 100 pages. So it's review time.

Lawn Boy by Gary Paulsen

When a boy turns 12 years old, he recieves a lawn mower for his birthday, a gift from his eccentric grandmother. When a neighbor sees him riding it and mowing his lawn, he gets hired to mow the neighbors lawn. As word starts to get around, he starts to pick up clients, one of them happens to be a stock broker who invests some of the boy's money into stocks. When he has too many clients to handle, he starts to expand and now has a full fledged buisness.

This book, though a short read, is filled with humor and a few good lessons on the stock market. In its 80 something pages it is filled with plot twists, that you don't see coming, and some you do. The characters are great, Arnold, the stock broker stuck in the 70's, the boy's eccentric grandmother, and his parents- very smart, but their jobs don't pay well. The book has a happy ending (of course) and there isn't much more I can say. I reccomend it if you want a quick read, but if you want something long and with a lot of meaning don't pick up the book.