#2 Firegirl by Tony Abbott

Title: Firegirl

Author: Tony Abbott

Series: N/A

Format: Paperback

Release Date: June 6, 2006

Genre(s): YA, Realistic Fiction

Rating:

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Summary

"...there is..." Mrs. Tracy was saying quietly, "there is something we need to know about Jessica..."

From this moment on, life is never quite the same for Tom and his seventh-grade classmates. They learn that Jessica has been in a fire and was badly burned, and will be attending St. Catherine's while getting medical treatments. Despite her horrifying appearance and the fear she evokes in him and most of the class, Tom slowly develops a tentative friendship with Jessica that changes his life.

Review

Plot: Basically it's about this young boy who's perfectly normal for his age. Goes to school, has a crush on the prettiest girl, has a best friend, etc. Then one day this new girl comes into school and shakes everything up because of one detail: she was in a fire. It was to the point where she just barely made it so the burns are pretty bad. No one wants to look at her, much less talk to her. It's really sad actually! After a while he starts to have this small, awkward, almost-friendship with her and that's really all it progresses to. She ends up having to leave and that's that.

Character(s): Tom- He's a pretty simple boy who acts just like any other. The only thing I can say that stands out about him is that he is very defensive of the girl. His best friend starts bad-mouthing her (which I couldn't stand) and he tells him to shut up. In fact they pretty much stop being friends because this guy's such a jerk to the poor girl. 

Cover: I liked the cover so much more after I realized what it was. A little ways into the book they have this prayer circle in the beginning of class and everyone has to hold hands. See, her hands are burned so the boy on the other side of her refuses to hold her hand. But the main character does, even though it's a little scary to him. That's what the cover is and when I realized that I went "oh my gosh, this cover is so great!"

Closing Thoughts: I feel like a bad person giving this book a two. The thing is I LOVED the plot. It was so cute and I really liked the idea. It's just that I felt things weren't very developed. I wasn't very attached to the characters and right before anything really happens she leaves and the book ends. I was a little bored by it (hence it taking so long) and it just... I don't know didn't really do it for me. But I think it's a cute story to read and the book isn't very big at all! So it's worth reading if you just want a quick story. 

Where to find Tony Abbott:

Goodreads

Sweet Daydreams,

Brooke

#1 The Secret of Boys: Hailey Abbott

Title: The Secrets of Boys

Author: Hailey Abbott

Series: N/A

Format: Paperback

Release Date: May 30, 2006

Genre(s): Romance, YA, Fiction

Rating:

---

Summary

Eric: Loves surfing, has killer abs, an even better smile, and a heart of gold.

Joe: A sarcastic goofball who gives great advice, which no one ever takes.

Zach: Sophisticated college boy, wise in the ways of French painting as well as other French things.

A California girl like Cassidy Jones should be out on the beach, not stuck in summer school! But her life heats up when she meets the worldly and romantic Zach – she can't stop thinking about him, even though she already has a boyfriend. Cassidy wishes her pal Joe were around to help her figure out the secrets of boys, but he's hundreds of miles away. Will she be able to ignore her feelings for Zach – or will temptation be too strong to resist?

Review

Plot: Cassidy is a very shy, timid girl working to get into the best school. Her best friend is the craziest, most outgoing girl ever and her boyfriend of two years is practically perfect. After her mom decides she has to go away to summer school instead of working with her friend all summer she starts leading a whole new life. She meets Zach. He’s the TA for her French class and is amazingly gorgeous and charming. When she starts being with him, she learns to be more outgoing and confident. But things get a little… complicated, what with her real boyfriend and all.

Character(s): Cassidy- I have to say at first I related with her. Shy, quiet, girl who cares way too much about her studies. A serious boyfriend who’s just perfect for her. A fashionable, outgoing best friend. All of it seemed relatable. But then she starts making some choices that just bug the heck out of me! She cheats on her boyfriend and doesn’t even officially dump him until way too late and it’s just very annoying to me. After a while she seemed whiny and annoying. Although, I will give her that her best friend is really not a good friend and it made me really happy when she finally stood up for herself.

Cover: I liked the cover and I didn’t. I liked it because the couple on the cover didn’t seem like the usual “picture perfect” book cover models. In fact it just looked like a normal couple someone just snapped a picture of. However, I did feel like I needed to hide the cover from the people around me. Two people in their underwear? I felt like I needed to assure everyone I wasn’t reading a dirty book!

Closing Thoughts: I only gave this a two because I think I’m more strict about books than I used to be. It was a good read! I read it in only about a day. But it just wasn’t amazing. The characters bugged me and really the only character I liked was Joe. I liked Eric too, but he got dumped so I didn’t really get stuck on him. It was realistic though which was nice. She learned valuable lessons I think a lot of girls should learn from. So it’s a good read, just nothing amazing.  

Where to find Hailey Abbott:

Goodreads

Sweet Daydreams,

Brooke

Book Releases August 18-24

Here are this week's releases: 

 

August 20

In 1920s Manhattan, Magnus Bane hobnobs with the elite at a glamorous Jazz Age hotspot.

The immortal Magnus Bane is making the most of his time in the Roaring Twenties: He's settled into New York society and is thriving among the fashionable jazz set. And there is nowhere better to see and be seen than the glamorous Hotel Dumort, a glittering new addition to the Manhattan landscape. But a different type of glamour may be at play... Source

Sometimes you have to break the rules to discover the truth.

In this follow up to Legacy of Tril: Soulbound, Kaya has learned that she is Soulbound to Darius, the Barron she secretly trained with at Shadow Academy. But he’s been sent away, leaving Kaya with questions about how he could be Soulbound to her and another Healer. Determined to find answers and prove herself worthy of fighting in the war against King Darrek and the Graplars, Kaya sneaks away, encountering a mysterious Barron named Gage in her travels. But Darius has shocking information about Gage—information that changes everything Kaya thought she knew about what it means to be Bound. Source

 

Asylum is a thrilling and creepy photo-novel perfect for fans of the New York Times bestseller Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.

For sixteen-year-old Dan Crawford, New Hampshire College Prep is more than a summer program—it's a lifeline. An outcast at his high school, Dan is excited to finally make some friends in his last summer before college. But when he arrives at the program, Dan learns that his dorm for the summer used to be a sanatorium, more commonly known as an asylum. And not just any asylum—a last resort for the criminally insane.

As Dan and his new friends, Abby and Jordan, explore the hidden recesses of their creepy summer home, they soon discover it's no coincidence that the three of them ended up here. Because the asylum holds the key to a terrifying past. And there are some secrets that refuse to stay buried.

Featuring found photos of unsettling history and real abandoned asylums and filled with chilling mystery and page-turning suspense, Madeleine Roux's teen debut, Asylum, is a horror story that treads the line between genius and insanity. Source

 

When life hands you lemons, sometimes you have to say screw the lemons and bail.

Seventeen-year-old Bentley Evans had it all. Then her Dad got laid off.

Now she has to move across town to a small apartment and leave her life of luxury for public school and a job at the local burger place. Just when her world seems like it's crumbling she finds solace in the unlikely punk boy next door, Kai Stone. But as their relationship blossoms, a jealous ex-girlfriend and a secret to tell that threatens to bring disaster back into Bentley’s life. Source

While coping with middle school drama and costuming a teen production of Fiddler on the Roof, fourteen-year-old Jenna falls for Luke, an angel, and joins him in battle against demonic foe Adam, who wants Jenna's ancient pendant. Source

 

It is the year 2059. Several major world cities are under the control of a security force called Scion. Paige Mahoney works in the criminal underworld of Scion London, part of a secret cell known as the Seven Seals. The work she does is unusual: scouting for information by breaking into others’ minds. Paige is a dreamwalker, a rare kind of clairvoyant, and in this world, the voyants commit treason simply by breathing.

But when Paige is captured and arrested, she encounters a power more sinister even than Scion. The voyant prison is a separate city—Oxford, erased from the map two centuries ago and now controlled by a powerful, otherworldly race. These creatures, the Rephaim, value the voyants highly—as soldiers in their army.

Paige is assigned to a Rephaite keeper, Warden, who will be in charge of her care and training. He is her master. Her natural enemy. But if she wants to regain her freedom, Paige will have to learn something of his mind and his own mysterious motives. Source

Sara Jane Rispoli is still searching for her missing family, but instead of fighting off a turncoat uncle and crooked cops, this time she finds herself on the run from creepy beings with red, pulsing eyes and pale white skin chasing her through the streets in ice cream trucks; they can only be described as Ice Cream Creatures. They're terrifying and hell bent on killing her, but they're also a link to her family, a clue to where they might be and who has them. While she battles these new pursuers, she's also discovering more about her own cold fury and more about the Chicago Outfit, how the past misdeeds--old murders and vendettas--might just be connected to her present and the disappearance of her family. But connecting the dots is tough and time-consuming and may finally be the undoing of her relationship with the handsome Max--who's now her boyfriend. But for his own safety, Sara Jane may have to end this relationship before it even really starts. Her pursuers who've shown her her mother's amputated finger and the head of the Chicago Outfit who's just whistled her in for a sit-down make a romance unthinkable. The only thing that matters is finding her family and keeping everyone she loves alive. Source

August 20

Sherry’s dad is infected with the rabies mutation and his only chance at survival lies beyond the deadly fence separating the country: the antidote produced in the labs on the other side. And Sherry isn’t the only one who hopes to save a loved one; Joshua wants nothing more than to have his sister back, but after years as a Weeper she might already be beyond saving. Together with Tyler and Rachel, they set out on what might very well be a suicide mission.

Soon they realize that life beyond the fence is nothing like they had hoped it would be.

As they struggle to survive against brutal military forces, their strength won't be the only thing put to test. Can love survive in a hopeless world? Source





Sweet Daydreams,
Brooke

 

Possession by Elana Johnson

Title: Possession

Author: Elana Johnson

Series: Possession #1

Format: Paperback

Release Date: June 7, 2011

Genre(s): YA, Science Fiction, Romance

Rating:

---

Summary

Vi knows the Rule: Girls don't walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn...and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi's future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.

But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they're set on convincing Vi to become one of them...starting by brainwashing Zenn. Vi can't leave Zenn in the Thinkers' hands, but she's wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous--everything Zenn's not. Vi can't quite trust Jag and can't quite resist him, but she also can't give up on Zenn.

This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

---

Review

Plot: One thing about this book: there is A TON of plot. Like this could have been at least two books. And the book isn't really all that long. But it goes on forever! It's the common plot line of that of Hunger Games. It takes place in the future where there is no physical contact. The government is extremely controlling and brainwashes everyone into doing or believing what they deem right. But Vi has stopped listening to their brainwashing and is turning into a "baddie." She finds herself in jail after only a small crime and now they're punishing her to the highest degree. So she runs away with her new cell mate, Jag. I can't even begin to tell you the whole plot because so much plot happens I can't even keep my mind straight. To be honest, it was a mess.

Character(s): Vi- Vi (or Violet) is actually a very good heroine. She's a headstrong girl who won't put up with anything. She struggles with which side to be on throughout the whole book but it's not in an annoying way. She makes great points.
Jag- Okay, everyone loves him... I hate him. I mean, he has his good points but honestly he bugs me! I can never tell if he's lying or tricking her and I never feel like he cares about her that much. I know he does, but it's not shown very well.
Zenn- In contrast, everyone hates Zenn. I have to admit that by the end I don't like him very much but one thing is or sure: he loves Vi! At least he shows it, unlike Jag. It's not his fault he's brainwashed.

Cover: I liked the covers, however. I thought it matched the whole theme of the book nicely. It drew me in enough to give it a chance.

Closing Thoughts: Unfortunately, I'm going to give this book a one. It was a very good idea and an interesting plot, but I COULD NOT STAND the writing. It was terrible. She was all over the place and most of the time the book didn't even make sense. She was horrible at creating tension (at one point I was like... did they just get captured? I didn't even know the bad guys were there. What's going on? I'm so confused). Actually that was most of the time. I just hated the way she explained things and wrote and if it wasn't for my friend forcing me to read this, I would have put it down half way. I didn't even care enough to keep reading. She wants me to read the second one, but even she says it's worse and I don't think I'll be able to. So, honestly, I would not recommend this to anyone. It just frustrated me.

Where to find (author's name):

Website l Twitter l Goodreads l

Sweet Daydreams,

Brooke

Weekly Book Releases: April 1-6

If He Had Been With Me by Laura Nowlin
Release Date: April 1, 2013

If he had been with me, he wouldn't have died.

Throughout their whole childhood, Finn and Autumn were inseparable—they finished each other's sentences, they knew just what to say when the other person was hurting. But one incident in middle school puts them in separate social worlds come high school, and Autumn has been happily dating James for the last 2 years. But she's always wondered what if...

The night she's about to get the answer is also one of terrible tragedy.

Where to find more info:Website l Twitter l Goodreads 
 

Zombies Don't Forgive (Living Dead Love Story #2) by Rusty Fischer
Release Date: April 1, 2013

Following Barracuda Bay’s homecoming cum zombie Armageddon, fellow zombies Maddy, Dane, and Stamp have fled to Orlando where they work at a theme park, hiding in plain sight at their jobs in the Great Movie Monster Makeover show. The three spend most of their time together in their apartment trying to avoid curious Normals and Sentinels—humans and zombie cops. While Dane and Maddy draw closer, Stamp drifts away, falling for a mysterious blonde. But when the mysterious girl puts their existence in danger, all Maddy cares about is hunting the blonde down to separate her from her head.

Where to find more info:Website l Facebook l Twitter l Goodreads 

This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith
Release Date: April 2, 2013

If fate sent you an email, would you answer?

When teenage movie star Graham Larkin accidentally sends small town girl Ellie O'Neill an email about his pet pig, the two seventeen-year-olds strike up a witty and unforgettable correspondence, discussing everything under the sun, except for their names or backgrounds.

Then Graham finds out that Ellie's Maine hometown is the perfect location for his latest film, and he decides to take their relationship from online to in-person. But can a star as famous as Graham really start a relationship with an ordinary girl like Ellie? And why does Ellie want to avoid the media's spotlight at all costs?

Where to find more info:Website l Twitter l Goodreads 

The Rising (Darkness Rising #3) by Kelley Armstrong (Ah! SO excited!)
Release Date: April 2, 2013 
Things are getting desperate for Maya and her friends. Hunted by the powerful St. Clouds and now a rival Cabal as well, they're quickly running out of places to hide. And with the whole world thinking they died in a helicopter crash, it's not like they can just go to the authorities for help.

All they have is the name and number of someone who might be able to give them a few answers. Answers to why they're so valuable, and why their supernatural powers are getting more and more out of control.

But Maya is unprepared for the truths that await her. And now, like it or not, she'll have to face down some demons from her past if she ever hopes to move on with her life. Because Maya can't keep running forever.

Old secrets are revealed and unexpected characters make a surprising return in this stunning conclusion to Kelley Armstrong's New York Times bestselling Darkness Rising trilogy.

Where to find more info:Website l Facebook l Twitter l Goodreads 

Dark Triumph (His Fair Assassin #2) by Robin LaFevers
Release Date: April 2, 2013

Sybella arrives at the convent’s doorstep half mad with grief and despair. Those that serve Death are only too happy to offer her refuge—but at a price. Naturally skilled in both the arts of death and seduction, the convent views Sybella as one of their most dangerous weapons.

But those assassin’s skills are little comfort when the convent returns her to a life that nearly drove her mad. Her father’s rage and brutality are terrifying, and her brother’s love is equally monstrous. And while Sybella is a weapon of justice wrought by the god of Death himself, He must give her a reason to live. When she discovers an unexpected ally imprisoned in the dungeons, will a daughter of Death find something other than vengeance to live for?

This heart-pounding sequel to Grave Mercy serves betrayal, treachery, and danger in equal measure, bringing readers back to fifteenth century Brittany and will keep them on the edge of their seats.
 
Where to find more info:Website l Facebook l Twitter l Goodreads 

Vengeance Bound by Justina Ireland
Release Date: March 26, 2013

The Goddess Test meets Dexter in an edgy, compelling debut about one teen’s quest for revenge… no matter how far it takes her.

Cory Graff is not alone in her head. Bound to a deal of desperation made when she was a child, Cory’s mind houses the Furies—the hawk and the serpent—lingering always, waiting for her to satisfy their bloodlust. After escaping the asylum where she was trapped for years, Cory knows how to keep the Furies quiet. By day, she lives a normal life, but by night, she tracks down targets the Furies send her way. And she brings down Justice upon them.

Cory’s perfected her system of survival, but when she meets a mysterious boy named Niko at her new school, she can’t figure out how she feels about him. For the first time, the Furies are quiet in her head around a guy. But does this mean that Cory’s finally found someone who she can trust, or are there greater factors at work? As Cory’s mind becomes a battlefield, with the Furies fighting for control, Cory will have to put everything on the line to hold on to what she’s worked so hard to build.

Where to find more info:Website l Twitter l Goodreads 

My Life After Now by Jessica Verdi
Release Date: April 2, 2013 
Lucy just had the worst week ever. Seriously, mega bad. And suddenly, it's all too much—she wants out. Out of her house, out of her head, out of her life. She wants to be a whole new Lucy. So she does something the old Lucy would never dream of.

And now her life will never be the same. Now, how will she be able to have a boyfriend? What will she tell her friends? How will she face her family?

Now her life is completely different...every moment is a gift. Because now she might not have many moments left.

Where to find more info:Website l Facebook l Twitter l Goodreads 

Stung by Bethany Wiggins
Release Date: April 2, 2013

There is no cure for being stung.

Fiona doesn’t remember going to sleep. But when she opens her eyes, she discovers her entire world has been altered—her house is abandoned and broken, and the entire neighborhood is barren and dead. Even stranger is the tattoo on her right hand—a black oval with five marks on either side—that she doesn’t remember getting but somehow knows she must cover at any cost. She’s right.

Those bearing the tattoo have turned into mindless, violent beasts that roam the streets and sewers, preying upon the unbranded while a select few live protected inside a fortress-like wall, their lives devoted to rebuilding society and killing all who bear the mark.

Now Fiona has awakened branded, alone—and on the wrong side of the wall.

Where to find more info:Website l Goodreads 

In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters
Release Date: April 2, 2013

In 1918, the world seems on the verge of apocalypse. Americans roam the streets in gauze masks to ward off the deadly Spanish influenza, and the government ships young men to the front lines of a brutal war, creating an atmosphere of fear and confusion. Sixteen-year-old Mary Shelley Black watches as desperate mourners flock to séances and spirit photographers for comfort, but she herself has never believed in ghosts. During her bleakest moment, however, she’s forced to rethink her entire way of looking at life and death, for her first love—a boy who died in battle—returns in spirit form. But what does he want from her?

Featuring haunting archival early-twentieth-century photographs, this is a tense, romantic story set in a past that is eerily like our own time.

Where to find more info:Website l Facebook l Twitter l Goodreads 

Rise (Eve #3) by Anna Carey
Release Date: April 2, 2013

How far will you go when you have nothing left to lose?

When she lost her soul mate, Caleb, Eve felt like her world had ended. Trapped in the palace, forced to play the part of the happy, patriotic princess of The New America—and the blushing bride of her father's top adviser—Eve's whole life is a lie. The only thing that keeps her going is Caleb's memory, and the revolution he started.

Now, Eve is taking over where Caleb left off. With the help of Moss, an undercover subversive in the King's court, she plots to take down The New America, beginning with the capital, the City of Sand. Will Eve be able to bring about a new, free world when she's called upon to perform the ultimate act of rebellion—killing her father?

In Rise, Eve must choose who to leave behind, who to save, and who to fight as Anna Carey's epic tale of romance and sacrifice in the chilling dystopia of The New America comes to a stunning conclusion.

Where to find more info:Website l Facebook l Twitter l Goodreads 

Naturals (The Lost Souls #2) by Tiffany Truitt
Release Date: April 2, 2013

Tess is finally safe from the reach of the Council, now that she is living in the Middlelands with the rebel Isolationists. With James having returned to Templeton, she easily falls back into her friendship with Henry, though her newfound knowledge of Robert’s chosen one status still stings. Even surrounded by people, Tess has never felt more alone. So she’s thrilled when James returns to the settlement, demanding to see Tess — until she finds out that it’s because her sister, Louisa, has been recruited into Tess’s old position at Templeton, and that the dangerously sadistic chosen one George has taken an interest in her.

Where to find more info:Website l Facebook l Twitter l Goodreads 

The Collector by Victoria Scott
Release Date: April 2, 2013

He makes good girls...bad.

Dante Walker is flippin’ awesome, and he knows it. His good looks, killer charm, and stellar confidence have made him one of hell’s best—a soul collector. His job is simple: weed through humanity and label those round rears with a big red good or bad stamp. Old Saint Nick gets the good guys, and he gets the fun ones. Bag-and-tag.

Sealing souls is nothing personal. Dante’s an equal-opportunity collector and doesn't want it any other way. But he’ll have to adjust, because Boss Man has given him a new assignment:

Collect Charlie Cooper’s soul within ten days.

Dante doesn't know why Boss Man wants Charlie, nor does he care. This assignment means only one thing to him, and that’s a permanent ticket out of hell. But after Dante meets the quirky Nerd Alert chick he’s come to collect, he realizes this assignment will test his abilities as a collector…and uncover emotions deeply buried.

Where to find more info:Website l Facebook l Twitter l Goodreads 

Light (Gone #6) by Michael Grant
Release Date: April 2, 2013

It's been over a year since all the adults disappeared. Gone.

In the time since everyperson over the age of fourteen disap-peared from the town of Perdido Beach, California, countless battles have been fought: battles against hunger and lies and plague, and epic battles of good against evil. And now, the gaiaphage has been reborn as Diana's malicious mutant daughter, Gaia. Gaia is endlessly hungry for destruction. She yearns to conquer her Nemesis, Little Pete, and then bend the entire world to her warped will. As long-standing enemies become allies, secrets are revealed and unexpected sacrifices are made. Will their attempts to save themselves and one another matter in the end, or will the kids of Perdido Beach perish in this final power struggle?

Light, the sixth and final book in the New York Times bestselling Gone series by Michael Grant, creates a masterful, arresting conclusion to life in the FAYZ.
 
Where to find more info:Website l Facebook l Twitter l Goodreads 

Sacrifices (Shadow Grail #3) by Mercedes Lackey and Rosemary Edghill
Release Date: April 2, 2013

The third book in the Shadow Grail series by the New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors Mercedes Lackey and Rosemary Edghill

The students of Oakhurst Academy believe they have triumphed over the Shadow Knights. But Spirit, Burke, Muirin, Loch, and Addie know better. Under the guise of a company called Breakthrough Adventure Systems, the Shadow Knights have actually taken over the campus. The new regime is brutal, designed to turn the students into soldiers wielding both weapons and magic. Anyone who protests disappears.

Desperate, the group decides that Muirin should go undercover to spy on Breakthrough. But Muirin’s act is a little too good, and Spirit begins to fear that her friend’s loyalties might have truly changed. Surrounded by enemies and friends who suddenly seem like strangers, Spirit has decide who can—and cannot—be trusted.

Where to find more info: Goodreads Nameless by Lili St. Crow
Release Date: April 4, 2013

When Camille was six years old, she was discovered alone in the snow by Enrico Vultusino, godfather of the Seven—the powerful Families that rule magic-ridden New Haven. Papa Vultusino adopted the mute, scarred child, naming her after his dead wife and raising her in luxury on Haven Hill alongside his own son, Nico.

Now Cami is turning sixteen. She’s no longer mute, though she keeps her faded scars hidden under her school uniform, and though she opens up only to her two best friends, Ruby and Ellie, and to Nico, who has become more than a brother to her. But even though Cami is a pampered Vultusino heiress, she knows that she is not really Family. Unlike them, she is a mortal with a past that lies buried in trauma. And it’s not until she meets the mysterious Tor, who reveals scars of his own, that Cami begins to uncover the secrets of her birth…to find out where she comes from and why her past is threatening her now.

New York Times bestselling author Lili St. Crow thrilled legions of fans with her dark paranormal series Strange Angels. Now she has crafted an evocative update of Snow White, set in a vividly imagined world and populated by unforgettable new characters.

Where to find more info:Website l Facebook l Twitter l Goodreads

Sweet Daydreams,
Brooke