You Wish by Mandy Hubbard

Synopsis:

Kayla McHenry’s sweet sixteen sucks! Her dad left, her grades dropped, and her BFF is dating the boy 

Kayla’s secretly loved for years. Blowing out her candles, Kayla thinks: I wish my birthday wishes actually 

came true. Because they never freakin’ do. 

Kayla wakes the next day to a life-sized, bright pink  My Little Pony outside her window. Then a year’s 

supply of gumballs arrives. A boy named Ken with a disturbing resemblance to the doll of the same 

name stalks her. As the ghosts of Kayla’s wishes-past appear, they take her on a wild ride . . . but they 

MUST STOP. Because when she was fifteen? She wished Ben Mackenzie would kiss her. And Ben is 

her best friend’s boyfriend

Review:

When I got this book, I was so excited to read it. I was ready for a light read. However, I was a little disappointed with this read. I'll say now that I seem to be in the minority for this read. I'll admit it is a fun read, but it was a bit too fantastical for me. 

I will say that I did appreciate Kayla. Going through all of her wishes in only a matter of days, she had to develop rather quickly. It made it really easy for me to understand her. She also had a likable spunk, which worked well in the book. 

There were also surprisingly deeper elements in the book, such as Kayla's relationship with her father. With the majority of the other elements being lighter, it put me a little at odds with the deeper moments. While I appreciated them, they almost felt like interruptions. I know life's not roses and Kayla is particularly unhappy with hers, in this otherwise light novel that was a bit out there, the deeper moments didn't fit to me. 

Overall the novel was funny and an easy read. For some reason I can't put my finger on, it just didn't sit well with me. Don't get me wrong, it had its moments. It just wasn't for me. Again, I'm in the minority with this.

Ratings:

Plot: B

Truly original. Very easy to get into. The elements just didn't mix well with me.

Characters: B

As there should be, there was a lot of emphasis on Kayla. However it left little time to get into the other characters.

Cover: C

Cute, but it doesn't really match the book. For one, the pony is bright pink. Also, there was a lot more emphasis on the cake rather than the cupcake.

Length:B

Though it was an easy read, I felt like there were moments where things were drawn out. I feel like a resolution could have been reached quicker. 

A book where all your wishes come true at all the wrong moments, I give You Wish

Three Stars!

The Karma Club by Jessica Brody

Synopsis:

"Personally, I’m tired of waiting for the universe to get off its butt and start fixing stuff. I don’t want to wait around for Mason to get what’s coming to him. Or Heather Campbell, for that matter . . . I want to be there to see it happen."
Madison Kasparkova always thought she understood how Karma works. It’s that mysterious, powerful force that brings harmony to the universe. You know—do good things and you will be rewarded, do something bad and Karma will make sure you get what’s coming to you. A sort of cosmic balancing act.
But when Mason Brooks, Maddy’s boyfriend of two years, gets caught tongue-wrestling with Miss Perfect Body Heather Campbell, and absolutely nothing happens to either of them—except that they wind up the hot new couple of Colonial High School, it seems like Karma has officially left Maddy in the lurch. That’s why Maddy and her best friends, Angie and Jade, decide to start the Karma Club—a secret, members-only organization whose sole purpose is to clean up the messes that the universe has been leaving behind. Whether they’re modifying Heather Campbell’s acne cream as part of “Operation Butterface,” or righting a few wrongs when it comes to Angie and Jade’s own slimy exes, they know they’re just doing what Karma should have done in the first place. They’re taking care of one another.
Sometimes, though, it isn’t wise to meddle with the universe. Because it turns out, when you mess with Karma, Karma messes back. Now Maddy must find a way to balance her life for good, even as everything around her seems to be toppling to the ground

Review:

I was incredibly excited to get my hands on this book. It sounded original with a main character who sounded like they could take action. While I found both those things to be true, I was a little disappointed with the novel as a whole. 

Maddy was a fairly likable character. However, I found her to be a little too eager to be popular. At times she seemed somewhat obsessed Heather Campbell and her popular crew. While I'll admit this eagerness was demonstrated more so in the beginning of the novel, it was still off-putting to me since after reading the synopsis I had already envisioned her stronger than that. I was hoping for her strength again in the all too soon breakup with Mason, however I think I was hoping for this because I hadn't had enough time to truly understand their relationship. Maddy's infatuation with Mason was apparent off the bat, but I hadn't seen that from Mason yet.

The club itself was a unique idea, but a part of me found some of the revenge tactics a little too vindictive. I understood that their targets had indeed done them wrong and weren't the sweetest of people, however it was a bit too much for me. Their actions had the possibility of major repercussions, and that didn't sit well with me. 

My ratings:

Plot: B

Easy to get into, a little rushed towards the end

Characters: C

I little frustrating. It was hard to click with the characters.

Cover: A

Really cute. Love that the notebook is on the cover.

Length: B

Things seemed a little rushed at some points and slow at others,  but unfortunately at the wrong moments for me. (Ex. Mason & Maddy's relationship

A novel where everything happens for a reason (but not by itself), I give The Karma Club:

Three Stars!

The Espressologist by Kristina Springer

Summary:

What’s your drink of choice? Is it a small pumpkin spice latte? Then you’re lots of fun and a bit sassy. Or a medium americano? You prefer simplicity in life. Or perhaps it’s a small decaf soy sugar-free hazelnut caffe latte? Some might call you a yuppie. 

Seventeen-year-old barista Jane Turner has this theory that you can tell a lot about a person by their regular coffee drink. She scribbles it all down in a notebook and calls it Espressology. So it’s not a totally crazy idea when Jane starts hooking up some of her friends based on their coffee orders. Like her best friend, Em, a medium hot chocolate, and Cam, a toffee nut latte. But when her boss, Derek, gets wind of Jane’s Espressology, he makes it an in-store holiday promotion, promising customers their perfect matches for the price of their favorite coffee.
Things are going better than Derek could ever have hoped, so why is Jane so freaked out? Does it have anything to do with Em dating Cam? She’s the one who set them up! She should be happy for them, right? With overtones of Jane Austen’s Emmaand brimming with humor and heart, this sweet, frothy debut will be savored by readers.
My Review:

As soon as I saw the cover for The Espressologist, I knew I had to read it. Plus, I was really impressed with the plot's originality. Thankfully, I was not let down. The Espressologist was definitely a good read.  Jane, the main character, is completely likable and relatable, though somewhat clueless at moments While it is a short novel,  Jane still grows exponentially, which I appreciate. Plus, the humor in the novel is fantastic.

One thing that got to me though was the length. The Espressologist is a short 184 pages. While, yes, by the end of the novel all bases were covered, I could definitely see where things could have been fleshed out. I would have definitely liked to have learned more about Cam, for instance, or maybe what made Jane interested in fashion. I just hated that there were these build-ups missing that would have made the novel all the better. While it was definitely a cute and enjoyable read, at the end, I felt there were things that were missing.

My Ratings:

Plot: A

Definitely cute and original.

Characters:B

While they're completely likeable, I just wanted to know more about them

Cover Art: A
Very Cute. Definitely would make you stop at the bookstore 

Length: D

It could have definitely been way longer. The shortness made things more obvious :( 
I definitely see this novel as a good winter holiday read.
A quick read with great humor, I give The Espressologist:


Three Stars!

Band Geeked Out by Josie Bloss

Summary:

Senior year is here, and trumpet goddess Ellie Snow is facing her toughest decision yet. When she gets accepted to an all-girls college out east (which doesn’t have a marching band), Ellie’s lock-step life and future plans are thrown totally out of sync. Confusion abounds when she visits the beautiful campus and meets Alex, a girl who’s free and fun—and completely unlike anyone she’s ever known.
Will Ellie trade the familiar safety of home and her cute sophomore boyfriend, Connor, for the cool newness of . . . something else?

Review:

Given how much I enjoyed Band Geek Love, I was really happy to read Band Geeked Out. Unfortunately the sequel did not live up to my expectations. I think the main reason for so is that despite all Ellie had gone through in the last novel, the changes she made were not for the better. I think one of the main themes in the last novel was learning to listen to yourself and not being so concerned with everyone else thought. However, Ellie is still as concerned with what everyone thinks as before. This time, it's at one of the worst possible times: making a college decision. 

While the writing was great, and I was easily sucked in, my patience with Ellie drew thin. While she was less dramatic, I kept waiting for her to start listening to herself. Even when she was visiting Covington- and actually liking it- she concerned herself with trying to impress Alex. 

I think what really got me was how much Ellie cut herself short because she was so concerned with what others thought. Here she was at a crossroad in her life, and she couldn't admit to herself what she wanted. While she does come to her senses at the end, it was not without the influence of others. While hearing what other people think is important, Ellie let her effect her to an extreme and that really got under my skin.  All in all, Ellie did learn a lesson, but in my opinion not the lesson I had hoped for.

My Ratings:

Plot: B

Easy to get into. Good basis for a storyline- I just didn't like how it played out.

Characters: C

While Ellie was irksome, there is some growth in her supporting characters. 

Cover Art: A

Reminiscent of Band Geek Love. Plus it covers Ellie's eyes, which lets you decide what Ellie looks like.

Length:A

Shows Ellie's full journey, with no fillers. Perfect length. 

An interesting sequel, I give this novel: 

Three Stars

Band Geeked Out is out now!

A Field Guide for Heartbreakers by Kristen Tracy

Summary:

When best friends Dessy and Veronica arrive in Prague for a prestigious writing workshop, their priorities diverge. Dessy, fragile from a recent breakup, has come to mend her broken heart by honing her craft. Veronica has just dumped her boyfriend and plans to blow off the workshop. She’d rather master a different subject—boys. Veronica gets right to work on her “man-wall”— one paper cutout for every hot-dude she meets— and embarks on her mission to cover a wall of their dorm by summer’s end. At times, Dessy thinks her friend might be a genius. At others, Veronica seems more like an agent of chaos. As if their love lives weren’t complicated enough, soon a homicidal suitemate is bent on killing Veronica and Dessy, and both girls are hiding secrets that could wreck their friendship. Well, no one ever said breaking hearts was a simple craft. . . .

Review:

When reading the summary of this novel, I became really interested in it. It seemed like a great summer read and really original I will admit while it is that, I was somewhat disappointed in the novel as a whole. While Tracy did present an interesting plot, there was just something missing within the characters. I couldn't connect- even with the Veronica and her "man-wall" (which wasn't played out as much as I had expected), I just couldn't get into it. Maybe it was because there wasn't enough background info. Plus, Veronica seemed to always be 20 levels above everyone else in the drama department, which made her somewhat unenjoyable. Unfortunately, I felt because of this, Dessy's natural behavior was inhibited, due to her having to handle and react from Veronica's action. As a whole, this novel was about Dessy finding herself, but one of the main reasons why she having trouble doing so is that she so attached to Veronica, she couldn't be herself. 

Aside from the main characters, the plot as a whole just didn't live up to my expectations. A summer in Prague seemed really fascinating, but unfortunately there were only a few highlights from me, and most of these were found at the end of the novel.  I think what I didn't enjoy with this novel wast that  it seemed to be told from the view of the  sidekick friend, but  the majority of what she had to say was centered around her best friend, not herself.- a sidekick telling a sidekick's story. There was just so much more to Dessy, I'm sure, but even when she's the center of attention, Veronica's still stealing the show. Unfortunate.

My Ratings:

Plot: B

It was really original, however, parts that didn't seem so important were drawn out, while parts that seemed important were cut short. 

Characters: C

As I said, I saw the potential in Dessy, as well as supporting characters such as Roger and Waller (two student on the trip). However,  the eclipse that was Veronica, really overshadowed everyone, and  not in a good way. 

Cover Art: B

Really cute and sweet. Doesn't really match the storyline though.

Length: C

Seemed too long for the storyline. There seemed to be a lot of fillers, which really drug things out.

A unique storyline, I give this novel:

Three Stars.

Pick up A Field Guide for Heartbreakers out June 1st!

Things I Know About Love by Kate Le Vann

Summary:

 So this is really my first proper blog, but I don't want to do just a straight diary. I need to have a purpose, and this one's about love. Love, my loves, and why, no matter what the world spits at me, I will always chase after that one supreme emotion...because when you feel it, it makes all other things seem a little 'yeah, yeah - and?'. 

Livia is starting a new chapter in her life. She has been ill with leukaemia for most of her teen years and, as she heads out to America to visit her brother Jeff, she plans on making up for lost time. She's had a lot of time to think about love - but her observations, theories, previous crushes and boyfriends all pale in comparison to what she finds in New York...

My Review:

Following the trend of summer beach reads comes Things I Know About Love. Unfortunately, as I delved into the novel I began to realize that this was not my favorite type of beach read. The novel is told through blog posts, which I loved- a small step outside the box. However, I feel like this may not have been the best approach for this novel. In a regular blog, when you sit down to post, you don't usually write every detail; you focus on the important parts and give details/ background info as needed. I can't get over feel ing like this is what happened with the posts in this novel. Don't get me wrong, there was sufficient detail, but -for me- there wasn't enough. I couldn't connect with this novel. Things were just going so fast and everything felt abbreviated. I was missing the emotion. I didn't catch the emotions from the smaller things, like the stolen glances or the small everyday moments of embarrassment. Even with something as significant as Livia's leukemia, I just couldn't... connect. I wish I could say more, but given the brevity of the novel (only 160 pages!), I feel like saying more would say too much. 

My ratings:

Plot: B

Somewhat original, however its length captivated me more than the story line. Getting so far into the story after 30 short pages, it would have been a waste to take a break.

Characters: C

Livia seemed like a great character, as did the rest of the characters, for that matter. Unfortunately since it's written through blog posts and it is quite short, the characters didn't get as deep as they really could have given their circumstances

Cover Art: B

Very nice cover. I loved that you can't see Livia's face; it left more to the imagination. It's pretty simplistic as well, which matches the length of the novel.

Length: D

If you haven't caught on to it yet, I can't get over this novel's length! I don't mind short summer novels- I think they help to emphasize the quickness of summer, and how the days all blend together (can you tell I'm on summer vacation already? :) ), but this was just too short. I feel like the length stifled this novel in so many ways; from the characters to the plot to even the ending. I would even go so far as to say that the blog posting style would have worked better if it had been longer. The shortness really didn't do anything for me for this novel *sigh*.

I felt the potential in this novel, but the shortness killed it for me :(. Unfortunately, I have to give it: 

Three stars

For a quick, bitersweet novel, pick up Things I Know About Love on June 22

L.A Candy by Lauren Conrad

Synopsis (many thanks, Amazon):

Los Angeles is all about the sweet life: hot clubs, cute guys, designer . . . everything. Nineteen-year-old Jane Roberts can't wait to start living it up. She may be in L.A. for an internship, but Jane plans to play as hard as she works, and has enlisted her BFF Scarlett to join in the fun.

When Jane and Scarlett are approached by a producer who wants them to be on his new series, a "reality version of Sex and the City," they can hardly believe their luck. Their own show? Yes, please!

Soon Jane is TV's hottest star. Fame brings more than she ever imagined possible for a girl from Santa Barbara—free designer clothes, the choicest tables at the most exclusive clubs, invites to Hollywood premieres—and she's lapping up the VIP treatment with her eclectic entourage of new pals. But those same friends who are always up for a wild night are also out for a piece of Jane's spotlight.

In a city filled with people chasing after their dreams, it's not long before Jane wakes up to the reality that everyone wants something from her, and nothing is what it seems to be.

My Review:

I'll be honest. I was a little wary to read this book. I'm not the biggest fan of reading books by celebrities- being a star doesn't mean you can write a great book. However, I'll admit I was pleasantly surprised with L.A Candy. While I do wish the novel went a little deeper than it did (the details were there- just in the wrong places), there was a good plot. I definitely consider this book a light read- I wouldn't consider myself engrossed in the novel enough to call it anything more. I will say, though, that this book could have gone deeper. There were definite relationship issues that were mentioned, but the details didn't go far- perhaps that's why there's a sequel. In all honesty I kind of felt like I was reading a behind-the-scenes novel version of The Hills. Being the tv-addict that I am, I didn't really mind that. I watched The Hills somewhat regularly in the past, so it was kind of fun trying to figure who the characters were based upon, and it also made me look at the show a little differently. 

While this novel isn't what I would call a breakthrough, it is a nice, light, read that- if made into a series- I think could make a lot of fans. Given its potential and its bright spots, I feel comfortable with giving this novel:

Three Stars

You, Maybe: The Profound Asymmetry of Love in High School by Rachel Vail

You, Maybe: The Profound Asymmetry of Love in High School

by Rachel Vail

The Gist (courtesy of Amazon):

Josie is independent and fierce. She may flirt with boys or kiss them, but it doesn't mean anything, not even with Michael, who's more like a friend-with-benefits. So how can she explain what happens when Carson Gold goes after her? Carson Gold, the hottest senior, the one everyone secretly watches. . . .

Maybe it's the same thing that causes all the girls to stare as he walks by. Or maybe it's something between them, something just he and Josie share.

Could you resist?

It's too much, when love finds you and pulls you under. It's too much, even for Josie.

My Rating:

Three Stars

Being a fan of Vail's middle-grade novel, Wonder, I was excited to read a young adult novel by hers. However, this book was touch and go with me. I think this had to do with- for the most part-  the main character, Josie. She was consistently inconsistent. When she claimed not to be into Golden Boy Carson, she was quick to make out with him, blaming it on her "nympho personality". This was just one of the many instances in which she was in denial about her true feelings. I've read plenty of novel in which the main character may have been in denial with her friends, but she couldn't even come to terms with the truth with herself, which put her in a bad place from the beginning of the novel.

I did appreciate that this was a different kind of relationship novel. This novel is a great example of a bad relationship. Not to spoil anything, but after the first few chapters, you know that the relationship between Josie and Carson is unhealthy. As the novel goes on, you see the effects of the relationship on Josie, and how she and her family and friends deal with the changes.

While you may not fall in love with these characters, it is a great novel of a realistic first love that doesn't last forever. 

Anatomy of A Boyfriend by Daria Snadowsky

Anatomy of a Boyfriend by Daria Snadowsky

The gist:

  Before this all happened, the closest I'd ever come to getting physical with a guy was playing the board game Operation. Okay, so maybe that sounds pathetic, but it's not like there were any guys at my high school who I cared to share more than three words with, let alone my body. Then I met Wes, a track star senior from across town. Maybe it was his soulful blue eyes, or maybe my hormones just started raging. Either way, I was hooked. And after a while, he was too. I couldn't believe how intense my feelings became, or the fact that I was seeing—and touching—parts of the body I'd only read about in my Gray's Anatomy textbook. You could say Wes and I experienced a lot of firsts together that spring. It was scary. It was fun. It was love. And then came the fall.

My rating:

Three Stars

I so wanted to enjoy this book more.  The plot sounds great  and it reminds me of Judy Blume's Forever which is one of those classics. I just could not connect with Dominique, the main character. I know there's being crazy in love, but at times, Dom was just crazy. I just got so irritated with her doing just about anything for Wes, but not getting that much in return (in my opinion). Plus, there were so many feelings that she was not willing to tell Wes, which made me feel like there was a whole side to her that she wasn't willing to show the person she "loved". 

So why 3 stars?

As much as this book struck a nerve with me, I couldn't put it down, and I don't know why. Maybe I was just wanting to get to the part where she came to her senses or just a resolution in general. I just had to finish this book. So, I figure, if a book has me that hooked, it deserves at least three stars- despite it's protagonist. 

Airhead by Meg Cabot

Emerson Watts is not your typical Tribeca Alternative High School student. In fact, she's not exactly the typical high schooler, either. A lover of video games and opposing society's demands to be fall into a stereotypical mold, you could bet that Em wasn't exactly thrilled to chaperone her little sister Frida to the MegaStark grand opening to see a teenybopper singer. Especially so when angry environmentalists had been protesting the store's opening all along. At least Christopher, her best friend, (not boyfriend- no matter what Frida said, or the fact that he and Em spent every waking hour together, or the fact that they both loved video games, or the fact that she loved the way his hair hung over his eyes, or the fact that... anyway. Chris is not her boyfriend), was willing to come along and stand in line for Gabriel Luna (who was surprisingly cute, by the way), Frida's crush, to sign Frida's CD.

Yep. Just a Saturday wasted at a store she despised waiting line for Gabriel's autograph, watching hundreds of other teens watch the plasma TVs above as they played commercials featuring MegaStark's prized spokesperson, Nikki Howard. Everything, while not exactly so exciting for Em, was going fine.

This is around the time things got tricky. See right about now is when Nikki Howard herself showed up. Which, of course being Nikki's number one fan, caused Frida to go into a mini-shock, and set her eyes on getting Nikki's autograph. Which would have been fine if an undercover protester hadn't decided to pull out a paint gun, shoot for the plasma above Nikki & Frida's head, causing Em to run over, push Frida out of the way, only to have the plasma land directly on her. Great.

This is the story of Em's life and how it changed. Forever.

My rating:

Three Stars

Okay. You're probably thinking the synopsis gets pretty vague towards the end. But, I didn't want to give away too much of the book. This book is the first of a series, so giving away too much would give up a lot of the book. Overall, I really enjoyed the book. I finished it pretty quickly, so it kept my attention. I have to admit though, Meg Cabot's books can rub me the wrong way sometimes. I really appreciate how her stories are definitely not run of the mill and really creative. However, this book included, I can sometimes get tired of the characters gushing too much. Sometimes there are a few too many "I can't believe it"s and repetitions. Given that I haven't read a young adult Cabot in a while, I didn't mind it so much. Plus the story's honestly original enough and out there that I don't mind Em's gushing that much given her situation. Definitely read this if you're looking for something different, but still keeps that perfect girl wants guy hook.