Book Review- Gone

I just finished reading Gone by Lisa McMann.

Janie knew that she had to make a choice--continue to be a dream catcher and still live around those she loved (like her boyfriend Cabel) and become blind with gnarled hands in her twenties or live in isolation.  And she thought that she had made her choice.  But when a stranger comes into her world--who turns out to be her father--everything changes.  Even though he is in a coma, she finds ways to learn a little about him and in turn a little more about her herself and her future. She realizes that the choices she thought she had were now a little more twisted and that she would have to choose between the lesser of two evils.

I enjoyed this book more than I did Wake or Fade.  Once again, I had a hard time realizing what was going on, because not a lot of back story is told.  Luckily, I had my blog going when I read Fade so I could go back and read my review of that so I remembered more.  I think we get a better feel of Janie in this story.  I feel warmth from her when she is dealing with her dad.  And I can feel her pain in having to make a choice about her future.  And once again, I loved Cabel.  He seems like such a sweet guy.  He would do anything for Janie and cares about her greatly.  And even though Janie's mom is an alcoholic and could compete for the worst mother-of-the-year award, I fell like we may have learned WHY she is the way she is and I felt a little sorry for her.  This is the last book in the trilogy, and while I would love to know more about Janie's future, I think it ended on the right note and leaves us feeling hopeful.

I gave this book a rating of 3.5/5.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
A to Z Challenge: M
2010 100+ Reading Challenge: 6
2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 6
TwentyTen Reading Challenge: Win! Win! #1
ARC Reading Challenge 2010: 5

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free by Melyssa from Book Divas for an honest review.

Book Review- The Splendor Falls

I just finished reading The Splendor Falls by Rosemary Clement-Moore.

Sylvie's world came crashing down the day she broke her leg on stage. She was the youngest-ever principal ballerina for the American Ballet and her dream career ended at the age of seventeen.  But her world is also changed by her mother's remarriage and since she has no reason to stay in New York, she's shipped off to Alabama to stay with her late father's cousin, Paula.  Paula is restoring a family home that has been passed down through the generations of the Davis family.  And with this home comes a history that is ghostly.  Sylvie must figure out the mystery of why she can suddenly see ghosts and why there seems to be magic in the air.  Add two guys who are both interested in her, and she gets one summer that she will never forget.

This book is really long--five hundred and thirteen pages long.  And it was too long, I think.  I think that there was too much filler in the story and that it could definitely be shortened.  There were times that I became confused.  How the past was relevant to the future, and the relationships between the characters had me flipping back through the book at some points.

I did like some of the main characters.  I liked Sylvie--a ballerina as a main character (although the ballet aspect is talked about too much) is new to me.  And she had a great, fiesty personality.  I liked a lot of her retorts to the guys and to her cousin.  I also really liked Rhys.  He had an air of mystery surrounding him that was appealing and intriguing.  I also liked Clara, the business partner of Paula.  She had such a caring air about her.    And I want a puppy like Gigi!
I didn't particularly like Shawn or Addie, although I don't think I was supposed to.  There was something eerie about Shawn and his ability to charm everyone.  And Addie was just plain mean. 

I did like the ending--it seemed to wrap everything up nicely and all of the many details throughout the book came together.   As long as you aren't looking for a speedy, easy read, I would reccommend this book.

I gave this book a rating of 3/5.

This book fullfilled an item in the following challenge:
Paranormal 999 Challenge: Ghosts

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free by Melyssa from Book Divas and Jen from TeensReadToo for an honest review.

Book Review- The Hollow

I just finished reading The Hollow by Jessica Verday for a book review for Book Divas.

Abbey's world is shattered the day that her best friend, Kristen, disappears at the bridge near Sleepy Hollow Cemetary. The cemetary was one of their favorite places to hang out and Abbey continues to visit there. She soon meets Caspian and quickly falls in love with him. But their relationship isn't normal. He makes her feel special, but she is never sure of his feelings for her.

Just when he world seems to be slowing getting put back together, she learns that Kristen was keeping secrets from her. Feeling hurt and betrayed, she wonders if this secret could have led to her death. And then she realizes that Caspian is keeping secrets from her too and her world once again comes crashing down on her.

When I first saw this book, I thought it would take forever for me to read since it was over 500 pages, but I found myself flying through it. I really enjoyed the character of Abbey. I thought she was completely believable and seemed like a real teenager. The writing was very well done. I could feel Abbey's pain of losing her best friend, as well as the joy of falling in love for the first time. And I thought it was neat that her hobby was making perfurmes.

The only complaint I have about the story would be that it became more about the relationship between Abbey and Caspian, and it left wanting to know more about how and why Kristen died and if it had anything to do with the secrets she kept. But that's not to say that I didn't enjoy the relationship between Abbey and Caspian, because I did. The Hollow is first book in a trilogy and I can't wait to find out what happens between them!

I gave this book a rating of 4/5.

***SPOILER ALERT*** Don't read below this line....it fits one of my challenges, but if you read which challenge it is, then it will give the end of the story away.

This book fulfills items in the following challenge:

Paranormal 999 Challenge: Ghosts

Book Review- The Overnight Socialite

I just finished reading The Overnight Socialite by Bridie Clark.


Lucy Jo is just a normal mid-west girl with big dreams. She moved to New York City to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a fashion designer. But life is rough. She is doing a menial job in a designer sweatshop. Just when she thinks she might have an opening to pursue her dreams, disaster strikes. She's ready to give it all up and go home when she meets Wyatt.


Wyatt Hayes had just gotten out of relationship with the top socialite Cornelia. He needs to prove to himself and the world that he still has it and decides to transform Lucy into an "It" girl. He trains her in manners, sets her up on an exercise program to get her a fit figure, and teaches her the ways of the high society. And just when Lucy thinks she might get another chance to pursue her dream, distater strikes once again. Will Lucy get her dream, or will she pack it up and move back home to Minnesota.


This was the typical rags to riches plot. But the whole story definitely had a unique side to it. I loved all of the characters- Wyatt and Lucy, and Eloise and Trip. I was rooting for Lucy--I wanted her to come out on top! And I loved that Wyatt seemed changed. I could identify with Eloise and her feelings about her relationship with Trip. And I like the ending between those two, even though it may not be the happiest. The only thing I can say that I didn't like about the story was that I wish it was longer. I would love to know more about what happened between Wyatt and Lucy. This was a really cute, fun, high-society story!


I gave this book a rating of 4/5.

Book Review- Sleepwalking in Daylight

I just finished reading Sleepwalking in Daylight by Elizabeth Flock.


From the back cover:


Once defined by her career and independence, stay-at-home mom Samantha Friedman finds that her days have been reduced to errands, car pools and suburban gossip. What was an easy decision for Sam years ago has become a nagging awareness that this life was her choice. Now she deals with a husband who shows up for dinner but is too preoccupied for conversation, and a daughter swathed in black clothing and Goth makeup who won't talk at all.


Believing she's an adopted mistake, seventeen-year-old Cammy has fallen into sex and drugs and pours herself into a journal filled with poetry and pain. On parallel paths, mother and daughter indulge in desperate, furtive escapism--for Sam, a heady affair with her supposed soul mate, fueled by clandestine coffee dates and the desire to feel something; for Cammy, a secretive search for her birth mother punctuated by pills, pot and the need to feel absolutely nothing.


Elizabeth Flock tells an engaging tale about a mother/wife, Sam, and her teenage daughter, Cammy. The story is written almost as if its in a journal form. We learn all about how Sam is unhappy in her marriage and is struggling to get along with her teenage daughter. We also learn all about Cammy's teenage-angst feelings towards her adopted family and life in general. And at the end, something surprising happens that changes the family's life forever.


When I first saw this cover I thought, "How beautiful". But the book inside was very dark. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed this book. It is told in a very frank and forward way and if a reader is easily offended, I wouldn't reccommend this book. But although it was dark, I felt like I could really identify with the characters. When I was reading the chapters from Cammy's point of view, I was remembering how I felt like I never belonged when I was a teenager (although I never acted out like she did). And when I read the chapters from Sam's point of view, I found myself hoping that my marriage wouldn't turn out like that. This book really engaged me and I couldn't put it down.


I gave this book a rating of 4/5.


This book fullfills items in the following challenges:
Chick-Lit Challenge: 7

Book Review- Anything But Typical

I just sat down and finished Anything But Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin, all in one sitting!

From the back cover:

By acclaimed writer Nora Raleigh Baskin, this is the eye-opening depiction of an autistic boy's daily lifelong struggles to exist in a "neurotypical" world. The only place sixth grader Jason Blake can be himself is online, where he posts the short stories he writes. It's there that Jason finds Rebecca. Though the two have common ground, Jason can't face the consequences that meeting Rebecca might bring-- but if he doesn't meet her, there's no chance to have a real relationship. This is a pitch-perfect portrait of autism, but more than that, a story for anyone who has ever worried about fitting in.

Jason Blake is a twelve-year-old boy with autism. This story takes place in the present, but he also goes back to show us the struggles that he has endured growing up. He knows that he is "different" but seems to accept this. The one place where he is comfortable is online, on a site called "Storyboard". There he posts stories that he writes. He also gives us many tips on writing fiction. On his favorite site, he meets a girl named Rebecca whom he feels a connection with. When he has a chance to meet her at a Storyboard convention, he suddenly panics. What happens in at the convention and at the end of the story leaves the reader feeling warm and happy for Jason.

I really enjoyed this story. As a teacher, I have had a student who had autism. This story really showed me what that student might have been thinking everyday in his life. It will definitely help me relate to a student with autism. As a reader, this story really drew me in. I felt a connection with Jason and wanted the ending to be happy and I wasn't dissapointed!

I gave this book a rating of 4/5.

Thank you to Melyssa from Book Divas for sending me a copy of this book to review!