Book Review- These Things Hidden

I read These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf for a Star Book Tour review.

From Goodreads:

Allison Glenn tried to hide what happened that night...and failed. The consequence? Five years in prison. Now she's free. But secrets have a way of keeping you caged...When Allison is sent to prison for a heinous crime, she leaves behind her reputation as Linden Falls' golden girl forever. Her parents deny the existence of their once-perfect child. Her former friends exult in her downfall. Her sister, Brynn, faces the whispered rumours every day in the hallways of their small Iowa high school. It's Brynn - shy, quiet Brynn - who carries the burden of what really happened that night. All she wants is to forget Allison and the past that haunts her. But then Allison is released, and is more determined than ever to speak with her sister. Now their legacy of secrets is focused on one little boy. And if the truth is revealed, the consequences will be unimaginable for the adoptive mother who loves him, the girl who tried to protect him and the two sisters who hold the key to all that is hidden.

This book seemed so mysterious and that's what immediately grabbed my attention and made me want to read it.  And it kept my attention throughout the whole book!

This book reminded me a lot of books by Jodi Picoult.  It is about a topic that is moral in nature and has to do with issues in todays society.  And there were also some twists and turns in the book.

I can't really write a review without giving away anything so to read more, and read spoilers, highlight the words below.

For a while I couldn't figure out what the crime that Allison had committed was.  And then once I found that out, the surprises kept on coming!  And I'm not sure I really predicted any of them, except that I figured Brynn was involved somehow.  The only thing I had a problem with is, the whole twin thing.  Its so hard for me to accpet that some women don't know they are pregnant and that those around them can't figure it out.  Especially a girl who is skinny and active.  The way pregnant women walk and carry themselves completely changes.  But even if a girl does hide that she's pregnant and doesn't gain that much weight, I find it EXTREMELY hard to believe that she could hide being pregnant with TWINS!  She would completely show!  There is no way to hide that!  I mean, I know that it makes for a good plot and all, but its so unrealistic.

That being said, I really enjoyed it!  I have The Weight of Silence by this author in my TBR pile and I really look forward to reading it!

I gave the book a rating of 4/5.

These Things Hidden will be released on January 18, 2011.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2011 A to Z Challenge: G
 2011 100+ Reading Challenge: 3
2011 ARC Reading Challenge: 3

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the Star Book Tours.

Book Review- The Mockingbirds

Early this morning I finished The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney for a Star Book Tours.

From Goodreads:

Some schools have honor codes.
Others have handbooks.
Themis Academy has the Mockingbirds.

Themis Academy is a quiet boarding school with an exceptional student body that the administration trusts to always behave the honorable way--the Themis Way. So when Alex is date raped during her junior year, she has two options: stay silent and hope someone helps her, or enlist the Mockingbirds--a secret society of students dedicated to righting the wrongs of their fellow peers.

In this honest, page-turning account of a teen girl's struggle to stand up for herself, debut author Daisy Whitney reminds readers that if you love something or someone--especially yourself--you fight for it.

I feel like this is such an important book.  Date rape is unfortunately something that way too many teens (and females in general) are a victim of.  And this book seemed so real.  The main character, Alex, seemed to handle it the way a real teen might.  She didn't want to go to the police because she didn't want her parents to find out (although, I do think she should have gone) and she went through the emotions that I imagine a date-rape victim would go through.  At the end of the book, in the authors note, we learn that the author was a date-rape victim.  And while that is horrifying, I don't think the book would have been as real as it was without that tragic event.

And I love the idea of the Mockingbirds, although I'm not sure that a system like that would really work in a school.  I can't really see the kids who think they have the power at the school really let a school-run organization "police" them, especially when the adults don't do anything about it.  But like I said, I do like the idea of it.  And I did like the checks and balances that were put into place.

I liked all of the main characters--Alex and her roomies T.S. and Maia.  And I loved Martin--such a good guy (I always like the geeks!) And I loved the students who made up the Mockingbirds board. 

I think that every female teen should read this.  Especially ones who are rape victims.  I think it would help them see that they aren't alone and that their feelings are normal.  My heart goes out to Alex and to all other victims.

I gave this book a rating of 4/5.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2010 100+ Reading Challenge: 159
2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 124
2010 Debut Author Challenge: 41
ARC Reading Challenge 2010: 113

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the Star Book Tours.

Book Review- Slayed

I've had a stupid computer virus for 3 days (blah..finally got rid of it, but my computer is still slow and freezes for a couple of seconds).  But I finished reading Slayed by Amanda Marrone on Thursday for a Star Book Tours review.

From Goodreads:

The Van Helsing family has been hunting vampires for over one hundred years, but sixteen-year-old Daphne wishes her parents would take up an occupation that doesn’t involve decapitating vamps for cash. All Daphne wants is to settle down in one place, attend an actual school, and finally find a BFF to go to the mall with. Instead, Daphne has resigned herself to a life of fast food, cheap motels and buying garlic in bulk.

But when the Van Helsings are called to a coastal town in Maine, Daphne’s world is turned upside down. Not only do the Van Helsings find themselves hunting a terrifying new kind of vampire (one without fangs but with a taste for kindergarten cuisine), Daphne meets her first potential BF! The hitch? Her new crush is none other than Tyler Harker, AKA, the son of the rival slayer family.

What's a teen vampire slayer to do?

This was a cute and fun vampire slayer story.  I liked Daphne and how she was a kick-butt girl but still wanted a normal high school life.  And Kiki, Daphnes new friend and trainee (after things go wrong and Kiki witnesses a vampire slaying, she wants in on the action) is great fun too!  I loved her personality!  She was bubbly but had vulnerability too. 

The plot was pretty good, although it did get a little weird at one part involving the father of the rival slayer family.  But I'll leave you to read that and find out why.  I hope there is a sequel to this book and we to know more about Daphne and Kiki!

I gave this book a rating of 3.5/5.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2010 100+ Reading Challenge: 150
2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 115
ARC Reading Challenge 2010: 104

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the Star Book Tours.

Book Review- Cloaked

Early this morning I finished reading Cloaked by Alex Flinn for a Star Book Tours review.

From Goodreads:

Johnny works after school in a shoe repair shop in a swanky hotel in Miami. He loves shoes and is talented; he even aspires to be the next Manolo Blahnik. But the real reason that he is working so hard is because his dad left when he was a baby and he needs to help his mom pay the bills. At least he has his friend, Meg, who works at the hotel coffee shop, to keep him company. 

When beautiful Princess Victoriana comes to stay at the hotel, Johnny is thrilled when Victoriana invites him to her suite. There she tells him that her brother has been turned into a frog, and that she needs his help finding him in the Florida Keys. Johnny thinks she is crazy and does not believe her,

until she gives him a magical cloak that immediately transports him to another location. Armed with the cloak and a magical earpiece that can help him talk to other transformed humans Johnny sets out to save the Prince ...

 
When I read that this book was a retelling of various fairytales, I couldn't wait to read it.  But it was only okay for me. 
 
On the one hand, I liked that the  story used fairytales I had really only ever heard of, but didn't know too much about.  And it was fun to read the sort of modern day twist to them.
 
But the some of the plot was too corny.  And it was way too predictable.  I figured out almost the whole story before it happened.  And the characters were just okay too.  I think I liked the side character of Meg more than I liked the main character of Johnny.
 
But hey, I want a pair of Gianni Marco shoes! :)
 
I gave this book a rating of 3/5.
 
Cloaked will be released on February 8, 2011.
 
This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2010 100+ Reading Challenge: 137
2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 104
ARC Reading Challenge 2010: 97
 
*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the Star Book Tours.

Book Review- Nevermore

I just finished reading Nevermore by Kelly Creagh for a Star Book Tour.

From Goodreads:

Cheerleader Isobel Lanley is horrified when she is paired with Varen Nethers for an English project, which is due—so unfair—on the day of the rival game. Cold and aloof, sardonic and sharp-tongued, Varen makes it clear he’d rather not have anything to do with her either. But when Isobel discovers strange writing in his journal, she can’t help but give this enigmatic boy with the piercing eyes another look.

Soon, Isobel finds herself making excuses to be with Varen. Steadily pulled away from her friends and her possessive boyfriend, Isobel ventures deeper and deeper into the dream world Varen has created through the pages of his notebook, a realm where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life.

As her world begins to unravel around her, Isobel discovers that dreams, like words, hold more power than she ever imagined, and that the most frightening realities are those of the mind. Now she must find a way to reach Varen before he is consumed by the shadows of his own nightmares.

His life depends on it.
 
This book was both good and not so good for me.
 
Good:  I liked the whole Isobel-Varen relationship.  I liked how at the beginning they were so far apart and wanted nothing to do with each other.  But at the end, their lives were completely intertwined and they cared deeply for each other.
 
Not so good:  I'm not sure if its just because I am so exhausted this week or what, but the ending kind of lost me.  The whole going inbetween worlds confused me.  I didn't really get all of it with the Nocs and the Shadows.  I didn't really get who Varen was in relation to Poe and to Reynolds.  (If anyone gets it, please break it down for me).  And the book seemed more fantasy than paranormal which isn't something I normally liked.
 
This is the first book in a trilogy, but I'm not sure I'm going to continue reading it unless I can really understand what this first book was about.
 
I gave this book a rating of 3/5.
 
Nevermore will be released on August 31, 2010.
 
This book fulfilled an item in the following challenges:
2010 100+ Reading Challenge: 116
2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 85
2010 Debut Author Challenge: 33
ARC Reading Challenge 2010: 82
 
*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the Star Book Tours.