Sean Griswold's Head

Overall Rating: 8 out of 10
In Sean Griswold's Head, The tragic hero takes the form of Payton, a witty freshman girl with a knack for over-analyzing every situation.
Payton was living the life until she came home from school one day only to hear that her dad was suffering from MS...and that the whole family had known for months known except for her. Crushed by the news, and feeling betrayed, Payton lets her life spiral into ruins. She quits the basketball team, pushes her best friend, Jac, away, and gives her family the ultimate silent treatment. It seems as if all is lost...that is, until Payton's guidance counselor steps in and decides to give her a project: choose a focus object, observe it, analyze it, and, well, focus on it. It'll take Payton's mind off of the mess that has become her life, and maybe even help her open up about her problems. Payton embraces the project with enthusiasm, and chooses the most stable focus object she knows of: Sean Griswold's head. The head that she is forever destined to look at every morning during homeroom (due to very similar last names). Payton's focus object soons turns into a full-blown crush, and soon life gets messier than ever.
One of the reasons I primarily enjoyed this book was Payton's character. She was funny, witty, and the ultimate heroine.  An excerpt from her focus object blog captures it all:
Feb 9
Topic: Cold Hard Facts learned based upon five questions experiment.
1. Sean is an only child. So we do not know who answered the phone when Jac called.
2. He pops pills because he gets headaches.
3. He wants to be the next Ironman.
4. He likes to feel in control.
5. I still don't know where the scar came from. Although, I wasn't focusing on it much once his jacket came off.* Hello, arm muscles.

*Sorry, I'm dehydrated and the searing pain in my buns is causing me to not think straight. I shouldn't objectify Sean like that, although he is a Focus OBJECT so maybe...).
Sorry again, fatigue driven delirium is setting in.

But besides her witty voice, the book also contains a deep plot. There's romance, friendship, first love, growing up, and dealing with her father's illness. There's catfights, underwear shopping, and seventy-five mile long bike marathon.
This book's got it all. However, some questions are left unresolved, which does leave the reader unsatisfied. Also, the plot does have some slow points where you have to grit your teeth and pull through                                                                                                               ,but those are few and far between.
In general, a good read. Not too crazy. Not too out of this world. But good, nonetheless.
For those who enjoy Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls novels, or Mostly Good Girls by Leila Sales.

Shopaholic and Sister by Sophie Kinsella

Overall Rating: 5 out of 10
And when we thought Kinsella couldn't possibly bring another surprise into the series, she manages to shock us yet again. Except this time it's a sister. Becky's long lost sister, to be exact.
Becky's long lost sister who HATES shopping.

Guess what shoe belongs to Becky..

Yup, you read right. Jess is a frugal, athletic girl who would rather spend her time at a protest to save the environment than at a designer sample sale.
Obviously there's something wrong, here. Or at least that's what Becky thinks. So she attempts to connect with her sister: take her shopping and let her see the light. But Jess isn't the sister Becky was hoping for. And through all of Becky's adventures (which get crazier as the books progress. i.e. Becky scales a mountain to search for Jess in high heels and designer jeans, or when she manages to successfully protest the construction of a strip mall), she tries to STILL deal with her debt and shopping addiction.
How is it that Becky's debt is fixed at the end of each novel in the series only to reappear in the next one?
I must admit that Shopaholic and Sister was my least favorite in the series. Although it was an interesting idea, it failed to grab my attention and the humor didn't nearly meet the standards I had set from reading the previous books.
But, still a good read. Especially if you're a shopaholic fan like I am. Shopaholic and Baby, coming soon!

Gimme A Call by Sarah Mlynowski

Overall Rating: 7 out of 10

She "charmed" us with the famous Magic in Manhattan series and has now managed to steal reader's hearts once again, this time through the story of a new fresh character, Devi. When she was a freshman, Devi fell head over heels for Bryan, and stayed with him for the rest of high school. She ditched her friends, let her grades drop, and focused all of her attention on this one boy. Unfortunately for Devi, Bryan breaks up with her at the end of senior year and Devi is left with absolutely nothing. 

And then she drops her phone in the fountain. Luckily, it seemed to be working. However, Devi can only call one number - her younger frosh self! Older Devi guides 14 year old Devi through her freshman year of high school. 

Her criteria: get amazing grades, participate in boatloads of extracurriculurs, focus on her friends, and completely avoid Bryan. Which is easier said than done for young Devi. 

This book was great for a fresh plot and interesting twists. Mlynowski excellently constructed a story with a great climax, a few unexpected wrong turns for Devi, and what I enjoyed most was their alternating viewpoints. It was really interesting to see old Devi tell young Devi what to do, and then go back and see how it affected old Devi's life. 

And if you think that last sentence was confusing, welcome to the world of Gimme A Call. One major downside was the confusion presented with the alternating narrators. Several times I was forced to reread chapters because I was interpreting it for the wrong Devi. 

However, Mlynowski definitely makes up for this drawback. The character's voice is witty, quirky, and very humorous. It makes the story so fun to read, you never know exactly what Devi will say or do next that will actually have you laughing out loud. 

My favorite aspect of this story, besides the voice, is the epilogue, as weird as that seems. If there was ever an appropriate moment for the expression omg, which I doubt there is, this would be it. 

This story, although lacking in clarity and excitement, depicts the interesting and fresh tale of Devi's self-discovery and conveys a very important message to readers as well about the meaning of having fun, living in the present, but always keeping an eye on the future. 

I recommend this book to any reader, but those who enjoyed Mlynowski's Magic In Manhattan series, or the Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter - which shares a similar narrative voice - will especially like Gimme A Call. 

The Kane Chronicles: The Red Pyramid

Overall Rating: 7 out of 10
Rick Riordan has done it once again, folks. We saw it first with Percy Jackson and the Olympians, in six wonderfully crafted novels that depict Percy's journeys with his friends and the Greek gods. And now we have the Kane Chronicles.
The first installment of the Kane Chronicles, The Red Pyramid, tells the story of brother and sister Carter and Sadie Kane. Carter and Sadie have never really managed to share that sibling bond: their mom died when they were little and ever since then, Carter has been traveling the world with his father and Sadie has been living with her grandparents in London, England. Carter's dad, Julius, studied Ancient Egypt, so when Julius Kane brought Carter and Sadie to see the Rosetta Stone on Christmas Eve, it was no surprise. But it was a surprise when he began to recite a magic spell, caused the stone to explode, and summoned the  ancient Egyptian gods. Sadie and Carter witnessed the release of Set, the god of evil, who trapped their father in a coffin and sent him through the floor. This launches the two young characters on a journey where they discover their ties to Egyptian gods, a few new...unique friends, and themselves as well, while battling forces such as demons, an ancient group called the House of Life, and, just a few Egyptian gods.
My favorite aspect of Rick Riordan's stories is that he compiles loads of different genres into one tale: adventure, friendship, family, history, mythology, and even romance. Readers will never get bored with his excellent depiction of real life with a little twist. Additionally, as I learned about Greek mythology with the Percy Jackson novels, I also gained a lot of knowledge about the Egyptian culture while reading this book and have actually gained an interest in the topic.
Another high point to Riordan's writing is the narrator's quirky humor. Sadie and Carter alternate in dictating the story. Sadie gets in little sarcastic quips and Carter has his own strange humor. For example,  when Carter fights a vicious and bloodthirsty magical creature, he decides to name it Leroy, on a whim. It's these little details that keep the story fresh and alive.
Another great component of The Red Pyramid was the character construction and development. Numerous individual characters inhabit this story. Not only do we read about tough and sharp-tongued Sadie and timid but brave Carter, but there's also Bast, their feline goddess friend; Khufu, a slightly obnoxious baboon with a basketball obsession; Zia, the young magician who assists them in more ways than one; and Anubis, the god of funerals who just might liven up a bit for a certain someone. Riordan displays the characters in a way where readers feel as if they personally know them, but their different personalities make for a fun time.
The only downside to this book was the complicated plot and descriptions. Because we're dealing with magical creatures and ancient gods, descriptions are that easy to imagine. Often readers come across characters with the body of a human and the head of an animal and it's a nearly impossible feat to picture the image in our minds. Additionally, the journey that Sadie and Carter embark on is very complex. They must find objects, obtain information, meet people, and it's very difficult to keep track of things.
Once again, Riordan created a great story for readers everywhere. It contains a fresh plot and a fun slew of characters that mix together to form a great new novel, The Red Pyramid. Those who enjoyed the series, Percy Jackson and The Olympians, also by Riordan, The Gods of Manhattan by Scott Mebus, or Michael Scott's Secret of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series will especially enjoy this book.

Girl Overboard by Justina Chen Headley

Overall Rating: 5 out of 10

        Girl Overboard by Justina Chen Headley tells the story of Syrah Cheng, daughter of billionaire Ethan Cheng, who is banned by her parents from snowboarding after surviving an avalanche. Syrah, a disappointment to both of her parents as well as her half siblings, decides to channel her energy into a new project. After befriending another wealthy heiress, Lillian, Syrah learns that Lillian's sister, has cancer, so Syrah then comes up with the idea of hosting a fundraiser/snowboarding competition to raise money and help find a bone marrow match for Lillian's sister. However, this isn't as easy as it seems when Syrah's best friend, Age, is being pulled away by his new girlfriend and Syrah's family refuses to take any of her ideas seriously. Combined with other problems such as weight issues, a moving nanny, the discovery of her mother's estranged family, and an ex-boyfriend who wanted her for her money, Syrah struggles to find happiness. 

       There were both ups and downs to this story. To start with the negative aspects, the story is very confusing at some parts. For example, Syrah rode down the forbidden trail after something that happened with her ex-boyfriend, Jared. But you never actually meet Jared until the end of the story, and what actually drove Syrah to take on the forbidden trail is never revealed. Also, I felt like Syrah was just juggling too many things at once. This story would be twice as good if it just focused on a few aspects, like her snowboarding, and relationship with her family. But Headley threw in the fundraiser, her best friend Age and his girlfriend, her ex-boyfriend, problems with weight, issues with her nanny, and finding her mom's family. It got very overwhelming at parts. But, on the positive side, the characters were original and fresh and the dialogue was very realistic and not stilted at all. For example, Syrah's nanny, was originally from China, and you could hear her accent through the dialogue. Headley did a wonderful job with that. 

       Otherwise, the story was fun to read, but if you are looking for a story that focuses majorly on snowboarding, do not choose Girl Overboard because of the title and cover page. Syrah's snowboarding career is just a miniscule detail in this novel. However, those of you who liked Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock or Nothing But the Truth (and a few white lies) and North of Beautiful, also by Justina Chen Headley, will certainly enjoy this book. 

Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

Rating: 5 out of 10
   This was an pretty good story. It had an original plotline, which I found refreshing. DJ Schwenk, 15, is an overworked farm girl who decides to try out for her school's football team one day. DJ deals with numerous problems such as a family that doesn't communicate, a distant best friend, and...falling for the rival team's quarterback.
   Let's start off with the things I liked about this book. The girl power aspect was fun, and so was the modern day version of the star-crossed lovers archetype. I also enjoyed how Murdock portrayed farm life for how it really was: waking up early, doing all the dirty work, and then going to sleep sore and tired. Unlike other text, where the characters have time to ride horses in their free time, go to festivals or county fairs, or actually have fun while doing chores, Murdock reveals how tiresome, dirty and life-consuming living on a farm really is. DJ barely has time to pass school. This book was very realistic, and I liked having characters and situations that I could relate to as a reader. Additionally, DJ was easy to like. Some characters in novels are either very annoying, or very frustrating. DJ tries hard at everything she does, and doesn't pity herself or complain. She knows what she wants, but doesn't just expect to get it. I enjoyed DJ's authentic voice that the writer used. It was was very interesting to read and, as a teenager myself, I could actually understand it well.
   However, there were some parts of the story I didn't like. The book had many slow and even boring parts. It was also very predictable. I could have told you what happened at the end of Dairy Queen right after the first few pages. But besides that, this was a great read. Those who enjoyed the stories Throwing Like A Girl by Weezie Kerr Mackey, Pretty Tough by Liz Ligelaar, and The Off Season, also by Murdock will especially like this novel.

Distant Waves by Suzanne Weyn

Rating: 4 out of 10

When I saw this book in the store, I was definitely intrigued. A picture of a floating wedding dress in the ocean...cool, right? And reading the back cover drew me in even more: A story of the five Taylor sisters, Mimi, Jane, Amelie, Emma, and Blythe, who board the Titanic with hopes of traveling to America. Little did I know, this book is barely about the Titanic. The sisters only get on the Titanic two-thirds of the way into the story. For the rest of the book, Weyn tells the story of their past: they lived in a society of clairvoyants, saw a real time travel machine and met the scientist Nikolas Tesla, as well as many other scientists. Told through Jane perspective, this story was definitely not what I expected. There is some romance involved, but very little, although the image on the front cover connotes that the story revolves around love and marriage. Basically, this is a story of time travel and psychic abilities. Not a tale of the Titanic sinking. Distant Waves is an interesting story, nonetheless. However, I thought it lacked excitement and suspense. Low points for this novel are weak character development and an inability to keep me wanting to read more. However, the historical events and figures are very neat. For example, on the Titanic, the sisters meet the only african american passenger on the boat, Joseph LaRoche. Turns out, Joseph LaRoche was a real guy. When I went to the Titanic exhibit a few years ago, there was information about him there. Also, the romance between Jane and Thad, and Mimi and her fiance is fun and interesting to read about. But that's about it. The story is very far-fetched at some parts, and downright boring at others. Don't let the title cover deceive you - this is not a story about the Titanic. I recommend this story for people interested in clairvoyance and spiritualism, although anyone who wants an imaginative tale, or even a historical fiction tale will enjoy reading it. 

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

 Rating: 7 out of 10

When I chose this book, I chose it not only for the interesting cover, but for the unique plot as well. In short, during Miranda's sophomore year, the moon is hit by an asteroid and is knocked much closer to Earth. This leads to many natural disasters, such as volcano eruptions. Miranda experiences a near end to humanity. There's a lack of food, heat, and a breakout of a deadly flu. This story gained points for being very suspenseful, and containing unexpected twists in the plot as well as an array of interesting characters such as Matt and Johnny, Miranda's brothers. Additionally, readers were able to see Miranda's growth from a irresponsible child to an selfless adult. We experience the story head on, for its told through Miranda's journal. One of the authors most extraordinary feats, though, was creating the strong family bonds and realistic relationships. However, the story lacked some things that readers would certainly be interested in. Both of Miranda's best friends were mentioned about halfway through the book as well as her minor love interest. I would have enjoyed this better if the author pursued her teen social life, although there is the possibility it would have weakened the story. Furthermore, points were lost as the it was a bit repetitive and slightly boring at parts. Overall though, I definitely recommend Life As We Knew It, for it contains humor, tragedy, and adventure all rolled into one. Readers who enjoy science fiction, and novels like The War of The Worlds, will especially enjoy this.

Other Novels in the Series: The Dead and The Gone