Saturday, May 28, 2011

Return from my Blog Vacation, Blogoversary, and The Book Battle

Well, I've returned from my brief blog vacation, and I caught up on a bunch of reading. It actually extended a bit longer then I had planned, so there were a few days of blog silence on my end. I'm hoping to catch up with comments and posting this weekend. Here's a list of all of the books I finished during the past two weeks, all of the links go to Goodreads.

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
Hourglass by Myra McEntire
Hate List by Jennifer Brown
Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters by Natalie Standiford
Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life by Bryan Lee O'Malley
Abandon by Meg Cabot
Reread - The BFG/The Witches by Roald Dahl 
Started: Chime by Franny Billingsley, & Witch & Wizard by James Patterson
DNF: Dust City by Robert Paul Weston


My 2 year blogoversary (blogiversary? :) I wish there was some universally accepted spelling of this word) came and went rather quietly. Since I'm lacking funds, I won't be doing a celebration giveaway right now. I'm hoping to do something at the end of the summer which will have my favorite new/summer reads as prizes.

I'm also participating in the 2011 YA Best Overlooked Book Battle! I'm really excited to be a round two judge, so as I get my judging assignment/judging partner, I'll be updating about the process (with no spoilers about the winner). For those that don't know, this contest is once again being hosted by Alyssa at The Shady Glade, and as a round two judge I'll be asked to read two books from the shortlist, confer with another judge, and decide which book is the winner of our bracket. Here's the shortlist:

Academy 7 by Anne Osterlund
Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship's Boy by L.A. Meyer
Intrinsical by Lani Woodland
John Belushi Is Dead by Kathy Charles
Kathleen's Story (Angels in Pink) by Lurlene McDaniel
Keeping Corner by Kashmira Sheth
Keturah And Lord Death by Martine Leavitt
Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City by Kristen Miller
Ophelia by Lisa M. Klein
Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper
Polly and the Pirates, Volume 1 by Ted Naifeh
Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers
Song Of The Sparrow by Lisa Ann Sandell
StarCrossed by Elizabeth C. Bunce
Stork by Wendy Delsol
Storm Thief by Chris Wooding
Stravaganza: City Of Masks by Mary Hoffman
The Devil's Kiss by Sarwat Chadda
The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman
The Hollow Kingdom by Clare B. Dunkle
The Thin Executioner by Darren Shan
Threads and Flames by Esther Friesner
Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress by Tina Ferraro
Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher

Friday, May 27, 2011

Book Review: Sleeping Beauty Vampire Slayer by Maureen McGowan & Giveaway

In this thrilling story full of adventure and romance, Sleeping Beauty is more than just a lonely princess waiting for her prince—she's a brave, tenacious girl who never backs down from a challenge. With vampire-slaying talents that she practices in secret, Sleeping Beauty puts her courage to the test in the dark of night, fighting evil as she searches for a way to break the spell that has cut her off from her family. In a special twist, readers have the opportunity to make key decisions for Sleeping Beauty and decide where she goes next—but no matter the choice; the result is a story unlike any fairy tale you've ever read! 

Sleeping Beauty: Vampire Slayer is an entirely new type of fairy tale–one that will keep today's kids guessing and offer them hours of magical fun. (From Goodreads)
I have to begin by saying that I never really read choose-your-own stories, even in middle school. I was really indecisive, and would second guess my choices...I would ruin all of the stories for myself. But, the premise of this one sounded fun, so I thought I'd give it a shot. 

In terms of the origin story, Sleeping Beauty was my least favorite fairy tale. I mean, she basically sleeps through all of the action only to be awoken by true love's kiss...blah. I prefer my heroines to play some sort of role in their story, and I was happy to see that Lucette, as the title implies, did more than sleep. Ever since the vampire queen placed a curse on her, Lucette's father has been a tad overprotective. She's made to wear gloves (to avoid pricking her finger), and she's never gone down a flight of stairs unaccompanied. On top of that, her parents relationship is in shambles. So, life for this princess isn't all tiaras and ponies. Her mother, who is particularly prejudiced against the vampires, decides that her daughter can't sit idly by waiting for the curse to begin. It's up to the reader to decide whether Lucette should follow her mother's wishes and begin to train to be a vampire hunter. 

The vampire Alex was actually my favorite character in the book. He educates Lucette about what vampirism really is, and helps her to move past the propaganda her mother has fed her. Tristan, the other male character, wasn't as interesting as I hoped he would be. He certainly fulfilled his role in the plot, but I was hoping for a bit more...especially after the big reveal regarding Alex. The "love" triangle wasn't really drawn out, and no matter what you choose there's really only one choice left in the end.

While I do think this book is a middle grade read, I did enjoy it. It was a quick and enjoyable read with a main character that didn't play the damsel in distress.

Sleeping Beauty Vampire Slayer
By Maureen McGowan
Published by Silver Dolphin Books
330 Pages
Received: As part of Premier Virtual Author Book Tours
Rating: B

I'm lucky enough to offer a copy of this book to one lucky reader from the US or Canada (no PO boxes, please!). This contest will run until June 5, 11:59 PM EST. 



Contest closed

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday (May 25) & Teaser Tuesday (on Wednesday)

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This weekly meme shares the upcoming books that I'm most excited about.

Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber

The Picture of Dorian Gray meets Pride and Prejudice, with a dash of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

New York City, 1882. Seventeen-year-old Natalie Stewart's latest obsession is a painting of the handsome British Lord Denbury. Something in his striking blue eyes calls to her. As his incredibly life-like gaze seems to follow her, Natalie gets the uneasy feeling that details of the painting keep changing...

Jonathan Denbury's soul is trapped in the gilded painting by dark magic while his possessed body commits unspeakable crimes in the city slums. He must lure Natalie into the painting, for only together can they reverse the curse and free his damaged soul

Published by Sourcebooks Fire
Release Date: November 1, 2011


I'm currently reading Abandon by Meg Cabot, and thought I would put a teaser up today (since I didn't participate yesterday). 


"That's how I hadn't noticed the evil. Not the kind people like to pretend is real, the kind they tell ghost stories and make horror movies about. But the real evil that had been roaming the halls of the Westpot Academy for Girls, looking for the sweetest, most innocent victim it could find." 

-Abandon, page 116, by Meg Cabot


Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday (May 18)



Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This weekly meme shares the upcoming books that I'm most excited about.

Vanish (Firelight 2) by Sophie Jordan 

To save the life of the boy she loves, Jacinda did the unthinkable: She betrayed the most closely-guarded secret of her kind. Now she must return to the protection of her pride knowing she might never see Will again—and worse, that because his mind has been shaded, Will’s memories of that fateful night and why she had to flee are gone.

Back home, Jacinda is greeted with hostility and must work to prove her loyalty for both her sake and her family’s. Among the few who will even talk to her are Cassian, the pride’s heir apparent who has always wanted her, and her sister, Tamra, who has been forever changed by a twist of fate. Jacinda knows that she should forget Will and move on—that if he managed to remember and keep his promise to find her, it would only endanger them both. Yet she clings to the hope that someday they will be together again. When the chance arrives to follow her heart, will she risk everything for love?

In bestselling author Sophie Jordan’s dramatic follow-up to Firelight, forbidden love burns brighter than ever.



Published by HarperTeen
Release Date: September 6, 2011

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Teaser Tuesday (May 17)

What is teaser tuesday?
It's a meme hosted by Should Be Reading and here are the rules:

Grab your current read...
Open to a random page
Share two teaser sentences from somewhere on the page
Don't include spoilers.

"Michael's eyes and the set of his mouth expressed pain and something else, maybe anger. I could only guess how much emotion was swirling under the surface." 
-Hourglass, page 38, by Myra McEntire
*This teaser is from the ARC edition, and is subject to change. 


Monday, May 16, 2011

Book Review: Never Sit Down in a Hoopskirt, and Other Things I Learned in Southern Belle Hell, by Crickett Rumley

When seventeen-year-old Jane gets kicked out of boarding school (again) and returns to her small town of Bienville, Alabama, she is certain of three things: Her grandmother will be happy to see her. She will be the subject of the town's gossip mill. And there are some people she will have to avoid. But she doesn't expect that those very things will land her smack in the middle of the Bienville's most illustrious event: the Magnolia Maid achievement pageant. (From Goodreads)


I admit that first became interested in this book after seeing the cover. It led me to expect a cute, funny read . In true Egmont fashion, the book went deeper than I expected, and didn't shy away from thought-provoking topics. 


Jane has moved back to her southern hometown after getting kicked out of boarding school, again. She's returned to a place where people are itching to know each other's business, and don't appreciate her snark. She is pretty critical of Bienville society, but it's written in a way that had me laughing. There's more to Jane than her tough exterior, though. Jane's father isn't really present in her life, and she had to watch her mother slowly die from a degenerative disease. She's worried about seeing Luke, the best friend she hasn't talked to since an interrupted kiss five years ago. 


The book also hits on the topics of change, diversity, and self-respect. This was done through the Magnolia Maid pageant. Unlike in previous years, the girls aren't chosen by the delightful Miss Upton. Instead, the group includes Jane, Brandi Lyn, and Zara, who don't fit the usual Maid mold. Brandi Lyn is working class, and Zara is the first African American to be in the pageant, and the alternate is slightly overweight with body image issues made worse by her mother (again, the lovely Miss Upton). The remaining two maids, Ashley and Mallory, are both rich, white, and less than welcoming to rest of the girls. I thought that Rumley did a good job playing the characters off of each other. Each girl had their flaws, even our sarcastic heroine. This made the story more realistic, and I was glad that Jane was confronted about her attitude. 


I would have liked some sort of resolution between Jane and her father. I'm torn about it, because I don't know if it could have been done realistically. It wasn't really necessary to the plot, and it would have seemed silly for her father to have a sudden change of heart. It just felt like a loose end that didn't really get wrapped up by the time the book drew to a close. I guess I just really wanted Jane to get a chance to share her feelings with him, and have some closure. 


I was really pleased with the way Jane was able to connect with her mother through the pageant. It added something more to the character development, and her personal growth. Egmont delivers another great debut, and I'm looking forward to seeing what Rumley does next. 


Never Sit Down in a Hoopskirt, and Other Things I Learned in Southern Belle Hell
By Crickett Rumley
Published by Egmont USA
288 Pages
Release Date: June 14, 2011
Received for Review
Rating: B

Sunday, May 15, 2011

A Winner, In My Mailbox, and Vacation

It's time to announce the winner of the ARC of Tempest Rising. The winner is....

DONNA S

Congratulations!

In My Mailbox was created by Kristi of The Story Siren, who was inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. All of the synopses you see below were found on Goodreads. Here are the books I got this week..

Purchased:
The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen

The New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Who Chased the Moonwelcomes you to her newest locale: Walls of Water, North Carolina, where the secrets are thicker than the fog from the town’s famous waterfalls, and the stuff of superstition is just as real as you want it to be.

It’s the dubious distinction of thirty-year-old Willa Jackson to hail from a fine old Southern family of means that met with financial ruin generations ago. The Blue Ridge Madam—built by Willa’s great-great-grandfather

during Walls of Water’s heyday, and once the town’s grandest home—has stood for years as a lonely monument to misfortune and scandal. And Willa herself has long strived to build a life beyond the brooding Jackson family shadow. No easy task in a town shaped by years of tradition and the well-marked boundaries of the haves and have-nots.

But Willa has lately learned that an old classmate—socialite do-gooder Paxton Osgood—of the very prominent Osgood family, has restored the Blue Ridge Madam to her former glory, with plans to open a top-flight inn. Maybe, at last, the troubled past can be laid to rest while something new and wonderful rises from its ashes. But what rises instead is a skeleton, found buried beneath the property’s lone peach tree, and certain to drag up dire consequences along with it.

For the bones—those of charismatic traveling salesman Tucker Devlin, who worked his dark charms on Walls of Water seventy-five years ago—are not all that lay hidden out of sight and mind. Long-kept secrets surrounding the troubling remains have also come to light, seemingly heralded by a spate of sudden strange occurrences throughout the town.

Now, thrust together in an unlikely friendship, united by a full-blooded mystery, Willa and Paxton must confront the dangerous passions and tragic betrayals that once bound their families—and uncover truths of the long-dead that have transcended time and defied the grave to touch the hearts and souls of the living.

Resonant with insight into the deep and lasting power of friendship, love, and tradition, The Peach Keeper is a portrait of the unshakable bonds that—in good times and bad, from one genera

tion to the next—endure forever.


Borrowed:

Witch & Wizard by James Patterson

The world is changing: the government has seized control of every aspect of society, and now, kids are disappearing. For 15-year-old Wisty and her older brother Whit, life turns upside down when they are torn from their parents one night and slammed into a secret prison for no reason they can comprehend. The New Order, as it is known, is clearly trying to suppress Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Being a Normal Teenager. But while trapped in this totalitarian nightmare, Wisty and Whit discover they have incredible powers they'd never dreamed of. Can this newly minted witch and wizard master their skills in time to save themselves, their parents--and maybe the world?


Now that summer has started, I've realized how far behind I am in my reading. I've got books piling up, and I need to take some time to relax and catch up before my summer courses begin. So, I'm taking a brief blogging vacation. I'm scheduling my posts for at least a week, and will hopefully be back with at least four or five books moved from my TBR pile.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday (May 11)

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This weekly meme shares the upcoming books that I'm most excited about.

The Vision (The Mark 2) by Jen Nadol

Cassie Renfield knows the mark tells her when someone is going to die and that she can intervene and attempt to change fate. But she still doesn't understand the consequences, especially whether saving one life dooms another. With no family left to offer guidance, Cassie goes in search of others like her. But when she meets Demetria, a troubled girl who seems to have the power of the Fates, Cassie finds the truth isn't at all what she expected. And then there's her heady new romance with bad boy Zander. Dating him has much graver repercussions than Cassie could ever have imagined, forcing her to make choices that cut to the essence of who she is and what she believes. Jen Nadol offers readers a romance with big stakes and an ethical dilemma with no easy answers in this riveting sequel to The Mark. Paranormal fans who love the psychological thrill of Lisa McMann's bestselling Wake trilogy will flock to this series.

Published by Bloomsbury
Release Date: September 27, 2011

*I'm not sure this is the final cover, so be aware that it's possible it could change. I'm INSANELY excited! I really loved The Mark, and can't wait to grab this one.

Friday, May 6, 2011

Author Interview & Contest: Tracy Deebs

A big thanks to Tracy for stopping by to answer a few questions! You can check out her website here: http://tracydeebs.com/, and her blog here: http://www.tracy-deebs.blogspot.com/


1. Tell us a bit about your upcoming release, Tempest Rising.

Tempest Rising a dark paranormal romance that tells the story of sixteen-year-old surfer, Tempest Maguire, on the cusp of her seventeenth birthday. The daughter of a pro-surfer and a mermaid, she has to make a choice between staying human as she’s always wanted, or becoming mermaid, a fate that she’s dreaded her entire life. But as her birthday approaches, she realizes the choice might not be as simple as she’d hoped (growing gills in English class will do that to a girl).

Add in a love triangle between Tempest and two (very) hot guys, a lot of surfing, an underwater kingdom and a showdown between Tempest and the most evil creature in the sea, and you have a good idea about what Tempest Rising has in store …

2. The book deals with mythological sea creatures, what inspired you to create a novel dealing with this topic?

I’ve loved mermaids since I was three years old and my dad brought me home a VHS copy of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid. I fell in love with the story the first time I saw it and then tortured my parents for the next three years by watching the movie at least once every single day. Seriously. When we moved to California when I was six, I fell in love with the ocean and all things in it (except sharks, which I have a terrible fear of) and when I first learned of selkies many years later (from a Nora Roberts novel, actually) I became just as fascinated with them. So when I told my agent I wanted to write a YA and she answered with, “How do you feel about mermaids …” I couldn’t resist. Tempest Rising is the book I’ve always wanted to write.

3. This is your first YA novel, would you mind sharing a bit about your journey to getting published?

For me, getting published in YA has been a really fabulous experience. I have an amazing agent whose first love is young adult novels. She was incredibly supportive when I told her I wanted to switch genres from romance and try my hand at a YA. Within two weeks, we’d come up with a credible idea, within six weeks I had a full proposal together (eighty pages and a synopsis) and just about three months from the day I told her I wanted to write YA, she sold Tempest Rising to Walker Books :)

Since then, I’ve sold two more YAs to Stacy Abrams, my awesome editor at Walker—one called The International Kissing Club (January 2012) which I wrote with two of my good friends and another that I’m working on now, tentatively called Zero Day, that is a modern day retelling of the Pandora myth, except instead of a box Pandora opens an attachment and brings about technological Armageddon.

4. One of the things that I loved about Tempest Rising was the variety of unique names in the book. How did you decide on those?

I love names and I’m never happy until they are exactly write. Tempest’s name was the hardest for me—she went through a bunch of different names and I had taken to calling her mermaid girl in my own head as I plotted out the story, when I finally decided to just relax and let the name come to me. Almost immediately I heard her voice in my head, along with a demand to be called Tempest. Everything else about her stemmed from her name—including her abilities and the prophecy.

The other names were easier for me to come up with. I had a general idea of what I wanted each character to be, so I looked for names that would suit their personalities/role in the novel.

5. Tempest Rising leaves things open for a sequel, can we expect another book in the near future?

I really hope so. I’ve always conceived of Tempest as a trilogy and the synopsis for the second book, Tempest Unleashed, is under consideration with my publisher as I write this :)

Enter to win an ARC of Tempest Rising by filling out the form below. This is only open to US residents, because it's being shipped straight from the publisher.

CONTEST CLOSED

Book Review: Tempest Rising by Tracy Deebs

Tempest Maguire wants nothing more than to surf the killer waves near her California home; continue her steady relationship with her boyfriend, Mark; and take care of her brothers and surfer dad. But Tempest is half mermaid, and as her seventeenth birthday approaches, she will have to decide whether to remain on land or give herself to the ocean like her mother. The pull of the water becomes as insistent as her attraction to Kai, a gorgeous surfer whose uncanny abilities hint at an otherworldly identity as well.


And when Tempest does finally give in to the water's temptation and enters a fantastical underwater world, she finds that a larger destiny awaits her—and that the entire ocean's future hangs in the balance. (From Goodreads)

I'm going to attempt to make this review as free of spoilers as I possibly can.*

It's no secret to Tempest that she's half-mermaid. Her mother was open about it, her father thinks it's a gift, but Tempest sees it as the thing that broke apart her family. So, when she begins to develop mermaid characteristic (i.e gills), she has a bit of a meltdown. It's justified, since the first time she begins to change she goes from surfing to almost drowning. She's attempting to live a normal human life, including a romance with Mark, despite knowing that she'll soon have to choose between her life on land, and a life in the water. When Kai shows up, it becomes clear who she's really meant to be with. There was a bit of a love triangle, but her relationship with Mark didn't really stand much of chance. She does try to cling to it, much like she does to her human life, but it was obvious that she shared something deeper with Kai. I won't spoil too much about who Kai really is, but I can say that it came as quite a surprise.

Tempest played the role of mother to her younger brothers, so that made her attraction to the sea bittersweet. She still deals with the abandonment that she felt when her mother returned to the sea, and refuses to do the same thing to her brothers. Avoiding the water is painful, too. Especially since every time she tries to resist, it seems like a certain sea witch shows up to try to lure her in. I thought that all of these struggles combined to make Tempest an extremely well-developed character.

The beginning of the book deals mostly with Tempest's human life, and relationships. Her relationships with her family, friends, and lingering resentment about her mother take center stage. While I really appreciated being able to get into her head, I think I was expecting more of her time to be spent in the water. The tension built up, but I was hoping that she would get to explore more of the undersea world.

I'm looking forward to seeing more of the world that Deebs has created, so I'm crossing my fingers in hopes of a sequel.

Tempest Rising
By Tracy Deebs
Published by Walker Books for Young Readers
352 Pages
Release Date: May 10, 2011
Received for Review
Rating: B

Check back later today for an interview with the author, and a contest

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Book Review: Flawless by Lara Chapman

Sarah Burke is just about perfect. She's got killer blue eyes, gorgeous blond hair, and impeccable grades. There's just one tiny-
all right, enormous-flaw: her nose. But even that's not so bad. Sarah's got the best best friend and big goals for print journalism fame.

On the first day of senior year, Rock Conway walks into her journalism class and
, well, rocks her world. Problem is, her best friend, Kristen, falls for him too. And when Rock and Kristen stand together, it's like Barbie and Ken come to life. So when Kristen begs Sarah to help her nab Rock, Sarah does the only thing a best friend can do-she agrees. For someone so smart, what was she thinking?

This hip retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac is filled with hilariously misguided matchmaking, sweet romance, and a gentle reminder that we should all embrace our flaws. (From Goodreads)

I can't stress enough how different this book was from the expectations that I had. I went in expecting a quick, cute read that was more about the drama than the characters. I couldn't have been more wrong. This book had strong characters, believable issues, and characters who learn to embrace their flaws.

Sarah was a really interesting lead character, because she has one major "flaw" and struggles with it. She has a very intimidating nose, one that people tend to whisper about as she walks by. That's definitely left a chip on her shoulder, one that's been made worse by her mother's less than subtle hints that she should consider rhinoplasty. At times she isn't afraid to stand up to people openly mocking her, but at times she's still dealing with her insecurities. I thought it was great to see her stick up for herself, and definitely believable for her to struggle with her image issues. The mom thing isn't as bad as it sounds, either. I expected her to be a horrible character, but you come to discover that she really cares about her daughter.

I think that the reason I enjoyed this book as much as I did was the friendship between Sarah and Kristen. Chapman could have easily made Kristen a horrible friend to Sarah, and one who the reader ends up disliking immensely. Instead she created a friendship that didn't fall apart, even with both girls liking the same guy. Yes, I did get frustrated when Sarah was called upon again and again to impersonate Kristen and write to Rock, but there was never any big overdramatic fallout. Sure, there were arguments between the two, but I never felt that they were unrealistic. It was really nice to see characters who supported each other, rather than trying to humiliate their "rival". Rock was pretty dreamy, too. Although, we all know that he should have just asked out Sarah to begin with.

I rarely give out A ratings, but I really loved this book. It took me by surprise, and surpassed any expectations that I had. I'm happy to say that this is one of my favorite reads of 2011.

Flawless
By Lara Chapman
Published by Bloomsbury
272 Pages
Release Date: May 10, 2011
Received for review
Rating: A

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday (May 4)


Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This weekly meme shares the upcoming books that I'm most excited about.

Hereafter by Tara Hudson

Can there truly be love after death?

Drifting in the dark waters of a mysterious river, the only thing Amelia knows for sure is that she's dead. With no recollection of her past life—or her actual death—she's trapped alone in a nightmarish existence. All of this changes when she tries to rescue a boy, Joshua, from drowning in her river. As a ghost, she can do nothing but will him to live. Yet in an unforgettable moment of connection, she helps him survive.

Amelia and Joshua grow ever closer as they begin to uncover the strange circumstances of her death and the secrets of the dark river that held her captive for so long. But even while they struggle to keep their bond hidden from the living world, a frightening spirit named Eli is doing everything in his power to destroy their newfound happiness and drag Amelia back into the ghost world . . . forever.

Thrilling and evocative, with moments of pure pleasure, Hereafter is a sensation you won't want to miss.

Published by HarperCollins
Release Date: June 7, 2011

Sunday, May 1, 2011

In My Mailbox (May 1)

In My Mailbox was created by Kristi of The Story Siren, who was inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. All of the synopses you see below were found on Goodreads. Here are the books I got this week...


Happy May! I realized that I haven't posted an "In My Mailbox" in a couple of weeks, but I got some books worth posting about last week.

For Review:

Tempest Rising by Tracy Deebs

Tempest Maguire wants nothing more than to surf the killer waves near her California home; continue her steady relationship with her boyfriend, Mark; and take care of her brothers and surfe
r dad. But Tempest is half mermaid, and as her seventeenth birthday approaches, she will have to decide whether to remain on land or give herself to the ocean like her mother. The pull of the water becomes as insistent as her attraction to Kai, a gorgeous surfer whose uncanny abilities hint at an otherworldly identity as well. And when Tempest does finally give in to the water's temptation and enters a fantastical underwater world, she finds that a larger destiny awaits her—and that the entire ocean's future hangs in the balance.

Published by Walker Books for Young Readers
Release Date: May 10, 2011


Flawless by Lara Chapman

Sarah Burke is just about perfect. She's got killer blue eyes, gorgeous blond hair, and impeccable grades. There's just one tiny-all right, enormous-flaw: her nose. But even that's not so bad. Sarah's got the best best friend and big goals for print journalism fame.

On the first day of senior year, Rock Conway walks into her journalism class and
, well, rocks her world. Problem is, her best friend, Kristen, falls for him too. And when Rock and Kristen stand together, it's like Barbie and Ken come to life. So when Kristen begs Sarah to help her nab Rock, Sarah does the only thing a best friend can do-she agrees. For someone so smart, what was she thinking?

This hip retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac is filled with hilariously misguided matchmaking, sweet romance, and a gentle reminder that we should all embrace our flaws.

Published by Bloomsbury
Release Date: May 10, 2011

Copyright ©2009-2013 Cornucopia of Reviews. All Rights Reserved.