Review 18: Shadowland by Meg Cabot

Title: Shadowland
Author: Meg Cabot
Publisher: Avon Books
Rating: 8.5/10
"I am a pretty normal, everyday, American teenager girl. Except, of course, for the fact that I can talk to the dead."
The Lowdown:
Suze is a mediator- a person who helps ghosts resolve their business and go to heaven/hell/wherever they go. After moving from NYC to the beautiful shores of Cali., Suze joins a Catholic school and meets hot guys from all over. However, there is a ghost in the school who is extremely violent because of the tragedy that happened with her. Can Suze resolve her issues and also deal with the extremely handsome ghost occupying her bedroom AND dealing with her crazy family?
The Good:
A. I really enjoyed the speedy narration.
B. Quick read.
C. The idea was good, but it gets boring sometimes. If you read Meg like I do, her style can get boring at times, she usually has a "set pattern" that you can deduce from her books.
D. I really liked all the characters, especially the nicknames she gave for the characters.
The Bad:
A. Switching back and forth between the nickname and the actual name made it kind of confusing... for me at least.
B. Part of the book is unnecessary, and unrequired.
The Consensus:
-Chick lit, check.
-Fantastical element, check.
- Fun and interesting, check.
- Quick and breezy read, check.
If you value the qualities above, then grab this book RIGHT NOW!!! :)

Review 17: 68 Knots by Michael Evans

Title: 68 Knots
Author: Michael Evans
Publisher: Tanglewood Press
Rating: 9.8/10
The Lowdown:
After the counselors leave and the cranky/bi-polar/depressed captain commits suicide, eight teenagers decide to lead a ship, fulfilling their dreams of a summer filled with adventures, fun, and romance.
The Good:
A. All the characters were awesome.
B. The ending.
C. Ishmael, the kitten. And when he passes away during a really bad storm, how Jesse looks like. I mean, a big dude taking care of a small and delicate thing... it's very ironic. Heck, it reeks of irony.
D. I love the whole book, the plot, and the adventure.
E. How Arthur grows emotionally and matures as he learns that parents can sometimes be the bad people.
The Bad:
A. At certain points of the book, it got kind of boring. So yeah, the length could have been shortened.
The Consensus:
I really enjoyed this read. If you want some YA lit. with class, then pick this book up NOW!

Review 16: Miracle Wimp by Erik P Craft

Title: Miracle Wimp
Author: Erik P. Craft
Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers
Rating: 5/10
The Lowdown:
The illustrated story of Tom Mayo dealing with a nutty wood shop teacher, first girlfriend, and surviving high school.
The Good:
A. Honestly, I can think of nothing, but I guess the pictures were pretty.
B. The cover is kind of tricked out.
The Bad:
A. Oh God, where do I began? How about the fact that this book has no PLOT? No direction?
B. All the characters are FLAT. Nothing ROUND about them.
C. The pictures, now that I think about it, are kind of stupid.
D. Heck, the main character is an idiot!
The Consensus:
As you can tell by the Lowdown, I am not excited about this book. This book bored me to death, and had no plot, no direction. *Yawn* Is this in in YA books today?

Fowl Friday 1

I promised this, but due to Hurricane Ike, I couldn't post info. about Arty... I apologize to all my blog readers out there in the world. By the way, give a shoutout about who you are and why you read my blog, if you can. I love getting to know my readers.
So, anyway... here is Fowl Friday number 1. This piece of news shocked me a bit, so lemme know whether it did to you too. During the next Fowl Friday, we will discuss whether or not there is going to be a AF 7.

Bestselling Author of Artemis Fowl Series, Eoin Colfer, Tapped To Write The Sixth Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Last update: 1:30 p.m. EDT Sept. 17, 2008

NEW YORK, Sept 17, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Ellen Archer, President and Publisher, announces today that Hyperion will publish the next book in the beloved and world-famous Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series. Eoin Colfer, author of the bestselling Artemis Fowl children series, will continue the legacy of Hitchhiker's, originally created and written by Douglas Adams, who passed away in 2001. The new book is titled And Another Thing . . . will be published in October 2009.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy originated as a radio series and was later adapted as a television series, comics, a play, a movie, a computer game, and five books. It was during the writing of the sixth book in the series that Douglas Adams suffered a heart attack and died at the age of 49. In an interview with Matt Newsome in The Salmon of Doubt, the late Douglas Adams said, "I would love to finish Hitchhiker on a slightly more upbeat note, so five seems to be a wrong kind of number, six is a better kind of number." Upon discovering and falling in love with Artemis Fowl, Adams's teenage daughter and his widow, Jane Belson, realized that Eoin Colfer was an equally amazing fantasy writer and one who could write that sixth book, opening up the series to a new generation of readers. "I am delighted that Eoin Colfer has agreed to continue the Hitchhiker series," says Belson. "I love Colfer's books and could not think of a better person to transport Arthur, Zaphod and Marvin to pastures new. This project has my full support."

Says Colfer, "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was like nothing I had read before, or since for that matter. It is a slice of satirical genius. A marvel of quantum tomfoolery. A dissection of the absurdities of our human condition. A space odyssey that forces us to face ourselves and collapse in hysterics . . . My first reaction was semi-outrage that anyone should be allowed to tamper with this incredible series. But on reflection, I realized that this is a wonderful opportunity to work with characters I have loved since childhood and give them something of my own voice while holding on to the spirit of Douglas Adams. I am bloody determined that this will be the best thing I have ever written."

Of the deal, Archer says, "Working with the vast network of people and resources of The Walt Disney Company, Hyperion will reach out to and bridge two massive audiences that transcend generations of readers: the millions of loyal and enthusiastic fans who have made Eoin Colfer and the Artemis Fowl series so successful, and the passionate and devoted following of Douglas Adams's beloved and bestselling Hitchhikers series. We believe this will be the international publishing event of Fall 2009."

Archer negotiated the deal with Sophie Hicks and Ed Victor of Ed Victor Ltd, agents for both Colfer and the Douglas Adams Estate. Hyperion retains publication rights to the United States, audio, eBook, and first serial.

Hyperion, which was founded in 1991, publishes general-interest fiction and non-fiction hardcover, trade, and mass-market paperback books for adults and includes the VOICE, Miramax, ESPN Books, ABC Daytime Press, Hyperion East, and Hyperion AudioBooks imprints. Hyperion is the adult trade book publishing unit of the ABC-TV Group, The Walt Disney Company.

Review 15: Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You

Title: Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You
Author: Peter Cameron
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Rating: 6.5/10
"How do I know what I will want in my life? How do I know what things I will need?"
The Lowdown:
James Sveck, an intelligent 18-year-old, has no clue what the heck to do with his life. All he knows is that he wants to buy a house in the midwest, which no one understands, including his sister and his mother. How could they? His sister, at Barnard U, is dating a married professor who eventually dumps her. His mother, who is on her third failed marriage, after her third husband steals her credit cards to gamble away in Sin City. After getting the good news that he got into Brown U, James doesn't even know if he wants to attend college... after all, hanging out with people his age is ABSOLUTELY mortifying! What will James do?
The Good:
A. I guess I have to praise Cameron's efforts to create a new Holden... a smarter, gay, and more confused one, I guess.
B. The synopsis was written in an interesting way.
C. The sub-plots were more interesting than the main plot.
The Bad:
A. The book is nothing like it promises. Funny??! Please. Sure, sometimes there are moments of "witty" sarcasm, but I understood nothing, and hey, I read Catcher in the Rye and totally enjoyed it.
B. Let's think for a second. How similar is this book with J.D. Salinger's masterpiece? Slim books, confused narrators, confused about sexual orientation, scared of adults, and absolutely no plot. Is this a total rip-off of Catcher in the Rye?
C. The title of this book also comes from a poem thingy, just like J.D. Salinger's title! Another pathetically strange similarity.
D. The plot. There was no point in it. I was waiting for it, waiting for it. No climax, no denouement. No thrills or chills.
The Consensus:
If you are a lit. prof., then maybe you'll enjoy it. That's like a longshot. This book is, in my opinion, a pathetic attempt to re-create a great masterpiece. I don't know what people see in this book that makes them ooh and aah, but I really hated this book.

Review 14: Zipped by Laura and Tom McNeal

Title: Zipped

Author: Laura and Tom McNeal

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Rating: 9.5/10

The Lowdown:

When 15-year-old Mick Nochols opens a wrong mail at a wrong time, he realizes that his step mother is having an affair. He is completely engrossed with the affair, and is also distracted by other things, namely, the college-student infamous Myra, who is paying more attention to him, and is also harboring her own little dirty secret. Also, the copper-haired Lisa Doyle, who he likes so much that he feels like he is going to explode... how is he going to manage all?

The Good:

A. I loved the narration. Always love the narration!

B. I loved the plot.

C. I also liked the character, and the ending was extremely AWESOME.

The Bad:

A. I didn't really like the way Mick dealt with the cheater person.

The Consensus:

An excellent mysterious book. I really enjoyed it and I would have NEVER guessed who his step-mother cheated with. It was quite sad, actually.

Review 13: Millicent Min, Girl Genius by Lisa Yee

Title: Millicent Min, Girl Genius

Author: Lisa Yee

Publisher: Scholastic Publishers

Rating: 9/10

The Lowdown:

Milli is a genius who has always been friendless. She has been hated for setting the curve by skipping five grades. She is always below-challenged. She is always made fun of because she is a senior at 11. But all that changes, when she meets Emily. Emily doesn't know and doesn't care about Millicent's IQ. Can Millicent ward Emily off of her IQ and just become friends for once?
The Good:

A. I love the narrative. It actually sounded like a 11-year-old genius was talking to me.

B. It was an excellent idea.

C. I love the little volleyball at the beginning of every page.

D. The book was a quick read, and it didn't drag ON and ON.

E. Fresh voice in Asian-American Lit.

The Bad:

A. I didn't really understand why Stanford was a big part of the story.

B. That was just mean how that college girl took advantage of Millie's brain.

C. Steoreotypical of Asian-American lit.

The Consensus:

A quick, cool read. I really enjoyed Millicent Min, not only due to the fresh voice, but also because of the ending. It really is a cute book.

Review 12: Nothing but the Truth (and a Few White Lies)

Title: Nothing but the Truth (and a Few White Lies)

Author: Justina Headlley

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Rating: 9.5/10

"The Patty Ho Happy Camper Theorem

Given: Math camp is a done deal

Prove: It is the open door I'm supposed to run through this summer."

The Lowdown:

Patty Ho is half-Asian and half-American. She is quiet and tries to be the model daughter her controlling Tiawnese mother wants her to be. After a fortune teller tells her that a white dude is going to "involved" with her, her mother freaks out and ships her out to Stanford Math Camp. She thinks that things are at worst, but then the probabilities are WAY too good than she could've ever imagined.

The Good:

A. I really liked the narration, but I am not a fan of the main character.

B. Fresh voice in Asian-American books.

C. I loved the ending. If more people are proud of their heritage, then we are seriously moving forward as a race!

The Bad:

A. The main character. She has flaws, and the writing sometimes gets confusing.

The Consensus:

I really enjoyed this "side read." It was quick, sweet, and to the point. Pick it up today!

Review 11: Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson

Title: Suite Scarlett

Author: Maureen Johnson

Publishers: Point Publishers

Rating: 9/10

"It was 8:03 in the morning. And it was Scarlett's birthday."

The Lowdown:

Scarlett lives in a hotel in NYC. Sounds awesome, right? Except for the fact that her sister is dating a millionaire, her cancer-survivor sister is mad at her for something she doesn't understand, and her brother is getting nowhere. Oh, and the fact that they're almost broke.

How is Scarlett going to deal with this and the fact that she is crushing on her brother's new partner, as well as an eccentric new guest? Only God knows.

The Good:

A. The cover (I'm always praising covers, aren't I?)

B. The plot (predictable at first, then non-predictable, and then predictable.)

C. The characters- especially Mrs. Amberson.

D. The length

The Bad:

A. I didn't really like the ending all that much.

B. The Acts in the beginning were kind of useless. All this time I was thinking that there would be some point for all of this, but not really.

The Consensus:

This book was awesome. Read it; Maureen Johnson brings another devilishly awesome novel (there is a joke in there.)

Review 10: Jinx by Meg Cabot

Title: Jinx

Author: Meg Cabot

Publisher: HarperTeen Publishers

Rating: 7/10

"The thing is, my luck has always been rotten. Just look at my name: Jean... "

The Lowdown:

Jean Honeybunch hates her name. Why couldn't she be named Janette? Or Jennifer? Or something other than plain old.... Jean.

Jean Honeybunch also is nicknamed Jinx, because when she was born, a huge supercell went throughout the country. After that, she has brought bad luck on her family ever since. After moving from the country to the bog, bad mean city, she learns about her past and her special, ahem, powers.

The Good:

A. The length. It was exactly the same size.

B. I loved the narration.

C. I also loved all the characters in the book, especially Jean's friends.

D. I loved the ending!

The Bad:

A. I didn't really like the plot all that much. I mean, it was so predictable and kind of stupid.

B. Meg's stories are getting old. There are only a few variables that you can have in every story.

C. Witches. SERIOUSLY!? What is this, Harry Potter?

The Consensus:

The book could have been better, but wasn't that bad. A predictable story, and I'm tired of Meg C. being "sidetracked" by other stories. Like seriously Meg, get a series and STICK WITH IT!!! :)

Twilight Tuesday: More on Peter Fanicelli, AKA Carlisle Cullen

MTV: First off, give us your take on Carlisle.
Peter Facinelli: Carlisle Cullen is about 348 years old, but he doesn't look a day over 200. He's the father of the Cullen family, which is a small little vampire family in this town of Forks, Washington. He's started this little coven and tries to fit in with the humans instead of living the natural vampire world of feeding on humans. He's a vegetarian with his family, and they feed on animals.

MTV: And he's very philanthropic for a vampire. He's turned a lot of people over the years, but for good reasons.
Facinelli: Yeah, all the people he's ever turned into vampires have been either sick or dying, so I thought I was doing them a favor by giving them the gift of immortality. It's not like he's a bad guy at all.

MTV: Had you read the books before you got the gig?
Facinelli: I read ["Twilight"] right before I met with Catherine Hardwicke. I read the book in one day; I couldn't put it down. It was fantastic.

MTV: You had your own little cram session?
Facinelli: Yeah, they didn't have the script available; they just had some audition pages, and I was like, "I don't know what this is about." So I read the book, and I really enjoyed it.

MTV: Were you into vampires anyway?
Facinelli: Well, here's an interesting story: About four weeks before the audition process, I was reading a book about vampires in Hollywood through all the ages. Like 50 years of vampires! It was in an office. I was flipping through it, and I thought, "Wow!" I was never a big fan of vampire movies, until I flipped through that book and saw how beautiful they were and the mystery of it all. It's turned into a lot of gore and guts nowadays in a lot of vampire movies, [but] when I read "Twilight," it reminded me of the old movies when vampires were mysterious and had sexual undertones, and it was more of a beautiful vampire tale instead of the horror genre, which I liked.

MTV: What's it like playing father to people who are only a few years younger than you?
Facinelli: Oh, you're too kind. I've actually got about a decade on all these kids. And I have kids myself, so it's not hard paying the father role. We've all bonded, and they all call me Dad.

MTV: Have you tried to go off the script a bit and sneak in references to Carlisle's 350-year-long history? Maybe tell a story about the time you were hanging out with Abe Lincoln?
Facinelli: Well, I don't know if it will make it in the movie, but I made reference to a time when I met Babe Ruth during the baseball scene.

MTV: A lot of the actors had to undergo some intense stunt training. Did you?
Facinelli: You know, I didn't have that much wirework. But I had doctor training! I can do operations now. So if you ever need anything ... like a spleen checked or your liver removed, I'm here.

MTV: That will come in handy if my appendicitis acts up! So if the "Twilight" sequels get made, what's the one scene from the other books that you can't wait to shoot?
Facinelli: I would say I'm looking forward to the scene where the werewolves and the vampires team up to fight some bad vampires. That would be a fun sequence to shoot.

MTV: Are you Team Edward, Team Jacob or Team Switzerland?
Facinelli: [Laughs.] Well, I'd have to go Team Edward. But [my character is] so biased. I mean, as a fan of the book, I'm Team Switzerland. But sitting here playing Dr. Carlisle? I have to go Team Edward.

MTV: If there were such a thing as vampires, would you want to be changed?
Facinelli: Wow. I like the idea of immortality, but that is a tough question. Someone asked me what age I'd like to be changed at, and that is a tough one. I kept changing my answer: "18. No, 23. No, 26. No, 30. Ahh." It was like, "Anywhere between 18 and 40, I think." I like the idea of immortality, but I don't like the idea of drinking other people's blood or living off of animal's blood. That's kind of nasty.

MTV: If you were a vampire, would you want to go vegetarian, or would you go old-school?
Facinelli: Again, you're catching me on a day when I'm all in-character, so I have to say vegetarian. The thought of eating someone else's blood is gross to me. But animal blood? Warm animal blood? That's not so great either. I guess I'd have to go with the animal blood.

MTV: Who is the biggest prankster among the "Twilight" stars?
Facinelli: Edi Gathegi [who plays Laurent] was the big jokester. ... He does all these voices, so he would call me [on the phone] and pretend like he was different people. Like, he called my room and said he was some girl named Suzie, and I was like, "Who is this?" This is a funny story: One day I told him to call Jackson Rathbone and do Suzie for him and say he was Suzie from the production office. So he called and said, "Hey, this is Suzie from the production office. We just want to tell you that we're dying your hair back to brown, because we don't like the blond hair."

MTV: That's hilarious, because Jackson was already going through hell trying to find the right hairdo.
Facinelli: Yeah, and this was early in the production. [Jackson] was like, "Oh, OK." And he was actually on the phone with his manager, so he clicked over and was like, "Oh, yeah, they just called me. They're dying my hair back." And his manager goes, "Oh, thank God. I hated you with blond hair!" And then [Edi] called them back and was like, "It's just me." And [Jackson] had to call his manager back to say it's not real. And the manager was totally backpedaling! Jackson said it was funny.

Review 9: Artemis Fowl: the Time Paradox

Title: Artemis Fowl and the Time Paradox
Author: Eoin Colfer
Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children
Rating: 8.5/10
The Lowdown:
We left Artemis finding out that *gasp* he is going to be a lil brother! YAY! After Artemis's mama gets sick with some disease after giving birth (three years after giving birth), Artemis must go back in time to find the cure. He will have to defeat his deadliest enemey yet: Artemis Fowl, age 10.
The Good:
A. I loved how Holly and Arty share a kiss!
B. Opal Koboi. Her freakiness makes moi happy :)
C. JayJay. He is beyond cute.
D. Mulch is back!!!!
E. The. Cover. Is. AWESOME. You have to touch it to believe it.
The Bad:
A. The ending. Seriously?
B. The Extinctionist Society. Anything dealing with animal cruelty is on my bad list. I hope organizations like these don't exist in our society.
The Consensus:
I fell in love with Lil Arty at a very young age. He became the only thing I cared about, the only thing I thought about (yes, I was a nerd.) But, this book was awesome until the end when Colfer reveals the ending. The ending sucked. So, SPOILER ALERT.
I can't believe that Colfer could do this to the fans! Let Opal escape! At least let her get captured for once, peeps! Perhaps Opal went back in time somehow.... but I am seriously annoyed that Colfer could do that to us fans.
Anyways, ending aside, the book was a complete 10/10 out of my book... bye bye lil Arty. I shall miss you dearly. :(
*Since there is an Artemis Fowl movie coming out... so, I will start a new section of the blog called Fowl Friday. Ingenious, isn't it? :)*