The Lonely Hearts Club

The Lonely Hearts Club
by Elizabeth Eulberg

Penny Lane Bloom is sick of dating boys. All they do is cause her trouble and heartbreak. She vows to date no more for the next two years, until she graduates from high school. Penny decides to start a club: The Lonely Hearts Club (yep, like the Beatles).

The club soon has multiple girls joining. These girls have also realized that they are changing themselves to get the guy, only to get hurt in return. Things change after an article in the school paper though, and Penny doesn't like how she is now known for having the "lonely heart". Besides, there is this one boy...

Grade: A

This was an amazingly written debut novel. I loved every minute of reading, and I could not stop until I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. The characters were fun and unique. The plot was totally original which made the story even better. I was a little worried at first, seeing how the cover was changed to be more Beatle-ish, that there would be a ton of musical references to the Beatles. But it wasn't over done, for sure. And personally, I prefer the more girly and swirly cover. It seemed like there were a lot of main characters, but that was okay, because the plot flowed well, and I got to know each character pretty well. Overall, this was very enjoyable, and extremely cute. A great debut!

*released on December 29, 2009
**reviewed for TeensReadToo

The School for Dangerous Girls

The School for Dangerous Girls
by Eliot Schrefer

Angela Cardenas is sent to Hidden Oak by her parents after they think there is nothing left that they can do to help her. This is her parents' last hope, a reform school for girls..."dangerous" girls. But this is not the normal kind of school.

Angela soon finds out that the school does not have her best interest at heart. She and her new friends, including Juin and Carmen, decide that they need to do something about the school, even if that means getting the school shut down for good.

Grade: D-

I was very interested after reading a few reviews for this novel. It sounded really cool and unique. And it was. But sadly, not until pretty much the very end of the book. There didn't seem to be anything really amazing about it. The end had me turning pages quickly, but other than the interesting ending, I was disappointed. The characters weren't fully explained. I was expecting more than what I got. So, all in all, I agree with the past reviews I have read. Don't bother with this one, unless you want to wait 300 pages for it to get really good. (This is the worst grade I have ever given a book!)

Deadly Little Lies

Deadly Little Lies
by Laurie Faria Stolarz

It has been four months since Ben left Camelia. Since then, Camelia has been researching psychometry, the mysterious gift that Ben has. Camelia is sure that somehow she has this power as well, like it rubbed off on her somehow.

Then Ben comes back to school. He keeps his distance, but then breaks it, confusing Camelia. He wanted space, so Camelia decides to finally give up and move on. She meets Adam at Knead. He seems to care about her, but he isn't Ben. Camelia is also starting to get more weird photos and letters. She is even hearing things; warnings. Someone is lying to her. But who?

Grade: A+

This book was just as amazing as the first, if not better. BRILLIANT! I have yet to find a book by Laurie that I don't like. I love the way she writes, and I love the characters. I found myself during this novel rooting for Ben the whole time, but I even got suspicious of him, just like Camelia did. There is so much suspense in this series. And I just think...Wow, Camelia is one unlucky girl, seeing how there are all these weirdos in her town! Anyone and everyone needs to read this series if you haven't already. Amazing. I cannot wait for Deadly Little Games!

The Waking: Dreams of the Dead

The Waking: Dreams of the Dead
by Thomas Randall

Kara Foster and her father just moved to Japan to follow their dreams after the death of Kara's mother. She is the American girl, an outsider. Then she meets Sakura, another outsider at the private school.

Sakura is haunted by her sister's death that happened during the previous school year. Then, Kara starts having nightmares. Other students turn up dead. But who is killing them?

Grade: B-

I'm a big fan of the supernatural. From the start of the story, I didn't really know what was going on. I kept reading and reading, and was like, where is the supernatural part? That didn't hit until way towards the end of the book, sadly. So, really, the book kind of dragged for me. It kept me interested though, because I really wanted to know what in the world was going on. It was an interesting read, because the author included Japanese words. This book will be a part of a series, but I don't think I will be checking out the next books.

*reviewed for teensreadtoo.com

Forest Born

Forest Born
by Shannon Hale

Something is wrong with her, Rin is just sure of it. She doesn't feel at home in the Forest, where she has lived her whole life. Razo, her favorite brother, has gone off to the city. She is left as Ma's shadow. Rin has no idea who she is. But when Razo comes home for a visit, Rin goes back to the city with him. To be one of the Queen's ladies in waiting.

Soon after her arrival, war has come to Bayern. Rin accompanies Isi, the Queen, and her closet friends, in search of those who want to hurt Bayern. Rin thinks of them as the Fire Sisters. Together, they go into the Forest towards the land of Kel.

Grade: A

I haven't read any of the other Books of Bayern, but reading this made me want to. Having not read the previous Books, I had no idea what to expect of this one. I was impressed. I have only read one other book by Shannon Hale (which is by far one of my favorite books ever). Her writing is irresistible to me. I love it. I just feel for the characters in the story. I am pulled in and need to know what is going to happen. That is exactly what happened to me again in this book. I felt Rin's raw emotions, whether it was pain or happiness. This book, I think, is more of a younger book, but really, anyone will enjoy it.

*reviewed for teensreadtoo.com

Killing Britney

Killing Britney
by Sean Olin

Britney Johnson is the girl you love to hate. She was the "ugly-duckling", then reinvented herself. Now she is blond, popular, and beautiful. She is dating Ricky, the captain of the ice hockey team.

Then, someone starts killing all the people around Britney. Ricky is the first of many deaths. Britney is scared out of her mind, thinking someone is trying to get to her, just by starting out with the people around her.

Grade: C+

Um, I'm not too sure where to go with this story. It was pretty average. It was exciting, and hard to put down. I was really shocked at the ending, it was SO weird, and I'm not sure I fully understand it. When I started reading it, I figured it was going to be a very predictable book, but it actually wasn't, because of that crazy ending. Really, I don't think I recommend this book, but hey, your choice.

Old Magic

Old Magic
by Marianne Curley

Kate Warren just knows that there is something different about Jarrod Thornton as soon as he walks into the classroom. She thinks he is supernatural...like her. And not much later, a thunderstorm occurs, in the classroom.

But, Jarrod doesn't believe in the paranormal. He doesn't believe Kate, but goes along with it, because he finds her fascinating. But he has a problem. Anything bad that happens always will happen to him. Kate thinks it is a curse, conjured up from Jarrod's ancestors, which age back to medieval Europe.

Together, to save him and his family, Kate and Jarrod embark on an adventure to try to help him, and maybe learn a little too.

Grade: A+

This was my first book from PaperBackSwap, and I was totally impressed. I hadn't heard of this book before, nor the author, but I am sooo glad I got it. It was amazing. There is history, romance, and it was just a fun story. And look at that guy on the cover. He is SMOKIN. :] Medieval Europe is one of the most interesting time periods to me, and this book included it, which made it even better. I loved the relationship between Kate and Jarrod; I just wanted to be her so I could be around that guy! I recommend this to anyone who enjoys a little magic.