Red Carpet Week Pt. 6: Girl, Interrupted

                How are people labeled mentally insane? Is it when they see spots on their vision, or talk to voices in their head, or maybe even when they set themselves on fire and jump off buildings? This is what happens to Susanna Kaysen in her memoir, Girl, Interrupted. When Susanna was eighteen, she was sent to see a psychiatrist after supposedly attempting suicide. Kaysen denies it, but she is sent to McLean Hospital in Massachusetts. McLean is a private psychiatric hospital, and here Susanna meets some strange people.

Lisa Rowe, a patient at McLean, is diagnosed as a sociopath, but she doesn’t actually seem like one. She runs away from the hospital for a couple days frequently, but she always comes back. She loves to play jokes on the staff and be a troublemaker to them. Polly is a character that everyone at the hospital respects greatly. Polly has depression and schizophrenia, and she was admitted to the hospital after she set herself on fire. People never ask her about her scars, but Susanna constantly wonders about them.

                The sanest person in the hospital, besides Susanna, is Georgina. She is hospitalized because of schizophrenia, but she seems almost perfectly fine. Georgina is Susanna's roommate at the institution, and one of her greatest friend. She also has a boyfriend in the ward, another patient named Wade, who has delusions about his father being in the CIA, and he is occasionally violent. There are many more characters, like daisy, but she commits suicide, and Torrey, who’s a drug addict, and Alice who is just plain crazy.

                The things that happen in the hospital are strange. Some things are funny, and others are just sad to hear about. The interactions between Lisa Rowe and Susanna are funny and thoughtful at the same time. It sad that Susanna was told she would be there a few weeks, but ended up being held for two years. The characters, who all have different personalities and quirks, are all defined ‘crazy’, but they don’t seem that crazy to me. Maybe I’m just crazy, too?

This is the trailer for the 1999 film starring Winona Ryder, Brittany Murphy, Angelina Jolie, Whoopi Goldberg and Jared Leto playing Susanna’s ex-boyfriend, Toby. The film received good reviews and an Academy Award for Jolie, but it doesn’t exactly follow the same story as the book. It is based on the book, but it really is very different. The quality of this video is bad, but deal. 

RED’S ALL STAR REVIEW: 3 ½ out of 5 stars. The book was really good, and the movie was too, even if they weren’t coinciding.

MASS APPEAL: I’m not sure, I liked the book. I think that most people would like it, but it’s not specifically for certain people. If you need to read a nonfiction book, read this one. 

Buy this book on Amazon, Click here!

Red Carpet Week Pt. 5: The Hunger Games

There is so much talk of an earth shattering apocalypse, but no one really believes it will happen. But what if it did? What if after this apocalypse, society was left in ruin and was taken over by a dictatorship. This post-apocalyptic world is called Panem, and it is found in Suzanne Collins’s first book in a trilogy, The Hunger Games. In this country, there are 12 districts and every year a boy and girl from each district has to compete in a televised battle where only one can survive.

Katniss is a sixteen year old living in the 12^th district, called Seam. She lives in the poor neighborhood, and her family does not have much. Since her father died in a mine accident, she has become the head of the family. She is strong and brave, and she does what needs to be done for others without thinking of consequences.

                Gale Hawthorne is her best friend. He is eighteen, so it’s his last year he could be picked for the Hunger games. He met Katniss while hunting, an act that is illegal. Gale’s father had also been killed in the accident, so he had to hunt for food as well as she. He is similar to her, and he seems to have quite a crush on her. Peeta is the son of the well-off baker, who also has a crush on Katniss, but he’s always kept it hidden.

                When the drawing comes for the Hunger Games contestants, Peeta is selected, and so is Primrose. Primrose is Katniss’s younger sister, and so to protect her, Katniss volunteers in Primrose’s place. Katniss and Peeta are taken to the Capitol after short goodbyes from their families and Gale. There they are trained and prepared for the battle that could very well be the thing that kills them. But are they ready for it? Let the Hunger Games begin.

This is the amazing, highly anticipated trailer for The Hunger Games. The movie, which will be released late March 2012, stars Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss, Josh Hutcherson as Peeta, and Liam Hemsworth as Gale. Not to mention Woody Harrelson, from Zombieland, as Haymitch, their drunken trainer.

RED’S ALL STAR REVIEW: 4 ½ stars out of 5. This is easily one of the best books I’ve ever read. I can’t say enough good things about. I couldn’t put it down until I was done, not even to eat! This is the one book from this week that everyone needs to read.

MASS APPEAL: Everyone will like this book. There is not much mush between the characters, there’s a lot of action and because it’s a battle where they are being killed, there is violence told in cruel detail. I loved it so much I can’t even describe it. It will be as big as Twilight, but the book and movie are and will be so much better!

Buy this book, or the trilogy, on Amazon. Click here!

Red Carpet Week Pt. 4: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

                There is a lot of fascination for murder and murder investigation nowadays. There are shows like CSI and Law & Order and other like it. There are other books and many movies that capture the suspense behind the investigation of homicide. The next book is perfect for those who are interested in these topics. The next book on the list is all the way from Sweden; coming from Swedish author Stieg Larsson. The book is The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

Mikael Blomkvist is the publisher of the Swedish political magazine Millennium and just lost a libel case involving allegations about billionaire industrialist Hans-Erik Wennerström. He is sentenced to three months in prison and fines. Henrik Vanger has commissioned an investigation into Blomkvist's personal and professional history, which is carried out by Lisbeth Salander, a surveillance agent with Milton Security. (This may not make sense, but read the book and you will get it.)

                Lisbeth is a strange girl, with tattoos and piercings and seems antisocial. She was deemed incompetent as a child, having no family, and was taken under the car of her legal guardian, Holger Palmgren. He dies pretty quick, from a stroke, though. Her new guardian is horrible though, and he takes advantage of her until she threatens him.

                While working together, Mikael and Lisbeth, she hacks into his computer and when he finds out they decide to research another characters disappearance. They realize that they could be on the trail of a serial killer. That’s where it gets interesting. The book starts very slow; so slow that I almost put it down, but when the action starts picking up, and it will, I couldn’t put it down at all. I bet that you won’t be able to either.

 This is the trailer for the newest adaptation of the movie starring Daniel Craig as Mikael and Rooney Mara as Lisbeth. The film has rave reviews, and it’s not hard to see why. The movie came out in theaters yesterday.

RED’S ALL STAR REVIEW: 4 out of 5 stars. Again, it starts slow but it picks up as it goes along and it gets really interesting fast. The end is written well, but horrible for Lisbeth, and it leaves an opening for the next book in the trilogy.

MASS APPEAL: It has a little bit of a higher difficulty level then other books I’ve blogged about, but it’s also better then quite a few. Anyone who can read this book will enjoy it. 

Buy this book on Amazon, Click here!

Red Carpet Week Pt. 3: Beastly

What is the official indicator that someone is beautiful? Is it how they look; their face or body, their hair or eyes? How do we tell if we are pretty or not? Well, in Alex Finn’s Beastly, true beauty comes from within. This is a modern day twist on the fairytale, The Beauty and the Beast, but it combines a few different stories that are intertwined. But, the overall story is very similar.

                Kyle Kingsley has the world on a string. He’s tall, blonde, gorgeous, popular and rich; everything that everyone wants to be. But he’s not the kindest person in the world, humiliating a girl, Kendra who has ugly features, at his private schools dance. Kendra is actually a witch and curses him to live as a beast, but there is an upside you read about. His father gets him an apartment and he isolates himself.

                The funny thing I like is the chat room transcripts where Kyle talks to other teens that have been transformed into creatures like him. One of my favorite characters is Will, Kyle’s blind tutor and his dog, Pilot. Will becomes really good friends with Kyle and they have some good conversations. The only other person there with Kyle is Magda, the maid. She is kind of mysterious until the end where you learn who she really is.

                Of course, being a version of The Beauty and the Beast, Kyle comes across a drunken guy in his greenhouse, and takes him ‘hostage’. His daughter, Lindy, who goes to school with Kyle, offers to stay instead. Lindy, contrary to Belle, is not beautiful in the book. The rest of the book is slightly predictable, since we all know the outcome, but there are some fresh twists and it is modernized, so it’s relatable, kinda. The screen adaptation with Vanessa Hudgens, Alex Pettyfer and Mary-Kate Olsen, is slightly different, but surprisingly accurate compared to how most books turned movies end up.

Here is the trailer for the 2011 movie. Oh, I forgot to mention that the brilliant Neal Patrick Harris plays Will. Even better.

RED’S ALL STAR REVIEW: 3 ½ out of 5 stars. Again, it was predictable, but a fairytale, so it has to be enjoyed.

MASS APPEAL: Anyone who loved the original Beauty and the Beast, or the other Disney fairytales will love this modern update. Fans of the actors in the movie will not be disappointed, either.  

Click here! to buy this book on Amazon.

Red Carpet Week Pt. 2: The Lovely Bones

Can you imagine dying? Can you imagine just being gone one day and never being able to go back, see the people you love and talk to your friends. But, what will happen to those people left behind? Will you be able to guide them from whatever afterlife you encounter? That is the subject of Alice Sebold’s The Lovely Bones. In the year 1973, 14-year-old Susie Salmon takes her usual shortcut home from her school through a cornfield, but what she doesn’t count on is what happens to her on what seems a normal day.

Suzie is lured into the den of her neighbor George Harvey. Harvey, a 36-year-old single man who lives alone and builds doll houses for a living, rapes and murders her with a knife when he gets her inside. He puts her remains in a safe and dumps it in a sinkhole. Suzie is just thought to be missing, until Susie's elbow is found by the neighbor's dog. Her family is heartbroken and continues to struggle with her death through the book.

The police talk to Harvey, finding him strange but seeing no reason to suspect him. Later, Len Fenerman, the detective assigned to the case, tells the Salmons that the police have exhausted all leads and are dropping the investigation. Meanwhile, Jack is horribly beaten by a baseball bat by Suzie’s best friend’s boyfriend (confusing, huh?) when he finds jack in a cornfield. Things keep getting worse.

It’s not long after, Suzie’s father sneaks into Harvey’s house and finds some suspicious things. But, Harvey always has an explanation and gets off free, and then leaves town. What, the killer goes free?!? No, this is not the end, there will be more and maybe justice. This book has some interesting turns and unexpected twists that will keep you reading until the end. Not, a book person? Ok, then watch the trailer of the 2010 movie.There are a few differences, but don't all movies have them?

RED’S ALL STAR REVIEW:  out of 5 stars. A horrifyingly brilliant story about life after death and the strength that can come with tragedy. Love it, and the movie isn’t bad either.

MASS APPEAL: Girls would probably like this book more, but it’s a great book and a good movie that I recommend.  

Click here! to buy the book on Amazon.

Red Carpet Week, PT. 1: Flipped

The title may have confused you; don't be confused. This week is all about the silver screen. How does that relate to books, you ask? Well, all of these books have been produced into a movie within the last ten years, and all have fabulous reviews for the book and the movie.

                Have you ever had a childhood friendship? The mixed-gender relationship that makes both friends believe they will end up getting married one day? Sometimes, this kind of relationship can be one-sided, and in the case of Juli Baker in Wendelin Van Draanen’s Flipped. In this book, Juli, ever since he moved in when she was seven, has been in love with Bryce Loski. Meanwhile Bryce is completely creeped out by Juli, and he just wants to get rid of her.

                It all starts when he moves in. She grabs him by the hand and streaks into his new house, with many pleas from Bryce. Who sees them next, why it’s Bryce’s mother, who thinks they will be friends and they are cute together. Bryce has different views and is always dodging her. Later, in school she starts to ‘sniff’ his hair when she sits behind him in English class. He’s annoyed until she stars giving him answers to spelling tests that he struggles with. But even then, he doesn’t like her

                Later, in middle school, Bryce learns that Juli raises chickens and sells the eggs. Juli, as a gift, starts to give Bryce a carton every week. Bryce, who doesn’t want them, tries to. reject her, but that only makes Juli angry at him. This starts a feud between them where he tries to make up to her, messes up again, and she gets angry all over again. Juli is now convinced that Bryce is no good, and she ceases to like hm.

                Meanwhile, Bryce is starting to not be annoyed by Juli, and does everything to try to make it up to her. He keeps a picture of her in the paper under his pillow; he stares at her in class. He doesn’t know what is wrong with him until he messes up big-time. He likes Juli baker, and now she hates him. This book is so fun, and funny. It reminds me of my friends as a kid, and how we could be now, if I still knew them. It is such a fun book, you have to read it, or see the movie! The movie is a little different but it’s charming with the cute Australian Callan McAuliffe as Bryce, but's it's still a fun film to watch.

Here's the trailor for the 2010 movie. (In case you   have no idea, the film is set in the 60's)

RED’S ALL STAR REVIEW: 3 ½ out of 5 stars. It’s a  cute fun, funny book for young teens about childhood friends and how they grow up together.

MASS APPEAL: I think anyone would like it, but it’s still probably aimed more at girls than guys because of the mushiness from Juli. But, still, it’s good and a lot of fun to read.


To Buy the book on Amazon, Click here!

The Things A Friend Will Do

Have you ever had a friend that you just can’t be separated from? They are the center of your world, and without them you are almost nothing? Everyone day you look up to because they always do the best thing in your eyes; always protect you, and they are just always there? Everyone has had a friend like this, but what happens when this friend is suddenly gone. It’s almost enough to uproot your entire world, and possibly enough to make you slide down into loner state, because you best friend is gone, and you must have left with them.

                This is what happens to Cara Lange in Elizabeth Woods’s novel, Choker. Her best friend Zoe and she were against the world together, until Cara moved away. Then her world falls apart. She is out casted by people and she seems to prefer it that way. She eats lunch with the girls track team, but sometimes with a few people. She has ‘enemies’ that tease her after an embarrassing incident in the café creating the nickname, choker.

                The only thing she likes about school is the beautiful Ethan Gray. He is always unavailable, and pretty popular because of it. Now he is dating one of Cara’s worst enemies, and creator of the horrid nickname, Alexis. He’s never been mean to Cara, but is doesn’t seem like he’s friends with her either. She watches him in the café from a distance and eats silently with her team. Speaking of the team, that is the only thing that Cara likes besides Ethan, otherwise, school is all horrible for her.

                This all changes though, when Zoe shows up unexpectedly in Cara’s life. She tells Cara that she is having trouble at home, but doesn’t specify what exactly, and that she needs a place to stay. Cara says yes of curse, happy to have her best friend back. But she isn’t the same Zoe that Cara used to know, she has different hair and clothes and a new personality with confidence. Cara doesn’t think about it because those are things that can happen to anyone in an absence.

                Bad things start happening, though.  A girl, that teases Cara, ends up dead. Zoe starts acting strange and extremely protective of Cara, but that’s how a friend is supposed to be, right? In a crazy ending, Cara realizes that her friend is not who she thought she was. Her best friend ends up to be a threat to everyone around Cara, and even the people that she loves. Can she end the toxic relationship before it’s too late?

RED’S ALL STAR REVIEW: 4 out of 5 stars. This book has a The Roommate- esque feel to it, how far a friend will go to ‘protect’ the other. It also has a bit of a pretty Little Liars end to it, with all of the drama and confessions. It was extremely good and I recommend it.

MASS APPEAL: Any girl, definitely. But, also, anyone who has had a toxic friendship, or has been bullied, or has had a friend try to protect them and ended with consequences, this is a book for you.

If this book sounds good to you, buy it on Amazon. Click here!

Those Beautiful, Glittery Tears

                Everybody cries sometime; when we are happy, sad, angry and overwhelmed. It seems that we always have a person, whether a friend, a sibling, parent or other, whose shoulder we can cry on. They give us strength and make things better, even when we are a mess. But what if this person was only there for you for their benefit? This is what happens in The Tear Collector by Patrick Jones. Cassandra Gray is the person everyone comes to with their troubles, and that’s because Cass wants it to be that way.

                Cassandra and her entire family are what you would call an emotional succubus or an energy vampire. Her family feeds on the sorrow of humans. They do not cause suffering to humans, but they soak up the tears, which serve as the energy source that’s keeps them alive. Cassandra has never questioned her family’s duty; she volunteers at the hospital and the peer counseling hotline, and is there for any friend that has drama. At her high school, there is always drama, too.

                Because of Cass’s rep as the school shoulder-to-cry-on, she’s pretty popular with every clique. She is best friends with the popular cheerleader, Robyn Berry, and has a popular jock boyfriend, Cody. She’s always in the middle of the drama, mainly because it seems to always center around Robyn. Her little sister Becca, who Cass babysits a lot and adores like her own sister, has cancer and is probably dying, and her boyfriend, Craig just cheated with her other ‘best friend’ Brittney.

                Going back to Cody; he is soon dumped by Cass. His rich, suburban wanna-be gangster act has served its purpose, and he is now Cassandra Gray reject No. 7. Cass gets most of her tears from when she breaks up with guys, which has happened a bit. She doesn’t feel anything for them, because she can’t, so breaking up with them is fairly easy for her.

                The last thing that really changes soon in the book is after Cass breaks up with Cody. She gets into a heated debate with a girl in her class named Samantha about God. She also gets support from a strict catholic guy named Scott, who she goes to see after class. Scott is a loner at the school, he really doesn’t do much there, but Cass gets a connection with him very quickly. She’s never had a connection with anyone, so this is strange for her.

                Cass has been having trouble with her family and what is called her ‘duty’, especially since it involves her evil cousin Alexei. Alexei, well, let’s just say he’s completely psychotic. He’s tries to get Cass to do what he wants by threats and by force, which Cass always gets past him thankfully. The end is surprising; I did not expect some of the things to happen to Scott and his grandma and Cass. I expected Cass to choose what she did at the very end, but it was surprising to know how it’s done. I enjoyed reading it very much.

RED’S ALL STAR APPEAL: 3 ¾ out of 5 stars. I liked the book quite a bit, but it’s definitely not one of the best books I have ever read. It is good though, it has a good flow through the chapters.

MASS APPEAL: Anyone that is into the whole creature-fantasy theme, or likes vampires or wolves or books about them, this book is definitely for you. It has the fantasy element and the mystery behind it because you don’t ever quite know everything about it, and the teen drama along with it.

Click Here! to buy this book on Amazon!

The Drinking Games

For those familiar with my blog, you should know that it is a young adult and teen fiction blog. It has dawned on me, though, that teens can read non-fiction, and some need to for classes or for fun. So, from now on I’m going to have a non-fiction Saturday every other week. Also, every themed-week will have a non-fiction Saturday attached to the end. So here’s my first Saturday non-fic blog!

                In keeping with my crime streak, we are going to bump up our record with public intoxication and possibly a DUI with the next book I read by Koren Zailckas. Smashed: Story of a Drunken Girlhood is about Koren, who develops a need for alcohol at a young age and struggles with it as she gets older. As so many people, the addiction takes over and Koren starts to lose control, and she might lose herself along the way.

                Her first experience with alcohol is the summer she turned fourteen. Her best friend Natalie, after going swimming in the lake, pulls out a bottle of Southern Comfort from her parent’s cupboard.  Soon after she takes liquor to a girl’s party and they all get drunk, and causes one of the girls to brag to a pack of nearby guys. One of those guys is Eric Ostrau, who makes Koren feel confident for the first time, making alcohol even more appealing.

                When Natalie goes away for school, Koren finds a new drinking partner, a girl named Billie Jankoff. Billie is sort-of Goth girl, but she’s smart, and she can drink. That’s the first time she gets wasted, on Halloween.  When she goes on break with Natalie to the coast, Koren goes to a bunch of college parties and Natalie gets wasted, which puts her on her parent’s radar. When turns sixteen, she goes to a party with friends and has to get her stomach pumped.

                From then on, Koren’s struggle with alcohol increases when she goes to college, and then when she moves to New York following graduation. This is a powerful story of addiction and how it can ruin your life unless you can stop. There are some great things that happen and some heartbreaking moments that are expressed with subtle humor and beautiful prose. This is one of the best memoirs I have ever read.

RED’S ALL STAR REVIEW: 4 out of 5 stars. As I said, beautiful prose and humor. I love the horrifying moments and the brilliant triumph over her addiction.

MASS APPEAL: Anyone can relate to this, especially teens that may have troubles with drinking, know someone who drinks that shouldn’t or is thinking about drinking because others want them to. A powerful story for everyone.

To buy this book on Amazon, Click here!

A Breech In National Security

I have decided to stretch my crime spree. By this time, through the books I’ve blogged about, we’ve racked up criminal charges on grand theft auto, underage driving and wreckless driving, manslaughter and theft from gangbanging. We’ve been sent to Juvie and bailed out and sent to NY. Then we became pickpockets in NY and escaped that as well. But we are about to go into the most horrifying crime of them all: terrorism. In Cory Doctorow’s suspense thriller, Little Brother, some ordinary kids are suspected for terrorists.

Marcus Yallow, in real life, is a normal high school senior who skips class and gets in trouble. Better known in his online life as W1n5t0n, which means Winston for those unaware of number-letters, Marcus runs some underground stuff that causes controversy. He doesn’t like authority, especially the school’s principal who loves to try framing things on Marcus; he always gets away though. Mr. Benson hates Marcus because of that, and his teachers are not much different.

What I haven’t said about Marcus is that he’s a brilliant hacker. He knows his way through a computer and he figures out a way past any system or block. He has a team, too. First on his team is the seriously smart, Darryl, who has a serious crush on the third member, a Korean girl named Van. Van is extremely laid back and always teases Darryl, knowing he likes her, and knows how to fight thanks to her all girls’ school. The last member is Jose-Luis Torrez, aka Jolu, he goes to a really strict catholic school, but he still knows how to skip.

In the opening chapters, Marcus and his friends skip periods in school to go play their favorite online game that has a sort of treasure hunt in various parts of the city. They start to go, but something happens. San Francisco, where they live, has just been attacked by terrorist, close to where Marcus is. Afterwards, Marcus and his team an=re lead to some strange place where the DHS (department of Homeland Security) are interrogating them. They are accused of terrorism and tortured by the DHS people for information.

Marcus is determined to find his friends and fight back once he is released. He finds new people to help him and he quickly gains popularity in the online world. The end of this book, and how far Marcus goes to get the truth out, blew my mind. Cory Doctorow has written a fascinating thriller that puts an interesting spin on hacking and how far the nation will go for security. This is an outstanding book, and I can’t say enough great things about it.

RED’S ALL STAR REVIEW:  4 ½ out of 5 stars, absolutely. With rave reviews from authors like Scott Westerfeild, Steven Gould and Neil Gaiman, and being on the New York Times best seller list, and winning so many awards, this book is impossible to pass up.

MASS APPEAL: Everyone can and MUST read this book! It is too good to skip out on.

Buy this book on Amazon! Click Here!

The Modern Day Aladdin

   If you’ve been keeping up with my posts, you’d know the last one was Gordon Korman’s The Juvie Three, which is about three boys in Juvie who get a second chance. I decided that I’m going to continue with my teen criminal streak with a great book from a great author. I decided to keep it up with Brian James’s Thief. This is an exhilarating tale of a girl caught up in the crimes of her new life. Until things happen that send her life spiraling does she realize she has to escape.

                Elizabeth, but only called Kid, is a teen that is in the foster care system. Her mother died when she was younger, and she’s been on her own ever since. In the foster care home she’s been in for a while, there’s Alexi, her 17 year old foster sister, who is her best friend. They look out for each other and they don’t trust anyone else. Alexi has also promised Kid that she will adopt her and take her away to California when she’s 18.

                The reason they are so eager to get away is Sandra, their foster mother. Sandra is a cruel woman who doesn’t care about Kid or Alexi; she just wants the money from Social Services. She also doesn’t allow them to attend school, but instead makes them wander the streets of New York as pickpockets. They are supposed to collect a certain amount every day, $100 give or take. After this amount, they get to keep the money them steal. They aren’t given food or supplies; they have to get it on their own.

                Kid is completely sick of this life, but she has no complaints about it. That is until Sandra is forced to take in another foster kid. This time it’s a boy, Dune. He is clumsy and a horrible pickpocket; Sandra sees him as useless, but Kid teaches him and he soon learns how to pickpocket. He also starts to get close with Kid, which causes problems with Alexi because she believes Dune is stealing Kid from her. Alexi hates Dune, but Kid likes him; Kid has to ‘choose between them’, but she doesn’t know if she can.

                Kid and Dune decide to run away, to escape the madness with Sandra and their circle of crime and punishment. They decide that as long as their together, they can make it. But Sandra wants her pickpockets back, and she called the police. In a daring attempt to escape, Dune and Kid go through a circus of events that leave them closer, but in a hard position. Brian James made a masterpiece of the New York crime scene that involves a horrifying story about the kids left behind.

RED’S ALL STAR RATING: 4 out of 5 stars. The gripping scenes of chases and escapes are entrancing and I enjoyed every minute of it. Another great book by the fabulous Brian James.

MASS APPEAL: anyone and everyone should read this book. It has action and romance and struggle; everything a teen finds fascinating.

Click here! to buy this book on Amazon!

Good Girls Go For Bad Boys

I have been gone awhile!!! I'm sorry for leaving for an extended period, but it was thanksgiving so you have to let it go. So here's a new book, one I think all you guys will go for.

Everyone has done something bad. Whether it’s a small white lie, or a stolen item from an overpriced store or throwing the first punch. But sometimes, people do really bad things, the kind that get you landed in jail. That’s what Gordon Korman’s The Juvie Three is about. Three teenagers, who have done some terrible things, but they are given a second chance. Douglas Healy has started a halfway house in New York where he picks three juvie delinquents and tries to help them back into society. But, when something terrible happens to Healy, the boys are put to the test like never before.

The ‘best’ one of the juvie three would be Graham Fosse, better known as Gecko. Ever since he was a kid, he has always been his brother’s getaway driver. For all the stupid crimes his brother committed, Gecko would be an accessory to. He didn’t really do much wrong, but when his brother called on him to be his driver, Gecko was pulled in. He, in order to not hit an older lady, flipped the car he was driving and they were caught. He is better off that his brother, in the local prison, but he still is in juvie. Until, Healy come with a preposition that Gecko can’t refuse: freedom.

Arjay Moran is a strange character; it seems that everything he’s stereotyped to be is wrong. When he was in high school, the ‘jocks’ wanted him, standing 6’5 and 260 pounds with huge muscles, to plays football, and when he wouldn’t, a struggle ensued. In self-defense, Arjay accidentally killed one of the boys. But, since he was the only one that wasn’t friends with the others, all of the witnesses testified that he murdered their friend and he needed to go to prison. Being fifteen, he was only found of manslaughter and sent to juvie. But he’s really nice and very quiet, not like the animal people make him out to be.

The last kid is Terence Florian, and he is definatly the ‘worst’ of the three. He lived in Chicago and ran with the worst gang there. When he was caught he was sent to one of the worst juvie facilities in the country. He’s cocky and arrogant and thinks being a criminal is the best life ever. When he’s dropped into the small New York apartment with two other boys going to school and doing community service, things are not going to go well.

The book is good. It’s strange to get inside the mindset of these simple criminals and why they do what they do. It’s also good to see their struggle when Healy drops out of the picture, but they still have to carry on as usual. Until things start happening, like Gecko falls in love. Arjay gets famous in a part of the city, and Terence starts to get back into gang activity. Being good for these guys is getting harder and harder, especially in a city like New York where crime is essential.

RED’ S ALL STAR REVIEW: 3 out of 5. It’s a great book and it had interesting characters and points of view. It also has a lot of face-palm slaps at Terence and the trouble he gets in.

MASS APPEAL: Guys should really like this book. I know a lot of my blogs are more girly books, for the sole purpose that they are easier to find and girls read more. For any guys out there, though, this is for you.

Buy this book on Amazon! Click Here!

A Wiked Good Princess

               

I have finished Catherine Gilbert Murdock’s book Princess Ben. In the book, Benevolence is a Princess and has just become the heir to the throne when her parents and her uncle, the king, are killed. She is taken under the wing of the cruel and merciless Queen Sophia. As Ben deals with the pressures of princess training and Sophia’s harshness, ben also finds a secret passageway that leads to a chamber with magic book. And so starts her magical education that will save her life, and the lives of those she loves, someday.

                Ben has run away to Drachensbett when her double is found unconscious. Scared and alone, she crash lands in the mountains and is captured by the captain of the army of Drachensbett. Captain is not a kind man so to speak, but is respectful to those he likes, which Ben learns much later. Ben is mistaken to be a boy and taken as a servant, and she’s also nicknamed piglet. She learns to be humble and keep her mouth shut whilst being amongst all these men.

                This keep up until there is an unexpected visitor to the camps. As it turns out, the prince Florian is best friends with the captain. And when Captain gets very ill, Ben uses the healing methods her mother taught her to heal him. While doing so, she gets to learn the prince in a whole new light. She sees a side to him, a kind and loving side that she wasn’t able to see before because of the lack of a connection.  But will this be enough to change her mind when she presented with the next challenge?

   And the next challenge is . . . marriage. Drachensbett has decided to take Ben’s empire by diplomacy instead of violence. The only thing is, prince Florian doesn’t want to marry Ben anymore, he is repulsed by her. And when the queen decides to alter the request of King Renaldo to secede the kingdom, Ben learns that an attack is coming. Ben decides to get involved with the diplomatic affairs, and even helps Queen Sophia to organize a battle. But does Ben have what it takes to secure the win?

                The book is good. There isn’t a lot I can say. It is definatly not your average fairy tale, but one with a headstrong heroine and an arrogant Prince. Ben solves her own problems and learns magic on her own. She saves the lives of herself, the prince and both of their kingdoms. It has a fairy tale ending, as all books like this must. I thought the book was a refreshing change from modern happy endings, and just a real girl in a bad situation taking advantage of what she has.

RED’S ALL STAR REVIEW: 3 ¼ out of 5, but it could easily be more or less depending on what you’re into.

MASS APPEAL: Chicks into fairy tales will dig this book. But it’s a good book all around.

Buy this book on Amazon. Click Here!

Hardships of Being Princess

                Imagine that you are the princess of a glorious kingdom. You have servants and can do whatever you want, you have royal parents that are amazing and live in a huge palace. What would happen if something terrible happened to your life? What if your parents and uncle were killed and you had to learn to be the next queen all in a matter of a few days. This is what happens to Princess Benevolence of Montagne in Catherine Gilbert Murdock’s book, Princess Ben.

                Princess Benevolence, or just Ben, used to live a life of luxury, but when she finds out that her mother and uncle had been killed and her father was missing, she lost so much. She had to learn to be the new queen, being taught by her aunt, Queen Sophia. Many people in her kingdom feel much sympathy for her, except for the Queen and her staff.

                Queen Sophia is not a gentle or extremely kind woman. When she starts to teach ben the art of being royal, she does so without any comical business. She is quick to punish Ben for her gracelessness and foolishness. She even takes out a strap and beats Ben’s hand until she cannot feel it anymore. Ben, although gripped with pain, would not let the Queen have the satisfaction of seeing her in pain, so she waits until she is back in her own chambers to cry.  Her chamber, which I forgot to mention, is the highest room in the tallest tower; original, right?

                She feels like she is in her own personal hell, until she discovers a secret in the castle walls. Literally, while weeping, she finds that her hand can go through one of the walls. When she investigates, she finds a series of hidden passageways inside the walls of the tower. She finds her way to a room with a magic spell book, where she starts her self-education in magic. She starts small, but she learns a lot that comes in handy.

                This is a good book so far. All of the afore-mentioned stuff is in Part one, but I am through Part two where many other things happen. Ben escapes from her tower fate where she must be wed to Prince Florian, and flies away to Drachensbett where she lives a new, and hard life. It is so sad the things she has to go through, but she learns some interesting stuff while she’s in Drachensbett. Much about Prince Florian and her mother’s art of healing, and more importantly about what she has to do to be a good Queen.

Always The Bridesmaid . . .

If you have ever watched the TV show Bridezillas, then you know how bad brides can get. Maybe you have even seen it in real life, whether it’s a family members wedding or a friends. Everything becomes dramatic; everything has to be absolutely perfect, or guess who has a meltdown? Well, no one has seen this happen half as much as Abby Beaumont. In Hailey Abbott’s The Bridesmaid, Abby is the daughter of the most famous local wedding planners, and so she’s seen lots of weddings, and bridezillas.

                Abby’s older sister Carol and her saw how brides get, and early on they decided not to ever get married. But things change quickly for Carol when she gets home from graduating college. She announces right when she arrives that she is getting married to a guy named Tucker Robb. At first Abby is so mad at her sister for backing out on their promise, but she’s even madder when carol asks her to be her maid of honor.

                Away from the wedding, she is constantly asked by her best friend Delila if she has sent in a request for the exchange program to Italy. Her other best friend, Christopher, who plays soccer with Abby, informs her that her idol in professional soccer is going to be the coach of their team in Italy. Abby immediately wants to go, but she doesn’t think her parents will let her.

                Speaking of her parents, they are fighting constantly over the wedding and it’s putting pressure on carol and Abby. Abby is still mad at Carol, and doesn’t really like the too-perfect Tucker. She’s also having issues with her job at her parent’s business, as well as her continuing crush on her blue-eyed knight in faded jeans, Noah Spencer, son of the local cake decorating guru. But if this isn’t enough to handle, everything goes wrong just before the wedding, which might ruin carol’s chances at a happily-ever-after.

                This book was very good. Abby is almost always mad in this book, but she has allot of fun, too. Like when she has the cake fight with Noah, and going to the Red Sox-Yankees game, and her soccer games with Christopher. But, as things get continuously worse, Abby seems to not know how to deal with it all, like most teenagers. You may not be able to relate to the wedding part of this book, but you will definitely connect with the problems she has.

RED’S ALL STAR REVIEW: 3 ½ stars of 5. It was interesting, with a good point of view. A good, sweet ending that makes it seems that everything turns out ok.

MASS APPEAL: Girls will relate more, but some of the people who know a bridezillas will laugh at some of the moments in this book. So will regular teenagers, though.

If you think this book is interesting, Click Here! to buy.

Ghost Week, Pt.5: All Souls Day

Most people don’t celebrate All Souls Day, but it is a holiday, and people should know about it. This is the last day of Hallows week, and Souls Day commemorates the faithful departed. Today we honor all the lives that have past, and celebrate those spirits going to a ‘better place’. So, enjoy the last day of Hallows week, and the ghosts that are now gone.

                Have you ever felt like you didn’t belong because of a strange gift? Murray Keifer can talk to the spirits of the dead in the local cemetery in Charlie prices book, Dead Connection. He talks daily with his best friends, Dearly and Blessed, both ghosts, and doesn’t spend any time with other people. His mother is a mess, and his father isn’t mentioned, and he has no friends at school, which is the way her prefers it. He lives a strange life that gets interrupted very quickly when strange things start to happen.

                The first character you should know besides Murray is Pearl Janochek. She is the daughter of a grave keeper that runs the cemetery Murray hangs out at. She is feisty and likes to get what she wants. When she and Murray have a standoff in the cemetery about why he is there, she vows that she will take him down. She nearly succeeds before he decides to tell her the truth, and they become friends. Deputy Gates is the other character that seems really important at first. He is a cop that had a rough time after his kid died, and is trying to get his life back on track by solving a local missing person’s case.

                Vern Billup is just a rough, mean guy who seems to have anger management, and might have it in for Murray’s mother. Robert Barry Compton is a young ex-drug addict who just got out of a mental hospital. He seems to be really isolated and skittish around people, especially when he doesn’t take his meds. The spirit, Dearly, was killed in a car accident in 1969 by her drunk date. She is very funny and sarcastic. Blessed is an eleven year old who talks to Murray about everything, including Pearl.

                The missing person afore mentioned is Nikki parker, a cheerleader at the local high school. She has been missing for quite some time, and Murray thinks it’s her when he hears a new voice in the cemetery. He wants to get to the bottom of it, and pearl is going to help him. Along with Deputy Gates, and some help from Robert, the story behind Nikki’s disappearance will hopefully come out.

                This is a good book told from many different viewpoints that shift frequently. It has an interesting plot line, and great characters. The background information to the characters is very sad, and it’s funny how they interact with each other. The book has good reviews from authors such as Chris Crutcher, so any normal person would pick it up expecting similar writing. It really isn’t though, but it’s a unique style that I happen to like.

RED’S ALL STAR REVIEW: 2 ¾ out of 5. This wasn’t my favorite book ever, but it had an interesting story and a good end. All I have to say is poor Murray. . .

MASS APPEAL: Good for anyone. It’s pretty easy to read, and pretty short, so even people who struggle can read this.

To buy this book, Click here!

Ghost Week, Pt. 4: All Saints Day

Today, in the aftermath of Halloween, is the day we commemorate our saints and the great people of our past history. There are great people who do amazing things every day, in our own neighborhoods and communities that set saint like examples. These people can do things as simple as find the truth in a web of lies, or help to restore a town to its old ways by keeping it in line. These people are all around us, including in my next book.

                I have read Peeled by Joan Bauer, an interesting story about a small town girl who saves her community. Hildy Biddle is a journalist for her high school paper, The Core, and will do anything for the truth. So, when strange things start to happen surrounding the town’s haunted house, people automatically blame a ghost for the happenings. But Hildy isn’t about to let a possible ghost keep her from finding out what is really happening.

                I’m going to do a character analysis today. Hildy Biddle’s editor and friend, Darrell Jennings, is even more obsessed with finding the truth than Hildy is. He frequently tries to seem like he knows more than the other on the paper, but he seems as clueless as the rest of them when it comes to their new editor and director. Tanisha Bass is Hildy’s best friend and the paper’s photographer. She is very lively and complains a lot about being single.

                Elizabeth is Hildy’s cousin, who she lives with. Elizabeth is a sweet girl who loves drawing, and seems to get along with Hildy’s persistent and nosey ways very easily. Lev Radner is the paper’s marketing manager. He is also Hildy’s ex-boyfriend. He is made out to be very handsome, but he also cheated on her. A newer character is the ‘new guy’ Zack Coleman is a scientific, skeptic who doesn’t believe in the ghost stuff going around town. He becomes friends with Hildy fast and helps her with her investigating.

                Hildy’s current focus is on the murder and arrests surrounding the Ludlow house, which is said to be haunted. Reports of a ghost are prevalent in The Bee, the local newspaper, but Hildy hasn’t seen anything suspicious. When she starts making accusations that The Bee’s editor is making false statements, her newspaper career is put in jeopardy. She starts to wonder if it’s worth it, with her new fights with Elizabeth, her complicated relationships with Lev and Zack, and her newspaper being destroyed by threats.

                Through all this, Hildy finds a reason to keep writing to find the truth through Minska, who owns a local diner/café. She eventually gets a happy ending is all the aspects of her life, and tackles some big problems in her town. I really like the characters and the voice of Hildy. It is a voice that you cannot mistake, and you can’t help but love. Peeled is a well told story, and is has a few twists that left me wondering why I hadn’t seen it coming. I enjoyed reading it, a lot.

RED’S ALL STAR REVIEW: 3 out of 5. It was good, and even though it’s not a real ghost story, it was still fun to read.

MASS APPEAL:  Anyone could read this book. It’s just a fun story told from an interesting point of view.

Click Here! to buy this book on Amazon.

Ghost Week, Pt. 3: Happy Halloween!

Believe it or not, it’s Halloween! Seems like the year is going extra fast right? Well, it is, but just because it’s soaring by, that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun. SoI'll write short in order to preserve your All Hallows Eve. I'm going to write about a creepy book that you all should curl up with tonight. Have sweet nightmares.

                Have you ever felt like someone is intruding in your life? It seems to be a prevalent feeling with step families, especially ones with teenagers in them. This is exactly where E.E. Richardson’s thriller, The Intruders starts out. Joel Demetrius is fine moving out of his familiar apartment and moving to an old house in the country with his new step family, but his sister, Cassie, is not. She’s convinced that nothing good comes of stepfamilies moving in together. She has no idea how right she is in this book.

                It seems the minute Cassie and Joel step into the house, there is something strange about it. Cassie is just convinced it’s Damon and Tim Wilder, not to mention Gerald, her new stepfather. Joel suspects something else when he sees an apparition of a kid jumping over their fence. Things start happening in the house soon. Things are being moved and spilled, and haunting visions of bloody scenes are coming to the youngest, Joel and Tim, in their dreams.

                Once Tim and Joel come clean about what they are experiencing, Damon and Cassie agree, for once, that those two are crazy or trying to pull a prank. So, jokingly, Cassie suggests a séance, and Damon, eager to prove himself unafraid against Cassie, volunteers to help. Later on they all go up and try to contact the spirit of a young boy whose spirit they believe may be trapped in the house. After a few things happen, and some haunting messages are shown, Cassie and Damon finally believe them.

                This book is so thrilling. I couldn’t put it down once I picked it up. There is nonstop creepiness, and so many things that made me make sure I wasn’t being watched. Between the bloody hallucinations, the boy repeating the Lord’s Prayer, the creepy self-locking closet, and the midnight séances, these kids have got a lot to deal with. This book has the creep factor of A Haunting in Connecticut, and a good writing style to begin with. Soak it up, ‘cause it’s a thriller night.

RED’S ALL STAR REVIEW: 3 out of 5 on the writing scale. 5 out of 5 on the creep scale. I recommend it to mystery, ghost, and thrill book seekers.

MASS APPEAL: Anyone, and everyone, should and can read this book. It’s a middle school level book, so it’s easy to read. It’s short, too, so it’s fast to read. If you have nothing else to do tonight, read this book.

Buy this book. Trust me, it's good! Click Here!

Ghost Week, Pt. 2: Happy Día De Los Muertos!

Yes, I know that Día de los Muertos is Wednesday, but it will be over shadowed by All Souls Day.
Therefore, I will ‘celebrate’ it today, so get ready for another haunting blog on the dead and what they can do to you in the afterlife.

                I have finished Ruined by Paula Morris. In this book, Rebecca Brown has been plucked from New York City and sent to live with her estranged Aunt Claudia and cousin, Aurelia, in New Orleans. The city looks like any normal city at first, despite the devastation from Katrina, until she starts to learn the city’s tragic past. Filled with magic, voodoo, curses and diseases, New Orleans is anything but a normal town, and Rebecca is about to find out just how dangerous it can be for herself.

                Rebecca went to Helena Bowman’s party, and some strange things happen. First, she feels so bad because Anton’s friends, including Helena, are avoiding him because he’s with her, and she doesn’t really know many people. So Anton takes her outside, where they talk awhile and maybe share a smooch. But, before anything else can happen, Lisette, the ghostly girl only Rebecca seems to be able to see, shows up. Then Helena starts screaming that she sees the black girl outside, but nobody can see Lisette, right?

                As it turns out, The Bowman family can see Lisette, as well as Rebecca. She goes back to Claudia and tells her about it, where Claudia asks Rebecca if she had seen the ghost, and Rebecca lies. She learns more about what happened when she goes to see Lisette in the graveyard. Lisette tells her that she will tell her the story on a trip down to her mother’s old house, if Rebecca comes, which she does. Rebecca sneaks out later that week, eager to learn the story behind Lisette and how she ties with the Bowman’s.

                Lisette reveals that she was the daughter of Mr. Bowman, 155 years ago. Mr. Bowman died and left her a lot of money and a house in his will. Mrs. Bowman was furious and attacked Lisette, which caused her to fall and die. Her death was covered up by the Bowman’s lawyer and doctor, saying she died of Yellow Fever. When her mother came, she was told the same cover story, which she didn’t believe, so she placed a curse upon the Bowman family. It was a harsh curse and took all the strength out of Lisette’s mother, causing her to die shortly after. Rebecca is horrified by this story, but she doesn’t exactly want the Bowman’s fate to be carried out.

                This story has a crazy ending. It was a page-turning book that kept me exhilarated all the way to the end. I was fascinated by the way family ties can be intertwined so far back in history, and how they can be so deadly. I think this story shows very well the importance of telling the truth to avoid spirits and curses, but that might be a minor theme. This was a great book; everything I expected for a book with rave reviews from other amazing authors. A ghostly tale with a horrifying ending, and jam-packed with excitement and mystery; you’re going to love this book.

RED’S ALL STAR REVIEW: 4 ½ out of 5 stars. This book kept me reading until the end, and I couldn’t put it down.

MASS APPEAL: This novel focuses on the viewpoint of a girl, so it may appeal to girls slightly more, but it’s so mysterious and exciting at the end that I think anyone would enjoy.

Buy This book On Amazon. Click Here!

Ghost Week, Part 1

Yes, welcome to Ghost Week. I will be writing about ghostly tales and spooky stories all through hallows-week. Some of these books’ haunts may turn out to be fakes, but most will be very real. Some will be friendly, and some evil and dangerous. If you’re ready for the haunted book lineup, then read along. But, beware, not every ghost story has a happy ending.

Have you ever felt completely out of place where you live? Whether it’s in your family, your school, community or a whole city, nothing feels right. Well this is how Rebecca Brown feels when she’s plucked from the heart of new York City, to New Orleans to live with her Aunt Claudia and cousin. I am talking about­­­­ Paula Morris’s novel, Ruined. In this book, Rebecca learns that there are different sides to every story, and sometimes, the only one you can believe is the one from beyond the grave.

Rebecca first has to meet her Aunt and cousin. Aunt Claudia is a strange woman who seems to dabble in voodoo and other things that outcasts her from the town. Her cousin Aurelia is a perky girl who loves gossip and knows a lot about the town, and what goes on under the surface. She also meets Aurelia’s best friend, Lucy, who is just as neurotic as Aurelia, but this comes in handy later in the book when she sneaks out of the house.

At school, Rebecca is instantly out casted for being an ‘outsider’, especially be queen of mean, Helena Bowman, her minion Marianne Sutton and her twin, Toby Sutton. She also has power over the ‘coolest’ guy at St. Simeon’s School, Anton grey, who takes an unusual liking to Rebecca. He talks to her at the café and takes her on a tour of the town. Rebecca might actually like him, if it wasn’t for his mean friends and Marianne’s affection towards him. But for some reason, Claudia is telling Rebecca to stay away from Anton, Helena and their group, and she won’t tell why.

                The strangest thing in this book, though, is when Rebecca goes to the graveyard. She is accidentally locked in and a beautiful black girl shows her the way out. Rebecca doesn’t realize that she was a ghost until the next time they talk. She reveals that her name is Lisette Villieux, and she’s been dead for over 150 years. When Helena and her gang break into the cemetery, Lisette tells her to hold hands, and when she does, the other teens don’t even see her. That is when she realizes she’s a ghost, and that she’s the only one who can see her. Lisette seems friendly enough, but there are some things she is hiding. Some dangerous things.

                This book is really interesting so far. I love the concept of Lisette and how she came to be in the graveyard. I also like how she stays there, but she seems to be able to leave. Helena throws a party, a little later I the book, which brings some surprises. You won’t be surprised in who’s her date, but what happens between them, might be a shock. But most surprisingly, the fact that Rebecca is not the only one who can see Lisette brings up a lot of questions.

To buy this book on Amazon, Click Here!