House by Frank Peretti & Ted Dekker

I was at my local Library, checking out the new section which isn't new books but the books that the library has just gotten. I didn't know that at the time I picked up House by Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker, which was published in 2006, but I don't think it really matters now that I've already read the book, because It's an amazing book. It's a book that gives me chills just by reading a single sentance, have to try and be niceand that is something to rave about.

The main characters of the book are Stephanie and Jack. They are a married couple who are toying with the idea of getting a divorce. Steph is a rising country singer/songwriter on her way to a show with Jack. He is a writer; somewhat bitter and pessimistic but strong-willed. While on their way, they take a detour and are pointed to a backroad that will get them back on time for their trip. But, there are spikes on the road that op all the tires on their car and leaves them stranded in front of a strange Inn.

They find the Inn empty except for another couple, who aren't exactly a couple. Randy is the owner of a chain of hotels and restaurants and Leslie is a professor of psychology at a University. They are not 'together' but they are close and are staying together. But, soon the owners show up; a creepy bunch they are. Betty is an older woman, Stewert is a crazy guy who hates disrespect and Pete is their adopted son who used to be in the circus. Pete is big and strong and is in love with Leslie.

Dinner gets out of hand when all these people have to try and be nice. But, it gets worse when a serial killer comes to the house for the guests. He has a few rules; rule #2: He will kill anyone who steps foot in that house, and rule #3: Give him one dead body by dawn and he might let the previous rule slide. In a sick, sadistic game, the four realize that they have to either kill one of them and all live, or not kill anyone and all die. It's not long before they start to turn on eachother.

RED'S ALL STAR REVIEW: 3 3/4 out of 5. This book was thrilling and shocking. I love the psychological elements. If you love this book, then see the movie, which is rated R, but very good as well.

Click here! to buy this book on Amazon!

Two For Tuesday: Markus Zusak

So, you may have noticed the title of this post. No, Markus Zusak is not a book, he is an author of a few amazing books. If you are not familiar with his work, shame on you; some of his novels are worldwide famous. When I found out Zusak have a book come out recently, I had to read it because I know how great an author Zusak is. So, I picked up his novel, I Am The Messanger, and it is totally a classic.

The story opens to Ed Kennedy, who you could say is a loser with no purpose in life, in the middle of a bank heist. He's face down on the floor with his three best friends while some guy points a gun around while he waits for the counter girl the pack up his money. But, he didn't expect Ed and his friends to ruin the plan. So, Ed stopped the robber, and is now being threatened by the robber that he caught and turne over to the police.

But, as strange as it may souns, Ed has bigger problems that threats. He gota playing card in the mail, the Ace of Diamonds, with the names of three streets and a time next to it. Ed doesn't know what it means, but eventually he goes to the first address. There, he witnesses something terrible and realizes that he was sent there to stop it. He goes to the other addresses and find people in need of a message or an action to help them. Ed was picked because he cares.

As he gets new orders from strangers and more playing cards, he learns how to help others around him as well has learning to control his own life. He bonds with a priest and an older lady with demensia, he gets beaten up by some thug teenagers, he falls in love with two girls, neither of which he can have, and he finds a way to better his relationahip with his family. But, the missions are getting worse on Ed, and he just hopes that he can make it through them and be done with it.

RED'S ALL STAR REVIEW: 4 out of 5 stars. I love the way Zusak writes, and I love the story. Click here! to buy this book on Amazon!

By now you're probably wondering what the other book is since it is a Two For Tuesday, right? Well, I'm going to let you decide. The books I would reccomend by Markus Zusak are the Wolfe brothers trilogy: Getting the Girl,  Underdogs and Fighting Ruben Wolfe, and my personal favorite, and the most well known, The Book Thief. These are all great books, but I do insist that everyone read The Book Thief at some point this summer.

Haven by Kristi Cook

Lately, there have been a lot of new books flooding into my local Barnes & Noble, and creeping up on me when I search Amazon. I picked up a few that sounded really good, or had really good authors. I'm going to kick this new book surge with a brand new book that had me hooked from the first ten pages all the way to the end. I picked it up, hoping it wasn't another cliched vampire romance, and it wasn't entirely. I was pleasantly surprised with Kristi Cook's Haven.

Violet McKenna had visions of her fathers death only months before it happened. Still scared and confused, she has just moved to New York with her stepmother, Patsy. She was strangely drawn to Winterhaven Academy, and now that she is attending, Violet is excited to start a new life here. The people are nice, including her roommate, Cece, and everything just seems to good to be true. Within a week, Violet has a new group of fierce friends, great classes and a high spot on the fencing team, and Aiden.

Aiden Gray is unlike anyone Violet has met before. He is tall, mysterious and seems to have an enchanting effect on every girl in school. But Aiden picks Violet. He tutors her, hangs out with her and even helps her through the terrifying visions that she keeps having. Violet and Aiden would be the perfect couple, one that would make all others jealous, if Aiden wasn't so difficult. He has so many secrets and wants to keep them that way, even when Violet is at the end of her rope.

But, Violet soon realizes that Winterhaven is no ordinary school. Every person there has some special psychic ability. For some, its telekinesis or empathy; for Violet its her visions. Violet can't control them like her friends can control their abilities, she is terified of herself unlike her friends. Violet doesn't want to be this different, she just wants everything to be simple and normal. But, there is trouble at Winterhaven and Violet is right in the middle of it with Aiden, and she knows that she must do something to stop it, even if it means sacrificing herself or killing the boy she loves.

RED'S ALL STAR REVEIW: I picked up this book thinking it was just another supernatural thriller-romance. But, it turned out to be one of the better no-conformist vampire books. It is so monotonous, how people make vampires seem, but Cook really brings them to life by denouncing some of the oldest myths about vampires. Also, If you like this book, then read the sequel, Mirage.

Click here! to buy this book on Amazon!

The Coolest Autobiography Ever Drawn

As my followers know well, I don't blog too much on nofiction. Sure, I have my Non-fiction Saturdays and a few Memoir Mondays, but moslt this is a fiction blog. But, I feel that reading some non-fiction and memoir stuff is essential to becoming a fluent reader and a well-rounded writer. So, I'm just going to throw a great non-fiction book out there, one that has a setting different from most books.

Epileptic by David B. is a graphic autobiography, which basically means that it's written like a comic, except that it's an entire book. Here's a few samples of the comic-like drawings.



 


David B. is not the author's real name; it is Pierre-François Beauchard, boy who lived near Orléans, France. He recalls about his childhood growing up with his extremely epileptic brother, Jean-Christophe, and his moving around France with his family on a desperate search to find a cure.

Jean-Christophe and Pierre-François grew up in a normal neighborhood, with a gang of mischevious kids who pulled pranks and got in trouble and had battle scenes with homemade swords. Jean-christophe wasn't epileptic then, he was a normal kid, if you caount normal as being war-obsessed. But, nevertheless, It wasn't until one day where Jean-Christophe collapsed that Pierre-François's life started to revolve around his brother.

The family went around from hospital to therapist to try and find something to ease Jean-Christophe's now constant seizures. The only help they found was at a hosptial where a crackpot surgeon wanted to try a new operation to try and relieve Jean-Christophe's seizures. But, one slip of the hand and he could be dead, or worse, so the family went to seek help elsewhere. They found the solution in Master N, who is depicted in the book as a giant cat-like man.

Trough Master N's radical treatments, Jean-Christophe finds himself going from three seizures a day, down to one and then he is completely seizure free. The family, during the summer, goes to live on a commune for people being treated with the same methods. Jean-Christophe, Pierre-François, and their younger sister, Florence, would go out after finishing their meals and play with the neighbor kids. They loved being on the commune, until the worst thing imaginable happened.

One day, after returning home from the commune, Pierre-François's mother found out that Master N. has left the country and gone to America. He can no longer do the treatment to Jean-Christophe, and soon, his seizures return. But the seizures are getting worse, and he has to be hospitalizedat times. Pierre-François and his family are stuck and need to find a way to stop Jean-Christophe's seizures before they end up killing him.

RED'ALL STAR REVIEW: 3 out of 5. The drawings are excellent, and the story is interesting, but sometimes the author gets away from the immediate story for a while.


Click here! to buy this book on Amazon! But, be careful! Make sure you buy it in English.

The Upcoming Movies of 2012

I have noticed, as I have been watching T.V., that many great books have come alive on the silver screen lately. Titles that include The Hunger Games, The Lucky One, the last Harry Potter movie is finally out, and many others that I cannot even name. But, I want to take a look at some more books that are going to be turned into movies or are being released this year. Here is my list of the top ten books being turned into movies in 2012.


Book #10. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath


I realize this is a few years old, but it is a very commonly known piece of work and has been highlighted in Plath's career as her best novel. The story is of Esther, a girl who seems to just have it all. She is extremely talanted, beautiful, brilliant and succesful in her life so far, but she is struggleing with herself. She may just be going insane for the last time, but this time it won't go away. This book is scheldualed to be produced and released later in the year.


Book #9. Life Of Pi by Yann Martel


This story has been in every pre-teen and young adult section of every library I've encountered, and for good reason. This is a classic story of the fight to survive in the worst possible scenario. Pi Patel is the son of a zookeeper, and he is moving from India to Canada, but on the way, the ship wrecks. Now, Pi is stranded on a 26 foot lifeboat with a bunch of animals, including a large tiger named Richard. Soon, Pi and Richard are the only two left, and they must survibe for 227 days drifting on the ocean without any food source. It is supposed to be coming out in 3D, so it ought to be thrilling.


Book #8. Wake by Lisa McMann


I read this book years ago, and I loved it. The storyline was unlike any I've heard of before. It goes like this; 17-year old Janie can see people's dreams. She doesn't mean to, but when someone near her falls asleep, she is paralyzed and forced to experience it as well. But, not all the dreams are good. For Janie, the dreams are getting worse, especially surrounding Cabel. Cabe's nightmares seem to real and too frighteneing for Janie, and she needs to figure out what to do about it. The only problem I have with this movie is that the lead roe of Janie is supposedly played by Miley Cyrus, who doesn;t have the best record with legit movie acting, so this worries me a great deal, but I will push asid my bias and recommend the book at least.


Book #7. Divergent by Veronica Roth


This is fairly new trilogy, one that has been creating quite a buzz. The book is a little out-there, much like the critically aclaimed Hunger Games, in concept. In the dystopian world of Chicago, there are five work categories that 16-year olds must place themselves in for life. Beatrice wants the most out of her new life, and she chooses the option the surprises everyone she knows. Now, she is being trained for her new life, and for the hard work ahead of her. But, trust is being tested, friendships will be crossed and romance will blossom in the most unexpected places. But, not everything is as perfect as she wishes it could be. There is a secret that could bring everything she cares for crumbling down. I have high hopes for this movie, because the book was pretty mind-blowing.


Book #6. Incarceron by Catherine Fisher


This book caught my attention for the minute I picked it up.  The concept is ridiculous and super-strange, but it really sucks you in. The nook is about Incarceron, a prison that is more than a prison. It has cities and woods and forests inside as well as cells and corridors. For Finn, Incarceron is home; he has always been there ever since he can remember. But, he knows that he came from outside, and the secret to getting back is in the warden's daughter, Claudia. Together, the two will try to escape a prison that only one person has ever escaped from. Strange, right? I know it seems a little out there, but trust me, it's a good read. The movie is supposed to have Twilight's Taylor Lautner and Emma Watson.


Book #5. Beautiful Creatures by Kim Garcia and Margaret Stohl


Yes, I have already blogged about this book, but that was a year ago and it wasn't planned on beoming a movie yet, which bring out much excitement in me. Ethan Wade has lived in a small southern town forever, where everything's the same and nothing changes. Until Lena Duchannes moves into the town with her estranged uncle. She is everything the town despises, she is mysterious, beautiful and she also has supernatural powers. Ethan is drawn to Lena and her inability to control her powers, but that may not be for the best. Lena and Ethan are connected for some reason, which is unnatural, but even Lena's uncle cannot deny the connection. But, as the time for Lena to choose goodness or evil comes, new problems occur that make Lena question everything she knows. Trust me, this book is good. I loved it, as well as the sequels, Beautiful Darkness, Beautiful Chaos, and Beautiful Redemption. Already casted are Alice Englert as Lena and Emmy Rossum as Lena's evil cousin Ridley, andKyle Gallnerfrom A Nightmare On Elm Street and The Haunting In Connecticut is playing Larkin.


Book #4. The Maze Runner by James Dashner


Oooh, what a thriller. This book will keep you at the edge of your seat for two reasons: what does everything mean and what will happen next. The book starts out strangely. Thomas wakes up in an elevator lift, and when he reaches the top, there are many other teen boys there to greet him. The place is called the Glade, and it is a large area surrounded by a maze. The door to the maze close every night to keep out monsters, and the maze rearranges itself every day. Also, every thirty days, a new boy is sent to the Glade. But, the day after Thomas comes, a girl suddenly arrives and is too sick to talk, but once she does, she brings a message that makes all the guys fear for the end. This book in currently in development, and should be out later in 2012. Can't wait for that one.


Book #3. Matched by Ally Condie


It seems that making books not in this present world is common, but the one that takes the cake for controlling is this book. In Society, all your choices are made for you; what you read, what to believe and who to be with. At her Matching Ceremony, Cassia is paire with Xander, who she should be glad to get, but on the screen, someone else appears before it fades to black. Ky Markham is what Cassia really wants, and she believes that he wasn't just a computer glitch, as she has been told. As she falls for Ky, she will have to choose between love and a perfect match. Wondefully written and told; I'm sure the movie will be just as good, almost.


Book #2. Daughter Of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor


Ok, so this will sound strange, so follow with me here. In Prague, there is an art student with a strange past, involved in a deadly non-human war. Karou seems strange to people. She draws pictures of monsters that could be real, she dissapears on 'errands' that no one else knows about, she speaks many languages, including some non-human ones, and her bright blue hair grows naturally out of her head. She doesn't know who she is, but she knows a few people who could have answers. The beautiful, fire-eyed stranger, Akiva ofers to tell her when they fall for eachother. But, Karou wonders if it is worth knowing such a horrible past with such a star-crossed love. One of these that I look forward to the most because of the peculiar

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Book #1. The Perks Of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky


My most highly anticipated book--->movie in 2012. This is the story of what it's like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie's letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory. The world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends. This is such a touching story that will be an amazingly classic movie. Already casted are Logan Lerman(Percy Jackson; The Three Musketeers) as Charlie, with Harry Potter's  Emma Watson, The Vampire Diaries's Nina Dobrev and Mae Witman co-starring.


Honerable Mentions: Stephanie Meyers' The Host, which has better book reveiws than her Twilight series, if you ask me. Abigail Breslin, Hailee Steinfeld and Hugo's Asa Butterfield in the sci-fi classic, Ender's Game. Star Trek  and Terminator:Salvation's Anton Yelchin will be cast in the horror/thriller Odd Thomas, coming out later this year. And, not so YA fiction, but the amazing Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina will be coming out this year. I'm sure all the Fantasy fans will be awaiting the final arrival of the Lord Of The Rings prequel, The Hobbit. There's the thriller City Of Bones by Cassandra Clare, and another strange thriller, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. And last, but not least, is the incredibly awesomely named Pride, Prejudice and Zombies, set to come out in early 2013.

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Find The Killer Pt. 7: The Thrillogy

Again, I will follow the same pattern as Tuesday and blog about one amazing series. A series full of murders, mysteries, betrayals and, of course, a couple of psychopathic killers. Who wouldn't want to read about this? Well, if you do, stay on because this post will make your summer that much better. This amazing, thrill-seeking series? Todd Strassers's Thrillogy.


Book #1. Wish You Were Dead


The day after anonymous blogger Str-S-d wishes the popular girl would die, Lucy vanishes. The students of Soundview High are scared and worried. Especially frightened and wracked with guilt is Madison Archer, Lucy’s friend and the last person to see her the night she disappeared. Days pass, and there is still no sign of Lucy, and before long, two more of Madison's popular friends go missing. Madison starts to recieve notes that might mean she's next, but she doesn't know who to trust. She wants to trust the new student, Tyler, but he has his own msyterious background and Madison is starting to think he may be involved.


Time is ticking, and Madison needs to find Lucy and the others before they die, but it may be too late for them, and for her.



Book #2. Blood On My Hands


When Callie Carson discovers ice queen Katherine Remington-Day sprawled on the ground one night, she bends down to help her. It’s only natural—the party’s been a bit wild, after all. And it’s only natural for her to pull out the fake knife she discovers, irritated at one more example of Katherine’s callous disregard of other people’s feelings. But the knife is real and bloody. And then Callie hears the click of one cell phone, followed by another, and another. In minutes, images of her holding the bloody knife have gone viral.


Now Callie is wanted for murder, and she is on the run from the police. All the evidence points to her guilt, but she’s determined to prove her innocence, which means the real killer is still out there, and she has to find out who it is.



Book #3. Kill You Last


Shelby has always been comfortable in Soundview. Her father is a photographer of teen models, which pays very nicely. But, girls start to go missing in local towns. But, these girls have one thing in common that puts Shelby's life on hault. The girls are all clients of her fathers. Shelby's life turns upside down as she starts getting threatening e-mails, not to mention the press and media that is turning the town against her and her family. But, Shelby is persistent on clearing her dad's name beause she is certain that he's innocent.


But, as the secrets of her father start to come out, Shelby starts to doubt everything she knows, including the fact that the killer is so close to her, and may have it in for her.


 RED'S ALL STAR REVIEW: 4 to 4 1/2 out of 5 for all of the books. These really are thrillers and they will have you guessing all the way until the minute you find out who the killer really is. I think you'll be surprised.

Click here! for all three books on Amazon.

Two For Tuesday: Find The Killer Pt. 6

So, the two books I have picked today are actually in one series. but both of the books are so good that they both need to be included in my post. The story is of a missing person and the search to find them when there is nothing to go on except instinct. The story is that of high school student, Christopher Creed, in Carol Plum-Ucci's critically aclaimed series.

Book #1: The Body Of Christopher Creed

Christopher Creed was the biggest freak at the high school in Steepleton. He was constantly bullied and no one stood up for him because he was just so wierd. But, then Chris goes missing. But, not just missing, he just dissapears. Usually there is some kind of evidence left behind, a note or a bus ticket or something. But for Chris Creed, there is nothing to indicate that he's anywhere; he's just gone. The town is being ravaged by the oddness of the dissapearance, and its affected everyone inside Steepleton. Sixteen-year-old Torey Adams decides to investigate the dissapearance as much as he can, but it leads him to a world of lies, pain and the need to blame someone for what has happened.

Book #2: Following Christopher Creed

Four years later, the dissapearance has still not been solved. Chris Creed is still missing, but not for long. A body is found in Steepleton, which brings hope to people that the case will be closed. Torey Adams blogs about the finding, which catches the eyes of a college reporter, Mike Mavic,eager to make the big-times. So, he sells his laptop, jups a plane to Steepleton and tries to dive into the mystery surrounding Christopher Creed. But, the town is still on edge from what happened four years ago, even though thwey have tried to forget it, and they just want to put it behind them. But, Chris's little brother, Justin, just wants to find out what happened to his brother, even if it takes his life or his sanity.


RED'S ALL STAR REVIEW: For both books this is a no-brainer.  4 1/2 out of 5 stars easy! These books have so much suspense and thrills, you will not put these down until its over. 


Click here! to get to the amazon page for these books, and others by Carol Plum-Ucci.

Find The Killer: Mystery Month Pt. 5

 Sometimes scary things happen to people, and sometimes we are to blame. There was something we could have done, or shouldn't have done that would have altered what really happened. In the next book, a normal high school student, gets involved with a gang war and a plot by the school thug. He is forced to do something terrible and bad things happen because of what he does and doesn't do. The book is Anthony McGowen's The Knife That Killed Me.

Paul Vanderman could be at any normal high school where bullies, girls, and annoying teachers are just part of life. But “normal” doesn’t apply when it comes to the school’s biggest bully, Roth. Roth is completely twisted in the head, and he expects things to go his way. he also has a plan for something really bad, and he expects Paul to help him with it.   

When Paul ends up delivering a message from Roth to the leader of a gang at a nearby school, it fuels a rivalry with immediate consequences. Paul attempts to distance himself from the feud, but somehow Roth keeps finding reasons for him to stick around. Then one day Roth hands him a knife. Paul is scared, but it feels so good in his hands, and he feels more powerful than ever before.

RED'S ALL STAR REVEIW: 3 out of 5. Good, but scary creepy at times.

MASS APPEAL: A good thriller, but somewhat disturbing about what goes on in the characters' heads. Read it for a thrill.

Two For Tuesday: Find The Killer Pt. 4

Another Two for Tuesday, and this time I'm bringing out some thrillers. These aren't exactly like the other books that I have blogged about. One is about a boy on trial for murder, and his sister's daring attempts to prove his innocence. The other, about the eyewitness to a pair of murders and the fight for what he believes is right when the police begin to interrogate him. Both are shorter than some of the other books, but both will have you reading right up to the climax wondering what's happening next.

The Silence of Murder by Dandi Daley Mackall

Seventeen-year-old Hope Long's life revolves around her brother Jeremy. So when Jeremy is accused of killing the town's beloved baseball coach, Hope's world begins to unravel. Everyone is convinced Jeremy did it, and since he hasn't spoken a word in 9 years, he's unable to defend himself. Their lawyer instructs Hope to convince the jury that Jeremy is insane, but all her life Hope has known that Jeremy's just different than other people. As she works to prove his innocence, joined by her best friend T.J. and the sheriff's son, Chase, Hope uncovers secrets about the murder, the townspeople, her family, and herself. She knows her brother isn't the murderer. But as she comes closer to the truth, she's terrified to find out who is.

RED'S ALL STAR REVIEW:  3 1/2 out of 5. Click here! to buy this book on Amazon.

The Interrogation of Gabriel James by Charlie Price

Gabriel James, a seemingly normal Montana fourteen-year-old, has his life turned upside down in one day. He is the prime eyewitness to two brutal killings, and now he is being interrogated by the police. He tells them the shocking story of what he remembers in flashbacks. But, the police ask him about a classmate of his who is connected to a rise in crime in the past few months. But, this classmate has a troubled and disturbing home life that may have led to the crime, and Gabriel doesn't want to put them away for things their family has done. Confused and torn, Gabriel has to choose between the law and his own moral compass.  

RED'S ALL STAR REVIEW: 3 out of 5. Click here! to buy this book on Amazon.

Non-Murder Monday

It’s a little monotonous, if you ask me about my Death-themed month, which makes sense because death is such a dim, flat topic. But, the murder mysteries are getting to me. I need to take a break for the day and talk about some other books that are NOT murders or suicides etc. My solution? I dub today Non-Murder Monday, a day where I blog about a few books that are just about people who die peacefully, or learn they are going to die.

Book #1. Before I Die by Jenny Dow

Tessa has just months to live. Fighting back against hospital visits, endless tests, and drugs with excruciating side effects, Tessa compiles a list. It’s her To Do Before I Die list. Released from the constraints of 'normal' life, Tessa tastes new experiences to make her feel alive while her failing body struggles to keep up. Tessa’s feelings, her relationships with her father and brother, her estranged mother, her best friend, and her new boyfriend, are all painfully crystallized in the precious weeks before Tessa’s time finally runs out.

RED'S ALL STAR REVIEW: 3 out of 5. Click here! to buy this book on Amazon!

Book #2. The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom

Eddie is a wounded war veteran, an old man who has lived, in his mind, an uninspired life. His job is fixing rides at a seaside amusement park. On his 83rd birthday, a tragic accident kills him, as he tries to save a little girl from a falling cart. He awakes in the afterlife, where he learns that heaven is not a destination. It's a place where your life is explained to you by five people, some of whom you knew, others who may have been strangers. One by one, from childhood to soldier to old age, Eddie's five people revisit their connections to him on earth, illuminating the mysteries of his "meaningless" life, and revealing the haunting secret behind the eternal question: 'Why was I here?' Eddie comes to a startling conclusion of what he has done that he wishes now he could take back.

RED'S ALL STAR REVIEW: 3 3/4 out of 5. This is a classic that my old English teacher recommended to me. Click here! to buy this book on Amazon!

Book #3. Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

Elsewhere is a beautiful paradise. You can’t get sick or any older. It's where you go when you've died, to reflect on your life and wait for a new one. Elsewhere is where fifteen-year-old Liz Hall ends up, after she has died. It is a place so like Earth, yet completely different. Here Liz will age backward from the day of her death until she becomes a baby again and returns to Earth. But Liz wants to turn sixteen, not fourteen again. She wants to get her driver’s license. She wants to graduate from high school and go to college. And now that she’s dead, Liz is being forced to live a life she doesn’t want with a grandmother she has only just met. And it is not going well. How can Liz let go of the only life she has ever known and embrace a new one? Is it possible that a life lived in reverse is no different from a life lived forward?

RED's ALL STAR REVIEW: 3 1/2 out of 5. Click here! to buy this book on Amazon!

Non-Fiction Saturday

These non-fiction books are not about murders, but near brushes with death and the consequences of surviving. In one book, an illness that keeps coming back haunts a woman, and her body. In the other, a family dissapears after they are threatened by a gunman. Both of these memoirs are told in brutal detail about the horrors of near-death experiences.


My One Night Stand With Cancer by Tania Katan.

When Tania Katan was 21 years old she was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. She survived, minus a breast. Exactly 10 years later it happened again. By age 31 Katan was a two-time breast cancer survivor with the scars to prove it and a sense of humor forged by the unthinkable. Her memoir, loaded with rage and blistering humor, tells the tale of living through two bouts with death and is woven through with stories of picking up women while bald, coping with her supportive but neurotic family, running in two 10K races, and pledging to never ever date a psychotic woman again. An unforgettable account of survival.

RED'S ALL STAR REVIEW: 3 1/2 out of 5. It's a really funny memoir, and it's very inspirational at the same time. Click here! to buy this book on Amazon.

The Year We Dissapeared by Cylin and John Busby

When Cylin Busby was nine years old, she was obsessed with Izod clothing, the Muppets, and her pet box turtle. Then, in the space of a night, everything changed. Her police officer father, John, was driving to work when someone leveled a shotgun at his window. The blasts that followed left John’s jaw on the passenger seat of his car—literally.

Overnight, the Busbys went from being the "family next door" to one under 24-hour armed guard, with police escorts to school, and no contact with friends. Worse, the shooter was still on the loose, and it seemed only a matter of time before he’d come after John—or someone else in the family—again. With their lives unraveling around them, and few choices remaining for a future that could ever be secure, the Busby family left everything and everyone they had ever known…and simply disappeared.

RED'S ALL STAR REVIEW: 4 out of 5. This memoir is told by both Joh, and his daughter, Cylin, and that's what makes it great. It was insane and amazing at the same time. Loved it. Click here! to buy this book on Amazon.

Find The Killer: Mystery Month Pt. 3

Sometimes, when something bad happens to someone, people try to blame other things and other people. Or they make accusations that are false because they want it to be true. In Karen Healey’s novel The Shattering, the main characters convince themselves that a string of suicides are really murders. At first, this sounds crazy, but something doesn’t feel right. But, as they dig deeper, they find out that it is a real possibility.

Keri used to be best friends with Janna van der Zaag. They were friends until middle school where they found themselves in different places. But, Keri and Janna still talk, but not often. But, their old friendship is sparked by the apparent suicide of Keri’s older brother, Jake. Jake was extremely close to Keri and was never a bad or troubled kid, so when Keri found her brother dead, she couldn’t believe that he would commit suicide.

But Jake is not the only one. Janna’s older brother himself committed suicide strangely too, years ago. And others, Sione and Tarquin, have also had older brothers that have committed suicide. After investigation, it seems there has been a boy killed almost every year, all ruled a suicide, all older brothers and all visiting the same town for New Year’s Eve. It seems that there is a serial killer in town.

Keri, Janna and Sione dig into the pasts of their brothers, trying to find a common line, a person or group that could connect all the victims. But their investigation turns a little strange. These murders are not normal, and this serial killer has more to hide than then first imagined. But, they know that if they don't catch this guy then he will kill another person again. All they have to do is find out who the killer is before he finds out what they're doing.

RED'S ALL STAR REVIEW: 3 1/2 out of 5. It gets a little strange towards the end, and the setting is in New Zeland, so it's slightly unrelateable. But, overall, it is a good book.

MASS APPEAL: If this book is for you, you know who you are. I don't think I need to write it out.

Click here! to buy this book on Amazon!

Find The Killer: Mystery Month Pt 2

When someone that you know or someone close to you dies, people tend to do one of two things. They 1. Blame others and make wild accusation to try and justify what has been done. Or, they 2. blame themselves beause the somehow connect what happened to something they did or did not do that they should have or shouldn't have. That happens to the characters in this next novel I'm blogging about.

The novel is All Unquiet Things, the first book by Anna Jarzab. The book is about a girl, Carley, who is shot to death. Carley was a smart girl, who knew her way around Brighton school, and the students. She might have known too much about the student in her school, and those secrets may have been the reason for her death. At least that's what is suspected by Neily and Audrey, the two people that used to be close to Carley.

Neily is a slight loner, but he was Carley's boyfriend still. He was dumped by Carley for a total loser not long before her murder. He recieved a phone call from Carley before she had died, which he now thinks may have been a phone call for help. He is also the one who found her body on the bridge. Audrey was one of Carley's better friends, but they had drifted apart recently.

The police have already found who they believe is the murderer and he is in custody. There was a trial and everything, and the suspect was found guilty. But, Audrey believes someone else was the murderer. She contacts Neily in hopes that he will help her solve Carley's murder and catch the real killer. Neily decides to help, but as they dig deep in their pasts with Carley, they realize how deep she was in everyone's secrets.

RED'S ALL STAR REVIEW: 3 out of 5. I liked the secrecy of Carley in the book, but it was a little predictable, as most murder books are.

MASS APPEAL: Well, if you aren't interested in murder mysteries, you wouldn't be reading this.

Click here! and buy this book on Amazon!

Find The Killer: Mystery Month Pt 1

The first book in the official Mystery Month is quite a thriller. April Lurie has written other teen books, including my already-blogged-about Brothers, Boyfriends and Other Criminal Minds which was quite a refreshing mob tale. But, In her next novel, The Less-Dead, she goes even darker. It' about a town in Texas where gay teens are being murdered, and one boy who gets caught in the middle when he befriends a target.

Noah Nordstrom is the son of the famous Bible Answer Guy, a radio-show host who answers peoples questions about the bible. When Noah gets kicked out of school, starts skipping church regularly, and stays out all night without coming home, his parents start to give up on him. Even his best friend turned girlfriend has stopped talking to him. Noah only really cares about his music, and a recent string of murders in his city.

But, Noah meets Will, who seems like a really great guy. He writes poetry, he loves rock music and he goes to the same school as Noah and his best friend, Carson. But, Will is hiding a secret from Noah, one that freaks Noah out. Will is gay and has a crush on Noah, but he knows Noah is striaght, and he didn't want Noah to find out. Noah is scared though, because gay teens have been the target of those murders Noah has read about. Some religious nut job is trying to make a statement, and Will might become a victim.

And, Noah's gut is right. The next victim is Will. After Noah and him have a fight, Will goes to the woods alone and is murdered there. Noah is the first to find him, and one of only a few people to even care. Noah is overcome with guilt and is desprate to find out who the killer is and avende his friend's death. Noah teams up with his father, his ex-girlfriend, and Will's other friends to help the police catch the killer. But, Noah is putting himslef too deep into the murder for his own good.

Make Your Own Prediction! Who do you think is the killer?
A. Doomsday - A homeless guy who preaches about religion on the street
B. Warren banks - A radical church member
C. Quindlan - Another homeless guy who was friends with Doomsday

RED'S ALL STAR REVIEW: 3 3/4 out of 5. It really is a thriller, and the ending is good. I would like to see more, and it's sad who the killer really is(you won't expect it) but it was well written.

MASS APPEAL: Anyone who enjoys a good mystery thriler, and likes some regular content between suspense chapters, will like this book.

Click here! to buy this book on Amazon!

Bliss by Lauren Myracle

I'm not going to dive right into the murder books just yet, so I chose this next book. This book is by an author all you teen girls should all recognize. Lauren Myracle is the author of the best-selling teen series ttyl, ttfn and l8r, g8r. But, in this next book, she takes a trip to the dark side with Bliss. Bliss is a thriller about a friendshipthat goes wrong, and the deadly struggle for power within the walls of a private school.
In the late 60's, Bliss's hippie parents move her from the commune to her wealthy grandmothers house and then leave. Bliss learns how to talk, eat and dress like an upperclass young woman. She is even attending Crestview Academy, which will hold the biggest challange yet. Bliss, being new and naive, is happy to find friends, even if they don't always fit with her. She even befriends the school's resident loner, Sandy.

But, there is something different about Sandy. She has a dark sense of humor, and is never very nice to Bliss. She also has an unusual obsession with Liliana. Liliana attened Crestview when it was a nunnery, but she wasn't cut out to be a nun. Liliana dabbled with witchcraft and reserection of the dead, and when she was imprisoned for her strange ways, she committed suicide in the academy. Bliss is starting to be afraid of Sandy, and the voices she has been hearing ever since she stepped foot in Crestview.

But, there is so much more drama at Crestview. Sandy is angry at the popular girl, Sarah Lynn, and is up to no good. Her friends Thelma, DeeDee and Jolene are ditching her at lunch, and not to mention the gorgeous Mitchell Truman, who happens to be a junior and may really like her. There's the forbidden relationship between Lawrence, the only black boy at the school, and Sarah Lynn, whose father is in the KKK. And there's always those voices that talk to her about Liliana's suicide.

Make You Prediction! Who do you think is in danger? I'll reveal in the next post.

A. Sarah Lynn                 B. Sandy

C. Bliss                            D. Lawrence

RED'S ALL STAR REVIEW: 2 3/4 out of 5. I would have loved more action, but the suspense was amazing. I loved the tie-in's with the Manson murders and the diary of S.L.L.. The ending was slightly dissapointing, and I would have loved to see Bliss not so traumatized by everything at the end.

MASS APPEAL: The suspense and thriller fans, especially girls, will like this book. Love it? I don't know; maybe Myracle should stay more into teen comed-drama.

Click here! to buy this book on Amazon.

Two For Tuesday

It’s finally April! Only a few weeks until school is out and summer begins! But, not yet, so I will continue to blog about this morose topic until the end of the month. Here’s how this is going to work: Some of these books are just regular deaths, and others are murder mysteries. The murder mysteries will be scattered as part of my Find the Killer Mystery Week (even though it won’t be one consecutive week). Some of these books are critically acclaimed, and others are less well-known, but are very good. I’m going to officially kick it off with two books.

Me & Death: An Afterlife Adventure by Richard Scrimger

Jim is a fourteen-year-old wanna-be gangster and car theif. One day, after stealing some fruit, he is run into by a car. Jim is in a coma, but while he is, an old friend who has passed on is going to take him on a journey through the afterlife. Jim is not a good person, but he has a chance to save himself. He gets a chance to see what happens to you after you die, and what you lost from when you were alive. Too bad he's hardly interested, or he thinks this is all a dream.

But, Tadeusz, an old hero of Jim's, and some other afterlife-dwellers are going to surprise Jim. There is Denise, a Mourner who is always sad. There is Wolfgang, who is a new Grave Walker, and Morgan, who comes off as mean and angry, but for good reason; he is and always will be a Slayer. They show Jim his life from a new prespective in hopes that he will change his ways and save the people he knows on Earth, including his crazy sister and his wimpy former target, from the neighborhood psychopath.

RED'S ALL STAR RATING: 3 1/4 out of 5. I loved the storyline and the characters. Click here! to buy this book on Amazon.

The Afterlife by Gary Soto
Chuy thinks he is such a cool guy. He is meeting Rachel, a girl from his English class, at a dance in the local club. While he is in the restroom, looking at himself in the mirror, a guy comes up next to him. After Chuy gives the guy a compliment, the guy thinks he is making fun of him. So, he grabs Chuy and sticks a knife into him twice. He leaves Chuy there to bleed out on the floor of this dirty restroom in a club. Some luck, huh?

But, Chuy, whose real name is Jesús, hasn't exactly finished his time on Earth yet. Not alive, but he is a ghost next to his own dead body. And, strangely enough, his body parts dissapear every once and a while. He goes to his own funeral, has a strange conversation with Rachel, and meets a new ghost. Crystal was a cheerleader, vice-president, and a major jock. She is also dead, and the only person who understands Chuy.

RED'S ALL STAR REVEIW: 3 out of 5 stars. I know Soto's work, and this isn't my favorite book, but it pretty good. Click here! to buy this book on Amazon.

Now, both of these books are extremely short. Less than 200 pages, for you non-readers. An easy start to a month that includes authors like Todd Strasser, Gabrielle Zevin, Lauren Myracle and Carol Plum-Ucci. These books will be coming quick, so keep up with the readings and have a bloody good time.

A Different Topic. I Digress

Dear readers, this is going to sound like the saddest thing you have ever heard, or close to it:

We are heading into April, the month known for the rain and grey skies and lack of sunshine (Think of it as a month long trip to the Northwest coast of the United States). And with all that greyness and rain, it’s a time to really reflect on what you want to do when it’s over. So, I am christening April, the month of death. Sad isn’t it? But it will be interesting blogging about deathly books for an entire month, and, I am going to give a little taste with the next few posts before April really comes.  

The book I’ve chosen is Deadline by the great Chris Crutcher. The story is of Ben Wolfe, who is starting his senior year in high school when he learns that this year is all he has left. Ben has a blood disease so advanced that aggressive treatment wouldn’t even really work. Because Ben is eighteen, he persuades Doc to not tell his parents and to pass him for his physical (the reason he came in anyway), which the Doc does.

Ben gears up for his last year by making some different choices. He decides that he wants to leave a mark in his town, so Ben joins the football team. At first, he is treated badly because of his size, but thanks to Cody, Ben brother and the star quarterback, he gets a position on the team. He also decides to be as much of a pain in his classes as he can, which includes naming a local street after Malcolm X. He also wants to help the town drunk, Rudy McCoy, get clean, which is a bit of a long shot.

The most important to Ben, though, is Dallas Suzuki. No, this is not a car dealership, but a girl that Ben has been in love with for a long time. Then Dallas asks Ben to homecoming and they start a relationship, much to the surprise of Ben. But, things are falling apart. It’s getting harder to keep his secret, but he doesn’t want to hurt the people that he loves. Especially his mentally ill mother, Dallas and Joe Henry, her little brother who adores Ben. 

RED’S ALL STAR REVIEW: 4 out of 5 stars. Chris Crutcher is a critically acclaimed author, and for goos reason. His other novels are so great, and this one continues that streak. Full of humor, anger, and the philosophy of life and death.

MASS APPEAL: Everyone needs to read this book, and the others by Crutcher. Great for any person, and good for book reports, which are a pain unless you have a great book(hint, hint).

Buy this book on Amazon. Click here!

Two For Tuesday - The Hunger Games

Ok, let’s get down to business, shall we? This is my second post about this book, so pay attention. If you have not read The Hunger Games or seen any of the trailers, do so. The Hunger Games is a wonderful book.

The only criticism that I have is one I’ve heard many times with books like Twilight and Harry Potter. The plot and storyline of the book outshines the actual writing which is not something you want, if you are an author. The writing was good, but I found myself caught up in the story, not the writing.

But, hopefully, the movie (coming out this week!) will better this with the special effects and acting abilities of the phenomenal cast including Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Helmsworth and Josh Hutcherson. I am sure that putting this into a movie will better the series, unlike Twilight which seemed to dim with the big screen, in my opinion, due to the actors chosen. But, it has been promised that this movie will be unlike what you’ve seen before, and I am excited to see it as soon as it comes out.

Expect me to be at the midnight showing.

And if you haven't seen the trailer for this movie, watch it right here, and then go see the movie as it comes out in theatres on March 23.

Spring Break!!

I have been gone for far too long, my dear friends. A few weeks after the term endd, but all is well, i am back for spring break and i will be blogging quite a bit in the following weeks. To kick off this book blogging feat, I chose a book that I really love. The Year of Secret Assignments by Jaclyn Moriarty is told complete in diary entries, letters, emails and notes between six students from two different schools.

Emily Thompson, Cassie Aganovic and Lydia Jaackson-Oberman are three best friends who go to Ashbury School for girls. This year they are required to have penpals from the boys school, Brookfield High, and exchange letters with them on a regular basis. The girls, at first, don't want to exchange letters with guys from Brookfield because it has a reputation for having many delinquents.

Each of the girls gets a strange surprise though. Emily is assigned to Charlie Taylor, a sweet guy who is a part-time car theif and is helpless when it comes to girls, which Emily tries to help with. Lydia gets Sebastian Mantegna, a total slacker, and really nice artist who is obsessed with soccer. Cass gets a kid named Matthew Dunlop, who sends threateneing notes and is a psychopath. But, as Cass talks to him more, Emily and Lydia start to wonder if Matthew is even a real person.

As Emily teaches Charlie to date, Lydia and Seb pull favors for eachother, mainly so Seb can get out of tests, and Cass decids to meet up with Matt. But, Matt isn't who he has claimed to be in his letters to Cass. He may not have good things in mind when they meet. On top of that, Charlie starts fighting with Emily for getting him in trouble and Lydia is mad at Seb for breaking a promise, and for beating up a kid at his school. On topof that, the girls are being blamed for a string of vandalism attacks on the schools.

RED'S ALL STAR REVIEW: 3 out of 5. Sometimes, rarely, the letter format gets distracting and a little annoying, but it's usually easy to read and interesting to see the connections made there. This book has a few companion books, so check those out too!

MASS APPEAL: The experiences by these teens are similar to those in real life, with the exception of these teens go to vastly different schools and their main form of communication is letters. But, teens should like this book because of the comedy, romance, and criminal trials at the end.

Click Here! to buy this book on Amazon.

5 Must Read Memoirs

I wasn't able to post on my non-fiction saturday yesterday. I will more than make up for it today; five great memoirs in one post. Mind blowing, right? So I'll put it in the order I read them. Here we go.

 

1. Trespassers Will Be Baptized: The Unordained Memoir of A Preacher's Daughter by Elizabeth Hancock.

Growing up Southern and Baptist in Eastern Kentucky, Elizabeth Hancock's world revolved around Sunday School, foreign missions projects, revival meetings and of course, the Kentucky Wildcats, who "glorified God through their goal-shattering, soul-shattering play." Hancock chronicles her childhood misadventures with sardonic wit, detailing her and her sister Meg's mischievous - if harmless - abuses of power (stealing Guess jeans from the Africa donation box, or hawking backyard swimming pool baptisms during her neighborhood's annual yard sale) and lovingly recalling the wisdom imparted by her long-suffering parents as they ministered to their unruly flock.

RED'S ALL STAR REVIEW: 3 out of 5 stars. -- Click here! to buy this book.

2. Running With Scissors by Augusten Burroughs.

True story of a boy whose mother (a poet with delusions of Anne Sexton) gave him away to be raised by her unorthodox psychiatrist who bore a striking resemblance to Santa Claus. So at the age of twelve, Burroughs found himself amidst Victorian squalor living with the doctor’s bizarre family, and befriending a pedophile who resided in the backyard shed. The story of an outlaw childhood where rules were unheard of, and the Christmas tree stayed up all year round, where Valium was consumed like candy, and if things got dull an electroshock- therapy machine could provide entertainment.

RED'S ALL STAR REVIEW: 4 out of 5 stars. Very funny. -- Click here! to buy this book.



3. Five Men Who Broke My Heart by Susan Shapiro.

A successful freelance writer living in Manhattan, Susan Shapiro was in the midst of a midlife crisis she called her "no book summer." Married for five years, she was beginning to wonder if she'd remain bookless forever. Then the phone rang, and it was Brad, a college flame who'd become a Harvard scientist with a book coming out. Susan offers to interview him, and she winds up launching into all the intense, invasive questions she'd always wanted to ask him, and he answers them. This ignites a spark that sends her on a cross-country jaunt back through her lust-littered past. Yet somewhere between the tantalizing what-ifs and bittersweet might-have-beens, she finds what she's been searching for all along.

RED'S ALL STAR REVIEW: 3 3/4 out of 5 stars. -- Click here! to buy this book.


4. Zamba: The True Story of the Greatest Lion That Ever Lived by Ralph Helfer.
When Ralph Helfer first began working, he was shocked by the cruelty that was accepted practice in the field of animal behaviorism. He firmly believed that love, not fear, should be the basis of any animal's development, even when dealing with the most dangerous of creatures. Then Zamba came into his life, an adorable four-month-old lion cub. Over the next eighteen years, Zamba would thrive and grow, and go on to star in numerous motion pictures and television shows, all the while developing a deep and powerful bond of love and affection with the man who raised him.

RED'S ALL STAR REVIEW: 3 out of 5 stars. -- Click here! to buy this book.

5. Waiting For Snow In Havana: Confessions Of A Cuban Boy by Carlos Eire.

The Cuba of Carlos’s youth becomes an island of condemnation once a cigar-smokin guerrilla named Fidel Castro come to power in 1959. Suddenly the music in the streets sounds like gunfire. Christmas is made illegal, political dissent leads to imprisonment, and too many of Carlos's friends are leaving Cuba for a place as far away and unthinkable as the United States. The memories of Carlos's life in Havana are cut short when he was just eleven years old, In 1962, when he became one of 14,000 children airlifted out of Cuba—exiled from his family, his country, and his own childhood by the revolution.

RED' S ALL STAR REVIEW: 4 1/4 out of 5 stars. I loved this book! -- Click here! to buy this book.