By Golly, Ollie!

💾 a blog about books, tea, & geekery

Author: Jackie

  • Never Knowing by Chevy Stevens

    Never Knowing by Chevy Stevens

    I’ve put off writing this review for so long because I haven’t figured out what to say about this book.  Still.  Really!  I went into Never Knowing prepared to dislike it.  It’s not my preferred genre, and on top of that I started reading this book at work; these days, work turns me into such a curmudgeon.  But, about a chapter in, I was hooked.

    I don’t know how else to say it, but this book left me feeling like an emotional wreck.  Each character was equally lovable and frustrating.  One moment I’m rooting for them; the next I am disgusted by the words they say and their actions (or lack thereof).  On one hand, Sarah is so wonderful for wanting to lend a helping hand.  On another hand, how dare she lend a helping hand knowing her child’s life is at risk.  Who does that?!  How wonderful, Sarah’s adoptive mother is for loving Sarah so immensely, but how dare she not stick up for Sarah when her father is being so hateful.  Each character in the story is like this from innocent little Ally to the cruel serial killer.  Stevens succeeds in creating tension between characters as well as blurring the boundaries between good and evil.

    Stevens also has a unique way of telling Sarah’s story.  The book is fairly fast-paced with new tensions, twists, and secrets revealed on every other page.  But, each chapter begins with Sarah talking to her psychologist.  She reflects on the events that happened just a few days ago, sometimes just a few hours ago, before launching into a vivid retelling of the often horrific event.  It allows the reader to catch a deeper glimpse into Sarah’s psyche.

    Overall, Never Knowing by Chevy Stevens was a pleasant surprise for me.  Rarely do I get so emotionally involved in stories, but time and time again I found myself getting angry at characters.  I found myself feeling relieved whenever something positive happened to the characters.  I found myself hoping that such-and-such would be alright in the end.  Never Knowing is a suspenseful book worth reading!

    Never Knowing by Chevy Stevens

    Released: January 2011
    Genre: Mystery
    Age Group: Adult

    [goodreads | indiebound]

    All her life, Sara Gallagher has wondered about her birth parents. As an adopted child with two sisters who were born naturally to her parents, Sara’s home life was not ideal. The question of why she was given up for adoption has always haunted her. Finally, she is ready to take steps and find closure.

    But some questions are better left unanswered.

    After months of research, Sara locates her birth mother—only to be met with horror and rejection. Then she discovers the devastating truth: her mother was the only victim ever to escape a killer who has been hunting women every summer for decades. But Sara soon realizes the only thing worse than finding out about her father is him finding out about her.

  • The Alchemyst by Michael Scott

    The Alchemyst by Michael Scott

    Let me be honest here.  The reason why I picked up this book in the first place is that the book is about Nicholas Flamel, and Nicholas Flamel is mentioned in the first Harry Potter book.  Does anyone else pick out books like that?  Silly reasons aside, I enjoyed this book!

    The story is about Sophie and Josh Newman.  They are normal twins, working normal summer jobs, but unknowingly working for some really old people.  And by really old, I mean a couple of centuries-old– the Flamels, who are famous for concocting the sorcerer’s stone, which makes them immortal.  Then some golems (not to be confused with Gollum) and peculiar men in business attire, Dr. John Dee and his lackeys, show up at the twins’ place(s) of work.  A magical battle and a kidnapping ensue, and now Sophie and Josh’s life is thrown into a whirlwind– they just might be the twins an old prophecy describes, and if that is so, then they are destined to save the world from the evil Dr. John Dee and some really angry Elders.  In their quest to hopefully save the world, Nicholas Flamel and the twins receive aid from several people we know as myths and legends like  Scathatch the Warrior Maiden and the Witch of Endor while trying to outwit the likes of Bastet and Morrigan.

    The book is filled to the brim with old myths and legends.  Some of them I learned about in school, while others were unfamiliar to me.  It was those that were unfamiliar to me that encouraged me to do some outside research.  I spent so long browsing Wikipedia pages so I could learn more about Scathatch and the Witch of Endor.  The Alchemyst opened up a whole new world that I wanted to know more about; I think it’s awesome when books have that kind of effect.  It would have been easy for Michael Scott to just simply incorporate the legends and their backstories into the novel; however, he wove them into the story giving each one its own distinct and thorough personality.

    I wasn’t so impressed with Sophie and Josh in this story though.  The characters were a little bland compared to the individuals they have met so far.  But, based on how well the legends were created, I don’t doubt Sophie and Josh will grow into more memorable characters as each book progresses.

    Now, I made the mistake of bringing this book to work with me.  I read it during my breaks and my lunches.  I also sneaked off the floor in between breaks and lunch to read a couple of pages here and there.  But, don’t tell my boss.  In my defense, I couldn’t help it!  This book was so action-packed!  There were car chases and magical battles of epic proportions.  Every few chapters revealed the fate of what the world would be if Sophie and Josh’s powers weren’t awakened.  And every chapter left off on a cliffhanger.  Cliffhangers get me every time.  I just needed to know what happened next; I’m sure you understand, right?

    Overall, the Alchemyst by Michael Scott was downright fascinating.  Normally I don’t read more than one book from a series a year, but I’m thinking The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel might be an exception.  I went out just last week to buy the second book from the series, The Magician.  And, even though it’s been only a month since I finished The Alchemyst, I’m thinking of starting the new book very soon.  I have no intention to bring it to work with me though.  If it’s anything like the last book, I’m sure I will find several excuses to leave the sales floor, which isn’t good considering I work off of commission.

    The Alchemyst (the Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel #1) by Michael Scott

    Released: May 2007
    Genre: Fantasy
    Age Group: Young Adult

    The tomb of Nicholas Flamel is empty. The greatest alchemist of his day supposedly died in 1418, but rumors continue to swirl that he continues to walk among us. Could it be true that this magician/chemist has access to the secret of eternal life? Could the Book of Abraham, which he purportedly owns, hold the key to this elixir? If it does, the theft of this single ancient volume could destroy the world as we know it.

  • The Fairy-Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley

    The Fairy-Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley

    I started reading The Fairytale Detectives on a particularly rainy day while sipping on a mug of hot Earl Grey tea. By the first few pages and the first crack of thunder from outside, I was sucked into the book.  I only wish I could mean that literally.

    Ferryport Landing may seem like just a quaint New York town to the unobserving eye, but it is home to the Everafters (fairytale characters). Michael Buckley recreated a big cast of memorable fairytale characters; each one had its unique quirks and personality. Sabrina and her younger sister, Daphne, learn their Granny Relda and her faithful companion, Mr. Canis, are responsible for keeping magical shenanigans from getting too far out of hand. And, since the young girls have been reunited with family, that responsibility is now theirs too.

    The youngest of the girls, Daphne, is downright adorable. She has such a bright and positive outlook on life despite all the negative experiences she’s had. I wish I could say the same for Sabrina, who seems a little too cynical for such a young girl. At times, her cynicism tried my patience, but as the story progressed, she slowly came to terms with her new life. I look forward to reading about Sabrina in the rest of the series because I don’t think she’ll be as negative. She did a lot of growing in book one.

    Aside from being filled to the brim with magical characters, The Fairytale Detectives is also action-packed! As soon as Granny Relda and company discover evidence of a dangerous giant poking around in town, the book does not slow down. There are wild police chases, jailbreaks, mortal peril, and covert operations (just to name a few)!

    My only concern with The Sisters Grimm series is the idea of a Grimm Fairytale is rather broad. Based on the title, readers will expect nothing but characters collected by the Grimm brothers to be in the book, but that is not the case. Buckley also includes magical characters from Rudyard Kipling, William Shakespeare, Lewis Carrol, and Hans Christian Anderson. Initially, this did bother me because Puck and Alice are not from Grimm fairy tales. It’s misleading! And, I wondered how many youngsters were going to be familiar with Puck from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I did find, by the end of the book I didn’t mind. Grimm fairy tales or not, they were integrated well into the story, and many of them were likable.

    Overall, I adored this book! Setting the book down with only 80 pages to go just so I wasn’t late for work was difficult to do. I cannot wait to get back to the library to check out the rest of this series. Especially since The Fairytale Detectives ended on a cliffhanger! While the girls are busy solving mysteries in Ferrypoint Landing with Granny Relda, their mysterious past is slowly revealed. Now, I’m dying to know about the significance of the red handprint!

    The Sisters Grimm by Michael Buckley

    The Fairy-Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley (the Sisters Grimm #1)

    Released: August 2007
    Genre: Fantasy, Mystery
    Age Group: Middle Grade

    [goodreads | indiebound]

    For Sabrina and Daphne Grimm, life has not been a fairy tale. After the mysterious disappearance of their parents, the sisters are sent to live with their grandmother–a woman they believed was dead! Granny Relda reveals that the girls have two famous ancestors, the Brothers Grimm, whose classic book of fairy tales is actually a collection of case files of magical mischief. Now the girls must take on the family responsibility of being fairy tale detectives.

  • Lure by Deborah Kerbel

    Lure by Deborah Kerbel

    After reading the synopsis for Lure by Deborah Kerbel, I was eager to read this book.   I used to read ghost stories often when I was younger, but I haven’t read too many in recent years.  Instead, I’ve been hooked on shows like Ghost Hunters or Ghost Adventurers.  So, it seemed this book would be right up my alley.

    It wasn’t.

    The story is written from two points of view; Max, from the modern-day, and John, a boy from the past, take turns telling their story.  It was interesting to see how much their stories relied on each other for the storyline to advance.  But, I didn’t think the quality of Max’s story was as fine as John’s story.  John’s chapters were so eloquently written and much more interesting; I was sucked right in.  After finishing each of John’s chapters, I had a better sense of who he was.  He’s a sickly and weak boy who loves books even though his father wishes he were strong so he could work in the family blacksmith business.  Each chapter showed his struggle with coming to terms that he’d never be good enough in his father’s eyes, and it was kind of heartbreaking.

    After reading Max’s story, I only had a vague impression of who he was.  And from that vague impression, I decided that I couldn’t stand Max.  He sits there and simmers about how he is invisible to all of his peers, yet he skips school all the time.  It’s like, maybe if he made an effort to go to school with these people, he wouldn’t be invisible to them.  Plus, the only time the reader gets to know Max is when he is at the library or when he is around Caroline, a girl he was kind of infatuated with. 

    Also, and I don’t mean to get nit-picky, but Max kept talking about how he loved breathing in Caroline’s “awesome” scent.  But, every time I read that or a variation of that, I just really wanted to know what “awesome” smells like.  This lack of concrete descriptions also lent itself to the vagueness I felt after finishing each of Max’s chapters.

    As for the ending…I’m kind of baffled.  It all came as a surprise to me, which was cool, but things didn’t seem to add up.  I’d spoil the ending if I voiced my concerns though.

    Overall, this book wasn’t for me.  It left me wanting more, but not in a good way.  While I very much enjoyed reading about John, I wanted to understand Max better.  It almost seemed like Max was a pawn in this story.  It almost seemed like his only purpose was to figure out the mystery, so character development wasn’t really necessary.

    I also went into the story thinking it was going to be spooky.  It wasn’t, and I didn’t so much mind that.  But, I was kind of bummed out that it was lacking in paranormal activity.  Most of it was hearsay, and Max and the reader only experienced two or three things firsthand.  The things that did happen were kind of clever; I just wanted more.

    Lure by Deborah Kerbel

    Lure by Deborah Kerbel

    Released: January 2010
    Genre: Mystery
    Age Group: Young Adult

    [goodreads | indiebound]

    Absolutely nothing is going right for Max Green. His parents have just uprooted their family from Vancouver to the bleak suburbs of Toronto, he has no friends, and everybody at his new high school is ignoring him. To make matters worse, he’s in love with an older girl who’s completely out of his league. When Max discovers a local library rumored to be haunted by ghosts, he’s immediately drawn to it. With the help of some cryptic messages, he begins to piece together the identity of the teenage ghost and the mysterious chain of events that have connected its spirit to the building for over a century. But just who was John, anyway? Why has he chosen to contact Max? And what does an old fishing lure have to do with solving the mystery?

  • Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon

    Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon

    Paranormal romance books are still flooding the market thanks to the Twilight series.  It’s not my genre of choice mostly because of clichés and overdone love triangles with the main character always falling for the total creep.  But, these are not the things that describe Yvonne Woon’s Dead Beautiful.  Of all the paranormal romance books I’ve read, I have declared Dead Beautiful to be my favorite (thus far, at least).

    Initially, I thought this book was yet another vampire love story, but I was wrong.  So very wrong.  Dead wrong (har har!).  The Latin-rooted philosophy and “mythology” that were woven into the story made Dead Beautiful unique amongst other paranormal romance books.  I say “mythology” because I believe Woon created it for her story, but she did so in a way that made it all seem like the myth had been around for centuries.  And, as you can guess from the title, death is a major subject throughout this book.  This might be an unappealing subject for some, but I loved the spooky and foreboding atmosphere this created.

    I did appreciate the romance in Dead Beautiful.  I think the relationship between the main character, Renee, and her love interest, Dante, progressed pretty quickly.  And it’s clear Renee is smitten with Dante, but it’s not overkilling.  It’s also apparent to the reader that Renee thinks about her friends and the world around her as much as she does about Dante.  I would say it’s a breath of fresh air from many of the newly published young adult books regardless of genre.  I would also have to say that for once I found the love interest to be swoon-worthy!

    Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon

    Dead Beautiful is equal parts romance and mystery, so the story had me guessing all the way through.  Several twists and turns that had me formulating ideas of what could be next, but more often than not I was wrong!  I found the mystery to be compelling, and I think this is what made the book such a page-turner for me.

    I did think the pacing of the story was a little off.  There were times in the story that moved slowly, but that didn’t bother me.  I did think the ending was rushed though, which left me feeling like something was missing.  The first 470 pages were written so beautifully.  I truly loved Woon’s writing style, and I have to admit, I am quite envious of it.  Everything was written so vividly, and getting lost in the world Woon created was easy.  However, the last 10 pages went by too quickly.  I would say I was even left quite confused to the point where I had to re-read the ending to make sure I understood what had happened.  Now, that being said, after I fully understood what happened, I thought the ending was perfect– not the way I thought it would end (thank goodness!)

    Overall, I loved this book. (Notice how I bold-faced and italicized “love”?  Yea, that’s how much I loved it).  I think it would be a great addition to the bookshelves of lovers of the paranormal romance genre.  It would be perfect for the shelves of those who aren’t so keen on the genre, like me, too!

    Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon

    Released: September 2010
    Genre: Romance, Fantasy
    Age Group: Young Adult

    [add to goodreads ]

    On the morning of her sixteenth birthday, Renée Winters was still an ordinary girl. She spent her summers at the beach, had the perfect best friend, and had just started dating the cutest guy at school. No one she’d ever known had died. But all that changes when she finds her parents dead in the Redwood Forest, in what appears to be a strange double murder.

    After the funeral, Renée’s wealthy grandfather sends her to Gottfried Academy, a remote and mysterious boarding school in Maine, where she finds herself studying subjects like Philosophy, Latin, and the “Crude Sciences.” It’s only when she discovers a dark tragedy in Gottfried’s past that she begins to wonder if the Academy is everything it seems.

  • Spring has sprung!

    Spring has sprung!

    The mornings are crisp, the afternoons are warm and smell like freshly cut grass, and the evenings feel soggy like a rain shower is on its way.  Pink and white flowers bud on the branches of bushes and trees, and when the wind picks up, small petals blow off the trees and dance in the streets.  From the side of the road, Sandhill Cranes watch me as I pull into the driveway after I’ve worked all day.  At night they call each other in the marshes in the backyard along with the bullfrogs and the green frogs.  There is something so prehistoric about the sound they make.

    With each change of the season, I am reminded of why I love Michigan so much.  This is one of the most beautiful and splendid states I’ve ever had the fortune to live in.

    As I made my way to the car yesterday morning, I was thinking it would be a nice day to sit on the back porch reading books when a red-winged blackbird interrupted by thoughts.  “O-ka-leeeeeeee” is what the bird said to me.

  • The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

    The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

    The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson is easily one of the most thought-provoking books I’ve read.  Ever.  It’s decades in the future in America; doctors have fallen into the habit of playing God, but their medicine has been rendered useless ever since they began pumping people full of antibiotics endorsed by major pharmaceutical corporations.  Jenna Fox, who has just woken up from a coma with “amnesia”, has been affected by this, but to what extent I can’t say because it will spoil the story for you.  Throughout the book, Jenna must rediscover her past to learn who or what she truly is.  At the same time, she must keep it a secret because she is afraid people will think she is a monster, and she doesn’t want to jeopardize her and her family’s freedom.  The Adoration of Jenna Fox seemed so eerie to me; as medicine and technology keep advancing I do think what happened in the book could be possible in reality.

    Awesome storyline aside, I appreciate how many of the characters in this book grew and changed throughout.  In most books, it seems only the main character grows, and the rest of the characters only encourage the growth.  But, in The Adoration of Jenna Fox, opinions of supporting characters change over time regardless of the magnitude, and these impact their perceptions of themselves, the world, and their relationship with Jenna Fox.

    While I very much enjoyed the story, I did have trouble appreciating the way it was written.  Everything was stated so matter-of-fact from Jenna’s point of view– cold and calculated.  However, I think if it were written any other way, the story wouldn’t have the same impact on the reader.  I’m also left feeling a little confused about one of the characters.  Everyone made such a big deal about him, warning Jenna to stay away from him, but he rarely made an appearance in the story.  You see, I can’t even remember his name, and I’m not entirely sure why he’s such a bad person.  At one point, he and Jenna have a confrontation of sorts, but I don’t understand his motivation.

    Overall, I enjoyed this book.  I liked the development of the storyline and the development of the characters.  But, above all, I loved how the story questions both bio-medical ethics and humanity.  It does so in a way that is not overly philosophical or pretentious, and it will appeal to both teens and adults.

    The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

    The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

    Released: April 2008
    Genre: Science Fiction
    Age Group: Young Adult

    [goodreads | indiebound]

    Who is Jenna Fox? Seventeen-year-old Jenna has been told that is her name. She has just awoken from a coma, they tell her, and she is still recovering from a terrible accident in which she was involved a year ago. But what happened before that? Jenna doesn’t remember her life. Or does she? And are the memories really hers?

  • Any Witch Way by Annastaysia Savage

    Any Witch Way by Annastaysia Savage

    If I cannot live in J.K. Rowling’s wizarding world pre- or post- Vol-Vol…he-who-must-not-be-named, can I live in the world Annastaysia Savage created in Any Witch Way?  I thought Annastaysia’s world-building was superb.  The story starts in our reality, but as Sadie learns of her true identity, our reality blends and eventually fades into the realm of magik and fantasy.  Annastaysia incorporates all of the magical creatures and myths we grew up reading about in fairy tale books from imps and nymphs and centaurs to creatures that may be a little obscure.  She also creates her own vivid and terrifying, evil creatures for Sadie to battle.  She introduces these creatures without bombarding the reader with too much backstory.

    The world Annastaysia created was so vividly described too.  Beautiful images of the magikal realm were painted in my mind as I read.  But, I was confused when the different realms and planes were brought up.  While I have a vague concept of what the planes are, I’m not entirely sure how they work.  This doesn’t conflict with the reader’s ability to understand the storyline or appreciate the world, but it might make a reader curious.

    Any Witch Way was an action-packed novel from start to finish.  Around every corner, enemies, strange creatures, and paralyzing potions confront Sadie as she tries to put the Syndicate at bay.  Even though there is a lot of history to introduce to Sadie and the reader, it doesn’t slow down the plot any.  Oh, and I should mention this story is filled with plot twists.  I did not predict what the ending had in store!

    I loved the characters in this story.  Sadie grew from a girl who is unsure of herself into a brave and confident witchling.  She achieves it all without a romantic interest helping her along the way which is even more awesome!  All of the races of creatures in the story, and there are a lot, have defining personality traits so they don’t just blend into each other, and it was fun getting to know each one.

    Overall, I loved this story!  It was funny and scary and heartwarming and full of adventure– all under one book cover.  Typically I have a difficult time getting into fantasy novels since the world-building often outshines the characters, but Any Witch Way had a nice balance of both.  Oh, and I still can’t get over how much I loved the magikal world.

    I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
    Any Witch Way by Annastaysia Savage

    Any Witch Way by Annastaysia Savage

    Released: April 2011
    Genre: Fantasy
    Age Group: Middle Grade

    [goodreads | indiebound]

    Enduring the teasing and ridicule of her schoolmates, Sadie struggles through life as a pre-teen on the eve of her 13th birthday. Three years ago, a car crash took her mother, but Sadie never saw her body. She refuses to believe her mother is gone. Holding fast to that feeling earns her the nickname “Crazy Sadie.”
    Despite her one wish to be normal, Sadie only finds solace with a small group of unusual characters. These unlikely friends give her a semi-normal life outside of school in a bookstore where strange and mystical things seem to happen. If Sadie entertains her deepest suspicions, her friends are a little mystical.

    When her birthday arrives, however, Sadie finds herself whisked into a magical world that swirls just under the surface of normal life. Not only does she learn she’ll soon become a witch, but she also discovers she must battle The Syndicate to save her new world.

  • The Candidates (Delcroix Academy) by Inara Scott

    The Candidates (Delcroix Academy) by Inara Scott

    My experience with books that delve into the realm of the paranormal has rarely been a positive one.  I always seem to get my hands on the books that have super lame, female main characters.  But, The Candidates showed me strong female lead characters can exist in these types of books.

    Dancia Lewis was awesooooome!  In the beginning, she struggled with low confidence, but throughout the book, she begins to grow into a strong-minded and independent young woman.  Her confidence is on occasion punctuated with moments of self-doubt, but she always manages to pull through.  I think this is the kind of growth I’ve been missing in so many of the books I’ve read in the past few years with female main characters.  And, the fact that her new confidence waivers on occasion make Dancia seem real to me; what young adult hasn’t grown up experiencing this?

    My only frustration with Dancia is she seems too mature for her age.  If she hadn’t said she was 14 years old and just entering high school, I would have assumed she was about to graduate high school.  On one hand, this was a breath of fresh air.  On the other hand, it wasn’t entirely believable.  I was 14 once and I know 14-year-olds– we were never that mature and self-aware.

    The romance in this book doesn’t make me cringe.  For once!  There are two possible love interests for Dancia.  There is Jack, a freshman like Dancia, who comes across as a bad boy and unapproachable to those who don’t know him.  Then there is Cam, the eleventh-grade heart-throb– the “All-American” type if you will.  Like most teenagers, she is at times preoccupied with the thoughts of these two boys, but it’s not constant; Dancia isn’t another Bella Swan.  The romantic relationship she develops isn’t even rushed.  I just find it frustrating that characters always go for the love interest opposite of who I would choose.  Seriously Dancia, why couldn’t you choose……just kidding!

    The pacing in the novel was a little slow, but this didn’t make me read it with any less vim.  Much of the action takes place in the last quarter of the book, and once I got there, I couldn’t read or turn the pages fast enough.  Otherwise, there was a lot of background information offered in this book; I have to assume this means the next book is going to be action-packed and full of win!  Regardless of the pacing of the Candidates, this was a book I simply could not put down.

    I thought the only noteworthy downfall of this book was the lack of descriptions of the setting.  I understand Delcroix Academy is a big, brick, square doughnut-shaped building sitting on the top of a hill, but I’m perplexed about what the inside of the building looks like.  In my head, I imagined the inside of the Academy to look the same as my old high schools, which I’m sure is hardly the case.  I would hope the inside of Delcroix is significantly more pristine and grand.  But, since there weren’t too many descriptions, I couldn’t imagine it any other way.

    Overall, the book was awesome!  I loved the characters, and I’m intrigued by the storyline.  I can’t wait to find out what happens next, so I’m especially eager for the second book to hit shelves!

    The Candidates (Delcroix Academy #1) by Inara Scott

    Released: August 2010
    Genre: Fantasy, Romance
    Age Group: Young Adult

    [goodreads | indiebound]

    Dancia Lewis is far from popular. And that’s not just because of her average grades or her less-than-glamorous wardrobe. In fact, Dancia’s mediocrity is a welcome cover for her secret: whenever she sees a person threatening someone she cares about, things just…happen. Cars skid. Structures collapse. Usually, someone gets hurt. So Dancia does everything possible to avoid getting close to anyone, believing this way she can suppress her powers and keep them hidden.

    But when recruiters from the prestigious Delcroix Academy show up in her living room to offer her a full scholarship, Dancia’s days of living under the radar may be over. Only, Delcroix is a school for diplomats’ kids and child geniuses–not B students with uncontrollable telekinetic tendencies. So why are they treating Dancia like she’s special? Even the hottest guy on campus seems to be going out of his way to make Dancia feel welcome.

  • Tweet Heart by Elizabeth Rudnick

    Tweet Heart by Elizabeth Rudnick

    Let me just gush about the pages of Tweet Heart by Elizabeth Rudnick for a minute.  Each one is formatted and designed to perfection.  Each page has a cute background, not unlike Twitter.  The blog entries are headed by spiffy blog headers.  And before each tweet is a small little picture of the…er, tweeter?  Tweet Heart was such a visually appealing book!

    The characterization was pretty good, especially considering Rudnick had to do it in 140 characters or less.  Although, readers get to learn more about Claire and Bennett through their blogs and Will and Lottie through e-mails, too.  I thought the characters were pretty realistic, but I hate to say it, all the characters annoyed me at one point in the story.  They either seemed too shallow or too obsessed with their image, but for the most part, they all experienced some kind of transformation at the end that allowed me to appreciate the characters.  Or at least made the characters more palatable.  Lottie and Benn were the best considering they acted as a voice of reason throughout the novel but with just the right amount of snark.

    The plot was equal parts fun and frustrating (OMG!  @WiseOneWP, how could you do that?) but also a tad bit predictable.  I think readers will want to snag this novel for its unique format instead of its mind-blowing plotline.

    Overall, the book was a fun and fast read.  I just wish there were more #hashtags.  I think this is considered one of those summer day beach reads, so even though beach season is several months away, make sure you pack this book in your beach bag!

    Tweet Heart by Elizabeth Rudnick

    Tweet Heart by Elizabeth Rudnick

    Released: June 2010
    Genre: Romance
    Age Group: Young Adult

    [add to goodreads ]

    Claire can’t believe it when her dream guy starts following her on Twitter. She never thought he noticed her, and suddenly he seems to understand her better than almost anyone. But the Twitterverse can be a confusing place, especially when friends act differently online than they do in person. Things get even more complicated when Claire realizes she’s falling for someone else, the last person she ever would have expected.