Review: Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

  Title: Beauty Queens                      Pages: 396
  Author: Libba Bray                          Source: Own
  Publisher: Scholastic Press              Published: May 24, 2011
  Series: N/A                                       Purchase: Amazon

The fifty contestants in the Miss Teen Dream pageant thought this was going to be a fun trip to the beach, where they could parade in their state-appropriate costumes and compete in front of the cameras. But sadly, their airplane had another idea crashing on a desert island and leaving the survivors stranded with little food, little water, and practically no eyeliner.

What's a beauty queen to do? Continue to practice for the talent portion of the program--or wrestle snakes to the ground? Get a perfect tan--or learn to run wild? And what should happen when the sexy pirates show up?

Welcome to the heart of non-exfoliated darkness. Your tour guide? None other than Libba Bray, the hilarious, sensational, Printz Award-winning author of A Great and Terrible Beauty and Going Bovine. The result is a novel that will make you laugh, make you think, and make you never see beauty the same way again.

Beauty Queens is like no other novel - zany and unique and just plain WTF crazy.

The characters in Beauty Queens were wonderful. They were all so diverse and sometimes even stereotypical, but brilliantly done. There was the girl that hates beauty pageants, the dumb one, the bossy leader, the black girl, and the fresh-out-of-juvie lesbian. They all came together and made one heck of a dysfunctional family and a great team.

My favorite was Mary Lou, she was the type of girl to do what she's told and she really blossomed, becoming exactly what her mother didn't want her to be - a wild girl. I loved her middle-of-the-night adventures with the sexy Tane Ngata.

Now the writing and plot were downright comical, but in a good way. I've never read a novel that is totally off-the-wall like Beauty Queens. Some of the stuff that happens just leaves you sitting there stunned by the craziness of it, yet you're laughing and smiling all the way because some of the stuff Libba Bray comes up with is just unbelievable! It's definitely a novel you have to read for yourself to get what I mean and it's definitely worth it.

Overall, I had a fantastic time reading Beauty Queens. It was out-there and such a light, fun read. I definitely would recommend Beauty Queens to just about everyone, no matter your tastes, unless you dislike fun things and laughing your socks off!

Cover thoughts: I'm in love with this cover. It fits the book so well!

Review: Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions by Various Authors

  Title: Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions               Pages: 464
  Author: Various Authors                                     Source: Library
  Publisher: HarperCollins                                     Published: Sept 20, 2011
  Series: N/A                                                       Purchase: Amazon
  Rating: 4 out of 5

A journey may take hundreds of miles, or it may cover the distance between duty and desire.

Sixteen of today’s hottest writers of paranormal tales weave stories on a common theme of journeying. Authors such as Kelley Armstrong, Rachel Caine, and Melissa Marr return to the beloved worlds of their bestselling series, while others, like Claudia Gray, Kami Garcia, and Margaret Stohl, create new land-scapes and characters. But whether they’re writing about vampires, faeries, angels, or other magical beings, each author explores the strength and resilience of the human heart.

Suspenseful, funny, or romantic, the stories in Enthralled will leave you moved.

Giovanni’s Farewell by Claudia Gray: This one was such a cute and light story to start out this wonderful book of anthologies. I thoroughly enjoyed all three main characters in this and just found it so sweet that Giovanni wanted something so simple. Both Ravenna and Cairo’s gifts interested me and I loved the way Claudia Gray handled them and their back story.

Scenic Route by Carrie Ryan: I loved loved loved this one. I absolutely fell in love with The Forest of Hands and Teeth and this was such a nice addition to her carefully thought of world. Both Margie and Sally captured my heart from the beginning and I was gunning for them. The ending surprised me and I may have let a few tears go. Just perfect.

Red Run by Kami Garcia: I loved this one as well. It reminded me of Supernatural, the TV show and Anna Dressed in Blood (just based on the description, I have not read this at the time of review). If you liked either of those, you’d probably like this one. The characters in this one are great, Kami Garcia really worked her twenty-some pages and made them shine.

Things About Love by Jackson Pearce: This is probably one of the two most unique stories in this anthology, right there along side Mary E. Pearson’s Gargouille. I mean have you ever read a story about genies, young adult or not? I haven’t and I haven’t heard of any either. I really enjoyed how much lore Jackson Pearce stuffed into this story, without making you feel overwhelmed by new lingo you have never heard of. She handled the topic of genies or Jinn, as they are referred to in Things About Love, with ease. The second thing I loved about this short story was that the main character was gay. I have never had the pleasure of reading a story where the main character is gay, but I feel that Things About Love was just a gateway to them for me.

Niederwald by Rachel Vincent: I loved the world and atmosphere of this one and it cemented my wanting to read the Soul Screamers series. I loved Sabine’s character, she is so snarky and kick-ass, even when she needs her ass saved. Emma was also a very likeable character, she was so brave even when she was scared and I loved that about her, even if it made her act a bit dumb (going into a house full of harpies that want to eat you? Yeah not the brightest idea, Emma). I devoured this story and I’m sure I’ll devour the Soul Screamer series.

Merely Mortal by Melissa Marr: I think Melissa Marr named this story on purpose, because it’s an alliteration when you put ‘by Melissa Marr’ next to it. Anyway, I did not care for Wicked Lovely that much, and have yet to read any of the other novels in the series, but I did like this short story. It revealed some spoilers of the story to me, as did some of the other short stories that were part of the authors’ novels in this anthology, but that didn’t bother me as much as I thought it would. This story was very sweet and I loved the coupling of Keenan and Donia when I read Wicked Lovely and I loved it in Merely Mortal. Keenan is so caring towards Donia and they share such humorous banter between the two of them. Merely Mortal made me want to continue the Wicked Lovely series.

Facing Facts by Kelley Armstrong: I really enjoyed this short story, though I was most disappointed by this one for its spoilers, because of the fact that I enjoyed it so much. I feel that I cannot enjoy the Darkest Powers trilogy as much because it seems like such major spoilers were revealed, that I would have found surprising otherwise. This was the only drawback to this story. The rest I fully enjoyed and I loved the uniqueness of Chloe’s powers. I enjoyed the characters, though I am not a fan of Derek, because he seems far too protective and controlling, though I’m hoping this will change when I read the series. This is definitely a series I’ll be reading soon, though, all thanks to this short story.

Let’s Get this Undead Show on the Road by Sarah Rees Brennan: This was one of the stories I did not like of the anthology. I liked the premise, but the whole plot seemed way too over the top sometimes. It also seemed very confusing in some parts, because of how it was written. I just couldn’t get into this one, though I will definitely check out the author to see if anything else of hers works for me.

Bridge by Jeri Smith-Ready: This was another story I loved. I loved that it was written in verse and I loved the premise and plot of it. It was definitely one of the more emotional short stories, besides Scenic Route and Skin Contact. Bridge had such a poetic vibe to it, I was invested from the start. Definitely another that made me want to read the series it’s attached to.

Skin Contact by Kimberly Derting: This was another one of my favorites. I love Kimberly Derting and have been desperately wanting to read Desires of the Dead, since I completely devoured The Body Finder. Skin Contact is completely heart-wrenching and another that brought tears to my eyes. Rafe was such a beautiful character, even though he didn’t seem that loving to Sophie some of the time. Kimberly Derting has such a way with words, spinning descriptions into such picturesque scenes that become so vivid in your head. I saw the environment perfectly and it made it even more upsetting, as the environment wasn’t exactly a happy one. I loved this one, without a doubt.

Leaving by Allie Condie: This was another story I couldn’t get into. Overall I liked it, but it seemed to have way too much packed into it. It seemed like a bunch of lingo was thrown at you without the proper explanation. I guessed what some things meant. I liked the idea, but it just fell a little flat for me.

At the Late Night, Double Feature, Picture Show by Jessica Verday: I really liked this short story! It was so humorous and so interesting. The zombie Girl Scouts made me laugh, they were such a great idea. Jane was such a great heroine, as well. She was so kick-ass and snarky, just like Sabine from Niederwald. I especially loved the ‘drag queen’ vampires, they were described so perfectly. This short story was placed perfectly, such a light read after a couple heavier stories. I will definitely be checking out Jessica’s Hollow series.

IV League by Margaret Stohl: I really enjoyed this story. It was another more light-hearted story and was very welcome from me. I loved the authentic feel of the dialogue and narration, it really felt like it was coming from a small-town girl that didn’t grow up with big words and SAT scores. She forged her transcripts! I loved the supernatural element to this as well, it seemed to be a unique take on the vampire subject.

Gargouille by Mary E. Pearson: This one was simply wonderful and so very unique. Like genies, have you ever read a gargoyle short story or novel? I certainly haven’t and Mary E. Pearson wrote it beautifully. My heart went out to Giselle and her love with Etienne felt real. I love Pearson’s writing style with this, it’s so poetic and Gothic. Another of my favorites from this anthology and the ending was simply perfect.

The Third Kind by Jennifer Lynn Barnes: This one was very interesting and I really liked it. It seemed very unique to me. Kissy was written absolutely perfectly, so impulsive and care-free despite her ‘pulses. Her love of McDonalds and the chimichanga scene were absolutely hilarious. I loved the mix of heaviness and lightness of this novel, it was so light-hearted, yet the supernatural element was definitely not. Imagine a guy with pure black eyes, like a reptile’s, saying he has to kill you. Creepy.

Automatic by Rachel Caine: I own the first two volumes to the Morganville Vampire series and this made me quite excited to read them. I loved Rachel’s writing style and the vividness behind her words. I don’t normally read novels with a male main character, so Automatic was a bit different for me, but I loved the characters and the plot.

 

Top 5 favorites of this anthology, in order:

1. Scenic Route by Carrie Ryan

2. Skin Contact by Kimberly Derting

3. Gargouille by Mary E. Pearson

4. Bridge by Jeri Smith-Ready

5. At the Late Night, Double Feature, Picture Show by Jessica Verday

 

Top 2 least favorites, in order:

1. Let’s Get this Undead Show on the Road by Sarah Rees Brennan

2. Leaving by Allie Condie

 

I give Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions a 4 out of 5.

Review: Bad Taste in Boys by Carrie Harris

  Title: Bad Taste in Boys                                         Pages: 201
  Author: Carrie Harris                                              Source: Library
  Publisher: Delacorte Press                                     Published: July 12, 2011
  Series: Kate Grable #1                                           Purchase: Amazon
  Rating: 3.5/4 out of 5

Someone's been a very bad zombie.

Kate Grable is horrified to find out that the football coach has given the team steroids. Worse yet, the steroids are having an unexpected effect, turning hot gridiron hunks into mindless flesh-eating zombies. No one is safe--not her cute crush Aaron, not her dorky brother, Jonah . . . not even Kate!

She's got to find an antidote--before her entire high school ends up eating each other. So Kate, her best girlfriend, Rocky, and Aaron stage a frantic battle to save their town. . . and stay hormonally human.

Bad Taste in Boys was a random read for me, something I just picked up for something quick to read.

The characters weren’t as polished as some other novels I’ve read as of late. They seemed a little rushed, but still enjoyable. Kate Grable, the main heroine, was a very insecure girl, yet she didn’t get any sympathy from me for it. It seemed a tad bit overdone, with Kate constantly putting down herself as being a geek and generally not very pretty and also putting down her work, saying she wasn’t great enough to make it in medical school. This bothered me, because I didn’t feel that she needed to be insecure and it just wasn’t very believable for me.

The romance in Bad Taste in Boys wasn’t as plentiful as I would have liked, but what with all her running around trying to find a cure for the zombies – yeah, well she really didn’t have time for romance. What romance there was, however, was sweet and cute and made me go aww.

Now, the plot.. What can I say about the plot? The plot was like a teenage soap opera with zombies. It seemed overdramatic, yet it was still enjoyable and was more tongue in cheek, rather than serious.

Overall, Bad Taste in Boys is an entertaining read, despite some character flaws. It was light and fun and a great stepping stone to more heavier zombie novels.

Cover Thoughts: I’m not quite sure what the lips with sugar on them really have to do with the story, other than a bit of an oxymoron with the title. However, if I forget about the story, this cover appeals to me and I love the font and colors used.

I give Bad Taste in Boys a 3.5/4 out of 5.

Why a 3.5/4? Well.. I don’t have any half ratings made and am a bit too lazy to make any :).

Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs review

Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs
Source: Library
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lily Sanderson carries a big secret. She's half human, half mermaid and princess of her kingdom, Thalassinia. She can walk on land and swim in the water. Did I mention she's also in love with Brody Bennett? But it isn't a harmless crush. She's looking to bond with him, a connection that happens through a kiss, much like a regular human couple getting married.

But Quince Fletcher seems to get in the way whenever she's making progress with Brody. Why does he have to be such a blowfish?

Forgive My Fins is a wonderful take on the fantasy of mermaids and a wonderful paranormal romance book.

I loved the character of Lily. She's not your normal kind of girl (even without her huge secret). She isn't calm or confident. No, she's more of a basket-case, but that makes her all the more lovable. She's totally insecure with her image and is always worrying about what Brody thinks of her. She's rather blind to what's going on around her, her eyes only on Brody. She's not what you would think her to be, being a princess and all, either.

Quince, oh Gosh was he adorable. I loved his character from the beginning to the end. He has this charm about him, and Tera Lynn Childs wrote his character wonderfully. You can feel how much he cares, even when Lily can't see it. He has the typical bad body I'm-so-cocky-and-you-love-me type of thing going on, yet he can be so sweet at times! He's the perfect mix of excitement and loving.

I loved the writing in this. It was so cute with all the ocean-terminology. You can really tell that Childs thought long and hard about some of the words, phrases, and ideas. The whole book is adorable and I found myself grinning during most of it. The romance was amazing, too, with so much heat to it.

The plot is what you'd expect from a light, quick, cute read. Most of it was predictable, but in a way that's like slipping into an old shirt that fits wonderfully and is so warm. It's comfortable, yet still wonderful.

Overall, Childs wrote an awesome first installment to the Fins series. I look forward to reading the second and seeing where the story leads and am now a fan of Childs' work. Sign me up for any of her upcoming books!

I give Forgive My Fins a 4 out of 5.

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Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard review

Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard
Source: Library
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Alison DiLaurentis is the popular, gorgeous It girl. Every boy wanted her, every girl - even older - wanted to be her. So when she became friends with Spencer, Aria, Emily, and Hanna, they felt quite special. Sure, Ali could be mean at times, but they loved her anyway. They all shared their secrets with one another - its what makes best friends friends forever, Ali would say.

Then, one night at a slumber party, Ali disappeared. No one has seen or heard from her since that night. That is, until the four girls left to mourn her disappearance start getting eerie text messages, signed from A. And whoever this "A" is, they're threatening each girl with secrets only Ali knew. So... is it Alison? Is she alive, or is it her ghost? Or is it someone else entirely?

I fell in love with the show on ABC ever since it first aired. I knew that the show was based off the books, but I never wanted to read them, because I didn't want to spoil the suspense for the show. I should've much sooner.

Sara Shepard created this genius guilty pleasure of a series. There are so many twists and turns in this first book and compared to the show, I bet the book series only gets better and better.

Shepard does a wonderful job with creating these characters. They all have different personalities, even more minor characters. They all have their own problems. Shepard created characters that girls of today can relate to. There is talk about having parents that constantly expect the best and more from you, parents that are so strict in their beliefs, parents that are crazy and artistic and carefree, and a parent that is constantly working. Shepard touches upon subjects such as constantly needing to be the best, being confused about sexuality, liking someone one shouldn't, eating disorders, cutting, underage drinking, sex, and the normal pressures of being a girl in today's world. She handles each topic with ease and moves onto the next without waivering.

Shepard's writing is simple and clean. She describes stuff wonderfully. All shows and movies are different in some aspects from their book influence, so despite knowing what characters and places look like, I had a different image in my head from how Shepard described it in the book. To me, having the power to do this even though I've seen the show, shows how well Shepard can write.

Overall, I found myself loving the book as much as I love the show and am extremely glad I decided to read it. I can't wait to continue on with the other books and am already a fan of Shepard's from her book the Lying Game, this book just adding more fuel to the growing fire. I highly recommend it to anyone that's seen or not seen the show and anyone that loves books about high school, juicy secrets, and lies.

I give this book a 5 out of 5.

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Teaser Tuesday (3)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should be Reading

Rules:
-Grab your current read
-Open to a random page
-Share two sentences from that page
-Be careful not to include spoilers!
-Include the book titles and author, so other participants can add the book the their TBR pile!

This week's teaser comes from..

Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard

page 18

'It was horrible to think Ali might be dead, but... if she was, at least their secrets were safe. And they were. For three years anyway.'

Did one extra sentence.. oops :P.

The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder review

The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder
Published: April 4th 2011
Publisher: Graphia
Source: NetGalley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

April Bowers is new to Penford High School. Her and a girl named Haley hit it off and became best friends. April knows Haley doesn't like Britney Taylor, the High School queen bee, but she doesn't know why. When Haley moves away to Kansas, she leaves April alone for her Sophomore year. No friends and not to mention a secret - she stuffs her bra, meticulously sculpting a size 36C bosom.

So when April is partnered with Britney Taylor and assigned the title friend-in-training, she's excited and worried. For one, she's excited by her new found popularity. And Britney seems nice, so why would Haley hate her so much? Haley isn't exactly helpful on the subject, only stating cryptically for April to stay away from red lipstick.

After a while of being a friend-in-training, though, April is offered the chance 'many girls would die for.' To sign the Lipstick Oath containing seven high-expectation laws that each member has to follow - or else. These laws range from basic girl code - don't flirt with someone else's boyfriend, crush, etc. - to totally ridiculous - upon signing the Oath, all secrets are property of the group and must be shared immediately. Is this the lipstick Haley was referring to?

The Lipstick Laws is like a retelling of Mean Girls. There's the queen bee and her followers, then there's the girl they 'take under their wings.' Besides a few differences, the similarities are uncanny.

Characterization had its flaws. The main character, April, lacked depth and seemed superficial. I could not relate to her much. She just rubbed me the wrong way. One minute she was nice, the next as mean as Britney Taylor. I didn't particularly like any of the characters, as it didn't seem like they had much to their personalities. I liked Haley and Delvin McGerk, though, the best.

The writing was great. Amy Holder took modern day slang and gave it her own twist and imagination. She came up with words like 'freak funnel' meaning loser and 'Skunk Skank' meaning the Queen of all Skanks. I know some people that would find the word 'skank' offensive, so I also would like to say here that this book is not rated G, because of the swearing. Minor swear words are used.

The only other flaw I can point out is that the 'pranks' are downright petty at times. Then at other times, they're just so rock bottom, meaning I couldn't believe someone would resort to that low of a prank, just to humiliate someone. All in all, though, that is High School in a nutshell for you.

That being said, this book is cute like the movie Mean Girls was cute. But, if you're looking for a book that has a lot of depth and that you'll read straight through in one sitting because you can't get enough, this book wouldn't be for you. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy this book and do not regret reading it, but it wasn't my favorite, nor my least favorite. Taken all this in to consideration, Amy Holder wrote a solid debut novel for 2011.

I give this book a 3 out of 5.

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