Unfamiliar Magic by R.C. Alexander

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          Desi is a 13 year old witch. Her mom is a witch and she’s never met her dad. She and her mom live in the regular world. She has to go to regular school, brush her teeth, and make her bed. Her mother doesn’t want her doing much magic and is incredibly overprotective. She’s always afraid that people will find out they are witches but there is something else; something her mom isn’t telling her. They move from town to town every year and Desi doesn’t know why. She’s spent her entire life on the run, but when her mom disappears and leaves her cat (now turned into a human teenager) in charge her whole world is turned upside down.


          WOW!! This book is awesome. The book is well written and will appeal to teen girls. The main character is 13 and she is just starting to come into magic. The real appeal in the story is the relationships. The mother / daughter relationship is one that most girls and women can understand and relate to. Mom wants her daughter to be safe; daughter thinks she’s old enough to do what she wants. They both need each other and love each other fiercely. The Relationship between the cat and Desi is amazing. There is so much comedy as the cat learns to act like a human girl. (The cat parts are laugh our loud funny.) There is a little romance between two of the characters, but nothing that would make you blush. One little kiss. Overall this is one of the best chic lit books that I have read in a while.

Thirteen Days to Midnight by Patrick Carman

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     If you could have only one superpower what would it be?  Think about it because it's very important.  This is Jakes question to the reader.  He has a secret; he has a power.  When his friends Ophelia and Milo accidentally discover his gift they start on a deadly adventure.
     What seems like a regular superhero story is actually a well written look at the way people deal with death.  The characters are all well formed and the plot is realistic.  How would a person with a special gift really act?  What would life really be like if you had a superpower?
     This book is amazing.  I loved it from start to finish.  Patrick Carman is a genius!  Think about what you would really do or or what your life would be like if you were indestructible.  This book is a must read for anyone who loves comics and superheroes.  If you never really understood what Uncle Ben meant when he said, "With great power comes great responsibility."  you will understand by the time you get to the end of this book.

New Lists

I have added lists of some of my favorite books. If you are looking for a good book then this is where you want to start. I still plan on putting up reviews (good and bad) for the new books I read, but the ones on the list are my favorites. A word of warning; the books that are labeled as Adult are for people who don't mind cursing, violence, and a little sex. If you are under 18 think about reading the teen books only. I don't want to censor but I don't want you to think that every book on this blog is for all ages. Let me know if you love or hate one of my recommendations.

The School for Dangerous Girls by Eliot Schrefer

Click here to find this book at your library. 

          Angela is a dangerous girl. She has been kicked out of a lot of schools. She breaks rules. She dates the wrong guys. Now the family member she was staying with has been hurt and the blame falls on Angela. Her parents are not able to deal with her so they send her to Hidden Oaks; a reform school to make her better. Hidden Oaks is a place for Angela to learn how to obey. As soon as she gets to the school she learns this is not like other schools. Soon she finds out that the school has a terrible secret and that she is the only on who is dangerous enough to change everything.
          The catch phrase for the main character in this book is, “Stay dangerous”. To me the book was not dangerous at all. The characters all had problems and acted in ways that were stupid and not at all interesting. The idea of a school where girls who have been bad, are given a second chance is great. Even the idea that some of the girls are too dangerous and instead of being given help they are forced to live horrible lives full of abuse and punishment is interesting. The idea of a book that exposes what goes on in some of the reform schools in the U.S. is a great one. This book just didn’t pull it off. The plot was thin, the pacing was really slow, and the ending was lackluster. The dialog between the girls is unrealistic, and the dialog between the girls and the parents dosen’t really convey any emotion from either side. Overall this book didn’t work for me.
          If you’re interested in a book about crazy schools, juvenile offenders, and scary faculty I would read Boot Camp by Todd Strasser. Boot Camp gives a much more realistic look into the world of child correction schools. It moves a lot faster and the reader can’t help but be sucked into the characters’ world. While reading Boot Camp I felt a real connection with the characters. I never felt connected to any of the girls in The School for Dangerous Girls.
          If you’re interested in reading about bullying and punishment, but don’t want mare of an action packed adventure I recommend Lockdown: Escape from Furnace by Alexander Gordon Smith. It’s the story of a teen that gets arrested and sentenced to life in a maximum security prison 10 miles underground. It’s very creepy and exciting; complete with masked guards and a warden who is both terrifying and mechanical. Even with all of the drama and horror of the prison, this book still does a better job of exploring the boys who are locked up and the culture that breeds violent and aggressive teens.

By The Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead by Julie Anne Peters

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          Daelyn hates her life. She has tried to kill herself several times, but she has never been successful. She won’t make another mistake. This time she will get her suicide right. She joins a website called www.through-the-light.com. This is a site for completers; people who want to get their suicide right.
          The story opens after Daelyn gets out of the hospital from her last attempt. The last time she tried to commit suicide she damaged her vocal cords and now she can’t talk at all. She uses her silence as a shield to keep everyone away from her.
          To spite her best attempts to alienate everyone and keep herself from feeling anything, she meets and is befriended by a boy who lives across the street from her school. Will one friendship be enough to live for, or will she really end her life?
          I usually hate books like this. I don’t like the serious tone, or the fact that I know real people feel the way that this girl feels. It puts a knot in my stomach to know kids get bullied. Sometimes the event itself is minor, but then it becomes bigger as the kid thinks about it and lives with it. I liked the book. It took me out of my comfort zone. It’s a great book to read and think about. It’s a discussion starter of a book. .
          This book reminds me of Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. Both books are about suicide. Both books are about bullying. In Thirteen Reasons Why the parents are absent. We don’t really find out much about them. In this book the parents are there every day. They do what good parents would do. I like that the adults are caring and that they play a major part in the story. With Thirteen Reasons Why you know there will be no happy ending from the very first page. This book gives you a little hope…But is it enough. Both books are must reads.

The Good, The Bad, The Loathsome

I usually only write reviews about the books that I liked. I have more to say about those books. I’m thinking that’s a waste of time. I’m going to subject all of my readers to the books that I hated to. Maybe it will save you some time and help you to avoid reading something sucky. Of course maybe I loath your favorite book and you will have to tell me about it. That’s cool too. Bring it on.

Death and Me: An After Life Adventure by Richard Scrimger

Click here to find this book at your library.

          Jim is a fourteen year old piece of crap. At least that’s what all of the ghosts tell him after he has been run over. While his body is lying in the road dying, Jim is taken to a place where he can relive the moments in his life that have brought him to his current situation…i.e. a piece of crap dying in the road.

          It sounds like to it would be really dark and not just a little bit like A Christmas Carol, but it’s not. Somehow the story ends up being funny and interesting. Scrimger finds a way to tell the story of an as yet unrepentant bully, illustrate what could make a person act the way he does, and at the same time make the reader laugh. This book is a must read for everyone!

Too Many Good Books

I don't want to complain but my house is full of books. I have library books piled everywhere and I need to read them or give them back. I will review them here soon.

Blog Content

Reviews of teen and adult books.