The Lies That Bind (The Liar Society #2) by Lisa and Laura Roecker

Title: The Lies That Bind (The Liar Society #2)
Author: Lisa and Laura Roecker 
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire 
Release Date: November 6, 2012
Received: From Library

Summary:  Just when Kate Lowry thought she had life at elite private school Pemberly Brown figured out, she cracks open a fortune cookie to find a message from her best friend Grace--who's supposed to be dead.

Another Sister Gone

A classmate has gone missing, and Kate soon realizes that the disappearance is tied to the secret societies that rule her private school. Her best friend died for their secrets, and there's no way she'll let them get away with it twice. It's up to quirky outsider Kate to get some answers, but in a school where every answer leads to more questions and nothing's as it seems, who can she trust?

 Review:  If you like books with prep schools, secret societies, or mystery then why aren't you reading this series? No seriously, these books have all three. AND they are done brilliantly so yeah.

I really liked Liar Society which is the first book in the series so I was excited for this next installment and the Roecker sisters did not let me down! 

It had been a while since I had read the first book so it took me a few minutes to get back into the book, but once it got going I was immersed yet again. The Lies That Bind is a great title for this book because I, like Kate never knew who to trust, and was surprised by the ending. I had inklings of what might happen but when it really happened I was not expecting what played out.

Pemberly Brown looks like such a cool place. I mean secret tunnels and secret societies, yes it gets out of hand, but still so cool. 

Kate is so awesome. She is tough, loyal, and a little reckless. She is determined to save another girl from the same fate as her friend, even if it was a girl she did not like very much. No matter what the cost, she keeps trying. She also dyes her hair blue. I wish I had the guts to dye my hair blue!

Basically if you like, mystery, secret societies or just witty books you should pick up this series!

The Liar Society

Title: The Liar Society

Author: Lisa and Laura Roecker

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Release Date: March 1, 2011
Received From: ATWT

Summary:  

Kate Lowry didn't think dead best friends could send e-mails. But when she gets an e-mail from Grace, she’s not so sure.
To: KateLowry@pemberlybrown.edu
Sent: Sun 9/14 11:59 PM
From: GraceLee@pemberlybrown.edu
Subject: (no subject)
Kate,
I'm here…
sort of.
Find Cameron.
He knows.
I shouldn't be writing.
Don't tell.
They'll hurt you.
Now Kate has no choice but to prove once and for all that Grace’s death was more than just a tragic accident. But secrets haunt the halls of her elite private school. Secrets people will do anything to protect. Even if it means getting rid of the girl trying to solve a murder...

Review:

I love Lisa and Laura’s blog they have such a hilarious dynamic which helps give this book its hilarity!
I adore mysteries and this one was so cool, I never knew what was going to happen next. This story was fast paced and expertly weaved.
Kate was such a fun character! She was sarcastic, witty, and hilarious. But you could see how her friend’s death had really effected her. I also liked Liam and Seth, they added a lot to the plot, and really helped the story move along!
A great addition to the sparse mystery genre in YA I cannot wait for the next book!

The Girlz of Galstanberry #1 & #2

Title: The Girlz of Galstanberry; & Galstanberry #2

Author: Garen Wolf 

Publisher: Wolff House Books & Publishing

Release Date: October 10, 2011 and June 21, 2011

Received From: Publisher via Teen {Book} Scene

Summary:  (For first book only)

 

From the boroughs of New York, to the beaches of San Francisco, girls hail from all walks of life, to sport the violet blazer, pink beret, and coveted Galstanberry Girl title.
The Galstanberry twenty acre estate, flanked by a magnificent rose garden and horse stables, rises up from the horizon like a French chateau with interconnected balustrades and high-spiraling turrets that seemed to touch the clouds. It was constructed in 1926 by Mr. Charles Galstanberry, an earnest gentleman that believed a son to be the only proper heir to the vast family fortune. Yet when Eleanor gave birth to their only child, Aundrea, not Andrew, he vowed to make her as academically astute as her male counterparts.
Decades later, 5 girls;a spoiled equestrian, funky B-girl, skilled ballet dancer, freestyle poet, and clever debater; from different cities, socio-economic backgrounds and ethnicities are admitted into Galstanberry Girls Academy, a now world renowned boarding school in Connecticut. Their varied personalities and backgrounds lead to inevitable drama and internal conflicts. However, with each triumph and tribulation, the girls grow, transforming themselves and the academy.
In the first installment of the series, readers will travel around the United States to meet these 5 dynamic girls and Galstanberry Academy.

Review:

I am reviewing these books together because the first book consists of introducing the characters and getting to know them and the second book is their first few days on campus.

There are 5 girls that are focused on in these books Lillian, Brandi, Fei, Tabitha, and Nisha they are all very different and have very different backgrounds which I really appreciated. And while I liked some of the characters but others made me want to scream. This was made even more so when I got to the second book and they started connecting with each other. In a way it was good that there were characters that were spoiled and bratty while having others that are sweet and less fortunate, not that the two were mutually exclusive. It reminded me a lot of when I went to middle school with the cliques and how people thought they were better because of X reason. So I felt that it was very true to life in that aspect.

Overall these books were short and very character driven, but were a good representation of middle school and its drama in a high class setting.

 

 

 

 

 

Queen of Secrets

Title: Queen of Secrets

Author: Jenny Meyerhoff

Publisher:   Farrar, Straus, and Giroux

Release Date: June 22, 2010

Received From:  ATWT

Fifteen-year-old Essie Green cannot believe her luck when Austin King asks her out. He is the captain of the football team and the hottest guy at Pershing High School. Unfortunately, as their relationship heats up, so does a rivalry between Austin’s best friend Harrison and Essie’s estranged cousin Micah, an observant Jew. Essie is forced to decide where her loyalties lie. With a family member she barely knows, or the boy she’s beginning to love?



With this book I felt that I had read it before. The plot besides the Jewish thing was very common, and overdone. While I enjoyed the characters they were very stereotypical and hard to read about. 


I really wanted to enjoy this book but I really didn't, the plot was too overdone, as were the characters. And I felt that the ending was very predictable. 

Overall I did not care for this book, and it was hard to get through.

A Match Made In High School (Repost)

Title: A Match Made In High School

Author:  Kristin Walker

Publisher:  Razorbill

Release Date:  February 4, 2010

Received From:  Around the World Tours


When the principal announces that every senior must participate in a mandatory year-long Marriage Education program, Fiona Sheehan believes that her life can’t get any worse. Then she marries her “husband”: Jerky jock Todd, whose cheerleader girlfriend, Amanda, has had it in for Fiona since day one of second grade. Even worse? Amanda is paired with Fiona’s long-term crush, Gabe. At least Fiona is doing better than her best friend, Marcie, who is paired up with the very quiet, very mysterious Johnny Mercer. Pranks, fights, misunderstandings, and reconciliations ensue in an almost Shakespearean comedy of errors about mistaken first impressions, convoluted coupling, and hidden crushes.

Oh my gosh this book was hilarious! Warning don't read in public or everyone will think you are insane. The banter that goes on in between Fiona and Todd, is so funny.

Besides that this book was really good, the characters were all very different and had their own distinct personalities, the plot was interesting while somewhat predictable, there were some parts that I was definitely not expecting. I really appreciated the message that was portrayed in this book, while not being too pushy.

Again this book was hilarious and dealt with some real life issues that really make the story relate-able, I mean who hasn't been stuck with an unwanted project partner? This is a great Debut and I cannot wait for more from this talented author! And the cover is beautiful!

5/5

Fat Cat

Title: Fat Cat

Author: Robin Brande

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Release Date: October 13, 2009

Received From:  Library


You are what you eat. . . .

Cat smart, sassy, and funny—but thin, she’s not. Until her class science project. That’s when she winds up doing an experiment—on herself. Before she knows it, Cat is living—and eating—like the hominids, our earliest human ancestors. True, no chips or TV is a bummer and no car is a pain, but healthful eating and walking everywhere do have their benefits.

As the pounds drop off, the guys pile on. All this newfound male attention is enough to drive a girl crazy! If only she weren’t too busy hating Matt McKinney to notice. . . .

This was a really powerful book. I felt that Robin poured herself into this novel, because you can't write a book about such a personal issue without having some back story. Maybe I am wrong but that is the impression I got.


Cat is a like-able character she is funny and unlike many other fat book main characters she does not really look down on herself. Because I am scientifically minded as well I enjoyed how she made changing her life into an experiment. All of the nutrition advice, while sometimes being too much, was informative, and interesting. This book really inspired me to get up and eat healthier.


Besides the nutrition aspect, the love story was really cute, while sometimes being obvious, i really loved Matt, and her other friends were so wonderful. I would love to be friends with any of these characters.


I enjoyed this book, it made me look at my eating choices through a good plot, and a cute love story. One of my favorite books I read in 2009.


5/5

Of All the Stupid Things

Title: Of All the Stupid Things

Author: Alexandra Diaz

Publisher: EgmontUSA

Release Date: December 22, 2009

Received From:  Around the World Tours


It really was a stupid thing that Brent Staple did – doing it (so the rumour goes) with Chris Sanchez, one of the guy cheerleaders. Who’d have thought that Brent, the school’s hottest jock, could be gay? But the doubt about Brent doesn’t just hurt Tara – it’s the beginning of the end for an inseparable trio of friends. Tara’s training for the marathon, but also running from her father and her fear of ever being abandoned again. Beautiful Whitney Blaire’s got everything and nothing, because her parents have never had time for her. And Pinkie has a compulsive need to mother everyone to make up for the mom she never stops missing. The girls couldn’t be more different, but doesn’t that just prove the strength of their friendship?

Then new-girl Riley arrives in school, wafting her long black hair and a scent of lilacs. Suddenly, Tara starts to feel things she’s never felt before for a girl - and to reassess her feelings about Brent and what he may/may not have done. Is Tara gay – or does she just love Riley? And can the map of her deepest friendships ever be redrawn in a post-Riley world? 

I enjoy reading books that are told from all different perspectives, so my view is not so jaded by 1 person's opinion. So I really liked that about this book. Many YA books are now dealing with same-sex relationships and while I don't do that, I appreciate this new level of YA lit.

This book had a good premise, maybe a little overdone, but the same-sex relationship part really saved it from being just another breakup book. Some of the characters were a little stereotypical but they were not really whiny which I appreciated. While the middle was really kind of boring this was a pretty good debut and I cannot wait for more from this author.

This is not by any means the best book I have read but it was ok, I recommend it for anyone who is struggling to find themselves because the main character does a lot of finding herself and not letting others' judgment cloud her decisions.

3.5/5

Need

Title: Need

Author:Carrie Jones

Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's

Release Date: December 23, 2008

Received From: Library

 Zara collects phobias the way other high school girls collect lipsticks. Little wonder, since life’s been pretty rough so far. Her father left, her stepfather just died, and her mother’s pretty much checked out. Now Zara’s living with her grandmother in sleepy, cold Maine so that she stays “safe.” Zara doesn’t think she’s in danger; she thinks her mother can’t deal.

Wrong. Turns out that guy she sees everywhere, the one leaving trails of gold glitter, isn’t a figment of her imagination. He’s a pixie—and not the cute, lovable kind with wings. He’s the kind who has dreadful, uncontrollable needs. And he’s trailing Zara.

I cannot believe that I waited this long to read this fabulous book! I mean the premise is so different and I read so many excellent reviews about it. But I am so glad I finally read it!

Carrie Jones has written a book that defy's description. All of the characters are beautifully written, and life-like. Their wants and needs are relate-able (besides wanting to escape from a pixie, but we would too if we were being followed). The plot was beautifully written, I was drawn in and not let go even after the book was over.

I have never read a book about pixies before and I am so glad Carrie wrote about them because she portrayed them in a way that is completely opposite from the traditional view of pixies and I really enjoyed that. Also Zara deals with some real life problems which make her really easy to understand.

Overall a fabulous book and I cannot wait for more from this incredible author!

5/5

 

Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: Ballad: The Gathering of Faerie

Author: Maggie Stiefvater

Publisher: Flux

Release Date: Already Available

Received From: Library

Summary from Goodreads

In this mesmerizing sequel to Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception, music prodigy James Morgan and his best friend, Deirdre, join a private conservatory for musicians. James' musical talent attracts Nuala, a soul-snatching faerie muse who fosters and feeds on the creative energies of exceptional humans until they die. Composing beautiful music together unexpectedly leads to mutual admiration and love. Haunted by fiery visions of death, James realizes that Deirdre and Nuala are being hunted by the Fey and plunges into a soul-scorching battle with the Queen of the Fey to save their lives.

Lament was the first book I read by Maggie and I fell in love with her, and her writing! Ballad was no disappointment! With prose that went off the page and into reality Ballad was spellbinding and beautifully written!

I definitely recommend reading Lament first because if you don't it would make much sense. Since James' experience is not talked about much in Lament it was nice to see his experiences with Faeries. This book was fast paced and flowed elegantly. The new characters that were introduced were different and I enjoyed being able to see from a Faerie's point-of-view. While I would have liked to see more of Dee's POV I enjoyed the story the way it was told.

Overall a fantastic book that I would read again and again! 


Check out my Review for Lament!

5/5

Alphas (Alphas, #1) by Lisi Harrison

Title: Alphas

Author: Lisi Harrison

Publisher: Poppy

Release Date: Already Available

Received From: Library

At OCD the losers are tormented.

At Alpha Academy, they're sent home.

Skye Hamilton has scored an invitation to the ultra-exclusive Alphas-only boarding school where beta is spelled LBR . What happens when the country's best, brightest, and hawtest begin clawing and scratching their way to the top?

If you have read the Clique novels and want something a little tiny bit older and mare technological. Alphas is for you. All the cool different gadgets in this novel are enough to make anyone scream.

Skye and the other girls each had their own personalities and while I liked some of them more than others, they were overall really diverse. I did not really like Allie A. becasue she drove me nuts but, all of the others were pretty cool.

This was a very innovative idea. While this book is really fluffy it shows some of the problems between girls. This is basically an upgraded version of The Clique, but I definitely liked this better. I can't wait to read the next books.

This book was very shallow, and the beginning was kind of confusing as to what was happening, but overall a pretty good book.

4/5

The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet* by Erin Dionne

Title: The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet 
Author: Erin Dionne 

Publisher: Dial  
Release Date: January 7, 2010

Received from:1 ARC Tours

To die or not to die of utter mortification . . .


Hamlet Kennedy just wants to be your average, happy, vanilla eighth grader. But with Shakespearean scholar parents who dress in Elizabethan regalia and generally go about in public as if it were the sixteenth century, that’s not terribly easy. It gets worse when they decide that Hamlet’s genius seven year-old sister will attend middle school with her— and even worse when the Shakespeare project is announced and her sister is named the new math tutor. By the time an in-class recitation reveals that our heroine is an extraordinary Shakespearean actress, Hamlet can no longer hide from the fact that she—like her family—is anything but average.

This was a really cute book by a newer author, her other book, a YA book "Models don't eat chocolate cookies" has already come out so check that out while you are waiting for this!

This is a middle grade book but it still kept me interested. While some of the "problems" seemed juvenile, but once I thought about it from a a 13 year old's view I really enjoyed it. Hamlet is really cute and the horrors of having a genius for a little sister, and crazy parents was painted well. The character interactions were really good, as was the plot and I cannot wait to see more from Erin and Hamlet!

The only problem I had was that I felt the the ending could have been a little better it was kind of drawn out, and I just kept waiting for the conclusion. But overall a good book.

4/5

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch came along.
With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment.
But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.
For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.

I was unsure about this book when I first heard about it, I mean Angels? But after reading so many reviews that praised it I at least had to pick it up and try it. I am so glad I did.

This book was really fast paced but I did not feel rushed while I was reading it, each of the characters were endearing in their own ways! I also liked that I was unsure about the ending, and was shocked by the result. This was a very interesting and different play on bad boy, innocent girl, that I really enjoyed. I cannot wait to read the next book in the series, though I don't have any clue as to where Becca is going to go with it. But I guess that is part of the allure!

I definitely recommend this book for anyone who likes YA books. Girls especially, if Patch does not make you swoon someone else will! Overall a wonderful debut!

5/5

Enter to win a Nook or a copy of Hush, Hush from Becca Fitzpatrick! @ The Lateiner Gang Book Review Spot!

School!!!

So last week I started school blehh so I will have to figure out away to continue reading a lot as well as juggle my course load! But I will find a way! So for anyone who cares here is my course load.
Piano (Fun)
Honors U.S. History (Ok)
Honors English 11 (fav class so far)
Physics (blehh)
Bible (Ok)
Health (blehh)
Honors Pre-Calc (blehh)
Latin (um why am I taking this???)

So as you can see I am going to have my hands full. I will probably just schedule posts during the weekends! If you have any suggestions on how to balance school and blogging please let me know!

Have a great week!