Reincarnation by Suzanne Weyn

I read this book almost two years ago but it still sticks with me today. The compelling love story and beautiful historical details, combined with repetitive cameos from the same lovable and dreadful characters make this a great read.

It all starts in prehistoric times. A man and a woman fight in a cave over a beautiful jewel, but their attraction towards each other is so strong, it lasts…even after they both die. From there, the two souls reincarnate, and go into different bodies throughout the world and time, always destined to meet again. They become Egyptian slaves, ancient Greek patrons, Civil War soldiers, Parisians during the beginning of World War II and more. Every time they fall in love, some sort of tragedy happens and they die, but fate keeps giving them chance after chance to finally get things right. Because the moral of the story is that love will always triumph…even if it takes thousands of years to get it just right.

I adored this book. All the cool historical events it covered intrigued me, such as the Massachusetts witch trials. Suzanne Weyn did her research well. Another cool thing was that the two lovers weren’t the only ones who reincarnated. There were always two antagonists, another man and woman, who are always trying to get in the way of two protagonists finding each other.

As sad as it was that the two main characters kept dying over and over, I will assure you, the ending is happy. Have no fear.

THE BOTTOM LINE:
A quick and enduring read. Beautifully romantic and tragic, but with a satisfying conclusion.
5/5 stars

What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

What involves basketball, cooking, a sweetly-told story line, and enough deeply intense morals that could be the main idea of about 20 Hallmark Channel Movies? Sarah Dessen's latest novel.

McLean Sweet has chosen to live with her dad ever since her mom divorced him for a collage basketball coach. Mr. Sweet is a traveling restaurant consultant which means he and McLean move around a lot. With every move, McLean re-invents herself for each new high school. A new name and a new personality, such as peppy cheerleader to drama diva. It's gotten to the point where she's forgotten who she actually is. But in the new town she's just moved to, she's finally making friends and just being herself, whoever that may be. Her neighbor Dave might be the reason for this, he's the most real person she's ever met, and he thinks he knows who the real McLean is, even if she doesn't know herself. She better find out soon though, before she has to move and start all over again.

Such a sweet story. The characters, the setting, the plot...you might as well be watching a good teen chick-flick. Dessen makes McLean's world surround her reader as if they are flipping through a pop-up book rather than a YA novel. It's hard to describe McLean's character, since even she doesn't know who she is. And a reader will grow to love Dave, he's pretty funny and adorable, the exact type of guy you will never find in real life. I wouldn't label this a romance novel- there is so much more to it than the relationship between these characters. Kudos to Dessen for getting to the roots of the meanings of family, friends, and love. And McLean and Dave aren't the only characters worth a second glance. I found myself loving her new friend Deb, who is so perky and positive she will make you smile. She was my favorite, and she's only the beginning of the list of good people you will meet in this story.

I think it was slightly unrealistic how profound some of the thoughts McLean has are. She's a teenager, though she has been through a lot, I suppose. The somewhat distant relationship she has with her parents, her mom in particular, is interesting to watch progress. I found myself getting annoyed with McLean at points, since she can tend to be a bit over-dramatic when it comes to the issues that are thrown her way. But the story goes on this certain way that makes you want to keep reading. The story will stick to you. And of course the conflict was resolved emotionally and cutely, but maybe a little bit too quickly for my tastes.

THE BOTTOM LINE:
Cute, funny, good. Valuable lessons are learned in the most simpleminded and sentimental ways. Go ahead, read it. Like good soup on a winter day, it will make you feel warm and satisfied.
4/5 stars

The Last Days by Scott Westerfeld

Yes, I know I need to stop spamming this blog with my SW obsession, however, I see no end to it. Just hear me out here, because I am about to inform you of a vampire novel I actually enjoyed! Plus, it takes place during the supposed end of the world! I'm all over that. The Last Days is a sequel to Peeps, a book I haven't read, but that was okay, I still got the jist of the story. Here, I made a summary:

It's the hottest summer New York has ever seen. The streets are filled with rats, weird black oil, and garbage. A mysterious epidemic is spreading. It seems that all hell has broke loose. But to Moz, Zahler, Pearl, and Alana Ray, all that really matters is their new band. With an edgy sound and tons of potential, they have a shot at stardom. They recruit Minerva (a girl who has the epidemic) to be their lead singer. She has been staying in her house ever since she got a craving for human blood.

The world is ending, the city is in chaos, and Peeps (vampires) are taking over. With the apocalypse drawing near, the band might just be able to battle back because they basically rock so hard, they can can stop Armageddon. Without knowing it, they create the soundtrack to the end of the world.

Pretty intense huh? In short, this book was pretty cool for a vampire book. And I am pleased to say it was published pre-Twilight movie hype. Plus, you don't become a vampire from getting bitten. No, you get blood-thirsty qualities from getting an STD. Cliche? I think not. It's written in this cool, creepy way. It's funny too. The five band members are strong characters, and they trade off narrating the story. Minerva's point of view was the most enthralling. As a Peep, she had some interesting thoughts. I think "Mustn't eat Mosey" was my favorite line from the whole book, in the part where she is trying not kiss and/or kill and devour Moz.

I enjoyed the end-of-the-world vibe to the book too. Westerfeld's version of the possible apocalypse is unique, and the way the band saved the world was all in all epic. Though it got a bit confusing to me at some points, I was always entertained. It was kind of bizarre, but as long as you aren't creeped out too easily, you'll like it. Lots of cool stuff is worked into the story. For example, every chapter name is also the name of a band. And each section of the book has a little write-up about plagues and apocalypses. Thanks to this book, I now know that when little kids sing ring-around-the-rosey, they are singing about a horrible plague that occurred in the Middle Ages.

The ending was brief, but well-written. This a clever book and totally not your average teenage vampire novel.

THE BOTTOM LINE:
About as cool as a book can get when it involves rock bands, sexually-transmitted vampire diseases, the end of the world, and (spoiler alert) gigantic black monsters.
4/5 stars

Goddess Games by Niki Burnham

Last spring break, I got a boatload of new books to read on vacation. One of these was Goddess Games by Niki Burnham. Reading chick-lit on the beach is kind of my idea of vacation, you see. So here's a self-written summary:

Claire, Seneca, and Drew are three very different girls who all have decided to take a summer job at King's Crown Resort, the most luxurious mountain getaway in Colorado. They each have their reasons for coming. For Claire, coming to King's Crown meant helping get her life back on track and restrengthening her relationship with God. For Drew, it meant getting to train in the mountains (she's a competitive runner) while escaping the trouble back home. For Seneca, the daughter of a famous movie actress, it means getting back on the A-list by kissing up to celebrity resort guests.
All 3 have different goals, hopes, and dreams, which makes it tough when they have to share a cabin. At first, their differences are all they can see, but somehow through fate, they learn to help and support each other.


Since the jacket of the book sends off a spa vibe, and claims that this book helps celebrate the goddess in us all, I assumed it would be a cute, inspiring read. Not exactly.
The book started slow and the first few chapters seemed to lag on. We meet former party-girl Claire, sad and determined Drew, and stuck-up Seneca. Things got a little more interesting once the girls move into their cabin together, but not really. I liked finally learning Claire's secret, which is revealed to us when she tells it to her ex-boyfriend, this was probably the most suspenseful part. We also later learn something about Drew.

So it is your typical girls-who-fight story up until near the end when they finally decide to be friends and bond over a special yoga class, "Goddess Yoga". I suppose this is where the book title comes from. It was weird to me how they suddenly just became friends all of the sudden. That part didn't really seem realistic. And leading up to that turning point, there is some guy drama and emotional issues circulating throughout the three of them. And that's pretty much the book. I wasn't particularly impressed in any way. It was good enough to keep my attention, but I feel that at points it got kind of predictable and lame.
I'd say the most exciting thing that happened was when Drew encounters a bear in the mountains. At least I can thank Niki Burnham because I now know how to fend off a bear if I ever cross paths with one.
One thing that drove me crazy? The fact that the word 'favorite' was always shortened to 'fave'. It was just annoying. I think I was able to tolerate this book due to the fact that I was relaxed at a resort myself while reading it.

THE BOTTOM LINE:
An okay book if you're on vacation and want something laid-back to read. But other than that, you can skip this one. Nothing amazing here.
2/5 stars

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

I'm not one to read a book just because it is the latest obsession, or a NYT Bestseller. In fact, I mostly picked up The Help just because I was sick of my friends, my mom, and my friend's moms urging and nagging me to read this so-called "great" piece of literature. So I read the first few pages, and immediately noticed the excellent writing style. So I read more. Actually, I read the whole thing. And if you don't know what it is about...

It is 1962 in Jackson, Mississippi. Aibileen is a black maid who is raising her 17th white child, and is becoming more upset about the way things are in the world. Her best friend Minny has just been fired from her job as a maid (again) and has just taken a new job with a mysterious and troubled woman. And Skeeter is a white socialite who has just graduated from collage and dreams of being a writer, but her mom urges her that finding a husband is more important.

Skeeter takes more notice about how wrong blacks are treated in Jackson, and decides to write a book of interviews taken from various black maids in town. She asks Aibileen and Minny for help with the book, and the 3 women band together to work on this dangerous and controversial project. The stakes are high, but making even a little difference just might be worth it.


This book is certainly worthy of all the buzz and credits it has gotten, and the blockbuster movie that was based off it. Stockett has created lovable characters who each have their own unique voice as they narrate the story. Aibileen is the wise soul, Minny is bold, and Skeeter is observant and thoughtful. Their points of view all blend together to create a nicely-told tale. Miss Hilly Holbrook, the antagonist, was especially snaky and easy to hate. Stuart, who is Skeeter's beau for a good part of the story was a bit of a let down. It is always kind of sad when a relationship that developed through most of the story fails. But it was certainly understandable and Skeeter became even more independent in the resolution.

The Help has both humorous and dark bits intertwined in it. A reader may laugh out loud and then shudder a few chapters later. It's message is empowering and somewhat beautiful. Be warned that it has an open ending, and the final pages are bittersweet. But that was perfectly fine with me. This is a pretty good book, and is worth your time.

THE BOTTOM LINE:
Funny, jarring, notable. This is a special book.
5/5 stars

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

I actually read this one over a year ago, but I thought of it today for some reason, and I figured, why not tell you about it? It was a pretty good book, and quite cute. A summary for ya:

4 misfit children have just been recruited to join a queer society. Reynie, Sticky, Kate, and Constance have passed all the odd and unusual tests required to join. They are taken to Mr. Benedict's house, where the kind old man asks them to help him take down an evil man named Mr. Curtain. Mr. Curtain has a machine called The Sender that sends subliminal messaging through airwaves. These messages are picked up by the human mind (though the human themself is unconscious of it) and causes their minds to be influenced and controlled in negative ways. The kids go undercover at L.I.V.E. (Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened) which is a private academy ran my Mr. Curtain, where the evil man and The Sender are located. The 4 children each posses their own odd and exceptional talents, but they will need every bit of wit, brain power, and courage that they have to take down evil.


This book is clever. It's like a big puzzle. My favorite part was the beginning, where the kids have to pass all the tricky tests in order to join The Mysterious Benedict Society. This book is part mystery, part brain teaser. Twists and turns will surprise readers and amuse them.

I also liked the characters. They are young and lovable. Reynie is the clever one, Sticky is the genius, Kate is the agile one, and Constance is...Constance. The children bond throughout the book, forming a close-knit and trusting friendship with one another. Mr. Benedict was your typical sweet old man, though he suffered from narcolepsy. Mr. Curtain was evil. Enough said.

This book probably can't be classified as YA, it was more for younger middle school-level readers. But you may want to give it a chance. It was a longer novel too, almost to a point where it seemed like things were being dragged out. But the conclusion is well-done and heartwarming.

THE BOTTOM LINE:
Cute, exciting, and smart. This book will keep you guessing.
4/5 stars

Internet Girls series by Lauren Myracle

It can be difficult to come up with a completely original idea for a novel, and that is why I tip my imaginary hat to Lauren Myracle for thinking outside the box on her Internet Girls series. Why? Because it is a story told completely through instant messaging. Seriously. Open up any one of the books in the series (TTYL, TTFN, or L8r G8r) and reluctant readers will discover a whole new format of story telling that is unlike anything they have ever read. This is smart, since a lot of adolescents would rather be on Facebook or text messaging instead of reading. This thought pains me, but it is the truth. So these books are an interesting compromise.

The 3 book series centers around its 3 main characters: Bubbly, enthusiastic Angela, wild child Maddie, and intelligent overachiever Zoe. The 3 best friends vow on the 1st day of their sophomore year to never let any of high school's lameness get in the way of their threesome, but this proves harder than they think. Through all of the ups and downs of 10th, 11th, and 12th grade, the besties encounter guy drama, peer pressure, fights, gossip, and more. Join them on their adventures trying to navigate through their high school lives, which is all narrated by their humorous IM chats.

As long as you're not easily offended, you'll love these books. The 3 main characters always have a lot to IM about. If there is one thing this series stands for, it is friendship. Through their online chats they are always there for each other. Like I said, it is such a cool format! They are super quick reads too.

But note that these are also on the Most Banned Books list. There is a reason why Lauren Myracle has been referred to as "the Judy Blume of this generation". There is controversy involved because of sexual themes, language, drug references, and religious topics. These are definitely made for teens who are around the same age as the characters and no younger. I can see why this series can be considered offensive. I felt that the novels were somewhat disdainful towards topics like religion and human rights. It seemed to me like the 3 main charries often turned a blind eye to morality. They go to parties with underage drinking, for example. So note that they should be rated around PG-13.

I like these books and have read them all more than once, they are funny and well-crafted. Just keep in mind: morality!

THE BOTTOM LINE:
Humorous and clever, this series is about the ups and downs of high school and the people who see you through it.
3.5/5 stars