Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Description-Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she’s struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps, and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town’s oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

My Review-

   Beautiful Creatures is an amazing book, its a teensy bit like Twilight, but the two cannot be compared.


    I loved all of the characters, from Ethan to even Macon Ravenwood. Ethan and Lena were both strong-willed, and attracted to each other, somehow. They find a locket that was from Ethan's relative to Lena's. Whenever they touch the locket they can go back to the time where Greenbrier, the next town over, next to Gatlin, was burned in 1885. Lena is a caster, meaning she has special powers that allow her to do certain things that mortals cannot. All in all, the characters were well-developed and I felt a connection with all of them.

   The plot of this book was similiar to that of Twilight. Boy meets girl, but girl has powers. The twist that Garcia and Stohl put on Beautiful Creatures was so amazing, it doesn't compare to Twilight. There were so many little plots that had to do with the main plot, but if I told you, it could spoil the book for you.


   This book is the first in The Caster Chronicles series and let me tell you, I cannot wait until the second book, Beautiful Darkness comes out. October 12th!!!!I highly recommend Beautiful Creatures to anyone who loves romantic stories with alittle bit of magic. 


Grade-A++

Overall-An amazing book, that you have to read. You will enjoy it from cover to cover!
Cover-I like it,I feel that it fits the book perfectly. Spooky, too.

Beautiful Creatures-OUT NOW!
Beautiful Darkness- OCTOBER 12TH!

Email me!

Hey guys!I just wanted to let you know that you can now contact me at-
sydneythebookworm@gmail.com

If you have any recommendations for me, email them to me!
Thanks so much!


-Sydney the Bookworm

In My Mailbox (3)

In my mailbox was created by the story siren.

In my mailbox this week is Posse by Kate Welshman, Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia, and The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan.

Reviews for all of these will be up by the end of next week!

Happy Reading!        


-Sydney The Bookworm♥

Wherever Nina Lies by Lynn Weingarten

For three nights after Nina vanished, I didn't sleep. I just lay in my bed, my head inches from the open window, the thick, humid late June air blowing against my skin like hot breath.

Waiting.

Nina was beautiful, wild & adored by her younger sister, Ellie. But, one day, Nina disappeared. 2 years later, everyone has given up hope that Nina will return, but Ellie knows her sister is out there. If only Ellie had a clue where to look. Then she gets one, in the form of a mysterious drawing. Determined to find Nina, Ellie takes off on a crazy, sexy, cross-country road trip with the only person who believes she's got a chance - her hot, adventurous new crush. Along the way, Ellie finds a few things she wasn't planning on. Like love. Lies. And the most shocking thing of all: the truth. 

My Review-

This book was sort of dissapointing in the beginning, when nothing happens, but as you read more, the better the book gets!Wherever Nina Lies was a great novel full of unexpected secrets, lies, and not to mention, beautiful drawings by Nina Wrigley.


I liked Ellie. She was a very interesting character. Ellie loved Nina so much, and I am glad that she never gave up looking for her, even if her best friend insisted on it. Also, she was clever towards the end, just like Nina. Nina was a very likable character. Even though she is only really talked about in the book, she has done a lot of interesting things. Sean, Ellie's crush is funny and sweet. I liked him, he wasn't horrible, but sometimes he acted a little bit weird....


I liked the way this book was always giving you clues, making it suspenseful and fun to guess some of the things going on. Mysteries always do that, but this one took it to a whole new level for me. Some of my predictions were right, others wrong, but hey, it doesn't really matter does it?


There was nothing annoying in this book, although the ending could be obvious to some people. 


In all, Wherever Nina Lies was an amazing book that you should add to your TBR pile ASAP! Whether you like mysteries or not, you will go head over heels for Wherever Nina Lies by Lynn Weingarten!


Overall Opinion-This was a great book I enjoyed to read. Its part mystery, and part romance, which I absolutely loved and couldn't stop reading and wanting more! Add Wherever Nina Lies to your TBR pile now!!!!


Cover- I really like the cover of this book. It is very fitting and I adore the way the letters look. I also cannot resist the background, which is made to look like a map. I love it!


Grade-A+

Heist Society by Ally Carter

   Hey guys, so I started a book called Heist Society and I just wanted to let you know not to read it. I started it and it sounded really exciting and thrilling, but nothing happened. The things they did weren't explained well and I felt no connection what so ever to Kat, the main character. I am writing this review(or paragraph) to save you the trouble of picking up this book. Personally, I thought it was horrible, but I don't doubt Ally Carter. I heard her other book-Cross my heart, For I will Spy is very good, so I will be reading that instead of Heist Society.

Thank you for reading this!
      Happy Reading!!!!

Hottie by Jonathon Bernstein

Description-Alison Cole’s got it all: She’s gorgeous, dating a steamy surfer boy, and has just been crowned Beverly Hills High Freshman Class President. Then during a special “symmetry” surgery, a lightning bolt zaps her, and Alison instantly transforms into Hottie—that is, a totally sizzling superhero with the power to shoot fire from her fingers!

Shunned as a Pyro-Freak, Alison must adopt dorky David Eels as her crime-fi ghting sidekick. Worse, she’s falling for the one guy who wants to “extinguish” her forever, Junior Class President of Cuteness— and wannabe fi refi ghter—T. Hull. But she doesn’t realize that a supervillain’s lurking. . . .

Has Hottie met her match?

My Review-

        

     The first part of Hottie was boring. I ALMOST was going to return it to the library, but I was determined to finish it. The farther I got in it, the better the book got! I am very glad it got better, I hate to leave a book unread!

            Alison isn't what she is stereotyped as-a snotty, popular girl. I found Alison nice, but at first she was oblivious that her friends, Kellyn and Dorinda were abusing her by making her get surgery when she didn't need it. Another character was David Eels, the dorky kid. At first he is a dorky kid, but then him and Alison get to know each other and they become friends. Lastly, Alison's evil, manipulating step-mother-Carmen. Carmen was horrible, then nice, then evil. You only appreciate her in the middle. Its sad that she's so mean when she can be so nice at times.

            The plot was well explained and written. Its basically how Alison fights crime. The lesson was clear also, being popular isn't important, mainly because some of your friends secretly may hate you. I'm not sure if I got the lesson right, it can be explained better, but in a nutshell, that's it.

           There was nothing that bothered me in Hottie, besides the boring beginning. Even though it was boring, the book was still amazing!

    

        In all, Hottie was a very good book. I recommend it to anyone who likes super heroes!!Even it you don't, Hottie is a wonderful, well-written story you will enjoy whether you like super heroes or not!

Overall Opinion- Hottie was a great book. Read it, you will make it through the slightly boring beginning. You will love Alison and David's wild, crime-fighting full adventures!So read Hottie!

Cover-I like the cover. The pink swirls and picture of Alison show her girly side, but the flaming letters and her costume and necklace show her Hottie side!Awesome cover!

Grade-A

Waiting on Wednesday(1)

Waiting on Wednesday is inspired by Breaking the Spine.

This week I am waiting for Posse to come. I ordered it today and they said it would be here in a week!

Amy & her posse (best friends) all attend the fictional Methodist School for Girls. They are all on Year 11 camp at the Riveroak Recreation Ranch and they’re bored. The camp leader Bevan is singling Amy out for attention and her friend Claire is jelous. Amy is feeling reckless enough to do something major……

What happened when Claire disappeared that night? Who is telling the truth? And when things go too far,should you save your friends or yourself?

Posse is an honest portrayal of young adult girls, pushing the boundaries as far as they will go. it is a real page turner, thought provoking and a great read.

I couldn't find this anywhere! Turns out, the author is australian! No wonder I couldn't find it!

The Karma Club by Jessica Brody

Description-Madison Kasparkova always thought she understood how Karma works. Do good things and you'll be rewarded, do something bad and Karma will make sure you get what you deserve. But when Maddy’s boyfriend cheats on her, nothing bad comes his way. That’s why Maddy starts the Karma Club, to clean up the messes that the universe has left behind. Sometimes, though, it isn’t wise to meddle with the universe. It turns out Karma often has plans of its own.

My Review-
    The Karma Club was an absolutely amazing book! It gives Karma a new and funny twist!

I have been waiting quite some time to get my hands on this book, so I was very excited and had high hopes for it. Luckily, my hopes werent so high that I hated it, I wound up loving it!
   
       The main character Madison Kasparkova is a hilarious, wise, and funny character. There are times I would be reading in class and just start laughing!She was absolutely hard to hate in the book. I  loved her friends too. At first Angie was annoying, but I loved her at the end.


There was nothing particulary annoying in The Karma Club, it was a great book. I recommend picking it up soon! Jessica Brody will not let you down!!!This book is nothing like anything I've ever read before, in a good way!I loved it and I hope you do too!


Grade-A++

In My Mailbox(2)

This week I got Hottie by Jonathon Bernstein. I plan on putting the review up next week. This weekend I will be buying The Karma Club by Jessica Brody!

Sydney

The Dork Diaries by Rachel Renee Russell

Description from publisher- Dork Diaries follows eighth grader Nikki Maxwell, who chronicles through text and sketches her move to a snooty new school; her epic battle with her mom for an iPhone; her enthusiasm for drawing & art; and a love/hate facination with the new school's queen bee, a girl named Mackenzie who becomes Nikki's rival in a school-wide art competition.

Review-
I thought that The Dork Diaries was a very funny and great book. There were a lot of funny everyday situations that I enjoyed reading about.

Nikki Maxwell is the main character. She's funny and sees school for how it is:popular people, normal people, dorks. Nikki is also a very fun person. She can be dorky at times, hense the title, but that's just the way she is.

I have yet to read the sequel, but I definitely will. I love books that are people's diaries. It tends to take me two days to finish them! Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Dork Diaries, and Dear Dumb Diary. I think this is Rachel Russell's first book and I had high hopes for it. Luckily, my predictions were right, it was a great book!Though there was one thing that was somewhat annoying:
How Nikki says something but goes, " But I said it in my head, so nobody heard me."
She said that after a lot of things so it got kind of annoying.

All in all, The Dork Diaries was a funny and dorky book. The characters are well-developed, and you'll love Nikki's pictures and her descriptions of people. Looking for a good read? Then pick up The Dork Diaries today!

Grade-A-

The Nature of Jade by Deb Caletti

Description from publisher-I am not my illness. "Girl with Anxiety," "Trauma of the Week" -- no. I hate stuff like that. Everyone, everyone has their issue. But the one thing my illness did make me realize is how necessary it is to ignore the dangers of living in order to live. And how much trouble you can get into if you can't.

Jade DeLuna is too young to die. She knows this, and yet she can't quite believe it, especially when the terrifying thoughts, loss of breath, and dizzy feelings come. Since being diagnosed with Panic Disorder, she's trying her best to stay calm, and visiting the elephants at the nearby zoo seems to help. That's why Jade keeps the live zoo webcam on in her room, and that's where she first sees the boy in the red jacket. A boy who stops to watch the elephants. A boy carrying a baby.

His name is Sebastian, and he is raising his son alone. Jade is drawn into Sebastian's cozy life with his son and his activist grandmother on their Seattle houseboat, and before she knows it, she's in love. With this boy who has lived through harder times than anyone she knows. This boy with a past.

Jade knows the situation is beyond complicated, but she hasn't felt this safe in a long time. She owes it all to Sebastian, her boy with the great heart. Her boy who is hiding a terrible secret. A secret that will force Jade to decide between what is right, and what feels right.

Master storyteller Deb Caletti has once again created characters so real, you will be breathless with anticipation as their riveting story unfolds.

Review-

The Nature of Jade by Deb Caletti is a truly great book. It is about friendship, love, family, confidence, and trust. You can learn a lot from Jade as she goes through her senior year.

The characters in this book were amazing. I loved Jade especially. She's different in a good way.She's also really funny and confident. Jade learns a lot of lessons throughout the book and I enjoyed reading about her learning them.

The book takes place in Seattle, especially at the zoo. The elephants help Jade deal with her panic disorder. She knows all of the elephants by name. She watches them from a webcam in the zoo by the elephants that allows her to see them on her computer. This is how she meets Sebestian and the fall in love.

The Nature of Jade is a truly amazing, meaningful book. If you are looking for an enjoyable and good read stop at the library or store and pick it up. I highly recommend it!

Grade-A+

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Description from publisher-

What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all: the world's most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High—from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life.

Instead, it turns out to be her last.

Then she gets a second chance. Seven chances, in fact. Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.

My Review-

I thought that this book was amazing from cover to cover! It was an amazing story, with well-described characters, settings, and plot. I enjoyed it very much.

Samantha Kingston is very popular. She loves this until she gets some perspective, while reliving her last day, February 12th over 7 times. There are very different endings to each day, but on the 7th, has Sam done everything to save herself? Lindsay Edgecombe is Sam's obnoxious, but sweet best friend. But when Lindsay's secrets are revealed, is she really that powerful and popular anymore?

I liked the main idea of this book: don't take life for granted. Look at Sam, she had it all, but could lose it because her best friend was driving drunk. Its a good life lesson that I will definitely remember.

You should definitely add this to your To Be Read list, because it is a great book that I'm sure you will enjoy. Happy Reading!

Grade-A++