Enchanting Review: It's Not About The Accent

IT'S NOT ABOUT THE ACCENT

CARIDAD FERRER

Contemporary Young Adult

MTV Books

Trade

ISBN-10: 1416524916

$9.95

Rating: 4 Enchantments

Caroline Darcy always wanted a life as exotic as her beloved great-grandmother's. Tired of being her boring old self, Caroline's got the perfect plan. When she goes off to college for the summer session, she's going to adopt a whole new persona. As vivacious Carolina, a half-cuban aspiring actress, Caroline is ready for adventure. But sometimes you should be careful what you wish for.

Things at school start off well. Carolina seems to be a hit with everyone, especially the guys. At her first party, she meets Erik, your typical frat boy. Their connection is almost instantaneous. Then there's Peter, the cute guy she meets at the same party who lives just down the hall. And the way he calls her Caro makes her smile.

It seems like Carolina is a success, but maybe too much of one. As she and Peter become good friends, her relationship with Erik heats up. Between studying with Peter and partying with Erik, her days are full. But when things suddenly go bad and Caroline finds herself in a dire situation, it's Peter who bursts in and rescues her from the brutal attack.

This book is darker in tone then Ms. Ferrer's debut, but it's just as engrossing a read. Caroline's journey is filled with a number of twists and surprising turns that take her from small town Ohio, to her summer on campus, to Miami, and back to Ohio as she discovers her own life might be just interesting as her beloved Nana's.

Lisa

Enchanting Reviews

Enchanting Review: Goddess Girls

GODDESS GAMES

NIKI BURNHAM

Simon and Schuster

Contemporary Young Adult

Hardcover

$15.99

ISBN-10: 1-4169-2700-X

Rating: 3.5 Enchantments

GODDESS GAMES focuses mainly on the relationships between the three girls, all with totally different backgrounds who are forced to become room mates during a summer working at King's Crown resort in Juniper, Colorado.

Seneca could be the stereotypical poor little rich girl. She's harboring a secret - her mother's acting career is a mess, and her working in Juniper is part of her plan to help get her and her mom's life back on track.

Drew, the female jock, is on vacation from her mother after facing a terrible loss. Her focus is solely on training to become an even better runner.

Claire is the reforming party girl who's searching for a deeper relationship with God to help get her life on the right path.

Things aren't exactly smooth sailing for the three roommates, particularly with each other. In a tiny cabin it's easy to for conflict to arise, especially when they don't exactly make the best first impression on each other. Drew and Claire see Seneca as fairly superficial, Seneca sees Drew as rude, and Drew and Seneca see Claire as quiet and somewhat withdrawn.

Conflict abounds when Claire can't be sure of the motive behind Seneca's interest in her L.A. boyfriend and Drew can't stand what she sees as Seneca's superficial ways. As the summer wears on, each girl is forced to deal with their own growing problems until one night forces the three to bond together and their friendship is finally cemented.

I really enjoyed this book, as the reader gets to see other sides to the girls that the characters don't know about till later in the book. Each girl has their own point of view and it's interesting to see what is actually going on with them and their misconstrued views of each other. I especially enjoyed watching Seneca fall for a guy who is so not her typical type.

GODDESS GIRLS is an enjoyable read, with a strong focus on the budding friendship between three girls as they search for themselves.

Lisa

Enchanting Reviews

Enchanting Interview:Kimberlee Mendoza

Interview with November AUTHOR OF THE MONTH Kimberlee Mendoza

How long have you been writing?

I started writing when I was 7, but I wrote my first full

novel when I was 13. It was originally called, "My Sister,

My Enemy." It is now published by Wild Rose Press under

the new name, "Love thy Sister, Guard thy Man." It's very

cool to see my first "baby" finally born.

What do you like best about being a writer?

Having my imagination come alive and being able to go into

any world.

Why Young Adult?

I love teenagers. I know that sounds cliché, but I teach a

young adult acting class and direct a young adult traveling

drama group. Most of my best friends are under 21. I just

think teenagers are cool. It is fun to write a book and

return to high school. I also tend to write with a young

voice without trying.

"Love thy Sister" was originally rejected by The Wild Rose

Press because the voice was too young. Then they opened the

young adult line and contacted me to be the "launch" book.

What's your writing process like?

I concentrate on the characters and the storyline as I'm

driving my kids to school, trying to go to sleep, or waiting

in line at the grocery store. Then when I finally have a

moment to sit down, I just start typing. I rarely outline,

because I like to see where the characters take me. Once

I've "finished" a story, then I go back through and

tighten it…again, and again.

Do you have any writing rituals?

MUST have chocolate before sitting down to write.

I sit on my couch, with a laptop in my lap, three pillows

behind my back and a bottle of water tucked between the

cushions.

What inspired this book?

I was a teenager when I wrote it, so maybe life. Of course

it's taken many rewrites over the years. My older sister is

afraid the story is about her, but I keep telling her that

the younger sister is the evil one.

How did you come up with the title?

As already mentioned, it was originally,

"My Sister, My Enemy." But other books were released this year

with the same name. So, I just started writing down every

idea I could come up with. Somehow I got to it.

Favorite character in the book?

Oh, I love April. She's my main character's best friend.

She's not afraid to say what she thinks and I love that

about her. She is a lot like a friend I had in high school.

Hardest scene to write?

The beginning. I wrote it four different ways before ending

where I did.

Do you have any sequels planned?

Yes. Actually, I've already contracted two books and have

one more to write. Each book in the "Russell Family Series"

is about one of the four siblings. The other books are

titled, "Oh Brother, You're Not My Keeper,"

"Seek Ye First My Heart" and

"Fried, Scrambled & Unequally Yoked."

"Brother" should be out early 2008.

"Seek Ye First" some time in mid-2008. (I've been told

this is the best one of the three. It is the story of the

"evil" sister.)

What's next for you?

I have "Fried, Scrambled & Unequally Yoked" to write still.

That'll keep me busy for a few months.