Enchanting Review: Hate List

HATE LIST

JENNIFER BROWN

YA contemporary

Little, Brown

ISBN# 9780316041454

408 pages

$8.99

Paperback available now

Rating: 5 Enchantments

Valerie Leftman didn’t mean for anyone to die. Her hate list was her way of venting back at those who bullied her. Her boyfriend Nick though had other plans. Five months ago, Nick opened fire at their high school killing and wounding people. Valerie never thought he’d actually use the hate list. In her attempt to stop him, she’s shot in the leg protecting one of those she hated.

Now the town can’t make out if Valerie is a villain or hero. She decides to go back to school to confront those who did survive. Valerie must come to terms on what happened that tragic day in order to make amends and move on with her life.

Wow. One image kept coming to me when I read Valerie’s tale. My sister’s funeral. Her ex boyfriend murdered her then turned the gun on himself. At the funeral the father of the guy who killed my sister showed up. I was furious. How dare he? But my mother taught me a lesson. She told me the father didn’t pull the trigger and that he was hurting too as he lost a son. That same feeling came back to me when reading HATE LIST. Valerie’s emotions and struggles are shown in such an intense and powerful way. Also she shows us the Nick she loved so he’s not such a monster. That’s one thing I love about this story. It would be so easy to just dwell on the graphic horror of the shooting and show Nick as a crazy monster. Instead the author gives us characters that are fleshed out and have us care.

The writing is powerful and gripping. Life isn’t all roses when Val shows back up at school. Her own family has issues too with her part of the tragedy like her father who believes she’s at fault too. There are others like the girl Valerie saved who go out of her way to be friends though others around her ridicule and just hope Val disappears. The ending of this book had me in tears when Val and her friend go to all those who were affected by the shooting. Haunting and riveting, this is one tale that really stays with you.

Jennifer Brown writes and lives in Kansas City, Missouri with her husband and three children. She’s also a columnist for the Kansas City Star. Read more about her at www.jenniferbrownya.com

Kim Baccellia

ENCHANTING REVIEWS

December 2010

Enchanting Review: Med Head

MED HEAD

JAMES PATTERSON & HAL FRIEDMAN

YA Non-fiction

Little, Brown

ISBN# 9780316076173

302 pages

$8.99

Paperback available now

5 Enchantments

Corey Friedman is an ordinary teenager with issues that take all his strength and courage to overcome. This is an account of his thirteen year journey dealing with OCD, anxiety, and Tourette’s symptom.

Wow. Reading Corey’s story amazes me. What he went through as a child with the daily ridicule of his peers and then the pure hell of a life time of different drugs, totally is awe inspiring. My own son deals with sensory issues and I’ve dealt with a school system that wasn’t supportive. I can’t even imagine what Corey’s parents went through. What is really inspiring is Corey’s voice. His descriptions of the meds that caused serious issues are so real. I felt for him when this one so-called expert in the field of Tourette’s, ends up just viewing Corey as a test subject even when the one drug she prescribes to him causes him to want to end his life.

Corey also shows the reader what it’s like to basically be a guinea pig to a wide assortment of meds. His OCD and Tourette’s were very extreme. One way Corey dealt with the pain was self-medicating with alcohol. But this book doesn’t just dwell on the negative. It shows Corey’s successes and triumphs. My favorite part is when Corey shows this one school founder that he will make it out in the real world. And he does with determination and persistence.

The story is haunting and Corey’s personal journey through years of medical turmoil will stay with you. At the conclusion are notes from Corey’s parents, personal photos, and also info on OCD and Tourette’s.

James Patterson is the author of Maximum Ride novels, Witch & Wizard, and a number of other books. He lives in Florida.

Hal Friedman has published five works of fiction. He lives with his wife, Sophia, at the edge of a forest in northern New Jersey.

Kim Baccellia

ENCHANTING REVIEWS

November 2010

Enchanting Review: Forge

FORGE
LAURIE HALSE ANDERSON
Historical YA
Atheneum
ISBN# 978-1416961444
304 pages
$16.99
Hardback available now

5 Enchantments

Fifteen-year-old escaped slave Curzon lives in fear of being discovered. After a chance encounter, he finds himself a member of a battalion under the leadership of George Washington which ends up at Valley Forge. Not only does Curzon deal with hiding his true identity from the other soldiers but the harsh conditions of the war. Also he can’t forget Isabel. Will they meet again? And will he survive?

This is the stunning conclusion to Chains. The rich writing, details, and setting make the reader feel as if they’d been dropped right into the middle of the Revolutionary War. I love Anderson’s eye to fine details to what the soldiers ate, wore, and how they interacted during this time. Curzon’s character is multidimensional. You can feel his conflict on how he feels towards a white friend he made on the battle field to the anger that his race still is considered not good enough to be free. There is one scene where he’s invited to go to this one officer’s home. He goes to the kitchen where he encounters some slaves. When the officer sees him there, he refuses to feed him.

What I really love about these books is how well Anderson brings emotions to the surface. I felt anger, sadness, and even horror at what Curzon sees at Valley Forge. She’s able to paint a harsh, realistic picture of the numbness that must happen to someone who witnesses war.

I highly recommend this book to fans of Anderson and also to any school library. Both Chains and Forge would be great books to use in discussions of the Revolutionary War and how freedom didn’t include all men at that time.

Laurie Halse Anderson is an award-winning author of Speak and Chains, which were both National Book Award Finalists. Laurie lives in northern New York, where’s she’s working on Isabel and Curzon’s final adventure. Find out more on her blog at halseanderson.livejournal.com and twitter.com/halseanderson.

Kim Baccellia
ENCHANTING REVIEWS
October 2010

Enchanting Review: Nightmare: Too Scared Too Sleep

NIGHTTIME: TOO SCARED TO SLEEP
TODD STRASSER
Kid’s horror
Scholastic
ISBN #978-0-545-10463-0
80 pages
$4.99
Print Paperback- Available Now

Rating: 5 Enchantments

NIGHTTIME: TOO SCARED TO SLEEPwas a fun collection of scary short stories. My kids really enjoyed these around Halloween. We would snuggle up and I would read it to them. The stories of course are not scary for me but have just enough spook for my kids. Some of the stories are longer than others but all of them are fun. From what I can tell there are two more books in this set, and I will be getting those soon. My kids really enjoyed this book and can’t wait for more.

One of our favorite stories was THE NICEST BABYSITTER IN THE WORLD. This was a story of a babysitter who convinced the kids she was babysitting to tell her all about the boy who is being mean to them. They told her what they would like to do to him in a perfect world. I believe it was throw rocks at him while he is on his bike. The next day… he had rocks thrown at him. My kids loved it, and it taught them a lesson to not wish mean things on other people.

NIGHTTIME: TOO SCARED TO SLEEP was a fun collection of spooky stories perfect for children ages 5 to 10.

Todd Strasser is the author of children books from grade 2 and up. To find out more about his wonderful books please visit his website at http://www.toddstrasser.com/

Jennifer
ENCHANTING REVIEWS
November 2009

Enchanting Review: Mistwood

MISTWOOD
LEAH CYPESS
YA Paranormal
Greenwillow Books
ISBN# 9780061956997
320 pages
$16.99
Hardcover – Available April 27, 2010

Rating: 5 Enchantments

Travelling deep into the dangerous Mistwood, a young prince and soon to be king call upon an ancient power. Summoning and then binding Isabel to them, it would seem that all of their problems are now solved. Or are they?

Isabel is the Shifter, bound to protect the royalty of Samorna both with her strength and her mind. Immortal and able to take on any shape she chooses, the Shifter is a formidable weapon and great protection for a king in need. When Rokhan summons her and brings her back to the castle with him, however, Isabel soon learns that everything is not as it should be. Strong in character and wise beyond the appearance of her years, Isabel is a fantastic character with quite a bit of depth to her. This is easily a character one could follow throughout many stories as there always seems to be something new to discover about her.

Prince Rokhan, next in line to the throne after the death of his father, finds himself relying heavily on Isabel. Her powers and physical abilities should help protect his life while her mental capacity and experience advising past kings should help Rokhan lead his people well. With a strong desire to better his kingdom and rule wisely, Rokhan appears to have great potential. With Isabel at his side, he truly believes nothing can go wrong. Unfortunately for him, however, secrets rarely stay hidden and when his come to the surface, losing his crown may be the least of his worries.

MISTWOOD by Leah Cypess is a robust tale of royalty, deception, self-discovery, romance and a decent amount of the paranormal. As we follow Isabel throughout the story, we learn more about her and the memories that slowly come back to her. Snatches of memory and good reasoning skills allows Isabel to discover that Rokhan may not be who he truly seems although the compulsion of the Shifter magic forces her to protect him anyway. Uncovering more about Isabel and Rokhan, we find ourselves in the midst of deception. Full of sorcerers, princes, princesses, kings and the Shifter, MISTWOOD is a wonderful tale of magic and the strength of the human spirit.

Originally drawn to MISTWOOD by the beautiful cover, I was amazed at just how good the story was. Isabel is unlike many of the shape-shifters that we see nowadays. Ms. Cypess has done an amazing job of creating her own world and her own set of rules. What really made this book fantastic was how well she stuck to those rules. I have experienced many paranormal books where suddenly the characters could do things that had been impossible for them to do previously in the story. Here, Ms. Cypess gives Isabel her quirks and limitations while actually sticking to them. That made the story much more believable and realistic, which is great for something so full of magic.

Relationships played a major role in MISTWOOD. As Isabel learns more about herself and uncovers the truths about others, we see relationships grow and falter. This is more than a single week of time in the life of some girl. While not covering a huge expanse of time, this book does seem to cover quite a large expanse of events. Ms. Cypess does a fantastic job of allowing the story to ebb and flow throughout the book, giving us little mini adventures and allowing each event to come Isabel’s way to really shine. When I said that the story was robust, that really is the best way to describe it. MISTWOOD is a very full story with plenty of twists and turns. Every time it felt like the story was coming to a close, something else would happen that would keep our heroine constantly moving forward.

For me, the true test of a story is how long it stays in one’s mind after the final page has turned. With the plot twists throughout the book and especially at the end of the story, I believe MISTWOOD will stay with me for a while. This story is dark and mysterious, the lies surrounding Rokhan and the loss of Isabel’s memory aiding the mystical feel of the book. The way in which this book has fully wrapped around my mind is evidence of Ms. Cypess’s clear writing style and beautiful story development.

MISTWOOD was many years in the making and truly a work of art from Leah Cypess. Although this is her first published novel, she has written a number of other short stories. She can be found online at http://www.leahcypess.com/.

Cinnamon Brown
ENCHANTING REVIEWS
March 2010

Enchanting Review: Fragile Eternity

FRAGILE ETERNITY
MELISSA MARR
Young Adult Fantasy
HarperTeen
ISBN# 9780061214714
389 pages
$8.99
Paperback - Available Now

Rating: 5 Enchantments

A great continuation to the Wicked Lovely series and an interesting look into Melissa Marr’s world of the Fae, FRAGILE ETERNITY turned out to be quite an interesting read. Having heard some mixed reviews about this one, I was a little nervous to see if this third installment could live up to the first two books. Following the incredibly intense Ink Exchange, FRAGILE ETERNITY could have easily floundered. Luckily, it didn’t.

While Ink Exchange took us over to watch the Dark Court, FRAGILE ETERNITY brings us back over to the lives of Aislinn, Seth, Donia, and of course our Summer King, Keenan. Struggling to find love where they can and fend off love where they shouldn’t allow it, life is anything but easy for these four. While Aislinn and Keenan fight against the lusty call of Summer, Donia becomes absorbed in finding a way not to wage war against the Summer court. After all, the man who is supposed to love her can’t help but find himself drawn to another woman. Amidst the chaos Seth finds the answer to his dreams, but will the required sacrifice be worth it?

Seth and Keenan both soar to new heights in FRAGILE ETERNITY. We see a new, deeper side to Keenan that we hadn’t really witnessed before. With Seth we begin to see the beginning cracks of insecurity. Aislinn’s pull to Keenan isn’t something he wants to witness but with no way to stop it, he’s at a loss for what to do. I think readers will love Seth in this book as he really becomes the focal point of the story.

The overall feel of FRAGILE ETERNITY was quite a bit different from Ink Exchange. Missing the deliciously dark, romantic element that the previous book held, this book stands out as more of a turning point in the series. We learn more about the world and get to meet a few more characters. It is still Ms. Marr’s world of the Fae, so there is plenty of darkness thrown throughout the pages of this story, but overall it felt that the tension here wasn’t as great as in previous books.

Readers will enjoy getting a deeper look into Ms. Marr’s world. Many of our questions are answered which, of course, only leaves us with more. One of my favorite aspects of her books is the way she manages to give us a fulfilling story without necessarily giving us a happy ending. Readers of Ms. Marr’s work will understand what I mean. FRAGILE ETERNITY is certainly no exception to this, but there was something about it, something about the change in the characters that leaves me thrilled and excited for the next installment in the series.

Melissa Marr is hard at working promoting the fourth book in the series, Radiant Shadows. She can be found online at http://www.melissa-marr.com/.

Cinnamon
ENCHANTING REVIEWS
April 2010

Enchanting Review: Voices of Dragons

VOICES OF DRAGONS
CARRIE VAUGHN
YA Fantasy
HarperTeen
ISBN# 9780061798948
309 pages
$16.99
Hardcover – Available Now

Rating: 5 Enchantments

Wow. Following in the footsteps of the great dragon writer, Anne McCaffrey, Carrie Vaughn created a fantastic new world and beautiful young adult story in VOICES OF DRAGONS. Combining a modern world with creatures we normally reserve for mythological places, Ms. Vaughn gave us what many readers search high and low for: real life with a touch of fantasy.

Kay Wyatt is our heroine of the story and probably one of the best aspects of the book. She is a well rounded character and very relatable. Not overly gorgeous or full of angst, Kay allows us to delve into the story with her and join in her adventures. Seventeen and feeling the pressures of teenaged life, Kay escapes to nature when she needs to clear her head. Hiking and rock climbing are her passions, the exhilaration of feeling free enough to calm any frazzled nerves. More than that, her outdoors activities end up serving another purpose. Coupled with fate, they lead her over the border to Dragon and to Artegal, with whom communication is strictly forbidden.

While Kay discovers that dragons may not be as evil as humans think, the rest of her normal life still has to go on. Her best friend, Tam, goes out of her way to encourage the budding romance between Kay and Jon. Caught in the middle of the peer pressure to take their relationship farther than either are really prepared for, the two navigate confusing and rocky waters while still managing to find comfort in the presence of one another. Unlike many new young adult stories hitting the market, Ms. Vaughn allows Kay and Jon to have a simple and fairly innocent romance. It was refreshing in a way because it kept the story light and sweet in terms of that aspect of the book.

As Kay learns more and more about the dragon, Artegal, she soon learns that there is no reason why humans and dragons cannot once again be friends and allies. As fate would have it, however, right around the time she comes to this conclusion, the military decides to start testing its borders with Dragon. As Kay struggles to keep both sides at bay and encourage talk between the two nations, she must learn how far she is willing to go and how much of herself she is really willing to sacrifice.

VOICES OF DRAGONS was a fantastic story. As mentioned previously, Ms. Vaughn’s work easily stands proudly next to some of the best dragon stories out there. With clear writing and beautiful imagery, the author manages to really pull the reader into the story and allow us to take part in the adventure. Although one would expect the main dragon in the story to be brilliantly hued and perfect in every way, Vaughn gives him more of a grey appearance and allows him to have his own quirks. She allows us to use our imaginations while still giving large depth and robustness to something as simple as the color grey.

There are a number of traits that make VOICES OF DRAGONS a winner, but the two that had the most impact in my opinion were really the development of her characters and her writing style. Full, detailed characters gave us something to hold on to and follow throughout the story. Each had their own personality and shared uniqueness in that they weren’t your typical young adult novel characters. There wasn’t a lot of angst, although there was quite a bit of emotion. Jon didn’t act like the typically hormone driven teenage boy we usually see and Tam, although she definitely could get prissy, didn’t end up being the bratty friend that would eventually turn snobby toward our main character. Pairing these well-rounded characters with a very fluid and clear writing style made for a book that was not only a pleasure to read, but one that was easy to read as well.

I would highly recommend VOICES OF DRAGONS to readers of any age but especially those looking for a little bit of magic in their lives. This was a fabulous book and one that will surely grab the hearts of those who read it.

Carrie Vaughn is also the author of the Kitty Norville series, an adult series about a werewolf who hosts a radio advice talk show. VOICES OF DRAGONS is her first young adult novel and she is very excited about it. She can be found online at http://www.carrievaughn.com/.

Cinnamon
ENCHANTING REVIEWS
March 2010

Enchanting Review: Prophecy of the Sisters

PROPHECY OF THE SISTERS
MICHELLE ZINK
YA Fantasy
Little, Brown Young Readers
ISBN# 0316027421
343 pages
$17.99
Hardcover – Available Now

Rating: 5 Enchantments

PROPHECY OF THE SISTERS really has two major players in the story. Alice and Lia are twin sisters living in the times of corset and petticoats. Lia, from whose point-of-view the story is told, is the more awkward of the sisters but has a kind heart and a gentle soul. Her sister, on the other hand, exudes confidence and ambition. If the clash in personalities wasn’t enough to separate these two sisters, the recent death of their father brings to light a truth that could put the girls on opposite sides of an age-old battle.

Since childhood, James has owned Lia's heart. A charming young man who works with his father in the family bookstore, James makes frequent trips to Lia’s home to catalogue her father’s expansive book collection. A happy side effect of these trips is the time that James and Lia get to spend together. Whether it’s secret visits to cuddle under their favorite tree or a stroll along the water, these two lovebirds seem to have a fairly strong bond. When the darkness starts to encroach on the light, however, it will be a challenge to see if the strength of their love can keep the two together.

The Prophecy of the Sisters is an ancient tale, often thought of as myth, of two sisters destined to serve as the line between good and evil. At first Lia doesn’t want to believe to the story; in the prophecy, one sister shall act as the guardian of peace while the other acts as the gateway to the Apocalypse. When Lia discovers a strange mark bloom on her skin shortly after her father’s death, she’ll be led on a journey of discovery. With this prophecy potentially at play, she may not like what she discovers.

I absolutely loved PROPHECY OF THE SISTERS. In my opinion, Ms. Zink did an amazing job taking an old myth and giving it her own special twist to create this compelling story. If it makes any sense, part of what made this book so great was the simplicity of the story while keeping the complexity of the layers at the same time. With the multiple twists and turns throughout the story, I expected to get bogged down at some point, but Ms. Zink’s writing remained very fluid and easy to follow. Even though there was quite a bit of devious scheming and some side story, this maintained a natural progression. Meanwhile, Ms. Zink instilled quite a bit of elaboration within the story. Twists and turns combined with quite a few unexpected events made for a story that was unpredictable yet comfortable.

The other part of this book that made it a winner to me is the romance within the story. As we proceed through the story we learn more about the love between James and Lia. There is definitely a tender feel to the characters; at the same time there is also something you can’t quite put your finger on. There is something different in the relationship that will be exciting to explore in Ms. Zink’s future books.

Admittedly, I am an easily spooked person. When I first started reading PROPHECY OF THE SISTERS I did so in bed, in the middle of the night by myself. I would probably not recommend that. Once I really understood where the story was going, a little of the spook factor went away, but overall there is definitely a creepy aspect to the book. Between the voices whispering in the dark and the midnight rituals, this story really got the hairs on the back of my neck hopping up. The best way to describe this book is dark and deliciously addictive. I read this story in a day and now am excited to see what else Ms. Zink has up her sleeves.

PROPHECY OF THE SISTERS is book one in a trilogy; the second book, Guardian of the Gate is due out August 2010. Ms. Zink can be found online at http://michellezinkbooks.wordpress.com/.

Cinnamon
ENCHANTING REVIEWS
February 2010

Enchanting Review: ASH

ASH
MALINDA LO
Young Adult
Little, Brown and Company
ISBN# 0316040096
264 pages
$16.99
eBook/Print – Available Now

Rating: 5 Enchantments

ASH was a beautifully told story and one that will live on in the memories of its readers for quite a while. Our heroine, Aisling, or Ash for short, is our Cinderella in this twist on the classic story of struggles overcome to find true love. Ash is an easily relatable character, which is part of what makes this story so attractive. She is a shy girl, but not overly so. She has her opinions and will let them out when needed. I think that many girls will be able to connect with ASH and her realistic personality.

Of course, we can’t have a romance without another party to join Ash. In this retelling of Cinderella, Ash’s Prince Charming actually comes in the form of the King’s Huntress, Kaisa. Wealthy and regal in her position by the King’s Side, Kaisa is a beautiful woman and full of life. She befriends Ash, despite the difference in their stations and shows our timid heroine how to truly live.

When Ash’s father dies and leaves her alone with her stepmother and stepsisters, life seems to be pretty much over for the young girl. Much like the classic Cinderella story, Ash’s stepfamily treats her poorly and it isn’t too long until she becomes a servant to her family. The similarities between the age-old princess story and MALINDA LO’S wonderful work of art pretty much end here though. To escape from the darkness of her days, Ash travels into the Wood near her house, despite the age old warnings that the Wood holds strange magic.

It wouldn’t be a complete romance if there weren’t some form of suspense thrown into the mix. Sidhean, a beautiful man who is anything but human, is an integral part of the story that really helped to make ASH a true tale rather than just another bedtime story. When Ash catches his eye, everything changes. Sidhean hides a secret from Ash and as time goes on it becomes more and more unclear whether Ash is safe with Sidhean or not.

In all, I would have to say that I absolutely loved ASH. There have been very few books that have made me say, “Wow,” and turn back to the first page to start the story all over again. I can honestly say that this was a book I could not put down and one that really had my mind turning. It’s as much of a romantic story as it is a suspenseful one. The imagery within the pages was spectacular and the book was filled with such color that I’m amazed a little sparkle didn’t fall from the pages as I was reading. MALINDA LO has created an immediate fan in me and I wait anxiously for her next work.

MALINDA LO and ASH have received multiple nominations, including a nomination for the Andre Norton Award for excellence in Sci-Fi and Fantasy for young adults. She can be found online at http://www.malindalo.com/.

Cinnamon Brown
ENCHANTING REVIEWS
February 2010

Enchanting Review: SkippyJon Jones

SKIPPYJON JONES
JUDY SCHACHNER
Children’s Adventure ages 4-9
PUFFIN
ISBN# 978-0439836968
32 pages
$6.99
Paperback- Available Now

Rating: 5 Enchantments

SkippyJon Jones is a hilarious cat who has such fantastic adventures as a dog. Not just any breed of dog, but a Chihuahua. He goes from Mischievous Siamese cat that is in his room being punished, to a Spanish speaking Chihuahua who helps his fellow Chihuahuas, Los Chimichangos, with their current dilemma. In this story SkippyJon Jones, who becomes Skippito Friskito, must face the big Bumbleito and rescue all the beans that he has stolen from the Chihuahuas.

This is such a fun cute story. It is an absolute favorite in my household and among my daycare children. It is full of Spanish words and accents and the kids just love it when I use my “Zorro” voice. SkippyJon teaches the kids the use of imagination and bravery. This is such a fun fantastic book. Even the pictures are so colorful and fun to look at. I can guarantee you will have his song in your head after reading his story. "I am Skippito Friskito, clap clap, I fear not a single bandito, clap clap."

Judy Schachner is the author of the fantastic SkippyJon series as well as I Know An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Pie, and several other children’s books. To find out more about her and her books please visit her website at http://www.judithbyronschachner.com/ or you can go to SkippyJon’s own website at http://www.skippyjonjones.com/ where there is plenty of fun stuff for kids to do.

Jennifer
Enchanting Reviews
October 2009

Enchanting Review: I Am A Genius Of Unspeakable Evil and I Want To Be Your Class President

I AM A GENIUS OF UNSPEAKABLE EVIL AND I WANT TO BE YOUR CLASS PRESIDENT
JOSH LIEB
YA Humor
RAZORBILL
ISBN# 978-1-59514-240-5
304 pages
$15.99 ($20.00 CAN)
eBook/Print - Available 10/15/09

Rating: 5 Enchantments

Oliver Watson lives in Omaha Nebraska and he is both an eight grader and a criminal mastermind who runs a vast organization dedicated to the humiliation and punishment of those he feels have wronged him.

Tatiana Lopez is known by Oliver as the meanest girl in school. Oliver seems to have a bit of a crush on Tatiana.

The entire story is told by Oliver so sometimes events may be distorted by what Oliver would like to present. Oliver is nominated for class president by Tatiana and at first he declines, but later changes his mind when he claims he sees an opportunity to annoy or diminish his dad by running and doing easily what his dad worked hard for as a student. Oliver manipulates, threatens and bribes his way to an unopposed election. His dad expresses his pity that poor Oliver won’t know the success of truly running and winning an election. Oliver decides to manipulate a little more and sponsors a ‘rival’ through more bribery, manipulation and threats. He hires a campaign manager for his rival through his criminal organization. This is to ensure his final victory. Things don’t go quite the way Oliver plans due to the his mother and his campaign volunteers led by Tatiana.

This book is great. I really enjoyed the scenes where Oliver acts as though Randy, his fellow student and rival for class president, scares or hurts him. Each time Randy tries to console or help Oliver, Oliver acts as if Randy is threatening him or hitting him, or demanding his money. Oliver takes great pride in being an evil genius. In his efforts to be President, Oliver never truly plans what he will do if he actually wins the election. I like how the author shows the inconsistencies in Oliver’s story about himself. Oliver claims that he does everything completely legally and then goes on to describe incidents like having paid henchmen use blow darts to inject drugs into unsuspecting bullies. This is definitely illegal even if it allows Oliver to take revenge on the bully.

This is Josh Lieb’s debut novel. Josh Lieb is the Emmy-winning producer of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He worked on The Simpsons and Newsradio.


Kathy Johnson
ENCHANTING REVIEWS
July 2009

Enchanting Review: Touch

TOUCH
FRANCINE PROSE
Contemporary YA
HarperTeen
ISBN# 978-0-06-137517-0
272 pages
$16.99
Hardcover—Available Now

Rating: 5 Enchantments

Maisie is a ninth grader living with her father, her stepmother, Joan, and Josh, her nine-year-old step-brother.

Maisie has always been a bit of a tom-boy and grew up together with her best friends Kevin, Chris and Shakes. Maisie left for her 8th grade year to live with her mother and Geoff, her new step-father. When Maisie returned, she had developed physically and unlike some of her other classmates, she had developed a lot. She finds that her friends don’t quite know how to treat her anymore and the awkwardness leaves Maisie feeling unsure how to handle the relationships. Shakes and Maisie still get together and seem to be sorting out their relationship and feelings for each other, but then Chris and Kevin react with jealousy and an incident occurs on the school bus. When the boys are afraid they will be punished, they react by lying about what happened and who did what. Maisie feels betrayed by Chris, Kevin, and Shakes. Her step-mother wants to respond with lawyers and expulsions and Maisie is still sorting out what happened to her friendships, her body, and what really happened on the bus.

The author handled some very touchy subject matter with both honesty and delicacy. This is a great book for teens who are going through changes, whether it be their family structure, their bodies, their friends or other areas of their life. Even though Maisie has some struggles, nightmares and pressure at home and at school, she begins to discover who she is and to choose how much she will let other people’s pressure affect her actions. For example when Maisie’s step-mother takes her shopping, instead of getting caught up in her stepmother’s drama and backhanded compliments, she chooses not to get into it with her stepmother at the store. She simply allows her stepmother to be happy buying two dresses Maisie never intends to wear. My favorite part is when Maisie has a very honest conversation with Shakes to let him know just how she feels about his part in the bus incident and afterwards.

Francine Prose has written eighteen novels including ..Bullyville’ and ..After’ two young adult novels. She may be contacted at www.francineprose.com.

Kathy Johnson
ENCHANTING REVIEWS
July 2008

Enchanting Review: Killer (#6 Pretty Litlte Liars series)

KILLER (#6 in the Pretty Little Liars series)
SARA SHEPARD
YA Mystery
HarperTeen
ISBN# 978-0-06-156611-0
321 Pages
$16.99
Hardcover—Available Now

Rating: 5 Enchantments

KILLER, the latest installment of the Pretty Little Liars series, takes its readers on a rollercoaster of a read as the girls find Ian’s body, but the moment they bring Wilden back to the scene, Ian’s body is gone. Now the girls are being called liars by both the police and the press and no one believes a word they’re saying. Even as the new ‘A’ texts the girls, no one wants to believe that the girls are in any danger from anything but fear of being out of the spotlight. But are they crazy or is the newest ‘A’ actually trying to help them solve the mystery this time? With a jaw dropping ending that almost seems impossible, fans of the series will delight in the newest addition to the series.

Pretty Little Liars is my favorite YA mystery series, hands down. KILLER is a fast paced, riveting read with characters that’ve grown over the course of the series and new secrets and scandals being revealed around every corner. As the girls discover and remember more about the night Ali died, the more things point towards Wilden as somehow being involved, but how and why? How can they possibly trust the man who seems to haunt all their memories?

Aria’s struggling not only with moving into her father’s new house with his expecting girlfriend as a mean’s to get away from her mother’s boyfriend, but also with the fact she keeps bumping into Ali’s older brother, Jason. Is it her or is there something going on between them? Surely the rumors about Jason hurting Ali all those years ago were just that. Rumors. Spencer yet again feels the major outcast. Not only because of her possibly being adopted, but because she’s the one who first found Ian’s supposed body. When her family’s home is vandalized because of it and her parents ostracizing her for it, Spencer decides to find out where it is she might belong and answers the e-mail from her possible birth mother. Hanna’s forced friendship with her soon-to-be-evil-stepsister isn’t working out like her father would hope. And after Hanna blurted out what she did about Kate in the last book, it seems Kate’s out for revenge. But Hanna knows how to play that game too. Emily’s dealing with her own relationship troubles, especially when her boyfriend’s mother seems to hate her. When her boyfriend won’t believe her, what’s a girl to do, especially after finding a photo in their kitchen with her head cut out. That’s not typical friendly mother behavior. What I loved best about KILLER was how the tension never seemed to let up where the mystery was involved and how everything led up to the big party at the new hotel, a place that ends up harboring a very big secret. As all the clues start to fall together, the girls find themselves in deeper danger then they could ever imagine. One of the best scenes in the book is when aria is lured out to Jason’s apartment, only to almost be attacked by a dog. When she has no other choice, she’s forced to break into the apartment, only to discover what may be the biggest clue yet.

Sara Shephard graduation from NYU and has an MFA from Brooklyn College. Her PRETTY LITTLE LIARS novels were inspired by her growing up in Philadelphia’s Main Line. Visit www.prettylittleliars.com for PLL gossip, giveaways and exclusive series secrets.

Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
July 2009

Enchanting Review: After

AFTER

AMY EFAW

Young Adult

Viking Juvenile

ISBN# 9780670011834

352 pages

$17.99

Hardcover – August 11, 2009

Rating: 5 Enchantments

Devon is a straight A student who has never done anything wrong in her life. She has a strong character and a fantastic will that shows through even when the world around her is turning upside down. Polite, and unwilling to cause physical or emotional pain to anyone, Devon is the perfect daughter, athlete and student.

AFTER is the story of what happens when everything goes wrong. Devon makes a life altering decision by abandoning her baby in a garbage can. The resulting story is painful to read and yet strangely addicting. AFTER follows Devon as the juvenile detention system takes hold of her and the courts attempt to decide her fate. Efaw challenges us to ask the question, do we believe that Devon knew what she was doing? Did she plan to hurt her baby? With excellent research backing her up, Efaw gives us a look at the women that make the choice to abandon their babies.

I’m not sure if the word “amazing” is strong enough to describe AFTER. Efaw has managed to create a book that is so powerful that I, for perhaps one of the first times, am having a difficult time coming up with the words to describe it. My only hope is that I can convey at least a fraction of my thoughts and feelings on this book as the entirety of those thoughts and feelings would probably fill up their own thick stack of pages. AFTER is the most emotional and thought provoking book that I have read all year.

Efaw’s writing is so smooth and fluid that it was difficult to remember that I was reading a book and not watching a television show or staring at people in front of me. The emotion and strength that she put into her writing pulled Devon off the page and created a real person. That might be one reason why the story affected me the way that it did. Despite my best intentions, I found myself wishing the worst for Devon at the beginning of the book. That lasted all of three paragraphs and then suddenly my own feelings and desires vanished. All that was left was a little piece of me stuck up in Devon’s head. Her story has been playing constantly through my head and multiple times throughout the days I have found images from the story popping up in my thoughts. The raw emotion that Efaw writes with is so tangible that I’m unsure how a person can refrain from being drawn in.

The best and most unique part of the story, in my opinion, is how relatable Efaw made Devon. The subject matter of the story is fairly dark, but somehow, she made Devon a character that we couldn’t resist following. While the story didn’t by any means make me feel happy, it did make me feel. AFTER gave my brain new ideas to conquer and a different way of thinking to ponder. If ever there was a book that could get people talking and a cold heart to feel emotion, AFTER is it.

Amy Efaw uses her experiences growing up in the military and her West Point Academy education as the background to her writing. She can be found online at http://www.amyefaw.com/.

Cinnamon Brown

ENCHANTING REVIEWS

August 2009

Enchanting Review: Sir John Hargrave's Mischief Maker's Manual

SIR JOHN HARGRAVE’S MISCHIEF MAKER’S MANUAL
SIR JOHN HARGRAVE
YA Nonfiction
Grosset & Dunlap
ISBN# 978-0-448-44982-1
272 pages
$15.99 US ($17.50 CAN)
Hardbound - Available June 2009

Rating: 5 Enchantments

This nonfiction guide for mischief Makers is an excellent step by step quick guide to playing pranks in a safe and non-vandalizing way. Many of the pranks are classic pranks that have been played before, but this book de-mystifies the methods and the materials used. A few new twists are introduced on some old pranks and a history is given for some pranks like the whoopee cushion. Some of the pranks can be performed alone, but others will require the reader to find a partner or team who can be trusted to help with the prank and not leak information.

The first section of the book introduces the basics of how to prank, how to stay out of trouble and some very basic pranks. The book progresses from simple pranks to more complex pranks that require more preparation and planning to pull off. One of the more important concepts introduced in the book is staying safe and making sure that nobody is likely to be injured.

My favorite pranks in the book are the tuna cookies and the smoke bombs made from old ping-pong balls. These seem fairly simple to bring off and use items I can easily lay my hands on. I like the layout of the book, progressing from simple to more complicated pranks. The diagrams are very easy to understand and make it simple to prepare materials for pranks like the smoke bombs or the spewing soda trick. I will definitely follow the author’s advice and hide this book so that my ‘victims’ won’t suspect me as the prankster. The reversible cover is great for hiding the book when reading in a public place.

The author, Sir John Hargrave is well known as the editor of ZUG, the first humor website, http://www.mischiefmakersmanual.com/ where you can find additional pranks, software and sound files listed in the book and other information about pranks and the author.


Kathy Johnson
ENCHANTING REVIEWS
July 2009

Enchanting Review: Post Grad

POST GRAD
EMILY CASSEL
Women’s Fiction
St. Martin’s Griffin
ISBN# 978-0-312-59626-2
256 Pages
$13.99
Trade--Available Now

Rating: 5 Enchantments

Ryden Malby’s had her whole life planned out, do well in high school, get a great scholarship and graduate, thereby moving into the next phase of her life, a gorgeous place and her dream job at the city’s best publishing house. Graduating from college was one thing, but when her plans for her life are quickly disintegrating she’s forced to do the unthinkable—move back home with her parents, her crazy grandmother and strange little brother till she can find a job and figure out what to do with her life.

POST GRAD is a hilarious, entertaining read. There wasn’t a single chapter where I didn’t either laugh or lament the thought of having to eventually put the book down. I loved Ryden instantly, it’s hard to not like a girl who’s dealing with a family as crazy as hers, and her nemesis in Jessica Barde, the ‘perfect’ girl who seems to always show up when Ryden would least like her to, especially during one truly horrific moment when working at Luggage World. Her best friend Adam who’s hopelessly crushing on her. Ryden’s family is truly one of the best, most outrageous families I’ve ever come across. Her father is beyond hilarious and her grandmother is a scene stealer. It’s so hard to pick a scene to mention in the review, but the first one that pops to mind is when her grandmother takes them shopping for her own casket and the chaos that ensues. Ryden’s already embarrassed enough at times by her family, but to have her grandmother actually trying out the caskets is enough to give the poor girl a meltdown.

If you’re looking for a great read, POST GRAD is one book you should definitely pick up.

Check out the first chapter online at http://us.macmillan.com/postgrad

Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
July 2009

Enchanting Review: The Real Real

THE REAL REAL
EMMA McLAUGHLIN & NICOLA KRAUS
Contemporary YA
HarperTeen
ISBN# 978-0-06-172040-6
309 Pages
$16.99
Hardcover—Available Now

Rating: 5 Enchantments

Jesse O’Rouke is the typical average girl at her Hamptons high school. She’s not the most glamorous or the most beautiful and she definitely doesn’t hang out with the A-list crowd, but her and her best friend Caitlin really don’t care that much about any of that. Then suddenly XTV shows up at school, auditioning every single student to be one of the stars for their soon-to-be hot new reality hit, and Jesse gets cast as one of the leads, leaving her in the bright glare of the spotlight with her best friend on the outside looking in.

I loved Jesse, finding herself thrown in with the kids who’ve always been more popular then her. While her and Drew are the outsiders in the group, they’re forced to play friends with the others in front of the cameras, following the directions of a crazed cinematographer which results in some truly hilarious scenes. All the while, Jesse’s ‘reality’ is anything but as they shoot a Saturday at the spa in the middle of the night and her friendship with Caitlin starts to fade as the two barely have any time together. Soon, Jesse finds herself trying to wrangle a deal to get her best friend on the show…something that doesn’t turn out how she expected.

Hands down, my favorite scene is when the cast is whisked away to Mexico to film the spring break episode, a week before the actual spring break and are surprised to find themselves almost the lone inhabitants of the hotel. Everything is perfectly choreographed on film, while off camera, things get chaotic, leading to a scene where a drunk Trisha brings the party downstairs up to the penthouse where things get quickly out of control, leaving the entire cast huddled together in the bathroom trying to keep the partiers out.

What didn’t I love about this book? If I could have given more then five enchantments, I would have. THE REAL REAL is the perfect summer read. From the moment I picked it up, I was immediately pulled into Jesse’s world and didn’t stop till I reached the final page, where I seriously hoped there was going to be a teaser of a sequel. Trust me, once you get to the end, you want to know there is more of Jesse and these characters in your future.

Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus are the authors of the New York Times bestsellers The Nanny Diaries, Citizen Girl and Dedication. They live and work in New York city. Please visit their website at www.emmaandnicola.com

Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
July 2009

Enchanting Review: Ghosts of War (The True Story of a 19 yr old GI)

GHOSTS OF WAR (THE TRUE STORY OF A 19-YEAR-OLD GI)
RYAN SMITHSON
YA Biography/non-fiction
HarperCollins
ISBN #978-0-06-166468-7
310 pages
$16.99
Hardcover--Available now

Rating: 5 enchantments

Ryan Smithson is a hero. Not the kind of hero that you read about in the news, but the kind of hero that matters. He was sixteen when the planes hit the Twin Towers. Although he didn’t realize it at the time, the events of September 11, 2001 would have a profound and life changing effect on him. He decided to serve in the Army Reserves after graduation. This book is the story of his year of service in Iraq.

The reader follows Ryan as he starts his training as an eager teenager. During basic training he describes being broken down by his sergeants, and then built back up as a soldier. This transformation is juxtaposed with stories from his year of service.

The author notes indicate that the book actually grew out of a writing assignment for a college class that Ryan took upon his return. The instructor asked the class to write about something that they have seen destroyed. The resulting vignette was one of the most moving passages I have ever read. Titled “The House that Achmed Built,” it starts with a dangerous mission. Ryan and his team must deliver supplies into a town that is plagued by insurgents. During the mission, the convoy is ambushed. Ryan talks about how his training takes over, and because of it, he and his team survive. Throughout the chapter, Ryan juxtaposes his version of a children’s nursery rhyme. I couldn’t help but think how appropriate a nursery rhyme was, since so many of the soldiers were still so young themselves, not to mention the ages of the insurgents.

I had the privilege of reading this book over the 4th of July. I realized that even though I have always appreciated the sacrifices made by those who serve, I can never truly understand it the way Ryan Smithson does. This book should be read by any teen who is considering service, and by anyone who has a loved one in the armed forces. The stories he tells are funny, scary, thrilling, sad and exciting. The reader never knows which emotion Mr. Smithson is going to play on next. This was a deeply moving book, and I look forward to reading more from Mr. Smithson in the future.

Mr. Smithson currently lives in upstate New York with his wife.

Lisa Runion
Enchanting Reviews
July 2009

Enchanting Review: Coffeehouse Angel

COFFEEHOUSE ANGEL

SUZANNE SELFORS

YA

Walker

ISBN# 978-0-80279-9812-11

288 Pages

$16.99

Hardcover--Available August 2009

Rating: 5 Enchantments

COFFEEHOUSE ANGEL is one of my favorite books of the year. When Katrina finds a guy asleep in the alley behind her grandmother’s coffee shop, she first thinks he’s homeless. So when she does a good deed, leaving him coffee and a pastry, she has to admit she’s relieved to see both the food and him gone the next time she looks out the window. But she could never imagine what’s about to follow, for the boy in the alley is not what he seems and he’s determined to reward Katrina for her good deed.

There is so much I loved about this book. Katrina is a wonderful character, sarcastic, not to mention mortified at the sudden appearance of the kilt-wearing teenage boy who seems to be not only hounding her, but seems to be a wee bit of crazy, for he keeps swearing he needs to reward her good deed. So when he magically empowers a chocolate covered coffee bean with fame (what else does everyone want?) and it inadvertently ends up in the stomach of her best guy friend she couldn’t imagine the chaos its about to cause. And that’s when the fun really begins. There are so many great scenes in COFFEEHOUSE ANGEL but one of the best is when Malcolm crashes the school assembly the day Katrina leaves him the coffee and pastry and wants to reward her for her good deed, only to be kicked out by the principal. I loved the relationships Katrina has between her two best friends, including her long time best guy friend who suddenly thanks to the results of the fame magic bean seems to be falling for Katrina’s bitter rival, and not to mention the daughter of the man trying to run her grandmother’s coffee shop out of business which adds even more complications to her already chaotic life.

Readers looking for a really enjoyable and entertaining YA read won’t go wrong picking up COFFEEHOUSE ANGEL.

COFFEEHOUSE ANGEL is Ms. Selfors second young adult novel. You can learn more about her and her writing at her website: http://suzanneselfors.com/

Lisa

Enchanting Reviews

March 2009

Enchanting Review: Access Denied (And Other Eighth Grade Error Messages)

ACCESS DENIED (and other eighth grade error messages)
DENISE VEGA
Contemporary YA
Little, Brown, and Company
ISBN# 978-0-316-03448-7
288 pages
$16.99
Hardcover—Available July 2009

Rating: 5 Enchantments

Erin P Swift is a 13 year old, who survived her seventh grade year of embarrassing events and is now starting eighth grade. She is into sports like basketball and hockey, IM, building websites in computer club, and blogging. She wants a little more freedom from the restrictions her mother has had in place since she was a ‘little’ kid.

Erin’s friend, Mark, whom Erin had a crush on last year, is also into basketball and they play together even though Kara, Mark’s new girlfriend is suspicious of their friendship.

Erin is trying to get through school successfully, be a good friend to Mark, Jilly, and Rosie, and lead a team for the I-club website. She is also searching for a BF (boyfriend.) Saddled by her teacher Ms. Moreno, with a goal to be a ‘good influence’ on Serena and Reede, Erin tries in spite of her misgivings. She also relies on advice and a friendly ear in Mr. F, the school janitor.

An enjoyable read, this book is filled with the anxieties of middle school along with the thrills of new experiences. I like that the book has some realistic choices and dilemmas in it and still manages to stay appropriate in content for teen readers. Erin combats her ‘good’ image by hanging out with Reede at the mall to pick up boys and going to a party while her parents think she is spending the night at Jilly’s house. While she doesn’t immediately get caught by her parents, she ends up making some regrettable choices and having to come to terms with herself, the choices she made and some grief-making results. Her ups and downs with friendships are very true to life.

Erin is a very likable teen and I enjoyed reading about her adventures and misadventures with both her friends, boys, and not-quite friends.

Denise Vega has written computer books for adults. She has ‘always’ wanted to be a writer and has written several other books for tweens and teens which you can find
more information about at her website at www.denisevega.com.

Kathy Johnson
ENCHANTING REVIEWS
July 2009