Enchanting Review: Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty

CONFESSIONS OF A TRIPLE SHOT BETTY
JODY GEHRMAN
Contemporary Young Adult
Dial Books For Young Readers
ISBN# 978-0803732476
$16.99
256 Pages
Trade Paperback -Available now

Rating: 4 Enchantments

Geena Sloane hopes that this summer will be the best yet, after all her cousin Hero is coming home and will be working with her and Geena’s best friend Amber at Triple Shot Betty. However, she didn’t count on them hating each other on sight. Now all her plans for girls’ nights hanging out are teetering on the brink of never happening.

Geena, Amber and Hero are three girls who couldn’t be more different. Geena’s all about becoming valedictorian and is known as the skater chick; Amber has a ‘rep’ with around town and Hero is the shy, boarding school girl with an overprotective father, who because of her sister’s mistakes won’t let her date till she’s in college.

I really liked how CONFESSIONS OF A TRIPLE SHOT BETTY was set up, written in a journal style, rather than chapter form. Filled with some great secondary characters, which Ms. Gehrman does so well, I loved how when things went downhill, it was the stofers who figured into the girls’ plans on how to get even with ‘The Man’.

One of the scenes I really enjoyed was when Geena sees Ben, her really hot arch rival and possible crush, biking by her house (which is highly unusual) and decides to go out and see what he’s doing. Instead of simply going outside, she pretends to look for her non-existant dog, Auggie. It was truly one of the most laugh-out-loud scenes in the book.

All in all, CONFESSIONS OF A TRIPLE SHOT BETTY is great, fun read, perfect to tote with you on summer vacation or just laying out by the pool.

This is Ms. Gehrman’s first Young Adult novel. She previously wrote chick-lit for Red Dress Ink. You can learn more about Ms. Gehrman’s books at her website, http://www.jodygehrman.com

Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
April 2008

Enchanting Review: Oh Brother, You're Not My Keeper

OH BROTHER, YOU'RE NOT MY KEEPER (THE RUSSELL FAMILY SERIES 2)
KIMBERLEE R. MENDOZA
Inspirational YA
The Wild Rose Press
ISBN 1-60154-168-6
148 pages
$6.00 eBook
eBook – Available Now
Print - Available July 2008

Rating: 4 Enchantments

Sixteen-year-old surfer Nick Russell signs up for tutoring with Sherry, also commonly known as 'the whale'. To the amazement and then horror of his friends, he asks Sherry to be his girlfriend. He is taunted by his friends for choosing the overweight Sherry over other girls. But Nick ignores them all and falls in love. Tragedy strikes when a drunken driver hits his truck, killing Sherry, the girl he knew was 'the one.'

Then he meets Regina 'Gina' Cunningham, an Elvira wannabe in his theater class. Gina is used to being an outcast and doesn't want anything to do with surfer dude Nick.

Heartbroken over the death of his girlfriend Sherry, Nick struggles with the emotions he feels around Gina. Both fight against the growing attraction they have. The odds seem to be against them. But Nick is used to not judging others by their appearance alone. Will he be able to do the same with Gina?

OH BROTHER, YOU'RE NOT MY KEEPER is a sweet tale that is sure to appeal to Christian teens. It also has a good Christian message of not being judgmental to those who are different. Nick's struggle of feeling like he's betraying Sherry is very realistic. The only thing that didn't work for me was the end surf meet. But other than that, I know this book will appeal to its audience; teens that like tales without language and sex.

Kimberlee R. Mendoza resides in San Diego with her husband and two sons. She is a graphic designer for Faith Chapel, as well as a cover designer and young adult editor for The Wild Rose Press. She leads the Spring Valley Critique Christian Writer's Guild.

Kimberlee's website is www.kmendoza.com



Kim
Enchanting Reviews
March 2008

Enchanting Review: Do-Over

DO-OVER
NIKI BURNHAM
YA Romantic Comedy
Simon Pulse
ISBN# 978-0-689-87620-2
229 Pages
$5.99
Paperback - Available Now

Rating: 4 Enchantments

DO-OVER is the sequel to ROYALLY JACKED and SPIN CONTROL.
Fifteen year old Valerie Winslow’s back in Schwerinborg after a vacation to visit her mother back in Virginia, and there’s a few secrets she’s keeping from her hottie boyfriend, Prince Georg. Not that what she’s not telling him is anything bad, but he might not see things the way she does.

Valerie’s dealing with a lot in DO-OVER; first she thinks her father is acting awfully funny then finds out he’s been dating Ms. Putzkammer, a PR person from the palace, when she comes along as Georg’s chaperone as Val joins her dad and Georg on the ski trip. Add in the fact that her friends from the states are pressuring her to come clean with Georg before he finds out on his own about her little secrets; and Valerie’s life is getting kinda complicated.

I really liked the scenes where Val, her dad, Georg and Ms. Putzkammer went on the ski vacation. Val’s pretty well instant dislike for her father’s new girlfriend is amusing, especially when she nicknames her ‘The Fraulein’, as is her reaction when the two adults come back to the table with lunch. Cabbage and bratwurst isn’t exactly a burger and fries.

Even though I hadn’t read the first two books in the series, this didn’t bother me as I read DO-OVER, as Ms. Burnham does a great job telling the story and filling the reader in on events that happened in previous books.

If you’re looking for a fun read, check out DO-OVER.

Lisa
YA Director
Enchanting Reviews
April 2008

Interview with SWEETHEARTS author Sara Zarr

Why Young Adult?

I feel like YA chose me more than I chose it. When I think of story ideas, they just happen to involve high school characters. I am interested in writing for and about other ages, too, but I’ve always been a fan of YA. Also, characters at that age are going through so many changes and new experiences and self-discovery - it’s a time rich with story possibilities.

What do you like best about being an author?

Number one is fan mail - hearing from readers (of all ages) who respond in some personal way to my books. Two is getting to live a flexible lifestyle in which I keep my own schedule and get to linger in bed in the mornings.

Jenna’s a character I think a lot of teenagers can relate to. What was one of the first things you knew about her as a character?

I knew that she was loyal, maybe to a fault, and that her definition of herself was rooted a lot in childhood events.

What do you like best about Jenna?

I like that she sincerely wants to do what’s best and right.

What was your favorite scene to write in the book?

There were a few I enjoyed, including the positive childhood memory about being in the aspen grove with Cameron, and then the present day scene with Jenna and Cameron on the porch in the early morning snow.

What do you hope for readers to take away from the story?

I just hope people have a satisfying and memorable reading experience. Anything they draw beyond that is gravy!

What’s next for you?

My next YA novel with Little, Brown will be out sometime in late 2009 or early 2010. I can’t talk about it too much, but it will be pretty different from my first two.

Interview by Lisa
April 2008

Interview with YA Author Melissa Walker

1. What made you want to be a writer?


It may have been the old typewriter my parents had, which I thought was super cool. But probably it was just something innate, because I’m not sure how many four-year-olds would have found an ancient typewriter cool.

Also, my dad, my uncle and my grandmother are all writers at heart.

2. How did you get started?


Really it was doing work for my high school yearbook, and then my college newspaper. I got a magazine internship during college, and I just loved the environment, so I knew that’s the field I wanted to work in after graduation.

After a few years editing and writing with magazines, it was time to try books!

3. What do you like most about writing young adult?

The readers. I love writing for teenagers because I think they’re such an honest, open audience. They’ll tell you if they LOVE a story and they’ll call you out if something just sucks.

4. What sparked the idea for the Violet series?


As soon as I started peeking behind the scenes of modeling and fashion as a magazine editor, I knew that I wanted to put a "real girl" in the middle of this crazy world, a girl who would see it from the outside and be like, "Holy crap!" It’s an insane environment, so there’s lots of fodder for adventure, humor and drama, especially from the point of view of a small town girl who’s not yet jaded.

5. Can you describe Violet in just three words?


Self-conscious, smart, and lovely

6. What qualities do you like most about Violet?


While she’s very insecure, she also has an inner strength. Even she doesn’t really know about it, but she finds it more and more as she deals with the fashion world and starts to question its values. I like that quiet strength, which will hopefully overcome her eagerness to please and be accepted.

7. There’s a lot of emphasis on healthy body image in the series, especially in VIOLET BY DESIGN. Was that intentional, meaning there when you plotted the series or did it just come up organically?


I didn’t plot the series—I just planned one book. When Penguin wanted three, I had to think up a second and third, which was fun. International modeling came up, and I know how rigid foreign runways are, so weight was a natural issue for Violet to deal with. I suppose that means it was organic when I started plotting book 2.

8. What was your favorite scene to write?


I love every scene when Roger and Violet are together. Those just feel natural to me.

9. Did any character surprise you when you were writing?


Veronica did. She’s sort of a frenemy, a rival model, but she’s not one-dimensional. At first I thought she might be pure evil, but her humanity keeps showing through, and I like that.

10. What would readers be surprised to know about you?


I’m obsessed with Oprah. My friend Anne and I even have a blog at ohoprah.com that no one reads, but I love it.

11. Can you give us a hint about what happens to Violet in book 3?


She does go to college… and she tries to quit the modeling world for good. She also has quite a romantic roller coaster ride!

12. Have you ever thought of maybe doing a spin-off of the series with one of the other model characters?


Oooh, no! But I like this idea! Can I steal it?



Interview by Lisa

Enchanting Review: Violet By Design

VIOLET BY DESIGN
MELISSA WALKER
Contemporary Young Adult
Berkley Jam
ISBN 978-0-425-24940-9
205 Pages
$9.99
Trade Paperback – Available Now

Rating: 4.5 Enchantments


Welcome back, Violet Greenfield.

VIOLET BY DESIGN picks up a few short months after book one left off. Violet’s preparing to say goodbye to her college-bound best friends, Julie and Roger, and head off to Brazil for the upcoming fashion show there. With any luck, the Brazil shows will lead to the fall shows in Paris and then, who knows?

Violet grows up a lot during the course of this book and we get a deeper glimpse of the relationships she has with those closest to her. I especially liked the growing attraction between her and Roger, even with the unexpected complications as she realizes he’s had feelings for her for so long.

VIOLET BY DESIGN is a great second book in Ms. Walker’s VIOLET series. This one delves deeper into the fashion world, with Violet being on the receiving end of some rather harsh criticism about her weight; her potential relationship with Paulo, the hot young Brazilian designer, and her recent choices, including blogging about issues a lot of people would prefer she kept quiet. Most of the characters from Book One make a return appearance for Book Two. I was especially glad to see Veronica return in this one and look forward to seeing where Ms. Walker takes the Double Vs in the third book in the series.



Lisa
YA Director
Enchanting Reviews
March 2008

Enchanting Review: Violet On The Runway

VIOLET ON THE RUNWAY
MELISSA WALKER
Contemporary YA
Berkley Jam
ISBN-13: 978-0-425-21704-7
228 pages
$9.99
Trade paperback - Available now

Rating: 5 Enchantments

After being discovered by a high profile modeling agent at her after-school job at her local movie theatre, Violet Greenfield finds herself thrust into the New York modeling scene as the next hot ’it’ girl.

Violet’s new model status elevates her popularity--especially at school where her height had earned her the nickname ’green giant’--and the girls she always wanted to hang out with suddenly think she’s cool. So who can blame her for testing out everything her new life has to offer? Its not like she’s planning on ignoring her two lifelong best friends forever…she just wants to test the new waters she’s suddenly found admission into.

Violet finds herself immersed in an entirely new world in NYC where her life in North Carolina seems so far away, especially her two best friends, Julie and Roger. When a new Violet starts to emerge, one who’s confidant and more popular than she could have ever imagined, can Violet resist the temptation to let go of the ’old’ Violet?

Violet is a vibrant character who comes to life on the pages. I loved the scenes where Violet has her first go-sees and her newfound agent Angela tags along with her to one, and then basically throws her to wolves to fend for herself for the rest of the day.

VIOLET ON THE RUNWAY is an addicting debut novel by Ms. Walker. I was hooked from page one and look forward to reading more about Violet.


Lisa
YA Director
Enchanting Reviews
March 2008