Book Review: Need by Carrie Jones

Zara collects phobias the way other high school girls collect lipsticks. Little wonder, since life’s been pretty rough so far. Her father left, her stepfather just died, and her mother’s pretty much checked out. Now Zara’s living with her grandmother in sleepy, cold Maine so that she stays “safe.” Zara doesn’t think she’s in danger; she thinks her mother can’t deal.
Wrong. Turns out that guy she sees everywhere, the one leaving trails of gold glitter, isn’t a figment of her imagination. He’s a pixie—and not the cute, lovable kind with wings. He’s the kind who has dreadful, uncontrollable needs. And he’s trailing Zara.
With suspense, romance, and paranormal themes, this exciting breakout novel has all the elements to keep teens rapidly turning the pages.

Book Review: The Fetch by Laura Whitcomb

A supernatural love story set in Imperial Russia.
"There's something not right about you," said Ana. She wasn't teasing him. She was concerned about what she detected behind his eyes. This made Calder's skin tingle. "You're not telling me something."She was uncanny. Calder silently prayed she could not see how he had broken his Vows and upset her world and his own."You're lonely," she told him. "It must be hard to pretend all the time."He felt a wave of sadness, sudden and deep."Don't be afraid," she told him. "Everyone has a secret. I'll keep yours."Calder is a Fetch, a death escort, the first of his kind to step from Heaven back to Earth. The first to fall in love with a mortal girl. But when he climbs backward out of that Death Scene, into the chaos of the Russian Revolution, he tears a wound in the ghost realm where the spirits begin a revolution of their own.

Book Review: Raven by Allison Van Diepen

"Zin dances with fire in every step, speaks with a honey-sweet voice, and sees with eyes that can peer into your soul. It's no wonder Nicole is madly in love with him. Their friendship is the only thing that saves her from the boredom of school and the turmoil of her family life. But she cannot understand why he keeps her at a distance, even though she can feel his soul reaching out for hers. Zin carries a very old secret. When Nicole uncovers the truth, her love may be the only thing that can save him from it."

Book Review: This Book Isn't Fat, It's Fabulous by Nina Beck

This Book Isn't Fat, It's Fabulous by Nina Beck

Ok, so if you're like me and are a HUGE fan of the television show Gossip Girl then this is a book for you! Imagine that one of the main characters of GG is overweight...her catty, uptown, rich, snooty attitude is in full force; her friends are all just like her; she's in love with her male best friend who doesn't seem to share her feelings; and she's secretly being sent off to a "fat camp" by her father and her soon to be step-mother, against her will! Riley Swain has to figure out a way to make sure none of her friends figure out that she's not at the upscale spa like she told them but instead at a school for the overweight, all the while trying her best not to lose who she really is...because in her opinion she's not fat, she's FABULOUS!! With the help of the school's therapist and the headmaster's son, Riley learns to truly appreciate who she is! A great story...you can't help but love Riley and her snarky, rich girl attitude!

Book Review: 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

Rule #1: You may bring only what fits in your backpack. Don't try to fake it with a purse or carry-on.
Rule #2: You may not bring guidebooks, phrase books, or any kind of foregin language aid. And no journals.
Rule #3: You cannot bring extra money or credit/debit cards, travelers' checks, etc. I'll take care of all of that.
Rule #4: No electronic crutches. This means no laptop, no cell phone, no music, and no camera. You can't call home or communicate with people in the U.S. by Internet or telephone. Postcards and letters are acceptable and encouraged.

Seventeen year-old Ginny Blackstone leads a fairly ordinary life up until the day she receives an envelope from her free-spirited, artistic (and recently deceased) Aunt Peg. The envelope, which is the first of 13 total, contains detailed instructions for Ginny, including picking up a package from a Chinese restaurant in New York and then taking a plane to London. She is to follow the strict instructions left in each envelope very closely. The envelopes are to be opened one at a time, and she can only proceed to the next one when she has successfully completed the task in the previous one. Sometimes the letters are very clear, but other times they are clouded in mystery, requiring Ginny to figure things out for herself.

For a shy, un-worldly girl, each of the 13 envelopes hold for her a challenge. As a result, Ginny slowly begins to discover how much adventure she is capable of withstanding and at the same time she discovers the true identity of the aunt she thought she knew all these years.

This is a fabulous story of adventure, self-discovery, romance and summer-time travel across Europe.