A blog for young adult book lovers

Scary School by Derek the Ghost

Cover of Scary School by Derek the Ghost
Read a synopsis here!
Number of pages: 256
Since this is a middle school level book, I wasn't sure how it was going to be reading it for me since I haven't read that level of a book in a REALLY long time, but it was so much fun to read! It was such a cute story and I flew through the book because it was so easy to read, and because the plot was so cute! (Probably not the best way to describe a "scary" book...alright it was frighteningly funny!)
Scary School is written from the point of view of Derek the Ghost, a previous student of Scary School until he died in a lab experiment gone wrong. Derek feels that it is his mission to tell the story of Scary School for the rest of the public and he tells all the adventures that occur within a school that admits both human children, vampires, werewolves, zombies, half possum, and other monsters. Scary School is also a place where the teachers are monsters and if a child misbehaves or doesn't excel he/she/it may be eaten or suffer some sort of punishment that is not as extreme as death.
Derek explains all the teachers quirks and how the work their classrooms while explaining what the students themselves do within the school. This book really set up the background for more books to come, but also had a funny plot interwoven with all the introductions. Scary School was chosen to host the Ghoul Games (sort of like the Olympics, but for children in the monster community) and the Headmaster at Scary School is informed that if the human children lose to the monsters they will be eaten (the man in charge of the games does not like the idea of humans and monsters mixing in schools). As Derek describes the students and teachers he highlights their attributes so when the Games come around, the reader already has some sort of idea of what kind of strategy each character has for the Games. 
This was such a good book for middle school grades, and even though I'm in high school, I still enjoyed it immensely. Even though there may not be as in depth character or plot development as in YA books, this is expected because it is, in fact, a middle grade book. However, I was still able to connect with the characters and root them on as they performed not only in the Games, but surviving in Scary School as well. I think many kids will be able to enjoy this book and it's perfect for Halloween which is only a few months away! I definitely can't wait to see what the next book has in store for Scary School!
See you soon!
Paige
P.S. Huge thank you "Derek the Ghost" for sending me this to read and review!

Read More

Over You by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus

book cover of 

Over You 

by

Nicola Kraus and 

Emma McLaughlin
Read a synopsis here!
Number of pages: 277
Release Date: 08/21/2012
Over You was such an amazing book! I actually won this ARC (Advanced Review Copy) in a random drawing on EpicReads.com and I was actually pretty skeptical going into it. The premise sounded alright, but I think the synopsis sort of dulls down how awesome this book actually is (Not to mention, that the cover sort of threw me off too; that girl looks WAY too old to be in high school. I get that they were going for mature but she looks like she's in her mid-20's). Also, I wanted to post this review before the book actually came out but I just didn't have time to finish it due to all my school work.
So once I actually got into the story it was fantastic! Max should be a senior in high school, I say should be because she dropped out of her boarding school after she was cruelly dumped by her boyfriend Hugo and decided to move on and start a company, Ex. Inc. where Max would help other girls get over their ex-boyfriends. The program is a total success and Max and her team of two (Zach and Phoebe who are both seniors in a nearby New York high school) make it their goal to help girls reach their "Moment". The "Moment" occurs when a girl finally realizes that she is over her ex and does not need, nor does she want him any more. 
Max however, has never truly had her moment over her own ex, Hugo, and this becomes a problem when she is helping their newest client Bridgette. Bridgette had been dating her boyfriend for a long time (they grew up together as kids) and once she is dumped she is heartbroken and unsure of how to move along with her life without him. Max stands as a symbol for Bridgette as to what she can become; fearless, powerful, and completely, and totally, over her ex. However, one circumstance leads to another and things seem to start spiraling out of control for Max and her world that she built up on...WITHOUT Hugo. 
There is tons of adventure along the way for the Ex. Inc. team and this book made me laugh, but also feel for the characters all the way through. I connected with this book on a deeply personal level and felt that it actually held some really good advice for teenage girls who, perhaps, need to feel a little more powerful, on their own. 
This is a really good book for someone going through a breakup or for anyone who has gone through a breakup and knows what it feels like. Also a great book for girls who are in happy relationships too! I think a lot of girls will be able to relate to the characters, and will be sad to see them go at the end of the book!
By far one of my favorite reads of the year!
See you soon!
Paige
Read More

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

book cover of 

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side 

 (Jessica, book 1)

by

Beth Fantaskey
Read a synopsis here!
Number of pages: 351
So, as I was reading this book I was thinking about what a fantastic and joy-filled review I was going to write for this book...however, then I finished the book. It was such a weak ending and it really disappointed me. I felt that things were just quickly resolved and the way things were resolved wasn't very strong. There was too many flaws (thankfully there's a second book). The first half of this was absolutely fantastic! The book moved along at a great pace and things were exciting but then the events started to become less and less...intriguing. I stopped caring about some of the characters and they seemed more distant to me as a reader. 
The story also seemed like it was dragged out really long and it felt sort of like it was repeating itself over and over. Don't get me wrong I loved the story line, but this book had some serious issues with pacing and just having a basic story line, that really flowed.
The title also sets the story up for failure. I would have taken this book way more seriously if it had a less...childish title (also the covers picture is pretty bad too). Going into the story I didn't expect this to have any literary value at all so I was extremely surprised when I actually liked the story (until I got towards the end).
It's a good story line; basically there's a girl, Jessica, who is living the stereotypical "teenage life" and a tall, dark, handsome, stranger who shows up in town. Soon, Jessica finds out that she is a secret vampire princess (which she vehemently disagrees and doesn't believe) and this stranger, Lucius, is her betrothed, and has been since their birth. However, Jessica doesn't want to marry Lucius and so, he begins to pursue her.
There is many twists in the story and things change, which is what kind of disappointed me about this book. Maybe it just didn't go the way that I expected so that's why I didn't like the ending. But it's up to you to decide now!
See you soon!
Paige
Read More

After the Moment by Garret Freymann-Weyr

book cover of 

After the Moment 

by

Garret Freymann-Weyr
Read a synopsis here!
Number of pages: 328
This was such a...deep book. Right from the start I was already deeply connected to the characters and as the book progressed I felt as if they were one my friends; I was sad when they were sad, angry when they were angry, happy at the few rare times they were happy.
This is not a typical happy go-lucky YA book, it is full of deep messages and hidden meanings that are hidden behind feelings that are not shown and cryptic messages that are given as advice. After the Moment also deals with a lot of issues that are explored in YA, but not too often in one novel. It's full of heartbreak, love, issues of rape, alcohol, divorce, and with a boy trying to find out who he is and who he wants to become based on an entire slew of events brought about by not only his family, but the love of his life.
After the Moment starts out with Leigh hearing about a death and he has to go comfort his step sister Millie. Millie is the one thing in Leigh's life, so far, that makes him happier than any thing else (next to soccer). Leigh goes to comfort Millie after this death and while he is staying with her at his father's house (Leigh's parents are divorced) he meets a girl named Maia, whom Millie is friends with from school. Maia is in the same grade and is the same age as Leigh, but is friends with Millie (who is a few years younger than both of them) because Millie only has friends she respects or appreciates. She says these people are often older students.
After meeting Maia, Leigh starts a new adventure in his life full of ups and downs, most of which are either caused by Maia, not intentionally, or because of people around Maia, that Leigh feels she needs protection from.
After the Moment is the type of book that, after you read a couple passages or even a chapter, you have to put the book down to really stop and think about everything that has happened so far and the deeper issues that are occurring within the novel. It's an extremely sad book at times, but can also be uplifting when a character has a revelation. I would recommend that teens who want to read this should at least be in high school because it is such a deep book. I don't think younger teens should read it because of the issues, but older teens may appreciate the book more for what it is and take more away from it.
Often while reading, I thought to myself how can I put this in a review and express how deep this book is? (I keep using the word deep as an adjective to describe this novel but there's really no other way to describe it!)
Overall, a great read that is very...sobering.
See you soon!
Paige
Read More

Casey Barnes Eponymous by E.A. Rigg


Read a synopsis here!
Number of pages: 220
Wow, wow, wow! I literally JUST finished this book and I cannot express to you how much I LOVED it!!! (Although I am trying to express it with all the capitalization and exclamation points)
Casey Barnes Eponymous is not your typical music girl/band book. It's that and so much more. Casey is a witty and sarcastic sophomore who is cruelly dumped by her boyfriend, Alex, at the beginning of the school year. However, she wants to get Alex back and comes up with a plan to make a band and perform in the talent show so she can show him that there's so much more to her and that he's missing out. Casey has this picture-perfect view of Alex, but her brother Yull and some of her friends see him for what he really is; a player, and try to defer her plan to win Alex back. Bring in some boy rivalry, mixed feelings, and hilarious escapades with her best friend Leigh, and lot's of music playlists, and that's Casey Barnes Eponymous in a nutshell.
Throughout the whole book I was thinking how it felt like Casey was my best friend and was gossiping all the tales and adventures that she was going through, because that's how relatable she was. Usually I don't like books about girls who are musicians or who are in bands because I just can't relate to them, but Casey was different.
I loved all the different music references throughout the book. I have a very limited music library on my iPod with mainly two artists (one being Coldplay and the other...well, NOT Coldplay) So, this was a great way to introduce me to some new music (I'm actually listening to one of the songs referenced in the book, right now as I'm writing this!)
I thought the book was such a fun read and totally got me back into the school mood (since I'm starting again on Tuesday). I hope my year can be as adventurous and crazy as Casey's was. Do I wish there could be a sequel? Yes, just so I can read more about Casey, but otherwise the story ended perfectly.
This is definitely one of my all-time favorite books and, like I said before, I cannot stress how awesome this book was and how much I loved it!!! (More capitalization and exclamation points for emphasis)
Thank you E.A. Rigg for sending me a copy of this on my Kindle, it's definitely a book I will be reading again and again! And I also love the cover! It's so cute!
See you soon!
Paige
Read More

Random Thoughts #4

I haven't done one of these in awhile so I thought it was about time that I talked about something that really bothers me in the book community: book burners.
I don't mean in the physical sense of book burning (although just imagining people throwing books into the flames of death, makes me shudder with horror and revulsion). No, what I mean is people (generally parents) who believe they should sensor what their kids are reading, or that some books should be banned from libraries, schools, etc.
I was sort of raised on the idea that book burners were these horrible, vicious, group of people who's intent on the world was too get rid of books that are considered "unsuitable" for a certain age group. My dad was actually the first one who called my attention to the name "book burner", and he is as against these people as I am. 
When I first explored the book community on the Internet a couple years back, I quickly learned about Banned Books Week, and that other people were also against this idea of banning books. It's always a great moment to learn you're not alone in your opinion of something, especially when it has to do with books, and especially on the Internet, where people can get meaner quicker than a group of wild dogs. 
It sort of sickens me that some people out there would want to hide, as they call it, "sensitive topics" from young adults. That is the exact WRONG idea. How else are teens supposed to learn about these topics? From first hand experience? No. So, really, these books that adult figures want to keep away from teens, should be used as teaching tools to show that certain activities should not be ever done in a teens life.
For example, the Crank series by Ellen Hopkins deals with drug abuse. After reading the first book, Crank, I realized how horrible it is to be addicted to meth. The way she described what the characters was going through sounded truly horrifying and just awful. It put into perspective what it's really like to be addicted to meth and helped me realize (even more, because I never even thought of doing meth prior to reading Crank) that I should never, ever, do meth, or any other types of drugs. 
But there's other topics too, like sex and alcohol that parents want to keep shielded away from their kids. Guess what parents, same idea for these topics. Let your kids read the darn books! Let them see the consequences of what happens to the characters who decided to drink and have sex. More often than not, in a book will also dive into the end result of both activities, and the characters realize what a horrible mistake they have made.
I did some research before writing this Random Thought and I realized there is a pattern for books being banned. Most books are either banned due to high references of the above topics (drugs, sex, and/or alcohol) or for being "unsuitable for age group".
Well...what age group is it suitable for then? If a topic is that horrifying to you then you have a very skewed version of the world. You cannot let your kids live in a perfect little bubble. They have to read about true events that happened and then reflect and store the information for later, to recall back on in case they are ever in a situation where they might have to make a life-changing decision (like maybe a decision to avoid drugs).
Here's some examples of books that are considered "unsuitable for age group" (wow, every time I write that phrase I hear it in my head with extreme sarcasm, and vehement disapproval)
1. TTYL series by Lauren Myracle (I've read this and it's funny, witty, and overall just fantastic. And, I read it in middle school. It's meant for high school kids. So it was, as they say, "unsuitable for age group". But look at me now, I haven't made any horrible decisions because of it!)
2. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (Haven't read it yet, but I can't wait to. It's on my wish list, oh, and it's being made into a movie, so I guess your efforts at banning it have been less than successful)
3. Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer (We all hate this book and most of us are probably glad that it's banned anyways, so I wasn't too disappointed to see it on the banned books list)
4. The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier (This is a book that my school district had every single grade level read for summer reading. How do you like that book burners?)
5. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank (Frankly, no pun intended, I find it disgusting that this book is banned. This girl grew up in Nazi Germany hiding for her life. How many of us can say that? Upon more research though, I learned that one of the most common reasons this book is banned though, is because it is sad. Sigh. What is happening to the world? I can't even type this with a clear sense of mind because that angers me so much)
And that's only 5 books! They're are 100's possibly thousands more, that are challenged and banned every year!
Ironically enough, whenever I hear about a banned, or heavily challenged book, it gives me more reason to, first of all, purchase the book so I can support the author and publishing company that had enough sense to publish the book, and then take it home and read it. It's my little dorky rebellion that makes me feel good inside. And then of course, I would come on here and brag about how I read the book and how much I loved it. So, book burners? Hahaha! (That's me laughing in your face)
Disagree with me all you want, but nothing can change my mind that book burning is wrong (although I'd love to hear the other side of the argument. Rebuttal anyone?)
See you soon!
Paige
Oh, and P.S. to any book burners who are reading this...I hope I made you mad.
Comments are much appreciated!

Read More

Ugly To Start With by John Michael Cummings

book cover of 

Ugly to Start With 

by

John Michael Cummings
Read a synopsis here!
Number of pages: 168
Ugly To Start With is, by far, unlike any other book I have ever read. The book doesn't have a definitive plot and is, rather, a collection of short stories that are told through the point of view of Jason Stevens. Jason is a teenager growing up in Harper's Ferry, West Virginia in the 70's and throughout the short stories we see how he explores many different aspects not only of himself, but of his town, and the social pressures surrounding him and his family.
I really liked this book! I don't really read short stories, and I've certainly never read a book that had short stories that were all strung together, but it worked! It felt like the story was moving faster and since it was a looser style of writing, more adventures were told. I think if this book had had a singular plot then we wouldn't have discovered as much as we did about Jason, his family, his town, and most importantly, his own thoughts surrounding all the events that he encountered. 
Jason has such a fresh way of telling things like they are, but he still has a boyish innocence that leads him to making mistakes (isn't that how all teenage years are though?). Was I able to relate to Jason? Not too much, mainly because he grew up in a different time period, but he was still easy to root for and I wanted to see where his follies would take him.
The end was a little bit of a cliff-hanger for me! I was disappointed that I couldn't learn what was going to happen next, but that left room for me to fill in my own fantasies about what Jason would go on to see and experience. Maybe it wasn't a cliff-hanger then, but more of an open-to-interpretation sort of ending. 
Of course Jason could be a snob at times, but he always had his reasons for his actions. As a struggling artist, who has to put up with his ornery father, and neighborhood of gossiping women and no-nonsense men, Jason lives a very confused life it seems. For this reason he is often confused about which action to take in certain situations, but this leads to a more exciting stories of ups and downs.
This was such a quick and easy read and I flew through the book because I always was curious as to what crazy situation Jason would get himself into next. I would definitely read more books like this if they're out there because this really made me appreciate short stories more. This was also a great historical fiction read!
See you soon!
Paige




Read More

Rumors by Anna Godbersen

book cover of 

Rumors 

 (Luxe, book 2)

by

Anna Godbersen
Read a synopsis here!
Number of pages: 423
This was such a great sequel to The Luxe! Once again Anna Godbersen fills her books with suspense, romance, back stabbing, and beautiful descriptions of New York, and all the people in it, during the year 1899. 
Just when you think one thing is going to happen there is a major plot twist and the story turns in a completely different direction. Not many authors can do this very well, but Anna Godbersen succeeds and her stories have, so far, kept me on my toes. 
There's not many times when I'm reading a book and I want to rush all the way through just to see what is happening next. It has to be a VERY good book for that to happen, and I found myself doing that with this series. The books are long, but they so easy to read and so much fun to read that you don't even notice how long they are.
In this second installment in The Luxe series, we follow all the same main characters, as they either fight for there way to the top of the social ladder or try to overcome forbidden love. Anna Godbersen writes her stories in such a fresh way, that you are never sure which characters are going to succeed or not, and there are a few times when your loyalties to certain characters change, due to their actions throughout the story.
Often times when there is a plot twist that is not good for a character I found myself rooting them on and hoping that everything would be all right for them. That's when you know a book is good; when the characters almost seem life-like and you support them like you would any of your best friends. 
In the first book, I said that I didn't like how the characters didn't seem to be talking in a way that would have fit for 1899, but in this book the conversations and thoughts of the characters seemed to fit more with the vernacular of people who actually lived in 1899 (maybe more research was done on Ms. Godbersen's part). Nevertheless the story is still excellent either way! This time around it just seemed more believable. I hope the next book also has flawless speech like this one did, but is also easy to read. Anna Godbersen has the ability to incorporate both into her novels, which is also a hard feat to master.
As usual, this book ended on a complete cliff-hanger and I can't wait to see what will happen in the third book! I'm going to my local library to pick it up so my questions about the different characters can be answered and I can stop wondering what will happen next!
See you soon!
Paige
Read More

The Luxe by Anna Godbersen

book cover of 

The Luxe 

 (Luxe, book 1)

by

Anna Godbersen
Read a synopsis here!
Number of pages: 433
I think I tried reading this book once a couple years back and for some reason I could never get into it. So, I decided to try picking it up for a second time and I'm so glad I did! I don't know why I didn't like this book the first time because it was such a fantastic read this time around!
I flew through this book and was constantly picking it back up again because it was so good! There was always so much suspense and I wanted to know what would happen next. Every time I thought something would be resolved, a new problem or situation occurred that added more complexity to the plot and added even more depth to the characters.
This had equal parts suspense and romance set in New York in 1899. Elizabeth Holland is doomed to marry a man she does not love but she is forced to do it for circumstances beyond her control. She feels deeply conflicted, not only because her best friend Penelope is in love with the man she is going to marry, but because Elizabeth loves another man, whom she cannot marry due to societies regulations. 
This book has a massive love triangle er...more like a pentagon. Be ready to be kept on your toes for who loves who, who hates who, and who is bound by which circumstances. This is a book that you really have to concentrate on, but it won't seem like a chore because the plot is so intense and captivating that you'll remember all the characters special foes and woes from the very beginning.
The one thing I didn't like about this book was the language. No, there wasn't any cursing, but this book is set in 1899 and the vernacular was a little too...loose too be believable. The narration sort of made up for it however, by throwing around words like "abhorrent" here and there but the characters never would have talked like that in 1899.
I guess I can see why the writer, wrote it that way however, because it is so much easier to understand and young adults would not have to struggle with the reading. This leads to a lower reading level, but a much faster read too.
I loved this book and I cannot wait to read the second one (which I just picked up at my brand new library today!!!) Hopefully the second book will be as jam packed with suspense, love, and adventure as this first one was!
(And I absolutely LOVE the cover! Usually YA books have girls in pretty dresses on the covers for no reason but this one actually makes sense! It's so beautiful and elegant!)
See you soon!
Paige
Read More

July Book Haul

Here's what I got!
A Breath of Eyre by Eve Marie Mont (Kindle)
book cover of 

A Breath of Eyre 

 (Unbound, book 1)

by

Eve Marie Mont

After the Moment by Garret Freymann-Weyr
book cover of 

After the Moment 

by

Garret Freymann-Weyr

Slice of Cherry by Dia Reeves
book cover of 

Slice of Cherry 

by

Dia Reeves

Torment by Lauren Kate
book cover of 

Torment 

 (Fallen, book 2)

by

Lauren Kate

The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte by Syrie James
book cover of 

The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte 

by

Syrie James

Forbidden by Syrie James
book cover of 

Forbidden 

by

Ryan M James and 

Syrie James

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick


Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder


That's all I got this month! 
See you soon!
Paige
Read More

The Hunger Pains: A Parody by the Harvard Lampoon

book cover of 

The Hunger Pains 

A Parody 

by

The Harvard Lampoon
Read a synopsis here!
Number of pages: 157
As some of you may know I am not a huge fan of the Hunger Games. I think it has received a lot more hype than it deserves, but that's just my opinion. I didn't really like the book and I thought the movie was a lot better with more ability to see the actually get a feel for the emotions and scenes that are occurring throughout the story.
So, when I heard about this book I jumped on it right away and went to my library to pick it up. As you can see it was extremely short, which was a good thing because if the book went on any longer I wouldn't have been able to finish it.
It was a funny parody, but it started to become very stupid and very NOT funny, very quickly. I realized that even as a parody I hated the Hunger Games. The parody almost made it worse for me because the book was just THAT stupid. I don't really like using that word to describe a book, but there's no other way to really express how dumb it was.
And I know it was meant to be written that way, but come on. It was getting a little too ridiculous at times. The characters were all complete idiots who had no sense, there was barely a plot (if you haven't read the Hunger Games don't read this. You won't get it. Plus, you need to read the Hunger Games to know the general gist of this story because they do a horrible job of explaining it here)
Parodies are supposed to be funny! And this was hardly funny at all! That's why I was glad it was so short, because if it had dragged on as long as the original Hunger Games, then it would have been even more excruciating. 
Kudos to the Harvard Lampoon for making this parody (they also did one of Twilight, which I would like to read sometime) but I think they need to work on making it a little funnier, and a lot less...pointless, dumb, etc.
Very quick read, I went through it fairly quickly (probably so I could end my misery and not have to drag out this book any further) and even if you do like the Hunger Games I would suggest picking this up and reading it. However, if you are sensitive and can't handle a parody, or someone making fun of another's work, then this is definitely NOT for you because you will become very angered by the story.
By the way, I just love the cover!
See you soon!
Paige
Read More
Copyright: The Paige-Turner. Powered by Blogger.

© The Paige Turner, AllRightsReserved.

Designed by ScreenWritersArena