Bite Me! by Melissa Francis

Title: Bite Me!
Author: Melissa Francis
Publisher: HarperTeen (July 28, 2009)
Length: 304 pages
Source: Hastings
Format: paperback

Description from Amazon:

AJ Ashe isn't your typical seventeen-year-old vampire—as if there is such a thing! She's stuck in the middle of a huge fight between her two BFFs. Her ex-boyfriend—whom she's still totally in love with, by the way—is now her stepbrother. A former classmate—who, um, she may or may not have turned into a vampire—is stalking her. And now, apparently, the fate of humankind lies in her little undead hands. What ever happened to the good old days, when all a vampire girl had to worry about was the occasional zit and hiding her taste for blood?
My Thoughts:

Melissa Francis has gained a new fan! Bite Me! was a cute, short, and fun read. It wasn't spectacular writing or that the characters were out of this world, no it was the simplest thing of all. Bite Me! was pure romantic, supernatural, action packed drama in a big ball of fun. Every now and then you need to read a book that doesn't require you to look for the hidden meaning or soul search. The characters in the book were easy to connect to despite them being supernatural beings. AJ Ashe is a really good heroine. She has a "natural" teenage dialect and maturity, that I sometimes find missing in YA books, along with the ability to take care of herself. I loved the forbidden romance between her and her stepbrother Ryan. The tension and wanting between the two of them was off the charts. The family part in the book was a nice touch. It's pretty refreshing to read about a blended family that doesn't hate each other (there are comparisons to The Brady Bunch). There wasn't really anything wrong with this book. If I have to pick on something it would be that I didn't really like Malia. There is just something off about her (maybe it's supposed to be). Lastly, I never saw where it explained why AJ lost her memory of a certain night. Maybe I just missed it and if I did please comment and tell me. Bite Me! is a light and fluffy novel, but if I did have to come up with a lesson learned from the story it would be that a lack of communication will be your downfall every time.  I give this book a 3 1/2 STAR rating.

The Real Real by Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus

Title: The Real Real: A Novel
Authors: Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus
Type: Hardcover
Publisher: HarperTeen (May 19, 2009)
Accquired: Amazon Bargain Books online

My Own Summary:

Jesse was just a normal girl living in relative high school obscurity. That is until XTV (do ya get it?)casts her in their new reality TV show about the lives of Hampton teenagers. This isn't really Jesse's type of thing, but when your parents work for the rich people and you are trying to get into Georgetown the $40,000 XTV will pay you is just too good to resist. Now she hangs out with the popular kids whom the producers inform her are her new bffs. This scripted drama creates havoc both on screen and off. Romance abounds, real and fake, and friendships will be put to the test. By the end of filming Jesse might be rich and famous, will any part of her old life be left? Or has everyone forgotten the real real?

My Thoughts:

When I found this book I was so excited about the subject matter and the fact that it was on Amazon bargain books didn't hurt. I am going to tell you all a secret. I am addicted to a certain reality show that features men and women who keep the bronzer making people in business. The Real Real gives a peak into what the lives of these so called "reality TV" stars might be like. Jesse is a character who has her life turned upside down by the TV industry. Her and her parents are drawn in by the money that will allow her to go to college and they are basically "owned" by the TV station until her contract is up. During this time she makes questionable decisions, but she is a teen who is thrust into these manipulative situations. Through the authors' writing it was amazing to see how quickly and without provocation people who both know and don't know these teens turn on them. I really enjoyed this book and it made me at least, kind of feel sorry for people of celebrity.

The only thing that I found questionable, or just thought didn't jive was the reaction of Jesse's best friend when she doesn't make the show and Jesse does. Maybe I hold people to a higher standard, but when your best friend in the world gets the chance to pay for college you don't hate them for their good fortune. The other thing is the lack of her parent's involvement. They seemed close at the beginning of the book, but they sort of drop off until the ...crap hits the fan. There is a letter/message that the mom writes to Jesse that I just couldn't believe. I am a huge defendant of Jesse and felt so sorry for her. I absolutely loved this book. The Real Real gets a 4 STAR rating.

Obsidian: A Lux Novel by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Bk. 1)

Obsidian: A Lux Novel by Jennifer L. Armentrout

From Yahoo:

 Starting over sucks.
When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don't kill him first, that is.

What Did I Think?

OMG! I have no idea where to start. I don't want to sound fan girly and obsessed...but...Obsidian is amazing and I loved it! It's almost as if Jennifer Armentrout took my life, what I wish my life was, and sizzling hot aliens and baked it in a cake! Kat's book blogger nerdiness and ability to stand up for herself is the perfect combination for making an awesome heroine. Daemon...what can I say? I wish he was my next door neighbor. The chemistry between Daemon and Kat is so amazing. They sizzle on the page. In Kat's own words Daemon is a "Douchebag" and I loved it. They are mean, sarcastic, antagonizing, and completely wonderful together. I don't know how I am going to make it until the next book comes out. Let me assure you, I will be buying it the day it comes out. In case you didn't know I liked it a lot! Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout is amazing and one of my favorite/the best book I've read in  a long time. I don't do this often, but I give this book a 5 STAR rating! READ IT! 

***Obsidian Extras***
Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout has approximately 292 pages and was published by Entangled Publishing, LLC on December 6, 2011. Obsidian is the first book in the Lux series.

Reign or Shine by Michelle Rowen

Demon Princess: Reign or Shine by Michelle Rowen

     Nikki Donavan was tired of moving from town to town living with her mother's latest man. They are currently residing in a small town in Canada and instead of being the inconsequential "New Girl" she actually has friends. She might actually fit in this time seeing as how her new bff is the school Queen B and she is setting her up with the hottest guy in school. Everything is going great until the creepy and slightly cute guy following her, Michael, tells her she is a princess...of the Shadowlands...and that makes her part DEMON! Being a half demon princess might be more than she can handle. Nikki will have to start adjusting to demonic life , let's just hope she can stay ahead of those who are trying to kill her long enough to.

     This was a cute book if a little corny. I liked Nikki, but Michael, not so much. I guess I was expecting more from him. He is so self sacrificing that it isn't attractive. He doesn't ever really go after what he wants or display any assertiveness. It might just be me, but I like my male characters to be a little manly. Maybe it's just the nature of who/what he is. The "big bad" in the book was a little predictable. I have to say that when it came down to the action Nikki is one fierce girl (and Michael once again was shown up by her). Despite my not liking Michael Nikki is awesome. I kinda wish I was a half demon. All in all this was a pretty good book and I will be picking up the sequel. This book gets a 3 1/2 STAR rating.

***Demon Princess Extras***
Demon Princess: Reign or Shine by Michelle Rowen has approximately 288 pages and was published on September 29, 2009 by Walker Childrens. There is a sequel to this book called Demon Princess: Reign Check.

You, Maybe: The Profound Asymmetry of Love in High School by Rachel Vail

You, Maybe: The Profound Asymmetry of Love in High School by Rachel Vail

Josie isn’t and never has been one of the popular crowd. She has Tru, Zandra, and Michael, her best friends. The only people she could ever need. Josie and Michael along with a few other guys are makeout buddies. It never means anything more. Josie has no desire to lose herself in a relationship. One day the Golden Boy, Carson, starts paying attention to her. Will he change her mind about relationships or just change her?

I try to give every story a fair chance. I hate to be mean and give a book a bad review, but sometimes it’s unavoidable.  After saying this I must confess that I HATED this book.  I know high school teens are hormonal and change their minds every day, but I left my teens about three years ago and still live with two teens; 15 and 17 and this book was just off. It was almost as if the main character suffered from mood swings or had a really bad case of month long PMS. She had what I would call a psychotic break with stalker tendencies. None of the other characters were any better. My favorite was her mom who didn’t want anything to do with her, but change her. I completely understand the feeling.  I normally try to find something redeemable about a book, but I couldn’t find one in You, Maybe. If you want to read a short book about a dysfunctional teen, with swiftly changing, nonsensical emotions that defy logic, be my guest. I have seen some good reviews about this authors other books, and I’ll give them a try. A horrible book does not a horrible author make. I give this a 1 ½ STAR rating.

***You, Maybe Extras***

You, Maybe by Rachel Vail has approximately 224 pages and was published on June 26, 2007 by Harper Teen.

Confessions of a First Daughter by Cassidy Calloway

Confessions of a First Daughter

Morgan Abbott is a clumsy 18 year old senior. High school mishaps are embarrassing enough as it is and Morgan has it worse than most girls. Why, you might ask? Her every move is watched, videotaped, photographed, and parodied on TV. She didn’t choose this life…she was elected to it. Her mother, AKA Mom, is who we like to call, Madam President. That’s right, Morgan is the First Daughter. After a few embarrassing debacles like, her skirt coming off during the class presidential debate Morgan is assigned a new secret service agent, Max. He is only a couple of years older than her, slightly abrasive, smart, uptight, and…kinda cute. Morgan hates of the diplomatic hoopla; from the secret service detail to her limo termed Baby Beast.  However, Morgan knows her priorities. When an emergency arises and her mom goes on a super-secret presidential mission, it is up to Morgan to fill in…literally. With a little help from her friends, Morgan will try to pull off the con of a century. She will impersonate the President of the United States. How is an 18 year old supposed to convince everyone she is the leader of the free world? Can she keep up the charade without becoming a national scandal? Well, her code name isn’t Tornado for nothing.

This was a short and cute book. What can be more universal than a young woman trying to grow into a woman with her own identity? I liked Morgan and Max. Morgan really brought to life the difficulty that comes with living your life under a microscope. I have even more sympathy for those individuals sucked into celebrity through no fault of their own. My favorite thing about Max was how caring and gentlemanly he was. We could use more of those in the world. As a college student minoring in political science I was pleasantly surprised with the political jargon thrown in like military junta. The only thing I thought was kind of weird was the way Morgan describes her dad. He sounded pretty hot to me. The inevitable comparisons to Katie Holmes’ First Daughter and Mandy Moore’s lesser known Chasing Liberty (which I love) will be made. I didn’t find this a bad thing. This was a really quick read and didn’t go below what was on the surface. I give this book a 3 ½ STAR rating.

***Confessions of a First Daughter Extras***

Confessions of First Daughter by Cassidy Calloway has approximately 224 pages and was released on September 1, 2009 by Harper Teen. There is a sequel to the book entitled Secrets of a First Daughter.

I won another Giveaway!

I have been one lucky girl lately! I won another giveaway today from http://www.narrativelyspeaking.com/  I am getting the sequel to The Ghost and The Goth by Stacey Kade... Queen of the Dead. This saves me some money it was on my to buy list. This is an awesome book blogger from the UK. Show her some love for me and check out her blog! Go to http://brandisbookmusings.blogspot.com/2011/11/ghost-and-goth-by-stacey-kade.html to check out how much I loved the first book in this series.

The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade

The Ghost and The Goth by Stacey Kade

Alona Dare has always been the most popular girl in school. She has a great body, is a cheerleader, sits in the top tier in the cafeteria, and has a hot boyfriend. Who wouldn’t want to be her? That is until the day she was talking on her cell phone, got hit by a bus full of band geeks, and died. This whole being dead thing is harder than one might think, especially when you get to see what your “friends” really think about you. Then one day as she is roaming around, Alona sees Will Killian laughing at her…wait a minute, he can see her? Turns out that freaky goth guy might be useful after all.

                Will has always been able to see ghosts. Their voices are constantly in his head. The key is to not let them know he can hear or see them. This ability has led him to numerous visits to the psychiatrist and labeled him the weird kid at school. He messed up; Alona knows he can see her. That’s just great, now all of the other ghost know too. The thing is, the more Alona hangs around, the more the other ghosts leave him alone. As Alona and Will spend time together the more they discover about each other. How long can this ghostly reprieve last? There is a malevolent energy attacking Alona and Will and when Alona has made her peace will she be gone for good?

                This book is so cute! I’m normally not a fan of ghost stories or books that alternate point of view, but The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade worked for me. I loved how sarcastic, mean, and vindictive Alona was (in a good way). She is the perfect foil to Will’s serious and thoughtful demeanor. This book shows that everything is not always perfect on the other side of the fence. It also shows the benefit of forgiveness and that sometimes no matter how much we think something was our fault, it wasn’t. I can’t wait to get paid so I can get the next book in this series. I give this book 4 STARS.

***The Ghost and the Goth Extras***

The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade contains approximately 288 pages and was published by Hyperion Books CH on June 29, 2010. This is the first book in the series; the second book is called The Queen of the Dead and is available now. Amazon gives this book an ages 18 and Up reading level, but I would go with 14 and up.