Sleepaway Girls

Author: Jen Calonita

Pages: 297

Published: 2009; Little, Brown & Company

Genre: Contemporary fiction

Cover Score: A

Overall Grade: A

Ever since Sam Montgomery's best friend got her first boyfriend, Sam's felt totally ignored. Not looking forward to being a third wheel for the summer, Sam applies to be a counselor-in-training at Whispering Pines, a sleepaway camp in the New York Catskills. But when she arrives at the Pines, it's not all campfires and sing-alongs. Ashley, the queen bee of the camp, has it out for her, being a CIT to a bunch of 6-8 year olds is not as easy as it seems, and flirtatious senior counselor Hunter may ruin Sam's relationship with her friend Cole, who's easy to hang out with and be honest to. Luckily, Sam can depend on her bunkmates and newfound best friends to make the summer special--they call each other the sleepaway girls.

My thoughts: Whether you're going to camp or not, Sleepaway Girls is the perfect summer read. I've always been a fan of Jen Calonita--after I started her first book, Secrets of my Hollywood Life, I couldn't get enough. So when I heard that she was veering away from Hollywood, I had my doubts. Could Sleepaway Girls measure up to her other (amazing) books? Luckily, it was just as good--if not better.

To start, the setting was described perfectly. I felt like I was sitting in the mess hall or lounging on the beach with Sam and her friends the whole time. The events and dialogue were all realistic, and the characters were awesome and well-developed. Cole was so lovable, Sam was so honest and relatable, and Ashley was just evil--I couldn't stand her!!

The book was fast-paced and smooth, and like always, Ms. Calonita kept it light and fun, with a good dose of humor. This book was like eating a s'more--I couldn't get enough! I hope that there are more adventures for Sam and her friends in the future...I want to go back to Whispering Pines soon!

Must-Read! Check it Out Don't Bother

Mailbox Monday

It's been a busy week...lots of good books though!

• Split by Swati Avasthi (March 9, 2010--Thank you, Random House!)
• Read, Remember, Recommend for Teens by Rachelle Knight (for a blog tour)
• The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg (thanks to Sophie of Mrs. Magoo Reads)
• Blood Feud by Alyxandra Harvey (June 22, 2010--Many thanks to Walker Books!!)
• The Total Tragedy of A Girl Named Hamlet by Erin Dionne (from the library)

Also watch for some mini reviews coming this week! Happy reading! (:

The Cinderella Society

Author: Kay Cassidy

Pages: 303

Published: Egmont USA, April 13 2010

Genre: Chick-lit

Cover Score: A+

Overall Grade: B+

Source: Author

Jess Parker is fine with being invisible. Constantly moving, she is used to being the one that the mean girl picks on. That's until she moves to Mt. Sterling, Georgia, where she is invited to join the super-secret Cinderella Society, whose job is to protect innocent girls from the mean-girl, power-hungry Wickeds (whose goal is to use regular girls to do their own dirty work), the club's archenemy. Jess is happy to finally fit in--until she realizes that her job isn't just makeovers and catching the attention of her big-time crush. She's part of a centuries-old battle of good and evil, and now the Cindys are depending on her more than ever...

My thoughts: Cute, cute, cute! The Cinderella Society was clever, fun and chock-full of kick-butt girl power. To say it in short, I really liked it! While I wasn't expecting a real serious plot, I found that amongst the makeovers and cheerleading, The Cinderella Society dished out uplifting messages of self-acceptance and sisterhood. It had a deep, interesting plot that went above and beyond your average chick-lit novel, and was entirely unique--I've never seen anything like it before! The characters were well-developed and totally relatable (a major score for all of the girl power and real-life situations!)

However, as said by Yan here (because I couldn't say it any better), there was quite an information overload. I really appreciated how much time Ms. Cassidy put into the book, developing a good, strong background--but all of the Cindy details were really confusing and made the plot complicated to understand. There's a sequel coming out next spring, so I'm hoping that it will move away from all the background info and cut to the action! I was slightly disappointed that we didn't get to see any bigtime Cindy-Wicked action.

Overall, this was a great start for Ms. Cassidy! From the middle onward, I couldn't put the story down, and I can't wait to see what's next for Jess...

Must-Read! Check it Out Don't Bother

Cover Love: New Book Alert!

To all those Twilight fans out there...Stephenie Meyer is coming back with a new vampire novella! At 192 pages long, the book will be released on June 5 for $13.99, according to the press release on Stephenie's website.

Marketed as an "Eclipse novella", The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner is "the riveting story of Bree Tanner, a newborn vampire first introduced in Eclipse, and the darker side of the world she inhabits. The novella chronicles the newborn vampire army's journey as they prepare to close in on Bella Swan and the Cullens, following their encounter to its unforgettable conclusion."

So, what do you think? I think the other four Twilight books have beautiful, simple covers, so I don't know what to think about the bleeding hourglass...And the book is set to release just in time with the Eclipse movie--hmm....

Will YOU be reading The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner?

The Monday Muse: Interview with Wendy Toliver

Today's muse: Wendy Toliver

Author of: Miss Match (review here)

-------------

Bookworm: Welcome, Wendy! To start, will you please tell us what your inspiration was for Miss Match?

Wendy: I've always loved playing match maker, so that's the main inspiration. Also, I wanted to write a great story that dealt with a sisterly relationship because I have such a great one with my sister.

Bookworm: Were any of the book characters based off of real people?

Wendy: Not really. My character are sometimes a combination of traits in people I find interesting. With Sasha, my aim was to create a girl who was very relatable and smart, but not superskinny and gorgeous like so many main characters in young adult novels.

Bookworm: Have you ever played matchmaker in real life?

Wendy: Yes! Always! In high school I was always fixing my girlfriends up with guys, and in college a couple actually ended up married! I have several divorced friends right now that I'm always looking for guys to fix them up with. Oh, and my mom said she might consider dating someone now so I'm on a mission!

Bookworm: What was your favorite high school experience?

Wendy: Oh so many! I really enjoyed being in "The Music Man". I wasn't anyone important, I can't even remember what my old lady character's name was. But my friend Amy sat front and center and was falling off her chair laughing at me and that felt so good because I was trying to be funny. Another wonderful memory was playing basketball when I had the flu. I had to go off the court and throw up several times, but for some strange reason, I did really well and got MVP.

Bookworm: What's next, book-wise?

Wendy: Lifted. I can't tell you how excited I am about this book. It comes out June 8, and it's about a girl who moves to a small religious town in Texas and ends up in a shoplifting clique. You can read about it here.

Bookworm: Will you be writing any more Simon Pulse Romantic Comedies in the future?

Wendy: Hmm, I'm not sure. Maybe!

Bookworm: What was the last thing you read and loved?

Wendy: Let's see...the last thing I read and loved would have to be Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater.

Bookworm: What can't you leave home without?

Wendy: Chapstick or lip gloss, and a pen and notepad (to jot ideas down as they come to me).

--------------------

Thanks so much, Wendy!

Visit Wendy online here, and don't forget to check out Lifted, coming June 8!

Miss Match

Author: Wendy Toliver

Pages: 275

Published: Simon Pulse, 2009

Genre: Romantic comedy

Cover score: B

Overall grade: A-

Source: Author

Summary: When it comes to matchmaking, Sasha Finnegan's got real talent, and at sixteen, she even has her own online business for love-seeking high schoolers. Sasha's a pro at setting people up with their "perfect matches", but when cute new boy Derek Urban puts in a request to be matched with Sasha's perfect older sister, Maddie, Sasha finds difficulty. Not that Derek isn't a good guy--the more time Sasha spends with him, the more she realizes how perfect of a match he is for her. But can Sasha push aside her feelings for the sake of her job--or has she met her match?

My thoughts: Miss Match was a light, breezy and fun read perfect for the upcoming summer months! The plot was quick, humorous, and realistic, filled with awesome plot twists and detail.

Sasha was an ideal protagonist--she was totally lovable and relatable, and always spoke her mind with courage and sass. I envy her talent of always having snappy, witty comebacks! Her unique job added extra oomph to the otherwise simple plot, and added humor and tension. Derek was a super-sweet and funny leading man (boy?), and Maddie, Sasha's sister, also spiced up the story.

I was pleasantly surprised at how well-written this story was. I was expecting a light, fluffy plot, but Ms. Toliver combined lots of different, detailed plot threads (ie matchmaking other couples, Derek and Maddie, and Sasha's family drama) so that the storyline was rich and had some depth. The book was the perfect length--there was a perfect flow to the story that never made it boring. I didn't want to put the book down--it was super quick and left me wanting more. Overall, I hope to see more from Ms. Toliver--I think many teen girls will adore Sasha's story!

Must-Read! Check it Out! Don't Bother

In My Mailbox

I know it was a super-slow week in reviews, but I got a couple of awesome books this week! Check it out (meme created by the Story Siren):

Bedeviled: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Dress by Shani Petroff

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

Ostrich Boys by Keith Gray (March 23, 2010: Thank you to Random House!)

...Expect more posts in this next week: I've been super busy. (: Have a great weekend!