Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Waiting on Wednesday (41) + Eclipse Midnight Premiere Mini Review!

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that I'm eagerly awaiting. This week I can't wait for Wired by Robin Wasserman which is the third and final book in the Skinned trilogy. I loved the first two, so I'm excited and a little sad to see how the story ends. The plot is very unique, and the characters are amazing! Can't wait to read it when it comes out this September 14, 2010.

Wired: Skinned Book 3
By: Robin Wasserman
Description from Amazon:
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One year ago, Lia Kahn died.
 A few days later, she woke up.

She had a new body: Mechanical, unfeeling, inhuman. She had a new family: Mechs like her, who didn’t judge her for what she could no longer be. She had a new life, one that would last forever.

At least, it was supposed to.
But now everything Lia thought she knew has turned out to be a lie; everyone she thought she loved has been stolen away. And someone is trying to get rid of the mechs, once and for all. Lia will risk everything to save herself and the people she can’t live without. But not before facing one final truth: She can’t save everyone.

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I went to go see Eclipse for the midnight premiere last night, and wow it was really good! My movie theater had 7 theaters open, and all were extremely packed! I got there an hour early and knew that we would get crappy seats. We theater hopped to a different less packed one and got second row seats instead of front row ones.

The movie had pretty much everything from the book but just very different. A lot of the events were switched up but everything was mostly there. There was lots of kissing too lol! The actor who played Riley was really good, but the new Victoria acted a tad weird. Also surprising they added a lot about the newborns, Riley, and Bree Tanner which was pretty interesting. I highly recommend seeing it because it was much better than the first two. Now I can't wait to see the next two parts of Breaking Dawn!

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Guest Post with Sean McCartney


First off I would like to thank Adrienne for allowing me to talk with all of you. This is my first blog so it is quite exciting for me.

My name is Sean McCartney and I’m currently on a blog tour to promote my new young adult action adventure novel entitled THE TREASURE HUNTERS CLUB: SECRETS OF THE MAGICAL MEDALLIONS. It’s being released on July 6th, 2010 from Mountainland Publishing.

The story is about Tommy Reed and his treasure hunting friends Shannon McDougal, Jackson Miller and Chris Henderson. One day Tommy receives a rather ordinary looking medallion from his very famous treasure-hunting uncle “Diamond” Jack Reed and finds himself the object of an evil treasure collector named Manuel de la Ernesto. Now Tommy and his friends must find the secret behind the medallion before Manuel can get to them and the medallion.

When I set out to write The Treasure Hunters Club: Secrets of the Magical Medallions I wanted to pull together all the things from books and movies that I liked. The mystery of the Hardy Boys and Encyclopedia Brown, the adventure of Percy Jackson, a little magic from Harry Potter and the action and history of the movies Indiana Jones and national treasure.

Though this is the first book in the Treasure Hunters Club series, with your help to make it a success, the next books will follow. I have planned six treasure hunting books as they follow the club through the 8th grade and into high school. Of course, as they get older their treasure hunts get more dangerous and more exciting.

I have been asked why I created a series around treasure hunting. The truth is I believe treasure hunting is something everyone can do. You don’t need super powers just a desire to do research and find where to look. Also treasure hunting touches on the sidebars of history, the stuff not in the textbooks. That is usually the most interesting and provides a solid building block for the series.

My goal has always been to be published and have a series that kids can enjoy and have a lot of fun reading. I was lucky to find a publisher who believes in the series as much as I do. What I was surprised to find out was how much the publishing world has changed since I started this journey toward “being published.” The emergence of ebooks has shaken the publishing world like never before and I believe we have only scratched the surface of what this new technology can do to help promote reading.

In the meantime, I hope you take a moment to check out my website www.treasurehuntersclubbook.com and learn more about the series and read some short stories about the characters.

Thank you again for this opportunity and allowing me to be here and I hope you enjoy the book and the series.

Thanks,
Sean
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Thanks for stopping by Sean! Be sure to check out his website and watch the trailer below and here is the book cover and the book description from Goodreads:

  


In the sixth grade Tommy Reed, hoping to follow in his famous Uncle’s treasure hunting footsteps forms his own treasure hunters group with his best friends Jackson Miller, Shannon McDougal and Chris Henderson. 

For two years the club talks about lost treasure and wishes for adventure.Until adventure finds them.

Stacey Deutsch, author of Blast to the Past, said “The Lost Treasure Series is a gripping tale from the get-go. An adrenaline packed rush, guaranteed to keep
readers on the edge of their seats.” 



 

Monday, June 28, 2010

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella Review


Title: The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner:
An Eclipse Novella
Series: Twilight Saga
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Pages: 192
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: June 5, 2010
My Edition: Hardback
Reading Level: Young Adult
Borrowed from: the Library

Summary from Goodreads:
Bree Tanner can barely remember life before she had uncannily powerful senses, superhuman reflexes and unstoppable physical strength. Life before she had a relentless thirst for blood... life before she became a vampire.

All Bree knows is that living with her fellow newborns has few certainties and even fewer rules: watch your back, don't draw attention to yourself and, above all, make it home by sunrise or die. What she doesn't know: her time as an immortal is quickly running out.

Then Bree finds an unexpected friend in Diego, a newborn just as curious as Bree about their mysterious creator, whom they know only as "her". As they come to realize that the newborns are pawns in a game larger than anything they could have imagined, Bree and Diego must choose sides and decide whom to trust. But when everything you know about vampires is based on a lie, how do you find the truth?


Review:
The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner was a very interesting and unexpected addition to the Twilight Saga. I was pretty hesitant to read a story about a very minor character in Eclipse but was very surprised by how much I enjoyed reading from Bree's perspective. When starting to read the novella, I started to finally remember Bree's character and how she is destroyed by Jane at the end of the battle. The plot was a little slow at first but was really exciting towards the end. It was a very short book hence being called a novella but did take me awhile to finally finish because I always was distracted while reading it. The style seemed very similar to the other Twilight books but also very different and unique, since it was from an unbiased point of view who knows basically nothing about the Cullens, vampires, or werewolves.

The story involves Bree and her life in a crazy house full of newborns that "she" made and Riley who is in charge of them. Bree and her fellow newborns know absolutely nothing about the rules of being a vampire and also fight and kill each other constantly. They also kill humans relentlessly and carelessly while breaking the vampire code. Bree is much smarter than the others and is starting to find out that Riley is keeping things from them. She starts to befriend and bond with a fellow older newborn, and they together learn that Riley and their mysterious female maker are keeping secrets. The story ends with the final battle, and Bree's life is ended.

It was pretty weird reading about a character who I started to really like but then know she must die by the end. It was a very satisfying read, so I highly recommend reading this Eclipse novella to any Twilight fan and even those who have never read any of the Saga. Some will be disappointed and discouraged to read a story that doesn't involve much of Bella, the Cullens, or the werewolves but believe me Bree's story was very entertaining and unique to read. I look forward to reading more from Stephenie Meyer in the future either about some of the minor characters or a whole new storyline.

Rating:


Sunday, June 27, 2010

IMM (40) + I am Back & News!

In My Mailbox was started by The Story Siren. IMM is where I post the books/swag I won, received for review, bought, borrowed, and/or ect.  

I again didn't get much this week but did receive an awesome swag pack from Liz at Cleverly Inked! It included several bookmarks, postcard, tattoos, sticker, and magnets. Here's the pic:


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All this week I was in NY for my cousin's graduation so that's why there wasn't any new posts from me. It was a nice break away from technology and also nice spending time with my family & getting some sun. I finally caught up on reading all my fellow bloggers' posts today which took a looong time : ) 

Anyways, I will definitely be posting the reviews of Grace and The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner this week and more. Finally I reached 300+ followers recently, so thank you so much to all my lovely followers! I''l post a new contest some time soon, and also my blogoversary is coming up in August which I'll be having a bigger contest. Thanks!


Sunday, June 20, 2010

IMM (39)

In My Mailbox was started by The Story Siren. IMM is where I post the books I won, received for review, bought, borrowed, and/or ect.  

I didn't get much this week, so I'm just posted the cover and summary of the books. I received another ARC of Grace by Elizabeth Scott to keep from Dutton which is awesome and also checked out The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer from the library! Here are the book descriptions from Amazon:

Grace by Elizabeth Scott:
 Grace was raised to be an Angel, a herald of death by suicide bomb. But she refuses to die for the cause, and now Grace is on the run, daring to dream of freedom. In search of a border she may never reach, she travels among malevolent soldiers on a decrepit train crawling through the desert. Accompanied by the mysterious Kerr, Grace struggles to be invisible, but the fear of discovery looms large as she recalls the history and events that delivered her uncertain fate. Told in spare, powerful prose by acclaimed author Elizabeth Scott, this tale of a dystopian near future will haunt readers long after they've reached the final page.


The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer:
Fans of The Twilight Saga will be enthralled by this riveting story of Bree Tanner, a character first introduced in Eclipse, and the darker side of the newborn vampire world she inhabits. In another irresistible combination of danger, mystery, and romance, Stephenie Meyer tells the devastating story of Bree and the newborn army as they prepare to close in on Bella Swan and the Cullens, following their encounter to its unforgettable conclusion.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

250 Followers Contest Winners!

Hey all, I hope everyone is having a great weekend : ) I randomly picked the 250 Followers winners and out of 57 people and 218 entries, these are the winners!


Winner One ~ who gets to pick two books from the picture above + swag:
                 Bianca Z. of Wicked Good Books                

Winner Two ~ who gets to pick one book from the picture above after winner one + swag:
                 Emma M. of Emma Michaels Blog               

Congrats to the winners...I'll be emailing you both shortly! Please respond back quickly, so I send them out early next week.

P.S. I asked what was everyone's favorite debut book so far this year and the book most mentioned was Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver! I definitely agree...very, very good : )

Friday, June 18, 2010

Butterfly Review



Title: Butterfly
Author: Sonya Hartnett
Pages: 240
Publisher: Candlewick
Publication Date: August 24, 2010
My Edition: ARC Paperback
Reading Level: Young Adult
Received from: LibraryThing Early Reviewers

Summary from Goodreads:
Plum Coyle is on the edge of adolescence. Her fourteenth birthday is approaching, when her old life and her old body will fall away, and she will become graceful, powerful, and at ease. The strength of the objects she stores in a briefcase under her bed —a crystal lamb, a yoyo, an antique watch, a coin —will make sure of it. Over the next couple of weeks, Plum’s life will change. Her beautiful neighbor Maureen will begin to show Plum how she might fly. The older brothers she adores will court catastrophe in worlds that she barely knows exist. And her friends, her worst enemies, will tease and test, smelling weakness. They will try to lead her on and take her down. BUTTERFLY is a gripping, disquieting, beautifully observed coming-of-age novel by an acclaimed author at the top of her form.


Review:
Butterfly was a very weird but beautifully written story about an awkward teenage girl growing up with many insecurities and friend troubles. Plum seemed very different but interesting and had many issues including: a weird family, body issues, and mean friends. There wasn't much going on in the story besides Plum's everyday life, so it was pretty hard for me to keep wanting to read the story. It took me about two weeks to finish the 200+ pages of the book which is very slow for me since I can read a book that size in about 2 hours, so that definitely wasn't a good sign. The only thing that did keep me wanting to read the story was the very nice, well-written writing style. 

It was definitely an interesting and unique read but just not for me. The author is Australian and the story takes place in Australia, so the location didn't make much of a difference in the plot. The characters were all very strange especially the lonely next door neighbor who used Plum to be like a teenager again and also to get closer to her older brother. Plum's friends were very cruel, pretty, and mean at times, so I sort of understand why Plum kept some of their objects under her bed. She just wanted to fit in with her friends but learns that fitting in isn't always the best or easiest thing to do. 

When I finally finished the book, I wasn't satisfied by the ending because it kind of just stopped and didn't wrap everything together. The part right before the ending seemed to be the best part of the book because of the conflict and action between Plum and her friends, her brothers, and the next door neighbor. Butterfly wasn't at all bad, it just wasn't the type of book that I enjoyed. I however would recommend it to someone who likes coming of age stories with awkward characters.


Rating:

Thursday, June 17, 2010

250 Followers Contest Reminder!

My 250 Followers Contest with 2 winners ends tomorrow! I will select and post the winners Friday night or Saturday afternoon, so just get your entries in before then. I'll select the winners by random.org and then send the winners an email. If you haven't entered already then go HERE and fill out the form!


Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Waiting on Wednesday (40)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that I'm eagerly awaiting. This week I can't wait for Other Words for Love by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal. The summary sounds like a great, fun read, and also the cover and title are just so cute and awesome! I'm excited to read it when it comes out next year on January 11, 2011.


Other Words for Love
By: Lorraine Zago Rosenthal
Description from Goodreads:
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Ari Mitchell feels invisible at her Brooklyn high school. Her hair is too flat, her style too preppy, and her personality too quiet. And outside school, Ari feels outshined by her beautiful, confident best friend, Summer. Their friendship is as complex and confusing as Ari’s relationship with her troubled older sister, Evelyn, a former teenage mom whose handsome firefighter husband fills Ari’s head with guilty fantasies.

When an unexpected inheritance enables Ari to transfer to an elite Manhattan prep school, she makes a wealthy new friend, Leigh. Leigh introduces Ari to the glamorous side of New York—and to her gorgeous cousin, Blake. Ari doesn't think she stands a chance, but amazingly, Blake asks her out. As their romance heats up, they find themselves involved in an intense, consuming relationship. Ari’s family worries that she is losing touch with the important things in life, like family, hard work, and planning for the future. Meanwhile, Summer warns her that what she feels for Blake is just an infatuation. Not real love. But Ari’s world is awash with new colors, filled with a freshness and an excitement she hasn’t felt in years.

When misfortune befalls Blake’s family, he pulls away, and Ari's world drains of color. As she struggles to get over the breakup, Ari must finally ask herself: were their feelings true love . . . or something else?

Sunday, June 13, 2010

IMM (37 & 38)

In My Mailbox was started by The Story Siren. IMM is where I post the books I won, received for review, bought, borrowed, or ect.  These are the books and/or swag I received this week!:

FOR REVIEW:
Insatiable by Meg Cabot (Hardback won from LibraryThing)
Endless Summer + Boys Next Door by Jennifer Echols (Signed paperback from Jennifer)
Swoon by Nina Malkin  (Signed ARC from Nina)
Kiss It by Erin Downing (Paperback from Erin)
Grace by Elizabeth Scott (ARC from Elizabeth for Blog tour)
Not shown: some Tension of Opposites bookmarks! (from Kelsey of Book Scout)

What did you get this week?

Friday, June 11, 2010

My Bookshelves: Edition Two!


Hey everyone, I just cleaned up my shelves a bit and thought I would do another bookshelf post. Since my last bookshelf post, I have acquired a lot more books and even gave some away. Here are the new pictures of my shelves...enjoy!:

 My headboard full of books!

 All my ARCs minus the ones in the 250 Followers Contest plus some 2010 debut author swag

 My box sets and series books

Most of these are my favorites that are taller paperbacks


My shorter paperbacks

All of my hardbacks


Closer up view

Other side closer up

Books up next to read then review in order plus all my bookmarks and bookish swag!

Another shelf

Books by Stephenie Meyer and J.K. Rowling plus taller hardbacks. This is probably my favorite shelf because I <3 Harry Potter!

My favorite middle school books

Lots of things going on in this shelf: book pins, Twilight and HP swag, and smaller sized books

Little books plus my favorite Meg Cabot series books

All of the Series of Unfortunate Events books

Trade paperbacks plus some smaller sized hardbacks

Alright that's it! Hope you enjoyed the look into my shelves. I counted around 250 books, and it keeps growing : ) I would love to see your shelves too, so if you have done a post leave your link!

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Waiting on Wednesday (39)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that I'm eagerly awaiting. This week I can't wait for Like Mandarin by Kirsten Hubbard. The description sounds like a great friendship read, and the cover is very cute. I'm excited to read it when it comes out next year in March 2011.

Like Mandarin
By: Kirsten Hubbard
Description from Goodreads:

It's hard to find beauty in the badlands of Washokey, Wyoming. Fourteen-year-old Grace Carpenter knows it's not her mother's pageant obsessions, or the cowboy dances and pickup trucks adored by her small-town classmates. True beauty is wild girl Mandarin Ramey: seventeen, shameless and utterly carefree.

Grace would give ANYTHING to be like Mandarin.

When the two misfits are united for a project, they embark on an unlikely, explosive friendship, packed with nights spent skinny-dipping in the canal, liberating the town's animal-head trophies, and constantly searching for someplace magic. Grace even plays along when Mandarin suggests they make a pact to run away together. Blame it on the crazy-making wildwinds that plague their badlands town.

But all too soon, Grace discovers Mandarin's unique beauty hides a girl who's troubled, broken and even dangerous. And no matter how hard Grace fights to keep the magic, even the best friendships can't withstand betrayal.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Flawless Review

 
Title: Flawless
Series: Pretty Little Liars Book 2
Author: Sara Shepard
Pages: 352
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: February 19, 2008
My Edition: Paperback
Reading Level: Young Adult
Bought from: Waldenbooks in box set 

Summary from Amazon:
Spencer stole her sister's boyfriend. Aria is brokenhearted over her English teacher. Emily likes her new friend Maya ... as much more than a friend. Hanna's obsession with looking flawless is making her sick. And their most horrible secret yet is so scandalous that the truth would ruin them forever.

And why shouldn't I tell? They deserve to lose it all. With every crumpled note, wicked IM, and vindictive text message I send, I'll be taking these pretty little liars down. Trust me, I've got enough dirt to bury them alive. 

Review:
Flawless was if possible even better and juicier than the first in the series. I didn't know what to expect after finding out lots of the girls' secrets but wow much more was revealed in the second book. I read Flawless pretty quickly in one day because it was truly too good to put down. Reading the books in the Pretty Little Liars series is definitely never dull, and there is always a new secret.

The story picks right back up after the last where the girls' are still receiving the mysterious messages "A" and several people from the past come back into the girls' lives. Also finally, you will find out the truth about the "Jenna Thing" and believe me, it is an insane secret that really good destroy their perfect lives.

I felt so bad for the friends at times: Emily because of her mean ex-boyfriend taunting her, Spencer when her parents and sister find out her secret, and also for Hanna by the end with her parents. The ending was so surprising and definitely not expected at all. I really couldn't believe what happened many years ago between Toby, Jenna, Allison, and Spencer. I'm really looking forward to reading the next book Perfect very soon! 

Rating:

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Pretty Little Liars Review

 
Title: Pretty Little Liars 
Series: Pretty Little Liars Book 1
Author: Sara Shepard
Pages: 304
 Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: August 21, 2007
My Edition: Paperback
Reading Level: Young Adult
Bought from: Waldenbooks in box set 

Summary from Goodreads:
Everyone has something to hide—especially high school juniors Spencer, Aria, Emily, and Hanna. Spencer covets her sister's boyfriend. Aria's fantasizing about her English teacher. Emily's crushing on the new girl at school. Hanna uses some ugly tricks to stay beautiful. But they've all kept an even bigger secret since their friend Alison vanished.

How do I know? Because I know everything about the bad girls they were, the naughty girls they are, and all the dirty secrets they've kept. And guess what? I'm telling.

Review:
Pretty Little Liars was filled with mystery, secrets, lies, four former best friends, and even worse someone who knows everything. It was very, very hard to stop reading and very addicting. Some parts in my opinion were a little unrealistic because I never would have done any of the stuff the friends did in seventh grade and wouldn't even do now e.g. drinking and smoking. Other than that, I can't wait to read more about their secrets and watch the show that comes on this Tuesday on ABC Family!

The former friends stories are all very different but all have major secrets that could ruin their lives. Their best friend Ali disappeared three years ago and now in the present, they are getting weird messages from the mysterious "A" who apparently is set on ruining their lives and revealing their secrets. They all share a hideous secret and all is starting to fall apart. The story was pretty out there but was very interesting and enjoyable to read about the girls' lives. Parts were very juicy with gossip and drama, and it also was pretty easy to keep up with all the characters. I liked that each chapter was based on only one of the girls at the time, so it was easier to understand what was going on with each character.

I loved the first book in the series, so I can't wait to devour the others! I really enjoyed the story and characters, so I know I will definitely finish the other books in my box set quickly. I've actually already started the second book and can't believe the secret they all have kept for so many years. If you've seen the preview on ABC Family for the Pretty Little Liars and have been pondering whether to read the series or not, I definitely recommend that you do! Also, if you are just looking for a juicy, scandalous mystery then this series is for you too.


Rating:

Thursday, June 3, 2010

The Summer of Skinny Dipping Review: A 2010 Debut Author Challenge Book


Title: The Summer of Skinny Dipping
Author: Amanda Howells
Pages: 304
 Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Publication Date: June 1, 2010
My Edition: ARC Paperback
Reading Level: Young Adult
Challenge Read for: 2010 Debut Author Challenge
Received from: Sourcebooks for review

Summary from Goodreads: 
"Sometimes I still wake up shivering in the early hours of the morning, drowning in dreams of being out there in the ocean that summer, of looking up at the moon and feeling as invisible and free as a fish. But I'm jumping ahead, and to tell the story right I have to go back to the very beginning. To a place called Indigo Beach. To a boy with pale skin that glowed against the dark waves. To the start of something neither of us could have predicted, and which would mark us forever, making everything that came after and before seem like it belonged to another life. My name is Mia Gordon: I was sixteen years old, and I remember everything...."

After getting dumped by her boyfriend, Mia is looking forward to spending a relaxing summer in the Hamptons with her glamorous cousins. But when she arrives she find her cousins distant, moody, and caught up with a fast crowd. Mia finds herself lonelier than ever, until she meets her next-door-neighbor, Simon Ross. And from the very first time he encourages her to go skinny dipping, she's caught in a current impossible to resist.

Timeless in feel, The Summer of Skinny-Dipping is a poignant, literary coming-of-age romance that will live on long after summer has ended. 

Review: 
The Summer of Skinny Dipping was much different than I was expecting but in a very good way. I didn't expect the great and emotional story and definitely not the sad and dramatic ending. The writing and story line was very detailed and easy to follow. I read it fairly quickly and even cried pretty hard at the ending. It is a perfect summer read which is good since summer is approaching quickly! I've loved basically every debut novel I've read so far this year, and this has held up as a really great one also.

The story begins with Mia who was just dumped by her first boyfriend and is going to spend the summer in the Hamptons with her family at her aunt's and cousins' beach house. She used to have a close relationship with her cousin but when she arrives she finds her cousin changed, distant, and moody with major issues. When Mia meets the boy next door Simon, everything starts to change. They start to form a close relationship as friends and then bond over late nights. The story focuses on solving family problems, finding first true love, and most importantly learning how to trust and how to be a friend.

The story moved along quickly from each night to the next and had absolutely no dull moments. I enjoyed reading about the late night swims Mia and Simon went on and especially enjoyed once they started to really bond and open up to one another. Mia's cousins were very irritating at times since they were total snobs, but as I found out more about their situation, they became more tolerable to read. At the beginning of the summer, Mia was a troubled teen with many family and self issues, but by the end of the summer, she finally found her true self and experienced the best summer of her life. 

The Summer of Skinny Dipping reminded me a lot of Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler because of the similar themes, but both had a very different storyline. If you liked Ockler's book or want to read a fun summer book, then I would definitely recommend reading The Summer of Skinny Dipping. Since I really enjoyed Howells's first YA novel, I'm looking forward to reading more YA stories by her in the future! 

Rating: