Tag: arc

Seven Wild Sisters by Charles De Lint

This charming fairy tale will make a perfect way to introduce young readers to a good fantasy story.  Sarah Jane and her sisters live very near Tanglewood Forest and she’s curious about what resides there as her elderly neighbor Aunt Lillian shares stories of the forest creatures with her as they do chores.  

The stories come alive for Sarah Jane when she rescues an injured tiny man by bringing him to Aunt Lillian.  The two attempt to return him through Lillian’s old friend, the Apple Tree Man.  Once Sarah Jane is involved the fighting fairy realm kidnap her six sisters to hold as ransom.  None of the girls are capable of using or performing magic but use their heads and hearts to help them out of their trouble.  While they witness creatures they never thought real their biggest thought is to get back to mama before she misses them.

Told in 260 pages this is an easy read and will hopefully help many of my beginning fantasy readers transition from the Rainbow Magic series to this as I plan to order several of Charles De Lint books for my school library.  I love fantasy yet this was my first introduction to his writing.  I’ve already downloaded to my kindle The Cats of Tanglewood Forest which is set several decades before this one.  I hope Mr. De Lint has plans to write many adventures with this lively and adventuresome set of sisters.

A quote:

He came out from the far side of the tree and if it hadn’t been for the ‘sangman I’d found, I’d have said he was the strangest man I’d ever seen.  He was as gnarled and twisty as the limbs of his tree, long and lanky, a raggedy man with tattered clothes, bird’s next hair, and a stooped walk.  It was hard to make out his features in the moonlight, but I got the sense that there wasn’t a mean bone in his body-don’t ask me why.  I guess he just radiated a kind of goodness and charm.  He acted like it was a chore, having to come out and talk to us, but I could tell he liked Aunt Lillian.  Maybe missed her as much as she surely missed him.  (69)

And now you’ve met the Apple Tree Man and you probably want to keep reading…
I received this ARC from Little, Brown and Company which in no way influenced my honest review of this delightful tale.  Publication date: February 2014, just in time for a sweet little Valentine gift.
I look forward to checking out a published copy as this copy had only little sketches.

Peaceful Reading…

Read Trinkets by Kirsten Smith

Trinkets
Kirsten Smith
March, 2013

Trinkets was a fast easy read perfect for middle school through high school students.  I loved the alternating characters between the three girls all from different backgrounds but quite similar in their attitudes.  All three want something different, something bigger than what is happening in their life right now as high school students.  They try to create their own thrill by shoplifting at the mall.  Serious shoplifting-not just a tube of lipstick from the drugstore-but designer dresses, jewelry, gadgets, and books.

There’s Elodie who writes like a poet and feels like she doesn’t belong.  Maureen who’s just Moe who lost both her parents in a car crash leaving her and her brother to live with their aunt.  She teeters on the fringe with the burnouts but she is far from burned out.  Tabitha has everything that comes with money; friends, buying power, and a handsome boyfriend but she feels alone almost always.  All three, busted 
separately for shoplifting, end up in a Shoplifters Anonymous program to heal themselves and end up finding each other.  While this is a wonderful book about friendship and high school and could be just another book about how hard it is to be in school with all the set cliques this book sets itself apart through its unique characters and ability to sound real and right on.   We don’t want anyone to go out a steal just to make a friend but this book speaks volumes on how important it is to be yourself, to step away from the bullies, the bitches, the drama queens to stand alone until you rise to the top.

It’s a hard task to do but Elodie, Tabitha, and Moe learn that it is better to have one (or two) good friends than to have a roomful of people who know your name.  Told in alternating chapters between all three young women you get an excellent feel for each one’s motivation.  This would make a great movie if they did it well which doesn’t come as a surprise since the author has written a few screenplays, including one of my favorite Heath Ledger movies, 10 Things I hate about you.

A quote from Moe:

April 8


Aunt B says to not judge a book by the cover, but I guess everybody does.  Elodie was surprised when I told her I’d already read Broken Soup.  Tabitha said she hadn’t read it,  so Elodie gave her the copy.  Hanging out at the Roxy with them was more fun than listening to Alex lay out a plan to TP some nerd’s house, but it wasn’t like super buddy-buddy or anything.  Obviously, I didn’t tell them about Noah or even that I like to read while taking a bath.  It’s none of their business.  I guess if I were a book, my cover would be different from what’s on the inside too. (104)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and plan to keep it on my shelf for Groovy Girl to read in a few years. She knows all about standing outside the circle trying to feel confident.

My review copy from Little, Brown & Co in no way altered my high opinion of this title.  Thank you to Zoe for my review copy.  s

Peaceful Reading…

Bitter End

(May, 2011)
354 pages

Goodreads Summary:

When Alex falls for the charming new boy at school, Cole, a handsome, funny, sports star who adores her, she can’t believe she’s finally found her soul mate-someone who truly understands her and loves her for who she really is.

At first, Alex is blissfully happy. Sure, Cole seems a little jealous of her relationship with her best friends, Zack and Bethany, but what guy would want his girlfriend spending all of her time with another boy? But as the months pass, Alex can no longer ignore Cole’s small put-downs, pinches, or increasingly violent threats. As Alex struggles to come to terms with the sweet boyfriend she fell in love with and the boyfriend whose “love” she no longer recognizes, she is forced to choose – between her “true love” and herself.

My Thoughts:

The story is very honestly told from Alex’s point-of-view as she experiences the overwhelmingly  new feelings of falling in love.  I was drawn into the story because I liked Alex’s character-she’s thoughtful, she’s a poet, she’s nice to her friends and a hard-worker and I felt terrible as she got pulled further into this destructive relationship, which ultimately alters her original redeeming qualities. 

Even though I knew from the blurb that this was about an abusive relationship it still took me by surprise, which is how it happens in real life. (I know a little from personal experience-it is never pretty and they never get better. ) Alex is very excited when Cole notices her, asks to read her poetry and flirts with her.  The middle of the story is filled with her anxiousness and I cheered when she started listening to others. Her family annoyed me, especially her dad, because they weren’t paying attention. Her dad has had his head buried since mom took off years earlier.  Georgia, Alex’s boss at The Bread Bowl, is the one who seems to understand on a deeper level what Alex is experiencing.  Her friends want to help, try to help but keep losing out in the conversation.  It becomes an “us” or “him” game that has no good ending. 
I’ll admit it.   I cried. I cried. I cried.

It’s very well-written and the author’s end note sums up just how she knows so much about abusive relationships…and it isn’t how you think but it gave the book even more credence. 

If you have the chance, take time to read Jennifer Brown’s Bitter End, it is worth it! 

Read Janssen’s review of Hate List -makes me want to read it, even though it will be emotional as well. 

I received my advanced reader’s copy from the publisher, Little, Brown and Company,  but this did not reflect in anyway on my review.  I truly loved it and finished it in two days because I couldn’t put it down.  I look forward to other books by this new author.

Peaceful Reading…

She's So Dead to Us

Release date: 5.25.10

From Good Reads:

Perfect, picturesque Orchard Hill. It was the last thing Ally Ryan saw in the rear-view mirror as her mother drove them out of town and away from the shame of the scandal her father caused when his hedge fund went south and practically bankrupted all their friends — friends that liked having trust funds and new cars, and that didn’t like constant reminders that they had been swindled. So it was adios, Orchard Hill. Thanks for nothing.
Now, two years later, Ally’s mother has landed a job back at the site of their downfall. So instead of Ally’s new low-key, happy life, it’ll be back into the snake pit with the likes of Shannen Moore and Hammond Ross.
But then there’s Jake Graydon. Handsome, wealthy, bored Jake Graydon. He moved to town after Ally left and knows nothing of her scandal, but does know that he likes her. And she likes him. So off into the sunset they can go, right? Too bad Jake’s friends have a problem with his new crush since it would make Ally happy. And if anyone deserves to be unhappy, it’s Ally Ryan.


Ally was hoping to have left all the drama in the past, but some things just can’t be forgotten. Isn’t there more to life than money?

My thoughts:

     Oh, the woes of this book. It filled me with happiness and anger at the same time. The cover intriged me but many times I was frustrated, not so much with the plot as with the choices made.    Old  friends Faith, Hannah, Shannon, and Chloe are still angry with Ally’s family-not just with her dad for making bad investment choices and they take it out on Ally and her mom.  Ally used to be part of this group and now she has to learn what it’s like to be on the outside.  Lucky for Ally, two kids from the regular group of students (Annie and David) hitch up with her and become good friends.  Life would be fine if she weren’t so in love with Jake-her crush on him circles her too close to her old gang of Cresties and these old friends make it impossible for her and Jake to get together.  

     Each chapter changes perspective so we get to understand both Ally and Jake’s point-of-view. I liked this back and forth perspective-it makes it interesting to hear Jake’s take on certain situations.  Jake is adorable but has a hard time finding his own true feelings.  He takes part in several pranks against Ally, which makes it surprising that she chooses him over sweet guy, David,  who (of course) has a crush on her. This book offers  strange twists that  happen at many high schools and gave me the sense of being in a John Hughes movie. 

     I loved most of the characters, even the mean ones, except for Hammond.  Hammond was okay but I feel negative vibes from him.  I especially appreciated Ally and her ability to see herself in real time-Ally now with no money and Ally before
who perhaps could have pulled some of these mean stunts herself.  She had honest growth and depth, prodded sometimes by her new sidekick, Annie. 

     Three terms used in the book  bugged me a lot:  Cresties (rich kids)  and Norms (regular all-around normal)-they actually use these ridiculous names to talk about each other. I did live in one small town in Minnesota where the economic divide was a hill so it was said in normal conversation “oh, you live on the hill” and that implied that you had some money.  We did not call each other “hillies” though.   The other term the book uses was backslappers, a cheerleading- type group that decorates lockers and rubs the back of their assigned player.  Isn’t that the same thing as a cheerleader or a pep squad-I just couldn’t figure out why a new name had to be invented for this high school group.  Backslappers does not roll off the tongue nor does it conjure a fun image (for me). Does anyone know of a high school that uses this term??    It’s odd the weird things that bother me when reading.  Small details in an otherwise entertaining read.

I’ve heard this is the first of a trilogy.  I will be anxious to see what’s in the future for Ally and Jake!
I think the author has a very cool name-Kieran

This book is an advanced reader copy sent to me by Lucille at Simon and Schuster.  
This didn’t in any way influence my enjoyment of the book.
3.5/5 peaceful stars
Recommended for YA

Other reviews:

Just Your Typical Book Blog reviews it here.

Corinne at The Book Nest reviews it here.

Peaceful Reading…

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by
 Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
 
  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (don’t give too much away-you don’t want to ruin the book for others). 
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here is my teasers:

A set of shrubs had been planted under the library window.  Someone else’s bike tossed on the grass.  New planters in front of the door with happy little marigolds dancing in the breeze.  Not my house anymore.  Not my home.  p. 9
from She’s So Dead to Us by Kieren Scott
what’s your tease today?

Peaceful Reading…