Review: The Juliet Spell

The Juliet Spell by Douglas Rees
Release Date: September 27, 2011
Genre: YA Paranormal/Romance
Pages: 272 pages
Source: NetGalley
Publisher: Harlequinn Teen

(Summary from Goodreads)
I wanted the role of Juliet more than anything. I studied hard. I gave a great reading for it—even with Bobby checking me out the whole time. I deserved the part.
I didn't get it. So I decided to level the playing field, though I actually might have leveled the whole play. You see, since there aren't any Success in Getting to Be Juliet in Your High School Play spells, I thought I'd cast the next best—a Fame spell. Good idea, right?
Yeah. Instead of bringing me a little fame, it brought me someone a little famous. Shakespeare. Well, Edmund Shakespeare. William's younger brother.
Good thing he's sweet and enthusiastic about helping me with the play...and—ahem—maybe a little bit hot. But he's from the past. Way past. Cars amaze him—cars! And cell phones? Ugh.
Still, there's something about him that's making my eyes go star-crossed....

My Review

I wanted to love this book but sadly the only thing I liked about it was the book cover. I was hooked when I saw the cover and the synopsis but the book did not live up to my expectations. There were so many positive reviews for this book so I looked forward to reading this story. In college I took a Shakespeare course and fell in love with the stories so I was happy to see a book that related to Shakespeare and his plays. In this story though, we don’t get Shakespeare but his younger brother Edmund Shakeshaft. I didn’t even know he had a brother. In The Juliet Spell, our main character Miranda Hoberman is trying out for the lead role of Juliet in her high school play of Romeo and Juliet. She so desperately wants the part that she comes up with this spell that was supposed to turn her into Juliet and help guarantee her getting the part but instead she ended up conjuring up Edmund Shakeshaft. Shocked to have been transported in time from 1597 to the present, it takes Edmund hardly any time to adjust and learn the ways of living in the 21^st century. He adapts so well he ends up quickly becoming buddies with Miranda’s friends, Drew and Bobby and nabbing a girlfriend, Vivian who also happens to be Miranda’s frenemy. Being that he is Shakespeare’s brother, it is no shocker to learn that Edmund nabs the part of Romeo in the play and to Miranda’s delight, she gets to play Juliet. All seems well but as in true Shakespearean plays, there is always a tragedy.   

Rees did a fantastic job in authenticating the voice of Edmund throughout the book. The language stayed true to the time period Edmund came from and it read much like Shakespeare plays. If you are not a fan of Shakespeare’s writing then you might not like this book.    

As for the characters, I wanted to like Edmund but could not. Initially he started out as someone who I would like, he was sweet and a gentleman and was good to Miranda, but then he hooked up with Vivian and it went downhill from there. He actually started to turn into a jerk. He turned into what a horny teenage boy would be like in present time instead of the gentleman he was in England in 1597. Drew, was sweet and I could see that he liked Miranda, who was blind to it and only had eyes for Edmund. I liked Drew because he was always there for Miranda. Then there was Bobby who at first seemed like a jerk but in the end he redeemed himself.

As to why I didn’t like this story. It dragged on to me.  To me there was no depth but just a lot of fluff. If you are looking for a light, fluffy read, this is your book. I did enjoy all the quotes from Romeo and Juliet that were throughout the book but that was it.  I just wasn’t feeling the story but I kept reading because I wanted to see what would become of the characters. The ending was a bit of a shocker. Although I was not a fan of the book, there are many out there who enjoyed it. To each his/her own taste.

I give this book two out of five stars.

100 Popular YA Books

I saw this at The Bookish Brunette, who saw it somewhere else, and also thought it'd be fun to see how many of the books on this list I've read. If I have read a complete series the whole thing will be purple, if not, what I haven't read will be in black. Same goes for for stand-alones as well of course.

1. Alex Finn – Beastly

2. Alice Sebold – The Lovely Bones

3. Ally Carter – Callagher Girls (1, 2, 3, 4)

4. Ally Condie – Matched

5. Alyson Noel – The Immortals (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)

6. Anastasia Hopcus – Shadow Hills

7. Angie Sage – Septimus Heap (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)

8. Ann Brashares – The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (1, 2, 3, 4)

9. Anna Godbersen – Luxe (1, 2, 3, 4)

10. Anthony Horowitz – Alex Rider (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)

11. Aprilynne Pike – Wings (1, 2, 3)

12. Becca Fitzpatrick – Hush, Hush (1, 2)

13. Brandon Mull – Fablehaven (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

14. Brian Selznick – The Invention of Hugo Cabret

15. Cassandra Clare – The Mortal Instruments (1, 2, 3, 4)

16. Carrie Jones – Need (1, 2, 3)

17. Carrie Ryan – The Forest of Hands and Teeth (1, 2, 3, 4)

18. Christopher Paolini – Inheritance (1, 2, 3, 4)

19. Cinda Williams Chima – The Heir Chronicles (1, 2, 3)

20. Colleen Houck – Tigers Saga (1, 2)

21. Cornelia Funke – Inkheart (1, 2, 3)

22. Ellen Hopkins – Impulse

23. Eoin Colfer – Artemis Fowl (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)

24. Faraaz Kazi – Truly, Madly, Deeply

25. Frank Beddor – The Looking Glass Wars (1, 2, 3)

26. Gabrielle Zevin – Elsewhere

27. Gail Carson Levine – Fairest

28. Holly Black – Tithe (1, 2, 3)

29. J.K. Rowling – Harry Potter (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)

30. James Dashner – The Maze Runner (1, 2)

31. James Patterson – Maximum Ride (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)

32. Jay Asher – Thirteen Reasons Why

33. Jeanne DuPrau – Books of Ember (1, 2, 3, 4)

34. Jeff Kinney – Diary of a Wimpy Kid (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)

35. John Boyne – The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

36. John Green – An Abundance of Katherines

37. John Green – Looking for Alaska

38. John Green – Paper Towns

39. Jonathan Stroud – Bartimaeus (1, 2, 3, 4)

40. Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl – Caster Chronicles (1, 2)

41. Kelley Armstrong – Darkest Powers (1, 2, 3)

42. Kristin Cashore – The Seven Kingdoms (1, 2)

43. Lauren Kate – Fallen (1, 2, 3)

44. Lemony Snicket – Series of Unfortunate Events (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)

45. Libba Bray – Gemma Doyle (1, 2, 3)

46. Lisa McMann – Dream Catcher (1, 2, 3)

47. Louise Rennison – Confessions of Georgia Nicolson (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)

48. M.T. Anderson – Feed

49. Maggie Stiefvater – The Wolves of Mercy Falls (1, 2, 3)

50. Margaret Peterson Haddix – Shadow Children (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)

51. Maria V. Snyder – Study (1, 2, 3)

52. Markus Zusak – The Book Thief

53. Markus Zusak – I am the Messenger

54. Mark Haddon – The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time

55. Mary Ting – Crossroads

56. Maureen Johnson – Little Blue Envelope (1, 2)

57. Meg Cabot – All-American Girl (1, 2)

58. Meg Cabot – The Mediator (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)

59. Meg Cabot – The Princess Diaries (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)

60. Meg Rosoff – How I live now

61. Megan McCafferty – Jessica Darling (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

62. Megan Whalen Turner – The Queen’s Thief (1, 2, 3, 4)

63. Melina Marchetta – On the Jellicoe Road

64. Melissa de la Cruz – Blue Bloods (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

65. Melissa Marr – Wicked Lovely (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

66. Michael Grant – Gone (1, 2, 3, 4)

67. Nancy Farmer – The House of the Scorpion

68. Neal Shusterman – Unwind

69. Neil Gaiman – Coraline

70. Neil Gaiman – Stardust

71. Neil Gaiman – The Graveyard Book

72. P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast – House of Night (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

73. Philip Pullman – His Dark Materials (1, 2, 3)

74. Rachel Caine – The Morganville Vampires (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)

75. Rachel Cohn & David Levithan – Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist

76. Richelle Mead – Vampire Academy (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)

77. Rick Riordan – Percy Jackson and the Olympians (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

78. Rom LcO’Feer – Somewhere carnal over 40 winks

79. S.L. Naeole – Grace (1, 2, 3, 4)

80. Sabrina Bryan & Julia DeVillers – Princess of Gossip

81. Sarah Dessen – Along for the Ride

82. Sarah Dessen – Lock and Key

83. Sarah Dessen – The Truth about Forever

84. Sara Shepard – Pretty Little Liars (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)

85. Scott Westerfeld – Leviathan (1, 2)

86. Scott Westerfeld – Uglies (1, 2, 3)

87. Shannon Hale – Books of a Thousand Days

88. Shannon Hale – Princess Academy

89. Shannon Hale – The Books of Bayern (1, 2, 3, 4)

90. Sherman Alexie & Ellen Forney – The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

91. Simone Elkeles – Perfect Chemistry (1, 2, 3)

92. Stephanie Meyer – The Host

93. Stephanie Meyer – Twilight Saga (1, 2, 3, 4)

94. Sue Monk Kidd – The Secret Life of Bees

95. Susan Beth Pfeffer – Last Survivors (1, 2, 3)

96. Suzanne Collins – Hunger Games (1, 2, 3)

97. Suzanne Collins – Underland Chronicles (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

98. Terry Pratchett – Tiffany Aching (1, 2, 3, 4)

99. Tonya Hurley – Ghost Girl (1, 2, 3)

100. Wendelin Van Draanen – Flipped

Wow, looking at this list, I can see I am lacking in reading the popular YA books. Will need to jump on it and start reading some books from this list.

Review: Cold Kiss

Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey
Release Date: September 20, 2011
Genre: Young Adult
Pages: 304 pages
Source: NetGalley
Publisher: Harper Teen

(Summary from Goodreads)

“It seemed so right. Danny was mine, I was his, and that wasn’t going to work if he was dead. So I would make him not dead, not anymore. I didn’t think any further than what it would feel like to kiss him again, to wrap my arms around him and bury my head against his shoulder.
That was my first mistake. It also turned out to be the biggest.”

When her boyfriend, Danny, is killed in a car accident, Wren can’t imagine living without him. Wild with grief, she uses the untamed powers she’s inherited to bring him back. But the Danny who returns is just a shell of the boy she once loved.

Wren has spent four months keeping Danny hidden, while her life slowly unravels around her. Then Gabriel DeMarnes transfers to her school and somehow, inexplicably, he can sense her secret. Wren finds herself drawn to Gabriel, who is so much more alive than the ghost of the boy she loved. But Wren can’t turn her back on Danny or the choice she made for him—and she realizes she must find a way to make things right, even if it means breaking her own heart.

Amy Garvey’s transcendent teen debut is perfect for fans of Shiver and Beautiful Creatures. Wren’s unforgettable voice and story will stay with readers long after the last page is turned.

My Review

When I read the summary for Cold Kiss, I was instantly intrigued. Many of us have a lost someone we have loved, myself included. But wouldn’t it be nice to have the power to bring them back. To be able to see, hear, and touch that person one more time. Wren who comes from a family of witches, had the power to do so. When she lost her boyfriend Danny, Wren felt like her world came tumbling down. She couldn’t face the idea of a world without him in it. Instead of grieving and moving on, Wren decides to use her witching powers and bring Danny back from the dead. But the Danny that she resurrected was not her Danny that she fell in love with. The saying be careful what you wish for definitely applies to this story.

Cold Kiss seemed like it was going to be a good story but alas I was sorely disappointed.  I felt the story lacked any real emotion. While I could understand Wren’s heartbreak and her desire to want to be with Danny again, I did not feel like there was enough story or background information given of their love that would allow me to get invested in these two characters. From the start the reader is immediately thrust into the aftermath of Wren bringing Danny back from the dead. I would have liked to see some kind of prior story of their relationship and then lead up to bringing him back. Sure there are snippets here and there of what Danny was like before but it just wasn’t enough for me.  As for Danny, he reminded me much of the character of Frankenstein. Lacking feeling, robotic, and at times scary. I also could not understand how Wren could profess to be so in love and distraught about Danny and what she’s done, but yet she finds time to fall for another guy.

I know there were many people who enjoyed this story but I just couldn’t get into this book. I had to force myself to finish it just to see how it would end.  I would say read this book at your own risk.

I give this book my lowest rating, one star out of five stars.

Review: Vanish

Vanish by Sophie Jordan
Release date: September 6, 2011
Genre: Young Adult
Pages: 304 pages
Source: Netgalley
Publisher: Harper Collins

(Summary from Goodreads)

To save the life of the boy she loves, Jacinda did the unthinkable: She betrayed the most closely-guarded secret of her kind. Now she must return to the protection of her pride knowing she might never see Will again—and worse, that because his mind has been shaded, Will’s memories of that fateful night and why she had to flee are gone.

Back home, Jacinda is greeted with hostility and must work to prove her loyalty for both her sake and her family’s. Among the few who will even talk to her are Cassian, the pride’s heir apparent who has always wanted her, and her sister, Tamra, who has been forever changed by a twist of fate. Jacinda knows that she should forget Will and move on—that if he managed to remember and keep his promise to find her, it would only endanger them both. Yet she clings to the hope that someday they will be together again. When the chance arrives to follow her heart, will she risk everything for love?

In bestselling author Sophie Jordan’s dramatic follow-up to Firelight, forbidden love burns brighter than ever.

My Review

I first read Firelight a couple months back and absolutely fell in love with the story of Jacinda and Will. Who knew that a book about humans who could turn into dragons could be so good. When I finished the book I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the 2^nd book in the series, Vanish. I was hoping that the book would pick up where it left off and keep me enthralled like the first one did. Let me tell you I was not disappointed. Vanish was a page turner that had me in suspense and in shock much of the time.

The book immediately starts off with a shocking twist that I did not see coming. I think this was brilliant on the part of Sophie Jordan because it forced the reader to be glued to the pages right from the start. There was never a dull moment from that point on. In Vanish you get to see what it’s really like to live among the pride. For Jacinda and her mom, life back in the pride is horrible. The pride can’t forgive her mom for taking her and her sister away and they are even more upset with Jacinda for exposing herself to Will and his family who are known draki hunters. Jacinda is forced to follow new rules and expected to never disobey the pride again or face the consequences.  

What I didn’t see coming was the connection Jacinda and Cassian develop.  In the first book Jacinda really couldn’t stand Cassian. She felt that he was only interested in her because she was the pride’s precious weapon, the only fire dragon. But in book two we see Cassian a bit more and he opens up to Jacinda and reveals that he truly does have feelings for her. He is probably the only person left on the pride who is nice to her. Jacinda begins to develop feelings for Cassian but she still has Will in her heart. I must say that I really liked Cassian in this book. I loved that Sophie Jordan threw in this love triangle.

Throughout the book Jacinda battles with the tough decision of whether to stay with the pride and Cassian or run away with Will and be free.  Jacinda ultimately makes her choice but it ends up costing her. There were so many twists and turns in this book that I couldn’t help but to keep turning the page to see what would happen next.  The ending will definitely leave you wanting more.

I give this book my highest rating, five out of five stars.

In My Mailbox (1)

This is my first In My Mailbox. This meme is hosted by The Story Siren. The purpose of this meme is so that bloggers such as myself can show what books they received that week. This week I purchased three promising reads.

Purchased

After the Kiss by Terra Elan McVoy

Exposed by Susan Vaught

Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Review: Spellbound

Spellbound by Cara Lynn Shultz
 Release Date: June 28, 2011
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 324
Genre: Young Adult
Source: Netgalley 
(Summary from Goodreads)
Life hasn't been easy on sixteen-year-old Emma Connor, so a new start in New York may be just the change she needs. But the posh Upper East Side prep school she has to attend? Not so much. Friendly faces are few and far between, except for one that she's irresistibly drawn to—Brendan Salinger, the guy with the rock-star good looks and the richest kid in school, who might just be her very own white knight.
But even when Brendan inexplicably turns cold, Emma can't stop staring. Ever since she laid eyes on him, strange things have been happening. Streetlamps go out wherever she walks, and Emma's been having the oddest dreams: visions of herself in past lives—visions that warn her to stay away from Brendan. Or else.

My Review

I think the title of this story couldn’t have been more fitting. I found this story to be captivating from being to end. It had all the great elements including romance, mystery and the paranormal. Sixteen year old Emma Connor dealt with more tragedy in her short amount of time then most have dealt with in a lifetime. She lost her twin brother Ethan who died at fourteen and then her mother a year after that. She was left to live with her step-father Henry who was a drunk and abusive and nearly cost Emma her life when he wrapped their car around a tree.  Thankfully Emma’s Aunt Christine took her in and offered her a better life with her in New York. You would think Emma’s life would turn around and she would have it easier but that was not in the cards for her.

Her new life involves going up against the most popular girl and guy of the school who try to make her life miserable. At night she has these mysterious dreams of a past life as well as dreams of her dead brother who seems to be warning her of some danger. Emma also begins to notice strange things happening around her like lights flickering out as she passes. The strangest of all is her attraction to the hottest guy in school, Brendan Salinger. From the first time she met him she felt this connection to him and couldn’t understand why. Little does Emma know that she and Brendan do have something that ties them together. The problem is that something could be the thing that destroys them.

I loved how Emma was portrayed. You would think that this poor girl who has had so much tragedy in her life would be sulking around depressed but not so. Instead she tries to make the best of her new life and trudge through. She is strong-minded and willing to stand up to whoever does her wrong. She is what I would describe as fearless. I was equally impressed with Brendan because he was sweet and caring and would always try to defend and protect Emma no matter the consequences.

I enjoyed how Shultz put a different spin on that instant attraction that her main characters had. There are so many stories where the girl and guy instantly fall in love with no real build-up or development for that kind of attraction. Even though this story involved that instant moment of attraction, there was a plausible reason.

I was intrigued by Shultz’s story of two people who are soul mates yet destined for a not so happy ending. I definitely recommend this as a book you should add to your “to read” list.  

I give this book four out of five stars.

Review: If I Stay

If I Stay by Gayle Forman
Release Date: April 6, 2010
Publisher: Penguin
Pages: 272
Genre: Young Adult
Source: from Publisher

(Summary from Goodreads)

In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck...

A sophisticated, layered, and heartachingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make—and the ultimate choice Mia commands.

My Review

I had heard such great reviews prior to picking up this book that I had high expectations. Let me tell you I was not disappointed. I literally could not put this book down. I read it within 24 hours it was that good. Instantly you can’t help but fall in love with the characters in this book. Mia seemed to have it all, a loving family, a handsome boyfriend and a budding music career ahead of her. Within moments her life as she knew it was shattered. Having lost her parents and little brother Teddy in a terrible car accident, Mia throughout the book contemplates whether she should stay and live a life without her family.

The story starts off all light and happy. Mia and her family are taking advantage of the snow day and decide to drive to see some family friends and then Mia’s grandparents. Everything seems right in the world until tragic strikes. I was most shocked at how well Gayle Forman was able to describe the scene of the car accident. Describing the car as “eviscerated” and the impact like that of an “atom bomb” you couldn’t help but think how anyone could survive. What was most haunting about the scene was when Mia describes being able to still hear the sounds of Beethoven’s Cello Sonata no. 3. still playing on the car radio. I felt like I was right there witnessing the devastating scene right alongside Mia.

I loved how Forman told the story by switching between the present and the past. As Mia’s life hangs in the balance and she has to try to make one of the most difficult choices one would ever have to make, we get to learn a little more about her family, friends and her boyfriend Adam. I fell in love with each of the characters. They were well developed throughout the story. The characters that I think I really fell in love with were surprisingly her grandparents. Mia’s grandparents are constantly by Mia’s beside keeping vigilant of her and trying to remain hopeful that Mia will survive.

 There were so many scenes in this book that pulled at my heart but none more so then the scene with Mia and her grandfather. Mia wakes up to hear her grandfather crying by her beside. Sadly, her grandfather gives her a loving kiss on her forehead and gently whispers in her ear, “It’s okay…It’s okay if you have to leave us. It’s okay if you want to stop fighting”. Bring out the tissue. I was a slobbering mess when I read this. There were so many other scenes like this throughout the book that left me sad and broke my heart and left me wondering what Mia was going to do. Was she going to give up or stay and fight?

I whole-heartedly recommend this book. It will have you hooked from the very first page to the very last word. Long after I read this story it stayed with me. How difficult would it be to make such life altering choices? If I were put in Mia’s position what would I do?

I give this book my highest rating 5 out of 5 stars.

Below is the trailer for this book. There is also talk that this book is being adapted for the big screen and that Dakota Fanning may be cast. I would so be excited to see this on the big screen. I just hope that if it is turned into a movie that it is done well.