Blue Moon by Alyson Noël

**SPOILERS for Evermore. You can read my review of Evermore here though. At least, I think this would count as a spoilery post if you haven't read Evermore... Blue Moon is second in a series, so you can choose if you want to read this or not. xD

[description from amazon]

Alyson Noël's bestselling Immortals series has been hailed as "addictive" "beautiful" "haunting" "mesmerizing." In the second installment, Ever can bring her family back from the dead. but only if she's willing to sacrifice the guy she loves more than life itself.

Just as Ever is learning everything she can about her new abilities as an immortal, initiated into the dark, seductive world by her beloved Damen, something terrible is happening to him. As Ever's powers are increasing, Damen's are fading, stricken by a mysterious illness that threatens his memory, his identity, his life.

Desperate to save him, Ever travels to the mystical dimension of Summerland, uncovering not only the secrets of Damen's past- the brutal, tortured history he hoped to keep hidden- but also an ancient text revealing the workings of time. With the approaching blue moon heralding her only window for travel, Ever is forced to decide between turning back the clock and saving her family from the accident that claimed them, or staying in the present and saving Damen, who grows weaker each day...

Review:

I was so worried that I wouldn't enjoy this one. I loved Evermore and was afraid that Blue Moon might be one of those pointless, all-over-the-place sequels that are somewhat common. And it seemed like the book was heading in that direction for the first 75ish pages, despite the promising summary.

For those first 75 pages, I kept thinking "Where is this book going?" All it seemed to be was Ever talking about how much she loves Damen and how tan is gorgeous he is, and Damen acting like a...not nice boy. But once The Big Thing on about page 76 happened (Yes, I checked), I was sucked back into Ever's world and didn't want to leave.

After The Big Thing happened, there was nonstop mystery until the end. As Ever searched answers, more was revealed about Summerland and those who inhabit it, raising more questions and suspicions about the people in the book and what is happening to them. I loved reading about Ever's search for answers, because more was constantly revealed about Damen's past and all of that brought a whole lot more to his character.

Though the book is focused more on the plot and mystery, the characters still shone. Ever learns to accept her change more and is quite determined to get what she wants. She did some surprising things that showed how good she is. (One thing near the end totally surprised me, but I can't exactly tell you what it was.) Roman was also an interesting villian, as it's hard to figure out exactly what he's up to.

Though a little slow to start, Blue Moon is a fantastic sequel to Evermore. It's full of surprises and mystery that keep you reading.

Can't wait for the third book in the series!

8.5/10

Links: Alyson's site/blog/twitter/The Immortals Series website

St. Martin's Griffin/Paperback/$9.99/Amazon/B&N/Borders/IndieBound

Serendipity Market by Penny Blubaugh

[description from Amazon]

When Toby breathes on Mama Inez's bird-shaped invitations, giving them the power to fly, plans for the Serendipity Market begin. Soon, eleven honored guests travel from afar and make their way to the storytellers' tent to share their stories. Each tale proves what Mama Inez knows—that magic is everywhere. Sometimes it shows itself subtly—a ray of sun glinting on a gold coin, or a girl picking a rose without getting pricked by the thorn—and sometimes it makes itself known with trumpets and fireworks. But when real magic is combined with the magic of storytelling, it can change the world.

This is a breathtaking debut novel written with elegance and grace.

Review:

This is a hard book to review, as it is not a "traditional" book. It's mostly made up of individual stories, but it's not an anthology. There is one plot line that brings all the storytellers together in the first place, but that plot line cannot stand on its own; it needs the stories. There are characters in each individual story, and in the bigger plot that encompasses the stories. Because of that, I really cannot review this book by talking about the character development or the plot.

The main story- the one that brings all the others together- is one that is interesting and deep. Mama Inez brings all the tellers together in order to show how powerful the magic of storytelling is, and how it can affect the world. Although the book could have gone deeper, Serendipity Market definitely achieved showing how powerful stories are- each tale has a bit of magic in it, and it's easy to see how each story has effected its teller.

The individual stories are mostly retellings, and each puts a unique twist on familiar and unfamiliar tales. Even familiar characters- Jack from Jack and the Beanstalk , for example, are given more life through the various stories. Despite the very little show time each character in the story is given, their personalities shine through and make them believable.

The constant shift from the first frame of the book to the second made the book a little...awkward, but that's easily overlooked because of how entertaining everything is.

Serendipity Market is a wonderfully written, unique book that I definitely recommend.

8/10

Links: Penny's site,blog/twitter

HarperTeen/Hardcover/$16.99/Amazon/B&N/Borders

Winners of things

One of the Suite Scarlett winners (The Book Pixie) already won another copy, so she is being lovely and letting me pick a new winner. The new winner is: Cindy! Cindy, if you see this before I get around to emailing you, shoot me an email with your address please. (:

And the winner of My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters is Amy from Addicted to Books! Congrats Amy! If you see this before I email you, please send me your address so I can pass it along to Sydney. :D

Waiting on Wednesday (28)

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. :D

Today's pick (it's a non-Tenner one. GASP!):

Never Slow Dance With a Zombie by E. Van Lowe

description from amazon:

Romy and Michelle's Hight School Reunion meets Night of the Living Dead in this laugh-out-loud debut YA novel by Emmy Award-nominated TV writer E. Van Lowe

Principal Taft's 3 Simple Rules for Surviving a Zombie Uprising:

Rule #1: While in the halls, walk slowly and wear a vacant expression on your face. Zombies won't attack other zombies.

Rule #2: Never travel alone. Move in packs. Follow the crowd. Zombies detest blatant displays of individuality.

Rule #3: If a zombie should attack, do not run. Instead, throw raw steak at to him. Zombies love raw meat. This display of kindness will go a long way.

On the night of her middle school graduation, Margot Jean Johnson wrote a high school manifesto detailing her goals for what she was sure would be a most excellent high school career. She and her best friend, Sybil, would be popular and, most important, have boyfriends. Three years later, they haven't accomplished a thing!

Then Margot and Sybil arrive at school one day to find that most of the student body has been turned into flesh-eating zombies. When kooky Principal Taft asks the girls to coexist with the zombies until the end of the semester, they realize that this is the perfect opportunity to live out their high school dreams. All they have to do is stay alive....

---

OH. MY. GOSH.

Doesn't this sound like the most ridiculously amazing book EVER? I have no idea how on earth anyone at the school got turned into zombies, but I MUST KNOW!

Also: ZOMBIES!

Zombies are the best.

TEAM ZOMBIE FOREVER!

And this book is a PAPERBACK! Gooooo paperbacks!

AND it comes out NEXT MONTH! August 18th!

Go Ask Alice by Anonymous

[description from B&N]

Alice COULD BE ANYONE. Alice COULD BE SOMEONE YOU KNOW. Alice USES DRUGS. With over a million copies in print, Go Ask Alice has become a classic of our time.

---

A fifteen-year-old drug user chronicles her daily struggle to escape the pull of the drug world.

Review:

This book is a "modern classic"? Really? Seriously? Because I think this book is bad. I don't often read books I think are bad- I read average, slightly below average, above average, and the occasional amazing one, but never really ones I find bad. But this book is just ugh.

The thing that bothered me most is that the narrator sounds like a 10 year old, even before she's on drugs. She sounds so immature and obnoxious. She kept saying things like "I really want to stop! I do! I do!" and all I could think of was "I do believe in fairies! I do! I do!"

Here are some more quotes to show how annoying she is:

"It's still holiday time and I'm elated all the livelong day and night!" (89).

"This is a really great place! It really is!" (104).

"My dear precious friend,
I am so grateful that they would let Mom bring you to me in your battered, padlocked little case" (163).

I wanted to throw the book at the wall after a while, I was so annoyed.

Another thing that I hated was that on one page the narrator would be like "I love drugs! I am as high as a kite! La la la la la," on the next she'd be like "I have to get out of here! AND I NEED DRUGS!", on the next she'd be like "I miss my family! I feel awful! I LOVE GOD!" and I would be like "MAKE UP YOUR MIND, WOMAN!" She was just so frustrating, and her constant change made the plot change as well, and not in a good way. First she'd be at home, all boring and fine, and then she'd be on drugs, all boring and not fine. Not very fun to read about.

The narrator also described all the drugs she was taking and how they made her feel a lot. She went on and on about the effects and later the dangers. It's way too preachy and it made the narrator even more flat of a character than she already was. All the drug talk time could have been spent developing her character, but of course that didn't happen.

Honestly, I do not see why Go Ask Alice is so loved by so many. Anyone care to explain?

4/10

Simon Pulse/Paperback/$9.99/Amazon/B&N/Borders/IndieBound

In Case You Missed It (1)

So a long time ago I posted about books that were older but that I still wanted. A few people commented saying they'd like another post like that, but I haven't done it since. But now I am! Whoo.

This feature will be tentatively titled In Case You Missed It, but if you have a better name, please tell me. xD

[descriptions from amazon]

Ten Cents a Dance by Christine Fletcher

With her mother ill, it’s up to fifteen-year-old Ruby Jacinski to support her family. But in the 1940s, the only opportunities open to a Polish-American girl from Chicago’s poor Yards is a job in one of the meat packing plants. Through a chance meeting with a local tough, Ruby lands a job as a taxi dancer and soon becomes an expert in the art of “fishing”: working her patrons for meals, cash, clothes, even jewelry. Drawn ever deeper into the world of dance halls, jazz, and the mob, Ruby gradually realizes that the only one who can save her is herself. A mesmerizing look into a little known world and era.

---I am a huge historical fiction fan, so why have I never read this? Everyone has been RAVING about it. I really need to pick it up.



Lessons from a Dead Girl by Jo Knowles

Leah Greene is dead. For Laine, knowing what really happened and the awful feeling that she is, in some way, responsible set her on a journey of painful self-discovery. Yes, she wished for this. She hated Leah that much. Hated her for all the times in the closet, when Leah made her do those things. They were just practicing, Leah said. But why did Leah choose her? Was she special, or just easy to control? And why didn’t Laine make it stop sooner? In the aftermath of the tragedy, Laine is left to explore the devastating lessons Leah taught her, find some meaning in them, and decide whether she can forgive Leah and, ultimately, herself.

---I've never heard much about this one, but WOW it sounds good. wantwantwant. The best part? It will be out in paperback very soon- on August 11!

Viking Warrior by Judson Roberts

He's the son of a chieftain and a princess—yet Halfdan was born a slave.

Now he is becoming a man and it is time for him to meet his destiny.

Though raised a slave who could only dream of freedom, young Halfdan's fate may be about to change. If freed, he may train as a Viking warrior, and come to know the glories of true brotherhood and the horrors of unspeakable evil. In the world of Vikings, a warrior's destiny is forged in the heat of battle. If the fates decree it, Hafdan may emerge as a new hero . . . a new myth . . . and perhaps a new legend.

---Vikings? Vikings? VIKINGS? How are these books not insanely popular? Who doesn't want to read about VIKINGS?


Sucks to Be Me by Kimberly Pauley

Mina Hamilton's parents want her dead. (Or undead to be precise.) They're vampires, and like it or not, Mina must decide whether to become a vampire herself. But Mina's more interested in hanging out with best friend Serena and trying to catch the eye of the too-hot-for-high-school Nathan Able than in the vampire training classes she's being forced to take. How's a girl supposed to find the perfect prom date and pass third-year French when her mom and dad are breathing down her neck--literally?

---I'm so over vampires, but I've been wanting to read this one ever since it came out. It comes out in paperback soon (August 11) so maybe I will FINALLY get it.

---

This feature will not be a regular one, so I dunno when the next will be posted.

Until next time!

Moar randomosity, or, I don't have an interview for today.

I need to email authors about interviews. Any who are already published and read this blog want to email me? xD

OTHER STUFF:

Leigh Brescia, author of One Wish, is having a contest over at her blog. You should enter. I know *I* will once I am less lazy.

And teenreads.com is having a giant contest where you can win a ton of awesome books. (Like Hush, Hush!!!!!! Zomg I WANT.) All you have to do is fill out this survey, which will take like 15 minutes to finish.

Look at this awesome trailer:




SHINY and AWESOME.

Pam Bachorz is having a contest too. You should enter.