Sorry Guys...

...for not posting a review this weekend. I have been so busy! I have midterms this week and I took the SAT's on Saturday so I've been doing a lot of studying. The (only) good thing about midterms is that we have half-days so when I'm not studying I should have some time to post a review. My goal is to review I Am Rembrandt's Daughter by Lynn Cullen tomorrow and then Aurelia by Anne Osterlund on Tuesday. We'll see how it works out. Check back in the next few days for the reviews! And thanks to everyone who has been commenting on my posts. I really appreciated it!

Megan

Waiting on Wednesday- 4

As you know, Waiting on Wednesday was created by Jill at Breaking the Spine to get readers excited for new books.

City of Glass by Casssandra Clare

I couldn't find a summary of the book, but trust me, this series is awesome! There's two books that come before this one, City of Bones and City of Ashes, and they are both amazing. I am so excited for the March 24 release date and it's over two months away! I'm also happy because I just found out that Cassandra Clare is coming near me for the book tour and I'm planning on going.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

Jenna Fox has just awoken from a coma, and she can't remember anything about her life. Her parents tell her she was in a serious car accident, and barely survived. Even as Jenna watches old home videos of herself, something feels off. The way her grandmother seems to hate her for no reason and how her parents won't tell her anything about the accident makes Jenna feel like she's part of some secret, a secret so deep and dark that she can't even know about it. A secret about Jenna's very existence.

I had no idea this was a science fiction novel when I started it. I thought it was one of those novels where the girl wakes up from a coma and has amnesia and can't remember anything. So I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the book takes place several years in the future, since I love reading about future societies. I felt really bad for Jenna, because she seemed so lost throughout the book. It was hard for her to be her own person and at the same time try to be the Jenna that her parents loved and adored so much. I liked how Mary E. Pearson wrote the novel. She started out writing in sparse language, and as Jenna begins to adapt to her new life and become her own person, the writing becomes more detailed and flows better. It was a good way to show Jenna's transition. Now for Jenna's secret. There were hints of it throughout the book, so I started to guess what it was but it was still a surprise. Even though the reader and Jenna finds out about who she is fairly early in the novel, there are still other twists and turns that keep the suspense going. The Adoration of Jenna Fox was very thought-provoking and a good book for fans of science fiction.

8 out of 10.

In Too Deep by Jennifer Banash

Casey has finally started to fit in with the rich and sophisticated at Meadowlark Academy. Her fashion sense is improving, she's hanging out with Madison, Sophie and Phoebe, and Drew might be her kinda-sorta boyfriend. Even though Casey's retaining her small town roots, she feels like she might be giving up herself to be more like the other girls. And she's not sure if that's necessarily a good thing...

Okay, so this is a continuation of The Elite, but everything is explained so it's not necessary that you read The Elite first. Recommended, but not necessary. As I said before, I like these types of books when I'm looking for that light, fluffy read, but as I was reading In Too Deep, I started to get bored with the plot. There were some surprises and twists, but I found myself skimming the internal monologues that sometimes pop up, without even realizing that I was doing it. See, I'm the kind of person that likes reading dialogue, so when there's long passages of descriptions or explanations, I start to get bored. That's not a bad thing, it's just how I am. Jennifer Banash still did the rotating points of view, which I like in this story because you get to see what goes on with the other characters and what they're thinking about. If the whole book was Casey's point of view, we would never get into Madison's head and see how she justifies her actions (which helps the reader sympathize with her a bit). Even though I didn't enjoy this book as much as The Elite, I'll probably still read Simply Irresistible to see what happens next.

6 out of 10.

Waiting On Wednesday - 3

I haven't been able to do Waiting On Wednesday for awhile since I've been so busy, but swim practice was canceled today and now I have some time! As you know, Waiting on Wednesday was created by Jill over at Breaking The Spine.

Envy: A Luxe Novel by Anna Godbersen

Jealous whispers.
Old rivalries.
New betrayals.
Two months after Elizabeth Holland's dramatic homecoming, Manhattan eagerly awaits her return to the pinnacle of society. When Elizabeth refuses to rejoin her sister Diana's side, however, those watching New York's favorite family begin to suspect that all is not as it seems behind the stately doors of No. 17 Gramercy Park South. Farther uptown, Henry and Penelope Schoonmaker are the city's most celebrated couple. But despite the glittering diamond ring on Penelope's finger, the newlyweds share little more than scorn for each other. And while the newspapers call Penelope's social-climbing best friend, Carolina Broad, an heiress, her fortune—and her fame—are anything but secure, especially now that one of society's darlings is slipping tales to the eager press. In this next thrilling installment of Anna Godbersen's bestselling Luxe series, Manhattan's most envied residents appear to have everything they desire: Wealth. Beauty. Happiness. But sometimes the most practiced smiles hide the most scandalous secrets. . . .

I loved The Luxe and Rumors, so I can't wait to read the next book! It will be released pretty soon, on January 27.

The Elite by Jennifer Banash

Casey McCloy has just moved to New York City from Illinois to live with her grandmother, while her mother is doing research in England. She gets to reside in a posh apartment building, attend a prestigious high school, and rub shoulders with Manhattan's elite. Even though she's not as rich or sophisticated as the other girls , she becomes friends with the three most popular girls in school: Madison, Phoebe and Sophie. The girls relunctantly allow Casey into their circle, but a social faux pas might push Casey out. Let's just hope that Casey stays away from Madison's on-and-off boyfriend Drew...

This book was a light read, full of fluff, but I still liked it a lot. It reminded me of Gossip Girl, since they're both easy to read and might be considered guilty pleasures. The characters were fun to read about, even though they fit the usual stereotypes: the perfect and pretty queen bee, the innoncent outsider, the cute and sensitive boy. It also seemed like the whole book revolved around one plot point, with few other things thrown in. The whole time Drew and Madison were trying to decide if they still liked each other, and the book was filled with "I like him, no I don't, should we date, will she be at the party, blah blah blah". Even though it got redundant, I liked reading about these girls, who seemed to define elegance and sophistication. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book, In Too Deep.

6 out of 10.

Weird Coincidence

Right now I'm reading The Elite by Jennifer Banash. The main character, Casey, moves to New York City from a small town called Normal in Illinois. I didn't even know if this town existed -- that is, until today. I was eating breakfast this morning and paging through our county newspaper. There was a section of really small articles highlighting some human interest pieces. One of those teeny articles was titled "Couple Gets Hitched in Taco Bell." Under the title, it said the article came from Normal, Illinois! I thought that was so weird! First, because a couple is getting married in Taco Bell, and second, because I'm reading The Elite right now. I thought that it was so odd that I wanted to share it with someone. Haha. And I have no idea why that little article was in my paper because I live nowhere near Illinois.