The Six Rules of Maybe by Deb Caletti

Summary:
Scarlet spends most of her time worrying about other people. Some are her friends, others are practically strangers, and then there are the ones no one else even notices. Trying to fix their lives comes naturally to her. And pushing her own needs to the side is part of the deal.

So when her older sister comes home unexpectedly married and pregnant, Scarlet has a new person to worry about. But all of her good intentions are shattered when the unthinkable happens: she falls for her sister's husband. For the first time in a long time, Scarlet's not fixing a problem, she's at the center of one. And ignoring her feelings doesn't seem to be an option...

This beautifully crafted novel by National Book Award finalist Deb Caletti is about crossing that blurry line between helping other people and hurting ourselves - and how to step back over it. (from inside flap)

Review:
Deb Caletti is an awesome writer, and her newest book, The Six Rules of Maybe, doesn't disappoint in the least. I love reading her books because I always get totally and completely sucked into the story and the characters, and feel as though they are real people whose lives I am intruding upon.

I loved reading about Scarlet because she was a lot like me. She's kind-hearted and feels compelled to help everyone, even if that means that she ignores her own feelings and needs. She's the girl who would be the secret advice columnist in the school newspaper - everyone, including the popular crowd, come to her with their problems. Besides dispensing some words of wisdom, Scarlet always goes a step futher and actively tries to solve their problems. It's really nice of her, but sometimes Scarlet gets too involved in her subjects' lives that when not everything goes as planned she gets upset.

This same thing happens when her older sister Juliet returns home pregnant and married. But this time it's not so much helping her sister as making sure Juliet's making the "right" choices. When Scarlet suspects that Juliet is cheating on her husband, Hayden, Scarlet feels like its her place to step in and berate Juliet and try to stop her. Though, I would probably do the same thing with my sister, so I can't really blame Scarlet. But this causes problem because, as I said before, Scarlet feels as though she has the weight of the world on her shoulders.

On top of all this, Scarlet also falls in love with Hayden, which is kind of sad only because he's married and it's obvious that he's head over heels in love with Juliet, even though most of the time she acts pretty aloof towards him. I really felt Scarlet's pain because he's a really good guy: kind, terribly romantic, hopeful, and sweet. He would be a great guy for Scarlet besides the married part. And Scarlet and Hayden really did have a connection; it wasn't just her longing from afar. They become good friends, however, Hayden doesn't feel the same way about Scarlet that she does about him.

Despite this, throughout The Six Rules of Maybe, Scarlet learns some important lessons. Namely, that she can't control and fix everything, no matter how good her intentions are. She also learns to stand up for herself and doesn't allow her kind-heartedness to cause her to be a doormat to the world. There's even a happy ending in the love department, though I'll leave the details to the novel.

I love Deb Caletti and absolutely adored The Six Rules of Maybe. The book just felt so real, and I swear that there really is a Scarlet somewhere out there in the world. The book had so much detail, and just felt so realistic. I definitely recommend this and all of Caletti's other books - you won't be disappointed.

Rating: 9 out of 10.

FTC: borrowed from library.

2010/Simon Pulse/336 pages.

Waiting on Wednesday - 16

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill at Breaking The Spine for book bloggers and readers to get excited about upcoming books.

The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan

There are many things that Annah would like to forget: the look on her sister’s face when she and Elias left her behind in the Forest of Hands and Teeth, her first glimpse of the horde as they found their way to the Dark City, the sear of the barbed wire that would scar her for life. But most of all, Annah would like to forget the morning Elias left her for the Recruiters.
Annah’s world stopped that day and she’s been waiting for him to come home ever since. Without him, her life doesn’t feel much different from that of the dead that roam the wasted city around her. Then she meets Catcher and everything feels alive again.

Except, Catcher has his own secrets -- dark, terrifying truths that link him to a past Annah’s longed to forget, and to a future too deadly to consider. And now it’s up to Annah -- can she continue to live in a world drenched in the blood of the living? Or is death the only escape from the Return’s destruction?

This is the last book in The Forest of Hands and Teeth trilogy and I cannot wait to read it! The cover and title are both amazing. Look for it in stores March 22, 2011.

Spray by Harry Edge

Summary:

A group of teens sign up for an assassination game on the streets of a big city. Their weapons: pressurized water guns. It's meant to be a game, a sport. But for some it's more than harmless fun. To win, they'll use any means necessary.

Two hundred players. Three weeks of tense cat-and-mouse action. Every stalker is being stalked and only one player will be left standing. No one will be the same.

Through multiple points of view, Harry Edge puts readers right into the middle of the action - watch your back! (from back cover)

Review:

It's been a long time since I've read any action novels. Actually, I don't think I've read that many action novels at all, since I'm not a big fan of action movies. But I really liked Spray and it's thrilling and fast-paced plot.

It's sort of my life goal to play the game Assassin, and hopefully while I'm at college someone will get the game going. For those who don't know, Assassin is kind of like tag, but you have a target and you are also someone else's target. There's different variations, and in Spray you have to spray your opponent with a water gun.

If the game Spray came to my city, I would definitely want to play. However, since it's city-wide, it's pretty likely you won't know your target, and a lot of time is spent staking them out, trying to hit them in valid locations (for example, you can't spray someone in transportation or while they are at work). I don't know how well this game would work in real life, because you get the home and work address of your target and to me that's a little creepy. But I suspended my disbelief and really got into the action.

Spray is a little confusing, because they are a ton of different points-of-view, and I started to forget who was who and who was after who. You also don't get any in-depth characterizations of any of the characters, which could be a minus to those who like character-driven novels. By the end it's a little better, but I understood why the author wrote it this way, so the reader could see a lot of things going on at once. And you really do get sucked into the book. I was reading this in the library waiting for my next class, and when I got up to leave I started looking around and felt like I was in the game myself.

There's also this interesting backdrop that the country is in a major drought and it's becoming a world-wide problem. Ironically, the players are still playing Spray with water guns. I thought this theme would have been really cool if it was explored more, however the author left it in the background.

I would recommend Spray for fans of action and thriller books/movies, because it has a fast-paced plot. This book isn't a masterpiece by any means, but it's definitely a fun read if you're in the mood for a lot of action.

Rating: 7 out of 10.

FTC: reviewed through the Henry Holt InGroup program.

2010/Feiwel and Friends/228 pages.

Giveaway: The Lost Saint by Bree Despain

I have the pleasure of hosting another contest, this time for an ARC of highly-anticipated novel, The Lost Saint by Bree Despain. For those who don't know, The Lost Saint is the sequel to The Dark Divine and will be released on December 28.

Summary:
Grace Divine made the ultimate sacrifice to cure Daniel Kalbi. She was infected with the werewolf curse while trying to save him, and lost her beloved brother in the process.
Desperate to find Jude, Grace befriends Talbot, a newcomer to town. But as the two grow closer, Grace’s relationship with Daniel is put in danger — in more ways than one.

Unaware of the dark path she is walking, Grace begins to give into the wolf inside of her — not realizing that an enemy has returned and a deadly trap is about to be sprung.

Bree Despain delivers sizzling romance and thrilling action in the heart-pounding sequel to The Dark Divine. (From GoodReads)

Contest Rules:
- Contest ends on December 24, 2010, 6 pm EST.
- Open to US residents only.
- Extra entries are available.

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

Summary:
Her parents' divorce left 17-year-old Veronica Miller embittered and confused. Three years later, "Ronnie" still seethes with anger toward her father, a musician and teacher who has abandoned hectic New York City for the quiet beach town of Wilmington, North Carolina. Nevertheless, she reluctantly agrees to her mother's altruistic plan that for the good of all concerned, she should visit her estranged father in his new home. As the story of The Last Song unfolds, novelist Nicholas Sparks weaves his magic, threading together the intricate story of three very different people tied inextricably together. (from GoodReads)

Review:

I was a little wary about reading this book. I haven't seen the movie (which is a good thing) but I knew that Nicholas Sparks wrote this book with Miley Cyrus in mind for the lead character (why in the world, I have no idea). Once I read the author's notes in the back, I realized that a producer called Nicholas Sparks saying that Miley was interesting in doing one of his movies, and did he have anything laying around? Sparks didn't, but of course he set out to write the screenplay first and then the book. Which is the oddest thing I've ever heard of. Anyway, I didn't know all this in the beginning, but I set out reading The Last Song not sure what to expect.

The good thing is that I enjoyed The Last Song more than Dear John. Since this book is newer maybe Sparks has improved his writing style, but I'm not really sure. I liked the story better, the ending better, and the characters better than I did in Dear John. In the beginning of reading The Last Song I was trying really hard to not imagine Miley Cyrus as Ronnie. And it actually wasn't too difficult; although, if I had seen the movie it probably would have been impossible.

As for the plot, Ronnie is supposed to be the bad kid, the rebellious teenager who sneaks out, talks back, and has an all-around rude attitude. But, Ronnie was the parent's dream rebellious child (or maybe Spark's imagining of what he thinks a rebellious child is). Besides stealing a bracelet once and hanging around some sketchy people, she doesn't sleep around, do drugs or drink. I thought it was a tad unrealistic that she didn't do anything bad, but I didn't mind so much because I don't condone those things at all.

So Ronnie and her brother Jonah visit their father for the summer and she falls in love with a rich kid named Will. I liked Will and I liked their relationship, although Sparks doesn't go that in-depth in their feelings and emotions. I didn't really feel anything when they said they loved each other, so I think Sparks needs to work on not distancing his characters.

This wouldn't be a Nicholas Sparks novel if there wasn't some TRAGIC EVENT that is supposed to illicit some emotion. I was spoiled beforehand so I knew what happened, and while I was sad for all the characters, I wasn't actually sad. I didn't cry and I didn't really feel anything deeper than some sympathy for everyone in the book.

That being said, The Last Song wasn't a bad novel at all and I would recommend it to fans of Nicholas Sparks. It had a cute romance and a sad ending if you like to cry over books/movies, but it wasn't an amazing novel.

Rating: 7 out of 10.

FTC: borrowed from a friend.

2009/Grand Central Publishing/390 pages.

A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare

Summary:

This drama is one of the great comedy plays by William Shakespeare. The play revolves around the adventures of four young lovers, a group of amateur actors and their interactions with the fairies who inhabit a moonlit forest. The story takes place in Midsummer and is a complex farce featuring Hermia & Lysander and Helena & Demetrius. Their romantic intrigues are confused and complicated still further by entering the forest where Oberon, the King of the Fairies and his Queen, Titania, preside. Puck (or Robin Goodfellow) is a major character who is full of mischief and tricks. Other visitors to the enchanted forest include Bottom the weaver and his friends Snug, Snout, Quince and Flute the amateur dramatists who want to rehearse their terrible but hilarious version of the play Pyramus and Thisbe. (from globe-theatre.org.uk)

Review:

I've read a few of Shakespeare's plays at this point, and I must say that A Midsummer Night's Dream is up there as one of my favorites (and is probably my favorite comedy). It was actually pretty funny as a play. You might think that something written in the 17th century wouldn't appeal to people of today, but it still does, even after all this time. It really demonstrates the timelessness of Shakespeare and his work.

I had to read this play for my theater class and now we are in the midst of a group project on it, which includes acting out a scene. It's really cool to read the play, research it, discuss it, and then watch others act it out. I feel like I learned more about the play this way.

As for the story, I think it has a brilliant plot. There's a lot going on, as well as a lot of characters, but it all ties together wonderfully. You have the lovers, Hermia and Lysander, and then Demetrius, who is in love with Hermia and Hermia's friend Helena, who is in love with Demetrius. Hilarity and disaster ensues when Puck (a fairy) matchmakes the couples and messes everything up. There's also Oberon and Titania, the fairy king and queen, and group of workers who are putting on a play. These workers are hilarious because they aren't the smartest characters and are always using the wrong words to describe things and just all around not very bright.

I feel like I'm not doing the best to explain this play, but just know that it's really funny and well worth a read if you need a good book for English class or something. I also read the Spark Notes No Fear Shakespeare version, with modern English on one side and Shakespeare on the other, which was really helpful. Though I do insist you still read the Shakespeare side because his writing is beautiful.

Rating: 8 out of 10.

FTC: borrowed from a friend.

Waiting on Wednesday - 15

Once again, it's Waiting on Wednesday time! WoW was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine so bloggers could get excited about upcoming books.

XVI by Julia Karr

Nina Oberon's life is pretty normal: she hangs out with her best friend, Sandy, and their crew, goes to school, plays with her little sister, Dee. But Nina is 15. And like all girls she'll receive a Governing Council ordered tattoo on her 16th birthday. XVI. Those three letters will be branded on her wrist, announcing to all the world, even the most predatory of men, that she is ready for sex. Considered easy prey by some, portrayed by the Media as sluts who ask for attacks, becoming a "sex-teen" is Nina's worst fear. That is, until right before her birthday, when Nina's mom is brutally attacked. With her dying breaths, she reveals to Nina a shocking truth about her past - one that destroys everything Nina thought she knew. Now, alone but for her sister, Nina must try to discover who she really is, all the while staying one step ahead of her mother's killer

Yay, another dystopian novel! Turning 16 isn't the celebration it is today - it sounds so creepy. XVI will be released January 6, 2011, so not long now!