Hush: An Irish Princess' Tale by Donna Jo Napoli

Melkorka is a fifteen year old princess in Medieval Ireland. During a Viking raid on her kingdom of Downpatrick, she and her sister Brigid must flee to a nearby village. But all is lost when both girls are kidnapped by Russian slave traders. Now powerless under bounds and gags, Melkorka takes on a vow of silence-- much to the fascination and bewilderment of her captors.

I was disappointed in this book. I thought the idea sounded really interesting, so I kept reading even though I couldn't get into the story. It was just so boring and the writing was really sparse (not unlike the writing in Wake by Lisa McMann, but at least I enjoyed that story). Half-way through the book, I just wanted to put it down and stop reading. And I could do that without caring about what happened. That was the problem: I didn't care about Melkorka or what happened to her as a slave. So instead I just skimmed the last fifty pages. And it was a good thing too, because I didn't miss much. The ending was kinda dumb, so I'm glad I didn't waste anymore time reading this book. And it's a shame too, because the cover is gorgeous.

4 out of 10.

Cave of Terror by Amber Dawn Bell

Cheyenne Wilde was a normal teenage girl until she turned sixteen, and found out that she was a vampire. Now trying to deal with bloodlust, school, a new crush, and intense gymnastics practices every day, Cheyenne is getting a little stressed. And finding out that she's her clica's first Vanator in 500 years doesn't help much either. Cheyenne has all this untapped power, and must learn how to use it to defeat an enemy clica that wants her dead.

Fantasy, as a genre, is supposed to draw you in and make the unbelievable believable. Cave of Terror didn't quite do that for me. There was a lot going on, as Cheyenne and the reader are both completely new to the vampirism, and not a whole lot was explained. Some parts were a little corny, and some of the words the characters were using didn't fit with teenagers today. This book reminded me a lot of Sucks To Be Me by Kimberly Pauley, because the main characters both find out about vampires when they turn sixteen and the some of the characteristics of vampires are similar. Even though the plot could use some work, the book was cute and funny at times. If you're looking for an easy read with vampires and romance, then this book is for you.

6 out of 10.

Release Date: December 2008

Thanks to Amber Dawn Bell for sending me the e-book!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Turkey Day to everyone in the US! And if you don't live in the US, have a nice day! I also want to say thanks to everyone who visits my blog and leaves comments. You guys are great!

Now that all the sappy stuff if done; what is everyone doing for the holiday? Earlier I watched the parades on TV and then went to our annual Turkey Bowl football game against our rival school. It's really funny though, because I have a lot of friends that go to the "rival" school, I would have went to the "rival" school if we hadn't moved when I was still in elementary school, and my intramural club swim team uses the "rival" school's pool. So to me, they aren't really our rivals, but whatever. It was still fun. And later my grandparents are coming over dinner. I can't wait to eat some pumpkin pie!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Paper Towns by John Green

Quentin Jacobsen has been next-door neighbors with the interesting and magnificent Margo Roth Spiegelmen for his whole life. They used to be good friends, but now as high school seniors, their relationship has been reduced to mere acquaintances. But then one night, Margo climbs into his bedroom window, and that all changes. On a harrowing nighttime adventure through Orlando, which include pranks, revenge, and breaking into SeaWorld, Q begins to see Margo as he always pictured her: wild, impulsive, and fun. But his hopes of them becoming real friends are dashed when the next morning Margo has disappeared, something not uncommon for the free-spirited girl. Following clues left by Margo, Q and his friends attempt to find her, leading them on a road trip they'll never forget.

I thought this book was amazing. When looking at John Green's other books, Looking For Alaska is the serious, life-changing book, while An Abundance of Katherines is the fun, humorous book. But Paper Towns is a wonderful mix of both. It was funny, the characters were interesting, it had a good message. There was even a bit of mystery that made you want to keep reading so you could find out what happened. The plot was unique and the writing was flawless. Margo, especially, was an original character, and even though I wish the reader got to learn more about her, the book was perfect the way it was. I could go on and on, but in short, if you're looking for a great book or are already a fan of John Green, Paper Towns is a must read.

9 out of 10.

I Won!

I finally won a contest! Yay. I won a copy of Top 8 by Katie Flinn. I'm excited to read it. The contest was hosted by Dominique at The Book Vault.

Twilight: The Movie

OMG! Twilight was so good! It obviously wasn't as good as the book, but I still liked it. It was really weird, though, because whenever I see the Harry Potter movies, I like them, but I'm always disappointed because they are nothing like the books. But this time, I wasn't disappointed. Sure, things could have been done better, but it was still good. There were so many funny moments! Everyone in the theater could not stop laughing. There was this guy sitting behind us that was hilarious. He kept adding his commentary to the movie, and it wasn't annoying, thank goodness.

Now for the things I didn't like. Everything was rushed. Edward and Bella falling in love and then the ending were the worst moments of speediness. But what can you expect from a two hour movie? I personally think an extra half-hour could have done wonders for the plot. Robert Pattison and Kristen Stewart, as Edward and Bella, have me on the fence. At some parts I loved them and at other parts I didn't really like them. All the other characters were great, except Alice's voice was driving me crazy! It was really high-pitched. Other than that I thought it was a good companion to the book. If you havent' read the book, you should probably wait to see the movie, because things are explained a lot better in the book.

What did everyone else think?

By the way, I put this other movie poster up that I like much better than the original.

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

After her father died a year ago, Macy has been in control of her life. Everything needs to be perfect: her grades, her hair, even her intelligent boyfriend Jason. So when Jason goes to Brain Camp for the summer and Macy is stuck with a boring job at the library, it's right where she wants to be. Until she meets the Wish Catering crew, where the employees thrive on chaos and craziness, so unlike her own life. She meets Wes, and they become friends by playing the Truth game, where you always have to tell the truth even in response to tough questions. Through a new job and bonding with Wes over funny and sometimes sad stories, Macy discovers a lot of truths about her own life.

This book was adorable. I don't think it was Sarah Dessen's best, but it was still a really good book. I love how I get sucked into the story and feel like I'm actually there. I seriousy wish I could work for Wish Catering; even with all the craziness, it seems like so much fun. Macy was a great character, and the sadness she felt over her father made her even more real. Complimenting her, other characters like Kristy and Wes were so interesting. Wes seemed like a great guy and I liked how he and Macy could pretty much tell each other anything, via the game Truth. What I didn't like was how their relationship really dragged on and it took forever for them to acknowledge their feelings for each other. I also like how Sarah Dessen links her books together by mentioning places and things present in other books. For example, Macy's family has a beach house in Colby, which is where Keeping The Moon takes place. Just a good book that anyone can relate to.

7 out of 10.