As You Wish

by Jackson Pearce

Viola feels like she doesn't belong. Ever since her boyfriend broke up with her she's felt different, broken, and like she was missing something. One day at school Viola is feeling so sorry for herself, and wishing so fiercely to feel like she belongs, that she inadvertently summons a genie. The genie, who Viola calls Jinn in required to do as she commands and grant her three wishes. Once her wishes are granted he can return to his country - a place he's desperate to return to. However, Viola isn't quite ready to make her wishes. She wants to make sure she makes the right wish and not waste any. And so, reluctantly, Jinn is forced to wait. Unexpectedly for both, Viola and Jinn start to develop a friendship which may be beginning to turn into something more. The problem? Once she makes her three wishes Jinn will be gone forever and Viola won't even remember he existed.

This book falls into the very common "average teen girl falls for supernatural guy" category of young adult literature. However, it's a clever concept that's mostly entertaining. The end was wrapped up a little too quickly for my taste - I think the book could have benefited from an additional 5 chapters. But it's a pretty good effort for a first novel! I look forward to see what else will be coming from Ms. Pearce in the future.

Sucks to Be Me

by Kimberly Pauley

It's another new teen vampire book! However, unlike Twilight and Vampire Academy, Sucks to Be Me does not take itself so seriously. The whole thing almost reads as a spoof of vampires.

Mina finds out in the first chapter that she has to attend vampire class and decide in a few weeks whether or not she wants to become a vampire. This is because the vampire council just found out her parents - who are already vampires - have been keeping her secret her whole life.

So Mina goes to classes, learns new things about vampires, is torn about what to do, meets a few cute guys, etc. It's pretty standard teen book stuff. However, Mina was an enjoyable character with some funny commentary. The other characters were pretty flat, and the ending was wrapped up a bit too tidily. It was amusing though.

The Sea of Monsters

by Rick Riordan

Everyone loves these books so much I almost feel guilty giving it only 4 stars. Once again, this second book in the Percy Jackson series is inventive and clever. The way the characters from Greek mythology are woven into modern-day life and geography and such is probably one of the most interesting parts.

I can't really put my finger on what's keeping my from giving it a 5-star rating, but I just don't find myself raving on and on about it and recommending it to everyone I know. So, logically I can say that the story is great, but I'm just not giddy about it yet.

The Lightning Thief

by Rick Riordan

In Rick Riordan's wildly popular series Percy Jackson & The Olympians, which begins with The Lightning Thief, 13-year old Percy discovers that his dad is actually a Greek god. Suddenly all of Percy's school lessons on Zeus and Hades, Athena and Ares have come to life, and he is in the middle of a fierce battle brewing between the gods.

I like the concept of this book. Despite being based off centuries-old stories, it's entirely original. The way the author describes the gods is unique and quite often humorous. Percy is likable, although entirely too trusting and sometimes the fact that he doesn't catch on that he's about to walk into a trap is frustrating. However, I can forgive this since he's only supposed to be 13. A promising start to a new series. Hopefully I will have less distractions and be able to read the next one a bit quicker.

Oh, and here's an exciting tidbit: This date marks the one-year mark since starting this blog. In that time I have read and blogged about 78 books!

A Kiss in Time

by Alex Flinn

Much like Alex Flinn's other fairytale retelling, Beastly, this book is another fun, modern-day take on a well-known and loved fairy tale. A Kiss in Time is the story of Sleeping Beauty. However, unlike the traditional tale which ends shortly after the climactic awakening kiss, this story only begins there.

Oddly, one of the most enjoyable aspects of this version is that the princess and her "one true love" really can't stand each other at the beginning. Talia the princess is spoiled and selfish and expects everyone to adore her and cater to her every whim; her rescuer Jack just wants to get out of Europe, get back his girlfriend, and have fun partying the summer away. Needless to say after their first kiss the two do a lot of butting heads.

Soon both are forced to start to think about someone besides themselves. And as if that isn't difficult enough, the witch Malvolia, who put Talia under the spell in the first place is convinced Jack was not supposed to break the curse, and she is looking to bring Talia back and enforce her curse once and for all.

This is a sweet, funny book, whose characters really start to grow on you. If you're looking for light, but engrossing fairy tale retelling, this book fits the ticket.

Being Nikki

by Meg Cabot

The continuation of Airhead, Being Nikki is pretty much the same story as before, just the next part of it. This time around it's quite a bit more exciting, with lots of mystery thrown in. Unfortunately, it's also a cliff-hanger - even more so than the first installment. Again, this is still reading like one long book to me broken into lots of parts rather than a series of books that work on their own also. You can't really read this without first reading Airhead, and I can't imagine felling satisfied without continuing onto the next. Too bad I've got to wait a while for that one.

Despite these gripes, I love the story enough, and Meg Cabot's ever-hilarious writing to give it 4 stars and make a mental note to keep my eyes peeled for the next installment!

Airhead

by Meg Cabot

I love the plot of this book and the hilarious situation Meg Cabot puts her characters into, however it was just a bit too meandering and then abruptly ended for me to give it a 5-star rating.

Emerson Watts hates all things girly and popular among the teen crowd. However, her little sister Frida does, and when she wants to go to a CD signing at the newest Stark mega-store down the street, Em is forced into accompanying her little sis on the outing. Little does she know that this day will change her life forever. When Em dives at her sister to save her from a giant falling plasma screen, Em ends up being crushed beneath it. She blacks out, and when she wakes up she finds herself, well, not exactly feeling like herself. And suddenly, it seems that everyone is calling her "Nikki"...

This book reads more like the first half of a book than a whole book. There isn't much a climax, just a set up for one to come (perhaps in the next book?). So while I really loved the idea of this book, it just doesn't seemed finished. However, I am looking forward to reading the next installment.