Fakie,by Tony Varrato, takes readers on the fast-paced and often dangerous journey of someone forced to relocate in order to protect themselves and the ones they love.
Danny, also known by countless other names, is currently living as Alex Miller in Virginia Beach. Alex has to work his hardest to simply blend in and disappear each time he changes identities and moves. His latest identity, as a jock, landed him on the front page of the paper and forced him to move. Now, as a skateboarder, Alex has a lot of learning to do in order to blend in.
When the people who are after Alex begin to get closer he is forced to turn to his friends for the first time, instead of running. Once he is found he knows that he only has a short time to save his life and the life of his mom. But with his friends on his side, Alex is sure that nothing can go wrong. But is he right?
This book is great for anyone ages 15 and older, especially if you want a fast-paced and exciting read!
Jennifer Storm tells her heart-wrenching and drama filled story in Blackout Girl, a story about growing up and drying out in America. This book is great for anyone 18 years and older!
Jennifer Storm’s life changed when she was only 12 years old. After getting drunk for the first time and then being sexually assaulted she found herself unable to deal with anything anymore. Her family looked at her differently and she blamed only herself, because no one ever told her it wasn’t her fault. This one event led Jennifer down a dark road filled with drugs, alcohol, and meaningless relationships.
As Jennifer got older, alcohol was unable to numb the pain that she felt and so she turned to drugs in order to fill the dark void inside her. Surrounded by brothers who were bullies at times and bad influences at others, a mother who was verbally and emotionally hurtful to her, and a father who just didn’t want to see what was in front of him, she had no one to turn to. She eventually turned to crack and moved out on her own, having worn out her welcome everywhere else.
Dealing with her parents divorce, an abortion, and then her mothers death from breast cancer, Jennifer faced moments of sobriety but only ended up plunging deeper into despair. After trying to commit suicide, she woke up in a hospital bed and that was the moment everything changed. After she was cleared for release from the hospital, she checked herself into rehab and after that, into a sober living home. She managed to overcome her addictions and make something of her life by helping others deal with difficulty and pain.
By the Book Reviews is thrilled to be giving away 3 autographed copies of Blackout Girl! To enter just leave a comment with your favorite childhood/teenage memory! After you are finished please support us by clicking on an ad! Thank you and good luck!
Prize (3): Blackout Girl (ARV: $15)
Contest ends: June 11th, 2008
Entry Limits: One entry per person, per day.
SWEEPSTAKES RULES: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Sponsored by Teen Scene Magazine. Sweepstakes are open to anyone at least 13 years old who are residents of the United States, the District of Columbia, and Canada. Void in Puerto Rico, the Province of Quebec, and where prohibited by law. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received for each sweepstakes.
HOW TO ENTER THE BY THE BOOK REVIEWS: Blackout Girl SWEEPSTAKES: Submit a comment with your favorite childhood/teenage memory at By the Book Reviews beginning at midnight May 11, 2008, through 11:59 p.m. ET June 11, 2008. Three readers will win an autographed copy of Blackout Girl.
Bewitching Season by Marissa Doyle is an enchanting story that is perfect for anyone ages 14 and older!
Growing up in 1837 London is not an easy place for girls, but when those girls happen to be twins, the daughters of a viscount, and witches, it makes things even harder. Pen and Persy Leland have grown up with the knowledge that someday they would be presented into society and find husbands with titles. With their social position they never had the chance to even reasonably dream about doing anything else.
Pen seems perfectly prepared to enter society, but Persy is another story entirely. She has spent more time studying her magic than she has spent preparing for society. She feels more comfortable with magic then with men! When the girls’ magical governess goes missing right before the season starts, they suspect that their is a magically source behind it. As the girls search for her they must also deal with all their social obligations.
Will the girls be able to save their governess and survive the season?
Almost Fabulous by Michelle Radford is the perfect book for girls 15 and older, especially anyone who has ever struggled with trying to fit in.
Fiona’s main goal in live is to be anonymous. If no one really notices you then they can’t pick on you or make your life miserable. So although she has the potential to be great, she manages to get straight B’s so that she doesn’t have to do the popular kids’ homework. She has managed to remain unnoticed, until crazy things keep happening around her. Once that happens she has everyones attention and even manages to start a revolution at her school!
While dealing with all the craziness in her world she must also deal with the fact that she has found her long lost father. As she struggles to deal with all the new things that are happening in her life she must also try to find away to get in contact with her father. Will she find a way to deal with everything going on in her life? Will she find her father? You’ll have to find out for yourself because I’m not going to ruin it for you!
The Not Just Prom’s and Parties Contest is officially over! Winners will be contacted and announced by next week!
P.C Cast and Kristin Cast have done it again! Chosen, the third book in the House of Night series is full of even more surprises than the first two! This book is great for anyone 16 and older and is a perfect addition to the series!
It’s Zoey’s birthday and she is less than thrilled about it. With a birthday of December 24th, she has spent her entire life receiving exclusively Christmas themed present. The gifts are cute, but unfortunately they typically can’t be used any other time of the year but Christmas. Zoey is sure that this birthday isn’t going to be any different than the rest and she is right. Unfortunately, she doesn’t have time to dwell on her bad birthday, as she is frantically trying to save her undead best-friend, Stevie Rae.
With the help of her former enemy, Aphrodite, she sets out to save Stevie Rae but her boy troubles get in the way. All of her three boyfriends are fighting for her attention. Heath, her former boyfriend refuses to accept that Zoey can no longer be with him and Zoey is having a lot of trouble breaking things off. Then there is Loren, her teacher who she should know to stay away from, however he is making it extremely difficult for her to do so. And finally, Erik, who she is really starting to fall for and who is a fledgling vampyre just like her.
Zoey soon finds herself overwhelmed and without her best friends to help her. Will she be able to stay strong and overcome all the difficulties that are thrown her way? Read for yourself and make sure to look out for the next book in the series, which should be released in the fall of 2008!
By the Book Reviews was given the opportunity to interview P.C Cast and Kristin Cast and here is what they had to say!
1) As a mother-daughter team, what is it like working together?
PC: Working with Kristin is great. We’ve always been close, so it just feels like a natural extension of our normal relationship.
KC: We work really well together, and we’re together a lot, so it’s easy to share ideas. (She threatened to beat me unless I spoke well of her.)
2) What types of challenges come with co-authoring?
PC: It was unusual at first to consult with someone else about plot and character issues. I think I’d written about twelve adult novels when I started writing the first in the House of Night series, and so I was accustomed to spinning the story web myself. But it was really not very difficult to get used to brainstorming with Kristin. Actually I enjoy having another head thinking about plot issues, etc.
KC: In the beginning, I was kind of scared to tell her when I didn’t exactly agree with her ideas, but now that I know she won’t yell at me, I’m perfectly fine with telling her “NO!”.
3) What inspired you to write about Zoey?
PC: A few years ago my agent, Meredith Bernstein, said she had an idea for a series she would like to me write, and then she said the three magic words: vampire finishing school. I had just been reading the amazing HAWKSONG books by Maria Atwater-Rhodes, so I immediately thought young adult – and that’s how the House of Night was born.
4) What is the most fun part about writing the House of Night Novels?
PC: I love writing YA! It moves so quickly and is driven by angst and drama and dialogue, plus there is a wonderful sense of discovery and innocence within the characters that I really enjoy.
KC: I think the most fun part is that I get to put my friends and acquaintances in the books! I love it when they recognize themselves.
5) Is there another book in the works for the House of Night series?
PC: Right now Kristin and I are working on book 4, UNTAMED. There will be at least two more to follow UNTAMED, and three in a spin-off series.
6) Who are your favorite authors?
PC: I have LOTS of favorites: Pat Conroy, Anne McCaffrey, Wilber Smith, Nora Roberts, Diana Gabaldon, Christopher Moore, Tanith Lee, Robin McKinley…
KC: Bram Stoker, Richard Preston, PC Cast, Richard Rhodes, Richard Matheson, Kristin Cast, Sarah Strohmeyer…
7) What’s the last book you’ve read?
PC: I just finished THE DARK ANGEL by Meredith Ann Pierce and now I’m reading THE DARKEST EVENING OF THE YEAR by Dean Koontz, and listening to the audio of Philippa Gregory’s THE BOLEYN INHERITANCE.
KC: The last book I read was BIOLOGY. It’s a textbook for school and is full of lovely boring pictures and words with lots of letters. I’m currently reading Mel Odom’s BLOOD EVIDENCE. I heart you Mel!
Hobson Brown, Taylor Materne, and Caroline Says did it again! Miss Educated, the second book in the Upper Class series is just as thrilling as the first! This book is great for anyone ages 16 and older!
Parker Cole managed to survive her first semester but she still stands out like a sore thumb. Almost everyone thinks that she is strange based on her crazy since of style and he doesn’t disagree with them! The one thing she wants is for more people to see the real her, especially a boy.
A boy like Chase, who is too busy trying to get off of academic probation to see Parker as anything more than a lab partner and friend. Chase faces military school if he can’t get good enough grades to please his strict father. But Chase keeps getting distracted by disasters and to his surprise, by Parker. As the two start spending more time together something beyond friendship might be on the horizon. During spring break, their unique group of friends goes away for a week and Chase and Parker find themselves closer than ever.
But when they get back to school, everything changes and they find themselves barely on speaking terms. Will they be able to get back to where they were? You’ll have to see for yourself!
Hobson Brown, Taylor Materne, & Caroline Says do a fantastic job in The Upper Class, which is a great book for anyone 16 and older.
Nikki and Laine think that they have absolutely nothing in common, except for the fact that they are roommates at a prestigious boarding school, Wellington. The school is fulled of the social elite as will as rich kids who are simply screw-ups. Laine doesn’t seem to be remotely interested in being friends with Nikki and Nikki is confused as to why Laine is so distant. The girls not only have to learn to deal with each other but to survive in their new surroundings.
Laine is perfect for Wellington, at least that is what she has been told. Living the perfect country-club lives in Connecticut she is an athletic star and breathtakingly gorgeous. But her snobbish attitude and fear of failure keep her from making friends easily and many quickly label her as a snob. When her own teammates turn on her, she begins a downward spiral that they are more than happy to help her down.
Nikki is from what many call “new-money” and does not seem to belong at Wellington at all, and they make sure to let her know that. Sent there to keep her away from bad influences at home, she gets a lot more than she expected at the school, and not in a good way. Because she is always loud and a slight tease, she finds it almost impossible to get along with the girls at the school and they all bet on how long she will last. Will she be able to prove everyone wrong and make it through the semester?
This book is great for anyone who has ever had trouble fitting in and accurately portrays all the drama of high school! This book is a fun read that I suggest picking it up!
Secrets of the Hollywood Girls Club by Maggie Marr is a great book for anyone ages 18 and older. The sequel to Hollywood Girls Club, this book is a must read for anyone who is interested in the crazy and drama filled Hollywood life!
Celeste, Jessica, Lydia, and Mary Anne have managed to find and hold on to true friendships amidst all of Hollywood’s superficial stars. The girls have stuck together and are intent on making even more great films. But when the girls begin to experience major issues they need a lot more than one another.
Celeste isn’t getting any younger and although she looks great now, she won’t in a few years. As she contemplates plastic surgery she has to deal with the emergence of a sex tape that could ruin her career. Mary Ann is dating Holden Humphrey, the hottest young stud in Hollywood but his crazy ex is determined to drive them apart. Not only does Mary Ann have to deal with his crazy ex but she also has to dal with the fact that people all over are watching her every move. Lydia is busy trying to run the film studio, help her friends, and try to figure out who is sending her creepy notes and blackmailing her. Jessica is busy juggling a family, her job, and her clients.
Can these girls juggle everything and still remain on top? Or will they drop the ball and have their careers ruined? This is a great book but make sure to read Hollywood Girls Club first or you might be a little lost!
By The Book Reviews had the opportunity to interview Maggie Marr! Check out the interview below.
Q: What inspired you to write the “Hollywood Girls Club” series?
A: Probably this wonderful world of entertainment I stumbled upon when I became an agent. Plus I started to hear a voice in my head, telling me the story that became Hollywood Girls Club.
Q: Which of the main characters in the books do you relate to the most and why?
A: A producer friend of mine says he sees a little of me in all the characters. But when I was an agent I think I related most to Jessica, trying to break into the business with hard work and determination plus she was an attorney turned agent. Now, as a full time writer, perhaps I relate to Mary Anne the most, we’re also both from the Midwest.
Q: What is a typical day like for you?
A: Let’s see, I get up at 6 am and go for a walk and eat breakfast with the family. I like to be at my computer by 8 am. I work from 8 am to 12 noon. My girls get home at noon and we eat lunch together. Once I get them down for nap, (anywhere between 1 and 2) I work for another 2 hours. I always think, I’ll get more work completed in the evening after the girls go to bed, but usually I don’t. Sometimes I read, or catch up on reader emails.
Q: How do you deal with writers block?
A: I try to write through it. I usually get a little stuck right before I hear the final act. Sometimes, I lay down for a while and try to visualize the characters going through the end of the story…then I’ll hear a line and I rush back to the computer and start typing.
Q: Have recent Hollywood happenings inspired any of your writing?
A: Of course. All the time.
Q: What made you want to start writing?
A: I’ve written stories since I was 8 years old. I won a number of awards as a child and in junior high for my writing, but I never thought becoming a writer as a profession was an option. I grew up in middle America, my grandparents were farmers…on both sides. My father was the first person in his family to graduate college and he became a doctor. No one I knew wrote or worked in or made a living in ‘the arts’. I did what a lot of kids who are exceptional writers do, I went to school and became an attorney. It wasn’t until I was much older, that I had the courage and the knowledge to actually take a shot at my dream, my passion, my love…writing.
By the Book Reviews is thrilled to be giving away 3 autographed copies of Secrets of the Hollywood Girls Club! To enter just leave a comment with the name of your all time favorite movie! After you are finished please support us by clicking on an ad! Thank you and good luck!
Prize (3): Secrets of the Hollywood Girls Club autographed book (ARV: $20)
Contest ends: May 15th, 2008
Entry Limits: One entry per person, per day.
SWEEPSTAKES RULES: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Sponsored by Teen Scene Magazine. Sweepstakes are open to anyone at least 13 years old who are residents of the United States, the District of Columbia, and Canada. Void in Puerto Rico, the Province of Quebec, and where prohibited by law. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received for each sweepstakes.
HOW TO ENTER THE BY THE BOOK REVIEWS: Secrets of the HOLLYWOOD GIRLS CLUB SWEEPSTAKES: Submit a comment with your all time favorite movie at By the Book Reviews beginning at midnight April 15th, 2008, through 11:59 p.m. ET May 15th, 2008. Three readers will win an autographed copy of Secrets of the Hollywood Girls Club.
Sienna Mercer is at it again with the 4th book in the My Sister the Vampire series, with Vampalicious! Twins Ivy and Olivia are dealing with even more issues in this book which is great for anyone 17 years and younger!
Ivy and Olivia finally found out who there father is: Ivy’s dad! But they can’t bring themselves to tell them that they know or stop trying to figure out why he gave Olivia up for adoption. As the girls begin to learn more about their past they must also deal with their present and the fact that Ivy and their dad are moving to Europe. As the girls pull the pieces of their past together they try to get their dad to stay in Franklin Grove.
The girls and their friends come up with plan after plan to keep the twins together. There first plan, to make their father remember all the good times in Franklin Grove, doesn’t go so well. He finds it very touching and even looks a little emotional at one point, but he doesn’t give in and still insists on moving. There second plan, to make their father fall in love in order to keep him there, goes even worse. The date that the girls spring on him goes well at first but then takes a turn for the worse when he has to give his date the Heimlich maneuver. The girls are about to give up when they come up with another plan to get their father the date he has always wanted. The girls succeed but when their father turns down the offer they know that their is no way they can change his mind.
Will the girls be able to find away to stay together? Or will they be separated yet again? You’ll have to read it to find out!