Author: Becca Fitzpatrick

Pages: 391

Rating: 4 stars (Loved It)

Random Quote: “Pervert. Don’t forget these.”

Nora is seeing things that she really can’t explain. Recently partnered up with Patch, the new kid, in Biology, all her problems seem to revolve around him. She is unexplainable drawn to him, even when she starts to wonder if he is behind all of the strange things she is experiencing. As her friend tries to keep her away from him, she is even more drawn to him and is finding herself starting to worry about the seemingly nice guy that her friend is pushing her towards.

When she notices strange scars on Patch’s back, she begins to do some research and finds more than she bargained for. When she discovers that he is part of an ancient battle, she finds herself playing a surprising part.

I LOVED THIS BOOK! It was definitely worthy of all the hype I kept hearing about it. I would recommend it to anyone! Nora was a little clueless at times, and I found myself wishing Patch would be consistent, but it was definitely a book I got hooked on! Definitely a book to purchase.

This book was sent by the publisher for review purposes. By the Book Reviews was in no way compensated for this review. The views expressed here are strictly those of By the Book Reviews and are not influenced by any outside sources.

We never heard from all of those who were selected as winners for our Miracle Girls Contest, so I am going to be selecting new winners! For an extra entry you can comment on this post for the next 72hours! The new winners will be announced on the 17th! Good luck all! There is no entry limit, just leave a comment and don’t forget to tweet for extra entries.

We love Laura Pedersen’s series on Hallie Palmer and are really excited to read the newest book, Best Bet. We recently got a chance to talk to her about the series, her writing, and what she has planned for the future! Here is what she had to say:

BTB: How did it feel being named by President Clinton as ‘one of Ten Outstanding Young Americans’?

Laura: The politically correct answering is that I don’t normally enjoy awards (true) but I was working on starting up some women’s businesses and positive attention always helps (also true).  On the gossip front, President Clinton really is as charming and intelligent as everyone says.  In all the millions of jokes there aren’t any about him being stupid.  But more than that, and the same is true with Oprah, those two feel like real human beings who understand what it’s like to be a normal person struggling with various challenges, whether it’s not enough money for college, underemployment, or a sick child.  And even though they can no longer live like normal people, they still care and would like to make life better for everyone.  There are a lot of famous people I’ve not felt that way about at all, despite what they’d like you to believe about them.  (LP’s short list of famous folk who are even nicer in person than they seem on TV: Dolly Parton, Alan Alda, Carol Burnett, Tom Cruise, Ethan Hawke, Diane Sawyer, Joan Rivers. I’m saving the other list to give them time to rethink their ways.)

BTB: Was the character of Hallie Palmer, purely spontaneous, or did you base her on someone that you know?

Laura: In many ways Hallie is based on those rascals Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn.  I loved those books growing up but thought it was time for the girl to get the good part — to go on adventures and get into scrapes — while the boys stood by and gaped or thought she was cool (but possibly crazy) for her courage and spirit.

BTB: Was it always your plan to write four books in the Hallie Palmer series?

Laura: I had no intention of writing four Hallie Palmer books.  But people kept asking what happened next — where did she go and what did she end up doing?  However, the real driving factor was that I became psychotic because for some strange reason Bernard and Olivia kept having conversations about whatever was happening that day inside of my head and they need exorcising so I could reclaim my brain.  In many ways Bernard is my favorite character because he firmly believes that he was put on the planet TO HELP, whether you want it or not.

BTB: In your books, which character can you relate to the most?

Laura: As a young person I suppose I was a lot like Hallie in that I did gamble, though I squarely blame that on my family — since I was an only child with no cousins they couldn’t be bothered with “I Spy” and we went right to seven-card stud when I was five-years-old.  As an older person I probably played it safe a bit more like Gil and went into business.  However, I can see Olivia looming in my old age, the whole “I shall wear purple” poem (by Jenny Joseph).

BTB: How did you cope with the transition from working on the stock exchange to being a journalist?

Laura: Oddly, I’d made it my mission to avoid journalism because it was very much the family business on my mother’s side, and they were all larger-than-life characters.  I like to say about my grandfather and my uncle that although they were fabulous writers, the best stories were usually not by them but about them.  But one day “The New York Times” called and offered me a column and as they say, it was an offer I couldn’t refuse.  Or a date with destiny, if you’re Irish.  Prose got me in the end.  I’d always enjoyed writing, but I also knew that for the most part it didn’t pay much.  Having grown up in Buffalo as a latchkey kid I’d already done the starving artist thing — eating beans out of a can while wrapped in a velour blanket — and knew it was not as glamorous as it looks in La Bohème.

BTB: What advice would you give to young aspiring writers like some of our readers?

Laura: I often get asked that question and take it seriously.  I want to give the best answer I can so I’ve put down my thoughts on writing here: http://www.laurapedersenbooks.com/author/interview6.asp Mostly, if you’re young, the best thing is to have as many experiences as possible.  Try not to say “no” too often (unless it’s something you feel certain the school nurse would have advised against).

BTB: Finally, what are you currently working on?

Laura: I recently wrote BUFFALO GAL, a humorous memoir about growing up as one of God’s Frozen People in Buffalo, NY, during the stagflation 70s.  The book did well and so I’m writing a sequel about The Rise of the city after having chronicled The Fall.  Fulcrum is publishing it in the fall of 2010.

Author: Catherine Ryan Hyde

Pages: 208

Guest Reviewer: Kari from A Good Addiction Blogspot

SUMMARY (From amazon.com):
One day, something’s going to snap. . . .
Ernie doesn’t have a lot of friends at school. Just Will. They have stuff in common—like fishing. But more important, they have common enemies: the school jocks, who seem to find bullying just another sport.
For the most part, Ernie and Will take life at high school in stride. Until Will has one very bad day. Now nothing is remotely funny. Ernie finds himself a witness—to loss, to humiliation, and to Will’s anger—an anger that’s building each and every moment.
Ernie doesn’t want to believe his best friend is changing, but he can’t deny the truth. Soon he has a choice: join or die. Or can he find another way?

OPINION: 5 STARS

This is book is absolutely gripping, gut wrenching, and horrific. I’ve read bully stories, but this one is heartrending. It’s different in the way its written, in that it isn’t just Ernie, the character telling the story, who is being bullied and it isn’t just him having to deal with it. Ernie is watching his best friend- his only friend and ally- slowly waste away with every torment thrown on them. Coupled with a horrible home life, Will deteriorates. Not only does Ernie have to deal with everything thrown at him, he has Will’s issues as well.

There have been worse cases of bullying in books, but this one got to me because even when things in Will’s home life became public knowledge, it didn’t stop. If anything, those events seemed to spark his tormentors and neither boy could really stand up for themselves or the other without bigger consequences. That particular aspect is one I found a little unique to the bully story- their decisions to stand up for the other, knowing it would be worse them but because it meant the friend didn’t have to suffer, it was better, right?

Ernie was caught between a rock and a hard place more than once in this book and it was rough to watch him go through this. His home life wasn’t great but compared to Will’s it was kind of like paradise- and he recognized that. This was another aspect I really enjoyed because despite everything, in the right circumstances, Ernie could see the good things. But that means Will still didn’t have it and that was even harder to read.

As the book progressed, I had the same growing sense of trepidation Ernie did but because I got to know Will so well also, I didn’t want to see what was clear. Hyde did a magnificent job showing that- showing how Ernie could not see what was right there, and vouch for his friend. It happens- and as an outsider, it is so easy to point fingers and place blame but Hyde shows the impossibility of it when it’s your best friend.

Anyone who has ever been bullied will relate to this book- and should read it. Because everyone has a breaking point- and consequences they might not be able to see because they are too blinded by hurt and hate. This book doesn’t shy away from that- Hyde went in with tormented characters and she carried it all the way through until the spark hit the powder. And anyone who is doing the bullying also needs to read this because it doesn’t hold back on just how much even the smallest things can tear a person apart.

This book easily deserves 5 stars. It is a very real, very rough subject from all sides, tackled strategically. This book left me with plenty of things to think about and I know it will stick with me for a long time. The characters are in depth and their growth and decisions are very realistic, even if hard to read. I most definitely recommend this book to everyone because it is eye opening, maybe even more so than some other bully books I have read because of the way it is presented and the way the plot plays out. In some ways, the ending was satisfying and perfect and beautiful- the kind that I love. Read it, because even though it is a fiction, it mirrors real events entirely too well and could easily become a biography or the next breaking news story.

Author: Malorie Blackman

Pages: 96

Guest Reviewer: Teen Scene Magazine Contributor Bhina Patel

The book revolves around the friendship of Sephy and Callum who live in a world where the roles of black and white (Cross and nought) have been switched round and amplified greatly. Noughts are considered as second-class citizens, servants to the Crosses who are rich and powerful. Callum and Sephy, star cross’d lovers; Callum a Nought, whilst Sephy is a Cross find it hard for their friendship and love to grow, when their families despise their relationship. A nought terrorist organization called the Liberation Militia is forming and Callum’s brother and father join. Sephy is naive and thinks that everything will get better, but when she nearly dies from a terrorist attack in the shopping mall, and her best friend’s dad is blamed for it, realization comes quickly.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It’s a gripping story and you will empathize with the protagonists whose Romeo and Juliet tale is somewhat emotional. It’s beautifully written, with a clever plot and I would definitely recommend it.

Author: Jodi Picoult

Pages: 512

Guest Reviewer: Teen Scene Junior Contributor Harneet Sekhon

Charlotte and Sean O’Keefe’s daughter, Willow, is born with a rare born disease called Osteogenesis Imperfecta, otherwise known as a brittle bone disease. They are devastated at the thought that she will suffer hundreds of broken bones as she grows, an incurable lifetime of pain.

When the family starts to suffer from Willow’s medical expenses, Charlotte thinks she has some sort of a solution for their problems. If she files a wrongful birth lawsuit against her ob/gyn for not telling her in advance that her child would be born severely disabled, the payouts might ensure a lifetime of care for Willow. But it means that Charlotte has to get up in a court of law and say in front of everyone that she would have rather have had an abortion had she of known beforehand of Willow’s condition – words that her husband can’t abide, that Willow will hear, and that Charlotte cannot reconcile. And the ob/gyn she’s suing isn’t just her physician – it’s her best friend…

Handle with care is a vivid book consumed in personal and ethnical matters, revolving around the questions – As a parent, how far would you go for someone you love? Would you be willing to lie to your friends, to your husband, to a court? And most of all – would you admit that what your saying up in court might actually not be a lie itself?

Handle with care is a complex but outstanding read for an older audience. Jodi Picoult attracts her older readers by using split narrative throughout this novel in order for us all to see who really is in the wrong here; she uses hard heart-wrenching emotions, making the reader feel deep empathy for all and most importantly she allows us to see how one person who’s only intentions is to care for her loved one, might unintentionally terminate all her other loved ones…

I personally would recommend this book for all older readers, as it questions your personal view on serious matters where not only one person is at risk, many are in risk of losing the ones they love… and we all know that love is the most powerful thing on earth… right?

Author: Alyson Noel

Pages:  320

Rating: 4-stars (Loved it)

Random Quote: “I’m not kidnapping you.”

When her entire family was killed in a horrible accident, Ever found herself alone in the world, except for her aunt. Not only was her entire family taken away but she is now able to see people’s auras, hear their thoughts, and know someone’s entire life story simply by touching them. Because of this, Ever lives in baggy clothes and headphones and avoids touching people at all costs. Because of her strange behavior, she becomes known as a freak at her high school. Things change when Damen comes into her life.

Handsome and wealthy, Damen is the only person that ever can’t read or hear. Even better, things are silent when she is close to him. Ever loves this new silence but also wonders about it. As she is drawn closer and closer to him, she is left with questions that he is unwilling to answer. She has no idea who or what he is, but she is falling in love with him.

This book was very good and definitely one that I am glad I took the time to read! It is a great start to a series that is sure to keep our attention with every book. I would recommend it!

*This book was received prior to December 1st, 2009. It was sent by the publisher for review purposes. By the Book Reviews was in no way compensated for this review. The views expressed here are strictly those of By the Book Reviews and are not influenced by any outside sources.

Congratulations to our Miracle Girls Contest Winners! Grand Prize Winners will receive all four books in the series. First Prize Winners will receive book four. Winners have 48 hours to respond to my email and claim your prize! Here are our winners:

First Place

Ms Book Sniper

Raelena

Jared Class

Kari

Mallory

Grand Prize

Holly

Heather

Karla Duff

Author: Christina Hopkinson

Pages: 288

Rating: 3-Stars (Pretty Good)

Random Quote: “Don’t have a baby with George.”

Izobel Brannigan is nothing special, at least according to her boyfriend and her boss. In school she was the girl with the most potential, but now she is stuck in a boring job with limited ways to succeed. She is in a relationship with a much older man, who doesn’t appreciate her and who has made it clear that she is not his top priority.

When Izobel discovers a website that is completely devoted to her she is shocked and more than a little freaked out. She is even more annoyed when her boyfriend doesn’t seem the least bit interested in the fact that someone seems to be stalking her. As she struggles to find out who is behind the site she finds her life changing for the better. But will she find her cyber stalker?

The cover of this book is what really got my attention and I’m glad that I picked it up off the shelf. It was different then what I was expecting but it was still very good! I would recommend checking it out from your local library.

*This book was checked out from my local library. By the Book Reviews was in no way compensated for this review. The views expressed here are strictly those of By the Book Reviews and are not influenced by any outside sources.

I feel so lucky to be a YA writer because I’m such a YA fan! I think the books we read as kids stick with us more than anything else we read. With that in mind, I wanted to share my list of Rachel’s Top Ten YA Novels!
10. Forever…, Judy Blume

I read this when I was 13, and my face? It was rocked off. It’s the story of Katherine and Michael, a high school couple, and their relationship over the course of about a year, And, oh yeah, it deals really graphically with their sex life. One of the things I love about Forever… is that yes, Katherine and Michael have sex, but no one gets pregnant or catches an STD. However, there are real emotional consequences for the sex, and I think that’s probably more true to what a lot of high schoolers go through. Oh, and if you have read it, then you will understand why I say that this book completely and totally ruins the name Ralph. Forever.

9. Looking For Alaska, John Green

I reread this book every once and awhile, and it never fails to fill me with burning envy. It’s just so good. Miles, ironically nicknamed “Pudge” because he’s so skinny, leaves his home in Florida to go to Culver Creek, a boarding school in Alabama (based on John Green’s actual high school, Indian Creek, in BIrmingham, AL). There he meets gorgeous, damaged, doomed Alaska Young, and his life is changed forever. I love this book because it’s funny and smart and sad all at once. And really, what more can you ask? There’s a reason this one won the Printz Medal a few years back!

8. The Perilous Gard, Elizabeth Pope

My copy of this book, bought around 1991 or so, is missing it’s cover and the pages are falling out, That should tell you how many times I read it grownig up! The Perilous Gard is a re-telling of the Tam Lin legend set in 16th century England. Kate, a lady-in-waiting to then Princess Elizabeth, is banished (thanks to her flighty airhead sister, Alicia) to the Perilous Gard, a creepy as all get out castle in the middle of nowhere. The master of Perilous Gard is Geoffrey Heron, and his young daughter has just disappeared, leading everyone to think Geoff’s younger brother, Christopher, was somehow responsible. And then Fairies get involved, and the whole thing gets really complex and awesome. Kate and Christopher are one of my favorite literary couples ever. They’re both deliciously snarky, plus they have the whole “plain girl/beautiful boy” trope that I so dearly love.

7. The Gemma Doyle Trilogy, Libba Bray

I love these books so much that I would make out with them, if only I could find a way. Comprised of A Great and Terrible Beauty, Rebel Angels, and The Sweet Far Thing, the Gemma Doyle Trilogy tells the story of -duh- Gemma Doyle, a a British girl living in India in the Victorian era, who is sent to a hella creepy boarding school in England after her mother commits suicide under very suspicious circumstances. There she discovers that she can open “The Realms,” a magical and supremely trippy place. This whole series has pretty much everything I love. Victorian era? Check. Clothes porn? Check.  Hot, forbidden love? Check. Scenes that feel like a acid trip? Check and check! Love.

6. The Pigman, Paul Zindel

Okay, hold on, I have to go get a tissue. Just writing that title makes me cry and cry. Whew,. Now, where was I? Oh, right. The Pigman is about John and Lorraine, two teenagers who get their kicks making prank calls. Then they prank call Mr. Pignati, a lonely widower who collects china pigs, and they  become friends with him. And then some bad things happen that make me cry a whole bunch. But don’t let my weeping turn you off this book! It’s an excellent story! (Also, it’s not to be confused with A Day No Pigs Would Die, which is an even more sob inducing book about this kid who has to graphically butcher his pet pig so that the family won’t starve. Ugh. I have to go lie down now.)

5. Tiger Eyes, Judy Blume

I know! More Judy! This book meant a lot to me as a teenager. It’s about a girl, Davy. whose father is murdered, and the way his death affects her whole family. I also lost my dad when I was 17 (although to cancer and not to a random crime, like in the book) and I thought this was one of the best books about not only grief, but the healing process, and the way life does go on after all. Plus, there is a hot Indian guy named Wolf, who I’m pretty sure could heal most emotional pain just by the power of his hotness.

4. The Grounding of Group 6, Julian F. Thompson

Okay, I’ll be honest. I’m only adding this book to the list because it is OMG SO INSANE. On the surface, it seems like pretty ordinary fare: Kids with various troubles sent to a boarding school, bonding commences. Only, the kids have been sent by their parents to that particular boarding school so that they can be STRAIGHT UP MURDERED. That’s right. Coldbrook Academy specializes in assassinating kids who’ve pissed off their ‘rents for the last time. What’s hilarious about this is that the kids haven’t done anything that bad, really. I mean, I think one of them plagiarized on a paper or something. This book is like Gossip Girl on crack, and really, I can think of no higher compliment. I wish I’d written this.

3. Summer of Fear, Lois Duncan

I really, really wanted to just list the entire Lois Duncan ouevre. She’s probably the writer that’s had the most influence on my writing, and I think pretty much all of her books are great, which, if you haven’t figured out by now, means they’re completely insane (I love how this list has maybe 3 serious books, and the rest are all, “And then this TOTALLY CRACKED OUT THING happens! And I LOVED IT! ) But Summer of Fear is definitely the most insane of all LD’s books, which is saying something, as her books contain things like astral projection and time travel. Rachel and her family are expecting their cousin, Julia, and her family for the summer. But then Julia and her family are in a horrible car accident, and only Julia survives. So she comes to live with Rachel’s family, and it doesn’t take long for Rachel to suspect that something is seriously up with Julia, what with Julia killing the family dog AND trying to bang Rachel’s dad. YEAH. And then there’s witchcraft, and crazy hillbillies, so, you know, it’s awesome.

2. Twilight, Stephenie Meyer

I couldn’t have a YA list without what’s pretty much THE biggest book in YA, now could I? You know, people get weird when you talk about Twilight, and there’s usually a lot of “But what is the apppeeeeeaaaaallll?” questions. To which I say, “Um…Bella is a totally normal girl who has a totally HOT and sparkly boy WITH SUPERPOWERS fall in love with her. What’s not to love?” That said, I love Twilight because it’s so… moody and atmospheric. It’s like something out of a dream (which I guess is appropriate, since we all know that’s where SM got the idea!) And it perfectly captures the secret fantasies of pretty much every teenage girl ever.

1. Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret, Judy Blume

We started with Judy, threw some Judy in the middle, and now let’s end with Judy. There’s not much I can say about this book because I’m sure all of you have read it. And, if you haven’t, you’re undoubtedly shutting off your computer and running out to go get it RIGHT NOW. I don’t think any other book has ever so accurately reflected what it’s like to be an adolescent girl, what with the worrying about boobs and periods and boys. Nobody does it like Judy! Also, when I read this book at age 11, I was totally traumatized by the descriptions of the maxi pads with freakin’ BELTS. I’ve heard that that’s been changed in newer editions. Thank God.

Thanks Rachel for our first ever author guest post!