Mojo Review

Mojo by Tim Tharp is an amazing story. I loved it. I have to admit though that before I began it I wasn’t all that intrigued, I thought it would be one of those mysteries where you could guess the ending, but with Mojo you couldn’t.

Tim jumps right into the plot. He writes very detailed descriptions but not with ones you don’t care about. They are the ones that ultimately lead to the outcome or ones that make it so we can feel sympathy or animosity towards the separate characters.

He also, right from the beginning explains where the title came from. Dylan is tired of being called “Body Bag” and tells Audrey that he needs mojo or power and then he will get the respect he deserves. Then he comes up with a plan to get mojo with Audrey’s help.

The whole novel is weaved together with care. Shocking discoveries are made at the right moments. Even Dylan gets shocked by the outcomes of his search. We, along with Dylan are mislead as to who the culprit is. His search leads him to many rash conclusions and decisions. Along the way he learns that he is not only solving one mystery but two and that they are interconnected. We are lead to believe that innocent people are guilty of heinous crimes and the wrong people are perceived to be the good ones. This is what leads to the shocking conclusion.

His characters are complex and believable. They are people that I know. Randy and Dylan set the whole story into motion. Randy is a smart mouthed person. He’s not afraid of anyone or anything and that gets them into trouble with two big guys and when they run away from them. Dylan jumps into a dumpster and finds a dead body. Dylan is the opposite of Randy, he cares what people think and doesn’t like to get into trouble. He is a calculating character who chooses his words carefully. This burger loving, crime show watching character doesn’t like to be put in danger.

Audrey, Dylan’s best friend is sweet and loving.. She doesn’t care what people think and she sticks up for the people she cares about and for what she believes in.

Then there are the Hollisterites, the rich kids that Dylan befriends. Ashton went to school with them and Dylan thinks that they my be able to help him solve the mystery. Nash and Brett are nice to Dylan at first but we quickly learn that they aren’t as nice as they’d want you ti believe. They think that anybody that they believe to be beneath them, they can control. Rowan who is one of the main suspects seems flamboyant and idiosyncratic but he’s really just trying to keep up appearences.

Then there’s Trix, Audrey’s newfound lve and although she attends Hollister, shes nothing like the reat of the kids that og there. She’s the one that remains loyal and honest to Dylan and she even helps in his investigation. Shes an intelligent girl, only there for those that she cares for.

Tres and Ashton are siblings. We know right away that Tres is up to something. Ashton is missing and he doesn’t seem to care enough. We are lead to believe that Ashton is a person who went from being stuck up to sweet when she really didn’t. these two characters perform some evil actions that I wont go into because it would give away the whole story.

The dialouge is realistic and each character has their own unique voice. They speak and act like real teenagers that live in the conditions that they placed in.

I think that one of the major themes is friendship and trust. Also theres bulling involved and a persons true personality.

If I were to put Mojo on a scale of 1 t 10 it would be a nine, 10 is reserved for my very favorite books and Mojo would have to be my favorite mystery book and pretty close to the rest. I recommend this book for all those ya mystery fans and even for those that like ya in general and are willing to go out of their comfort zones because I don’t generally like mysteries too much but I did this one.

New Girl By Paige Harbinson

There has been an opening at Manderly Academy and “New Girl’s” parent get it for her as a surprise. Up until recently New Girl wanted to attend Manderly but now she doesn’t want to leave her home in Florida and go all the way up to New Hampshire. But when she first enters the door she’s viewed as Becca’s copycat. Becca Normandy went missing at the end of the previous year and that’s where the opening came from. The two girls, Becca and New Girl, have similar apprences but opposite personalities. Becca was the new girl the previous year. As soon as she arrives everyone likes her and the things she gets people to do leave a lasting mark and traditions at Manderly. Becca is confident and manipulative. She always get what she wants. New Girl is the opposite, she is self conscious and does what others want.
Everyone of Paige harbison’s charaters in New Girl are memorable. They all have flaws and at times and at points you don’t want to like them. Becca Normandy at first is only the mean girl, but that’s not all she is. The New Girl is shy and feels like she’s walking in Becca’s shadow but she stands up for herself. Max, Dana and all of the other minorish characters have many attributes. Her plotline is also intriguing and unique.
I couldn’t put this novel down. Paige Harbison’s writing is amazing and I can’t wait to read her other novel Here Lies Bridget.

Ello guys. Guess what I’m going to do the YA Book Challenge hosted by My Overstuffed Bookshelf. Goin for the mega reading challenge of 50+ books. If you want to know more go here  http://myoverstuffedbookshelf.blogspot.com/2012/12/2013-young-adult-reading-challenge.html.

My books

1.  Tilt by Ellen Hopkins

2. Shadowfell by Juliet Marillier

3. Mojo by Tim Tharp- ARC

 

Booking through Thursday: Libraries

I’m going to participate in this weekly meme, so here’s the first question.

Q) How often do you visit a library? Do you go to borrow books? Do research? Check out the multi-media center? Hang out with the friendly and knowledgeable staff? Are you there out of love or out of need?
A) I visit a library at least once a week and for multiple reasons.

11 Authors and Their Pen Names

A pen name is a name that an author uses to write by. They can change it for any reason that they want to. Below is a list of authors and their pen names.
J.K Rowling the author of the Harry Potter series added a letter to her name.
George Elliot was really a girl whose name was Mary Anne  Evans. 
Lewis Carroll the author of Alice in Wonderland changed his name from Charles Lutwidge Dodgson.
Dr. Seuss’ real name was Theodor Seuss Geisel.
Mark Twain changed his name from Samuel L. Clemens.
Acton Bell was really Anne Bronte. She used a pen name. Elis Bell was really Emily Bronte. Currer Bell was really Charlotte Bronte. .
Pablo Neruda’s true name was Neftali Ricardo Reyes Basoalto.
Charles Dickens went by Boz when he was an early writer.
Lemony Snicket was truly Daniel Handler.

Shadowfell Review


Title: Shadowfell
Author: Juliet Marillier
Date Published: September 9, 2012
Publisher: Knopf
How I received it: From Randombuzzers.com
Summery: Sixteen-year-old Neryn is alone in the land of Alban, where the oppressive king has ordered anyone with magical strengths captured and brought before him. Eager to hide her own canny skill–a uniquely powerful ability to communicate with the fairy-like Good Folk–Neryn sets out for the legendary Shadowfell, a home and training ground for a secret rebel group determined to overthrow the evil King Keldec.

During her dangerous journey, she receives aid from the Good Folk, who tell her she must pass a series of tests in order to recognize her full potential. She also finds help from a handsome young man, Flint, who rescues her from certain death–but whose motives in doing so remain unclear. Neryn struggles to trust her only allies. They both hint that she alone may be the key to Alban’s release from Keldec’s rule. Homeless, unsure of who to trust, and trapped in an empire determined to crush her, Neryn must make it to Shadowfell not only to save herself, but to save Alban. (taken from amazon)
This is the only thing that I have read by Juliet Marillier. I was captivated by the opening scenes and I wanted to learn more about Neryn’s past. Then when she met Flint, I wanted to know about him.

The only thing that bothered me was that I guessed he was the enemy and that they’d end up liking each other.

Right from the start I wanted to learn about Neryn, her past, her present and everything else. Neryn is an intelligent girl who is sometimes not cautious enough. She’s quick to judge and I think this was one of the reasons that made me want to finish the book. I wanted to see this flaw evolve into something better. I wanted her to have to “walk in their shoes.”

Then there’s the father, who you really want to like, but because of what he does you really cant.

Flint is the most mysterious character. He’s this guy who “buys” Neryn but not for the reasons she’s thought of. Juliet slowly reveals things about him, that we get mostly from his conversations with Neryn. He gives cryptic answers to Neryn when she asks questions and tells her the less she knows the better off they will both be. You learn a little bit about his life and personality as Neryn does and you don’t know much more. You don’t discover the full truth until she does.

Finally there’s the Good Folk. Each one of them has their own personality. Some are sweet and some are untrusting and some are not so kind. There’s Reagan’s Rebels who accept Neryn and all of the other small but important characters.

Juliet’s plotline needs those characters. It’s a sort of complex plot with a lot of subplots. We learn Neryn’s quest early on and the rest we slowly learn as the story goes on. Within Shadowfell’s 400+ pages there are a lot of conflicts. Neryn versus Nature, Neryn versus Keldric and the enforcers, Neryn versus Neryn, Neryn versus Flint. Flint versus himself, Flint versus his canny gift. There are many more conflicts involving Neryn, the good folk, Reagan’s Rebels, Keldric, the enforcers and Flint.

I believe that the strongest element in Shadowfell is the characters. I felt like they were real people. That they could have been my friends. She described the appearances and personalities very clearly. I was able to detect their motivations and reasons for doing what they did.

I really enjoyed this fantasy novel. It wasn’t a quick read but nonetheless it was a good one.

 

10 Books For Valentines Day

It’s February First and Valentine’s Day is around the corner. Anyone that wants to get into the mood for Valentine’s Day here’s a list of ten YA romanceish books with descriptions of them. *Summaries are from Amazon.com*

1. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Rae Perkins- Anna was looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more.  So she’s less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris-until she meets Etienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Etienne has it all . . . including a serious girlfriend.
   But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true.  Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss?
   Stephanie Perkins keeps the romantic tension crackling and the attraction high in a debut guaranteed to make toes tingle and hearts melt.
2. Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan- “I’ve left some clues for you.
   If you want them, turn the page.
   If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.”
   So begins the latest whirlwind romance from the New York Times bestselling authors of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?
3. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith-  Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?
   Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan’s life. Having missed her flight, she’s stuck at JFK airport and late to her father’s second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley’s never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport’s cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he’s British, and he’s sitting in her row.                                                                                                                                                                       A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more?
4. Easy by Tammara Webber- Rescued by a stranger.
   Haunted by a secret
   Sometimes, love isn’t easy…
   He watched her, but never knew her. Until thanks to a chance encounter, he became her savior…
   The attraction between them was undeniable. Yet the past he’d worked so hard to overcome, and the future she’d put so much faith in, threatened to tear them apart.
5. My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick- A gorgeous debut about family, friendship, first romance, and how to be true to one person you love without betraying another
   “One thing my mother never knew, and would disapprove of most of all, was that I watched the Garretts. All the time.”
   The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, numerous, messy, affectionate. And every day from her balcony perch, seventeen-year-old Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs her terrace and changes everything. As the two fall fiercely in love, Jase’s family makes Samantha one of their own. Then in an instant, the bottom drops out of her world and she is suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself?
6. Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally-ONE OF THE BOYSWhat girl doesn’t want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn’t just surrounded by hot guys, though–she leads them as the captain and quarterback of her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys and that’s just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university.But everything she’s ever worked for is threatened when Ty Greeen moves to her school. Not only is he an amazing QB, but he’s also amazingly hot. And for the first time, Jordan’s feeling vulnerable. Can she keep her head in the game while her heart’s on the line?
7. Her Best Friend’s Brother by T. J. Dell- Libby has been in love with Tony Marchetti since she was seven years old. The problem? Tony is her best friend’s older brother. Lately Tony has started looking at her in a new way and he emails her all the time. Could it be possible that he is starting to see her as more than his kid sister’s best friend? Tony knows Libby McKay is off limits. She’s his sister’s best friend for crying out loud! But she is also smart, funny, and seriously hot. Plus she’s not afraid to get a little sweaty– on the track that is. Tony can’t seem to help himself, besides what’s a few emails? The occasional phone call? He can keep things light and friendly– Can’t he?
8. The Boy Who Sneaks in my Bedroom Window by Kristy Moseley- Amber Walker and her older brother, Jake, have an abusive father. One night her brother’s best friend, Liam, sees her crying and climbs through her bedroom window to comfort her. That one action sparks a love/hate relationship that spans over the next eight years. Liam is now a confident, flirty player who has never had a girlfriend before. Amber is still emotionally scarred from the abuse she suffered at the hands of her father. Together they make an unlikely pair. Their relationship has always been a rocky one, but what happens when Amber starts to view her brother’s best friend a little differently? And how will her brother, who has always been a little overprotective, react when he finds out that the pair are growing closer?
9. Flat Out Love by Jessica Park-  He was tall, at least six feet, with dirty blond hair that hung over his eyes. His T-shirt read Nietzsche Is My Homeboy.
   So, that was Matt.  Who Julie Seagle likes. A lot.  But there is also Finn.  Who she flat out loves.
   Complicated? Awkward?  Completely.
   But really, how was this freshly-minted Boston transplant and newbie college freshman supposed to know that she would end up living with the family of an old friend of her mother’s? This was all supposed to be temporary.  Julie wasn’t supposed to be important to the Watkins family, or to fall in love with one of the brothers.  Especially the one she’s never quite met. But what does that really matter?  Finn gets her, like no one ever has before. They have connection.
   But here’s the thing about love, in all its twisty, bumpy permutations—it always throws you a few curves.  And no one ever escapes unscathed.
10. The EDge of Never J. A. Redmerski- Twenty-year-old Camryn Bennett had always been one to think out-of-the-box, who knew she wanted something more in life than following the same repetitive patterns and growing old with the same repetitive life story. And she thought that her life was going in the right direction until everything fell apart. Determined not to dwell on the negative and push forward, Camryn is set to move in with her best friend and plans to start a new job. But after an unexpected night at the hottest club in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, she makes the ultimate decision to leave the only life she’s ever known, far behind. With a purse, a cell phone and a small bag with a few necessities, Camryn, with absolutely no direction or purpose boards a Greyhound bus alone and sets out to find herself. What she finds is a guy named Andrew Parrish, someone not so very different from her and who harbors his own dark secrets. But Camryn swore never to let down her walls again. And she vowed never to fall in love. But with Andrew, Camryn finds herself doing a lot of things she never thought she’d do. He shows her what it’s really like to live out-of-the-box and to give in to her deepest, darkest desires. On their sporadic road-trip he becomes the center of her exciting and daring new life, pulling love and lust and emotion out of her in ways she never imagined possible. But will Andrew’s dark secret push them inseparably together, or tear them completely apart?

So, I havent read very many of these books but they seemed like good books and most of them are on my TBR.

Tilt Review

  Hi everyone. Here’s my first book review I’ve posted on here. I hope you guys like it and find it interesting!

 

Ellen Hopkins is a New York Times bestseller. She is author of many young adult novels. Tilt is her newest novel and surely very close in quality to her other books. Tilt is the story of three main teens, Shane Mikayla, and Harley. They are all trying to discover themselves and learn about the things they have contact with. It is a companion novel to her adult book, Triangles, which is the story, told from the parents’ point of view. It is told from the points of view from each of the three main characters. The intended audience, young adults, should find this to be a good book.

At first while reading this I was confused as to who was related to whom and how, because all of the characters are related in some way. I believe that some of the experiences that they go through, have been written about a lot but she takes a fresh view on them. I defiantly would recommend this book to other teens who like her books and that like books about real world problems.

She developed this book well. Her descriptions of the events that happened were great, I felt like I was there having the experiences as well, but not way too much.  The events are presented in chronological order with interchanging viewpoints. I think this book had accurate information. At the end she places a list of statistics that pertain to the things the characters go through. A teen pregnancy where the father leaves after the mother decides to keep it is a common subject but one I think that teenagers should know more about. Also pregnant mothers should know more about their options and what happens after they choose one, so that they don’t choose one and then regret it. The problems of rape, teen pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, teen sexuality and finding oneself are the most explored topics in this book with quite a few others. Tilt makes you think “What would I do if I were that person or going through what they are going through?”

Tilt is the story of three teens. Shane is gay and thinks he’s found the man he loves only there’s a catch. He also has a sister who is struggling to keep her life. Then there’s Mikayla who thinks she will be with the boy she’s currently with forever, only when he doesn’t buck up and take responsibility for his actions does she realize he was never that great. Lastly there’s Harley who is struggling to find who she is. She does a complete turn around with her character and then Lucas does something not so great and she realizes the she’s spent the last little bit of her life as the wrong person. These teens are all interconnected somehow; family, friends or other things. Throughout this book they all learn things and Ellen Hopkins sticks to her true style with surprises at every turn.

Her characters are all people that I could know. They could be people in my school; they could even be people in my family. In fact I identified with Shane a little bit more than the rest because I had a brother who had Down’s syndrome and at certain points in the story I realized that sometimes I felt the same way he did. I think that Ms. Hopkins must’ve spent a lot of time developing them, everyone in the story is three dimensional.

Some of her major themes are popular themes and ideas. There’s one that you can make your own choices despite what other people think. There’s not everyone is who you think they are. These are just a couple of the themes that she explored in Tilt.

The plot was great. If I were to draw out the “hill” diagram we use in school, there would be a lot of little bumps and some big ones in there too. The three biggest climaxes are mixed in with the little ones so you don’t get a ton of tiny ones then a bunch of big ones. I think that her opening was good and the ending great. It leaves the possibility for a sequel and I believe that she should write one. I would defiantly read it; I want to know what happens to these characters, especially Shane and Mikayla.

At the end of every poem she has a phrase that is similar to the one that she uses at the beginning of the next one. Also at the end of each set of poems about one person she does one poem from one of the bigger characters but not the main ones. After that she goes to the next character.

The novel is very clear but not exactly simple. There are a lot of little interconnected characters and quite a few subplots as well as the main plot.  There’s not much dialogue but you get what the people would say if they were to talk. There’s also not much humor because it isn’t supposed to be funny. There are some jokes made that are supposed to be sarcastic.

It is set in Nevada but it’s not really that significant to the plot. I remember a few instances where it was gloomy outside at times when you would expect it to be gloomy.

Overall I thinkt that Tilt is very well written. I like the storyline and connected well with the characters, certain ones especially. I didn’t want to put it down but, I had to or else I wouldn’t have been able to get all of my homework done. I loved this book and all of her other ones. She’s a writer all her own and I recommend her to all teens that are struggling with something because she most likely has written a book about it.

50 States Challenge

I decided to start a 2013 challenge hosted by book obsessed. Here are the rules and information. I will be adding the books that I read as I read them to this post.

Saturday, December 1, 2012

50 States Challenge 2013 — Sign Up

January 1, 2013 – December 31, 2013

Are you ready to take the challenge!?!

The goal of this challenge is to read books that are set in each of the fifty states. Your books can be of any genre and any format (ie. paperback, ebook, audiobook, etc.). No short stories. Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are fine. (Re-read reviews must be written within the year 2013; you can not use old reviews.)
You can list your books in advance or list them as you read them. The idea of this challenge came from a Goodreads group.
**Anyone can join. You don’t need a blog to participate. **Non-Bloggers: Sign up in the comments section. Post your reviews with other book sites (ie. Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, Shelfari, etc.) and post the link in the comments section of the 50 States Reading Challenge. (will post January 1).

heres the link:http://www.book-obsessed.com/2012/12/50-states-challenge-2013-sign-up.html

And here’s my list of books:

Alabama

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

Florida

Georgia

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Missouri

Mississippi

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada- Tilt by Ellen Hopkins (link to review https://sincethedawnoftime.wordpress.com/2013/01/25/tilt-review/)

New Hampshire- A Separate Peace by John Knowles(currently reading)

New jersey

New Mexico

New York- Lucky by Alice Sebold (review coming)

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

Oklahoma- Mojo by Tim Tharp (review to come)

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming