Review: Front and Center

Title: Front and Center
Author: Catherine Murdock
Publication date: October 19th, 2009

Summary:
D.J Schwenk is once more in the halls of Red Bend High School and just wants to fade into the background again. No suck luck. The pressures of love, family and school all collide during basketball season, when D.J. is forced to make some life-changing decisions. Her friendship with Beaner turns into something more, but her ex, Brian Nelson, lingers in the back of her mind. Win and her dad are on D.J. about verballing to Big Ten schools, while Coach K has scouts sitting in the bleachers to watch her lead the team and call the shots, literally. The stress and chaos leave her doubting herself- can she really handle Big Ten ball?

Review:
This is the third book in the Dairy Queen trilogy. If you haven't read the other two, you definitely should do that before reading this one. Stop reading now if you haven't read the first two books and don't want spoilers.

This book was really fun for me to read. It's told from the perspective of a high school student, but not the kind you'd expect to read about in most novels. It was interesting to read about a girl who has a passion for sports, and also works hard on a farm in a small town. The author wrote the book in such a way that I almost felt I was the main character, so it was very easy to sympathize with her feelings and the problems that she faced. Sometimes I was annoyed by her constantly doubting herself, or the fact that she was always bringing up Brian when she stopped dating him but not doing anything about it other than complaining. But I think that she really evolved as a person throughout the book, and was a very likable character. Brian Nelson was also an important character, one that I couldn't quite decide if I liked or not. But by the end of the book I felt like he learned what was important to him, and I started to like him more.

I usually couldn't care less about farm work or sports, but while reading Front and Center I cared about everything that was happening just as much as if I were a character in the book. And I think that says a lot for this book, because most of the time with books on topics that I have no interest in, I will put them down because I get so bored. That didn't happen with this one though, and I'm glad because I ended up really liking it. Fans of the first two books won't be disappointed with the third.

Characters: 8/10
Plot: 7/10
Originality: 9/10
Writing: 8/10
Overall grade: B

Trailer Tuesdays

EDIT: Reposting this today, because apparently I posted it yesterday thinking yesterday was Tuesday. Ugh.

I've decided to add a new feature to my blog that I've not seen on many others - Trailer Tuesdays. Sort of similar to the Waiting on Wednesday posts I've seen, but in trailer form! So every Tuesday, I'll be posting a nifty trailer of an upcoming book that I'd like to read.

We'll start off this week with Lipstick Apology by Jennifer Jabaley, which will be released on August 6th.




This book is definitely going on my wishlist! For more information about the book or the author, you can check out the author's website.

In My Mailbox (7/19 - 7/25)

Slept Away by Julie Kraut

Thanks to Read This Book for this one :) Looks like a great summer read, I'll have to start on it before the summer's over!











Dairy Queen by Catherine Murdock

I'm reading this one now. Almost halfway through it, and I'm still not quite sure what I think of it.











Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert

Yay! Preordered this one a while back and now I finally have it :D Can't wait to read it, I've heard amazing things about it.

"Pure" Giveaway

It's now time for the giveaway that I had mentioned a while back, of my extra copy of Pure by Terra Elan McVoy! One lucky winner will win a brand new hardcover copy.

You can read my review and a summary of the book here.

To enter:
Leave a comment with your email address.

Extra entries:
+1 Post about this contest somewhere and leave me a link to it
+1 Become a follower
+2 If you're already a follower (thanks!)
+2 For commenting on my review (something more substantial than "Great review", please)

Open to:
USA (Sorry! It's a hardcover.)

Deadline:
Last day to enter is August 10th.

Review: Local Girls

Title: Local Girls
Author: Jenny O'Connell
Publication date: June 24, 2008

Summary:

Kendra and Mona are best friends, local girls who spend their summers catering to rich tourists and the rest of the year chafing against small-town life. Then Mona's mom marries one of the island's rich summer visitors, and Mona joins the world of the Boston elite, leaving Kendra and Martha's Vineyard behind. When Mona returns the following summer, everything is different. Now Mona spends her days sunbathing with her private-school friends, while Kendra works at The Willow Inn -- a job she and Mona once hoped to do together.
Unlike his sister, Mona's twin brother Henry hasn't changed. He's spending his summer the way he always has: with long, quiet hours fishing. Early mornings before work become special for Kendra as she starts sharing them with Henry, hoping he can help her figure Mona out. Then Kendra hatches a plan to prove she's Mona's one true friend. She'll uncover the identity of the twins' birth father, a question that has always obsessed Mona. And so she sets out to unravel the seventeen-year-old mystery of the summer boy who charmed Mona's mother. But are some secrets better off staying buried?

Review:
When I first picked this up, I was afraid that based on the title and the cover, it would turn out to be one of those novels that has little substance and you read when you have absolutely nothing better to read. Luckily, I was wrong. Instead, it's one of those books that has its ups and downs, but in the end leaves you with a good feeling. It was a great summer read about new and old friendships, family, and finding love. I was just as interested in finding out what would happen between Kendra and Mona as I was in seeing what would happen with Kendra and Henry's relationship. The characters were simple yet lovable, and there was something about Henry that made me wish I had a boy just like him. Overall, I really liked this book. It was simple, but also left me thinking a lot about finding love and the fact that no matter what happens, true friends will always find a way to stay together. If you're looking for another summer read to add to your pile before the summer's over, I'd suggest this one.

Characters: 8/10
Plot: 8/10
Originality: 7/10
Writing: 8/10
Overall grade: B

Review: Fairy Tale

Title: Fairy Tale
Author: Cyn Balog
Publication date: June 23, 2009

Summary:
Morgan Sparks and Cam Browne are a match made in heaven. They've been best friends since birth, they tell each other everything, and oh yeah- they're totally hot for each other.

But a week before their joint Sweet Sixteen bash, everything changes. Cam's awkward cousin Pip comes to stay, and Morgan is stunned when her formerly perfect boyfriend seems to be drifting away.

When Morgan demands answers, she's shocked to discover the source of Cam's distance isn't another girl- it's another world. Pip claims that Cam is a fairy. No, seriously. A fairy. And now his people want Cam to return to their world and take his rightful place as Fairy King.

Determined to keep Cam with her, Morgan plots to fool the fairies. But as Cam continues to change, she has to decide once and for all if he really is her destiny, and if their “perfect” love can weather an uncertain future.


Review:
This was one of those books that since the moment I heard about it, I knew I had to have a copy. It was originally titled Fairy Lust, which I think almost fits it better, but it was still a great book either way. I've read other books about fairies before, I'm sure we all have. But this one was unique in that it wasn't the female or the main character who discovers they're a fairy - it was the main character's boyfriend. I think that made it all the more interesting, because Cam is this totally macho jock guy, who starts turning weak when he finds out he's a fairy.

I just thought the whole idea was interesting, that Cam and Pip got switched but suddenly Cam has to go to Otherworld. Cam and Morgan's relationship makes it even more interesting, because you always wanted to know what would happen. I mean, what if the person you loved realized that they were a fairy, and had to return to another world?

The plot and style in which it was executed were great, and the characters were all unique in their own ways but each had qualities I could relate to. Most novels involving fairies start to all kind of blend together in my eyes, but this was one that definitely stood out. What a great debut novel! I'm definitely looking forward to more from Cyn Balog.

Characters: 10/10
Plot: 9/10
Originality: 10/10
Writing: 9/10
Overall grade: A

Review: The Glass Maker's Daughter

Title: The Glass Maker's Daughter
Author: V. Briceland
Publication date: April 1st, 2009

Summary:
Magic lies at the heart of Cassaforte, medieval city of bewitchments and intrigue. Cassaforte is home to sixteen-year-old Risa Divetri, whose fate is about to be decided by the gods.
Risa has led the sheltered life of a nobleman's daughter, but soon she plans to leave home to study the family craft-creating enchanted glass objects. When the gods are consulted to determine which school she will attend, the impossible happens: Risa remains unchosen. The rejection sends Risa into a spiral of shame, anger, and confusion. If she's not meant to be a glass maker, what will she do?
But when Cassaforte's age-old magic begins to unravel and dark forces threaten the kingdom, Risa's fiery spirit and untapped powers take her on a perilous journey—one that will lead her to her true destiny.


Review:
I honestly didn't expect to like this book. It's not something I would have originally even considered reading. But after reading it, all I can say is that it was amazing! It started off a bit slow, but once I read more into it and understood the city of Cassaforte better, the book got so much more interesting. There were magic and fantasy elements, but they fit so well with everything that they just seemed normal. The plot was well built and filled with lots of interesting twists, and the characters were very likable and real. At the beginning of each chapter were quotes from fictitious letters and records, but I stopped reading them after a few chapters because they didn't seem to add anything to the story and only confused the reader, if anything. But overall, this was a very enjoyable book.

No matter what your tastes in genre are, I would recommend giving this book a try. I would have never expected that I'd read something like this, let alone thoroughly enjoy it, but I did. Book Two, The Buccaneer's Apprentice, will be coming out in 2010 and now I absolutely can't wait for it.

Characters: 9/10
Plot: 9/10
Originality: 10/10
Writing: 9/10
Overall grade: A-