The Taming of the Tights Review

This last post will officially catch you up on all of my published reviews to date. There is one more that is written, but will not be published for two more weeks, so you'll have to hang tight for that one. And I'm a little bit anxious about the next book I have to review because it's a horror novel, which as a general rule, I avoid like the plague. So we'll have to see how it goes.

But without further ado, here is my latest book review, which finally has me all caught up. Yay!

The Taming of the Tights
by Louise Rennison

Gr 9 Up--In this fun and quirky installment in the series, Georgia Nicolson's 15-year-old Irish cousin, Tallulah Casey, is about to begin her third term at a performing arts college in England. She is excited to be reunited with her friends, the Tree Sisters, and hopefully bump into Charlie-the cute boy with the "tiny girlfriend" who she snogged not too long ago. And of course there's bad-boy Cain, the Dark Black Crow of Heckmondwhite, who Tallulah swears she won't have anything to do with after having her first proper snog with him out on the moors. But trouble abounds once school starts, as her teacher, Dr. Lightowler, is out to get her yet again and Cain won't stop getting in Tallulah's way of finding her first real boyfriend. Told in the entertaining style that readers have come to love, Rennison's story is sure to guarantee more than a few laughs. While the pacing is a bit slow in the middle, girls will find themselves pushing through to the end, eager to see how Tallulah works herself out of predicament after predicament. It is not necessary to have read the first two books to enjoy this one. Fans of the "Confessions of Georgia Nicolson" series (HarperCollins) are sure to fall in love with Tallulah and her crazy antics, and will be eager to devour her next misadventure.--"Candyce Pruitt-Goddard, Hartford Public Library, CT" Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Six Months Later Review

Of all the books I've reviewed for the School Library Journal, this one was perhaps my favorite. It kept me on the edge of my seat (figuratively, of course) until the very end. The review was published in October, and just a couple of weeks after it was published, the marketing director for the book sent me a copy of the published book along with a hand-written card thanking me for the nice review. If you're reading this, you're very welcome, and I look forward to reading the author's next book. I hope you guys enjoy this one as much as I did.

Six Months Later
by Natalie Richards

Gr 9 Up--Chloe leads a mediocre life as a high school junior in a small Ohio town-until the day she falls asleep in study hall and wakes up to find it's six months later. She now has exceptional SAT scores, the perfect boyfriend whom she's been crushing on for years, and a buzzing social life. However, Chloe can't remember anything about her previous life. Nor can she remember why her best friend, Maggie, isn't speaking to her, or why her heart races whenever she sees bad-boy Adam, with whom she seems to be all too familiar. She knows that she should be happy about her new life, but everything feels wrong. As she tries to figure out what happened to her, she uncovers a chilling conspiracy surrounding her memory loss, and the only person she can trust is the one who won't take her calls. The story is well paced and beautifully written, with fully developed characters teens can easily relate to. This romantic thriller will leave readers on the edge of their seats until the very last page. Recommend it to fans of Gayle Forman's "If I Stay" (Dutton, 2009) and Lissa Price's "Starters" (Delacorte, 2012).--"Candyce Pruitt-Goddard, Hartford Public Library, CT" Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

The Namesake Review

Normally when I review a book, I either love it or feel neutral about it. But the book I discuss below I really didn't care for. You know how when you read a really good book, it only takes you a few days to find time to race through it (or one day if it's really good)? This book took me almost the full month to get through it, because at no point did I ever think, "I really want to find out what happens next." In fact, I dreaded reading this book. And I procrastinated as much as I possibly could. But when it came down to it, I had to finish it before the submission deadline. If the author of the book is reading this, I'm really really sorry for the negative review.

I also have to say that the first time I saw this book where I work at Barnes & Noble, judging from the cover I had thought it was a horror book. I guess that's true to a certain degree.

The Namesake
by Steven Parlato

Gr 9 Up--Fifteen-year-old Evan Galloway is struggling to deal with his father's recent suicide, but going to the same Catholic school that his father attended and dealing with his mother's emotional detachment don't make it any easier. So when his grandmother gives him a footlocker that belonged to his father, Evan is all too eager to discover some answers to his nagging questions. He expects to find old posters and mementos, but what he doesn't count on is finding his dad's old journals. As Evan goes on a journey to connect with his late father, he makes a chilling discovery that as a boy, his father was sexually molested by a Catholic priest, and Evan is able to slowly piece together the role this played in the man's suicide. The story is powerful, and the plot is well crafted, but the writing alternates between choppy and engaging, and the dialogue often feels forced. The story is slow to unfold, and reluctant readers are unlikely to push past the first few pages. Committed and patient readers, however, will take something away from this thoughtful coming-of-age story.--"Candyce Pruitt-Goddard, Hartford Public Library, CT" Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

The Distance Between Us Review

After loads of work, I've finally made it two-thirds of the way through my current round of editing. I'm actually at the point where I feel fairly confident in my current draft (or at least I will be after I finish this round of revisions). That being said, I've decided to go through one more time for spelling/grammar checks, and then I will be trying my hand at submitting to agents. I know I've said this before and never actually worked up the courage, but I think it will finally be ready. Hopefully.

And to further catch you up on my published book reviews, this review was published back in August about a YA romance novel. If you decide to pick it up, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

The Distance Between Us
by Kasie West

Gr 8 Up--Seventeen-year-old Caymen Meyers works in her mother's shop selling porcelain dolls to wealthy patrons. Even though she and her mom know that the rich can't be trusted, they rely on them to keep the store afloat. Then charismatic Xander walks into the store and seems to understand cynical and sarcastic Caymen better than anyone else, and she begins to wonder if maybe she and her mother were wrong. That is, until she's mistreated by Xander's friends and, after reading a tabloid, discovers that he may already have a girlfriend. Ultimately, however, Caymen realizes that she has a love worth fighting for, and the star-crossed lovers end up together. Despite the predictable ending, the charming story is beautifully written, and the characters are well developed. Similar in feel to books by Susane Colasanti, West's novel is sweet and captivating.--"Candyce Pruitt-Goddard, Hartford Public Library, CT" Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Dare You To Review

I've spent the last few months away from the blog-o-sphere because I more or less took a break from editing. I edited a few things here and there, but nothing super substantial. But now I'm back, and in the next few weeks will be catching you up on all of the book reviews I've had published in the School Library Journal.

The following review was published back in July. Let me know what you think.


Dare You To
by Katie McGarry

Gr 10 Up--Narrated from alternating viewpoints, this contemporary novel tells the story of 17-year-old Beth, a troubled "skater girl" with a hard past, and Ryan, a high school jock with a seemingly perfect life. It all starts at a Taco Bell in Louisville, Kentucky, when Ryan's friends dare him to get Beth's phone number, and she turns him down. Their lives become intertwined after she is uprooted from her abusive home by her uncle and is forced to move to a small town and transfer to Ryan's school. At first he sees it as an opportunity to win the dare, but she resists his offers of friendship. Nonetheless, the two gradually fall in love and learn to trust each other with their secrets, which is equally difficult for both of them. The characters are well developed. The use of drugs, profanity, and violence make this title edgier than a typical teen romance. The plot often feels drawn out, and Beth's constant attempts to run away throughout the book will likely frustrate readers. However, young romantics should find the story engaging.--"Candyce Pruitt-Goddard, Hartford Public Library, CT" Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.