Trial by Fire by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Title: Trial by Fire (a Raised by Wolves novel)

Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Publisher: Egmont USA

My Copy: ARC received

Summary:

There can only be one alpha.

Bryn is finally settling into her position as alpha of the Cedar Ridge Pack—or at least, her own version of what it means to be alpha when you’re a human leading a band of werewolves. Then she finds a teenage boy bleeding on her front porch. Before collapsing, he tells her his name is Lucas, he’s a Were, and Bryn’s protection is his only hope.

But Lucas isn’t part of Bryn’s pack, and she has no right to claim another alpha’s Were. With threats—old and new—looming, and danger closing in from all sides, Bryn will have to accept what her guardian Callum knew all along. To be alpha, she will have to give in to her own animal instincts and become less human. And, she’s going to have to do it alone.

Bryn faces both the costs, and the rewards, of love and loyalty, in this thrilling sequel to Raised by Wolves.

My Thoughts: I LOVE this series. Jennifer Lynn Barnes is one talented writer. I absolutely adored Raised by Wolves – in fact, I think it's one of my all-time favorite paranormal books. It took me a while to get to this one and while it did not pack the punch that Raised by Wolves did, I wish that I had read it sooner.

This series is different from all other werewolf series about their because while there is a human girl involved, she's not falling mindlessly in love with a guy and then later finding out he's a werewolf. Bryn was raised by wolves and she is strong and determined because of that. She consistently pushes the boundaries between what it means to be human and where the line is drawn in our animalistic desires.

The one thing I love about this series, aside from its originality, is the characters and their relationships. I would love to have Devon and Lake as my best friends and everyone, from Ali to Maddy to Lucas, has secrets and multiple sides. I spent most of the novel trying to figure the characters out and, honestly, I still can't decide what I think about a few certain characters.

Unfortunately, while there was a lot of action in this, I did not feel the connection to the story that I felt with Raised by Wolves. Even though many of the plot twists caught me off guard, it didn't blow me away as the first novel had. However, this is common with the second book in a series and, overall, Trial by Fire is still a great book.

Trial by Fire is a worthy second book in a great series. If you haven't picked this series up yet, I suggest you do!

Bitter Melon by Cara Chow

Title: Bitter Melon

Author: Cara Chow

Publisher: Egmont USA

Summary:

Frances, a Chinese-American student at an academically competitive school in San Francisco, has always had it drilled into her to be obedient to her mother and to be a straight-A student so that she can go to Med school. But is being a doctor what she wants? It has never even occurred to Frances to question her own feelings and desires until she accidentally winds up in speech class and finds herself with a hidden talent. Does she dare to challenge the mother who has sacrificed everything for her? Set in the 1980s.

My Thoughts: It's a bit of an understatement to say I liked Bitter Melon. I absolutely thoroughly enjoyed it, much more than I thought I would. It made me think and gave me insight to something that I'd never really thought about, which is something I really love in a book.

To be honest, I'd never given much thought to Chinese-American students and how smart they tend to be. In my tiny little town, I don't think there's a single Chinese-American student at my school so it was just something that never came on to my radar. This book, however, put things into total perspective. It tackled an issue that seems to be very prominent in society without being preachy or whiny.

Bitter Melon is a truly dynamic book - it does not just focus on academics or the mother-daughter relationship or any other particular thing. Instead, it weaves in the high standards Frances is expected to meet and maintain with things that your every day teen faces, like relationships with boy and self-esteem. Each subplot is fully developed and woven together to create a story that's hard to put down.

Frances is a character that everyone is going to be able to relate to and a character that I really admire. Her determination really struck a chord with me and while I don't want to give anything away, I was really proud of her by the end of the novel. Obviously the Chinese culture plays a part in this and honestly, the culture difference shocked me. I'd never really given any thought to how different nationalities within the US live and the little things were just...wow. However, that insight to Chinese culture also added insight to the characters of Frances' mom and their family friends and why they did the things they did. As I said, Bitter Melon is dynamic and everything works together.

Overall, I highly recommend this one. I had trouble putting it down and it's perfect for when you don't want to read a dark issue book but need something more than a fluff read. It's a book that I'm sure is definitely going to mean something to Chinese-Americans but will also relate to all other teens as well. So if you see a copy in the store, be sure to pick it up!

Will Work for Prom Dress by Aimee Ferris

T​itle: Will Work for Prom Dress

Author: Aimee Ferris

Publisher: Egmont USA

Summary:

Quigley Johnson has, reluctantly, given up the rest of her last year of high school to take part in her best friend Ann's Betterment Plan, which will turn them into the best-dressed, most sought-after, most admired girls at their senior formal. Because - hey - who doesn't want the perfect prom, complete with a dream dress and a devastatingly handsome date?

But the prom costs money - lots of money - and even though the girls could easily have Ann's mom design their dresses (she's only Victoria Parisi, one of the most famous designers in the world), Ann insists that they pay their own way. And that's how Quigley gets stuck making artistic topping masterpieces on frozen pizzas canvases, before becoming a live model for Ms. Parisi's fashion design class, where she meets Zander.

He's cute, and cool, and funny, with a killer design sensibility (even if he can't sketch). But is he too good to be true? And what about David, the hot, talented artist at school, who's also kind of a jerk, but won't leave Quigley alone? And Ann - she started the Betterment Plan to improve Quigley and herself, but it seems like it's ripping their friendship to shreds.

This road to the prom dream may just end in disaster.

My Thoughts: I will admit to being pleasantly surprised by Will Work for Prom Dress. I was expecting some light, fluffy prom-themed novel and while Will Work for Prom Dress is fun, there is so much more to it than that.

Now, I don't want to give too many of the subplots away here but I thought they all worked perfectly and quite honestly, I was shocked by some of them. Particularly the one involving Zander. I love how there was fun subplots, like Dave's, but also more serious ones, like Zander's and Ann's relationship. It all balanced out to create a book that was fun but still had depth.

Character-wise...Well, I love Zander. He was sweet and flawed. Dave was also an interesting character, as was Ann's boyfriend, T-shirt. Each of them had their own quirks and flaws. Ann and Quigley both had distinct personalities and contrasted each other nicely. ​The situations they got themselves into were usually rather amusing.
In fact, a lot of the novel was amusing - I found myself cracking up more than once.

The ending was unexpected but cute, which I liked.

Overall, Will Work for Prom Dress is more than a typical fluff novel but is still perfect for that Valentine's Day or pre-prom read. It's entertaining and will most likely bring a smile to your face. Highly recommended. ​

The Lost Saint by Bree Despain

T​itle: The Lost Saint

Author: Bree Despain

Publisher: Egmont USA

Summary: The non-stop sequel to The Dark Divine delivers an even hotter romance and more thrilling action than Bree Despain's first novel. Grace Divine made the ultimate sacrifice to cure Daniel Kalbi. She gave her soul to the wolf to save him and lost her beloved mother. When Grace receives a haunting phone call from Jude, she knows what she must do. She must become a Hound of Heaven. Desparate to find Jude, Grace befriends Talbot - a newcomer to town who promises her that he can help her be a hero. But as the two grow closer, the wolf grows in Grace, and her relationship with Daniel begins to crumble. Unaware of the dark path she is walking, Grace becomes prideful in her new abilities - not realizing that an old enemy has returned and deadly trap is about to be sprung. Readers, raveous for more Grace and Daniel, will be itching to sink their teeth into The Lost Saint.


M​y Thoughts: The Dark Divine was one of my favorite books of 2009, so you can imagine how excited I was to read The Lost Saint. And, quite honestly, it went above my expectations.

The Lost Saint is like many other 2nd-in-a-trilogy books in that it develops the characters and leaves behind much of the intense romance that just flows along nicely. For someone, like me, who lives for the heartbreaking romantic scenes, this can be bad. But, Despain did a great job of turning The Lost Saint into much more than a romance story and still keeping the romance-lovers happy.

I love how the characters evolved in this story. Grace is not the perfect pastor's daughter anymore and Daniel isn't some tortured soul that thinks he's not good enough. The range of supporting characters grows as well. The plot also takes a few turns that I definitely did not see coming and I loved it.

The Lost Saint adds so much to the tale of Grace and Daniel. Fans of The Dark Divine are sure to love it. I can't wait for the final installment!

I've included the book trailer below. I'm not usually into book trailers but this one is outstanding. If you aren't excited for The Lost Saint yet, this is sure to get you there!

Siren by Tricia Rayburn

T​itle: Siren

​Author: Tricia Rayburn

Publisher: Egmont USA

Summary: Seventeen-year-old Vanessa Sands is afraid of everything--the dark, heights, the ocean--but her fearless older sister, Justine, has always been there to coach her through every challenge. That is until Justine goes cliff diving one night near the family's vacation house in Winter Harbor, Maine, and her lifeless body washes up on shore the next day.

Vanessa's parents want to work through the tragedy by returning to their everyday lives back in Boston, but Vanessa can't help feeling that her sister's death was more than an accident. After discovering that Justine never applied to colleges, and that she was secretly in a relationship with longtime family friend Caleb Carmichael, Vanessa returns to Winter Harbor to seek some answers.

But when Vanessa learns that Caleb has been missing since Justine's death, she and Caleb's older brother, Simon, join forces to try to find him, and in the process, their childhood friendship blossoms into something more.
Soon it's not just Vanessa who is afraid. All of Winter Harbor is abuzz with anxiety when another body washes ashore, and panic sets in when the small town becomes home to a string of fatal, water-related accidents . . . in which all the victims are found grinning from ear to ear.

As Vanessa and Simon probe further into the connections between Justine's death and the sudden rash of creepy drownings, Vanessa uncovers a secret that threatens her new romance, and that will change her life forever.

My Thoughts: This was the first book I read by Tricia Rayburn and the first book I've ever read about sirens and I must admit, I was pleasantly surprised. I had high expectations going into this book and thought I knew what to expect but what I got was something completely different. Something unique with a lot of potential.

I loved the world that was built. It was the perfect book to read when it was snowing and I was dreaming of summer. I could easily picture the town and the places that the characters went, especially the one diner. I also loved how the truth about the sirens came out and all of the quirky things connected to that were revealed.

Unfortunately, I couldn't really connect with the characters. I couldn't feel the emotion coming through, even in some of the more emotional scenes. I felt like we only get a slight glimpse into the characters. I could never figure out why Vanessa felt so attached the Simon and because of that, their relationship fell flat.

However, this is the first in a series and I think that as the series continues, the characters will become more and more alive. I feel like this could develop into a series that everyone is excited for and I can't wait to read more by Rayburn!

The Cinderella Society by Kay Cassidy

Title: The Cinderella Society
Author: Kay Cassidy
Publisher: Egmont
Rating: 9/10

Summary: Sixteen-year-old Jess Parker survives by staying invisible. After nine schools in ten years, she's come to terms with life as a perpetual new girl, neither popular nor outcast. At Mt. Sterling High, Jess gets the chance of a lifetime: an invitation to join The Cinderella Society, a secret club of the most popular girls in school, where makeovers are the first order of official business. But there's more to being a Cindy than just reinventing yourself from the outside, a concept lost on Jess as she dives tiara-first into creating a hot new look.

With a date with her popular crush and a chance to finally fit in, Jess's life seems to be a perfect fairy tale. That is until the Wickeds—led by Jess's archenemy—begin targeting innocent girls in their war against the Cindys, and Jess discovers her new sisterhood is about much more than who rules Mt. Sterling High School. It's a centuries-old battle of good vs. evil, and the Cindys need Jess on special assignment. But when the mission threatens to destroy her new dream life, Jess is forced to choose between this dream realized and honoring the Sisterhood. What's a girl to do when the glass slipper fits, but she doesn't want to wear it anymore?

My Thoughts: The Cinderella Society is one of the most original books I've read. At first, I was a little unsure about it because I've never been a fan of sororities and the Cindys are basically a highschool sorority. However, the more I read, the more I fell in love. I would love to have the opportunity to be in a group like that.

Jess is a character that I think most teenage girls will be able to relate to. She's definitely a girly character but she has a strong personality. You'll find parts of yourself and others in the supporting characters, both the good and bad ones.

I also love how Cassidy added elements about each character's lives that weren't necessarily happy but managed to still keep the book uplifting and light.

Overall, I highly recommend The Cinderella Society, especially for those that need a girl-power boost. I look forward to any future books by Kay Cassidy, whether in this series or not.