Rockoholic by C.J. Skuse

Jackson is the love of Jody's life. The only problem? Jackson is the lead singer for a very popular band and hasn't the foggiest idea of who Jody is.

But she is going to change all of that when she goes to his concert and they will have a "moment" where he will look into her eyes and know that she is the one for him.

Yeah... except that she ACTUALLY gets a concussion, wakes up behind stage waiting to go to the hospital, and misses all but 3 of the songs Jackson performed. It wasn't the moment she was looking forward to.

However, Jackson comes back stage! Jody thinks it's for her, but really he just wanted to get away from the crowds. He also wasn't looking so well, so Jody offered him a chocolate bar.

Jackson, however, thinks it's a knife and says he will do whatever she wants. So she kidnaps him and takes him back to her house, with the reluctant assistance of her best friend, Mac.

Now Jody has a famous rockstar in her garage, and it's not the picnic and roses she thought it would be. Honestly, she just wanted to get to know Jackson, because she feels like she knows him already with her previous obsession.

Turns out that Jackson is the opposite of what he tells the public. Jody has no idea what to do with him, especially because he is addicted to pills that he no longer has and is now going cold turkey to get the drugs out of his system.

Taking care of a spoiled rockstar is not an ideal job, and Jody has to get to know the REAL Jackson. Thankfully, Mac is helping her when he can, even though Jody can tell he'd rather turn Jackson to the police and get him off his hands.

When the media gets very close to finding out where Jackson might be, Jody has to figure out what to do. Let Jackson leave the country? Take him back to his band so he can go on his American tour? And when he does leave, will Jody go with him, or stay in her small town with her family and Mac? Read Rockoholic by C.J. Skuse to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
This was an interesting read on many levels.

First, I didn't realize it was in a different country! And I really enjoyed that difference because the language was spot on (at least I think so) and it was unique for me since I haven't read many YA books that were out of the U.S. culture.

Also, Knockturn Alley was mentioned which made me think of Harry Potter. Every. Time!

Secondly, the author wasn't afraid to write about drugs and suicide stories - which is realistic since it had a band member and many are known for dabbling in pills for performance anxiety.

And third, Jody. She was different. She was a groupie, loved Jackson, and wanted to marry him. A true groupie - people who I don't really connect with since I don't listen to a lot of music or gush too hard core over celebrities.

So it's safe to say that I was intrigued by this book because I didn't relate to a big majority of it.

There were some parts that annoyed me, especially in the beginning when ALL Jody could talk about was Jackson this and Jackson that. I don't know how Mac could hang around her that often when that's all that would come out of her mouth.

The best part about this novel for me was Cree. Cree is Mac's 2 year old sister and she is an adorable mess. She made me laugh and cry. Actually, I loved Mac too. Eighteen and working for his parents, he's basically another parent to Cree and he's also the lead in the play The Rocky Horror Show, where he gets to dress in drag and do what he loves best: act and sing.

So overall, this was a cute story that introduced me to many new topics. I wouldn't say it was the best book out there and that I'll read it again next week, but I did enjoy it. For anyone who wants to read about music/concerts and has a setting in another country, I would strongly recommend this novel to you.

Also, this is the author's second novel, and I'm interested in her first one as well, Pretty Bad Things. I may have to look into it and see how she wrote that one compared to this novel!

Cold Fury by T.M. Goeglein

All Sara Jane Rispoli can think about is that in 2 years she'll be able to go to Rome, Italy after graduating and finally see the place of her heritage.

That was the only thing worth being concerned about.

Until Sara Jane came home one day to find that her mom, dad, and younger brother were kidnapped from their house and a guy in a ski mask was there to get Sara Jane.

Thankfully, Sara Jane has been boxing for 10 years - since she was 6 years old. She knows how to defend herself. So after getting away from the Ski Mask Guy, she goes to her boxing coach.

And then Sara Jane realizes that she has been ignorant of her real family history. What she once thought of as her family's baking industry was really just a cover up for being part of the Outfit, an underground mafia where each family has a "front" business to the public to keep from getting caught by the government.

The reason her family is part of the mafia is because they have ghiaccio furioso - cold fury. When a Rispoli has ice blue eyes, they can get the gene of having cold fury. Sara Jane got that gene, even though most Rispoli's previously were male, so no one expects her to have it.

When Sara Jane gets extremely angry, she feels a blue fire inside of her that calms her in intense situations and heightens her reflexes. It also, when staring at another person directly through the eyes, will paralyze the other person with so much fear that they will agree to anything to get away from their gaze. That's cold fury.

Now Sara Jane has to use any and every force possible to find her family. And she will stop at nothing to find them. Will she become the next big Rispoli in the Outfit mafia to save her family? Will she find them in time before it's too late? Read Cold Fury by T.M. Goeglein to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
Wow. I knew going in that I would like this novel, but it surpassed what I thought it was about.

The thing that I loved most was that Sara Jane was no damsel in distress. She is a boxer - she knows how to fight and to take care of herself, not needing a family member or a male to look out for her.

I also really liked Sara Jane. Most girls in her situation would have ran away scared or wouldn't know what to do with herself, but Sara Jane really delved into her family's history and was smart enough to find clues to hidden passage ways and figure out how to use the Outfit mafia for her own personal use.

There were some places where I glimpsed through, especially the detailed information about Sara Jane's ancestors and how the Outfit was created, but it was information that was needed to explain what Sara Jane was learning.

The fighting scenes were really well written and I loved how Sara Jane took punches along with giving them.

Also, there wasn't too much romance in this novel. There were ideas of romance, but the farthest Sara Jane got to a boy besides knocking him out was holding hands - that's it.

Because of that, I think that guy readers would like this novel. Tons of fighting, the mafia, and racing around Chicago in fast cars - what's not to like?

I would definitely recommend this to any reader. It is the first in a series, although I'm not sure what #2's title is or when it will be released. I will be watching out for it, though, and pick it up when it comes out!

Blue is for Nightmares by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Blue is for Nightmares - #1 in the Blue is for Nightmare series by Laurie Faria Stolarz. 

Stacey has just started her junior year at her boarding school. She's having a tough time right off the bat, though. At night, Stacey has nightmares. Nightmares about her best friend and roommate, Drea.

In the nightmares, someone is trying to kill Drea. For any normal person, this would be just a nightmare.

But not for Stacey. She had these nightmares 3 years ago, with a little girl that she babysat. Stacey didn't think anything of it, didn't tell anyone, and the little girl was murdered, just the way Stacey saw in her nightmares.

Now that it's happening again, Stacey is not going to make the same mistake twice. She's protecting Drea with her magic. Stacey is a witch and she does spells to understand what she is supposed to do.

What really makes Stacey believe this is real is Drea has a "secret admirer" (or stalker) who calls her room and talks to Drea. Drea doesn't know his name, but keeps the conversation going night after night, making her caller keep calling back for more.

On top of all of this nightmares and murderer events, Stacey has a normal girl problem. Chad. She's had a crush on him for years. Unfortunately, Chad is Drea's ex, who they usually have a relationship with an on and off switch.

As much as Stacey likes Chad, she won't ruin her friendship with Drea. But as the nightmares get worse and the stalker gets angry, Stacey is not sure who the mystery man is... It might even be Chad, so Stacey is on high alert, watching out for mysterious men on campus, keeping an eye on Drea, and trying to juggle school.

Will Stacey find out who the killer is in time? Or will she lose another friend because she couldn't figure out her nightmares in time?

My Thoughts/Reflections
I've been wanting to read this book for awhile now! This is the first book in a 5 book series, all of which I will be reviewing back to back (or day to day on the blog) so we'll have the whole story to Laurie Faria Stolarz's tale.

I really liked Stacey. I'm not sure how she ever stayed friends with Drea - she was a bit too drama queen for me to handle, but Stacey was able to stand her somehow.

Stacey really had a handle on the magic that she got throughout her family. She had a book, she knew certain spells, and she kept her cool during her nightmares, and when her nightmare became a reality. I would certainly want her on my side of anything ever happened to me!

Stolarz kept the reader guessing throughout the book who the stalker/killer was. I had my guesses just to keep it entertaining, and I was not disappointed by the ending and the revelation of who the stalker/killer was.

I would definitely recommend this book to others! Even guys might enjoy this book as it's about a mystery and Stacey trying to figure out who it is before they get to Drea.

As you can see from the labels I've included at the bottom of this post, there are a lot of topics covered in this book - something for everyone!

And, since the series is complete, there will be no wait to dive into the next book!

Dead to You by Lisa McMann

For 9 years, Ethan has been missing from home. He was abducted right outside of his house when he was 7 and, now, at 16, he is finally coming home.

Only he can't remember anything that happened before the abduction.

Ethan has been on the run for the last year. He happened to see a missing child's website and a "futuristic" photo of himself - the ones where the cops change a photo from when the child was missing to what they should look like today.

After that, Ethan was introduced to his family again: his mother, father, younger brother Blake, and his younger sister, Gracie, who wasn't even born when Ethan was taken.

Everything happened very quickly for Ethan when he was taken home, but he assumed that everything will go back to normal after the initial shock of being back home.

That wasn't the case. There were still some who questioned why Ethan couldn't remember the first 7 years of his life, and there was a lot of tension for Ethan.

However, Ethan was finally in a stable home after years of living on the streets. He got along great with his parents and with Gracie, had a girlfriend he was crazy about, and was actually doing well in school.

Will the tension die down for Ethan? Will he feel completely at home soon? Read Dead to You to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
Wow. This book was filled with intense scenes that sometimes made my jaw drop. I can't imagine finding out that I was kidnapped 9 years ago and being re-introduced to my family who looked for me for years.

I can see why Ethan felt overwhelmed at first.

This book definitely took me by surprise and kept me guessing throughout the novel.

I don't want to say too much and give spoilers, so I'll just say that Lisa McMann wrote a great novel and now I might read her trilogy that I've heard so much about, Wake (Dream Catcher), to see if her other works are this good.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone, and the narrator was a male so it is a good book for teen guys as well as girls.

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

Mackie Doyle is not a normal teenage boy. In fact, he might not even be human, but everyone in his small town, Gentry, kindly avoids any conversation dealing with Mackie's biological background.

See, Mackie replaced a human boy when he was a baby. His older sister, Emma, who was 4, saw Mackie and stayed with him all night, just looking at him and trying to touch him, knowing he wasn't her real brother.

No other "kidnapping" has happened for 7 years, until one day, a classmate of Mackie, Tate, finds her baby sister dead in her crib. Except it's not her sister (Natalie). Instead, it's one of the creatures.

In the town of Gentry, the townspeople pretend nothing happens. They pretend that when their children die at a young age, it is really their children and not a creature from  underground. That's they way it's always been. When Mackie has to go underground for medicine to stay alive, he meets his kinspeople - the creatures he should have grown up with.

The things that make Mackie different from normal, human people is that he has a no tolerance for iron or steel. You could say he's allergic to them and gets a bad reaction, even to blood. Otherwise, Mackie tries to live a normal, human life with his human family.

When Natalie was stolen from her home and Tate was trying to find answers, Mackie decided to try and find out why the creatures take children and where Natalie was. After he found the answers, he had to decide if he should take action, or pretend everything was alright like he usually does.

My Thoughts/Reflections
This is a different novel. I've read paranormal and supernatural books, but this topic is one I've never read before. I liked it. It wasn't my favorite novel, but Brenna Yovanoff created a world where ignorance and oblivion was necessary to survive.

There were times where I yelled at the book, "Just TELL her!! Stop ignoring the problem!" But then there were other times where I cheered on Mackie when he was doing the right thing. I did enjoy the storyline and Mackie's bravery at the end of the novel.

One thing that did frustrate me at first was the nameless group that lives underground - the nameless group that technically Mackie was from. I like having labels so not having a label to call them was a bit disconcerting for me. I got over it though :-)

Overall, I enjoyed this novel. It was different and interesting - another world that I was introduced to from a new author I've never read before. I would recommend this to both teen guys and girls (since it's a guy that was the narrator) and to anyone who feels out of place in school or the small town they live in.

Samurai Girl

A series that was written years ago called Samurai Girl by Carrie Asai, was one of my favorites. It's about a girl named Heaven who was the only survivor from a plane crash when she was only 6 months old. Now, years later, she is being hunted by men who want to marry her for her fortune now that she is of age to be married.

Throughout these 6 novels, we follow Heaven on her journey to learning how to protect herself not only from her want to be suitors but also from people who want her dead because of the image that she presents to her heritage. She learns how to be a Samurai warrior and how to use the elements that are in the title of the books to help protect herself.

I really loved these books and I'm thinking about going back and rereading them, once I figure out where I put them a long time ago!

Stolen

Stolen by Lucy Christopher. New York: Chicken House, 2010. 299 pages.

     1. A succinct evaluative annotation. Plot: [Conflict] Gemma, a 16 year old girl, was kidnapped at an airport in England when traveling to Vietnam with her parents. She was drugged and taken to Australia with a man she didn’t know (named Ty), waking up stranded in the middle of a desert. [Rising Action] She spends every waking moment trying to find a way back home, running away but never actually succeeding. [Climax] Right when Gemma starts to get used to the life she was forced to live with Ty, she gets bitten by a poisonous snake and has to go to a hospital, freeing Gemma from her captivity that Ty forced her in. [Falling Action] Gemma’s psychiatrist tells her to write down her story because she refuses to talk to anyone about her experience when she returns home. [Resolution] At the end of the novel, Gemma has to make a decision about what she’s going to say at court when faced with Ty’s future. Even though Gemma feels that she fell in love with Ty, she is going to tell the truth and send Ty to jail for kidnapping her. Theme: The themes included in this novel are kidnapping, loneliness, survival, understanding, and friendship. Tone: The tone of this novel is very serious: Gemma is surviving against a kidnapper and trying to find a way to run away from him. She is stuck in the middle of the desert with no hope of escaping. Style: The author’s writing style was amazing: she wrote it as if Gemma was writing to Ty in a letter. Instead of using their names and writing in third person like many other novels, this book is written in first person, allowing the reader to get inside of Gemma’s head and see her feelings. Characterizations: Gemma is a survivor. She never gave up trying to escape and go home, she did different tactics to get Ty to change his mind, and she always tried to look toward the future of eventually getting home to her family and friends. Ty is misunderstood – he had a hard, rough life growing up and it made him different than other people. He saw things differently, making his actions wrong according to the governmental rules but right according to himself and his mindset. Readability: It was very addicting and easy to read after the first few pages, once the reader gets used to the first person writing.

2. My reactions to the book. I loved this book. The intense, addicting rollercoaster I went through while reading Gemma’s thoughts and feelings, her experiences that she had to encounter and get through was enthralling. The storyline overall was told amazingly by Lucy Christopher and I think others will enjoy the way she depicted Gemma’s experience in the desert, trying to survive but also trying to understand Ty and his reasons for his actions. There was no note that this was based on any real story, so I can’t say if this novel is accurate in the content talked about.

3. Comment on the cover art. The cover art of this novel is actually pretty plain, but I think it fits this novel. Most of the cover is black, which is how Gemma’s future looks to her throughout most of the novel. But once she comes to understand Ty, there is hope of a future to come, which is where the butterfly comes into play. I’m not sure if many teenagers will pick up this book because of the cover, but once they read the excerpts on the front flap and back cover, I think the cover will have very little part of their decision to read this novel.