Honey, Baby, Sweetheart by Deb Caletti

Being known as the "Quiet Girl" or the girl who reads has been Ruby McQueen's life. It didn't happen normally - there were certain...embarrassing events that happened to make Ruby quiet and observant, rather than the popular, loud girl.

But at the beginning of summer, something changed. Ruby met Travis Becker, bad-boy, motorcycling, adrenaline junkie.

And Travis wanted to hangout with Ruby because she acted like a different person around Travis. She was adventurous, smart alecky, and rebellious. Travis was infatuated with her and put her in situations that Ruby was not used to.

However, when Travis puts Ruby in a situation where she is betraying a friend, Ruby stops to consider what she is doing.

She tells her mom what's been going on, and her mother takes her to the book club at the library she works at.

With the random group of old ladies and men reading a romantic suspense/love story, Ruby tries to find her way back to the real Ruby, not the Ruby that Travis brings out.

Add some adventure, stealing, get away car action and this novel will take you on the ride with Ruby that seems so extreme, you'll wonder if you made up the story by the time you've finished!

My Thoughts/Reflections
This was an interesting novel. It wasn't what I was expecting. Quiet girl, librarian mother, bad-boy love interest.

But the bad-boy is really bad, not the "bad on the outside, but good on the inside" like other novels I've read.

Ruby is trying to find her place in life, and she thought a little adventure during the summer was what she needed. That was before she met Travis though.

One thing that I'm not good at as a reader is reading narrative. I love dialogue, and seeing huge paragraphs with no talking makes my eyes glaze over.

Which is what happened in this book. Ruby reflected a lot. And she went on tangents about random things before getting back to the topic at hand.

Needless to say, it took me awhile to get through this book that I thought I would fly through.

I'm not saying it was bad. Or that I didn't like the author. I actually loved Deb Caletti's novel, The Fortunes of Indigo Skye. I just had a hard time sticking with this book during long periods of time.

This would be a great book for teen girls who are lost in life or who have a crush on a boy they should not be liking. It also has some adventure, risk-taking events that will make the reader laugh and enjoy.

This isn't my first recommendation for other readers, but it is a nice story that will keep some readers entertained for a summer reading.

Black Heart by Holly Black

This is the third book in The Curse Worker series by Holly Black.

Here is my review of the first book: White Cat.

Here is my review of the second book: Red Glove.

After forcing his brother into working with the government, Cassel is now training with Barron during the time he has off from school.

Since he has nothing better to do, right?

When the government needs Cassel's curse magic, though, Cassel has to make a decision. Work for the Feds, or they will find his mother and put her in prison again for another con she pulled - this time with a politician.

Since Cassel really had no choice, he's doing a job that seems very familiar to a job he would have done with the mob. So in reality, both sides of the coin are pretty much the same thing, only one thinks they are doing "good".

Along with the governmental issues Cassel has, he is also heartbroken by the way things went with Lila. The curse his mother put on her has finally gone away, but now she's angry at Cassel and has been ignoring him.

Things are also going badly for his roommate, Sam, and his girlfriend, creating chaos for both Sam and Cassel that is keeping them distracted from other things.

And since Cassel never seems to get a break, a girl from his school came to him for help because someone is blackmailing her. Only he gets a strange vibe from her, knowing she is lying but not knowing what about.

When Cassel and Lila finally talk about their feelings and find out that the love each other, Cassel has a decision to make. Will he stay with the Feds, on the "good" side, or will he go with Lila, the love of his life?

And, because this is Cassel, he'll also have to get himself out of a mess he created with another con act.

My Thought/Reflections
Another great novel in The Curse Workers series, and a great ending! There was more con acts to follow, more mystery to unfold, and enough romance to keep the reader engaged in this continued story.

I really was very happy with this ending. I don't want to give too much away, but Cassel finally opened his eyes to what he really wanted and forgot about everything else, which is what a teenager should do every once in awhile.

The thing that I loved about this series is Cassel. He was the main character, the main narrator, and it was nice and different to get a guys perspective in a novel rather than a female.

I think that this would be a great book for guys. I just wish that the covers were more appealing to guy readers - maybe show Cassel do a con act, or a "mysterious" vibe to the cover that might get more guys to pick up these novels.

I'm also really happy that while there was a romantic story included, it wasn't the story itself. There was magic, mobs, government, politics - events that happen in the "real" world and what grown ups usually deal with.

Only Cassel was stuck in the grown up world.

I really enjoyed this story and will be finding out if there is more to come or if this is the end to Holly Black's series.

If it's the ending, I'd call myself a happy camper. If there is more, I will definitely be picking up the next novel ready to delve into Cassel's next adventure, because I'm sure his life will never be boring haha.

Red Glove by Holly Black

This is the second book in The Curse Workers series by Holly Black.

To read the review of the first novel, click here: White Cat.

Cassel is starting his senior year at his preparatory school, but things are very different than last semester. First, his roommate and his girlfriend know Cassel is a curse worker, though they don't know what kind yet.

Second, the girl Cassel loves, Lila, was worked by his mother to fall in love with Cassel. Now that she's at his school, he can't ignore her as much, and resisting her is becoming harder and harder.

When Cassel is confronted by two FBI agents informing him that his oldest brother, Phillip was murdered, Cassel finds himself in a very compromising situation.

Zacharov, the crime boss and Lila's father, wants Cassel to use his curse magic for him. The FBI wants Cassel to be a part of a team for the government.

And Cassel? He just wants Lila not to be cursed to love him and to get through his senior year in school.

However, the FBI gave him an ultimatum: find out who killed his brother, and the killer of unsolved cases Phillip was working on, or they will frame his mother since she's been working older, elite men since she got out of prison.

But when Cassel finds out who killed the men of the unsolved cases and finds out who Phillip's killer is, he has to pull out all of his con abilities to protect those two people.

Once again, Cassel will need to use the tricks and tools he's grown up with to get everyone out of trouble. Hopefully his luck stays with him throughout this investigation.

My Thoughts/Reflections
Now that I've been introduced to Holly Black's world in the Curse Worker realm, I really enjoyed this novel!

Cassel is stuck in so many worlds and so many lies, I don't know how he can keep them all straight! I also love how he comes up with his cons and how detailed he is before he reveals his story to anyone. That is a great gift; conniving, but great!

I had to chuckle when reading about Cassel and Lila. I know it's not funny, having a girl be forced to love you because of a curse, but the intense work he put into avoiding her did nothing to stop the attraction between the two.

This was a great novel and a great addition to add to the first novel of the series. I also liked how Cassel started to trust more people with the real truth, and not the version that he decided to give to his friends and associates.

Being part of so many circles can be a burden to one person, but Cassel managed it throughout this novel and I was very impressed with how much his character had grown.

I'm anxiously waiting to read the third, and final, book in this series to see what is in store for Cassel at the end.

White Cat by Holly Black

This is the first novel in The Curse Workers series by Holly Black.

Cassel is the youngest brother in a very well-known Curse Worker family. Unfortunately, Cassel doesn't have his own curse.

With just the touch of their hand/finger, any curse worker can make the person they touch do whatever their ability is: change their emotion, break bones, make them become lucky, etc.

The magic of the curse worker is illegal, making all curse workers turn to con artist events or go to the mob to work.

Cassel, as not having any powers, has still lead a life of a con artist. At his prep school he is a bookie, taking bets of silly random events that students want to bet against. Cassel can also con his way out of anything - he knows the tricks to lie very easily and to stay undetected when needed.

But when Cassel sleepwalks and is forced to leave the school until a doctor says his sleepwalking is under control, Cassel is forced home to live with his older brother, Phillip. Soon, his other brother Barron comes home but things seem very weird between the two of them.

Around the same time as his sleepwalking started, Cassel also had a dream about a white cat who needed his help with a curse. That didn't make any sense, though, since Cassel doesn't have curse worker magic.

When the cat comes to Cassel in real life, though, Cassel knows there is something going on - something bad. And there is also a very big secret that involves the white cat, his brothers, and an old friend named Lila.

Hopefully Cassel's con abilities will get him out of this problem.

My Thoughts/Reflections
I love Holly Black. I've read all of her books and have enjoyed them, and this book is no different.

I will admit, it did take me awhile to get into this story. I put it down a couple of times but I didn't give up because a lot of my friends really enjoyed it.

And in the end, I'm very glad that I kept with it! The world that Holly Black created is somewhat hard to grasp at first, but once everything clicks, the story goes really fast and the reader is racing through the ending along with Cassel.

I think this book could interested anyone - especially because it is a male narrator so it might draw attention to guy readers as well.

There is a lot going on in this novel but the main theme is magic and crime. The curse workers are forced into crime because they are not trusted by normal/non-curse workers and they need to make money to live.

Now that I've gotten a handle on the atmosphere and the "rules" of this book, I'm very excited to read the second book in this series!

Bound by Guilt by C. J. Darlington

Roxi Gold

A 16-year-old teenager who has been parentless since she was 8. Her mother was a drug addict when Roxi lived with her and then was a charge of the state when social workers found out that Marie, her mother, had a serious addiction.

Now Roxi is living with distant relatives after horrible foster family situations. However, as well as living with family can be, Roxi is part of the "family business" where her aunt, cousin, and her steal rare and expensive books to sell online to make money.

Abby Dawson
A 41-year-old cop who lives alone and tries to contact her 16-year-old daughter, Kat, but finds that her daughter doesn't want anything to do with the woman who birthed her finds out that her younger brother was murdered in his bookstore.

Abby just got suspended from her detective work for 2 weeks and then had to deal with the details of her brother's death, making Abby act rashly and not at all like the cop she has been for the last 18 years of service.

Roxi and Abby
Even though Roxi and Abby don't realize it, they are connected after the accidental murder of Hunter Dawson: one running away from the horrible incident and the other running to find the murderer and close the case.

The hardships Roxi goes through during this novel show how not every teenager is blessed with a family, a roof over their head, or someone to lean on when times are tough. Abby's life is bleak and lonesome after she takes a hard look at what's happened with her family and her estranged daughter who she doesn't know anymore.

This novel shows the destitution and unhappiness that can occur, but how far some are willing to go to have the life they deserve and the life they want to happen for themselves.

I would recommend this novel. It might be a little slow reading, but the reader can feel the emotions that the two main characters feel throughout the story. Also, it's about books, rare books, and I couldn't pass up a story revolving around my favorite pastime hobby :-)

The Book Thief

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2005. 552 pages.

     1. A succinct evaluative annotation. Plot: [Conflict] Death is narrating this novel about a girl named Liesel Meminger who lived in Germany during Hitler’s rising. She is also known as the book thief as she steals books throughout her childhood, wanting to learn to read. [Rising Action] As the war goes south for Hilter’s side, Liesel’s life is turned upside down, but she resorts to stealing books to get a sense of life back. [Climax] Liesel’s town gets bombed and everyone on 4 different streets dies. Everyone that Liesel has come to love and respect for the last 4 years is gone and Liesel is the only one left alive. She was writing her own book in the basement when the bombing happened, keeping her safe from the bomb. [Falling Action] Liesel lives with the mayor and his wife after the bombing, remembering everything that happened and still using books as her life line. [Resolution] Death finally comes for Liesel – many, many years down the road, where Liesel waits for Death and finds out that the book Liesel wrote in the basement when she was 14 was with Death, who read her story over and over. Theme: The themes in this novel include death, war, afraid, survival, reading, and trying to find ways to live through the days during the war. Tone: The tone of this book is very solemn and always afraid. There is a war going on throughout Liesel’s childhood and she had to grown up being scared all of the time. Style: The author’s writing style was very different. He had Death narrate the novel, following the story that Liesel wrote when she was 14 and retelling her story with some tidbits of Death’s own life. Characterizations: Death is very serious, but also puts a tad of humor during parts of the novel. Parts that he deemed worth talking about. Liesel is a strong, curious, and ambitious girl. She wanted to learn to read and reading became a passion for her. She was able to help others during the hard time because of her love for reading – and reading also saved her life in the end. Readability: This is a little difficult to read – one needs to take their time and really think about what the author is saying throughout the novel. It’s a great read – it just takes time and thoughtfulness.

2. My reactions to the book. This book is amazing. It is a slow read book – one has to be very dedicated to come back and read this book, but it is definitely worth it. The biggest strength of this book is the emotion – the reader can tell what the emotion of the book is and see how the events occurred. One of the weaknesses, though, is how it was written. After awhile, the way it’s written won’t matter because the reader gets used to it, but at first, it’s very difficult. Death narrates numerous characters’ lives and the reader has to be able to keep up with the changes. As for accuracy, I think the content was very accurate when it came to the current events of what happened during the war when Hitler was ruling Germany.

3. Comment on the cover art. The cover art is not what one would expect when reading the title of the book. Honestly, the cover is what kept me away from reading this book earlier because it just didn’t look that interesting. After reading the book, though, I can see one meaning that can go with the cover: suspense/waiting for the inevitable. That domino is going to crash into the other ones, destroying all of that work, just like the contents of the novel do.