Book Review: The Sisters Grimm

The Sisters Grimm is a 9 book series written by Micheal Buckley where the leading protagonists Sabrina and Daphne Grimm move to Ferry Port Landing with their Grandma that was said to be dead, after their parents disappeared mysteriously from their home in New York. They soon find out that Ferry Port Landing isn't as ordinary as it seems with the fairy-tale characters trapped in the town by Sabrina and Daphne's ancestors,  the Grimm Brothers. (Kinda like Once Upon a Time, but not really) Sabrina and Daphne soon join the family business and become fairy tale detectives. With the help of Granny Relda, Mr. Canis, Puck, and Elvis their  Great Dane, they solve mysteries and work to bring down the elusive Scarlet Hand.
 I looooooooooooooooooooooooove this series. Every book is just as amazing as the next. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good series.

Book Review: Austenland by Shannon Hale

Austenland is a lovely-and pretty dang hilarious- Jane Austen fan-fiction novel. I would recommend it for thirteen and older (for a few kissing scenes and some references). I loved this book! Also, read the sequel, Midnight in Austenland.

Jane Hayes is entirely given up on men...except for Mr. Darcy, played by Colin Firth (see Movie Review: Pride and Prejudice), whom she secretly wishes could be a reality. She's sure her obsession is unhealthy, but then her late Aunt Carolyn (who had recently found her stash of Pride and Prejudice DVD's) leaves a special vacation in her will. A trip to Pembrook Park, a destination that totally immerses its visitors in an Austen-esque story for two weeks. She thinks it's all a fake story with fake actors and a remedy for her Darcy-mania, or is it?
Shannon Hale has truly done it again in this adorable tale fit for the Austen-lover!
I would at least read Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice first (see review on this blog) or watch one of the movies (see other review, also on this blog).

Book Review: Heidi by Johanna Spyri

        Heidi is a charming classic tale of, yes, Heidi, a young orphan girl with no stable place to belong to. This all changes when her Aunt Detie delivers her to her gruff grandfather (who everyone calls Uncle Alp) to live with him on a mountainside in the Swiss Alps. He had a frightening reputation, but Heidi knew better. She discovers a beautiful natural world on the mountainside, making friends and discoveries and wondering, dreaming, and adoring everything. This footloose and fancy-free life is altered when Aunt Detie comes to get her and take her to live with a family in Frankfurt, as a playmate for a twelve-year-old invalid named Clara. It is here that Heidi realizes how rare-and special- God's blessing of home is.

This book was enchanting and especially cute; I recommend this to anyone. Five stars!

Book Review: Cycles by Lois D. Brown

           Cycles is impressive. Its plot entangles you and keeps you there past the back cover; Lois D. Brown is a living legend.

Renee Beaumont is about to die....again.
That is the slogan for this teen urban-fantasy. This book is unexpected. It's intense. It's...incredible!

Renee has weird flashbacks, her next-door neighbor has samples of her blood for no apparent reason whatsoever, and, even worse, her parents have a dark, dark secret that could very well decide Renee's fate.
 Any more explanation of this thrilling novel will completely and totally spoil its dynamic plot for you. Anyway, this novel is probably grade-school appropriate for sci-fi action. Five stars! Five freaking stars!!!!!!!!!!!!
(Check out its equally amazing sequel, Spaces)

Book Review: The Fablehaven series

In this terrific series by author Brandon Mull, join Kendra and Seth as they embark on a journey that depends on the fate of the world, beginning when their parents go on a two-month cruise (please excuse my accuracy; it's been a while since I read it) and they stay at their grandparent's house. Slowly they begin to realize that this is no ordinary home! Magical creatures inhabit the forests around the yard. In order to protect this magical sanctuary (and the world) they must make sacrifices and face betrayal by loved ones.

Four and 1/2 stars. Just to let you know, the second and fourth one are the best. :)
Okay for kids 8+. Kind of violent, lots of death, and kind of hard to read. It uses lots of big words:)

Book Review: The Percy Jackson and the Olympians series

This is one of my most favorite series I have ever read! Join Percy Jackson and friends on an amazing adventure to avenge the world from the evil Titans (In case you didn't know, these are the peeps before the Greek gods). I would recommend this book to history lovers, mythology nerds, obsessive people, people who need a good laugh, anyone who likes to read AT ALL. This book will satisfy anyone. It sure kept me up all night! Enjoy!

Ok for kids 9+ (for constant violence)
And this is my first review! Yay me!
The heroes of Olympus series is a follow up series, in case you were wondering. :)

Book Review: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

This sophisticated classic about love and first impressions made me smile. Even though you kind of have to interpret the old English language Jane Austen so artfully uses, when you do the romance is so delightfully clear. Fretful and excited Mrs. Bennet is so worked up and determined to marry each of her daughters off to rich men. Rumor has it that a wealthy young man named Mr. Bingley has moved in across the village, and Mrs. Bennet jumps at the opportunity when her eldest, Jane, is invited. This quickly turns into a romance, and then the real attraction starts- merely by chance. When Jane falls ill at Netherfield, Bingely's mansion, young and attractive Elizabeth Bennet goes to take care of her, catching the eye of antisocial Mr. Darcy. She hates him, he thinks her "tolerable, but not handsome enough" but that quickly changes when his love for this beautiful young woman grows. She finds even more ways to hate him- when he professes his love she couldn't care less- but romance quickly sparks in this amazing and world-renowned piece of literature. I loved the story, and I know
you will too. I strongly recommend it. Five stars!
Oh, and several movie versions of this wonderful story have been made. I watched the one with Keira Knightley and Matthew McFayden, and it was charming.

Don't be a Mr. Collins! Read it!

Book Review: Princess for Hire by Lindsey Leavitt

Loved it! This story focuses on Desi Bascomb, normal teenager from Sproutville, Idaho, who has a love for old movies. She doesn't feel special. She doesn't feel like she has anything to be confident about, when all of a sudden, from a bubble, comes Meredith, her "agent." Meredith works for Façade, a Princess Substitute agency. She's whisked off to get the job every girl would die to have- transforming into princesses using magical Royal Rouge. But is Façade all it's cracked up to be? Read this fun, modern teen fairytale to find out. This book is funny, sweet, and a must-read for girls of all ages. I give this one five stars!

Book Review: The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan

This, I must say, is my favorite book. The reunion of my favorite fictional couple EVER- Percy Jackson and Annabeth- is amazing. WARNING: Percabeth fans will cry with joy. Everyone joins forces. That's right- Percy, Annabeth, Leo, Hazel, Piper, Frank, and Jason- the Seven- will join forces, go to the ancient lands, find the answer to prophecy, save someone very special in particular- and, yes, follow the Mark of Athena. I won't spoil anything, but it leaves you at a GIGANTIC cliffhanger. And we have to wait until OCTOBER 2013 to find out what happens! I am definitely pre-ordering it on my Kindle. Anyway, ten stars for this one. :)

Book Review: The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

YES! YES YES YES YES YES! Percy finally appears in this second installment of the Heroes of Olympus, when he carries Juno (Hera's roman form, disguised as a hippie lady in Berkeley) across a California highway and into a Roman camp for demigods. All he remembers is a name: Annabeth. Annabeth Chase. (Ikr- couldn't you just die!) They make him praetor, filling in for some guy named Jason Grace. He meets Hazel Levesque and Frank Zhang, Roman demigods, in a quest to fight Gaea (mother of all gods- Earth herself- stirring and ready to start a war). Meanwhile, Leo, Annabeth, Jason, and Piper figure out a way to get to Percy. This book was bursting with reveals, witty, smart, sad, and at times very funny. This is definitely a must-read for Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus fans. Five Stars.

Book Review: The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

I love Percy Jackson. It mildly bothered me that he wasn't in this one, because he's such a great character and my central focus when I read these awesome books. Plus, you hardly saw any of Annabeth. It was a good break, though, with fresh new characters beginning to fulfill the Prophecy of the Seven. This story focuses mainly on three characters: Piper McLean, Leo Valdez, and Jason Grace. Jason wakes up on a bus one day with a girl, Piper, and a guy named Leo. Everyone is saying that Piper's his girlfriend and Leo's his best friend, but he doesn't remember anything. They find out they're demigods- and get this, some guy named Percy Jackson is missing from Camp Half Blood. This book mixes both sides- Greek and Roman mythology- and provides intriguing backstory. It's a fresh start to the trilogy, even though Percy doesn't appear at all. It definitely leaves you wondering.
Four and a half stars!

Book Review: Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

Inkheart is indescribable. It's a mysterious fantasy, with plenty of action. "Bookdoctor" Mortimer Folchart and his daughter Meggie have a seemingly normal life. Sure, she's hardly ever at school and travels all over with Mo for book-fixing visits, but it's her life. It's suddenly different when a mysterious man named Dustfinger shows up, talking about names and creepy things that Meggie doesn't understand. Mo's keeping secrets, and he's never kept secrets. So what's up? This book opens into an entire trilogy, unlocking the mysteries. I liked it. Four and a half stars!

Book Review: The Total Tragedy of a Girl named Hamlet by Erin Dionne

This is a lovable comedy about Hamlet, a girl whose parents are obviously obsessed with Shakespeare. She has to live in the shadow of her seven-year-old sister Desdemona, who has recently started high school with Hamlet. If that isn't enough, her parents dress in full Shakespearean costume and speak like 16th century royalty. Hamlet's life is anything but normal! But maybe, just maybe, she doesn't have to be embarrassed. She finds that she can be her own person- she doesn't have to be known by the antics of the people she loves. Read it to find out what happens! This book is hilarious and heartwarming. It's good- I bet you'd like it! Five stars!

Book Review: Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey Leavitt

Love. Love. Love. Love. Love. Love. Love. This. Book. So. Freaking. Much.
This book is by one of my favorite authors, and I loved it even more than expected! This book follows Peyton Gritas, a mild-mannered, studious girl with a seemingly mediocre life. Everything changes when she finds out horrific news: her dad has Multiple Schlerosis, a crippling disease. Peyton hesitantly visits her school counselor, who gives her an assignment: find a single object and keep a Focus Journal about it for several weeks. After searching and searching, she finally picks one: the blond head of Sean Griswold, the boy who sits in front of her in Biology. This novel is serious at times, humorous at times, and romantic all the way. It gives the message of being driven, inspired, and determined.
Besides being an adorable romance. Five stars!

Book Review: A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban

This book is adorable. I'd been eying it for years, and got it at a writing conference. I loved it! It sheds light on the life of ten-year-old Zoe, who's always had the dream to play the piano, play at Carnegie Hall, and wear a tiara and ballgown somewhere in the process. But no- her socially awkward father accidentally buys her an organ instead- namely the Perfectone D-60. The opposite of elegant. It's no Carnegie Hall instrument. Instead, included in the purchase of the Perfectone D-60, are complimentary lessons from Mabelline Person, an instructor who knows exactly what she's doing. And there aren't recitals; there's Perform-O-Rama, where everyone sits in metal folding chairs and listen to you play Hits From the Seventies. But maybe it's a blessing in disguise-she finds a talent and an unexpected friend. So, in conclusion, this is a very cute, very enjoyable book that I'm glad I read. Four and a half stars.

Book Review: Rapunzel Untangled by Cindy C. Bennett

I recently borrowed this awesome book from a close friend, and am now strongly tempted to buy it for myself. A fantastic modern retelling of a classic fairytale, this book was romantic, sweet, funny, and at times very intense. Teenage Rapunzel has lived contained in three rooms her entire life, seeing only her mother in person, told she has a disease called SCID's and that any interaction with the outside world or other people would kill her. She buys this story until one day, near her eighteenth birthday, she ventures into uncharted territory: Facebook. Unsure of anything as to this mysterious website, she stumbles upon the profile of "Fab" Fane Flannigan, a cool guy with a rebellious twinge, dripping with humor and swagger. Visit upon visit with Fane finally give Rapunzel the curiosity to ask herself: What if everything I've been told-about my self, about my world- a lie?
This novel is gripping, tear-jerking, romantic beyond comparison, and I think every teen- and adult-should read it. Trust me- you won't be able to put it down. Five stars!