Enchanted by Alethea Kontis

Enchanted by Alethea Kontis
Series: Woodcutter Sisters, #1
Source: Bought
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books
Publication Date: May 8, 2012

It isn't easy being the rather overlooked and unhappy youngest sibling to sisters named for the other six days of the week. Sunday’s only comfort is writing stories, although what she writes has a terrible tendency to come true.

When Sunday meets an enchanted frog who asks about her stories, the two become friends. Soon that friendship deepens into something magical. One night Sunday kisses her frog goodbye and leaves, not realizing that her love has transformed him back into Rumbold, the crown prince of Arilland—and a man Sunday’s family despises.

The prince returns to his castle, intent on making Sunday fall in love with him as the man he is, not the frog he was. But Sunday is not so easy to woo. How can she feel such a strange, strong attraction for this prince she barely knows? And what twisted secrets lie hidden in his past - and hers?

I honestly think that I may have waited a bit too long to review Enchanted, but hey. Whatever, right? Anywho, when Enchanted started off, I was really excited about it! Another fairytale retelling, woohoo! But then, well, it became another fairytale retelling. Which...wasn't all that awesome, although this was still an enjoyable story. I liked the take on most fairytales being linked to the same family (they have all kinds linked to them. You don't even know), but I felt like everyone else was most of the story.

There was way too many unneeded details, like how stylish and fancy and whatever some random person's dress was, as well as the fact that the evil godmother that cursed so-and-so was the good godmother's sister who was related to Sunday's mom who was a magical person in her own right...it's like, I don't know. I just felt like I didn't need all of those little connections. It was neat, sure. But it overpowered the story in it's own right.

It almost crossed the line into way weird, but I think it strayed back enough to be alright. But you'd think after all the connections of the fairytales...well, that the story of Sunday and Rumbold would have been cooler. And it was okay, I just...I felt like there was no real reason for it. What use is it finding your soulmate (after losing him) if you don't even recognize his personality/soul? I don't understand, you know?

I liked the spin, and the alternating points of view, but I think that the premise and overall execution could have been better. But it did have a nice, peaceful, resolved ending.

Gone Fishing by Tamera Will Wissinger

Gone Fishing by Tamera Will Wissinger
Series: N/A
Source: Bought
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Publication Date: March 5, 2013

Using a wide variety of poetic forms – quatrains, ballads, iambic meter, rhyming lists, concrete poetry, tercets and free verse –this debut author tells the story of a nine-year-old boy’s day of fishing. Sibling rivalry, the bond between father and son, the excitement – and difficulty -- of fishing all add up to a day of adventure any child would want to experience.

Matthew Cordell illuminates this novel-in-verse throughout with his energetic black-and-white line drawings.

While each poem can be read and enjoyed on its own, the poems work together to create a story arc with conflict, crisis, resolution and character growth.

The back matter of this book equips the reader with a Poet's Tackle Box of tools and definitions for understanding the various poetic forms the author uses in this story.

I thought it would be fun
                                     to write a poetic review of this one
It's not something I usually do,
                                              but I thought that it could be like a gift to you
My poetry really isn't the best,
                                              but you can rest assured that what follows won't be a huge mess.
Gone Fishing was a fun little book,
                                                      a welcome change from my little funk.
It was better than I'd expected it to be,
                                                           something new quite definitely.
Sam and Lucy were oh so sweet
                                                 even if they argued constantly.
Each poem is told through different eyes
                                                             and each and every one has a new disguise.
New fonts and voices, styles galore,
                                                      fun and games, and a whole lot more.
Sadness and pain, anger and forgiveness,
                                                              each is wrapped up like a cute little ribbon.
To tell the truth, it's just a bit of fun,
                                                     and even if you don't read it I'll tell no one.

So, what did you guys think? I'm really not a very good poet, but I tried. ;P

Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky

Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky
Series: Awaken, #1
Source: Traded for
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Publication Date: May 23, 2011

Maddie lives in a world where everything is done on the computer. Whether it’s to go to school or on a date, people don’t venture out of their home. There’s really no need. For the most part, Maddie’s okay with the solitary, digital life—until she meets Justin. Justin likes being with people. He enjoys the physical closeness of face-to-face interactions. People aren’t meant to be alone, he tells her. 

Suddenly, Maddie feels something awakening inside her—a feeling that maybe there is a different, better way to live. But with society and her parents telling her otherwise, Maddie is going to have to learn to stand up for herself if she wants to change the path her life is taking. 

In this not-so-brave new world, two young people struggle to carve out their own space.

My mom gave me an old leather-bound journal for my seventeenth birthday. At first the blank pages surprised me, as if the story inside was lost or had slipped out.

It's getting harder and harder to rate books-- although I liked this one, I can't say that I'm loving it. It had a very interesting premise, but it didn't exactly deliver for me. The idea of a digital school is mostly believable, but I find it hard to believe that no one interacts face to face anymore. So sometimes the idea was a little over the top. Other times, though, I could see how it would happen.

My biggest issue with Awaken was that I couldn't relate to Madeline, our main character. We just didn't mesh. She was so willing to fight DS, but I find it ridiculous that she rebelled when she was fifteen, but then didn't do anything else for years.

But then she starts talking to this guy and she's suddenly all rebellious again. I understand that punishment was huge, but I wish she'd been silently fighting or something. Anything to make it more believable, you know?

Speaking of the guy, I didn't find their romance to be very good. They're "in love" without very much interaction, in my opinion. But not the way you think-- there was no insta-love, but more a slow-building thing in which they really know anything about each other and Justin basically leads her on by being swoony one minute, then the next being away from her for "her own good".

I'm not a fan of that kind of romance. They have chemistry, I'll give them that, but I don't think it's love.

All in all, Awaken was just a normal dystopian for me-- rebellion, controlling government, and no freedom. All with a dash of romance that wasn't exactly anything new.

The Awakening by Marley Gibson

Title: The Awakening
Author: Marley Gibson
Series: Ghost Huntress, #1
Source: Author for Review
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication Date: May 4, 2009
GoodReads||The Book Depository

Get out your tape recorders, crystals, and extra batteries-- you're about to go where our world meets the spirit world.

Psychic Kids, Paranormal State, Haunting Evidence--these and countless other television shows are making believers out of millions of people: Ghosts exist, and they're living right beside us. For centuries, individuals have been trying to prove the existence of ghosts. But without hard evidence, it's been difficult to make the case. But now as science and technology have progressed, ghost hunters have been able to use scientific means, along with more traditional psychic tools, to make their case. Photographs, video recordings, and sound recordings are all producing some amazing results.

In this new series, Ghost Huntress, meet Kendall Moorehead, a seemingly typical teen. When her family moves from Chicago to the small historical town of Radisson, Georgia, her psychic abilities awaken. She's hearing, feeling, and seeing things that seem unbelievable at first, but with the help of the town psychic, Kendall is able to come to terms with her newly emerging gift. So, together with her new BFF, Celia, Kendall forms a ghost hunting team. They've got all the latest technology. They've got Kendall for their psychic. Now they're going to clean up Radisson of its less savory spirits.

The story is fiction. The science is real. Welcome to a new reality.

Honestly, I'm struggling while writing this review. I wrote out an entire one, then I decided that it didn't say what I needed it to. And I need it to say that while I enjoyed The Awakening, it's just not a book that I can see myself reading over and over. Ugh. I don't know how to write this review at all...

It's not that I didn't like The Awakening...I did to a point. But all of my thoughts on this novel totally conflict, and I can't sort through them enough to write a comprehensible review. They all demand to be spoken, so prepare for a long bout of random thoughts.

I like the way that Marley Gibson writes, because it seems so fresh and unique when you're reading it. But I don't truly understand why all of her characters are so very sweet, yet they can all cuss up a pretty good storm. I mean, no F-bombs or anything, but they really can tell you how they're feeling with a few choice words.

The ghost hunting was interesting, but a lot of the time it felt like the scenes were a bit forced. For instance, in one of the scenes near the beginning, Kendall tells someone that all the windows of the place they're investigating have been painted shut since 1970. Later in the book, they contact a spirit who's a bit fiesty...and he OPENS the windows. This is either supposed to show amazing strength on his part, or I'm supposed to forget that those windows were painted shut. Either way, I don't really get it.

Also, Kendall and Jason fall into "like like" a little too quickly for my taste. It honestly seemed like they'd just met, had an argument, then they go on a hunt and BAM. They start kissing at a completely inopportune moment. That just kills it for me. I could have lived without their little hormone/adrenaline filled moment. They were great as friends, so I don't really understand why they had to become more.

As for Kendall's other friends, I did enjoy them, but I felt like all of their interactions and fights and stuff should have been more capitalized on. They fight, then they all make up so quickly that it made my head hurt a bit. I wish that we could have seen more development on all of their parts, and maybe less simplistic relationships. Because anyone can tell you that relationships can be very trying.

The ghost hunting part WAS interesting, but I think that I was focused so much on the characters that I missed a lot of that, and I found myself skimming pages a couple times. I liked the technical points that were added to the hunting, but other than that I found it unmemorable.

All in all, I did enjoy parts of The Awakening, but it just didn't have the impact on me that it could have.

"You were a good girl. So full of life and spirit and spunk. I never left you, though, Kendall. I've been with you every day of your life, whether you could see me or not." ~ Pg. 336

Radiate by Marley Gibson

Hayley Matthews is determined to be the best cheerleader she can. She works hard and pushes herself 110% all the time.

Then Hayley finds a lump on her leg. The diagnosis is cancer. The prognosis is unclear. She could lose her leg. Or maybe her life.

At first Haley is scared, terrified. In an instant, everything she’s worked for seems out of reach. But Haley is strong. She’s going to fight this disease. She will not let it take her life or her dreams.


My Thoughts/Review:

This book shows two different sides of one story: the darker side, and the lighter side. On one hand, the darker side really didn't last that long. It was less capitalized on than the lighter side. The lighter side is really what this book is all about. It's a super cute and sweet contemporary, with a strangely dark twist: the protagonist has cancer.

That's actually what most of the first half of this book was about: her cancer. And most of the dark time didn't occur then, it occurred  afterwards. It really didn't hit her until it was over, it seems. Hayley was a very upbeat character, and I was honestly rooting for her throughout the book--she makes you want to.

She makes you want to wish her well, to wish her better, and to just let her be who she wants to be. And how cool is it that she's a cheerleader? I mean, really. THAT IS AWESOME. She's a cheerleader, and she get's cancer, and SHE STAYS HAPPY. I honestly don't know how she did it, or even how she could honestly stay so positive, but I liked it.

I do wish that the cancer had hit her a little harder though, maybe caused a bit more emotional development, and a bit more drama. I do know that this is based off of the author's own experience, so I really can't comment on that. Maybe the author was extremely upbeat--the note from her mother in the back of the book makes me think that she was.

Because I'm a complete girly girl at heart, I also wish that there had been more romance. I mean, I loved it as is, but the romance was mostly of the cute variety. Which I like, but I craved a bit more on Hayley and her boy's relationship.

I did think that a few things were over the top, but I won't state the here. Okay, I will. In between those brackets. {TWO people in this story get cancer. TWO. Within months of each other. I mean, both of my grandparents had cancer, but it seemed kind of unlikely in this storyline. But I don't know if this was one of the severely fictionalized parts, or one of the loosely based parts. O_O}

All in all, Radiate is a read that I would definitely recommend to lovers of contemporary, and to people who like a sweet teenage read.

*This book was provided by the author for review.


Favorite Quote: The lighter side's quote: As I watch him saunter--and yeah, he does--back to his house, I can't help but note how he's grown up and changed from the kid I knew. I guess we all grow up eventually.
The darker side's quote: It's hard to accept the bitter pill that sometimes cancer wins out, no matter how hard we struggle to battle it with all our might.