"Identical" by Ellen Hopkins

Identical by Ellen Hopkins is about two sisters, Kaeleigh and Raeanne. Their father is a judge, their mom is running for political office. Money is not an issue. From the outside, it looks like a perfect family, but as the sisters tell their story, you come to realize that not everything is as good as it appears. Identical kept me turning the pages quickly and a whole lot of issues are brought to light. I loved it! This is the second book I've read by Ellen Hopkins. The first was Impulse and in my book, she is two for two.
(Gerard's review:  4 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents to KIVA this month to help the poor change their lives for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs.

"Lamb" by Bonnie Nadzam

Lamb by Bonnie Nadzam is not a fluff read by any means. You have to use your brain power to get the true meaning of this book. It tells the story of an older man who befriends an 11-yr.-old girl and convinces her to go on a trip to the mountains with him without telling her mother. To find out what happens on the trip and what they learn about each other you'll have to read the book. I don't want to spoil it for you. I enjoyed it; it is well worth reading!
(Gerard's review:  My rating: 4 of 5 stars)


Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents to KIVA this month to help the poor change their lives for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs.

"Shatter Me" by Tahereh Mafi

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi is a fast-paced teen science fiction romance that kept my interest. I thought it was sort of a strange book because Juliette, a teen, has some super power of being able to kill people she touches although the book never explained why her power is only effective with certain people but not others. I didn't understand that part. I liked the adventure parts where Adam and Juliette ran away together from the asylum but didn't care for all the strikeouts throughout the book. I found them to be distracting. Maybe that was the idea of them, I'm not sure.

Overall, I think the theme is to realize you are unique and accept yourself. At the beginning, Juliette has been confined for a long time in solitary and is feeling very depressed. Then gets a cell mate who she recognizes from her past and is nice to her because he's always liked her but pretends he doesn't know her. Eventually she becomes hopeful for a future and a happy life ever after.

If you like teen romance with a twist, I recommend this one.  I saw a lot of teasers from this that got my attention but was a bit disappointed in this book.  I liked Legend by Marie Lu much better!

(Karen's review:  My rating: 3 of 5 stars)

Gerard's review:
If you like science fiction books with romance, this is it.  A young boy and a young girl fight against an evil government that wants to use them, especially the girl whose touch is lethal.  I liked this book a whole lot!  It kept my interest throughout with lots of good action.  I look forward to the sequel if there is one.  This is the author's first book--very well done!

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents to KIVA this month to help the

poor change their lives for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs.

Teaser Tuesday: "Unwind" and "Lamb"

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should  Be Reading. Anyone can play along, so I thought  I  would play for fun! Just do the following

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on  that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away!   You don’t  want  to  ruin the  book for others!)
• Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can  add the book to their TBR  Lists  if they  like your teaser.   

Karen's:

He's going to tell me now, Connor thinks. He's going to tell me they're unwinding me, and then break down in tears, going on and on about how sorry sorry sorry he is about it all.

.
Taken from page 7 of Unwind by Neal Shusterman.

Here's one from the book I just finished that is too funny not to use:

But if I made the Red Bend football team, it would mean I wasn't a cow. That's what I'd been struggling with ever since Brian showed up.

Taken from p. 131 of Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock.

Gerard's:

Lamb left her in the white hotel and drove back toward the city, away from the last broken reaches of daylight as rain clouds threaded with neon blue in the rearview mirror. The girl would be there when he returned.

Taken from page 61 of Lamb by Bonnie Nadzam.

Happy Reading! We are donating 50 cents to KIVA this month to help the poor change their lives for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs.

"Dairy Queen" by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock is a story about D.J., a 15-yr.-old girl who helps with the family Dairy Farm in Red Bend, Wisconsin, and has a love for football. She used to play with her two older brothers and gets sucked into helping Brian Nelson, the good-looking quarterback of her school's arch rival team, train over the summer. As she gets to know him, she gets to like him. He is shocked and feels betrayed though when he finds out she will be playing against him!

Teaser: But if I made the Red Bend football team, it would mean I wasn't a cow. That's what I'd been struggling with ever since Brian showed up. p. 131

This is a fun read about a girl and her self-esteem issues. I enjoyed learning some about Dairy farming, the whole football aspect of the book, and how D.J. learns that communication is so important. There is enough included about her family and friends to make this realistic fiction. I look forward to reading the sequel.
(Karen's review:  My rating: 4 of 5 starxs)


Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents to KIVA this month to help the poor change their lives for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs.