New YA Read: Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick - How Far are you Willing to Fall?

It seems like lately I've been all about the YA books. Or fantasy books. Or, in the case of Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick (400 pgs, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 2009) a little of both!! This book is set to be released on October 13. The copy that I received is an ARC from Simon & Schuster through Shelf Awareness.

God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment....2 Peter 2:4.

Nora Grey is a smart girl. She would never do anything over-the-top irresponsible, unlike her best friend, Vee. She is a good girl who has no need for boys in her life. She is more worried about college than the prom. Then, a seating change in Biology causes her to be paired up with the new student, loner Patch. And he is anything but responsible. He is tall, dark and gorgeous. And completely uncooperative as a biology partner. At once flirty, yet condescending, he has no desire to complete the interview the teacher assigned as an "investigation". But all the while Nora is maddened by his actions, she is also finding herself wildly attracted to him.

Then weird things start happening to Nora. She doesn't feel safe, and is convinced someone is watching her. Is Patch stalking her? She has this certain feeling that he is somehow involved in the incidents that are plaguing her. And yet, try as she might to keep her distance from him, she just can't. She even tries to investigate his past by looking at school records and finds them completely blank. When push comes to shove, can Nora trust Patch to save her? Or is he the person she needs saving from?

I have waited a ridiculous amount of time to review this book. I kept putting it off and putting it off. I find reviews where I can gush endlessly about a book just write themselves. Anything else is a lot more work. I wanted to love this book. I really did. I had extremely high hopes for it. And unfortunately, they feel short. I try to go into books knowing very little about them, so I don't have such high expectations. But early word about this book has traveled fast, and it's popping up all over the net. From what I've read, I'm probably in the minority on this one. But it just didn't do it for me. And for a number of reasons.

When Harry Potter became so wildly popular, it spawned lots of similar books that dealt with kids and magic. That's just the way the world works. Now we are seeing the same thing with the Twilight books. And unfortunately, I just can't help but see too many similarities with Hush, Hush. From the high school to the bad boy "watching" the heroine....it reeks of the same outline.

Although the basic premise is the same, the storyline does go in a different direction. Patch is the "bad" boy, and honestly, it's hard to tell where his allegiance actually lies. I will give Fitzgerald lots of kudos for the fallen angel/nephilim mythology. It was seriously my favorite part of the book.

I did like Patch. Of course, I have always had a thing for the bad boy. I'm the one that was attracted to Kiefer Sutherland's bad vampire, David, instead of the good guy in Lost Boys. And that's just one of MANY examples I can give. Hell, I even married the bad boy. But as for the rest of the characters....nothing. I didn't really like Nora, and I should have. I always like the "smart" girl that doesn't realize how beautiful she really is. But not so with Nora. She was just so flat to me. And as completely ambivalent as I am about Nora, I downright hated Vee. She was rude, brazen, and just plain dumb. I think she was written as comic relief, but to me, it fell short. And if you don't care about the main characters, it's hard to really like the book.

The story had a lot of potential, and some of that actually shows through. Given time, I think Becca Fitzgerald will turn out some good books. And I have a feeling that those young girls who are missing Edward Cullen will fall hard for Patch. Unfortunately, it just didn't do it for me. But feel free to disagree. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this book. It's bound to be pretty popular with the YA's. 2/5

Blog Tour: Everything Sucks by Hannah Friedman

Everything Sucks: Losing My Mind and Finding Myself in a High School Quest for Cool is the debut memoir by Yale Graduate, 22-year-old Hannah Friedman. It is a Young Adult book published by HCI Teens. This review is part of a TLC Blog Tour.

I am the first born human.

Hannah Friedman bares her soul in this raw, but refreshing memoir. Playing second fiddle to your mom's adopted monkey is one thing. But becoming known as the "Monkey Girl Freak" in middle school because of said monkey is another thing all together. Hannah has always dreamed of being popular. But in middle school she becomes the target of some horrible "mean girl" bullies. Taking time out of school to tour around the UK with her father's band turns out to be disastrous. And when she comes back to school, the bullies are utterly relentless. If at all possible, Hannah has fallen to an even lower level in the eyes of her classmates.

But with a lot of hard work and fantastic grades, Hannah is accepted into one of the country's most prestigious boarding schools, Danforth Academy. This is her chance to reinvent herself in high school. And with a little boldness, Hannah finds that she has been admitted to one of the most popular cliques in school. But being popular has downfalls that she never even considered, especially as a scholarship student in a school full of rich kids. The competition was always there: whether it was to be the prettiest or the thinnest or to get into an Ivy League college. And there was always someone there just waiting for you to slip up and make a mistake.

This book is at times hilarious. And other times, it's heartbreaking. Friedman comes to realize that popularity isn't all that it's cracked up to be. All the years of abuse from the middle school bullies results in self-esteem issues for Hannah, which in turn leads to an eating disorder and drug problems in high school. Raw and brutally honest, Friedman lays it all out for the world to see. I find this admirable, especially for someone as young as Hannah. You don't see many 22-year-olds with enough guts to write about themselves with such frankness.

This is one book all girls should read. Even with stark references to sex and drug abuse, this book will resonate with anyone who has ever felt that they didn't quite live up to the world's standards. Or for anyone that has ever been bullied. Or for anyone that has ever felt they weren't thin enough or pretty enough or smart enough. This book will at once make any young girl feel like they aren't alone. And that is truly a gift. I expect great things in the future from this very talented writer! 4.5/5

Please visit Hannah at her website.

A Not-So-Ideal Way to Lose Weight!!

After my little interview with Annette, I had planned on posting this the next day. But 4 double shifts, and any time that I wasn't at work, was home in bed!! So here is my review, although a bit delayed! The Break-up Diet by Annette Fix (285 pgs, Orange Curtain Publishing, 2008).

The cordless phone ran. Once. Twice. With my eyes still glued shut, I fumbled through the layers of bedding to find it.

Annette Fix was a single mother living in Orange County, California. Her dream was to be a writer. But in the meantime, the bills needed to be paid. So, Annette worked as a topless dancer. Her live-in boyfriend, Kevin, was the love of her life....until the day he dumped her....over the phone!

The Break-up Diet is a memoir. Although non-fiction by nature, the book reads easily and could even be called by some, "Chick Lit". Annette Fix is extremely sharp and witty, and that shines throughout this book. There were quite a few laugh-out-loud moments in this book. But what is especially inspirational is Annette's strength of character. It is admirable the way she picked up the pieces of her life after Kevin left. She is also a very dedicated mother, and that is another element of the book that radiates from every page.

Annette is a talented writer and creates a fun story to read, even when the situations AREN'T funny. There are a few problems that I had with the story, but it's hard for me to criticize a memoir since these things actually happened. What is the old saying? "Hindsight is 20/20"...and I SO agree. It's easy for me to look at the past and see what I did wrong. It's also easy for me to judge things that someone else does....when I can see all sides to a situation.

This book made me laugh...and I enjoyed it. I came to care what happened to the characters.....and I wanted to see the happy, fairytale ending that Annette hoped for. All in all an enjoyable read. Recommended for anyone who has ever been dumped before....and isn't that all of us???

3.75/5

An African Childhood

Don't Let's Go the the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood by Alexandra Fuller (336 pgs, Random House) is my first non-fiction book of the year. I choose to read it because the Around the World in 80 Books book club chose it as a selection.

Mum says, "Don't come creeping into our room at night."

They sleep with a loaded guns beside them on the bedside rugs. She says, "Don't startle us when we are sleeping."

"Why not?"

"We might shoot you".

"Oh."

"By mistake."

"Okay." As it is, there seems a good chance of getting shot on purpose. "Okay, I won't".

And from the first paragraphs of this memoir you can get just a taste of what it was like growing up in the war-ravaged country of Rhodesia. Alexandra "Bobo" Fuller moved to Rhodesia (which eventually became Zimbabwe) when she was just a toddler. Bobo, her sister Vanessa, and her parents moved to a farm on the edge of the country. Both her mother and father join the police reservists and join the war, fighting to keep Rhodesia controlled by the British. The kids are always on the lookout for "terrorists" whom they fear will "cut off their eyelids". They deal with curfews and war, always on the lookout for landmines.

But when the war is over and the Fullers are on the losing side, they have to come to terms with drastic changes. Their farm is auctioned off for "redistribution" to the black families and they are forced to move. From Zimbabwe to Malawi and eventually to Zambia, the Fullers stick together through good times and bad.

This is the story of life seen through the eyes of a child. A life that is tough with many obstacles to overcome. Her parent's racism, war, brutal countryside, and the loss of several siblings makes Bobo into the person she is today. Her mother, after losing 3 children, becomes manic depressive and spends more time drunk than sober. She seems to be more affectionate to her dogs than her daughters. Her father works hard on the farm, trying to keep them afloat. But even he has a hard time dealing the losses that they are faced with. And Bobo herself feels responsible for the death of her sister, Olivia. But through it all, Fuller does a great job of projecting her love for her family and for Africa, her home. It's a wonderfully written book, with lots of anecdotes and pictures from her time in Africa. 4/5

Chick Lit with a Punch....Literally!

This is another book that was sent to me from Harper Collins. I Take This Man by Valerie Frankel (296 pgs) is an Avon Trade book and is definitely "Chick Lit". I have read a few books by Valerie Frankel and usually find them light and funny. This one was no exception.

Penny's wedding day is supposed to be the best day of her life. But instead of walking down the aisle with the man of her dreams, she finds herself deserted at the altar! Five minutes before the ceremony is supposed to start, she gets a note from Bram, her fiancee, that says he is sorry and couldn't go through with it. Penny's mother Ester is usually calm, cold and collected. But even though she never approved of Bram, she is seeing red when he dumps her daughter. So she heads up to his suite to find out what is going on. In an uncharacteristic moment of spontaneity, Ester hits Bram over the head with a bottle of champagne! She throws his body into a housekeeping cart and secrets him back to her mansion. There, she and Natasha, the ex-Russian Mail-order-Bride turned housekeeper, hide him in the old "playroom". This room just happens to be sound-proof, has an intercom system, and a two-way mirror used for observation.

There were quite a few laugh-out-loud moments in this one. The idea of Ester keeping Bram locked up until he eats 200 servings of prime rib and salmon, 28 lbs of shrimp cocktail, and a 4-tiered wedding cake that was SUPPOSED to be served at his wedding reception still makes me laugh! But the characters all start out a little flat, and it takes a long time for me to actually CARE what happens in the end. There is some mystery behind the death of Penny's father that is finally explained. I did like the dialog between Ester and Keith Shiratz, the would-be father of the groom. But I found the mother/daughter relationship between Ester and Penny to be a little too textbook. And the relationship between Penny and Bram just didn't work for me. Neither before the break-up or after. Not enough real life in this book.....but then again, I think that's the point. Chick Lit is escapism at best. And if that's all Frankel was aiming at, then she accomplished it. It was a cute book. 3.5/5