The Hunger Pains: A Parody by The Harvard Lampoon

Genre: humor
Series and Book #: none
Pages: 157
Summary:

Winning means wealth, fame, and a life of therapy. Losing means death, but also fame! This is the Hunger Pains.

 

When Kantkiss Neverclean replaces her sister as a contestant on the Hunger Games—the second-highest-rated reality TV show in Peaceland, behind Extreme Home Makeover—she has no idea what to expect.

 

Having lived her entire life in the telemarketing district’s worst neighborhood, the Crack, Kantkiss feels unprepared to fight to the death while simultaneously winking and looking adorable for the cameras. But when her survival rests on choosing between the dreamy hunk from home, Carol Handsomestein, or the doughy klutz, Pita Malarkey, Kantkiss discovers that the toughest conflicts may not be found on the battlefield but in her own heart…which is unfortunately on a battlefield.

 

--------

 

Previously, I read a book by The Harvard Lampoon titled Nightlight. It was a parody of Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. Once again, they've taken a beloved story and given it a funny twist. Titled, The Hunger Pains.

 

I am not a hater of The Hunger Games. I love the Hunger Games trilogy and I saw the movie when it came out and I loved everything about the books. But, even lovers of books must have some fun, and it comes in the form of The Hunger Pains. It's just meant to poke a little fun and make the book seem more ridiculous than it actually is. I must say, it is hilarious. It's a quick read that will give you a giggle. I recommend this to Hunger Games fans or non-Hunger Games fans alike.

 

The Cover: I'm a terrible person. I really like this cover!

Releases: Reached & Meant to Be

Reached (Matched Trilogy #3) by Ally Condie

After leaving Society and desperately searching for the Rising—and each other—Cassia and Ky have found what they were looking for, but at the cost of losing each other yet again: Cassia has been assigned to work for the Rising from within Society, while Ky has been stationed outside its borders. But nothing is as predicted, and all too soon the veil lifts and things shift once again.

Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill

Meant to be or not meant to be . . . that is the question.

It's one thing to fall head over heels into a puddle of hazelnut coffee, and quite another to fall for the—gasp—wrong guy. Straight-A junior Julia may be accident prone, but she's queen of following rules and being prepared. That's why she keeps a pencil sharpener in her purse and a pocket Shakespeare in her, well, pocket. And that's also why she's chosen Mark Bixford, her childhood crush, as her MTB ("meant to be").

But this spring break, Julia's rules are about to get defenestrated (SAT word: to be thrown from a window) when she's partnered with her personal nemesis, class-clown Jason, on a school trip to London. After one wild party, Julia starts receiving romantic texts . . . from an unknown number! Jason promises to help discover the identity of her mysterious new suitor if she agrees to break a few rules along the way. And thus begins a wild goose chase through London, leading Julia closer and closer to the biggest surprise of all: true love.

Because sometimes the things you least expect are the most meant to be.

An amazing contest for an amazing collection of YA books YOU (yes, you) could win!

So, recently, while perusing through the blogosphere, I came across a contest that is so generous and incredibly...well, amazing. YOU could win an entire library of signed YA books:

 

 

Look in Beth Revis's blog for a better explanation of the contest and how you can sign up. Spread the word! This is an opportunity not to be missed!

 



Obviously, I love YA. I run a blog dedicated the books. But why do I love YA? Because it is the perfect blend of adult literature and teen novels. Being a teenager is so hard. Everyone is trying to influence your decisions, it seems like no one understands you, and there's an entire, scary future ahead of you that is completely unpredictable. YA novels are a place to escape from the demands of everyday life and slip into a place where there are strong characters in impossible situations. It gives me strength, pushes me to become great, like the characters I read about. That's why I love YA. There are no restrictions, there are no limitations. It is a world where anything is possible and even the least can become the most. I don't know what I would do without YA novels. So thank you. To the readers who read. To the authors who write. To the publishers who publish. You create places to discover and happiness to unlock.

 

Don't forget to sign up! There is a handy-dandy link to your right that will guide you to the contest entry on Beth's blog.

 

Have a great November everyone!

The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud by Ben Sherwood

Genre: science fiction & romance
Series and Book #: none
Pages: 288
Summary:

The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud tells the haunting story of a young man who narrowly survives a terrible car wreck that kills his little brother. Years later, the brothers’ bond remains so strong that it transcends the normal boundaries separating life and death. Charlie St. Cloud lives in a snug New England fishing village. By day he tends the lawns and monuments of the ancient cemetery where his younger brother, Sam, is buried. Graced with an extraordinary gift after surviving the accident, he can still see, talk, and even play catch with Sam’s spirit. But townsfolk whisper that Charlie has never recovered from his loss.

 

Into his carefully ordered life comes Tess Carroll, a captivating, adventuresome woman training for a solo sailing trip around the globe. Fate steers her boat into a treacherous storm that blows her back to harbor, to a charged encounter with Charlie, and to a surprise more overwhelming than the violent sea itself. Charlie and Tess discover a beautiful and uncommon connection that leads to a race against time and a desperate choice between death and life, between the past and the future, between holding on and letting go

 

--------

I first heard about this book because of the movie that came out based on this book. Sometimes, the book isn't as great as the movie, but there are other times where the movie doesn't even capture the essence of the novel. Though the movie was excellent, I'd have to say this was better.

 

Charlie St. Cloud isn't a complex character. He's a genuinely sweet guy who loves his brother so much he's willing to give up the promising life he could have if he broke their promise. But he doesn't and he lives his life around the setting of the sun because that's what he promised so many years ago. He is fiercely loyal to not only his brother, but also to Tess, who suddenly comes barrelling into his life and ripping apart the careful facade he's kept for so many years. I really liked Tess. She was witty and strong, but she wasn't so strong that she didn't let her feelings show. I liked the moments when she was emotional because it gave her character depth.

 

Overall, if you've seen the movie and really liked it, I bet you'd like the book just as much. There are some parts that are different but it doesn't make the book greater than the movie or vice versa. They are their own entities and I can't say one is better than the other. It's the same heartbreaking story of the death and life of a beautiful, wonderful boy.

 

The Cover: I like how they put a sunset over Marblehead, and the ships coming in and out of the harbor. It sets the mood of the book nicely.

Geek Charming by Robin Palmer

Genre: romance
Series and Book #: none
Pages: 338
Summary:

Princess meet frog…

 

Dylan Schoenfield is the princess of L.A.’s posh Castle Heights High. She has the coolest boyfriend, the most popular friends, and to top it all off, a brand-new “It” bag that everyone covets. But when she accidentally tosses her bag into a fountain, this princess comes face-to-face with her own personal frog: self-professed film geek Josh Rosen. In return for rescuing Dylan’s bag, Josh convinces Dylan to let him film her for his documentary on high school popularity. Reluctantly, Dylan lets F-list Josh into her A-list world, and is shocked to realize that sometimes nerds can be pretty cool. As the queen bee of Castle Heights royalty helps Josh turn from a frog into a prince, she’s shocked to find herself becoming friends with a geek—and liking it. But when Dylan’s so-called prince charming of a boyfriend dumps her flat, her life—and her social status—come to a crashing halt. Can Dylan—with Josh’s help—pull the pieces together to create her own happily-ever-after?

 

--------

So, we're back to Castle Heights, the high school of not only Cindy Ella by also Dylan Schoenfield. Just like Robin's first novel, this book correlates with the fairytale The Princess and the Frog. But, like Cindy Ella, Robin doesn't overwhelm the reader with striking similarities. Although they are most definitely there.

 

Dylan Schoenfield is not one of my favorite characters. I know she's supposed to be popular and cute, but she was ditsy and annoying as well. Sometimes I just wanted to reach into the pages and smack her over the head myself. But I couldn't help but feel for her when she's suddenly kicked to the curb by her "friends." Josh was a sweetheart, too. Though he can be a bit annoying at times as well, I loved his playful banter or sometimes deep conversations with Dylan. As the story unfolded, it was obvious Dylan wasn't going to be Josh's princess and Josh wasn't going to be Dylan's prince. But they were obviously going to become devoted friends.

 

Overall, another excellent retelling on the subtle side. I liked how Robin went back to Castle Heights for the setting of her story. Though there wasn't any contact with Cindy Ella, there were some moments with the stepsisters. This version of The Princess and the Frog doesn't have the same romantic ending but leaves a quirky character finally fulfilled.

 

The Cover: It reminds me so much of Dylan. Very bright and cute.

Cindy Ella by Robin Palmer

Genre: romance
Series and Book #: none
Pages: 264
Summary:

Prom. The best dress. The best shoes. The best date. Cindy Ella Gold is sick of it all.

 

Prom fever has infected L. A.—especially Cindy’s two annoying stepsisters and her overly Botoxed stepmother, Cindy seems to be the only one immune to it all. But her anti-prom letter in the school newspaper does more to turn Cindy into Queen of the Freaks than to close the gap between the popular kids and the rest of the students. Everyone thinks she’s committed social suicide, except for her two best friends—the yoga goddess India and John Hughes-worshipping Malcolm—and shockingly, the most popular senior at Castle Heights High and Cindy’s crush, Adam Silver. But with a little bit of help from an unexpected source—and the perfect pair of shoes—Cindy realizes that she still has a chance at happily ever after.

 

--------

Cindy Ella's letter was an excellent segue into the novel. It opened up into Cindy Ella's life situation, which wasn't as extremely disturbing as the original Cinderella's, but was still terrible. Robin's muted interpretation of the original Cinderella story made it so that it was modernized but you could easily think the book was an original storyline. She didn't feel the need to make sure every single detail was neatly in order or in place. Cindy Ella was a light-hearted read with a satisfying ending.

 

Cindy Ella is suddenly in the spotlight after the publishing of her letter. The sudden attention paid to her (and not good attention) gives her the appearance of a girl trapped in an undesirable life. But Cindy Ella is not a girl who is easily perturbed. She was a strong female character who was witty, intelligent, and who didn't need magic but her own self to win the heart of the Castle Heights Prince Charming. She was sweet and caring and funny.

 

Overall, Cindy Ella was a nice, undramatic novel based on a beautiful fairytale. Robin's creation mixes the plot lines of Cinderella and her own retelling so that it there are no overwhelming similarities but it was still noticeable this was based on Cinderella. As this book was so charming, I can't wait to see what Robin has up her sleeve for her other novels.

 

The Cover: Oh, look at the shoes! But wait, where's the dress? Cindy Ella doesn't wear no dresses. She is her own determined, strong, delightful Cinderella.

Burn for Burn by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian

Genre: social issues
Series and Book #: Burn for Burn #1
Pages: 354
Summary:

Big girls don’t cry…they get even.

 

Lillia has never had any problems dealing with boys who like her. Not until this summer, when one went too far. No way will she let the same thing happen to her little sister.

 

Kat is tired of the rumors, the insults, the cruel jokes. It all goes back to one person—her ex-best friend—and she’s ready to make her pay.

 

Four years ago, Mary left Jar Island because of a boy. But she’s not the same girl anymore. And she’s ready to prove it to him.

 

Three very different girls who want the same thing: sweet, sweet revenge. And they won’t stop until they’ve each had a taste.

 

--------

This novel had a little bit of everything. There was mystery, revenge, a twinge of romance, and even a slight bit of science fiction. I must say, at the beginning of the novel, I expected the girls to each be vying for their own sort of revenge with hearts full of passionate hatred. But I didn't see the characters becoming more complex in their feelings. Sure, each of them wanted their own dose of justice, but they were conflicted about it. The book then transformed into a  will-they, won't-they situation where I wasn't sure what the ultimate ending would be.

 

Kat was my favorite. She was strong, opinionated, and passionate. I really wanted her to be happy, but it seemed like the world was against her because of all she'd been through. I hope to see more development of her character in the coming sequels because I felt she wasn't as complex as the other two main characters.

 

Mary was very mysterious. There isn't much of a window into her past and when she narrated, she was uncertain and impartial. But she had moments in her past that made her seem like a a fragile, broken thing with a fire heart. The mystery continued as strange things (unnatural things) begun to happen around her. I wished there was more background to her character.

 

Lillia. She was the least favorite of mine. She seems like she'd be nice and sincere, but she also had her moments when I was wondering "What is your problem?" Though I disliked the way she treated others I appreciated how fiercely protective she was of her sister and how she came to realize how nasty Rennie really was. In the beginning, she was seemingly the nicest. In the end, she was the hypocrite.

 

Overall, this is definitely a novel I can see myself rereading multiple times. The complexity of the novel made it a fast-paced, heart-pounding book. Each of the character's had their own view of things and their own stories that added to the suspense. The ending was magnificent. I can't wait to read the next one!

 

The Cover: I love how each of the girls are perfectly matched to their characters. (Far left) Kat's cold stare, (middle) Mary's hesitancy, and (far right) Lillia's worried glance. It reflects the novel well.