Monday, August 2, 2010

"Once a Witch, Define Normal, & By the Time You Read this I'll Be Dead"

Once a Witch by  Carolyn MacCullough
 Release Date: Sept 14, 2009



Excerpt:
Tamsin Greene comes from a long line of witches, and she was supposed to be one of the most Talented among them. But Tamsin's magic never showed up. Now seventeen, Tamsin attends boarding school in Manhattan, far from her family. But when a handsome young professor mistakes her for her very Talented sister, Tamsin agrees to find a lost family heirloom for him. The search—and the stranger—will prove to be more sinister than they first appeared, ultimately sending Tamsin on a treasure hunt through time that will unlock the secret of her true identity, unearth the sins of her family, and unleash a power so vengeful that it could destroy them all. This is a spellbinding display of storytelling that will exhilarate, enthrall, and thoroughly enchant
 
Review:
That book was awesome! Seriously. The best YA book i've read in a long time. Dear i say it i enjoyed it more than the last Rick Riordan book. There has better be a sequel to it. I have know what happens next. The author just can't leave me hanging... 

Anyway without spoiling anything (cause you have to go out there and read it for yourself) Tasmin is a young girl in her last year of high school whose family has been witches and i guess warlocks for centuries. They only difference is that most people only contain one "talent". On her birth, Tasmin's grandmother said that "she will be a beacon for all" and be the most powerful of the familu. Problem is that Tasmin is powerless. Or so it appears on the surface. A chain of events start to unravel when a man comes into the family bookshop and mistakes Tasmin for her older sister Rowena. He wants her to find a clock that was "taken" from his family a century ago. Tasmin tired of being the underdog of the family never bothers to correct him and says she'll do it. Bad choice. Together she and Gabrielle (where can i get one ~o^) go on a miniature quest through modern and past times and that's all i'm going to say. I refuse to spoil anymore of the book. ^^ 

 
Rating: 5 bunnies for great plot, kept interesting, well rounded characters, and interesting theme. 






Define Normal by Julia Anne Peters
Release Date: April 1st, 2000



Excerpt:
"Antonia is a "priss," Jazz is a "punk." Antonia belongs to the math club. Jazz hangs out at the tattoo parlor. Antonia's parents are divorced and her mother struggles to pay the rent. Jazz is from a traditional family and lives in a mansion with a pool. But when these two very different girls find themselves facing each other in a peer-counseling program, they discover they have some surprising things in common. Alternately hilarious and heart-wrenching, this is an absorbing read that will keep audiences thinking and laughing
 
Review:
I got this book out of the library having read a previous book of Julie's. I can safety say Julie didn't disappoint. It's not a keeper and really only a one time read, but it was still pretty good. It's the type of book you bring along on a road trip or for a quite day of reading outside. I finished it in about four hours. 

The story revolves around Antonia and Jazz student counseling sessions. Antonia is the "girl next store" with an unfortunate home life. He father has left and her mother has gone of the deep end. Leaving her to take care of her two little brothers. Jazz is a punky type of girl from a rich family and has a secret passion for the piano. Their lives become intertwined over the series of sessions and meet ups outside of school. The moral of the story is really not to judge a person by how they look. They might just surprise you. Again a good, but quicky read. ^^

 

Rating: Four Bunnies for a good piece of fluffy one time read






By the Time You Read This You I'll Be Dead
Release Date: Jan 5th, 2010




EXCERPT: 

Daelyn Rice is broken beyond repair, and after a string of botched suicide attempts, she's determined to get her death right. She starts visiting a website for "completers"- www.through-the-light.com. 

While she's on the site, Daelyn blogs about her life, uncovering a history of bullying that goes back to kindergarten. When she's not on the Web, Daelyn's at her private school, where she's known as the freak who doesn't talk. 

Then, a boy named Santana begins to sit with her after school while she's waiting to for her parents to pick her up. Even though she's made it clear that she wants to be left alone, Santana won't give up. And it's too late for Daelyn to be letting people into her life. Isn't it? 

National Book Award finalist Julie Anne Peters shines a light on how bullying can push young people to the very edge. 
REVIEW: 

I picked this book at the library after steph Su fromhttp://stephsureads.blogspot.com/ reviewed it on her blog. I feel sorry for the librarians since they seemed embarrassed after reading the title. They were commenting on it when i went to pick it up. ^^ 

This book was written beautifully. The lack of ending and knowing what happens to Daelyn is the only thing stopping me from giving it five stars. Having been the victim of bulling from 4th grade till my parents took me out of school in 8th grade i could completely relate to Daeyln. Bullying is hell to the victim and the author expresses this quite well as Daeyln is "purging" herself of her memories so she can be pure when she commits suicide. To be bullied is to be forever affected. It's to contemplate suicide since it would be peaceful. It's to live everyday in hell. For anyone wanting to know what it's like to be bullied this book is a great example into the mind of someone who lived it. 

There wasn't that much of a plot in the book, but i found myself unable to put the book down. It's funny for such an engrossing book i don't have much to say about it beyond what i have already mentioned. So... 

Rating: 4 Bunnies. Beautifully written. Emotionally stirring. Leaves you wanting more.


 

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