Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature by Robin Brande Book Review

Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature by Robin Brande
(Knopf, Hardcover)
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All of Mena's friends hate her and it's all because she did the right thing. Now her parents are upset with her, her church group won't talk to her, and she has to start the school year off with absolutely no friends. It seems like no will talk to her--except for Casey, her genius science lab partner. Then her science class starts a chapter on evolution and her life becomes even more dramatic when she is caught up in a controversy between science and religion. Oh, and could she possibly be crushing on Casey??!! I really liked this book because Robin Brande packs a powerful message into it without becoming preachy. Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature should be required reading for any high school class...well, maybe not required because we know that usually takes all the fun out of it. But we could all learn something from the way Mena deals with her feelings towards science, religion, and even friendship. Plus Casey sounds pretty cute. :-)

Austenland by Shannon Hale Book Review

Austenland by Shannon Hale
(Bloomsbury, Hardcover)
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Jane is obsessed with Mr. Darcy from Pride & Prejudice. Of course, we all are a little obsessed with Darcy, but Jane borders on the fanatically obsessed. So Jane goes to an Austen camp which is an English country estate that allows adults to dress-up as characters in an Austen novel. This is a great book to take the beach. It reads quickly and you'll be laughing the entire time. This is Shannon Hale's first adult book, but I think it would appeal to anyone who liked Pride & Prejudice. I also think that it would make a great movie! It's already pretty short and has a quick, engaging plot line. Has anyone read it yet? Did you think it would make a good movie?

Harry Potter & The Order of the Phoenix Movie

Being the big Harry Potter nerd that I am, I went to a midnight showing of the new movie last night. It was pretty awesome--lots of people were dressed up and everyone cheered during the good parts. (There was also a lot of whistling and cat-calling when Cho & Harry kissed.) I just love watching midnight movies b/c the audience gets sooo into it. I also really enjoyed the movie. I had my doubts b/c Book 5 is huge and I was sure they would leave out some of my favorite parts. They did. But the movie does a great job of showing Harry's inner struggles. I also loved several of the minor characters. Their casting director should get a bonus. Go see the movie ASAP and watch out for these characters...Luna, Tonks, Bellatrix Lestrange, and the evil Umbridge. I feel like I missed out on several details b/c I was so involved with the plot so I'm going to go see it again this weekend. :-) And only 10 days till The Deathly Hallows comes out! Please don't let Harry die, please, please!

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen Book Review

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen
(Puffin, Paperback)
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If you haven't already discovered Sarah Dessen, then I highly recommend that you go out and buy The Truth About Forever right now. Macy's summer is all planned out for her. She will work at the library info desk during the day, study for her SATs at night, and email her super-smart boyfriend while he's away at "Brain Camp". This may sound like a boring summer to you, but for Macy, whose dad died two years ago, it sounds safe. But then, Macy makes a spontaneous decision to work for Wish Catering and she soon finds out that safe is not always the best way to live your life.
Macy was so real to me and I just had to read straight through so I could find out what happened to her. Dessen does a great job with all the minor characters, like Monica and Bert, who provide humor as well as insight into Macy's character. And I also thought Macy's mom was well written...there are so many teen novels that suffer from unrealistic parent figures. This is definitely a book that I will keep on my shelf and recommend to all my friends.

What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones Book Review

What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones
(Simon Pulse, Paperback)
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I've been hearing about this book for awhile, reading great reviews, so I thought I'd try it. I read it straight through so it definitely kept me interested. It's written in verse so that also makes it a quick read. At first I had a hard time with the verse-style writing, but the more I read the more I enjoyed it. Sones is really good at conveying emotions and events in just a few words. That being said, the book wasn't as great as the reviews made it sound. Sophie's mom wasn't very fleshed out and I was pretty annoyed with the boys that she likes. I'm not going to write Sones off though...I've added her other books to my stack of books to be read and I'll let you know what I think of her other stuff.

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr Book Review

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
(HarperTeen, Hardcover)
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Perfect for fans of Holly Black! Aislinn sees fairies wherever she goes, and they aren't always nice fairies. For most of her life, she has tried to ignore them. But suddenly, the fairies won't leave her alone and they are whispering that she might be the next Fairie Queen. Full of dark wit, fairie intrique, and love, this is a gripping tale with a surprise ending. (At least, it was a surprise for me. For some reason, I was reading clues that weren't really there. I've talked to other people who weren't as surprised as me.) My favorite part of this book was Aislinn, who is scared of fairies yet stands up to them when needed, and also Seth. I challenge you to read Wicked Lovely and not wish that there was a Seth in your life! :-)