Book Review: The Queen Bee of Bridgeton

Author: Leslie DuBois
Publisher: Little Prince Publishing (May 17, 2011)
ISBN-10: 0615460534
ISBN-13: 978-0615460536
My Rating: ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Sonya, a shy, black ballerina, who’s been cleaning a studio for years in exchange for dance lessons, might actually be able to escape her real life in the ghetto and fulfill her dream of becoming a world-class ballerina, thanks to her dance scholarship at the prestigious Bridgeton Academy. Her older sister, Sasha, who spent years trying to get in through academic achievement, finally made it too. So, both sisters spend their lives in glam by day and return to cockroaches, nearby gunshots and ketchup sandwiches by night.

But, with Sasha having acted like a second mom to Sonya for years, by shrouding her from the dangers surrounding them and making sure she keeps up with her studies, Sonya has been skirting through life with her head down.

So, when she attracts the attention of the star, white basketball player and unwittingly becomes the most popular girl in school, the queens who rule her school don’t like it one bit and take no hesitation in letting her know it. They’ve literally ruined the lives of others, and Sonya has become their number one target to destroy. And this shy girl must reach inside herself to find strength and the ugly in order to beat them at their own game. But even if she can, it may be too late to save her dream and her relationship.

What stands out immediately in this novel is the voice. It’s full of humor, but also laced with a little bit of pain, which is hard to pull off. I find Sonya a relatable protagonist in that she has awkward moments, a passion for something and often underestimates her own worth. Growing up with a deadbeat father in a neighborhood of crime with no guys even glancing twice at her, she’s felt invisible and bumbly her whole life, except when she’s dancing. That’s when she comes alive. And at Bridgeton, and in everything, dance is her sole focus. So, when she catches Will’s eye, she’s shocked and doesn’t even know who he is. She blows him off at first, but something about him intrigues her and she soon becomes as smitten with him as he is with her.

I liked several things about this novel, but the things that stand out are the romance, the dashes of humor and the emotional journey the reader can experience.

If you want a YA book that’s different and fresh on the familiar fish-out-of-water theme, that is packed with surprises and little bits that will make you laugh out loud, The Queen Bee of Bridgeton is definitely one to put on your to-read wall.

~ Signing off and sending out cyber hugs.

Book Review: Nick of Time (Bug Man #6)

Author: Tim Downs
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (May 17, 2011)
ISBN-10: 1595543104
ISBN-13: 978-1595543103
My Rating: ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

This is my first encounter with A Bug Man novel, and I really enjoyed meeting these quirky characters. We follow Nick, a forensic entomologist, as he takes off just days before his wedding to go to a cold-case convention after receiving an invite from his friend. When he gets evidence that his friend is dead, he’s off on the hunt to discover what happened, and his engrossment in the case, as well as a few other deterences, have him neglecting Alena. But she’s not one to sit home twidling her thumbs, so she takes off to find him.

I was definitely engrossed in the mystery element and found it suspenseful at times. I laughed out loud in several spots, especially in the opening chapter. I especially love the author’s phraseology: chalk outline around a wedding cake, eyes the size of Mallomars.

But, this book had so much rehashing to the point of annoyance, like telling us over and over that the MC was a forensic entomologist, or the storyline would break open to another clue, and there’d be reflection about the clue, a recap of every detail we just read about in uncovering it and then telling us the next move and what the POV character desired to learn next. About two-thirds of the way through, I was like, really? Again? Just give me scenes. Throw me into something once in a while, I’ll get it. I don’t need all this extra, meaningless blather. This might be one of those scene-sequel, scene-sequel type books, but it really grates on my nerves, and as a reader, I don’t like being treated like I’m dense, and the tactic comes across very patronizing.

And then, in the end, I just felt the danger and lack of communication by all strained credibility. I love surprise endings, but this was so extreme and laughable, that it spoiled the read for me. Alena seemed to have been kept in the dark for no other reason but to build suspense and tension for the reader.

This novel has no mention God or anything spiritual at all. I don’t even know if the main characters are Christian. Even though I’m in the minority as a Christian reader, I don’t care that it’s absent either. I don’t read fiction to get preached at or to learn moral lessons or discover perfect people I can’t identify with, I just look for good, engrossing books. And to try to work in spiritual elements when they don’t fit the story’s context is just bad writing. So I appreciate that the author kept the book clean yet didn’t break into a sermon or drum up a conversion scene when the story didn’t call for it.

Overall, I have mixed feelings about Nick of Time. With the exception of the reiteration, I enjoyed most of the read, but just found it too incredible in the end. My husband will probably like it because of the humor and the CSI-type mystery, so I intend to share it with him. He may have more positive feelings about it.

I received this book free through Booksneeze. According to FTC guidelines, I need to mention that and that I was required to provide a review, but the feelings reflected in the review are entirely my own.

~ Signing off and sending out cyber hugs.

YA Book Review: Some Girls Are

Author: Courtney Summers
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin (Jan. 5, 2010)
ISBN-10: 0312573804
ISBN-13: 978-0312573805
My Rating: ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

When lies spread after Regina Afton is near-raped by her best friend’s boyfriend, this member of the Fearsome Fivesome is thrust into no-man’s land in the school halls she once owned. She’s forced to reconcile with her past actions of tormenting others and hopefully make some kind of amends…and maybe find friends in the gutter.

Though she’s hurt so many people, her regret endears her to readers and you end up aching for Regina to find a place somewhere. Her former friends don’t make life easy with their horrid pranks. And when Regina decides to fight back, the war is on and there’s no turning back. Every gain and setback can be felt by the reader and the tension builds to a bloody end.

While I myself found some of the pranks to be far-reaching, I’m sure someone who’s been seriously bullied would beg to differ about their realism.

The novel could’ve been a bit longer with further exploration and depth, like with the romance in the book, I would’ve liked to see more growth, connection and chemistry, but overall, I enjoyed the read.

Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers is definitely worth checking out.

Here’s the Some Girls Are book trailer:

~ Signing off and sending out cyber hugs.

Book Review: The Truth of the Matter

Author: Andrew Klavan
Genre: YA suspense
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (November 2, 2010)
ISBN-10: 1595547142
ISBN-13: 978-1595547149
My Rating: ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Charlie West is a feisty protagonist, who’s missing a year of his life and running from mystery killers–a group of terrorists he just escaped from. He can’t recall what’s happened in the last year, so he’s on a hunt to fill in the memory gap. When he tracks down the only clue he can remember, a guy named Waterman, he begins to get some answers, but the closer he gets to uncovering the truth, the more danger he finds himself in. And when Waterman dies with questions still unanswered, he’s left in a sea of black all alone, trying his best to get out alive.

This book is categorized and sold as Christian, and I don’t know how the others in the series are, but this one, THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER, could be enjoyed be readers of any or no faith. This novel really only refers to his belief in God but doesn’t preach at readers or speak any Christianese at all. It is clean, but not to the point of being annoying, as the grit and danger keep it exciting. And even though this is YA as well, any reader who loves suspense would enjoy this. It’s a good example of a cross-over type.

I got this book from Booksneeze, unaware that it was a third installment in a series, but that didn’t bother me in the least.

The storyline was very easy to follow for a new reader, gripping, suspenseful and action-packed. There is a strong possibility this novel could be boring for those who’ve read the previous, since I as a new reader was riveted to discover the chunks of his missing past, whereas those familiar would already know them, making the reveals less impacting.

The only thing I didn’t like was the narrative and dialogue were very simplistic, and I don’t think you should ever dumb things down for teens. I think if the author hadn’t skimped in this area, his novel would have had even more cross-over appeal. Other than that, it was most enjoyable.

So, if you’re looking for a good YA suspense novel, Christian or not, check this one out.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255

~ Signing off and sending out cyber hugs.

Shocked by the King

Since I’ve been running along at a good clip on penning my sequel and editing Kings & Queens, I’ve resurged my leisurely book reading. Last Monday I checked out five novels and I’ve already read three: Wicked Lovely, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon and The Devil’s Labyrinth. I read all of those books with the eye of a critter rather than a random reader. Why? Because I can learn from things that are done well and things that fall short. All of them were pretty well-written. I especially wanted to read The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King because it featured a young girl who got lost in the woods and I wanted to read a book on a realistic circumstance to see how he ratcheted up suspense in that case. Plus, I knew it would have some tidbits about the Red Sox, and since I’m a Sox fan, double whoot!

It was a good book overall, but if I’m being honest, the first third of it ran off kind of rather clumsy and rough. It seemed as though a new student had written it rather than the King of Terror. I even said so to my husband while I was reading it. “I can’t believe Stephen king wrote this. It doesn’t sound like him.” Each chapter was marked with a different inning, which was cool. The first chapter opens by telling readers the girl is already lost and then feeds us all sorts of backstory about the character’s life and circumstances. This chapter seemed like it was more like brainstorming notes for character and premise building rather than an actual chapter. If he had just let the story unfold in real time instead of telling she was lost, then jumping back and giving a landslide of backstory right there, it would have been a much stronger beginning. It also needed to be gleaned and cleaned up, like Varitek’s misspelled name.

I’ve read a few works written by him, and he seems to prefer omniscience. That’s fine, but sometimes his jumps to a different perspective can be jarring rather than smooth and in this book he had some of those bumps. Another thing that gives it an amateurish feel is the superfluous there wases and she felts throughout the work. Though short, this book could have used a bit of a trim and a stronger editing eye.

But following the rough start, he did a really good job of describing the young girl’s plight as she tries to trudge through and find escape from the dense, bug-infested woods and bogs filled with terrors and grossness at every corner. She finds some comfort in listening to Red Sox games picked up by her walkman courtesy of WEEI and also by fantasizing of her crush and hero Tom “Flash” Gordon. King describes actions and the setting very well so eventually you get over the distance created by the omniscient voice and feel as though you’re right there with her. And of course, he added in an ominous threat, which adds to the suspense.

If a newbie tried to shop work with an intro like this, it would never fly. Because he’s the King, he can do pretty much anything he wants. Generally, he can tell a good tale. If you’re expecting his regular brand of terror, you’ll be disappointed. I wanted to read something with this particular shade of conflict, so it worked for me. It was a good book, just not stellar.

If you’re a newbie writer, kick off your novel with good guts and hook readers in chapter 1. Write away and rock on!

~ Signing off and sending out cyber hugs.

Oops, I did it Again. Well, not me, or Britney for that matter, but…

I know that journalism is a fast-paced business—you’re under the gun to type up stories every day, sometimes several times a day with there being so much to report on like the new Bigfoot discovery—so spelling errors are bound to roll into the ink now and then. When I worked in advertising, I made a mistake on a 2-color brochure I designed. Somewhere along the line, my client’s phone number changed into a copy of the blue I chose, so it looked fine on the screen, but it didn’t print on the Pantone plates. I didn’t notice it wasn’t there. They noticed. I fixed it and had it printed again.

But, even with the super sonic speed of the newspaper business in mind, these blunders I’m about to mention seem inexcusable to me, but also quite laughable, and I do love to laugh.

Yesterday, a book review in the Sunday paper caught my eye and jarred me out of my Red Sox stooper. It was for the novel, Good People, which is a “yarn”—something I hope my works are never called—of a Chicago couple, who find money in their dead tenant’s apartment and decide to keep it for themselves. Now the reviewer, Bruce Something—hmmm, wonder why I have Hurst in my head —basically wrote that this couple discovers said money in the kitchen when the woman grabs a sack of flower to smother a grease fire. Did you catch that? Flower as opposed to FLOUR. And I’m also a little curious about this sack. Can you still get those? Cuz the Piggly Wiggly was clear out last I checked. I can only find those paper bundles that end up exploding in your kitchen, giving you an instant White Christmas smack in the middle of July when you’re trying to make brownies from scratch.

Anyway, in Good People, this couple empties out other canisters and boxes of food in the kitchen, finding almost $400,000 total. They clean up the mess, call 9-1-1 and act as though the money never existed. Unbeknownst to them, the old tenant was involved in a robbery during a drug deal, and of course, the partners he stiffed want their money, the drug dealers want their drugs, and the cops find the couple suspicious, so the conflicts press in.

Bruce explains so eloquently that this couple has to grapple with two sets of bag guys. Hmmm. Now I’m really intrigued. Were they paper or plastic? Bag guys? That’s something I’ve never seen in fiction. I’m gonna have to go and check out the book now, to see if the author used flower as opposed to flour, and if bag guys are as scary as I envision them. Walking talking objects that should remain inanimate really freak me out like the Kool-Aid man, Fruit of the Loom guys and even M&Ms, and most especially Chips Ahoy cookies! I really don’t want my food, beverages or underwear talking to me. Sorry, but that’s just me. Seriously. Stop it. It’s creepy. The talking apple in the Applebees commercial really confused my two-year-old daughter. And definitely get rid of chilling mascots like the Burger King King, the most horrible horror of all nightmares. Evil should not be a part of any value meal. Bag guys now? Sheesh. Freaky. Those plastic ones really can be deadly. Keep them away from small children.

Kay. Got it. Click if you actually want to read the review. Well, his error-ridden coverage worked. I’m gonna go check out the book, and I can honestly say I wouldn’t have without those glitches, which were kind of funny but scary at the same time.

I seriously hope my work doesn’t have or retain glaring errors like that, giving readers cereal killers, break tampering [would totally suck at the office] and ghostly allusions to worry about. Sometimes even though countless eyes have read, critiqued and edited a work to death, it’s the guy eating Doritos in his favorite armchair at home with his cat in his lap, who catches that cows have UDDERS not UTTERS but it’s too late for revision cuz it’s in print. Please don’t let that happen to me. Welll, bak too editting and wryting I go.

~Signing off and sending out cyber hugs.