If I Have A Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince? by Melissa Kantor

Pages: 288

Publisher: Hyperion

Perspective: First Person

Age Group: Young Adult

Challenges: N/A

Release Date: August 26, 2005

Wicked stepmother? Check. Evil stepsisters? Check. Miserable life? Check.

Lucy Norton’s life has all the makings of a Cinderella story. Her dad’s always away on business, leaving Lucy with her cruel stepmother and bratty stepsisters. She’s burdened with chores, and has a hard time fitting in at her new school. So when she sees Connor Pearson, the star player on the varsity basketball team, Lucy hopes her destiny has finally changed. With everything else going on in her life, doesn’t she at least deserve to get the handsome prince?

Melissa Kantor’s enchanting novel proves that sometimes the happy ending isn’t quite the one you’d expect. Lucy’s about to discover the truth about finding her real Prince Charming . . . and finding herself.

Stars: 4/5

Cover: C

Plot:

I didn't really know what to expect with this book, but, to be honest, my expectations weren't high (I judged a book by its cover - sue me!). I'm glad to say, though, I was surprised.

This book started out a little slowly, and I had to scoff a little bit about the main character.

HIGHLIGHT TO READ SLIGHT-SPOILER:

I found it a little unrealistic that Lucy barely talked to anyone, and then she says one word to Conner (the most popular guy at her school) and he's got this fat crush on her and then they're going out. Just sayin'.

But once I got past that, the book was really good! It was cute, funny, but also had depth. Lucy is trying to deal with her dad being away all the time, and living with her super-annoying stepmom and stepsisters. It was obvious she was calling out to her dad, and that he wasn't listening. 

I will admit, based on the title and the cover, I thought this book would be more of a twist off of the Cinderella story, instead of just being roughly based around it. It's not a bad thing at all, just not what I expected!

Characters:

I thought Lucy was pretty awesome. She narrated the story, and she made it very likable. It was cool to see her opinions on people change, her worries, her feelings . . . it was all (besides the first part of the book, mentioned above) very realistic. 

I also liked Lucy's friends that she makes. They seem to really care for her, and they made the story all the more endearing.

Writing:

This book was super fast-paced. The chapters weren't very long, and they left you hanging at the end of each one, making you really want to read on. The pacing of the book was nice, too -- not too fast, and not too slow.

Ending:

I loved the ending. It was bittersweet, but I think Lucy ended up with what was best for her. It was one of those "Aw, that's so cute!" endings that were one hundred percent predictable that you just can't help but love.

Cover:

Boooo. I really wish I liked this cover. I just don't. It doesn't personally fit my taste, and but I think it goes along pretty well with the Cinderella theme, which I suppose it what really counts.

The Final Verdict:

This book was heart-felt, romantic, and cute. It wasn't too deep, but it did have a little bit going on under the surface. It was a super fast read. I recommend this book to people who love romances and books roughly based around fairy tales.

FTC: Bought.

"Waiting On" Wednesday (27)

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith


Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18B. Hadley's in 18A. 

Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.


Release Date: Jan 2, 2012


Does this seem like a total heart-felt romance, or what? I already can't wait to read this book and get butterflies. Hell, I was smiling while reading the synopsis. Um, hello? British boy with accent? Get me on THAT flight, please!
I. CAN'T. WAIT. :)

Simple Book Tag

The Questions:


How do you organize your bookshelf?
What advice would you give to other book reviewers?
What are your favorite books?
Where do you like to read?
What is your favorite book cover?
What book vlogger would you like to meet in real life?


The Cover Reviews Youtube Channel

The Light by DJ MacHale

Pages: 352

Publisher: Aladdin

Perspective: First Person

Age Group: Young Adult

Challenges: 350 Page Challenge

Release Date: April 20, 2010

Marshall Seaver is being haunted. In the first installment of this chillingly compelling trilogy, sixteen-year-old Marshall discovers that something beyond our world is after him. The eerie clues pile up quickly, and when people start dying, it’s clear whatever this isit’s huge. 

Marshall has no idea what’s happening to him, but he’s soon convinced that it has something to do with his best friend Cooper, who’s been missing for over a week. Together with Coop’s sister, Marsh searches for the truth about what happened to his friend, ultimately uncovering something bigger than he could ever have imagined.

Stars: 5/5

Cover: A-

Plot:

Have you ever read the Pendragon series? It's a ten-book series by DJ MacHale, and they used to be my all-time favorite books. When I found out he'd started a new series, I bought the first book immediately. And it sat on my shelf for over a year.

Um, can you say HUGE regret? Though, one thing I don't regret about waiting to read it is that I got to read it around Halloween time. This book is so creepy that it totally got me into the Halloween spirits.

It was extremely fast-paced and the whole story behind the plot kept twisting and turning. I loved the whole premise, and I loved that this book wasn't your average Haunted house ghost story.

Characters:

The Light focused mainly around the main character, Marshall. He was the narrator, and also the center of everything that was happening. The supporting characters, though, such as his best friend, Cooper, and his best friend's older sister, Sydney (love interest, anyone?), helped the plot progress along, also. There was a ton of mystery in the whereabouts of Cooper, and Sydney started being haunted once she got involved. 

The bad guy, known as the "Gravedigger", was perfect for a villain. He could go anywhere he wanted, multiply himself, make people hallucinate, and also possess people into doing things he wants them to do. Um, that's pretty scary if I do say so myself.

SOMETHING THAT'S SO SUPER COOL I FREAKED OUT WHEN I SAW IT: There was reference to Mark Dimond, one of the characters in the Pendragon series. SO. COOL.

Writing:

I had pretty high expectations due to DJ MacHale's other series, and this book met them far and beyond. Let's just say the Pendragon series has some competition. 

I can't even begin to describe how awesome it was to read this book in the middle of the night. I was completely freaked out, and I LOVED IT. 

The suspense scenes in this book were so intense. I felt like I couldn't read the book fast enough. 

The Ending:

Holy crap! I thought the book couldn't get any better, but, OH YES, it did. The last twenty pages changed everything you thought you knew about why the haunting was happening. I'm pretty sure my jaw was on the floor. Now I absolutely cannot wait to buy and read the second book in the series.

The Cover:

Usually, I feel like freaky books like this one's covers are not scary enough to represent the book truthfully.

I'm happy to say, this cover does not fall under that category. It's just so creepy! The red tones in it remind me of blood, and the Gravedigger (the guy on the cover) is so scary-looking!

The Final Verdict:

Part mystery, mary suspense/thriller, The Light needs to be in your hands, NOW. Add it to your list of books to read when it's raining and dreary outside, because (personally) I think scary books like this one are perfect for winter time.

FTC: Bought.

October 2011 Book Favorites!

This is an idea I had floating around in my head during the summer time. I always see a bunch of beauty gurus on Youtube doing monthly favorites for beauty products, and I really wanted to convert it to monthly book favorites!

I will sometimes being doing them in text form, or sometimes making videos. I'll try to give each book a chance, and not repeat books in different categories, but if a book is that good, I can't help it!

Feel free to join in and do monthly book favorites with me! (As I do more of these, I'll add more categories)

Favorite Book Read:

The Light by DJ MacHale

Favorite Main Character:

Paisley from Paisley Hanover Acts Out by Cameron Tuttle

Best Ending: 

Flawless by Sara Shepard

Cutest Couple: 

Kendall and Jacian from Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann

Most Annoying Siblings:

Emma and Amy from If I Have A Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince? by Melissa Kantor

Best Cover:

Whisper by Phoebe Katanidis

QUESTION OF THE DAY: Do you have any categories you think I should add to Monthly Favorites? Write them below! 

Paradox - The Angels Are Here by Patti Roberts

Pages: 194
Publisher: Create Space
Perspective: Third Person
Age Group: Mature Young Adult
Challenges: N/A
Release Date: October 18, 2010


Stars: 3.5/5
Cover: B-

The Final Verdict: 
Paradox - The Angels Are Here is a nice read, but didn't really pull me in or intrigue me. I would recommend this book to people who like romance, action, and history.

FTC: Author

Paisley Hanover Acts Out By Cameron Tuttle

Pages: 432

Publisher: Dial

Age Group: Young Adult

Perspective: First Person

Challenges: 350 Page Challenge

Release Date: October 2, 2008

Always one of the popular kids, sophomore Paisley Hanover gets a rude awakening when she’s booted out of yearbook and into the badlands of drama class. Out of her element but only momentarily out of ideas, Paisley takes action—and an unexpected liking to her drama buddies. The result? An undercover crusade that could bring down the popularity pecking order, and Paisley along with it.

This is the story of how Paisley Hanover gets wise, gets bold, and gets into a hilarious mess of trouble. With a package as fresh and clever as Paisley herself— including a cool slipcase, a fabulous novel, and Paisley’s notebook of embarrassingly funny ideas and doodles—it’s the start of a series that embraces the “Un” in UnUsual.

Stars: 5/5

Cover: B+

Plot:

I already read this book two years ago, and it's just as good and realistic reading it a second time around! I was hooked by the first page, and I barely put this book down to sleep. Despite its length, it was an extremely fun, fast, and captivating read. I loved everything about it! 

I really loved the plot of the book. Paisley Hanover, a popular sophomore in high school, has her view on her school (and especially the people in it) turned upside-down when she gets placed into drama and not journalism. She is then opened up to the other side of her school - the "non-popular" side. Paisley makes a few realizations about her friends and the people she hangs around that are startling to her, and in a mad rage she unleashes a column in her school newspaper that turns her school inside-out.

I especially loved that this book has more than one plot line, and that there is more going on that just popular vs. non-popular. There is a lot of depth to the book, and I found it to be really easy to relate to.

Characters:

The characters, in my opinion, were the best thing about this book. The narrator, Paisley Hanover, was comical, sarcastic, and one hundred percent lovable. She totally made the entire book. 

I loved her comments about things, and I could really relate to her. She is one of my all-time favorite MC's. There was a lot of character development with Paisley. It was really cool to watch her point of view change as the book progressed.

Not to mention, the supporting characters were just as awesome! I loved all of Paisley's friends soo much that I wish they were mine!

Writing:

Cameron Tuttle's writing was flawless. It flowed seamlessly, and she really sucked you into the book with the first sentence. I was always like, "okay, one more chapter, then I'll go to sleep." Then, when I got to the end of the chapter, I would be like, "I can't end there!" and it would be one crazy-big cycle. 

Ending:

I thought the ending fit the book perfectly. Everything came together really nicely, and it didn't feel rushed at all. The ending did tie up the loose ends for that book, but still left room for the sequel to continue where it left off without it feeling patchy. 

Cover:

The one and only semi-bad thing I can say about this book is that the cover was too cute-sie for the book. It is a cute cover, I'll give it that, but it almost seems childish, and doesn't really portray what the book is about. I'm just saying, if I were to have judged this book solely by its cover, I probably would not have picked it up.

The Final Verdict:

Paisley Hanover Acts Out is a fun, cute book that also has some depth. It is classified under "Young Adult", but this book is definitely appropriate for even Middle Grade readers. I recommend this to anyone who wants an uplifting fast read with awesome, unforgettable characters.

FTC: Bought.