3 More!

Sorry I missed a day-my daughter was in her first car accident and I was not up to posting! She is OK & the people in the other car are OK so that is what is important! Now that things have settled down a little, I am ready to review the next 3 books on the list!

BEFORE I FALL: The cover of the book and the quote from Jay Asher on the front caught my eye first with this book! The story itself looked intriguing to me when I read the jacket and it did not disappoint. Samantha is a popular girl who is, well, shallow. I didn't really like her in the beginning of the book-which I now know is what Lauren Oliver intended. Then it happens-the accident that ends her life. Did you ever see the movie Groundhog Day where the guy keeps waking up and it is the same day? That is what happens to Samantha-she wakes up and it is her last day over and over again. In each day, she tries something new to save herself and in the process starts to see herself and her friends in a different light. Samantha begins to realize that she does not like the person she has become. Is being able to party and have a popular group of friends and boyfriend worth the pain they cause to others? I get asked ALOT if Sam figures out a way to save herself-I can honestly say that she does, but that doesn't necessarily mean that she lives at the end of the last day-you will have to read it to find out! I love this book and I can't wait to Skype with Lauren next month!

BOYS, GIRLS AND OTHER HAZARDOUS MATERIALS: Rosalind Wiseman wrote the non-fiction book, QUEEN BEES AND WANNABEES, that the movie Mean Girls was based on. With her first novel, she tells the story of Charlie, a girl who is looking forward to a new start when she is chosen to attend high school across the lake at Harmony Falls. She isn't expecting to see her ex-best friend Will there. She definitely isn't expecting to see him as part of the in-crowd as a varsity player! Charlie stays true to herself and tries to resist her feelings for Will because of the way he acts with his new friends. When a tragedy occurs that puts a poor family in jeopardy, Charlie tries to convince Will to stand up and do the right thing. The ending on this book was left a little unfinished-I am hoping for a sequel to see what happens with Charlie and Will. Overall a good read with a good message!

BROADWAY LIGHTS: So, this is my first review of a book this year where it is part of a series. In these cases, I am going to talk about the series itself in case you haven't started it yet! Kaitlin Burke is the star of Family Affair, the most beloved show on TV. She has grown up on the show and all of America knows who she is! Her family LOVES show business and the perks that Kaitlin brings them. She, however, just wants to be a normal girl. The first book, SECRETS OF MY HOLLYWOOD LIFE, is about her going in disguise to her best friend's high school. Kaitlin falls for a "normal" boy, Austin (love him!). I don't want to give away too much if you haven't started the series yet, but I will say that these books are really so much fun and really good reads. Kaitlin and her nemesis Sky have some interesting times and Kaitlin will ultimately have to choose if she wants to be a star of just a regular girl. The last book comes out in March 2011 and while I am excited, I am also sad! I would definitely recommend this series to girls age 10+(adult YA readers will like them too-Mallory and I both LOVE them). As Jen recently said at the Skype we did, her mom reads all of her books so she doesn't put anything in that she wouldn't want her mom reading! Pick this series up and you won't be disappointed!