Review: The Lipstick Laws

The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder

Synopsis (From Goodreads): At Penford High School, Britney Taylor is the queen bee. She dates whomever she likes, rules over her inner circle of friends like Genghis Khan, and can ruin anyone's life with a snap of perfectly manicured fingers. Just ask the unfortunate few who have crossed her.   For April Bowers, Britney is also the answer to her prayers. April is so unpopular, kids don't even know she exists. But one lunch spent at Britney's table, and April is basking in the glow of popularity.   But Britney's friendship comes with a high price tag. How much is April willing to pay?


April Bowers isn't just unpopular, she's practically invisible. When her best friend, Hayley transfers schools, April is forced to start the new school year alone. When she gets the attention of popular girl, Britney Taylor, she isn't going to say no even though Hayley keeps warning her to stay away from Britney. Everything seems to be going great for April, she's been able to talk to her crush Matt "hottie-body" Brentwood and she's even sworn an oath to the Lipstick Laws, making Britney and her followers her friends... or at least she thinks.

When April breaks a law she is tossed out of Britney's group and they do anything to make April's life hell, like they have for so many others before her. April isn't going down without a fight and she decides that there might be others to help her. She forms the Lipstick Lawbreakers, a group bent on dethroning Britney Taylor. But, how far will April go to get her revenge? And, is it all worth it, especially when she might not get the boy she wants in the end?

With drama, boys and good old fashion revenge, The Lipstick Laws is a high school roller coaster about how far bully victims will go before they fight back.

The Lipstick Laws was a cute and easy read. There are plenty of ups and downs as April tries to find her place in the school. April is a really likeable character, and I'm sure a lot of people will be able to relate to her. I'm sure a lot of people either know or have known a Britney Taylor and would have given anything to give her some payback. This is the exact book for that.

Mix it in with two guys, the hottie and the geek and you've got the exact formula for high school chaos. Amy Holder does a great job at creating a fun little read that targets the more serious issue of Bullying and how far the victims can go before they become the bullies. I'm looking forward to seeing what else Amy Holder can deliver.


Source: Netgalley
Release Date: April 4th 2011
2011 Debut Author Challenge: #8 of 20
2011 YA Reading Challenge: #14 of 50

Recommend:

Review: The Karma Club

The Karma Club by Jessica Brody

Synopsis (From Goodreads): "Personally, I’m tired of waiting for the universe to get off its butt and start fixing stuff. I don’t want to wait around for Mason to get what’s coming to him. Or Heather Campbell, for that matter . . . I want to be there to see it happen."

Madison Kasparkova always thought she understood how Karma works. It’s that mysterious, powerful force that brings harmony to the universe. You know—do good things and you will be rewarded, do something bad and Karma will make sure you get what’s coming to you. A sort of cosmic balancing act.

But when Mason Brooks, Maddy’s boyfriend of two years, gets caught tongue-wrestling with Miss Perfect Body Heather Campbell, and absolutely nothing happens to either of them—except that they wind up the hot new couple of Colonial High School, it seems like Karma has officially left Maddy in the lurch. That’s why Maddy and her best friends, Angie and Jade, decide to start the Karma Club—a secret, members-only organization whose sole purpose is to clean up the messes that the universe has been leaving behind. Whether they’re modifying Heather Campbell’s acne cream as part of “Operation Butterface,” or righting a few wrongs when it comes to Angie and Jade’s own slimy exes, they know they’re just doing what Karma should have done in the first place. They’re taking care of one another.

Sometimes, though, it isn’t wise to meddle with the universe. Because it turns out, when you mess with Karma, Karma messes back. Now Maddy must find a way to balance her life for good, even as everything around her seems to be toppling to the ground.

Jessica Brody has created a light-hearted story about a group of friends who decide that the universe isn't quick enough to punish those who have wronged them. When Maddy walks in on her soon-to-be-ex boyfriend making out with the most popular girl at school she wants nothing more than to make him feel the same hurt and humiliation that she did, but when the universe takes too long in righting this wrong, she decides to take things into her own hands. She decides to form the Karma Club with her friends and get back at the cheating boyfriends who have hurt them.

What the friends soon learn is that every action has a consequence. Will they be able to handle all the consequences or will the universe be able to balance itself out again?

This was a light-hearted read with interesting characters. At times it felt like a self-help book as it explained the rules of karma and the butterfly effect. But, the actions and consequences that the characters run into made it an interesting read.

Cover:  This cover is definitely cheeky and suits the tone of the story perfectly.

Plot: 3/5 stars
Ending: 3/5 stars
Cover: 4/5 stars
Overall: 3/5 stars
Recommend: Meg Cabot, The Cinderella Society
Debut Author Challenge: #12 of 12 (Yay, I've completed the challenge)

Review: The Cinderella Society

The Cinderella Society by Kay Cassidy

Synopsis (From Goodreads): When the Prom Queen becomes your fairy godmother…

Sixteen year old outsider, Jess Parker, gets the chance of a lifetime: an invitation to join a secret society of popular girls dedicated to defeating the mean girls of the world. The Cinderella Society guides all new recruits through its top secret ultimate life makeover. It’s all part of preparing them to face down the Wickeds and win. Determined not to let the Cindys down, Jess dives in with a passion. Finally, a chance to belong and show the world what she’s made of.

… be careful what you wish for.

Jess’s transformation wins her the heart of her dream crush and a shot at uber-popularity. Until the Wickeds–led by Jess’s arch enemy–begin targeting innocent girls in their war against the Cindys, and Jess discovers the real force behind her exclusive society. It’s a high stakes battle of good vs. evil, and the Cindys in power need Jess on special assignment. When the mission threatens to destroy her dream life come true, Jess is forced to choose between living a fairy tale and honoring the Sisterhood… and herself.

What’s a girl to do when the glass slipper fits, but she doesn’t want to wear it anymore?

Kay Cassidy has created a story that any girl would love to be a part of. Jess has always been an outsider, even though she's a cheerleader. Her family has always moved around and by the time she has made friends it's time to leave, so she's never really felt like she's fitted in, that's before she gets invited to join a secret society known as the Cinderella Society. Her life soon becomes a fairy tale like Cinderella's (complete with handsome prince). Just like all fairy tales there has to be the Wicked Sisters and she soon finds herself in the middle of a battle between good and evil. When the dream starts to spiral out of control will Jess be able to complete her mission or lose who she really is along the way?

Jess is a strong character with a good heart who will do what's right and stick up for her friends even when she knows there will be consequences. And then there's Lexy who plays the Wicked who's main goal is to make Jess's life a living hell. The one problem I had with the characters were that they seemed too good or too evil, but that can be overlooked because the story revolves around the Cinderella fairy tale and there needs to be good triumphing over evil.

When looking at the secret society as a whole, it can seem a bit over-the-top and farfetched with what they do, but who wouldn't want to be recruited by the Cindy's? Every girl would love to get that makeover which will allow them to feel good in their skin, and also feel included. This book put a good spin on the Cinderella fable and had a good message of girl power. It was a quick and fun read and should be taken as a light-hearted read while curled up in a nice comfy chair.

Cover: A very gorgeous cover, which does a good job at showing what the story's going to be like. It really draws attention to the fairy tale within the pages.
 

Plot: 4/5 stars
Ending: 4/5 stars
Cover: 4/5 stars
Overall: 4/5 stars
Recommend: Meg Cabot
Debut Author Challenge: #11 of 12

Review: Paranormalcy

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Synopsis (From Goodreads): Weird as it is working for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, Evie's always thought of herself as normal. Sure, her best friend is a mermaid, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only person who can see through paranormals' glamours, but still. Normal.

Only now paranormals are dying, and Evie's dreams are filled with haunting voices and mysterious prophecies. She soon realizes that there may be a link between her abilities and the sudden rash of deaths. Not only that, but she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

Kiersten White has created a truly original paranormal story, and no, the vampires aren't sexy. Evie has always thought of herself as normal, well except for working for a paranormal containment agency and having an ex who's a faery and she can see through glamours. From the first line Evie had me hooked. She was just a girly girl who's obssessed with teen soaps and has a very normal teenage attitude (except for her strong desire to go to school). She's definitely a character that anyone can relate with, and all this paranormal activity is happening around her.

The story is interesting and original, and it kept me guessing right up till the end (which is a good sign of an interesting story). And, who can't fall in love with the guys? Lend is very different from all the others out there, he's just a normal teenager who is just adorable, especially when he's giving cheek in the various forms that he can shift into. And then there's Reth, who is just obssessed with Evie.

This story was up at the top of my list to read, and now I know why. It's definitely a page turner that you won't be able to put down. I can't wait for the next one.

Cover: I love the cover, it's very elegant and depicts Evie really well. The pink among the dark scene really shows what she is like. It's fantastic.


 

Plot: 5/5 stars
Ending: 5/5 stars
Cover: 5/5 stars
Overall: 5/5 stars
Recommend: Any paranormal romance
Debut Author Challenge: #10 of 12

Review: Girl Saves Boy

Girl Saves Boy by Steph Bowe

Synopsis (From Goodreads): The first time we met, Jewel Valentine saved my life.

Isn’t it enough having your very own terminal disease, without your mother dying? Or your father dating your Art teacher?

No wonder Sacha Thomas ends up in the lake that Saturday evening…

But the real question is: how does he end up in love with Jewel Valentine?

With the help of quirky teenage prodigies Little Al and True Grisham, Sacha and Jewel have a crazy adventure, with a little lobster emancipation along the way.

But Sacha’s running out of time, and Jewel has secrets of her own.

Girl Saves Boy is a hugely talented debut novel, funny and sad, silly and wise. It’s a story of life, death, love… and garden gnomes.

Stephe Bowe has created a perceptive look into modern families. All families have problems, and it's not just from the kids either. This beautiful debut shows that sometimes parents can screw up even more than their children. Jewel didn't know that returning home after 10 years would mean anything, but after finding a boy drowning in the lake and rescuing him she finds herself getting close to someone for the first time. Sacha didn't really want to be saved, but glad he was, especially when he starts developing a friendship with Jewel. He has a problem though, how is he going to tell her he has cancer? As a relationship starts developing, both Jewel and Sacha have to try and leave the past behind them and learn to trust each other in order to move forward.

Stephe Bowe has created realistic characters that both have their own problems. Sacha is running from the death of his mother and out of time from the cancer that has returned. Jewel is trying to forget her brother's death and the father who abandoned her, and is now living with a mother that she barely knows and hasn't really seen for the past 10 years. This novel gave a real look into family life where no one is perfect and sometimes the problems that each member has is difficult to put aside to come together and support each other.

I've been wanting to read this since Steph announced it was getting published (especially down here in Australia first), and I'm glad I did. The writing was cheeky in some parts as well as heart-wrenching in others. And, for the first time (mainly because I do read a lot of US novels) it was great to see some familiar settings that I'm so used to (especially Bunnings, the description of the house and hardware warehouse was perfect, exactly how I feel every time I step foot into the concrete floored tin building).

Cover: This cover is elegant and definitely catches the attention. I love the water droplets that run along the cover, it's beautifully set out.

At the moment Girl Saves Boy is available in Australia, but don't worry US, it will be available Summer 2011.
 

Plot: 5/5 stars
Ending: 4/5 stars
Cover: 5/5 stars
Overall: 5/5 stars
Recommend: Jody Piccoult
Debut Author Challenge: #9 of 12

Review: Vampire Rising (Alex Van Helsing #1)

Vampire Rising (Alex Van Helsing) by Jason Henderson

Synopsis (From Goodreads): A descendant of legendary vampire hunter Abraham Van Helsing, fourteen-year-old Alex is stuck at boarding school near Lake Geneva, Switzerland, when he finds himself drawn into a web of paranormal intrigue. It turns out that Lake Geneva is also home to a secret school for vampires called the Scholomance—and now to a dangerous vampire clan lord known only as Icemaker, who’s using the Scholomance for his own dangerous endgame. With the help of his friends and of special agent Sangster, it’s up to Alex to fulfill his family destiny and stop Icemaker’s frightening plans once and for all.

Alex Van Helsing is a showstopping hero set to leap off the page—stake, naturally, in hand. Drawing from centuries of actual vampire lore and literature (and with a nod to zombies, too!), Jason Henderson delivers a breathlessly paced thriller that will captivate vampire fans as well as readers who loved Alex Rider.

Jason Henderson has created a unique twist on a legendary character. Alex Van Helsing is a descendant of the legendary Van Helsing, but doesn't know it. All that he knows is that his dad sent him to boarding school because of a fight. Now, he's sharing a room with the resident twin bullies who would rather make his life a living hell. After a series of attacks occur just outside of the school and he chases one of the attackers (something that resembles a vampire), Alex stumbles upon a secret organisation which his father was apparently a member of. He gets drawn into the centre of the action when a dangerous vampire shows up with frightening plans. It's up to Alex along with his friends and Special Agent Sangster to stop these plans and save the world... as long as Alex's father doesn't find out.

Henderson has breathed life into unique characters that jump off the page and Alex has a genuine and interesting voice. There is plenty of action in the pages that will keep you turning to the next, with lots of twists and turns as the story progresses. Some of the action was a bit unrealistic, like how Alex is able to kill a vampire so easily without even training for it, but that can easily be forgiven because it is just a fun story and it really draws the reader in amongst the action

Cover: The cover is interesting. It offers a hint of mystery and introduces the reader to the main character.
 

Plot: 4/5 stars
Ending: 4/5 stars
Cover: 4/5 stars
Overall: 4/5 stars
Recommend: Alex Rider novels
Debut Author Challenge: #8 of 12

Review: Read My Lips

Read My Lips by Teri Brown

Synopsis (From Goodreads): Serena just wants to fly under the radar at her new school. But Serena is deaf, and she can read lips really well-even across the busy cafeteria. So when the popular girls discover her talent, there's no turning back.

From skater chick to cookie-cutter prep, Serena's identity has done a 180...almost. She still wants to date Miller, the school rebel, and she's not ready to trade her hoodies for pink tees just yet. But she is rising through the ranks in the school's most exclusive clique.

With each new secret she uncovers, Serena feels pressure to find out more. Reading lips has always been her greatest talent, but now Serena just feels like a gigantic snoop...

Teri Brown has created an emotional joyride through the eyes of Serena. No good can come of being a new students, especially a deaf new student. Serena's gift has always been lip reading, so when the popular girls learn of this talent they persuade her to use her gift to spy for them. Serena has never fit in and now she's offered the chance to be a part of the popular group and join an exclusive secret society, how can she say no?

I wanted to read this novel to see how the author dealt with telling the story through the eyes of a deaf girl, and she handled it fantastically. Serena isn't 100% deaf. She has hearing aids that help her hear, but it's not perfect. I was able to immediately relate with Serena. Who hasn't wanted to fit in before? And, having such a disability probably isn't the easiest thing in high school. This novel is full of choices gone wrong and peer pressure, which totally reminded me of high school. Even though it's hard to understand why she would give personal information about others to these popular girls, her motivations are believable.

It has a simple plot that's not too complicated and an expected ending, but it did keep me reading to find out how deep the secrets would get.
 

Plot: 4/5 stars
Ending: 4/5 stars
Cover: 4/5 stars
Overall: 4/5 stars
Recommend: The Clique
Debut Author Challenge: #7 of 12

Review: Deception

Deception by Lee Nichols

Synopsis (From Goodreads): When Emma Vaile's parents leave on mysterious business trip, it gives her the perfect excuse to be a rebellious teen. Throw some parties, get a tattoo (or maybe just a piercing), and enjoy the first few weeks of her junior year. Then her best friend stops talking to her, the cops crash her party, and Emma finds herself in the hands of a new guardian—her college-age "knight in J.Crew armor," Bennett Stern—and on a plane to his museum-like mansion in New England.

Lee Nichols gives us a new ghost story in DECEPTION, the first Haunting Emily novel. Emily is just an average girl who's just a bit mixed up, that could have something to do with spending time in a mental institution (which she calls the POOF) as a child or the fact that her gallavanting parents have now disappeared. Now she's been taken away from her home and placed under the care of gorgeous Bennett's care at Echo Point. Here, she discovers that her family's been lying to her about herself. She's actually a ghostkeeper, someone who can see and communicate with ghosts. As she tries to adjust to a new school and learn about her powers, she discovers that not all ghosts are nice and that there's something out there dilling people. Emily has to find out who or what is out there before it finds her.

What's not to like? Ghosts, mysteries and cute boys. Nichols has created a unique supernatural mystery with plenty of twists and turns that will keep you guessing all the way till the end. The only thing I found a bit upsetting was the ending. Don't get me wrong, it's definitely a terrific ending, but it left the story on a cliffhanger with more unanswered questions than resolutions. The story was left up in the air, which does the job of enticing the reader to pick up the second book, but now I have to wait until the next one is available. I'm definitely going to have to wait for the second one, bucause overall it is a great read.

Cover: The cover is beautiful, it definitely has a hint of the supernatural and creates an eerie notion that ghosts will probably exist within the pages. This cover is definitely one of the things that drew me to pick up the novel in the first place.
 

Plot: 5/5 stars
Ending: 4/5 stars
Cover: 5/5 stars
Overall: 4.5/5 stars
Recommend:  For lovers of ghost stories

Debut Author Challenge: #6 of 12

Review: The Rise of Renegade X

The Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea M Campbell

Synopsis (From Amazon.com): Sixteen-year-old Damien Locke has a plan: major in messing with people at the local supervillain university and become a professional evil genius, just like his supervillain mom. But when he discovers the shameful secret she's been hiding all these years, that the one-night stand that spawned him was actually with a superhero, everything gets messed up. His father's too moral for his own good, so when he finds out Damien exists, he actually wants him to come live with him and his goody-goody superhero family. Damien gets shipped off to stay with them in their suburban hellhole, and he has only six weeks to prove he's not a hero in any way, or else he's stuck living with them for the rest of his life, or until he turns eighteen, whichever comes first.

To get out of this mess, Damien has to survive his dad's "flying lessons" that involve throwing him off the tallest building in the city--despite his nearly debilitating fear of heights--thwarting the eccentric teen scientist who insists she's his sidekick, and keeping his supervillain girlfriend from finding out the truth. But when Damien uncovers a dastardly plot to turn all the superheroes into mindless zombie slaves, a plan hatched by his own mom, he discovers he cares about his new family more than he thought. Now he has to choose: go back to his life of villainy and let his family become zombies, or stand up to his mom and become a real hero.

Chelsea Campbell has delivered a cute and action-packed debut novel with THE RISE OF RENEGADE X. All Damien Locke ever wanted was to be a villain, and when he turned 16 he would have the proof with the V on his thumb, but when he gets an X instead he discovers that his mother hooked up with a superhero and he's the result, now he's forced to stay at his father's and learn to be a hero.

Damien's voice is hilarious as he struggles to come to grips with what he's grown up doing and that nagging conscience that villains don't have. This novel is more than just good versus evil, it deals with his own inner turmoil and regular adolescent struggles as Damien tries to figure out who he is, and you can't go wrong with any love triangle that involves a villainous ex-girlfriend who he never stopped loving and the quirky sidekick who believes he is a hero. This will definitely keep the reader entertained as they follow along with Damien's adventures.

Cover: I love how the cover has the feel of a graphic novel, it's artwork is superb. The comic appeal grabs the readers attention and gives you the gist about what the novel's about.
 

Plot: 4.5/5 stars
Ending: 4.5/5 stars
US Cover: 4.5/5 stars
Overall: 4.5/5 stars
Recommend:  For anyone who loves comics and heroes

Debut Author Challenge: #5 of 12

Review: The Naughty List

The Naughty List by Suzanne Young

Synopsis (From back cover): Everybody Knows Tessa Crimson is the purrfectly perky captain of the Smitten Kittens cheer squad. What most people don't know is that the Smitten Kittens double as spies-for-hire. Their mission? Catch cheating boyfriends in the act and bring justice to the girls of Washington High. So far, every suspect on their Naughty List has been found 100% guilty!
             Thank goodness Tessa's relationship with basketball captain Aiden is strawberry-smoothie. Or so she thinks.

The Naughty List is the debut book from Suzanne Young, and this is the first in a series. Just after hearing the synopsis I had to read this novel. I thought the idea of cheerleaders doubling as spies to catch cheating boyfriends was a very original idea, and I was not disappointed.

Tessa Crimson is the captain of the Smitten Kittens (also S.O.S the cheating agency) who's dating captain of the basketball team, Aiden. She thinks everything's perfect until she gets an S.O.S text stating that Aiden is suspected of cheating on her. Now she's left with the decision, should she spy on Aiden or trust him?

The Naughty List was a fun little read, and Tessa was a entertaining character to follow (even if her perkiness did bug me a little as the story progressed). I love how Tessa didn't like to use cuss words so used words like "strawberry-smoothie" to show how displeased she is. And, some of her exclamations just made me laugh like "Gingersnaps!"

There are enough twists and turns throughout the story to keep anyone guessing about how it's going to end. I'm looking forward to the next few installments (So many Boys and A Good Boy is Hard to Find are already scheduled for release later this year).

Cover: The cover looks cheeky, like someone standing at the window and capturing this delightful moment. It really sets up the whole mood of the book.

Plot: 4/5 stars
Ending: 4/5 stars
Cover: 4/5 stars
Overall: 4/5 stars
Recommend: Fans of Ally Carter
Debut Author Challenge: #2 of 12