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Review: Heist Society by Ally Carter

Synopsis from jacket:

When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her to the Louvre . . . to case it.  For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria . . . to steal the crown jewels.  When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own - scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind.  Unfortunately, leaving "the life" for a normal life proves harder than she'd expected.

Soon, Kat's friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to  bring her back into the world she tried so hard to escape.  But he has good reason: a powerful mobster's priceless art collection has been stolen and he wants it returned.  Only a master thief could have pulled off this job, and Kat's father isn't just on the suspect list, he is the list.  Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat's dad needs her help.

For Kat there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back.  So what if it's a spectacularly impossible job? She's got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully, just enough talent to pull of the biggest heist in her family's (very crooked) history - and with any luck, steal her life back along the way.

Was it Worth My Time?
First, is this not the cutest cover ever?!

I L-O-V-E Ally Carter's books.  I had forgotten how much until I opened Heist Society. Think Ocean's Eleven meets Gossip Girl. We finally get a girl that wants to plan the perfect heist!

Carter is amazing.  She wrote this book as if I knew every part of the plan .... I really did  think I knew it all... but, then, on the day of the heist I realized I had been let in on absoutely NO part of the plan. Carter made me think my friends Kat, Hale, Nick, Gabrielle, Hamish, and Angus had kept me in the loop.  They didn't ... what awful friends!?  So, for abouter 20 pages I found myself saying "ohhh."  Isn't that when you know the book is a winner?! 

This a perfect author for girls who like a whole lot of action, a good bit of mystery, and little bit of romance.  Check out her website here!



What Bothered Me?
Not. One. Thing.

Review: Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

Synopsis from jacket:


Incarceron is a prison unlike any other: Its inmates live not only in cells, but also in metal forests, dilapidated citied, and unbounded wilderness.  The prison has been sealed for centuries, and only one man, legend says, has ever escaped.


Finn, a seventeen-year-old prisoner, can't remember his childhood and believes he came from Outside Incarceron.  He's going to escape, even though most inmates don't believe that Outside even exists. And then Finn finds a crystal key and through it, a girl named Claudia.


Claudia claims to live Outside - her father is Warden of Incarceron and she's doomed to an arranged marriage.  If she helps Finn escape, she will need his help in return.


But they don't realize that there is more to Incarceron than meets the eye.  Escape will take their greatest courage and cost far more than they know.


Because Incarceron is alive.

Was It Worth My Time?
Totally. 

I am a huge "puzzle" lover.  Give me a good puzzle to solve, and I'm a happy girl.  I love movies that make me think, and, obviously, that same love translates to books as well. 

I wasn't expecting this book to be a puzzle; however, as I dove deeper into the pages of Incarceron, I realized that this book had me thinking ahead.  I was hoping that I could solve the mysteries of the prison, but really I wanted to solve the mystery of Finn.  Later, I realized I also needed to figure out Claudia's past. THEN (as if I wasn't already impressed with the twisty plot line)  Fisher threw out an answer to a mystery I didn't think needed solving.

It was a "wild ride" of a book with so many sub-plots that come together (magically) at the end. 

This is a GREAT book for middle schoolers. Boys and girls will love this book. I will be "booktalking" this novel the first week of school!




What Bothered Me?
Nothing really.

Although, I would warn that the beginning is a little confusing as Fisher jumps right in to her story, and I found myself using context clues to understands some of the terms.

Review: The Dead Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan

Synopsis from jacket:
   Gabry lives a quiet life, secure in her town next to the sea and behind the Barrier. She's content to let her friends dream of the Dark City up the coast while she watches from the top of her lighthouse. Home is all she's ever known, and she needs for happiness.
   But life after the Return is never safe, and there are threats even the Barrier can't hold back.
   Gabry's mother thought she left her secrets behind in the Forest of Hands and Teeth, but like the dead in their world, secrets don't stay buried.  And now, Gabry's world is crumbling.
   One night beyond the Barrier ....
   One boy Gabry's known forever and one veiled in mystery ...
   One reckless moment, and half of Gabry's generation is dead, the other half imprisoned.
   Gabry knows only one thing: if she is to have any hope of a future, she must face the forest and her mother's past.

Was It Worth My Time?
Yes, but only because I LOVED The Forsest of Hands and Teeth. Ryan does an excellent job of weaving both stories together.  She pulls in many different elements into her plot, and as a reader I found myself surprised throughout most of the book. 

I also liked that Ryan gave us a history that we did not know before of the way the world was before the Return.  It left me feeling content with the story of Gabry as well as Mary. 

As with the first book, I was continually amazed at Ryan's poetic, descriptive writing.  There were many parts that I "flagged" to use as examples of great writing. 


What Bothered Me?
I think I was expecting as much action as The Forest of Hands and Teeth.  This novel wasn't much like that.  Sure, there were parts that were action-packed, and there were moments when I was surprised; however, on the whole this book just didn't meet my expectations.  You'll want to read it if you loved Ryan's first novel, but it won't be a book that you read in one sitting.

Review: hush, hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Synopsis from jacket:
Romance was not part of Nora Grey's plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how hard her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch comes along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Patch draws Nora to him against her better judgment.


But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure whom to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is and seems to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she triest to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.


For she is right in the middle of an ancient battle between immortal and those who have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost Nora her life.

Was it Worth My Time?
This whole "fallen angels" thing is new to me, and I gotta say I'm a little intrigued after reading this book.  It is a topic that isn't over-used (eh um, vampires), and Fitzpatrick goes far above any expectations I had of her as a new author. 

The book is amazing.  It would fall just below my top 10 favorites (which is saying a lot if you know me and how much I read).  The book combines suspense, fantasy, and romance and really made me want to keep reading.  I loved Nora as a character.  I especially adored her attraction/hatred for Patch.  She is terrified of him not only because she thinks he's so sexy but also because she's convinced he might be stalking her (and maybe even trying to kill her). 

This book contains many different sub-plots which equals absolutely no boredom on the part of the reader.


What Bothered Me?
At some points in the book I was a little annoyed.  Patch was such a mystery to me that I kept reading, but I knew NOTHING about him until page 288.  I wish I would have known a little more than what the front cover shows as I read the first 3/4 of the book.



Becca Fitzpatrick's sequel to hush, hush will be out October 2010. Check out the cool cover!

Review: Bewitching Season by Marissa Doyle

Synopsis from jacket:

In 1837 London, young daughters of viscounts pined for handome, titled husbands, not careers. And certainly not careers in magic.


Shy, studious Persephone Leland would far rather devote herself to her secret magic studies than enter society and look for a suitable husband. But just as the inevitable season is about to begin, Persy and her twin sister discover that their governess in magic has been kidnapped as part of plot to gain control of the Princess Victoria.  Racing through Mayfair ballrooms and royal palaces, the sisters overcome bad millinery, shady royal spinsters, and a mysterious Irish wizard. And along the way, Percy learns that husband hunting isn't such an odious task after all, if you can find the right quarry.

Was It Worth My Time?
I am so excited about this series! I came across this title when I was researching young adult books that have won awards.  Bewitching Season was on that list, and I thought I would give it a try.  It is great!

This book combines Harry Potter and the classic "happily-ever-after" plot.  The reader is taken back to the life of seventeen year old girls and their elegant debut as ladies in society.

Persy and her twin sister Pen are required to go to the city to be presented as ladies ready for marriage.   Persy is self-conscious and shy, and she fears she will never find a husband.  She has her eyes on only one man, and Persy believes she is not enough for Lochinvar Seton.  I loved Persy as a character and was happy that Doyle chose her as the main character because I wanted the shy girl to succeed (after all, aren't we all shy girls at some point?). 

The mystery of the disappearance of Ally (the girls' governess) paired with a romance that you hope will grow between Persy and Lochinvar will have you turning pages!



What Bothered Me?
I felt like the "magic" aspect of the novel could have been taken up a notch. There was only one magical duel in the novel, and I would've liked to have read more. 


This is a great book for middle school girls!

Betraying Season is the next book in the series!