Saturday, July 31, 2010

Advertise Here!

If you are interested in advertising at The Undercover Book Lover (Not Really), please read the following information.

Demographics:
- Mostly female readers
- Readers are from ages 11-56
- Where top readers are located: United States, Australia, UK, Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia

Stats: (As of July 29, 2011)
- 300+ average page views per day
- 160+ average unique visitors per day
- Google Connect followers: 2181+
- Email Subscribers: 180+
- Twitter followers: 200+
- Number of Posts: 400+

General Information:
- 50% of profits will go towards a charity called Children's Hour
- 50% of profits will go to further promoting The Undercover Book Lover through contests, etc.
- Payments are only accepted through PayPal
- Prices are subject to change. Although already-purchased price will be fully honored.

Advertising Packages:
These packages are combination of different types of ads that can be posted on The Undercover Book Lover.

Basic AD Package (One Month):
- Large 150 x 300 rectangular banner (positioned at the bottom)
- Square 125 x 125 button/badge/logo (positioned on right sidebar)
- Text & Link AD in a post of your choice
Price: $130

Premium AD Package (One Month):
- Large 150 x 300 rectangular banner (positioned at the top)
- Large 728 × 90 leader-board banner (positioned at the bottom)
- Square 125 x 125 button/badge/logo (positioned on right sidebar)
- Text & Link AD in TWO posts of your choice
Price: $230

A La Carte Menu (One Month):
Large 150 x 300 rectangular banner:
--> Positioned at the top: $70
--> Positioned at the bottom: $40

Large 728 x 90 Leader-board banner:
--> Positioned at the bottom: $60

Square 125 x 125 button/badge/logo:
--> Positioned on right sidebar: $20

Text & Link AD in (ONE) post of your choice: $15 (This will be permanent)

Miscellaneous:

Post-About-It - One post given to me to post on The Undercover Book Lover. Will be part of the blog posts permanently but has to be relative to my blog.
--> $25

THERE IS A 15% DISCOUNT FOR ALL YA AUTHORS.

Email me at regietc@gmail.com if you're interested in purchasing AD space at The Undercover Book Lover.

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Friday, July 30, 2010

I Need YOUR Help: What do you want in a contest?

Hi guys!

So I'm planning to have another big(ish) contest pretty soon and I need your help to decide which books to include in the contest! What books do you guys want to see in a contest? The books can be released or not. It can include up to Winter 2011 titles (for a pre-order giveaway) or it can include books released in 2009! Whatever you guys want! ARCs, paperbacks, hardcovers...don't hold back! Comment and list up to as much as 15 books you'd like to see given away at TUBL =)

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Chat with Cassandra Clare!


Are you guys fans of Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series? Then this is just the thing for you! If you're a Cassandra Clare fan at heart, you'll want to join into the video chat with her! It's on next Wednesday, August 4 at 5pm ET! Make sure that you're browser is on www.Ustream.tv/SimonandSchuster

You'll be able to ask questions and get to know her better, as well as WIN a limited edition Clockwork Angel pendant!


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Thursday, July 29, 2010

Features


It is a discussion post feature in which I discuss anything book-related. They're just normal (sometimes random) discussion posts that are named A Cup of Coffee with Reggie because it's like having a cup of coffee with me and listening (or in this case reading) about my bookish opinions. It will be a random feature here at TUBL that can pop up anywhere from twice a day to twice a year. Most likely, it will be a tri-weekly post feature on my blog.


It is a feature I will be posting every Monday that features a couple where the girl and the guy are from different young adult books. I'll be pairing up girls and guys from different genres and different backgrounds based on what I think is the perfect match. And I'll also justify why I put them together to make it more interesting =)


It is a feature where I post about a boy in a book who's spell I'm currently under. I look for guys with more substance as well as that hottie-factor. These are the YA guys who I constantly rant about with my friends and family and they're all tired of it, so this is how I'll rant. I do have a high standard for guys I'll be featuring here, so thanks to those authors who wrote them...I'm in love =) This feature will be posted every Wednesday.





See My [Creative] Spark Saturday

It is a new feature every week here at The Undercover Book Lover. It's a feature when I post an original written piece; either a short story or a poem and you guys can comment and give me constructive feedback on them =) You get a glimpse of my [no matter how minuscule] creative spark!

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Author Uncovered: Holly Cupala (Author Interview)

Hi guys! Holly Cupala is here with us for a tour stop! She's an amazing writer and an even more amazing person! I reviewed her debut novel Tell Me A Secret here!



The premise of Tell Me A Secret is quite unique. How did the idea bloom?
The story quite literally fell out of the sky, though it was inspired by a very difficult year personally. I was at a writing conference in 2004, and a friend very gently asked if I was thinking of writing about it. Shortly afterward, the entire book flashed in my mind like a movie trailer, and I started writing it down as fast as I could! I’d never written anything like this before, so I didn’t even know where to begin. Then a friend, not a writing friend, called and said he’d had a dream I was supposed to be working on something and I’d better get started! So I worked, little by little, as if by candlelight. The details bloomed along the way—as did many of the secrets.

Miranda is a very unique character in Tell Me A Secret. Is she based on any real-life person?
Her voice kind of came out of nowhere—one night, when I’d just been up with our brand new baby, she just started talking to me: It’s tough, living in the shadow of a dead girl. Being a new mom, I was incredibly sleep deprived (and possibly a little cranky), but I knew if I didn’t get out of bed and write it down, she might never talk to me again! At the time, I had an idea of the events and characters, but this was the first time she told it to me from her own point of view. The rest of the story poured out from there.

The cover is really very well done. Did you have any input in it?
On behalf of the amazing team at Harper, thank you! I had very little to do with it. My editor asked me what I thought the characters looked like, some key visual elements of the novel (dark/light, labyrinths, a safety pin dress), and I sent some pictures—including a Sassy cover, circa 1991, with Courtney Love and Kurt Cobain on the cover (there’s a hint of Courtney in Miranda’s sister, Xanda). Then they worked their own magic. My parents and my 15 year-old niece were visiting when my editor sent me the first cover draft. I gasped! Shouted, “Everyone, come look!” My niece had glued herself to the couch the day before to read the entire manuscript. When she saw it, she said, “It’s perfect.” I think so, too!

Personally, what's your opinion or teen pregnancy?
I didn’t really set out to write a “teen pregnancy” book—I wanted to tell a truthful story about a girl dealing with her past and memories and secrets, her own and others’. When she makes the decision she does, it has nothing to do with politics or extremes, it has to do with what Miranda believes about her sister’s death and how that ties in with a pregnancy. I wanted any girl to be able to picture herself in that situation, making that decision and dealing with positive and negative consequences. Life is made up of choices—whatever the path, there is no easy button. And I believe it is possible to bring good out of bad.

Which character do you resonate most with, in Tell Me A Secret?
For a long time I thought it was Miranda—her voice is in first person, so as I was writing her, I was very much in her head and emotions. And I love Essence. And Kamran. It wasn’t until after I finished that I realized the “me” character is probably Nik, despite the superficial details. Nik’s heart is my heart. Though there’s a little piece of me in every character!

What was the message that you tried to get across to your readers with Tell Me A Secret?
Every time you try to convey a message in writing, it’s probably a bad idea! Nobody wants to read a morality tale—we want to read good stories that get messy and gritty and to the heart of things in a truthful way. When I was writing, I’d get to another layer and think, This is what I’m writing about! But then there was always something a little deeper. In the end, I think I wrote about a girl trying to find herself in other people, and in the past. I personally think meaning is in the present and the future, in the decisions we make and how we choose to live life and the difference we can make because of our experiences.

What's the most interesting thing a reader has ever said to you?
This is the most incredible part to me. Readers continue to surprise me with ways the story resonates with them and how emotionally involved they become with the characters despite—maybe even because of— their many flaws. The coolest thing might be the reader who said she spontaneously wrote a song from the point of view of Xanda—I’m hoping she’ll share it!

What’s up next for you book-wise?
My next YA novel, tentatively titled STREET CREED, will hit the shelves in Fall 2011! It’s about a suburban girl who runs away from home and meets up with a group of homeless teens on the streets of Seattle. It’s dark and romantic, and there are secret reasons why she has left home. Plus there is a beautiful boy with secrets of his own. I’m working with my editor on it now!

Book you've faked reading:
I would never do that! Um, maybe I would. I know I skimmed a few in college… The
problem with faking is that inevitably, I get caught! I’m terrible at keeping my own secrets.

Book you've bought for the cover:
Hmm, I can’t think of any! I usually buy books based on friends’ recommendations. But here are a few covers I think are gorgeous:
Before You Reach Me (original cover) by Rachel Cohn
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
The White Darkness by Geraldine McCaughrean
Need by Carrie Jones
The Forest of Hands and Teeth (original cover) by Carrie Ryan
Stolen by Lucy Christopher (a UK author just published here in the States)
I love designs with layers and depth.

Book you're an evangelist for:
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson—beautifully written, and a powerful story.

What’s up next?
As the blog tour finishes this week, I will be the featured author at readergirlz (http://readergirlz.blogspot.com) for the month of August. I hope you’ll stop by, and thank you so much for having me!

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New Blogger On the Block: Allison from The Book Cafe!

Hi guys!

I found a really AMAZING book blog a few days ago! What's unique about The Book Cafe is that it includes fun recipes to go with each book review! Ain't that fun? The book reviews are on the 'read' tab, and the recipes are on the 'eat' tab! Allison is a really great new blogger and she has really great ideas! So come check The Book Cafe out! It's amazing!


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Tell Me A Secret by Holly Cupala

Title: Tell Me A Secret
Author: Holly Cupala
Pages: 304
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: June 22, 2010

Tell me a secret, and I'll tell you one…

In the five years since her bad-girl sister Xanda’s death, Miranda Mathison has wondered about the secret her sister took to the grave, and what really happened the night she died. Now, just as Miranda is on the cusp of her dreams—a best friend to unlock her sister’s world, a ticket to art school, and a boyfriend to fly her away from it all—Miranda has a secret all her own.

Then two lines on a pregnancy test confirm her worst fears. Stripped of her former life, Miranda must make a choice with tremendous consequences and finally face her sister’s demons and her own.
What if you were a pregnant teenager? What would you do? These are the same questions that Rand faces when she sees those two lines on her pregnancy test. As these questions plague her, she struggles to face the lies and secrets of her friends, family, and her sister. With nobody to go to, and with no one to trust, she must face her problems alone.

Tell Me A Secret is a striking, powerful, and provoking novel that spotlights a girl's struggle to cope with teenage pregnancy. Realistic and profound, Tell Me A Secret evokes so much emotion and truly portrays the hardships and difficult decisions that teens have to make. Cupala constantly emphasizes that nobody can make that important choice except yourself in this heart-wrenching novel.

Rand's honest and genuine narration exposes the harsh truths of teenage pregnancy and unravels the true psychological and emotional distress of having nobody to support you. As her body changes, Rand has to cope with unrelenting ridicule and disappointment as well as her pregnancy. Readers will be overwhelmed and appalled at how Rand is treated. Cupala bluntly depicts the consequences of teenage pregnancy and conveys how society cruelly looks down upon teenage pregnancy.

Set in a high-school background, Cupala explores first love, family, and friendship in Tell Me A Secret. The significance of her older sister, Xanda, is admirable and plays a large part in Rand's decisions. The well-kept secret that holds Rand's broken family together is revealed and shocks Rand to her very core, but even so, it still cannot break the bond forged between two sisters. Cupala's descriptive, yet mysterious prose alludes a sense of secrecy and lies all throughout the book, making it much more unpredictable.

Tell Me A Secret is an arresting read that brutally portrays teenage pregnancy. Holly Cupala tugs on readers' heartstrings with this touching, emotionally-surrendering novel. She has written a compelling and convincing tale of self-discovery and compassion. (A+)

The Bottom Line: What would YOU do?

---Field Report---
Originality: 9/10
Ending: 9/10
Characters: 10/10
Plot: 10/10
My reaction/enjoyment: 9/10
Theme: 10/10
Imagery: 10/10
Setting: 5/5
Voice: 5/5
Style: 5/5
Tone: 5/5
Cover: 10/10
Total Score: 97/100 (A+)

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Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Author Uncovered: Kirsten Miller (Author Interview)

Hi guys! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Kirsten Miller, the author of the ever so amazing The Eternal Ones!!! I, for one, loved it! Check out my review =) Thanks for stopping by Kirsten!


Who is your favorite character from The Eternal Ones?
I have to say my favorite character is Beau Decker, the protagonist’s best friend. He reminds me (in all ways but one) of my not so little brother who is an all-around excellent human being.

I also love the snake handling Frizzell family. They’re proof that, if we’re able to let go of our prejudices, we might find wisdom in unexpected places.

Why did you choose to use dressmaking as something that would keep Haven 'sane'?
I suppose I covet skills I’ve never possessed. I’ve always wanted to be able to whip up a gown or two on a moment’s notice, but I’m afraid my own fashion sense often leaves a great deal to be desired. (I should probably add that I’m a HUGE fan of Project Runway, which no doubt played a role when it came time to choose Haven’s special talent.)

Haven and Beau are only some of the very unique characters in The Eternal Ones. Are any of your characters based on somebody in real life?
I could get myself into a lot of trouble with this question. The short answer is yes. Ha.

I will admit that I “borrowed” parts of one key scene from a relative’s life. (When Beau takes a Barbie lunchbox to school.) The real person is someone I admire a great deal. He had more courage at the age of nine than most people are ever able to muster. (And a mean right hook from what I hear.) I hope he’s flattered if he reads the book.

Why did you choose for the setting to be in a southern town first, and then New York City? Both contrast each other and are completely different.
I grew up in a small southern town and moved to New York when I was seventeen years old, so Haven’s adventure mirrors my own in some ways. The mountains of North Carolina and Manhattan are two different worlds, there’s no doubt about it, but I love them both. My southern childhood provided fodder for more books than I’ll ever be able to write, while my life in New York has made it possible for me to earn a living concocting crazy stories.

(I should also add that my home town is nothing at all like Snope City.)

Do you believe in soul mates?
Yes, although I think each person may have more than one. And I don’t think soul mates are always of the romantic variety. I think there are people out there we’re supposed to find, even if they’re never meant to be more than our friends.

Which character do you resonate most with, in The Eternal Ones?
I resonate most with Haven. I know what it’s like to find yourself being forced to take steps into the unknown. (Everyone does, I suppose. It’s called being young.) Falling in love, for instance, is one of the biggest leaps of faith a person can make. Love is wonderful, but it’s also dangerous, and it can be terrifying to give your heart away for the first time. (Or the third, fourth, or tenth.)

Haven’s a strong girl. (I despise wimpy female characters.) But we all get a little flummoxed when it comes time to put our heart on the line.

What was the message that you tried to get across to your readers with The Eternal Ones?
I don’t think there’s one single message. It’s a big, strange book. But there’s a character who, when asked her thoughts on the subject of reincarnation, says, “My faith is big enough for all of God’s wonders.” I like that idea a lot. I’ve always believed it’s best to approach life with an open mind.

The premise of The Eternal Ones is quite unique. How did the idea bloom?
I’ve been interested in reincarnation for a very long time. I don’t know if I’m a believer, but I do think it could explain a number of life’s little mysteries—the sensation of déjà vu, phobias, unusual skills. And, of course, love at first sight.

I think that a lot of us grow up feeling like we belong somewhere else—in another place or with another family.

But I think the most interesting side of reincarnation is that it can offer an explanation for why we’re inexplicably drawn to some people we meet in our lives and why other people simply repel us. It’s that thought that gave birth to the book.

What would you have done if you were in Haven's place?
What would I have done if I had started having visions of another person’s life? I’d like to think I would have had the guts to hit the road and do a little detective work. But I’m glad I was never put to that test!

The cover is very beautiful. Did you have any input in it?
Thanks! My input was pretty much limited to, “I love it!” We went through a few covers to get to the one with the ouroboros (snake swallowing its own tail), but I knew the final cover was perfect the moment I saw it.

Also, I have both the old and the new ARC. Which cover do you favor more?
I liked the super romantic ARC, but the new cover with the ouroboros is more my personal cup of tea. The Eternal Ones can be read as a romance—or as a mystery. I think the new cover leaves that decision up to the reader.

What's the most interesting thing a reader has ever said to you?
Oh I’ve heard tons of interesting things. But I always love it when people send me drawings or stories or artwork or short movies, etc that feature the characters from my books. The idea that I’ve inspired others to go out and actually MAKE something? It’s the very, very best thing about writing.

What’s up next for you book-wise?
The still untitled sequel to The Eternal Ones will be finished soon. Then I’m back to the wonderful world of Kiki Strike to put the final touches on book number three, The Darkness Dwellers. When that is finished, I shall lie down and sleep for a hundred years.

Book you've faked reading:
Oh there are so many! I’ll go with Ulysses by James Joyce. I have a mental block when it comes to this particular book. I managed to get a degree in literature without reading it. Don’t tell anyone.

Book you've bought for the cover:
The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly. Totally worth it.

Book you're an evangelist for:
My all time favorite book: The Turn of the Screw. Best ghost story ever written, hands down.

Also, the romance “classics”: Jane Eyre, Rebecca, Wuthering Heights. I like my romances dark and dangerous. I also love Wilkie Collins, who isn’t as well known among the youth of today as he should be.

Anything else you'd like to add?
Thanks! This was fun.

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Swoon-Worthy: The Lost Saint by Bree Despain!!!

Freaking awesome =) 'Nuff said.



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Tuesday, July 20, 2010

The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller

Title: The Eternal Ones
Author: Kirsten Miller
Pages: 416
Publisher:Razorbill
Publication Date: August 10, 2010

What if love refused to die?

Haven Moore can’t control her visions of a past with a boy called Ethan, and a life in New York that ended in fiery tragedy. In our present, she designs beautiful dresses for her classmates with her best friend Beau. Dressmaking keeps her sane, since she lives with her widowed and heartbroken mother in her tyrannical grandmother’s house in Snope City, a tiny town in Tennessee. Then an impossible group of coincidences conspire to force her to flee to New York, to discover who she is, and who she was.

In New York, Haven meets Iain Morrow and is swept into an epic love affair that feels both deeply fated and terribly dangerous. Iain is suspected of murdering a rock star and Haven wonders, could he have murdered her in a past life? She visits the Ouroboros Society and discovers a murky world of reincarnation that stretches across millennia. Haven must discover the secrets hidden in her past lives, and loves, before all is lost and the cycle begins again.
Dealing with much already, Haven is looked down upon. Her broken family is abrasive towards her and most of Snope City is hostile to her. Her hallucinations are looked at as hellish and sinful. When she goes to New York to investigate what really happened to her, she finds that she is a reincarnation, destined to be with Iain Morrow. As their love blooms, problems concerning people in their previous past lives arise and they must do all they can to be together.

The Eternal Ones is captivating, gripping love story that will ensnare readers with its allusive prose, tastefully versatile characters, and diverse ideas. Readers will be introduced to a world wherein fantasy and reality become one as two soul-mates finally reunite. Although elaborate and compounded with many details, the plot is solid and logical as well as dramatic. The Eternal Ones provides a refreshing, yet mysterious take on reincarnation and true love.

Haven Moore, a misunderstood teenager with many problems, is a mature yet naive protagonist that deals with many people against her. In Snope City, she is perceived as evil and a 'devil's child' because of her hallucinations. But those hallucinations are memories from her past lives. Her morals and values don't ever change as the book progresses. Haven's narrative engages readers with a resilient voice and an opinionated, appealingly eccentric perspective.

Strongly defined and unpredictable, Iain Morrow is a cultured and well-developed character that has deep, rooted feelings for Haven as well as many harboring dark secrets. His love for Haven is so strong and powerful, but he also underestimates her ability to deal with obstacles. His elusive, dashing demeanor will attract the readers to their striking romance. Iain's protective character flows naturally with Haven's curious and impulsive personality. And although Haven and Iain's connection is undeniable, the looming forces against them will ultimately test their love and force them to choose.

The concept of reincarnation in The Eternal Ones is presented in an unconventional but insightful way that also delves into controversies such as religion and its interpretations. This is tangible in the contrasting imagery of two very different settings; Snope City and New York. Snope City is divulged as the smaller, more intimate and conservative town whilst New York emerges as the bigger, more acceptive city. Snope City is filled with religious townsfolk that is thoroughly against Haven's hallucinations albeit New York, which has more open-minded, unbiased people.

Descriptive and revelatory, Kirsten Miller writes a tantalizing read with magnetic characters, an alluring writing style, and an original storyline. The denouement is fulfilling with a happy ending and a lingering air of mystery. The Eternal Ones is a perfect balance of romance, mystery, and adventure. Readers will be smitten with this intrigue-ridden paranormal romance.

The Bottom Line: What if love REALLY refused to die?

---Field Report---
Originality: 9/10
Ending: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Plot: 10/10
My reaction/enjoyment: 10/10
Theme: 9/10
Imagery: 10/10
Setting: 5/5
Voice: 5/5
Style: 5/5
Tone: 5/5
Cover: 10/10
Total Score: 98/100 (A+)

In PhD online programs you probably won’t read novels by Kirsten Miller but there are plenty of other authors to catch up on.

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Contest: $50 Gift Certificate to CSN Stores!!!


Hi guys!

As well as being able to review a bookshelf, I also have the opportunity to giveaway a $50 Gift Certificate to CSN Stores! Isn't that great?!? You guys can get anything from CSN worth $50! Thanks to J @ CSN!

Fill in the form below to enter!



Rules:
-Open to US Only Peeps!
-This contest will end on August 20 at 4pm (GMT+8) unless this contest doesn't meet at least 35-40 entrants...then, it will be extended.
-Contest Policy applies.
-I will use The Contest Winner Picker for picking the winners for this contest.

Good luck!
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Monday, July 19, 2010

Forget You by Jennifer Echols

Title: Forget You
Author: Jennifer Echols
Pages: 304
Publisher: MTV
Publication Date: July 20, 2010

Why can't you choose what you forget...And what you remember?

There’s a lot Zoey would like to forget. Like how her father has knocked up his twenty-four- year old girlfriend. Like Zoey’s fear that the whole town will find out about her mom’s nervous breakdown. Like darkly handsome bad boy Doug taunting her at school. Feeling like her life is about to become a complete mess, Zoey fights back the only way she knows how, using her famous attention to detail to make sure she’s the perfect daughter, the perfect student, and the perfect girlfriend to ultra-popular football player Brandon. But then Zoey is in a car crash, and the next day there’s one thing she can’t remember at all—the entire night before. Did she go parking with Brandon, like she planned? And if so, why does it seem like Brandon is avoiding her? And why is Doug—of all people— suddenly acting as if something significant happened between the two of them? Zoey dimly remembers Doug pulling her from the wreck, but he keeps referring to what happened that night as if it was more, and it terrifies Zoey to admit how much is a blank to her. Controlled, meticulous Zoey is quickly losing her grip on the all-important details of her life—a life that seems strangely empty of Brandon, and strangely full of Doug.
The accident. Zoey remembers nothing of it...or anything that happened that night. Already dealing with her disjointed family, and the added pressure of her friends, she has enough to deal with. But when she pretends to remember everything that night, she is confused by her relationships with Brandon and Doug. As she tries to figure out what truly happened, she discovers many things about the people around her, as well as herself.

Forget You is an unparalleled novel that explores difficult situations with immense clarity and impression. Mysterious, as well as romantic, Forget You deeply scrutinizes the different aspects of teenage life. Family, friendship, and love are consistent themes in the novel that are complexified by Zoey's amnesia. As events of the accident are unraveled, readers will gain a true understanding of the emotional strife that teens go through everyday. Jennifer Echols writes a poignant and thoughtful novel that profoundly conveys the insecurities and vulnerabilities many people deal with.

Zoey's life is problematic and complicated even before the accident; her parents are divorced, her mom is on a downward spiral to suicide, and her conflicting feelings for Brandon are a lot to handle. Zoey's practicality and maturity is evident in the rational way she handles herself. But her candor in some situations remind the reader that she's still a teenager. There are times wherein she becomes somewhat irrational and stubborn; especially when she starts to play with Doug's feelings. Readers will empathize with Zoey and genuinely apprehend what she goes through. Her broken relationships with her dysfunctional family, distant friends, and Doug, will slowly mend themselves as she begins to realize what really happened and finally allow herself to be honest and true to herself.

Initially, Doug is perceived as a jerk. But his tough exterior slowly reveals a more sensitive and understanding side of him. His feelings for Zoey are strong and evident in the way he treats her. And even with his elusive past that molded his reputation, his determination to get Zoey is heartfelt and admirable. The sexual tension and intensified electricity between them crackles in the atmosphere, just waiting to break free.

The main concepts and themes in Forget You, are love, understanding, and coping. When Zoey gets amnesia, she has to grapple with the confusion and unsureness that has seeped into her life, as well as the opposing feelings she develops for Doug. And with her mom, she finally begins to understand as well as cope with the fact that her mom has a bipolar disorder. When Zoey finds her mother in their home that day, she is ashamed of it, especially when her dad is as well. But eventually, she learns to accept it.

Forget You is reminiscent of Jennifer Echols' other novels; it has the same descriptive and expressive writing style, as well as a believable conflict that deals with real-life problems. Jennifer Echols is an astounding author who has written a powerful, in-depth novel with a strong voice and concrete characters that readers will all identify with. (A+)

The Bottom Line: Striking characters with an original plot line. Extremely meaningful.

---Field Report---
Originality: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Plot: 10/10
My reaction/enjoyment: 9/10
Theme: 10/10
Imagery: 10/10
Setting: 5/5
Voice: 5/5
Style: 5/5
Tone: 5/5
Cover: 10/10
Total Score: 99/100 (A+)
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Monday, July 12, 2010

The View From the Top by Hillary Frank


Title: The View From the Top
Author: Hillary Frank
Pages: 272
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Publication Date: May 13, 2010

Eighteen-year-old Anabelle’s last few months in her coastal hometown are bittersweet. Instead of the quiet pre-college summer she expects, Anabelle makes some surprising discoveries about herself as she navigates romantic entanglements and changing friendships. Through shifting points of view in seven interconnected stories, we glimpse the limits of how well her friends really know Anabelle . . . and how little she grasps about the way they see her.


The View From the Top is an unprecedented but quite disappointing read that presents different yet normal teenage problems through six different viewpoints that are poorly executed. Each character is unique and original, but readers will truly feel disconnected and alienated towards them. The transition between the viewpoints is rough and unpolished. The main storyline and themes are irrelevant and vague to each other, making for a dismantling and broken read.

Annabelle is supposedly the 'glue' in The View From the Top but the ties she has with the five others (Tobin, Jonah, Lexi, Matt, and Mary-Tyler) are random and complicated. Her decisions and actions are predictably annoying and inconsistent. Although The View From the Top explores themes such as sexual preference, and friendship, those themes are discharged in a way that is quite hard to relate to.

Hillary Frank is an author with solid ideas and a strong voice, but the exposition and the characters are vague and two-dimensional. (D-)

The Bottom Line: Quite pointless and sadly, boring.

---Field Report---
Originality: 8/10
Ending: 3/10
Characters: 2/10
Plot: 2/10
My reaction/enjoyment: 2/10
Theme: 3/10
Imagery: 5/10
Setting: 3/5
Voice: 2/5
Style: 3/5
Tone: 3/5
Cover: 8/10
Total Score: 44/100 (D-)

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