Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopcus

Title: Shadow Hills (Book 1)
Author: Anastasia Hopcus
Pages: 400
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Publication Date: July 13, 2010

After her sister Athena's tragic death, it's obvious that grief-stricken Persephone "Phe" Archer no longer belongs in Los Angeles. Hoping to make sense of her sister's sudden demise and the cryptic dreams following it, Phe abandons her bubbly LA life to attend an uptight East Coast preparatory school in Shadow Hills, MA -- a school which her sister mysteriously mentioned in her last diary entry before she died.

Once there, Phe quickly realizes that something is deeply amiss in her new town. Not only does Shadow Hills' history boast an unexplained epidemic that decimated hundreds of its citizens in the 1700s, but its modern townies also seem eerily psychic, with the bizarre ability to bend metal. Even Zach -- the gorgeous stranger Phe meets and immediately begins to lust after -- seems as if he is hiding something serious. Phe is determined to get to the bottom of it. The longer she stays there, the more she suspects that her sister's untimely death and her own destiny are intricately linked to those who reside in Shadow Hills.

With dreams and visions and her sister's death haunting her, Phe decides to fulfill what her sister wanted to do. Now, she finds herself in Devenish Prep, in the town of Shadow Hills. Her dreams and visions are following her and Shadow Hills is the only place where she can find the answers she needs. She meets Zach and more questions are raised about the mystery of Shadow Hills. Her destiny seemingly interlocks with the residents of Shadow Hills...and Zach. But dark forces are out to get her...will she stay alive, or will she follow in her sister's footsteps...to her grave?

Shadow Hills is a magnetic and intensifying read with immense depth and clarity. Hopcus weaves a cryptic mystery and inter-combines it with a deeply intricate romance that delves deep into the paranormal world of Shadow Hills. The concept of BVs, and the Greek mythological aspect, is strongly developed and fits into the the suspense-building atmosphere. There is a lot of inevitable explanation and description, but Hopcus integrates these in carefully-placed parts of the book, thus, not bombarding the reader with so much information and consistently solidifying the tense atmosphere.

Phe's narrative voice in Shadow Hills is powerful and balanced; readers will empathize with Phe in every aspect. She has an authentic teenage voice, but with a mature air surrounding her. Her visions and dreams are vividly realistic and reflects the fear that she feels towards the puzzle behind her sister's death and her own presence in Devenish Prep. She is perceived differently by everybody and is scrutinized more because of her 'odd' behavior and her lingering curiosity about the town. Phe's supportive friends--Graham, Toy, Adriana, and Brock--are completely different people, each with their own withstanding personality. Together, they make an unpredictable but entertaining cast of friends.

The chemistry and magnetism between Phe and Zach is immediately present and potent from their first meeting. Their inexplicable connection haunts and confuses them at first, but they soon grasp their feelings for each other and inevitably fall in love. Zach and Phe's relationship is uncommon, and paranormality in Shadow Hills emphasizes that. An underlying aspect that is extensively developed between them, is the understanding and sacrifice that shows how much genuinely care for each other. This is an aspect many YA novels miss to develop.

The anecdotal depictions of the town of Shadow Hills subtly emanates a dark and looming sensation that adds to the mysterious, dark allure of the novel. Devenish Prep is also depicted as a rigorous academic community in which the students' abilities are inconspicuously hinted to be BV powers. These descriptions are all aspects that accentuates the presence of a haunting mystery in Shadow Hills.

Hopcus writes a novel that is filled with a passionate romance, a looming mystery, and a striking storyline. Readers cannot escape the hypnotic world of Shadow Hills...nor would they want to. The interlocking of the well-developed romance with the dark enigmatic mystery is hauntingly beautiful and utterly perfect. Shadow Hills is the ultimate paranormal romance. A+ =)

The Bottom Line: Intense. Powerful. Amazing.

---Field Report---
Originality: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Plot: 10/10
My reaction/enjoyment: 10/10
Theme: 10/10
Imagery: 10/10
Setting: 5/5
Voice: 5/5
Style: 5/5
Tone: 5/5
Cover: 10/10
Total Score: 100/100 (A+) !!!This is one of the ELEVEN books that hold the title: The Holy Grail - Beholder of the Perfect 100!!!

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The Naughty List by Suzanne Young

Title: The Naughty List (Book 1)
Author: Suzanne Young
Pages: 272
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: February 4, 2010

As if being a purrfect cheerleader isn’t enough responsibility! Tessa Crimson’s the sweet and spunky leader of the SOS (Society of Smitten Kittens), a cheer squad–turned–spy society dedicated to bringing dastardly boyfriends to justice, one cheater at a time. Boyfriend-busting wouldn’t be so bad . . . except that so far, every suspect on the Naughty List has been proven 100% guilty!

When Tessa’s own boyfriend shows up on the List, she turns her sleuthing skills on him. Is Aiden just as naughty as all the rest, or will Tessa’s sneaky ways end in catastrophe?

The Naughty List. Is your boyfriend on it?

Tessa Crimson's life is seemingly perfect. She's the cheerleading captain, leader of the SOS (Society of Smitten Kittens), she's on the honor roll, AND her boyfriend's the captain of the basketball team! What more can a girl want? She and Aiden have been together for two years but she's hiding her involvement with SOS and is afraid to finally tell Aiden about what she does. How would you feel if you were lied to, for two years? But as their relationship is put on the line, Chloe Ferril and her brother, Christian, transfer to Washington High. Christian seems to be getting cozy with Tess, but so is Chloe with Aiden. Secrets are revealed, tears are shed, cheaters are taken down, and Aiden's name has made it onto The Naughty List. Every name in The Naughty List has been proven guilty...Is Aiden really cheating? Bring it on Wildcats!

The Naughty List is a total strawberry smoothie (expression from The Naughty List); fun and flirty with a twist of a secret society thrown in. The SOS is a vital part of Tess's responsibility, but at what cost would she jeopardize her relationship with Aiden to help other girls find out whether or not their own boyfriends are cheating?

Tess is an upbeat and witty protagonist, insecure about her relationship with Aiden. She grapples with her many responsibilities and sometimes, and it feels like she's going to implode. Tess's stress and doubt really touches the whole atmosphere of The Naughty List. You'd be able to feel the strain on Aiden and Tess's relationship through each page. The tension builds up, creating an anxious air, permanently there until the dramatic and unexpected climax.

The slang in The Naughty List is cute, but it's a little bit cheesy and not really realistic. Even so, Tess's expressions are entertaining and hilarious; they're a part of her. The sexual references scattered throughout the book are tastefully added, but they aren't as subtle, which added to the awkwardness-factor of the novel. Young populates The Naughty List with a cast of charming characters that are headstrong, original, and dynamic; each with her/his own conflict that is covered and given attention to. Young gives the message that friends stick together no matter what.

Suzanne Young has done a great job with her debut novel, The Naughty List. It's the perfect YA chick-lit book that any girl could read, anytime, with the two best guys in the world at her side: Ben and Jerry! A+ =)

The Bottom Line: The Naughty List is a fun, flirty, tantalizing debut that you wouldn't want to miss! Suzanne Young has truly enamored me with The Naughty List! I can't wait for the sequel!

---Report Card---
Originality: 9/10
Ending: 9/10
Characters: 10/10
Plot: 10/10
My reaction/enjoyment: 10/10
Theme: 10/10
Imagery: 10/10
Setting: 4/5
Voice: 5/5
Style: 4/5
Tone: 5/5
Cover: 10/10
Total Score: 96/100 (A+)

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Hacking Harvard by Robin Wasserman

Title: Hacking Harvard
Author: Robin Wasserman
Pages: 336
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication Date: September 11, 2007

It's the ultimate challenge: breaking into the Ivy League.

THE HACK:

To get one deadbeat, fully unqualified slacker into the most prestigious school in the country.

THE CREW:

Eric Roth -- the good guy, the voice of reason.

Max Kim -- the player who made the bet in the first place.

Schwartz -- the kid genius already on the inside...of Harvard, that is.

Lexi -- the beauty-queen valedictorian who insists on getting in the game.

THE PLAN:

Use only the most undetectable schemes and techno-brilliant skills. Don't break the Hacker's Code. Don't get distracted. Don't get caught. Take down someone who deserves it.

THE STAKES:

A lot higher than they think.

They've got the players, the plot, and soon -- the prize.

It's go time.

NOTE: No short summary for this one...the summary they have is too good to compete with!

Hacking Harvard is a humorous, witty read that readers will mostly enjoy. Wasserman alternates with Lex's point of view, and third person narration. At first, I got a little confused with this. I didn't know who was narrating for about three chapters until I finally figured it out.

The dynamics between characters wasn't contrived, allowing me to relate to them and their relationships between each other. Deceit, lies, and sharp wit was basically all that consumed their friendships. Lex wasn't a good choice for a narrator. She wasn't really included until later througout the book. A better narrator would have been Eric. He was a big part of the hack and could've performed smoother transitions between the POVs and was more connected with all of the main characters. He was the glue that held everyone together but his relationship and growing romance with Lex was confusing and useless.

An aspect of the book that I truly loved, was the scintillating dialogue/banter between the characters. Without it, the book would have been humorless and dull. The dialogue also let the reader subtly get to know the characters more without it being overdone. C+ :-)

The Bottom Line: This book was okay-ish. I kept putting it off until I had nothing left to read. It took me longer to get absorbed and compelled to it. The ending was also pretty bleak and boring. Wasserman tied everything too obviously. It was dull.

---Report Card---
Originality: 8/10
Ending: 3/10
Characters: 6/10
Plot: 8.5/10
My reaction/enjoyment: 7.5/10
Theme: 8/10
Imagery: 6/10
Setting: 2.5/5
Voice: 2.5/5
Style: 2/5
Tone: 4/5
Cover: 9/10
Total Score: 69/100 (C+)

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Last Shot by John Feinstein

Title: Last Shot (Book 1: A Final Four Mystery)
Author: John Feinstein
Pages: 272
Publication: Yearling
Publication Date: June 27, 2006

March Madness.
The Final Four.
Courtside Seats.

For basketball fiend Steven Thomas, it's like a dream come true. He won a writing contest and now here he is in the New Orleans, wearing a press pass around his neck, covering the biggest weekend in college sports.

But the dream takes an ugly twist when Steven and his fellow winner, Susan Carol, are nosing around the Superdome and overhear a coach telling MSU's start point guard he'd better lose the final game...or else. Blackmail? As fans, they are repulsed. As reporters, they are riveted.

Of course, this is a story no one wants them to pursue. The more questions they ask about who might want MSU to lose and why, the fewer real answers they get. Now they have two days---just forty-eight hours---before the tip-off of the final game to uncover the truth. And it's a truth that will cut deeper into the heart of college athletics than they could ever have imagined.

March Madness is right!

Last Shot is one of the most exciting and climactic books I've read. I picked up this book, solely on the blurb. One word to describe it is cliff-hanging (it's an actual word...looked it up myself!). It revealed just enough so that the reader would be excited to read it.

Even though I'm not that big of a sports fan, I still understood everything clearly. It was apparent that Feinstein did his homework. I actually learned a lot of basketball history here and how the sports mecca really works. Lots of politics and influence are incorporated into the game. It isn't just purely based on talent.

The best part however, was the mood in the book. Everything was intense, impelling, and intriguing (Three I's---yay!). Feinstein was able to depict everything vividly without it being boring. Clues were found in the most unexpected of places. I was more aware and kept my eyes open for more possible leads. I was itching to know who was to be trusted and who truly was the one, responsible for everything. It was like a dominoe effect. If one person falls, everyone else has to, too.

The execution of the plot was impressive, and seemingly effortless. There were so many things going on, but not once did I get confused. There were no plot holes and everything fit perfectly like a puzzle. Everything was epitomized immaculately in the end.

The Bottom Line: You should read this book! It's original and exciting with a little bit of comedy thrown in. It's like a breath of fresh air...different and thrilling!

---Report Card---
Originality: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
Characters: 8/10
Plot: 10/10
My reaction/enjoyment: 10/10
Theme: 8/10
Imagery: 9.5/10
Setting: 3.5/5
Voice: 4.5/5
Style: 5/5
Tone: 5/5
Cover: 8/10
Total Score: 91.5/100 (A)

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The Squad: Killer Spirit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Title: The Squad: Killer Spirit (Book 2)
Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Pages: 336
Publisher: Laurel Leaf
Publication Date: February 12, 2008

Saying Toby Klein is an unlikely cheerleader is like saying Paris Hilton might be into guys---understatement of the year. But the varsity squad at Bayport High gives new meaning to the phrase All-American, and Toby's double life as a varsity cheerleader and a government operative means balancing protocol, pep rallies, computer hacking, and handsprings.

Now something's about to go down in Bayport, and the Big Guys Upstairs need to know what. The Squad is on the case, but it looks like this mission could put the 'L' in lethal. And if the spy business doesn't kill Toby, it's starting to look like Brooke, the team's captain, might. The nominations are in for homecoming court, rumor has it that Toby is the unlikely front-runner for queen.

Terrorist threat? Bloody mission gone wrong? Demented squad captain? Bring it on.

Three words: I LOVE TOBY. She is my idol. I admire her strong-willed, sarcastic-snapping, down-to-earth self. The second book in The Squad, for me, is better than the first. I loved all the action and how Barnes made it totally unpredictable. And this is coming from a spy junkie that can usually anticipate what happens next. It was just so capricious and witty at the same time. I loved it. It's cheerleading and espionage put together.

Killer Spirit never got boring. Barnes did a fantastic job keeping it exciting and fast-paced for the entire book. Even when The Squad wasn't on a mission, there was usually some interesting conflict between Toby and Jack, or Toby and a Squad member. I always looked forward to the constant bickering of Jack and Toby.

Although I loved the writing and some of the characters in this book, it still has it's weaker points. For instance, I don't think that this would be a memorable read. It isn't a book I'd remember two months from now. I didn't find it as unique or as significant as the other books I've read. I found some of the characters unoriginal and frustrating. Lots of them were common stereotypes that one would expect from a YA book.


The Bottom Line: Loved the action. Hated the stereotypes. It's Charlie's Angels meet Bring it On. A good action and mystery thriller but not enough to be distinctly significant. B+ :-)

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