Book Review: The Avery Shaw Experiment

When Avery Shaw’s heart is shattered by her life-long best friend, she chooses to deal with it the only way she knows how—scientifically. 

The state science fair is coming up and Avery decides to use her broken heart as the topic of her experiment. She’s going to find the cure. By forcing herself to experience the seven stages of grief through a series of social tests, she believes she will be able to get over Aiden Kennedy and make herself ready to love again. But she can’t do this experiment alone, and her partner (ex partner!) is the one who broke her heart.

Avery finds the solution to her troubles in the form of Aiden’s older brother Grayson. The gorgeous womanizer is about to be kicked off the school basketball team for failing physics. He’s in need of a good tutor and some serious extra credit. But when Avery recruits the lovable Grayson to be her “objective outside observer,” she gets a whole lot more than she bargained for, because Grayson has a theory of his own: Avery doesn’t need to grieve. She needs to live. And if there’s one thing Grayson Kennedy is good at, it’s living life to the fullest. Quoted from Goodreads

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This book was exactly what I've been craving.  Seriously.  I'm actually pretty picky about contemporary books.  Put a little fantasy or paranormal creatures in a story, maybe a hint of action, dystopia, or scifi, even alternate history, and I'm much easier to please.  The thing is, I don't like books about cancer or teen pregnancy.  It's not that they aren't valid issues and they should be explored.  They can help so many people, but I read to escape and to be entertained.  If I want deep literature, I go to the tried and true classics  that have stood the test of time, not a book dealing with the death of her father. Again, valid issue, and I'm sure it's excellent and moving, etc.  It's just not for me.  This book, however, is exactly what I'm looking for in rom-com YA.  

What I like about this book is it is cute, sweet, and funny.  I love the banter between Grayson, Avery, and some of Avery's nerd friends (her best friend Libby was kind of hilarious).  I like how the girls in the school are nice.  It's not that there aren't mean girls, but Grayson makes sure Avery avoids them.  The parents were totally realistic.  They were involved in their kids lives, and though not perfect, they were trying. There's also very little angst in this book. That sounds a little weird since Avery suffers from anxiety and this is a high school book, after all, but it was really refreshing. 

I'll be honest, the biggest selling point is probably Grayson.  He's just an adorable character and so sweet to Avery. He's the perfect counterpart to Avery's anxiety-riddled, science-geek persona.  While this book focuses on Avery's growth and broken heart, Grayson changes just as much as she does.  He's a great character, and the book shows why they are absolutely perfect for each other as their relationship develops.

I also really loved the duel POV.  Most books like this are just from the girl's POV, so it's refreshing to see things from a guys perspective.  Plus the author had a lot of fun with Grayson's introduction into Avery's more nerdy social circle.  It also added character to the book switching between the two.  Both their voices were distinct, so you never wondered who was actually telling the story.

All in all, this is a light romantic comedy that I absolutely adored.  Yes, with the exception of the whole experiment angle it's a story that's been done before, but that didn't lessen my enjoyment of it at all. The relationship never moved too fast, but developed realistically.  It made me laugh and kept a grin on my face the whole time.  Sure there were awkward moments and sad parts, but it was, over all, a happy book, and I loved that.  Really it's a solid 4 stars for me, and has guaranteed that I'll be keeping track of what Kelly Oram writes from now on.

Book Review: Also Known As (AKA)

Being a 16-year-old safecracker and active-duty daughter of international spies has its moments, good and bad. Pros: Seeing the world one crime-solving adventure at a time. Having parents with super cool jobs. Cons: Never staying in one place long enough to have friends or a boyfriend. But for Maggie Silver, the biggest perk of all has been avoiding high school and the accompanying cliques, bad lunches, and frustratingly simple locker combinations.Then Maggie and her parents are sent to New York for her first solo assignment, and all of that changes. She'll need to attend a private school, avoid the temptation to hack the school's security system, and befriend one aggravatingly cute Jesse Oliver to gain the essential information she needs to crack the case . . . all while trying not to blow her cover. Quoted from Goodreads

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Such a cute story!  Honestly, anyone who loves Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls books needs to check this one out. Strong, quirky main character? Check.  Loyal, opinionated best friend? Check.  Adorable love interest? Check.  Delightfully off-the-wall mentor? Check. Lots of safe-cracking? Check.  Peril and possible kidnapping? Check. Really, what more could you ask for?

First there's Maggie.  She is absolutely adorable.  She's quirky, funny, and dramatic.  I loved watching her find her way through high school, make friends, and fall in love. She has a strong voice, and really, she's what makes the story work so well. She's the type of person you can totally see as being your best friend, and you kind of wish she existed so she could be.

Next on my list of things I love? Jesse and Roux.  Jesse was an adorable love interest (and yes, I realize I'm overusing the word adorable, but it's sort of the driving tone of the novel). He's the realistic, average, teenage boy you can't help but fall in love with, and I enjoyed watching their relationship progress.  Now Roux.  She's kind of hilarious.  Mean girl turned social outcast, who becomes Maggie's best friend is ripe with potential, and Robin Benway absolutely has fun with it. Roux's quirky, kind of crazy, and hilarious.

Now for everyone else.  First, Angelo.  He is the delightfully quirky spy every book like this needs to have.  He makes the perfect mentor for Maggie, and before Roux came along, he was kind of her best friend as well.  I enjoyed his outfits and business cards and pretty much everything else about him.  Now for Maggie's parents.  I have mixed feelings about them.  They have an excellent backstory, and I love their close relationship with their daughter.  That being said, it drove me a bit crazy at times.  For all they raised her in the spy world, they don't seem to really trust her.  I understand this is a new situation for all of them (Maggie being new to the whole high school thing), but there were several times I wanted to smack them either for their impatience with her work, keeping secrets, or almost destroying her cover. It just didn't really seem to fit with the people they were established to be in the beginning.

Now as far as the actual spy element goes, it's a little lacking.  Maggie cracks a few safes and solves a mystery but it's not really the driving force of the novel.  It's more the set up for Maggie's journey through high school, finding a best friend, boyfriend, and balancing out her life.  It's not that it isn't fun or present, but if you're looking for a hard core spy novel with tons of suspense and cool gadgets, this isn't it.  It's half spy novel, half high school romantic comedy/coming of age.

Still, I found this an absolutely delightful novel.  Absolutely 4 stars.  It's fun, full of great characters, and enough action to keep you from ever putting the book down.  Honestly, if you don't find yourself smiling through most of this book, I'd be very surprised. It's pure, addictive fun.

Flashback Friday: I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You

Cammie Morgan is a student at the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women, a fairly typical all-girls school-that is, if every school taught advanced martial arts in PE and the latest in chemical warfare in science, and students received extra credit for breaking CIA codes in computer class. The Gallagher Academy might claim to be a school for geniuses but it's really a school for spies. Even though Cammie is fluent in fourteen languages and capable of killing a man in seven different ways, she has no idea what to do when she meets an ordinary boy who thinks she's an ordinary girl. Sure, she can tap his phone, hack into his computer, or track him through town with the skill of a real "pavement artist"-but can she maneuver a relationship with someone who can never know the truth about her? 

Cammie Morgan may be an elite spy-in-training, but in her sophomore year, she's on her most dangerous mission---falling in love. Quoted from Goodreads

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With the recent release of Double Crossed, the Gallagher Girls/Heist Society crossover novella, which I'm currently reading (okay, so I'm on page 2, but still . . .), I thought today would be an excellent day to review Ally Carter's first Gallagher Girl's book, I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You.

This series is absolutely delightful.  It's light, funny, and exciting all at the same time.  To be honest, this is probably my least favorite book in the series. It's not that it doesn't have a great premise or does an excellent job of introducing you to the characters.  It does.  It just doesn't have the same element of epic spyness that the subsequent books have.  It's a little bit lighter, focused more on boys than other, bigger problems that crop up later.  Don't get me wrong, it's still an excellent way to introduce the series, I just want you to know it gets better and better with each new book, and the problems they face are a little less fluffy.  

First there are amazing characters.  I love Cammie, Bex, Liz, and Macey, and their (eventual) strong friendship.  Too often there is only one girl sidekick as a friend, and a bunch of mean, fake girls that provide the "conflict".  Not true in this book.  Each character is unique and fleshed out, bringing their own brand of fun and loyalty to the story.

Cammie is a second generation spy, nicknamed the "chameleon," who lives year round at an all girls spy school or on her grandparent's farm. Basically, she is clueless about boys, in an adorable way, so when she meets Josh, a boy who really sees her, she tackles her crush the only way she knows how: like a spy.   This book cracks me up.  We get some great moments, such as Cammie and her friends going through Josh's garbage to see what he likes, because while they are fluent in dozens of different languages, they don't begin to speak boy.

Mixed in with all this is some interesting spy training and some secrets about Gallagher Academy, which promise to become more in later books. Really, the school itself is sort of a character, much like Hogwarts for Harry Potter.  It helps define the characters lives, is full of secrets (including tunnels and rooms), and teachers that may be either good or evil.

Yes, this book is geared towards younger teens, but I still found it to be a blast.  It is a quirky 3.5 stars for me.  If you want an adorable, light read, full of fun characters and laughs, pick this up.  The first 5 books are already out, and the sixth (and possibly final) one comes out this year, so get reading!

Flashback Friday: The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

The Herdmans were absolutely the worst kids in the history of the world. They lied and stole and smoked cigars (even the girls) and talked dirty and hit little kids and cussed their teachers and took the name of the Lord in vain. So it surprised just about everybody when they decided to take part in the town's Christmas pageant. The Herdmans had never heard of the Christmas story, but the way they interpreted it, you'd think the story of Jesus came right out of the F.B.I. files. (They called the Wise Men a bunch of dirty spies.) It was a Christmas pageant to remember . . .    

Called one of America's favorite Christmas stories, and now a classic television movie, "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" has been a favorite of young readers the world over since 1972. Funny, memorable, and outrageous, it is the story of a family of incorrigible children who discover the Christmas story for the first time and help everyone else rediscover its true meaning.     Quoted from Goodreads

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I've been looking back at Holiday books I loved as a kid, and the one that stands out is The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.  Yes, it's a kid's book, or maybe middle grade, but still, it's hilarious.  It starts out as funny, but by the end it turns into one of the most touching Christmas stories.

The book doesn' take very long to read, maybe an hour at most, depending on your speed. I think my mom first read this to me as a little kid, and it's just continued on from there.

I love the way this book characterizes different people.  We have the "bad" Herdmans, who ultimately end up teaching everyone a little bit about Christmas.  In contrast, we have the "good" church people, who try their hardest, but seem to be going through the motions more than actually thinking about they story they are trying to portray.  I especially enjoyed the contrast between Imogene and Alice.  Both wanted to play Mary, and while Alice may have looked the part, it ends up being Imogene who brings the story to life.

This book is a fantastic 4.5 stars for me.  While 40 years is not quite A Christmas Carol, it's still a pretty impressive record.  And the time period doesn't really matter. The story itself is timeless.  Honestly, I probably read this story every other year to get me into the Holiday spirit, and each year it gets better and better.

Amanda Monday: Ruby Red

Earlier this month Rachel posted some books coming out in October (click here).  Among these books was Sapphire Blue, book #2 of the Edelstein Trilogy, and sequel to Ruby Red.  I absolutely cannot wait for this book to come out.  If it's anything like Ruby Red, it will be well worth the LONG wait.  So I thought that for this week's "Amanda Monday", I would introduce the first book in the series, in hopes that you would read it just in time for the next book in the installment to come out.  May you all be as addicted as I am!

Gwyneth Shepherd's sophisticated, beautiful cousin Charlotte has been prepared her entire life for traveling through time. But unexpectedly, it is Gwyneth, who in the middle of class takes a sudden spin to a different era!

Gwyneth must now unearth the mystery of why her mother would lie about her birth date to ward off suspicion about her ability, brush up on her history, and work with Gideon--the time traveler from a similarly gifted family that passes the gene through its male line, and whose presence becomes, in time, less insufferable and more essential. Together, Gwyneth and Gideon journey through time to discover who, in the 18th century and in contemporary London, they can trust.   - Quoted from Goodreads

First of all, let me just say that Goodread's summary does not do the best job of captivating how great this book is.  While it does mention time-travel, mystery, and romance, it leaves out secret societies, a deliciously evil villain, magic, and ghosts.  To quote the movie "The Princess Bride",  this book, "has it all."  

But.  None of this would have been enough for me to love this book if I didn't absolutely love Gwyneth herself.  Gwyneth is so like-able because she is absolutely real.  She is smart (without perfect grades).  She is pretty (without that being her greatest asset).  She has friends (and a few "frenemies").  She has the teenage love/annoyed relationship with her family (loves her mom, tolerates her siblings, dislikes her grandma, and is ignored by her cousin).  But most of all, she is confident and funny.  She is the perfect dose of common sense and normalcy to balance out a world that is anything but.

Author Kersten Gier does a marvelous job of creating characters that are both modern and decidedly less so.  I particularly enjoy how Gwyneth interacts with them.  Her modern sensibilities mixed with old-fashioned values and morals held by so many of the people she meets in the past create plenty of funny moments.  Gier also does a good job with weaving a plot around the ever-tricky time-travel factor.  She sets up rules and parameters within the world of time-travel so that the reader does not feel like the plot is contrived.  And the romance?  The villain?  The action?  All excellent.  

This book earns the prized 5-star rating from me, both for how much I like it and how well it's written.  I don't want to oversell it, but, well, I just love it.  Read it, so that when Oct. 30 rolls around, you will be ready for this:

Happy Monday!

Flashback Friday: Beware the Fish

Okay, don't judge me.  I love this book.  I realize it's older than I am and not in a classic, will live forever sort of way.  Not that it's not hilarious, because it is, and not that everyone shouldn't read this growing up, because they should.  No, it's rather dated, and not in the the let's explore how social structure of the fifties (or late seventies/early eighties) sort of way.  Still, this book made me randomly burst out laughing while I was growing up, and it's one of the ones I absolutely had to own (though it took about 5 used bookstores for me to find it).  And again, Google images, Goodreads, and Amazon have all let me down.  Not once did I ever find the cover I grew up loving, the one with the crazy lady in a bathrobe and curlers sporting a shotgun and a flashlight trained at poor Boots and Bruno. Ah the tragedy.  So, here's the sad, generic "updated" version of the cover and a quick summary.

"Macdonald Hall has never been like this!" shouts Bruno.  "The food is garbage . . . our rooms are freezing . . . and there's cost-cutting all over the place.  What's going on?"

What is going on?  Is Macdonald Hall going broke?  Not if Boots and Bruno can help it!  Fortified with Care packages from the girls at Miss Scrimmage's school, the boys devise some fantastic, fundraising schemes--involving not only The Fish (Headmaster Sturgeon), but also the police, who track the mysterious Fish image, appearing on local TV screens, direct to Macdonald Hall!


Quoted from the back of my copy of the book (by Scholastic Book Services), the one that sadly  I can find no images for.

In a nutshell, this book is about two best friends, Boots and Bruno, and their crazy, school-wide schemes to save Macdonald Hall, their Canadian boarding school. I realize there are a few too many exclamation points in the summary, but it's a kids book first published in 1980, so I'll cut them some slack.  Still, this book is so funny.  I re-read it a couple of years ago, and it still made me chuckle.  Kids today may have a hard time imagining a world with no cell phones or video games--oh wait, Harry Potter lived in a boarding school where there were also no cell phones or video games, or even TV, so I don't actually think that will be a problem.

This book is full of fun, colorful characters and crazy situations.  It's also a book about friendship and loyalty.  How many kids have been this supportive and in love with a school since (or before) Hogwarts?  How many kids worry about the headmaster loosing his job?  No matter what kinds of craziness the main characters get into, and they get into a lot--from UFOs to visiting girls and building pyramids . . . out of soda cans--they are always looking out for each other and their school.

I give this book a laugh-out-loud  4 stars.  It's funny, has great characters, and hilarious mishaps.  Yes, it is more suited to twelve-year-olds, but anyone can enjoy this book, and if you can find it, I absolutely recommend it.