In My Mailbox #002

Hello! I'm actually going to start packing up my stuff, since I'm moving this weekend.  But I decided to write a blog post before I started, because I accumulated a couple books since I last posted...

For Review:
- Tokyo Lives by Mark Hersberger (sent by author)

From the Library:
- Motor Mouth by Janet Evanovich (audio book)
- Thanksgiving by Janet Evanovich (audio book)
- The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory (audio book)

Bought:
- Aphrodite's Kiss by Julie Kenner
- Noble Intentions by Katie MacAlister
- The Mile-High Hair Club by Naomi Neale
- Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips

I've already finished Motor Mouth, so expect a review for that soon.  Audio books are great for when I'm knitting or crocheting!  I get two things done at once...it makes me feel so accomplished, lol.

Anyway, pictures of these books will come after I move...so sometime within the next few weeks.  Keep in mind...I've got finals coming up now.

REVIEW: The V Club

Title: The V Club
Author: Kate Brian
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Format: Hardcover
# of pages: 280
Source: Library

Summary:

When Victoria A. Treemont, the most revered and reclusive woman in Ardsmore, Pennsylvania, passes away, she leaves behind a $160,000 scholarship fund that rocks the worlds of students at Ardsmore High School.  The successful candidate must "exemplify purity of soul, spirit, and body." Everyone agrees that this caveat can mean only one thing: The recepient of the scholarship must still be holding on to the big V.

Welcome to the V Club—where members embrace abstinence, get off on civic duties, and heat up their chances to clinch the Treemont scholarship. What better way to prove purity than to pledge allegiance to the virginity flag? Besides, chastity belts are sooo 1300s.


Kai, Mandy, Debbie, and Eva have put their futures on the line. But will their deepest insecurities and darkest secrets ruin their chances at the scholarship, or worse, their relationships? Or will they discover the true meaning behind Mrs. Treemont's famous last words?

Review: (note: this review may contain offensive language)
This book reminds me of my senior year in high school, except mines wasn't so drama filled. Senior year of high school is all about applying for college and applying for scholarships to pay for college. At least that's how I felt, and that's the premise of this book. All the main characters are applying for a scholarship, which has all the same requirements of a regular scholarship plus one extra: the recipient of the scholarship "must exemplify purity of soul, spirit, and body." This scholarship will test friendships and other relationships…who knew applying for a scholarship could bring so much drama?

The premise of such a scholarship is definitely interesting. It was fun to see it all unfold throughout the novel, with best friends competing for the same scholarship. I really liked the characters in this one, because they were so real. They all had problems that were explored throughout the book, and in the end I think they all became stronger from their experience. They all learned something about themselves and overcame obstacles. However, I still had some issues with some of the characters. My favorite character was Eva, and my least favorite was Debbie. Debbie claims to be Eva's best friend, yet after learning that Eva liked Riley, that Riley and Eva had set up a date, and that this was the first guy Eva was ever interested in, she still went for Riley. And she was surprised that Eva was hurt after she caught her best friend mauling her crush?? SERIOUSLY?! She even said it was no big deal. And she wonders why people think she's a slut…That may not seem like a very nice thing to say, but I don't like Debbie's character much. I guess that conflicts with me saying that it was fun to see how the competition for the scholarship unfolded between best friends. But I feel it's different, because I feel a scholarship is meant for competition, while a boy is not. You should never go for your best friend's boy. It's like an unwritten rule. Anyway, even though I don't like Debbie as a person, she is a very real character…she did have her own problems to deal with…and I guess she tried to make up for it in the end.

This novel had an interesting storyline and great characters, and I would definitely recommend it, especially if you like YA.

Rating:
Plot - ★★★★★
Characters - ★★★★1/2
Ending - ★★★★1/2
Overall - ★★★★★