My Meg Story + Mini-Review of The Boy Next Door (for Meg-A Readers Blog Hop)

Hello~!  I'm back with a post for the Meg-A Readers Blog Hop.  I want to start with a little bit about my "Meg story," which is basically how I found Meg Cabot.

I think most people found Meg Cabot through her Princess Diaries series, but not me! :)  I found her through her novel, The Boy Next Door.  One day about 6 years ago, I was at the library after school and was browsing books when I stumbled upon The Boy Next Door.  The next thing I know, I'm staying up trying to finish the book.  I couldn't put it down!  So I went in search of more and more by Meg Cabot and am working my through all she's written.  I am a Meg Cabot fan for life!


Now, a little bit about The Boy Next Door:

It is the first book in Meg Cabot's Boy series, and is written through e-mails between the characters.  This was the first time I'd ever read a book that was written that way, so it was new and different and interesting to me.  You got to meet all the characters through these emails, and boy, were they characters!  I really liked the main characters, Mel and John, which is key to liking a book overall.  The book in general was quirky and funny, even though there was supposed to be a little mystery.  The mystery is not really a mystery, as you can easily figure it out.  So it wasn't a serious book at all, and I enjoyed reading it.  I think it would be a great beach read, which is perfect since summer has just started!

Rating: 

So now I want to know...What's your "Meg story"? :)

REVIEW: Lola and the Boy Next Door

Title: Lola and the Boy Next Door
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Series: has 2 companion novels
Genre: YA Romance
Publisher: Dutton Books (member of the Penguin Group)
Format: Hardcover
# of pages: 338
Source: Library
Challenge: RRRC Treasure Hunt (Quarterly Challenge)
Summary:
(from Goodreads)

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

Review:
I loved Stephanie Perkins' first book (and reviewed it not too long ago), so I was a little hesitant about reading this next one.  I didn't want to be let down.  But I sucked it up and borrowed it from the library, and I'm so glad I did!  Because I loved it just as much as I loved Anna and the French Kiss!

I really like Stephanie Perkins' writing style.  Her first person point-of-view really lets you connect to the character and puts you in their world.  It's a fun and easy read, with me finishing this book in a day.  I just couldn't put it down!

Lola, our narrator, is happily living her life with her 2 dads, Andy and Nathan, and her rocker boyfriend, Max.  That is, until her past comes back in the form of the Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket.  They were her neighbors up until 2 years ago, but now they're back and Cricket Bell is acting like they never moved away.  Lola is confused, to say the least.  Soon she must decide between her boyfriend, who she thought was "The One," and the Boy Next Door.

The story draws you in, but the characters are what makes the story.  You want to know what happens to them, and you want everything to turn out alright and for them to have a happily ever after.  All the characters are really likable in this book (well, except Max, who turns out to be a jerk).  I find that I can relate to them, even though we have different personalities.  And once again, Perkins has created characters who, if I met them in real life, I'd want to be their friend.  Characters like Lola, who is quirky and funny, with a unique sense of style.  She makes her own clothes, and I totally wish I could be like her.  (She can be self-centered at times, but that's a fact of life.  She's a teenage girl, after all.)  And Cricket Bell who is an inventor of sorts, and also very cute, from what I imagine through Perkins' words.  He is described as 6 foot 4 inches, with dark hair and intense blue eyes.  I wish I had a boy like Cricket living next door, when I was growing up, lol.

Besides the main characters, there are several side characters, and they are all delightful.  Anna and Étienne make a reappearance in this book and are Lola's example of what a happy couple should look like.  (I am still a big fan of this couple, and am still in love with Étienne, though now I am also in love with Cricket, haha!)  Lola's dads, Andy and Nathan, are hilarious at times and great father figures throughout.  Also, Lola's best friend Lindsey is pretty kick-ass.

The setting was also great, and reading about Lola's escapades through San Francisco brought me back to my trip there last year.  It was my first time there, and I really liked it and had hoped to go back.  After reading this, I really hope to go back now, haha!

There is so much to like about this book, from the writing style to the characters.  This book is great in my opinion, and I would highly recommend it!

However, there is one thing I wish it had.  Even though I really like the first person point-of-view because it really works with her stories, I wish we could have read a little bit from the guy's point-of-view.  I especially want to know what Cricket is thinking, while he's away from Lola...

And finally, the last thing I like about the book is the first thing you see before reading: the cover!  I like pretty/cute cover, but get a little annoyed when it has no elements from/nothing to do with the story.  Like having a blonde model on the cover of a book with no blonde characters.  What is that?!  But that's not a problem here!  The models on the cover have the appropriate hair color.  In fact, "Lola" has rocking hair, and I wish I had that hair.  The cover is cute, and after reading the story, all I think when I see it is, 'That is so Lola and Cricket,' all the way down to the rubber bands around Cricket's wrist and the drawing on his hand.

Rating:
Plot - ★★★★★
Characters - ★★★★★
Ending - ★★★★★
Overall - ★★★★★

REVIEW: Anna and the French Kiss

Title: Anna and the French Kiss
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Series: has 2 companion novels
Genre: YA Romance
Publisher: Speak (part of the Penguin Group)
Format: Paperback
# of pages: 372
Source: Library
Summary:
(from inside flap)

Anna is happy in Atlanta. She has a loyal best friend and a crush on her coworker at the movie theater, who is just starting to return her affection.  So she's not too pleased when her father decides to send her to a boarding school in Paris for her senior year.  But despite not speaking a word of French, Anna meets some cool new friends, including the handsome  Étienne St. Clair, who quickly becomes her best friend.  Unfortunately, he's taken-and Anna might be, too.  Will a year of romantic near misses end with the French kiss she's been waiting for?

Review:
It's been a long while since I've read a good YA novel.  Good thing I found this one!  I had actually wanted to read this when it came out, and was appearing on everyone's blogs, but I never got around to snagging a copy for my own.  But my last trip to the library, I was browsing the racks in the YA section, and there it was.  So I snagged it and just finished reading it today.  Let me just say up front: it was excellent!

Anna and the French Kiss is about a girl named Anna who is sent to an American boarding school in Paris for her Senior year because her father thinks it's a good idea.  She's not overly fond of her father, and she hates the idea of attending school in Paris.  But it's too late, because her parents have made up their minds and have left her there to fend for herself.  Eventually though, everything changes, and Anna no longer hates Paris.  She has made new friends, even a new best friend, the handsome Étienne St. Clair.  There's betrayal and drama in Anna's life, of course.  There has to be some strife to make the story interesting, right?  But I did kind of see the betrayal coming, ever since that first phone call.  By the end of the novel, Anna is sad to be leaving Paris, but happy to be on her way to college.

Whenever I read stories about boarding school, it makes me wish I was able to attend one.  And with this one being in Paris, I wish I could've gone to a school like that even more!  Anna got to explore Paris everyday while she was there.  The descriptions of everything was lovely, and I could really picture the setting, as she explored the city around her.  But of course, boarding school is probably not as fun as these novels make it out to be.

Anyway, Stephanie Perkins writes the voice of a teenage girl really well!  I was able to relate to Anna, who became quite real to me, with everything that she felt for her friends, family, and the guys in her life.  If I met her in real life, I would totally be her friend.  Also, she's a great narrator.  However, she does have flaws, as do her close friends.  But that just makes this even more real to me.  And even though they have flaws, I must say that I totally love all the characters that were a part of Anna's circle of friends in Paris.  Especially Étienne.  I could just imagine him, speaking in his British accent. *swoon*  He's really very handsome the way I picture him, haha.  The author is totally right!  American girls LOVE hot boys with British accents.  Well, at least the American girls that I know (self included).  It just multiplies their sexy points by a million! lol.

I definitely recommend this book!  It was a cute, fun, quick, and easy read, that's also quite realistic.  It had me chuckling quite a bit.  I really like the author's writing style, and can't wait to read more of her work!  I think the fact that I want to read more from this author can speak for how good this book was! :)

(SPOILER ALERT! kind of?)
I know there's a companion piece to this that out already, Lola and the Boy Next Door, and another companion piece coming out next year, Isla and the Happily Ever After.  I definitely can't wait to get my hands on both, so that I can find out how Anna and Étienne are doing.  I've read a review of Lola and the Boy Next Door and know that Anna and Étienne make some cameos.  I want to know how college life is treating them and how their relationship is going.  I was really rooting for them the whole way through Anna and the French Kiss!

And some little tidbits, that didn't affect my enjoyment of reading this book...I really like the uneven pages.  I love books that are printed like this.  Also, the cover is nice, but I wish they had shown the male model's face. I think that might be on purpose, so that the reader will create their own visual of Étienne.  But then, why did they show the male model on the cover of her other book?  Hmm...curious...

Rating:
Plot - ★★★★★
Characters - ★★★★★
Ending - ★★★★★
Overall - ★★★★★

REVIEW: Unearthly

Title: Unearthly
Author: Cynthia Hand
Series: N/A
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Paranormal
Publisher: Harper Teen
Format: Hardcover
# of pages: 435
Source: Library
Summary:

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel.  Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do.  Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.


Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town.  When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place--and out of place at the same time.  Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.


As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make--between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil.  When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

Review:
Unearthly is one of the best books I've read this year. The plot line is very unique to me; I haven't read another book like it.  At first I was a little iffy, because I don't like to read religious fiction, and I was worried about how much religion would be tied in since this book does deal with the idea of angels.  Thankfully, it's not tied in too much.  God is specifically mentioned once or twice, and heaven is mentioned a couple of times, but other than that...nothing overwhelming.

Anyway, this book is told through Clara's point of view as she tries to figure out her purpose as an angel-blood while trying to live the life of a normal teenage girl at the same time.  Her voice was very realistic, as she dealt with being the new girl and trying to fit in, the joys and frustrations of figuring out how to be an angel, and the emotions of just being a teenage girl finding romance with a teenage boy.  But in this case, Clara ends up interested in two boys, and will have to choose when the time comes...

And while the story is about Clara and from her POV, we do get to know the other characters in her life and they are just as likable as Clara.  The plot and characters all added up to a book that I could barely put down.  If I didn't need to sleep, I probably wouldn't have, lol.

The ending, however, was not what I was expecting, and was a bit anticlimactic.  It left me with so many unanswered questions!  BUT, after Googling, I now know that it's probably because there's a SEQUEL!  Yay! (Thank goodness!)

One more thing, the cover is gorgeous!  I know they say not to judge a book by it's cover, but most times I do.  I'm more likely to pick up a book that has a pretty cover, and that's what happened here.  Saw the cover, loved it and decided to read it.  I'm so glad I did.

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

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 - ★★★★★

MYSTERY: Executive Privilege

Title: Executive Privilege
Series: n/a
Author: Phillip Margolin
Genre: Suspense
Publisher: Recorded Books
Format: Audio Book
# of pages: 10 discs = 11.5 hours
Source: Library

Summary: 

"Hired by a prestigious D.C. attorney and Presidential confidant, ex-cop turned private eye Dana Cutler shadows campaign volunteer Charlotte Walsh--documenting the lovely political science major's whereabouts with pictures and voicemails.  The boring surveillance becomes interesting one night when Charlotte has a clandestine meeting with the President of the United States.  After the 19-year-old's body mutilated body is found the next day, police conclude Charlotte's the latest victim of the D.C. Ripper.  But Dana has evidence that implicates someone in the White House.  Hoping to stay alive long enough to prove it, she hops on her Harley and roars away." - Back Cover

Review: This was the first audio book I ever listened to.  At first, I wasn't sure I liked it, but as I got further along into the story, I couldn't stop listening.   It was also the first Phillip Margolin book that I've ever read.

Usually, I only read cozy mysteries, so this whole reading of a Suspense/Thriller audio book was a new experience for me.  I'm not sure if it was the narrator or the author's writing that made this one of those "can't put down" stories, but both definitely contributed.  The storyline was excellent, as was the narrator's reading of it.  This story simultaneously unfolds on separate sides of the country, with parts taking place in Washington D.C. and parts taking place in Oregon.  I found it to have a nice pace, with clues and details slowly being revealed and everything coming together nicely.  I usually figure out whodunnit by the halfway point in the novel, but I actually couldn't figure out the real person behind it all, until quite near the end.  Also, the characters were very real, with flaws and depths to their personalities.  I really liked that.

All in all, I give it four and a half stars, just because I was able to figure  out whodunnit.  But I still really liked this, and this will definitely not be the last Phillip Margolin book that I read.  Nor will it be my last audio book.

Rating:
Plot - ★★★★★
Characters - ★★★★★
Ending - ★★★★
Overall - ★★★★★