Tempest Rising - Tracey Deebs

Release Date - May 10, 2011
Publisher - Walker Books for Young Readers
Age Group - Teen
Pages - 288
Rating - 5/5

Summary - Tempest Maguire wants nothing more than to surf the killer waves near her California home; continue her steady relationship with her boyfriend, Mark; and take care of her brothers and surfer dad. But Tempest is half mermaid, and as her seventeenth birthday approaches, she will have to decide whether to remain on land or give herself to the ocean like her mother. The pull of the water becomes as insistent as her attraction to Kai, a gorgeous surfer whose uncanny abilities hint at an otherworldly identity as well. And when Tempest does finally give in to the water's temptation and enters a fantastical underwater world, she finds that a larger destiny awaits her—and that the entire ocean's future hangs in the balance.

Review - I don't even know how to begin this one, other than if you have it on your shelves get up and start reading it.  If you don't, go out and get a copy because it was amazing. This book made me feel things I never thought I would feel about it. 


The main character, Tempest, is forced to make a huge decision and I was shocked with the one that she made. I cried, I held my mouth and I didn't want to put this book down. I didn't want it to end! I don't think there was ever a part in this novel that I was bored with. 


There were parts along the plot that were slightly predictable, but in a good way. I loved how it slowly grew to its climax, peaked high and dropped. But it didn't stay down for long. Those last two pages shot it way back up, making the ending of this story great! It left me wanting to know more, but if there isn't another book, I would be okay with that too. 


I loved each and every character in this book. Especially Moku. He always made me smile. I was a little confused with how relationships formed and ended but by the end I didn't care. I wanted them to be where they were. 


As I was reading I didn't think I would read this book again, but after finishing and sitting here writing my review, I know I would. Tempest Rising has become one of my favorites that I think everyone needs to go out and read!


Cover - 4


Plot - 5


Characters - 5


Writing - 5


Ending - 10/5

Review: OyMG - Amy Fellner Dominy

Release Date - May 10, 2011

Publisher - Walker Books
Age Group - 12 & up
Pages - 256
Rating - 4/5

Summary - Ellie Taylor loves nothing better than a good argument. After all, she’s been arguing with her Zeydeh (that’s grandfather in Yiddish) since she could talk. So when she gets accepted to the Christian Society Speech and Performing Arts summer camp, she’s sure she can win the final tournament and a scholarship to the best speech school in the country. Unfortunately, the competition at CSSPA is hot—literally. His name is Devon and whether she likes it or not, being near him makes her sizzle. Luckily she’s up for the challenge—until she begins to suspect that the private scholarship’s benefactor has negative feelings toward Jews. Will hiding her true identity be worth a shot at her dream?

Review - Let me just start off by saying OyMG was nothing like I thought it would be. I went into it not expecting to enjoy it but I did. It made me laugh so many times! And I found myself really enjoying Ellie, the main character. Just looking at the cover I made judgements that were really wrong. I felt this novel had a really strong message.

By the end of OyMG I was very very happy with Ellie and what she finally decided. And Devon. I loved everything about this book and Im finding it hard to put into words. I think I found myself skeptical in the beginning because I myself am not really a religious person but I loved how the main point behind the story was their religion.

One thing that was slightly off to me was the fact that ellie was only 114, but the was she acted and spoke came across as much older. Say 19 or 20, which was easier for me to relate to. Amy's writing made it hard for me to imagine her as my little sister, who is 14.

Overall I thouroughly enjoyed the novek and all its characters. Especially Zeydeh!!

I would recommend this novel to anyone who is looking for a light quick read and someone with an open mind.

Cover - 4
Plot - 4
Characters - 5
Writing - 5
Ending - 5

Review: Mad Love - Suzanne Selfors

Release Date - January 4, 2011

Publisher - Walker Books for Young Readers

Age Group - Young Adult

Hardcover - 336 pages

Rating - 4/5

When you're the daughter of the bestselling Queen of Romance, life should be pretty good. But 16-year-old Alice Amorous has been living a lie ever since her mother was secretly hospitalized for mental illness. After putting on a brave front for months, time is running out. The next book is overdue, and the Queen can't write it. Alice needs a story for her mother—and she needs one fast.
That's when she meets Errol, a strange boy who claims to be Cupid, who insists that Alice write about the greatest love story in history: his tragic relationship with Psyche. As Alice begins to hear Errol's voice in her head and see things she can't explain, she must face the truth—that she's either inherited her mother's madness, or Errol is for real.

Review - Let me just start off by saying I have not read any of Suzanne's other novels, although I have wanted to. And now after finishing Mad Love, I can say I really want to read her others.

Im usually not into the chick-lit kind of book but something about this one had me hooked! When I started I thought I wasnt going to like it and it was pretty slow. But do not let that fool you. This nocel gets SO much better!

So your introduced to Alice, daughter of "The Queen of Romance" novels.  But her life isnt perdect, in fact it is far from perfect. Her mother is mentally ill and she is left to take care of things at home. One of those cases is being, going to her mothers book signing. The event that changes everything for Alice.

Enter, Errol, aka Cupid. He wants his story to be wrote and he wants Alice to do it , but she is refusing. Errol takes Alice on a life changing adventure. But along the way it is not only her life that is being changed.

Along the way Alice has to deal with pain in the butt Realm, who wants to prove herself but goes about it in the wrong manner.

I love this book and everything about it. The plot was AMAZING! It made me laugh, it made my heart ache, it made me wanna cry. The characters, at times I  loved them all, at others I wanted to slap a few into reality! Ms. Selfors' writing kept me hooked until the very end. I didnt want to put it down! For ANYTHING! And the ending was very well written to wrap everything up. It was everything that I wanted it to be.

I think I can say Suzanne Selfors is now one of my favorite authors and I would and will recommend this novel to many people!

Amazing, enthralling, and a MUST - READ!!

Cover - 4 stars

Plot - 5 stars

Characters - 5 stars

Writing - 5 stars

Ending - 5 stars

 Other places to find Suzanne

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