The Royal Treatment by Lindsey Leavitt

Author: Lindsey Leavitt


Series: Princess for Hire (#2)


Pages: 272


Imprint: Disney Hyperion Books


Release Date: 5-3-11


Ages and Grades: 10 and up, 5 and up


Provider:Disney Hyperion


Summary (from goodreads)

Desi Bascomb's job as a princess substitute has gotten a whole lot more glamorous now that she's advanced to Level 2 within the Facade Agency. Magical make-up, roller-skating celebrities, and the chance to see Prince Karl again are just some of the major perks. Not to mention, she's landed the role of Fairy Queen in her school's production of Midsummer's Night Dream (opposite her best friend's crush. Which is a little weird, but at least he wears a donkey head during their kissing scene). Life should be perfect, but Desi can't seem to shake the feeling that there is more going on with the agency's magic than she's told. Like why is this mind-bending power exclusive to royals? Is it possible that there could be a bigger way to make an impact in both parts of her life?

Review


I had very high expectations for this book-and I was NOT disappointed. Starting off with the same girlie approach, Desi is in the high school music room that Kylee snuck her into so she could practice her violin since it's her "musical dream". The truth is nowhere near that. She's actually preparing her BEST (Betterment of Elite Sub Training- "These people loved their acronyms" ) for another princess as she rises up to level two. 


Once I opened this book (or rather, e-book) I just couldn't stop. I thought that the plot was much more thought out and polished than the first book. Normally I can't reread through books because of the sheer boredom unless I'm reading my favorite parts, but this....every single chapter is my favorite part! I did occasionally feel like some of the characters were more in 2d (no emotional depth) than in 3d, but mostly all the main characters were dimensional enough.


I really enjoyed how this book was targeted directly towards girls since that way we could get some type of girlish kick out of it that we don't normally get in others even with ones that have a girl as a main character. The royal treatment is the delightful sequel to Princess for Hire that just makes the series even better.


Rating


A (really liked it!)

Lost Voices by Sarah Porter

Author:Sarah Porter


Series: Lost Voices #1


Name of Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's


Release Date: July 4, 2011


Age group: 12-15


Number of Pages: 302


 Summary

Fourteen-year-old Luce has had a tough life, but she reaches the depths of despair when she is assaulted and left on the cliffs outside of her grim, gray Alaskan fishing village. She expects to die when she tumbles into the icy waves below, but instead undergoes an astonishing transformation and becomes a mermaid.

A tribe of mermaids finds Luce and welcomes her in—all of them, like her, lost girls who surrendered their humanity in the darkest moments of their lives. Luce is thrilled with her new life until she discovers the catch: the mermaids feel an uncontrollable desire to drown seafarers, using their enchanted voices to lure ships into the rocks. Luce's own remarkable singing talent makes her important to the tribe—she may even have a shot at becoming their queen. However, her struggle to retain her humanity puts her at odds with her new friends. Will Luce be pressured into committing mass murder?

The first book in a trilogy, Lost Voices is a captivating and wildly original tale about finding a voice, the healing power of friendship, and the strength it takes to forgive.    

Review

Thank you, Netgalley for sending me this book.

             Luce is a teenage girl who has been wronged in so many ways-especially by her uncle. Her mother left when she was younger, and her father died of a shipwreck onThe High and Mighty. But the night the final wrong comes down, Luce is left abandoned on a cliff where she had found a girl's cold dead body. She sits there, reminiscing her past of not fitting in and realizing that if she goes back to her Uncle, she'll live in fear every night of the same horrible thing happening to her again. Through her tears and turmoil, she comes to a final decision-not to go back. 

            But Luce is suddenly falling, and she eventually realizes that she's falling off the cliff. She thinks of how much alike the feeling of falling off is like experiencing the arms of death enclosing around her. She suddenly hears the lulling sound of music-beautiful, stunning, music. Moments later, Luce realizes the truth. Along with many other girls who have changed into mermaids because of what human beings did to them, she becomes close to the tribe's queen, Catarina. The tribe of mermaids sing with their beautiful voices and bring ships down as vengeance to their past. But Luce starts to think about how her father died on a shipwreck-possibly one caused by the mermaids?

            Living in the tribe isn't perfect-there's still rules. The timahk forbids that you have any human contact at all, hurt any other mermaid (including larvae), banish any mermaid unless they've broken the timahk first, and if you saw another mermaid in danger, you had to help her unless it was a situation where if you helped, you could be killed, too. Luce is fine with those rules until she finds out Catarina's stealthy secret-one that could get her kicked out of the tribe-permanently. 

            Newcomers eventually come to the tribe named Dana, Jenna, Rachel, Violet, Becka and Hilory are orphans who have been nearly killed by their orphanage keeper. Both Catarina and Luce, who are both amazing singers, do the hard task of changing a girl named Anais, who starts to bring out the worst in everyone. But when she and Samantha, a bitter mermaid who seems exactly like Anais's follower find out what Catarina's secret is-what will they do to her-and Luce?

            Intriguing and spellbinding, this book is for sure a sweet read. It's wonderfully descriptive and detailed, which lets you picture everything that's happening in the story. Every twist and turn of the story is intensive and secretive, which gives you the running thrill of suspense. If you read this book, you definitely won't regret it.  

Rating
A+ (amazing!)

Cinderella: Ninja Warrior by Maureen McGowan

Name of Publisher: Silver Dolphin Books


Published: 4/1/11


Age group:10-13


Series:Twisted Tales


Number of Pages:320


 Summary
In this fast-paced story full of adventure and romance, Cinderella is more than just a servant girl waiting for her prince--she's a tough, fearless girl who is capable of taking charge of a dangerous situation. 


Seeking to escape the clutches of her evil stepmother, Cinderella perfects her ninja skills and magic talents in secret, waiting for the day when she can break free and live happily ever after. In a special twist, readers have the opportunity to make key decisions for Cinderella and decide where she goes next--but no matter the choice; the result is a story unlike any fairy tale you've ever read!


Review
Special Thank You's to: Netgalley for sending me this book.


When I first saw the title of this book, I immediately wanted to read it, hoping for something different other than the normal retelling of Cinderella that I've read before. And I was not disappointed. 


What I thought made this book really stand out was the fact that it let you choose where the character would go. It was a really nice way to let the reader interact, since half of the time they don't get to do that. 


From what I chose to read in this book, I thought the plot was very well developed and thorough, as well as easy to understand. It wasn't more than skin deep, though-I felt as if I didn't know the character as well as I'd like to. 


Otherwise, this book was very delightful to read, and I enjoyed it very much-it was such a nice book that I finished it in a day straight! I would definitely recommend this to someone, and I'm hoping to read more books in the Twisted Tales series by Maureen McGowan sometime.


Rating
A-

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

Name of Publisher: Harlequin TEEN 


Published: 4/26/11


Series: The Goddess Test #1

Age group:14-16


Number of Pages:297


 Summary




EVERY GIRL who has taken the test has DIED.


Now it's KATE'S TURN.


It’s always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate’s going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won’t live past the fall.


Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he’ll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.


Kate is sure he’s crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she’ll become Henry’s future bride, and a goddess.


If she fails...


Review

From the first page on, I couldn't seem to be able to stop reading. First, I just LOVED the cover. It was mysterious yet simple, but all the same, it looked amazing-like something I'd definitely pick up and buy at a bookstore. And after seeing such an amazing cover, I expected even more from the author. And this book did not disappoint me.

Spellbinding and intriguing, this book is full of unexpected twists and turns that even you won't be able to predict. Kate's mother is dying, and her last wish is to move back to Eden, her childhood home. But suddenly, mysterious things happen, and a girl nearly dies-but lives. Henry, who we later find out is Hades, saves her in exchange for a deal with Kate-that she will take part in a test that can either kill her-or save her and turn her into a goddess-and Henry's Queen.

But the problem is, all of the other girls have been poisoned-or killed. And no one knows who it is and can't identify the person. And beyond all that, will Kate ever compare to Persephone (Henry's deceased wife) in Henry's mind? Or will Henry never learn to love her...ever?

Rating
A+