Review: Once in a Full Moon by Ellen Shreiber

Once in a Full Moon
(Full Moon #1)

Author: Ellen Schreiber

Publication Date: December 28, 2010

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Genre: Fantasy/Paranormal

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Synopsis:

Beware of a kiss under the full moon. It will change your life forever.

Celeste Parker is used to hearing scary stories about werewolves--Legend's Run is famous for them. She's used to everything in the small town until Brandon Maddox moves to Legend's Run and Celeste finds herself immediately drawn to the handsome new student. But when, after an unnerving visit with a psychic, she encounters a pack of wolves and gorgeous, enigmatic Brandon, she must discover whether his transformation is more than legend or just a trick of the shadows in the moonlight.

Her best friends may never forgive her if she gives up her perfect boyfriend, Nash, for Brandon, who's from the wrong side of town. But she can't deny her attraction or the strong pull he has on her. Brandon may be Celeste's hero, or he may be the most dangerous creature she could encounter in the woods of Legend's Run.

Psychic predictions, generations-old secrets, a town divided, and the possibility of falling in love with a hot and heroic werewolf are the perfect formula for what happens . . . once in a full moon.

My Thoughts: I really hoped that this would be an amazing werewolf story. I was really sad when it fell short of any expectations I had for it, especially since the beginning was good.

Celeste Parker is part of a sixome popular clique. Three best girlfriends dating three best guyfriends. What could possibly be more perfect? They did everything together. Until Brandon Maddox, a sexy new student at school catches Celeste’s attention. Celeste begins to reconsider everything in her life when Brandon heroically rescues her from a pack of wolves and unwittingly incites an ancient curse.

I really liked Celeste at the beginning of the book. She was refreshingly normal. However, as the book continued and Celeste failed to really adapt and grow she starting becoming really boring to me. The fact that she refuses to tell anyone she hangs out with Brandon, basically to save her and her friends’ popularity, really irked me too. She was lack-luster, self-absorbed and really cowardly in my opinion.

Celeste’s friends (and their boyfriends) were also self-absorbed and really self-entitled. They wanted Celeste to be with Nash (her former boyfriend and all-American athlete) just because it made sense and was the easiest for them all. The only person that seemed to stop and think about anyone else in this entire book was probably Brandon.

I also felt that once some of the side-characters told their story they disappeared off of the face of the universe - never to be mentioned, seen or heard from again.

There were a lot of things that really could have been done better in this book and I feel that it is a shame that the author didn’t go there. The overall feel was rushed, thrown together and a tad unfinished. If you are a fan of werewolf books, please stay away.

Review: Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have) by Sarah Mlynowski

Ten Things We DId (and Probably Shouldn't Have)

Author: Sarah Mlynowski

Publication Date: June 7, 2011

Publisher: HarperTeen

Genre: Contemporary

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Synopsis:

2 girls + 3 guys + 1 house - parents = 10 things April and her friends did that they (definitely, maybe, probably) shouldn't have.

If given the opportunity, what sixteen-year-old wouldn't jump at the chance to move in with a friend and live parent-free? Although maybe "opportunity" isn't the right word, since April had to tell her dad a tiny little untruth to make it happen (see #1: "Lied to Our Parents"). But she and her housemate Vi are totally responsible and able to take care of themselves. How they ended up "Skipping School" (#3), "Throwing a Crazy Party" (#8), "Buying a Hot Tub" (#4), and, um, "Harboring a Fugitive" (#7) at all is kind of a mystery to them.

In this hilarious and bittersweet tale, Sarah Mlynowski mines the heart and mind of a girl on her own for the first time. To get through the year, April will have to juggle a love triangle, learn to do her own laundry, and accept that her carefully constructed world just might be falling apart . . . one thing-she-shouldn't-have-done at a time.

My Thoughts: This genre is a little bit outside of the realm of my normal Paranomal/Fantasy preference, but not an uncommon genre for me to read. When I originally read the summary I was super excited to read the book - it sounded like a hilarious blast. I was prepped for hilarity, stupidity and a bunch of one-liners. Well, stupidity I got.

April's parents are divorced. Her Mom lives in Paris with her new husband and her brother Michael and she lives with her Dad and her new step-Mom Penny. When April's Dad accepts a better job in a new state (conveniently Penny's home state, near her parents), April is devastated and refuses to leave her life, friends and boyfriend behind on a whim. She somehow manages to convince her Dad (who gave her a 10 PM curfew) to let her move in with a friend and her Mom - who he had only spoken to through email.

April liked to pretend that she was independent, but it becomes abundantly clear that she was sheltered when she didn't know how to operate the dishwasher and had never gone on a grocery shopping trip. She spends the money her father gives her for necessities and rent on frivolities (a hot tub, really?). She has a long-term boyfriend that is acting super strange and seems to be avoiding sex with her like the plague, despite being all for it previously. On top of that, they have huge parties and decide to skip school. Their place quickly becomes a hang-out.

I didn't mind this novel up until almost the very end. For everything these girls did and all of the lies they weaved, I was expecting a major climatic situation - which didn't happen. Not in the slightest. We had a small climatic scene, but it was hardly what I would call a resolution or even a conflict. The ending seemed quick, didn't tie up any loose ends and was incredibly open-ended. I felt like I worked through the novel for absolutely nothing.

I'm not sure if I would recommend this book unless someone was just looking for something to fill the time. It was anti-climatic and, I don't know, I just didn't really enjoy it all that much. What did you guys think of it?

Review: The Ironwood Tree by Tony DiTerlizzi & Holly Black

The Ironwood Tree

Author: Holly Black & Tony DiTerlizzi

Publication Date: April 6th, 2004

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Genre: Fantasy/Adventure/YA/Middle-Grade

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Synopsis:

First a pack of vile, smelly goblins snatch Simon. Then a band of elves try to entrap Jared. Why is the entire faerie world so eager to get their hands on Spiderwick's Guide? And will the Grace kids be left alone, now that the Guide has mysteriously disappeared? Don't count on it. At school, someone is running around pretending to be Jared, and it's not Simon. To make matters even worse, now Mallory has disappeared and something foul in the water is killing off all the plants and animals for miles around. Clues point to the old abandoned quarry, just outside of town. Dwarves have taken over an abandoned mine there. And the faerie world's abuzz with the news that a creature with plans to rule the world has offered them a gift to join with him -- he's given them a queen..

My Thoughts: doesn't ever really prove it. So speaking of Mulgarath, he is the new very evil bad guy introduced in this book.  I'm not entirely sure what kind of Faerie he is, but he has a band of goblin and ogre followers. And they carry in tow a bound and hooded prisoner, who could it be?

We always get to meet someone new in each book, and this book brought us Dwarves! I do really enjoy Dwarves, although these ones we're not your friendly type...The Grace siblings find themselves in quite the pickle when they decide to enter their underground lair. The details of that escapade await you inside this installment of the Spiderwick Chronicles. There was also a small appearance of a little guy called a knocker, he can talk to stones. He was a pretty creepy guy, and not someone I would want to encounter any time soon I don't think. We also met a faerie that can take the form of other people. He got Jared into a big pile of trouble. But of course, that is nothing new. The faerie world is always landing Jared in deep water. I feel bad for the little guy all the time!  He hates how disappointed his mom is, but how could he tell her the truth? She already thinks he is a little off his rocker based on the happenings of late. I'm hoping for the best for the Grace family in book #5!