Four Seasons by Jane Breskin Zalben



The only thing the Allegra has known is her piano. But the cut throat-world of Julliard, Allegra knows just how much her career is dependent on how well she plays. Soon her entire life is filled with practicing and attending a normal school on the side. How much longer can she put she put up with her hectic schedule? But quitting playing her piano is out question, especially with her musically-gifted parents. But the stress starts to build up and Allegra questions how much she actually loves the piano.

I loved the fact that the book is split into four parts or seasons like the title suggests. One thing that I really didn't like was that the book suddenly felt like it got ten times faster halfway through. I understand that the beginning was meant to be slow but the transition between the two paces could have been smoother. I loved that this brought attention to the rigorous world of classical music. I think that this a great book with a clever plot and inspiring characters.

Allegra was a pretty average main character but seems to have a rather robotic at times. She came of as much more mature than she should be. But that was kind of realistic considering that she is planning on pursuing a career in music at a young age. Her parents were great and are responsible for the main plot. Each and every single character was quite original and had a big impact on the story and the outcome.

Swear to Howdy by Wendelin Van Draanen

Joey and Russell are best friends. They share every secret and get into trouble together. If you can't trust your best friend, who can you trust? Joey Banks can make an adventure out of anything and Rusty Cooper has never met anyone quite like him. Who else would have the guts to put a frog in their sister's underwear drawer or put bugs in their sister's drinks? But the secrets are starting to pile up, and start to become more and more deadly. Suddenly a light-hearted prank has disastrous consequences and both boys find themselves piled with mountains of guilt.

I loved the beginning of the story which was very light-hearted and hilarious. The pranks that Joey taught of were clever and innocent. There was a definite and clear beginning to when the pranks started to become more serious. The serious turn that book took was scary and made me want to read the book even more. The story made me cry and laugh and it wasn't even that long. I totally recommend it if you want a quick read.

Both of the main characters were exciting to read about. Joey and Rusty were the most exciting best friends ever. The secondary characters were pretty important. You have the story in order to understand the importance of each character.

I've reviewed Wendelin Van Draanen's Running Dream here.



The Fine Art of Truth or Dare by Melissa Jensen

Ella has never been noticed by many people except for her friends so it is definitely shocking when Alex, one of the most popular guy in the school, starts to talk and possibly flirt with her. Will her new boyfriend cause problems with the people she can one hundred percent trust such as her only two friends? Can she even trust Alex? He refuses to tell anyone about them. Ella must find out his reason, is it just to protect her or himself?
This book's plot started much more quickly than I expected. One second Ella was single and the next she had a boyfriend. There was a touch of humor in this which was completely unexpected because I thought that it was going to be a cheesy teen love story. The background of the story is very sweet, like Ella's restaurant, her failing French, and Alex's parents. The one thing that I didn't like was that the whole "invisible girl ends up with the popular boy". It has been used so many times that I'm sick of it. I also thought that there would more emphasis on the concept of Truth or Dare. Overall, it was okay and fun to read if you are looking for a relaxing read.
The characters were kind of hard to keep track of but they were original. The most interesting character has to be Edward. Even though he is a dead artist also known as Edward Willing, Ella still has conversations with him. I would have liked to see and learn more about Frankie and his twin Daniel. I always thought that Ella should have ended up with Daniel rather than Alex but that's just my opinion.



Avalon High by Meg Cabot

 

Ellie has recently moved to Annapolis, Maryland from her old home in Minnesota with her parents. She starts to go to Avalon High, which is seemingly normal on the outside. But it doesn't take long for Ellie to notice how different it actually is. Is what Mr. Morton saying the truth? Is it actually possible that the people at her high school actually might be the reincarnations from the King Arthur legend? If everything that Mr. Morton claimed is true, then she's the Lady of the Lake and must make sure the world is free from great evil. Ellie must make Will, the supposed King Arthur, believe who he is, it's the only way to keep the dark forces at bay. Will Ellie be able to all this and still keep her friends and crush?
I happen to love this modern take on the classic legend. The Arthurian legend is cleverly woven into an everyday high school. I loved the ending, it made me feel like crying. It is nearly just as powerful as the actual story. The story heavily relied on coincidences, which is something that made the story feel kind of unbelievable but somewhat magical. Overall, this novel lacked humor but the powerful combination of fantasy and romance made up for it. The only thing that I absolutely hated was that there is no sequel.
The characters closely resembled the actual characters. Will clearly was the reincarnation of King Arthur and Ellie clearly was the Lady of the Lake. Ellie's parents were most important than they seemed. I loved every single one the characters. They were my favorite part of the entire story.

There is another one of Meg Cabot's books that I reviewed. You can check that out here.

Reign or Shine by Michelle Rowen

Who knew being sixteen could be so hard? Nikki moves to Erin Heights after her mother gets married again. Life seems to be going fine after all she is best friends with one of one of the most popular girls at her new school. And she might also have a super cute boyfriend. But on her sixteenth birthday, she meets a gorgeous stranger, Michael, who claims that her demon father sent him to bring her to the Shadowlands. As the daughter of a demon and a human, it means that she is the first half-demon in years. Even Nikki doesn't know what she's capable of. With her father dying, she must decide if she wants to take the throne. But what about Michael and why is she feeling so attracted to him? But Nikki Donovan knows that her life isn't getting easier.
I love that this book shines a light on demons. I haven't heard about that many books based on demons these days. I love the beginning as it jumped right into the story. The middle was shocking and mysterious. But the end was the best part, it was suspenseful yet still wrapped the story up nicely. I love the setting, you could tell that a lot of thought was put into thinking out the role of the Shadowlands and the rest of the Underworld. I didn't think that Nikki's potential relationship at the beginning was really that necessary. I also didn't like some parts in the middle that could have been taken out. But overall, the unnecessary parts made the novel more suspenseful.

The characters were very relatable and Nikki's voice was very clear and easy to follow. Michael warmed up towards the end of the book and his chilly personality in the beginning was necessary. Nikki's best friend seemed to be holding a big secret that will be revealed in the second book. Overall the characters didn't take away from the novel but only made it more interesting.