The Seventeen Secrets Of The Karma Club by Karen McCombie

Title: The Seventeen Secrets Of The Karma Club

Author: Karen McCombie

Format: Paperback
Pages: 256
Publisher: Scholastic
Publication Date: 2^nd June 2008

Goodreads Summary:
Kezzy and Nell have their own club: a secret society for acts of kindness. It's their mission to cheer people up with golden moments and sparkly surprises. But when Kezzy's mum admits a not-very-golden secret of her own, the Karma Club's best intentions start going weirdly wrong. It's starting to look as if no good deed goes unpunished...


My Review:
The Seventeen Secrets Of The Karma Club is an upbeat, funny and delightful read for younger teenagers. A detailed book about two best friends who decide to do good deeds in secret. Having a best friend is awesome, they are someone you can share secrets and thoughts with and can just be yourself around. This book will make you appreciate having one of your own.

The characters are all awesome. They each have their quirks and extraordinary personality’s. I loved Kezzy’s mum the best though. Although I’m glad I have a mum like mine, I wouldn’t mind living in Kezzy’s shoe to see what it’s like living with Belinda. All that knitting would probably drive me round the bend though!

I’m glad that there is a book like this for young teenagers that doesn’t revolve around the main character falling in love and facing challenges on the way. No, this book was so refreshing and made you smile every time that did on of their secrets. It made me want to jump up and help an old lady cross the street safely. I grinned the whole way through.

The ending of the book with that twist was the icing on the cake. It just peaked off an awesome read and made it all that more delightful! I’m going to stop now as I’m making it sound like an ice cream sundae!

Rating: 5/5
You can buy the book here
Author's website

Cover Of The Month (2)

Amy and Rogers Epic Detour by Morgan Matson.

This cover is just gorgeous! It's the new UK cover that's just been released. I adore the little doodlings around the title and the fonts are awesome. I love it.  







Journey To The River Sea by Eva Ibbotson

Title: Journey To The River Sea
Author: Eva Ibbotson
Format: Paperback
Pages: 304
Publisher: Macmillan Children’s Books
Publication Date: May 30^th 2002

Goodreads Summary:It is 1910 and Maia, tragically orphaned at 13, has been sent from England to start a new life with distant relatives in Manaus, hundreds of miles up the Amazon. She is accompanied by an eccentric and mysterious governess who has secret reasons of her own for making the journey. Both soon discover an exotic world bursting with new experiences in this highly colourful, joyous and award-winning adventure.

My Review:
This has to be one of my favourite books of all time! I have read it over and over again to the point where the pages are starting to fall out. I always dreamed of having an adventure like Maia, going off to some exotic location and meeting all these new people. I adore the plot and the richly drawn characters. All of them seem so real, like old friends.
.

I loved Miss Minton the best. Her sharp and spiky personality drew you in. I so wanted to learn more about her past. Her over protectiveness of Maia seemed so genuine and I could tell their relationship was bound so tightly it would take a tornado or a hurricane to tear them apart. Another character I enjoyed reading about was Finn. Finn was the exotic and exciting boy Maia meets a little while after she arrives in the Amazon. He seemed so caring and perfect.

Personally, I find it a modern retelling of Cinderella. You have the orphan, the evil stepmother, two equally evil twins and a fairy governess!

Journey to The River Sea is an enchanting story which takes you on a magical journey across Brazil. Definatly worth a read!

Rating: 5/5
You can buy the book here

Ice Lolly by Jean Ure

Title: Ice Lolly

Author: Jean Ure

Format: Paperback

Pages: 208

Publisher: HarperCollins

Date Published: 7^th January 2010

Amazon Summary:
Laurel is only twelve when her mum dies and she is shipped off to stay with relatives she hardly knows. Her new family don't seem to care about anything Laurel loves, including books and Mr Pooter, her old marmalade-coloured cat. So Laurel decides that she won't feel anything: she'll become Ice Lolly, the girl with the frozen heart. But a special friend and a mysterious letter open up new possibilities for Ice Lolly, and for Mr Pooter!

My Review:

This book was extremely emotional for a child’s/young teenager’s book! I honestly didn’t think it would be a good as it was. I own and have read quite a few Jean Ure books but I have to say this is my favourite by her by a long shot.

The book is about a young girl being shipped off to live with distant relatives after a devastating loss. Along with her cat, Mr Pooter, Laurel escapes into her own private world. There were a lot of characters in the book and of course I liked the character of Laurel best. Laurel’s cousin Holly on the other hand made me want to scream. I honestly couldn’t believe someone could be that selfish and offensive. She’s meant to be ten years old!

A lot of the plot which you read about in the summary doesn’t actually happen until the end of the book. There are a lot of clues about the letter which are easy to piece together. You are able to solve the mystery a good 50 pages before the ending. As I have said in other reviews, this is one of those books with a rushed ending which let it down a bit.

Ice Lolly is an interesting read and makes you think about the lives of children and how they deal with such situations. This is why not only should children read this but adults should also give it a go.

Rating: 3.5/5

You can buy the book here

Authors website

Forget Me Not by Anne Cassidy

Title: Forget Me Not
Author: Anne Cassidy
Format: Paperback
Pages: 240
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Date Published: 4^th February 2008


GoodReads Synopsis:
A child has been stolen...Jade Henderson is missing, taken from her cot. Stella Parfitt watches the police investigation unfold, and begins to ask her own questions. Where was her mother that night? The woods hold a dark secret..

My review:
I liked this book. I liked the mother/daughter relationship and how it changed points of view between what was happening to Stella in the present and what Trish was dealing with when she was eighteen. I thought the topic was excellent (child kidnapped).. A fault that I thought let the book down was that it concentrated more on what happened to Trish when she was younger rather then what was happening in present day. At first I though that it was creating a background story but then that point of view started taking over the whole thing.

I couldn’t really connect with Stella or Trish throughout the book. I thought stella acted younger then her eighteen years because if how she acted and how she dealt with the situations with her mother. I thought she would be more mature than she was.

Also the ending of the book was vague and didn’t conclude the book very well. It wasn’t explained in much detail and seemed rushed.

In conclusion this book was ok and it was a good read but I probably won’t be reading this again. I wouldn’t go out and buy it but if they have it in your local library and you want a quick read then I would prompt you to pick it up.

Rating:

You can buy the book here

Ruby Red by Linzi Glass

Title: Ruby Red
Author: Linzi Glass
Format: Paperback
Pages: 224
Publisher: Penguin Books
Date Published: 6^th March 2008

GoodReads Synopsis:
In Ruby Winters' world, colour opens some doors and slams others shut. Her opulent Johannesburg neighbourhood is a far cry from the streets of Soweto where anger and hatred simmer under the surface. Ruby can't resist the blue-eyed Afrikaans boy who brings her the exciting rush of first love, but whose presence brings hushed whispers and disapproving glances. She might not see race, colour or creed - but it seems everybody else does. For Ruby, making some choices means letting others go, and as the darkness begins to descend, she must find a way to follow a brighter path...

My review:
I really liked this book. I liked the setting, the plot and the writing were all excellent. Sometimes I couldn’t understand some of the Afrikaans language that the author used when an Afrikaans character was speaking but I could understand well enough. I personally think there should have possibly been a glossary at the back to explain the words which would have helped me understand the book better.

The character of Ruby was brave and I liked the fact she also did what she believed was right and put everyone else before her. She reminds me of my sister a lot too. I also liked the character of Dashel, I thought that he was an excellent character to brighten up the book.

The ending of the book was a bit disappointing as I’d really enjoyed it up until the last few pages, I thought the book moved far too fast aswell at some points. Most of the questions that I wanted answers to were left open which let the book down a bit for me.

Overall I good read and I loved how it tackled such important issues but still had some romance in there.

Rating: 3.5/5

You can buy the book here

Flush by Carl Hiaasen

Title: Flush

Author: Carl Hiaasen

Format: Paperback

Pages: 295

Publisher: Corgi

Date Published: 1^st June 2006

GoodReads Synopsis:

On Father's Day, Noah visits his dad at the local jail. Dad is a feisty environmentalist with a short fuse. Convinced that the Coral Queen was dumping raw sewage into the harbour, he decided to take matters in his own hands. He sank the floating casino (at least temporarily), but ended up in the hoosegow. Noah knows that his dad was right about the sewage, even if his corrective method was a little over the top. To clean the slate and the harbour, he drafts a motley crew of friends to get the goods on the illegal dumpers.

 

My Review:
Okay, I’m going to start by saying I did not like this book. I though the first 200 or so pages were good but then it started going downhill for me. I got bored with the story and wondering where this was going. It kept repeating basically the same kind of scene. They try to frame Dusty and end up being caught and running away and that was repeated like three times.

I liked the characters of Noah and Abbey especially the latter. I though they were amusing and interesting kids. The plot was good and I loved the location the book was set in.

I’m going to admit that I didn’t actually finish this book! I stopped from about 50 pages before the end. The book for me had dried up and I just couldn’t force myself to keep going so I don’t actually know how the book ends.

Overall from what I read the book was mediocre. I’d recommend this book to anyone who is interested in nature, the environment, stopping pollution etc.

Rating: 2.5/5

You can buy this book here.

Mwah Mwah by Chloe Rayban

Title: Mwah Mwah

Author: Chloe Rayban

Format: Paperback

Pages: 263

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Date Published: 5th May 2008

　

GoodReads Synopsis:

Instead of preparing for the party of the year back home, Hannah's being sent to France for two weeks for a 'cultural trip' and the chance to improve her French. And she can't imagine anything worse. Shipped off to France for Easter for some continental 'culture', Hannah finds herself staying with her mother's best friend, and her tall and horribly stylish daughter. To make matters worse the daughter's friend is coming to stay with them - doubly bad for the ego. But then 'Michel' turns out to be a boy Cue rivalry with a continental flavour.

My Review:
This book actually surprised me but not in a good way unfortunately. I thought the plot was original and good but the dialogue was just a tad boring. More then once I found myself flipping through the book to find some good bits (yes, guilty as charged).

I found Hannah interesting but I don’t think the author developed the character as much as she could. Some parts I found her annoying and then others I really liked her e.g. when she dived in the water during the flood. I actually found myself liking Matthilde, Hannah’s mother’s friend’s daughter, more than I liked Hannah. I think it’s the whole ignoring act towards Hannah and how she showed a small bit of humanity for Michel. Also Aunade was an interesting character although he didn‘t appear much in the book as I would of liked. 

I have to say that my least favourite part of the book was the ending. I thought there would be a bit more too it and it doesn’t actually say that they even kissed (although the author suggested it). I would have liked it to have been written that he kissed her.

Overall I thought this book was ok, not brilliant but alright. I’d recommend this to young teenage girls who like French/English romance novels maybe? Plus there was a glossary at the back which explained French words in the book. That will come in handy in my French lessons!

Rating: 2/5 stars.

You can buy the book here

Waiting On Wednesday (2)

Ok so this time i'm going to do it on a wednesday!

This week i have picked~The Unbecoming Of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin.

GoodReads synopsis:
Mara Dyer believes life can’t get any stranger than waking up in a
hospital with no memory of how she got there. It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can’t remember
that killed her friends and left her strangely unharmed. There is.

She doesn’t believe that after everything she’s been
through, she can fall in love.




How gorgeous is the cover? Amazing! That's all i have to say :)

Girl, 15 Charming But Insane by Sue Limb

Title: Girl, 15 Charming But Insane
Author: Sue Limb
Format: Paperback
Pages: 285
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Date Published: 7th September 2009

GoodReads Synopsis:
Like any self-respecting girl her age, Jess wants to be devastatingly gorgeous, popular, and intelligent. But unfortunately, her best friend, Flora, has beaten her to it. Now Jess needs a new focus. The stunningly gorgeous Ben Jones seems the obvious choice. But can Ben Jones focus on anything that takes longer than a free kick? Perhaps Fred, who's sweet and clever but really needs a haircut, will help Jess through her teen-life crisis. But what of Flora's long-held secret crush? With her particular combination of charm and insanity, Jess heroically tries to keep it all together—with hilarious results.

My Review:
Jess Jordan is a typical 15 year old British teenager with a feminist for a mother and a father who lives 2000 miles away. All she wants is to have a bigger chest, smaller backside and to date Ben Jones. Is that too much to ask?

I could totally relate to Jess as i am the girl who has a best friend who outshines her in everything especially the boy department, i have divorced parents and embarrassing things always happen to me although i don't have a Ben Jones in my life or a Fred for that matter. She had me laughing out loud more then twice, causing my family to give me weird looks across the room and it was just a great, quick enjoyable read for a rainy afternoon.

The only characters i didn't particularly like were Flora and Mackenzie. Mackenzie is one of those boys i'd definatly be avoiding as i just couldn't seem to connect with him though i know he isn't one of the main characters. Also Flora was a bit self-obsessed with herself in my opinion, not with her looks but with just herself (and Mackenzie). I thought she didn't play the role of a best friend very well.

This is the first title in the Girl, 15 series and i will definatly be looking out for the other books as i just can't get enough of Jess and her hilarious antics. The only fault i could find however was the cover as i think they could have made it a bit more appropriate? I can't seem to find the connection between a t-shirt and a lonely hearts ad! Hmmm.

Rating: 4/5 stars.

You can buy the book here. 

2011 100+ Reading Challenge

DETAILS:

1. The goal is to read 100 or more books. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate. Posting on GoodReads or wherever you post your reviews is good enough.

2. Audio, Re-reads, eBooks, YA, Manga, Graphic Novels, Library books, Novellas, Young Reader, Nonfiction – as long as the book has an ISBN or equivalent or can be purchased as such, the book counts.

What doesn't count: Individual short stories or individual books in the Bible.

3. No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed.

4. Crossovers from other reading challenges count.

5. Challenge begins January 1st thru December, 2011. Books started before the 1st do not count. You can join at anytime.

6. When you sign up under Mr. Linky, put the direct link to your post where your books will be listed. Include the URL to this post so that other viewers can find this fun challenge. If you’d prefer to put your list in the sidebar of your blog, please leave your viewers the link to the sign up page. Again, so viewers can join the challenge too.

My List can be found here

My 100+ Reading List

1. What Katy Did by Susan Coolidge
2. Shadows (Dark Touch #1) by Amy Meredith
3. Girl, 15 Charming But Insane by Sue Limb
4. A Dog Called Grk by Joshua Doder
5. Mwah Mwah by Chloe Rayban
6. Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
7. Flush by Carl Hiaasen
8. Ruby Red by Linzi Glass
9. Forget Me Not by Anne Cassidy
10. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
11. The Fugitives by Alex Shearer
12. Journey To The River Sea by Eva Ibbotson
13. Ice Lolly by Jean Ure
14. The Seventeen Secrets Of The Karma Club by Karen McCombie
15. The Ghost of Thomas Kempe by Penelope Lively 

2011 Support Your Local Library Challenge

1. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate. Just create a post for the challenge and link to your challenge post in the linky below.
--Non-Bloggers: Post your list of books in the comment section of the wrap-up post.

2. There are four levels to this challenge...Pick your poison:
--The Mini – Check out and read 30 library books.
--"Fun" Size – Check out and read 40 library books.
--Jumbo Size – Check out and read 50 library books.
--Mega Size – Check out and read 51+ library books.
(Aim high. As long as you read 30 by the end of 2011, you are a winner.)

3. Audio, Re-reads, eBooks, YA, Young Reader – basically any book counts just as long as it is checked out from the library. Books MUST be checked out like with a library card, books purchased at a library DO NOT count.

4. No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed.

5. Crossovers from other reading challenges count.

6. Challenge begins January 1st 2011 and goes thru December 31 2011.

I have decided to go for Jumbo Size (50 library books) although i may fall back on "fun" size!

My List:
1. Girl, 15 Charming But Insane by Sue Limb
2. A Dog Called Grk by Joshua Doder
3. Mwah Mwah by Chloe Rayban
4. Flush by Carl Hiaasen
5. Ruby Red by Linzi Glass
6. Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
7. Forget Me Not by Anne Cassidy
8. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
9. The Fugitives by Alex Shearer
10. Journey To The River Sea by Eva Ibbotson
11. Ice Lolly by Jean Ure
12. The Seventeen Secrets Of The Karma Club by Karen McCombie
13. The Ghost Of Thomas Kempe by Penelope Lively

Cover Of The Month

This will be a monthly post here at Teenage Bookaholic.

So January 2011 Book Cover Of The Month is...... Rival by Sarah Bennett Wealer

This cover is really beautiful yet so simple at the same time. I love the flower and maybe the book has something to do with music considering the piano underneath? Anyways i love it!

                                                                              

2011 E-Book Challenge

I have decided to take part in some challenges. My first one is the 2011 E-Book Challenge hosted by The Ladybug Reads. Seen as i got a kindle for christmas i decided to take part! I am aiming to read 6 e-books (Fascinated). The challenge runs from January 1 - December 21, 2011.  I'll list here as I go.

1. What Katy Did by Susan Coolidge.

Waiting On Wednesday (1)

So, Waiting On Wednesday is hosted by Breaking The Spine.
This week i am waiting on The Implosion Of Aggie Winchester by Lara Zielin.
Release Date: August 4th 2011.

GoodReads Synopsis:

Is Aggie’s high school ready for a pregnant Goth Prom Queen?

Sixteen year-old Aggie Winchester couldn’t care less about who’s elected prom queen—even if it’s her pregnant Goth-girl best friend, Sylvia Ness. Aggie’s got bigger things to worry about, like whether or not her ex-boyfriend wants to get back together and whether her mom will survive cancer.

But like it or not, Aggie, soon finds herself in the middle of an unfolding prom scandal, largely because her mom, who is the school’s principal, is rumored to have burned prom ballots so Sylvia won’t be elected queen. Compelled to investigate, Aggie finds out more than she bargained for and wonders if the election could be dirty on both sides

This book sounds A-mazing! I personally think the cover could be improved but i'll still definatly be reading this. Will you be picking up a copy? Leave a comment!

Giveaway over at Girls Without A Bookshelf!

Ok so not a great first post but there is a New Year Giveaway over at this blog:  http://withoutabookshelf.blogspot.com/
All you have to do to enter is say what your new year resolution is and spread the news about the giveaway! Then choose five books from the list on the blog and your done!

Here is the link to the form to fill out:
https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dFFXcHJwTzhJclJ3V2pVVWdlbUt3NWc6MQ

Thanks!