Books of April 2011

Awakened by PC and Kristin Cast - Review here 3 out of 5

Sweet Valley Confidential by Francine Pascal - Review here 3 out of 5

Maggie: Diary Two by Ann M. Martin - This book is part of a spin-off of The Baby-Sitters Club involving Dawn and her friends in California. It was much darker than the original series. Maggie is struggling with her workaholic dad, her alcoholic mom, a fundraiser, band practice, boys and a job. It's a lot for a girl, especially a 13-year-old. She also thinks she's fat and everything would be so much better if she could lose five pounds. It was a better portrayal of an eating disorder than I thought it'd be, but it still wrapped up quickly and easily. Of course, there is another book about Maggie in the series, so maybe it's covered there.
What I had issues with most was the freedom that a 13-year-old girl was given. She was in a band? She went on dates with guys who could drive? And how did she just get a new job without a work permit? She had a midnight curfew? It was completely unrealistic and, if I had been 13 myself, would have made me feel like a loser because I didn't get those freedoms.

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand - Review here 4 out of 5

Skin Deep by Mark Del Franco - While I had a different idea about what this book was about before I read it, it was still good. I don't often read Urban Fantasy written by men and it's such a nice change. Romance takes a way backseat to the political intrigue and police action in this book, but there's still some there. What I really liked was that the character wasn't a Mary Sue. She had weaknesses that actually had an impact on the story and she didn't save the day by developing some superpower. If a lot of politics isn't your thing, though, it may not be something you'd want to read. 4 out of 5

Wings by Aprilynne Pike - Some YA books can still be good for an adult audience... this is not one of those books. It was very juvenile and much better suited for a young YA audience- maybe 11 or 12. For me, it was not great. It actually had an interesting take on faeries but it didn't have enough depth. However, I don't think it would be bad for its intended audience. I did get the 2nd book at the same time as this one on a bargain sale, so I may read it. 3 out of 5