Frostbite: A Vampire Academy Novel

Frostbite: A Vampire Academy Novel by Richelle Mead

Release Date: April 2008
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA), RAZORBILL
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 327
Other Titles in the Series: Vampire Academy

Summary:

The story picks up right were Vampire Academy left us. Rose and Lissa are still at St. Vladimir’s. Lissa and Christian are now together and Rose is still in love with her mentor/tutor, Dimitri. When a massive Strigoi attack halts everyone’s plans to travel home, St. Vladimir sends its students to a posh Idaho ski resort, so families can come together in a safe place.

But there seems to be a lot more drama happening on the slopes than Rose was expecting. Her good friend Mason has a huge crush on her, Rose’s mom pops unexpectedly back into her life, and Dimitri seems to have eyes for someone else. Not to mention the Strigoi continue to cause problems.

When Mason and two other fellow students go missing, Rose knows they went to find the Strigoi. Joining forces with Christian, they head off to find the trio and end up way over their heads......

Themes:





Review:

Let me just start off by saying that I love Richelle! I started reading Frostbite and I completely devoured it in one sitting! Is it her writing, the characters, the plot? Maybe it is a combination of everything, but I get so captivated in the story that I don’t even see the pages getting thinner and the book coming to an end! In all seriousness, I really enjoy this series. It has everything that I like, vampires, humor, satire, action, romance, and suspense. I feel like I know the characters. I could defiantly see Rose growing throughout this novel and I can’t wait to see her grow even more. While the plot had many twists and turns, Meade kept it going at a fantastic pace! I may even like Frostbite better than Vampire Academy! This is a great vampire series and if you haven’t read it yet, I suggest that you do! I am anxiously awaiting the release of the next book Shadow Kiss, which will be available Nov. 13!

Samantha Hansen Has Rocks in Her Head

Samantha Hansen Has Rocks in Her Head by Nancy Viau

Release Date: September 1, 2008
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams, Inc, Amulet
Age Group: Middle Grade
Pages: 192

Summary from ARC:

Samantha Hansen is ready to rock!

Ten year old Samantha Hansen is a mad scientist. Not the crazy kind– she doesn’t blow stuff up or mix up potions. She just loves science (especially rocks) and figuring out how the world around her works. But there are some things there just isn’t a scientific answer for, like why her bossy big sister can’t seem to keep her hands off Sam’s rock collection. Or why Sam can’t control her temper. And there are some bigger questions, too, like: Why did her father have to die, and why won’t her mom talk about him anymore?

When Sam’s mom announces an upcoming family trip to the Grand Canyon, it’s a dream come true. But it’s also a challenge: If Sam can’t learn to put a lid on her temper and ignore her irritating sister, she’s going to miss her chance to see one of the worlds biggest rocks, and maybe find out the answers to some of her questions.

Themes:



Review:

I don’t usually read MG novels, but I might have to start incorporating more of them! I absolutely loved Samantha Hansen has Rocks in Her Head! It was such a cute and funny novel and it was also very moving. I couldn’t help but love Samantha’s character! I remember having my own rock collection and digging in the yard. I even had a rock tumbler that would make the rocks smooth and shiny! After finishing the book I was inspired to dig out my old rock collection! The plot itself is not only charming but it is multi layered. As well as Samantha’s constant hunger for learning about things around her, Viau also touches on a more serious note. Samantha finally is able to discuss the death of her father with her mother, and learns that having a big sister isn’t always a bad thing. I would absolutely recommend this as a great read to MG readers!

Be My Guest Reviewer: Lauren from Shooting Stars Mag

I'm Lauren from Shooting Stars Mag, a blog that focuses not only on books, but music and more. I decided to use Bleeding Hearts as my review because I enjoyed it a lot, especially the companion novel, Reap the Whirlwind. Anyway, thanks Kristi for allowing me to post something for your Guest Reviewer posts!
You can find us here: http://www.shootingstarsmag.blogspot.com/
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Bleeding HeartsBy: Josh Aterovis
Review by: Lauren
www.myspace.com/joshaterovis

Killian Kendall has always been a little on the outside, even with his group of so-called friends. But when the new kid, Seth, arrives, Killian sees just how excluded a person can become. Seth is openly gay, which makes the other students quietly shun him or even make fun of him outright. The two boys end up helping each other, with Killian becoming the only person to really befriend Seth and Seth helping Killian see who he really is, which is gay just like Seth.

Soon after Killian begins to see himself clearer and begin accepting that it’s true, Seth is killed in what is called an accidental mugging, with Killian being stabbed in the process. However, Killian doesn’t believe this is true, and neither does Seth’s father, Adam.

When Killian is kicked out of the house by his father, who doesn’t approve of him being gay, Killian goes to live with Adam and the two end up forming a close father/son bond. Killian continues his search of trying to find out exactly who killed Seth, while still trying to deal with being gay.

As the school year goes on, Killian deals with many hardships when it comes to relationships, but everything begins to fall into place. And as for the killer, before anything becomes clear on that front, more people are killed then just Seth.

Bleeding Hearts is the first book in the Killian Kendall mysteries, and I am definitely looking forward to reading more from Aterovis. Killian was a well-rounded character that I really felt I got to know as I read the book. The other characters had equal page-time and even the most minor people were greatly described, making everything that much more realistic.

Killian’s sexuality was dealt with very nicely, showing the many obstacles and problems you may face when dealing with coming out and just any relationship in general. The mystery made the book even better, allowing for this to not just be a coming-of-age tale, but also a book you can enjoy on a whole other level.

I definitely recommend this novel and I hope it receives the recognition it deserves!
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Thanks Lauren for yet another great guest review!

Check back next week for another guest reviewer! Would you like to review a book and be a guest? Email me at thestorysiren@hotmail.com for more information.

Promise of the Wolves

The Wolf Chronicles: Promise of the Wolves by Dorothy Hearst

Release Date: June 2008
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Age Group: Young Adult/Adult
Pages: 335

Summary:

There are three promises that the wolves of Wide Valley live by.

Never consort with humans.
Never kill a human unprovoked.
Never allow a mixed-blood wolf to live.

Kaala, a young wolf pup of mixed blood, must fight for her place in the Swift River Pack. Her mother was banished for having a mixed blood litter and Kaala is all but alone in a pack that doesn’t want her. Kaala is determined to be a part of the Swift River Pack, the last promise she made to her mother.

As Kaala grows she continues to be the cause of concern within the pack and is blamed numerous times when the pack falls on bad luck. Kaala also rescues a human from drowning breaking the wolf promise to never consort with humans. She continues to see her human that she calls Girl. Kaala and two of her other pack mates build a relationship with the humans and they hunt alongside them. It is then that Kaala learns the truth behind the three promises.

A war is brewing between humans and wolves and Kaala may be the only one who can stop it.

Themes:



Review:

Promise of the Wolves is a beautifully written novel. I found myself becoming lost in the writing itself many times. The depictions of the wolf pack are both interesting and fascinating. It is obvious the level of research the author undertook to write such a realistic portrayal. The characterization and the dialogue were by far my favorite aspects. At times I found my attention waning. No one particular situation in the book really grabbed my attention. Although the plot was simple, it was still interesting. I will most likely continue to read the trilogy. I plan on giving this book three stars, but the writing itself would have a five star rating!

Author Tales: Josie Bloss

Josie Bloss is the author for this Thursday's Author Tales. Josie is the author of Band Geek Love, which was just released July 1st!!! Yay! Band Geek Love is Josie's debut novel. You can expect a review of Band Geek Love soon! Don't forget if you want to sign up for the Monthly Contest, this is where you need to comment!

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I have always been fascinated by the advice that writers have for each other. From where we get our ideas, to how we approach the writing process, to the ways we keep ourselves from going insane after staring at a computer screen for hours on end. But I never thought I had much to contribute to the discussion until I considered how my first book, Band Geek Love , came to be.

On my last day of high school band camp (lo that decade ago), I found a moment away from the craziness, sat down at a picnic table, and wrote the following in my journal:

See, the funny thing about band camp is how all-encompassing it is. When you're in these tight quarters with all your friends, you begin to forget about life outside of marching band. Here, on the last day ever of band camp, I'm becoming a little more objective...

I love this place with a passion but I completely lose my ability to think of the future (being home, school, going to college). No, all that matters is this day, this hour, this minute. When does rehearsal end, who likes who, a solo coming up...

Maybe I love it for exactly this reason. I take my place in a microcosm. Despite the stress of this little world, somehow I'm less tense. I know my place, I know the routine, I'm comfortable.-

Josie, Age 17

This turned out to be the basis for Band Geek Love !

Fortunately, unlike my main character, Ellie Snow, no cute boy showed up in the audience to completely ruin my own fabulous trumpet solo (my version of Conner the Troublemaker wouldn't show up for a few months yet). Ellie's story is both a bit more humiliating and more exciting than my own. But then, Ellie is more of a control freak than I ever was, and she probably sort of deserves to have her world shaken up. To find out what she did with her humiliating (and exciting!) experience...well...you'll just have to read the book !

So, I suppose I do have a piece of writerly advice (or at least an observation about something that worked for me), especially applicable to teenagers who want to become writers: Record everything. You never know when a spur-of-the-moment journal entry written at a picnic table during band camp might end up turning into an entire novel.

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Thanks Josie for yet another inspiring guest post! If you would like more information about Josie and Band Geek Love, visit the following links:

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/josiebloss

Website: http://www.josiebloss.com

Evernight News

Have you read Evernight by Claudia Gray yet? If you haven’t you really should! You can check out my review here to see if you might be interested. For those of you that have I have some exciting news!

Claudia is giving readers a chance to ask Bianca any burning questions you may have! Like, how does it feel being possibly the only "born" vampire? Or, how cute is Lucas really?

Do remember though, that Bianca only knows up to the end of Evernight, she obviously doesn’t know what will be happening in the future. Claudia is accepting questions up until August 1st. Then she plans on posting the interview on her website. If you have a question for Bianca you can email Claudia at evernightclaudia (at) gmail (dot) com.

For complete details stop by her blog.

Winner!

The winner of the Monthly Contest for June is

Meredith
Meredith please email me at thestorysiren (at) hotmail (dot) com, with your information and your book of choice. You can choose one (1) of the following titles:

Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs
La Petite Four by Regina Scott
The Debutante by Kathryn Williams
She's So Money by Cherry Cheva
You have 72 hours to contact me or a new winner will be chosen! The information for the Monthly Contest for June is available below. The first day to sign up will be July 3rd with Josie Bloss!!! Happy release day Josie!

New Reads!

Here are the Super Cool New Reads for today!

Band Geek Love by Josie Bloss
All band, all the time. That's how trumpet goddess Ellie Snow has made it to senior year. No drama, no dating. Just keeping lock-step within the safe precision of the Winslow Marching Band. She's a fierce section leader now, and so over the heart-crushing social disaster of her freshman year. No boy is going to ruin Ellie's shining moment—her senior solo performance at the homecoming game.

And then Connor Higgins shows up. Not even Ellie can resist the trumpet player who could be a model for Abercrombie & Fitch. It's a hook-up made in band-geek heaven! But Ellie's not ready to publicize their romance, not even to her best friends. After all, Connor's just a sophomore. What would everyone say? Breaking formation and revealing her true self would be like . . . marching on the field completely naked!

Then Ellie discovers the flipside of secrets and how it feels to be shut out by the ones she loves.
(Summary from Barnes and Noble.)

Josie Bloss will be stopping by The Story Siren on July 3rd!

Bringing the Boy Home by N.A. Nelson
Tirio was cast out of the Takunami tribe at a very young age because of his disabled foot. But an American woman named Sara adopted him, and his life has only gotten better since. Now, as his thirteenth birthday approaches, things are nearly perfect. So why is he having visions and hearing voices calling him back to the Amazon?

Luka has spent his whole life preparing for his soche seche tente, a sixth-sense test all Takunami boys must endure just before their thirteenth birthday. His family's future depends on whether or not he passes this perilous test. His mother has dedicated herself to making sure that no aspect of his training is overlooked . . . but fate has a way of disturbing even the most carefully laid plans.

Two young boys. An unforgiving jungle. One shared destiny.
(Summary from Barnes and Noble.)

The Explosionist by Jenny Davidson
The Explosionist: Someone sets off a bomb outside fifteen-year-old Sophie's boarding school, but no one can figure out who.

The Medium: Soothsayers and séance leaders are regular guests at her great-aunt's house in Scotland, but only one delivers a terrifying prophecy, directed at Sophie herself.

The Murder: When the medium is found dead, Sophie and her friend Mikael know they must get to the bottom of these three mysteries in order to save themselves—even as the fate of all Europe hangs in the balance.

Set in a time of subversive politics, homegrown terrorism, and rapidly changing alliances, The Explosionist is an extraordinarily accomplished debut novel for teens that delivers a glimpse of the world as it might have been—had one moment in history been altered.
(Summary from Barnes and Noble.)

Kitty Kitty by Michele Jaffe
Jasmine had everything a girl could want.1

So it wasn't her idea of SuperFun to move halfway around the world to Venice, Italy, leaving her fab pals and hot new boyfriend back in Los Angeles.2 But Venice isn't so bad . . .

Until Jasmine's Evil Hench cousin, Alyson, and her Best Fiend Veronique arrive,3 Jasmine's secret plan to jet to California is foiled,4 her boyfriend starts hanging with someone named Candy,5 and her only friend in Venice turns out to be in deadly peril.6

Faster than you can say "gelato," Jasmine is caught up in a catastrophic caper featuring a runaway heiress, a smoldering gondolier, 142 kinds of pizza, and a bothersome kitty. But before she can face off against a dangerous adversary, she has to face herself.

While wearing white leather pants.7

1 Rock star boyfriend, homicidal hair, fabulous pals, iNsAnO father . . .
2 No, this was the work of Dadzilla, smiter of life's happiness.
3 They ask to be called by their faerie names, Sapphyre and Tiger's*Eye. No, I am not joking. What? I'm supposed to keep the scary stuff inside the book?
4 Hello Dadzilla!
5 Who may or may not have perfect hair and boobs and be able to communicate with dolphins.
6 Not that anyone believes it. Until— What? That is for inside the book too? Okay, fine.
7 Only part of the time. The rest of the time I have to wear . . . oh, right. ScArY stuff inside.
(Summary from HarperCollins.)

Clique Summer Collection: Kristen by Lisi Harrison
Kristen sets sail on the Love Boat... With the rest of the Pretty Committee scattered across the globe, Kristen is stuck in summer school at OCD, making good on her scholarship commitments. No sleepover horse camp, no Hawaiian spa, no Spanish vacation, not even a trip to Orlando. But when Kristen scores a job looking after hang-ten hottie Dune Baxter's eight-year-old sister, Ripple, Westchester suddenly doesn't seem so bad. It looks like Kristin is about to ride the wave of first love. . . .
(Summary from Barnes and Noble.)

Monthly Contest July!

Here is the information for the Monthly Contest for the month of July.
The authors for this month's Author Tales are....

July 3rd: Josie Bloss
July 10th: Daphne Grab
July 17th: Debbie Reed Fischer
July 24th: Megan Kelley Hall
July 31st: Melissa Walker
There was a little confus