Georgetown Academy is where all the kids of politicians got to
high school. As you can imagine, tensions are always high. Anyway, G.A. is like
any other high school: there’s a social food chain. G.A., Book 1 follows 4 girls
navigating their way through high school.
I really saw potential in Georgetown Academy, Book 1, and I did enjoy it.
The only problem was that the book only covered the first week of school! I’ve
seen Georgetown Academy, Season 1, and I think that would be much better for many readers. Also, there was a really weird format thing in the middle of the book.“Who do you want to follow for the Rookie Party?” That really could have been formatted differently.

4/10 stars, 12+

Carissa Bookworm


Thanks for the ARC I recieved through NetGalley!

Ciardis wants nothing more than security in life, which is why
she was planning to marry her long time boyfriend. Trouble is, he impregnated another girl and is forced to marry her. Obviously, Ciardis is mad, and rightly so! So when a Court Companion visits her town and offers Ciardis an apprenticeship as aCompanion, she takes it. (Companions are women that magically complement they’re patron. Companions often end up married to their patrons.) It turns out that Ciardis is a Weathervane, meaning she has a rare talent to make others’
magic more powerful. A lot of people would like a Companion with that ability. So Ciardis is all ready for the Patron Hunt, in which Companions showcase their abilities, when she finds that the Prince needs her help.

OK, so I know that was a bit of a ramble, but I promise you, Sworn to Raise is an
extraordinary read! The idea is totally unique and Terah Edun has done an
excellent job building the world!

12+ for bad language, 10/10 stars!!

I look forward to reading more by Terah Edun, especially Sworn to Transfer, the
forthcoming 2nd book in the Courtlight series!
Thanks for the review copy I recieved through NetGalley.
~Carissa Bookworm

    One Stone Left Unturned is a fascinating mix of history, mystery, and good writing! 
    One Stone Left Unturned follows two girls, Tatiana Romanov, daughter of
Tsar Nicholas, and Augusta, a bullied Catholic girl. The story starts when
Augusta finds a colorful brooch in her church. At the same time, from her point
of view, Tatiana finds the brooch. In alternating POV chapters, both girls
discover the stones power: to protect the user from pain. Tatiana must decide
whether to share the stone’s power with her family, or keep it to herself as her
Grandmother suggested. Augusta must care for her slowly-singing-into-dementia
grandmother and keep the stone safe.

    I really enjoyed One Stone Left Unturned! The idea was original, the
characters were easy to connect with, and the end was…brilliant and sobbing-sad
at the same time!

I can’t wait to read more novels by Marianna
Huesler!
9/10 stars, for kids 10+

Thank you for the review copy provided by the
author!

Carissa Bookworm

    Katrina Yoder has a beautiful singing voice, but her Amish beliefs discourage singing. Singing is believed to be prideful, so
Katrina doesn’t sing often. Her father’s bad back prevents him from working, but
the procedure to fix it is expensive. When her friend Bekka urges Katrina to try
out for the hit show, American Star, Katrina is hesitant to go against her
beliefs and enter the world of the English. But when Katrina hears about the
prize money, more than enough for the surgery, she goes for it! Katrina
convinces her parents that this is her ‘rumspringa’the time when Amish kids
experience the English.
Katrina wins a full-expenses-paid trip to Hollywood to compete on
American Star!!
    
    I really enjoyed reading A Simple Song by Melody Carlson. The plot is
original, and I loved how the book acted like a window into the Amish world. I
also loved the twist about Katrina’s deceased
grandmother!

All Ages, 9/10 stars!

Thank you for the review copy I recieved through NetGalley! This is my unpaid-for, honest opinion!

Carissa Bookworm

    Raven by Suzy Turner is not your typical werewolf/vampire/changeling/paranormal nove (Thank God!), Raven is exquisitely different.
    
    Lilly Taylor lives with her blunt mean mother along with the father she
rarely sees. Lilly’s life with her mother is horrible. Her childhood of carefree
fun is nonexistent. Lilly’s only friend is December, the funky new girl at
school. Her life goes on like clockwork, until one day her mother is gone.
    Lilly is shipped off to her Canadian grandfather (who she doesn’t know)
and Lilly finds she has family, and lots of it! For once in her life, Lilly is
submersed in love and warmth. Lilly really connects with her senior (in high
school!) cousin Jo, and the pair quickly becomes friends.

    As well as her newfound family, Lilly discovers the family secret: the world is
full of paranormal creatures. Surprisingly, she takes this somewhat in stride.
They then go on to explain that Lilly’s cold, heartless “mother” is a witch, and
as if that not bad enough, she killed Lilly’s real mother and elder sister.
Again, she’s a little shaken, but not that disturbed, oddly. 
Then, her grandfather tells her that mother’s family had the ability to
  turn into certain felines and that her father’s into a raven. Oh, and, by the
  way, soon you might become a changeling like your parents!

I really enjoyed Raven! I was really worried that it was going to be a
blah book, but the characters were unique and the plot was amazing! The dialogue
was a bit off, and the relationship between a 17-year-old and almost-14-year-old
was weird. Though he was a family friend…

    I’m looking forward to reading book 2 in the Raven Saga, December
Moon.

Ages 10+ and 8 of 10 stars!

Hugs!
Carissa Bookworm

    Another novel by Joan Bauer (Review for Almost Home by Bauer can be found here) that has blown me away!
    
    Jenna Boller's father is always drunk, always wrecking life (his, his wife's, his daughters'), and always leaving Jenna to clean up after him. Its gotten a little better since Jenna's mother divorced him, but he still comes around after months of silence and forgotten child support payments.
    So when Mrs. Gladstone, the CEO of the shoestore (Gladstones) where Jenna works, offers Jenna a job driving her down to Texas, she jumps at the chance to get away from her father and save up for a car! Jenna leaves her mother, her beloved younger sister, and confused grandmother and sets off to see the world! Or, at least a good chunk of her country! :)
Jenna, along with Mrs. Gladstone, hops to and from Gladstone's shoestores, testing the employees, new plastic products (ewww!), and monthly profits at each, while making there way towards the big Gladstone's conference. At this conference of company higher-ups and stockholders, it will be decided if Gladstone's will be taken over by a large chain store and if Mrs. Gladstones will be forced to step down.

    Rules of the Road was a great book! I loved the big shoestore competition concept! I LOVED the characters, especialy Henry Bender, and I really appreciated how there wasn't a constant fued between gawky Jenna and her beautiful best friend as there often is over beauty (at least in books). I loved how Bauer made the shoe store world seem majestic and exciting!

    Rules of the Road has earned a place on my bookshelve and (I know this sounds cheesy) in my heart. Nine of ten stars, All ages!

    Throne of Glass is a mezmerizing new novel written new author Sarah J. Maas, telling the story of a young assasin.Celaena Sardothien, after capture, was sent to the legendary prison, Endovier. Then, the Crown Prince Dorian invites her to participate in the hushed competition for the title Kings Champion. If Celaena wins, and she's sure she will, Celaena will be free after 4 years of service to the Crown!
    Each week, after each test, a patron leaves furious and a contestant back to what ever dark hole they came from. Then, something begins to kill the contestants. Is it one of the competitors? The ghostly-long-dead Queen Celaena sees? Or a monster, straight out of the stories?
    Will Celaena stop the killer before she herself ends up dead?
Also, there's a romance factor of course! The Captain of the Guard, Choal, is tasked with the difficult task of guarding Celaena, becomes a really close friend to Celaena, but near the end of the book, it grows. Dorian and Celaena have a heated fling as well.

    I've heard rave reviews for Throne of Glass, and this book really lived up to it! It was fabulous! I was up way late finishing this book because I could not bear not finishing it! (Yeah. I was a little ray of sunshine the next morning.)
    
    The 26 year old author, Maas, is already publishing her second novel, the sequel to Throne of Glass. *CHEER* Crown of Glass comes out Fall 2013!!!

As Always,
Carissa Bookworm

    This Dark Endeavor is original. This book by Kenneth Oppel is basically the prolouge to Frankenstien. 
    Victor is always in the shadow of his by-two-minute-older twin brother. Everything comes easier to Konrad, so he's always better. The better student, the better son, and the better person. Sure, a little fire of jealousy burns within Victor, but his fierce brotherly love for Konrad overcomes it. For now. 
    Then, Knrad suddenly becomes ill. Doctor after Doctor inspect Konrad, poking and prodding the bed ridden boy, but all fail to diagnois him, much less heal him. 
    There seems to be no cure, until Victor looks into the forbidden Dark Library, full of illiegal alchemy, and finds a possible solution.
How far are Victor and his friends willing to go to save Konrad?

Wow. This Dark Endeavor was an amazingly original novel. The characters were wonderfully developed, and the world was truly beautiful. I love the alchemy.
I LOVE how this story revolves around the Frankenstien, but is totaly different and unique. I can't wait to read the sequel Such Wicked Intent!
10/10 stars, 10+

Carissa Bookworm

    I'm sorry, I really hate to give a bad review, but this book just wasn't my cup of tea.
    However, I did like how the stepmother was actually nice for once! I hate how books often portray step- mothers as mean, evil souls, and that isn't always the case. So, that was good. On to the not-so-good...
    
    Chelsea finds out that a) her dad has a girlfriend, b) that said girlfriend is now his fiancee, and c) Her dad has a new job and Chelsea, her dad, and his new fiancee are moving.
    OK, how would you NOT notice your dad has a girlfriend? Wouldn't there be a change in his personality or his routine? Wouldn't he be gone more often? It just seemed inplausible to me.
    Then, in just 3 days, with a little lotion, makeup, and new clothes, Chelsea transforms from "geeky and gawky into the hottest girl at her new school!" Right. And pigs will fly. It sounds pretty cool, but acne doesn't just evaporate (at least not that fast). And Chelsea was gawky, so, how does she turn graceful over night? The clothes part I kinds believe.
    
    None of this book seemed plausible, and the writing (and editing) was not good. As a result, I stopped reading this book. Maybe it gets better. I don't know.
    
    But, I have to judge this book on what I read. 4/10 stars, and, as far as I can tell, for all ages.

If you read this book and enjoyed it, let me know in the comments!
Carissa Bookworm

    I just finished The Elite by Kiera Cass (The awesome sequel to The Selection) and I am stunned.My feelings keep shifting from misery, to horror, and to insane-jump-on-the-bed-excitedness. I know that sounds corny, but its the truth. The Elite is just. That. Good.

    America is in the final group of contestants battling for riches, the Crown, and for Prince Maxon. After seeing her best friend, Marlee whom is also in the Selection, caned for loving someone other than Maxon (which is illegal in The Selection), America realizes what could face Aspen and her if found out. At the same time, America wonders how she could ever love someone who would knowingly order pain upon an innocent (in her mind) human being! While (trying to) choose between Maxon and Aspen, America juggles the the Selection's activities.

    The Rebel attacks become more and more frequent, and increasingly violent.

    Then, America makes a terrible mistake, one that could cost her the chance to become Princess, and, later on, Queen.
    
    The Elite is amazing! I literally read this book in one sitting, I could not put it down! I loved how Aspen, even though it pains him, gave advise to America on Maxon. I love what happpens to Maxon's back, even though it horrible, it the perfect, enthralling twist. When America makes that terrible mistake (the one I spoke of above), and every one is screaming at her, or giving her dirty looks, I felt like crawling into a hole, like America felt. I'm trying (and probably failing) to say that I could feelalong with the characters, and really get in thier shoes. I hope that makes sense.
    
    The Elite really earns its 10 of 10 stars! I would give The Elite by Kiera Cass to any and all ages!

The Always Veracious Reader,
Carissa Bookworm