I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter: Book Review

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You
by Ally Carter
Reading level: Ages 10 and up
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (March 20, 2007)
Buy the book: Amazon

Cammie Morgan is a student at the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women, a fairly typical all-girls school—that is, if every school taught advanced martial arts in PE and the latest in chemical warfare in science, and students received extra credit for breaking CIA codes in computer class. The Gallagher Academy might claim to be a school for geniuses but it’s really a school for spies.
Even though Cammie is fluent in fourteen languages and capable of killing a man in seven different ways, she has no idea what to do when she meets an ordinary boy who thinks she’s an ordinary girl. Sure, she can tap his phone, hack into his computer, or track him through town with the skill of a real “pavement artist”—but can she maneuver a relationship with someone who can never know the truth about her?

Cammie Morgan may be an elite spy-in-training, but in her sophomore year, she’s on her most dangerous mission—falling in love.

Cammie attends the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women, though this is no ordinary school.  It's a school for girls in training to become spies.  Cammie's nickname is the Chameleon, not a name given lightly.  That is why it bothered her so much that an ordinary boy could notice her, when pro spies could not. His name is Josh. She started becoming friends and more with Josh finding she liked it.

This action-packed book is great for those who like spies, action, romance and lies.  Ally Carter's I'd Tell You I Love You, but Then I'd Have to Kill You is now a favorite of mine and I recommend it to everyone!

My all time favorite character is Bex. She's a really good spy and she the second best spy in the book. Also she is my kind of person. Not perfect and awesome. Cammie is my second favorite because she is the chameleon! Third favorite is Josh! He is cool and smooth. He is also awesome. She did screw a lot of thing up but she's cool. I gave myself the nickname the shadow because I am only seen when I want to be. Or people know I'm there.... My sister Kit is hawk-eye because she's got the eyes of a hawk! Kit can see everything and anyone!! I LOVED this book!!!

Andye, and Kit left me behind when they went to see Ally Carter. I must say I have never met an author in my life (except myself and Faith who has finished a book but it's not published....And I think she forgot all about it...). I REALLY wanted to go because I had started this book already and I wanted to meet the author. Ally Carter said that if she could re-write the books she would kill Josh :,( because everyone is always asking about him. I know why. Because the first book was all about Cammie and Josh!! He just disappears at the end of the book!! And he never really came back. So that makes everyone wonder were he went. Plus he's awesome.

My top 12 favorites are:
1. Harry Potter
2. Goliath
3. Leviathan, Behemoth
4. The False Prince
5. I'd Tell You I Love You But  Then I'd Have To Kill You
6. Percy Jackson
7. The Heroes Of Olympus
8. Howl's Moving Castle
9. Goddess Girls
10.  Time (This is my book and it's still in the making. I'm posting chapters on my blog)
11. Warriors
12. Vampirates 

Maximum Ride: Max (#5) By James Patterson

Reading level: Young Adult 

Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages 

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; Reprint edition (February 1, 2010)

Maximum Ride and the other members of the Flock have barely recovered from their last arctic adventure, when they are confronted by the most frightening catastrophe yet. Millions of fish are dying off the coast of Hawaii and someone--or something--is destroying hundreds of ships. Unable to discover the cause, the government enlists the Flock to help them get to the bottom of the disaster before it is too late.

While Max and her team are exploring the depths of the ocean, their every move is being carefully tracked by Mr. Chu--a criminal mastermind with his own plans for the Flock. Can they protect themselves from Mr. Chu's army of mercenaries and save the ocean from utter destruction?

Plot Summary MAX,<3 FANG<3, Nudge, Iggy, Gassman(Gazzy), Angel, Total (The talking dog with wings) all are happy to be back in the United States, Max's mom, Dr. Martinez, created a thing called the CSM , to put people's notice to pollution and ocean pollution so that the global warming will stop. So to get the message out they MADE the flock do these air shows, so when they get shot at they decide that the air shows are too dangers (after much arguing)  so they do one more air show. But of course Fang was right. They where WAY too dangerous.  They are attacked by what they described as robot ninja's with orange blood and flesh. So they get moved to a safe house.  Max goes flying alone at night when she gets shot by the robots that she named M-geeks and taken to a short angry Asian man named, Mr. Chew. When she refuses to join him in his plans she is thrown a half a mile away from the safe house (Quote!: So this ended up with me actually ringing the door bell.)  She has to rest for 3 days (really a week) in those three days Jeb had told them about a day and night school that he wanted them to try.  When they came back they learned that Dr. Martinez had been kidnapped. So they go in military subs down into the depths and mysteries of the ocean and awesomeness ensues. 

Plot High Point:

When Max and the flock find out where Dr martinez ais and rescue her. 

Main Characters:

Max-The flock leader- Brown hair, brown eyes-brown wings <3Fang!OMG....<3<3- Black hair, Black eyes(Always back clothes)-Black wings Nudge- Carmel hair, Brown eyes-Tawny wings Gazzy- Blonde, Blue eyes- (Unknown..) Iggy- pale bolde, Sightless blue eyes- (Unknown..) Angel- Blonde, blue eyes- Pure white wings Total- black fur-black wings 

Personal Opinion 

GO FANG GO FANG!!!!!! I like Fang cause he can change in a snap and he's SOOOOO awesome!!! I <3<3 this book. I like is because it's SO EPIC!!!

Angel: Maximum Ride: James Patterson

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company; 1 edition (February 14, 2011)
Buy the book:  Amazon

In the seventh book in the bestselling series, evil scientists are still trying to convince Max that she needs to save the world, this time by providing the genetic link in speeding up the pace of evolution. Worse, they're trying to convince her that her perfect mate is Dylan, the newest addition to the flock. The problem is that, despite herself, Max is starting to believe it.

Fang travels the country collecting his own gang of evolved humans, but the two separate flocks must unite to defeat a frightening doomsday cult whose motto is "Save the planet: kill the humans." And this time, the true heroine, for once, might just be little Angel.

This book is about, Max, FANG, ANGEL, Gazzy(Gassman), Iggy, Total, (DIE!) Dylan (KILL HIM!!).

So Fang left at the end of the last book to make his own flock. So he leaves Max heart-broken. Since she was screaming her head off in her room at the flocks safe house, and crying up in trees, the flock called Max's mom, DR. Martinez. So who's left? Fang. So who's there? you guessed him: Dylan *growls at him lashing tail*.  So when Dylan and Max are told that they should go to a house and get married Max and Dylan say no, BUT they become closer and closer throughout the book. Fang and Max's flocks both hear about this Doomsday group, that they are chanting, "Save that planted, kill the humans!" So Fang calls Max begging for help. So both flocks come together to save the planet...again.

I HATE this book!!!! It's dumb and stupid and it's ALL DYAN'S fault!! I hate it because Fang leaves Max and Max likes stupid DYLAN!!!!! IF DYLAN HADN'T TOLD FANG TO LEAVE IN THE BOOK BEFORE THIS THEN MAX AND FANG WOULD BE TOGETHER AND I WOULD LIKE THE BOOK!!!! BUT NO IT'S STUPID DYLAN INSTEAD!!! Don't read it if you like FANG(Who's worthy of Max, Hotter than Dyaln, SMARTER than Dylan, and he's not 6 MONTHS OLD!!) I punched the pillow, I cried and I really screamed into the pillow.

Oh and there is kissing in this book and it's really mushy gushy!

Firelight by Sophie Jordan

• Reading level: Ages 13 and up
• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; 1 edition (September 7, 2010)

 

Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. But she longs for freedom to make her own choices. When she breaks the most sacred tenet among her kind, she nearly pays with her life. Until a beautiful stranger saves her. A stranger who was sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki—a descendant of dragons whose greatest defense is her secret ability to shift into human form.
Forced to flee into the mortal world with her family, Jacinda struggles to adapt to her new surroundings. The only bright light is Will. Gorgeous, elusive Will who stirs her inner draki to life. Although she is irresistibly drawn to him, Jacinda knows Will's dark secret: He and his family are hunters. She should avoid him at all costs. But her inner draki is slowly slipping away—if it dies she will be left as a human forever. She'll do anything to prevent that. Even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous enemy.
Mythical powers and breathtaking romance ignite in this story of a girl who defies all expectations and whose love crosses an ancient divide.



I didn't know how to get the blue thing around the first part.... Anyway, my review~

 This book is probably one of the best books I've ever read. It's really well written and detailed, and you feel like you're standing right there watching it all go down! I liked how she made the people half dragon, and that they live in a big community [pride]. I also liked that they weren't just dragons, they had different kinds that learned different things and had different abilities. It was cool how the author mixed the fantasy of the dragon people with the realistic town of Chaparral and the normal teen girl problems and situations.

What I didn't like... let's see.... I didn't like it that they kissed as much as they did. Every two to four pages there was kissing. It was partly to keep Jacinda alive, but I saw no need to go that far with it. Also, I didn't like it that they have to strip when they turn into their dragon. At the end of the book, Jacinda has to go nude for the whole car ride home, which was REALLY disturbing to me. Otherwise, though, it was a great book.

My favorite character was probably Jacinda, because she was so independent and fearless. She wasn't afraid to do what she thought was right, and she stuck up for her friends and her boyfriend when it was really dangerous. She is also really pretty, and a really rare, cool draki.

My least favorite character was definitely Cassian, the pride leader's son. He was basically forcing Jacinda to date him when she quite obviously didn't want to. He only wanted her for her power, and because she was a rare draki that could make his bloodline stronger and better. Cassian's father was also really annoying. He was really into punishing people....

I think this is definitely a girl's book, and probably mostly for teens for reasons listed above. Also, people who like real life stuff probably wouldn't like this book because it is full of fantasy everywhere. So overall, this book was one of the best in my list.

Finally got a new piccy! Yay!

Heist Society by Ally Carter

Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (February 9, 2010) 
Buy the book:  Amazon

When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her on a trip to the Louvre...to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria...to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own--scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving "the life" for a normal life proves harder than she'd expected.

Soon, Kat's friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring her back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has good reason: a powerful mobster has been robbed of his priceless art collection and wants to retrieve it. Only a master thief could have pulled this job, and Kat's father isn't just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat's dad needs her help. For Kat there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it's a spectacularly impossible job? She's got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in history--or at least her family's (very crooked) history.

Heist Society looked like an entertaining book on the outside, and it was even better on the inside! This book was about a family of thieves, that go around stealing valuable things like paintings and statues. They are really good at stealing, and after they come in, steal the paintings, and get out, nobody even knows what happened.

The main character, Katarina Bishop, was really funny. In the first few pages it describes her as a Russian princess, even though she isn't Russian. [She isn't a princess either, but she could definitely pass for one] She's sneaky, cunning, and at a boarding school. Yeah, she tries to give up her life for a more 'good' and 'respectable' life. Her family won't let her do that so easily, and they bring her back. More specifically, W. W. Hale The Third brings her back. He frames her for a crime that she didn't do, and she gets kicked out of school and goes back to Europe.

When she gets back, Hale [nobody knows what the W's stand for so they call him Hale] and Kat's cousin Gabrielle are waiting for her. They lecture her on how she shouldn't have left, that thievery is her life, and she can't just walk away. Soon after that, she is visited by a mysterious, Al Taccone. He accuses Kat's father of stealing his paintings, and he wants Kat to get them back to him. She argues that her father did not steal the paintings, but he insists and Kat accepts. But she can't just do it with however much time she needs. She has a time limit to get them back, before he takes her father away.

I liked that the characters were all thieves, it seems like nobody has really ever stopped to tell their story before. It was cool that stealing was a family business, and they all stuck together no matter what. I thought it was funny how they all kind of knew what the others were thinking, and they seemed really close, like they weren't only family, but best friends. There wasn't really anything that I didn't like, except Taccone seemed to be flirting with Kat at the end, which was just a little awkward since he is a grown man, and she's a teenager.

My favorite characters would have to be the Bagshaws, they are definitely the funniest, and they just go ahead and say what's on their minds, even if it's a totally random and strange comment. My least favorite character was probably... I don't know, they were all so cool!

This is definitely one of my favorite books, and I would read it again and again if I didn't have other books to read and review. I think it could be a good read for all ages, because it didn't have any bad content and it kept me excited. One example; I kept thinking that Gabrielle was going to steal Hale away from Kat. Which, I know she probably wouldn't do, now that I've read the whole book.

The only thing about this book was that Kat's cousins kept commenting on her boobs. It was meant to be funny, and it was, but I know some people out there would be kinda weirded out by that. Other than that there wasn't any awkwardness, language or bad stuff in it at all. It was a really good book and I really enjoyed it.

Archenemy by Frank Beddor

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 370 pages
Publisher: Dial (October 15, 2009)
Buy the Book:  Amazon

Title and Author

Archenemy Frank Beddor

Plot Summary

So in this book Alyss is fighting with her duty and her love to Dodge. She also has suspicions of the suite family the Diamonds, and the Arch, the king of Borderland, has a weapon that will destroy Wonderland AND a bit of Borderland. And to top it all off Redd is back from earth.

Plot High Point

To me it is in the end!!!!!!!!!!!AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I LOVE THE END!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Setting

There is a LOT let's just leave it at that.

Personal Opinion

I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Favorite character: Dodge Anders 2nd favorite character: Alyss Heart Favorite Creature: Jaborwoky Favorite place: Heart Place Main character: Alyss Heart Main place: Um not sure I know I am just 10 but....I LOVED IT!!! I loved how Alyss is getting over Leopold and is with Dodge again!!!! I was SO freaked when she was about to marry Leopold. I REALLY didn't want Alyss to marry him! If she had i would have contacted Frank and told him to redo that and Dodge save her WAY before Leopold asked her! So thats why I was hanging on every word when Dodge and Alyss's romance came into the page and when that happens my heart is normally going SO fast!! So I love when this book has romance and action! But it is sad sometimes....BUT I STILL LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment By James Patterson

Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 464 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (April 1, 2007)
Audio CD

Publisher: Hachette Audio; Abridged edition (April 11, 2005)

Buy the book:  Audio, Paperback

In James Patterson's blockbuster series, fourteen-year-old Maximum Ride, better known as Max, knows what it's like to soar above the world. She and all the members of the "flock"--Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman and Angel--are just like ordinary kids--only they have wings and can fly. It may seem like a dream come true to some, but their lives can morph into a living nightmare at any time...like when Angel, the youngest member of the flock, is kidnapped and taken back to the "School" where she and the others were experimented on by a crew of wack jobs. Her friends brave a journey to blazing hot Death Valley, CA, to save Angel, but soon enough, they find themselves in yet another nightmare--this one involving fighting off the half-human, half-wolf "Erasers" in New York City. Whether in the treetops of Central Park or in the bowels of the Manhattan subway system, Max and her adopted family take the ride of their lives. Along the way Max discovers from her old friend and father-figure Jeb--now her betrayed and greatest enemy--that her purpose is save the world--but can she?

In this book Max and the flock, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman, and Angel, are living in peace until one day Erasers, people who can change from human to a wolf, attach their home and force them to leave and go on the run.

I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!!!!!! I LOVED IT cause it's so adventurous!  My favorite people are Max, Angel, and Fang! I like Max because she was strong and cool! Then I like Fang because he is so like emo and stuff! I like Angel because she is cute and she can read minds! I LOVE this book it's so violent and stuff!!!!!!!

The reader was REALLY good. She had like awesome voices for everyone!  The audio that we listened to also had music and some sound effects.  Not too much, but it was different than others I've listened to.

The Looking Glass Wars By Frank Beddor

Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Speak (August 21, 2007)

Plot Summary

This book is about a girl named Alyss (Alice) who is princess of Wonderland. But it is not the Wonderland we are familiar with. It is a place where imagination is everything and Alyss has the most powerful imagination in Wonderland. And the Jabberwockies are huge and deadly and there are more than one. The caterpillars are better and stronger in these books. There is So much difference. So when her father leaves for their neighbor country, Borderland, on Alyss's Birthday, everything goes wrong. 7 year old Alyss finds out the King Noland (her dad) was murdered by her aunt Redd and her aunt comes and attacks the queendom and kills Genevieve and takes over. Alyss and The Queens bodyguard, Hatter Maddigan, are forced to flee into the pool of tears, a portal that puts you on earth, leaving all the knew and loved behind in Wonderland.

Plot High Point

When Dodge bring Alyss back to Wonderland from earth.

Main Characters

Alyss Heart- Black hair one time 7 the rest 20. Princess of Wonderland and Alice Liddell Dodge Anders- unknown looks 10 then 23. head palace guards men, Alyssian Hatter Maddigan- Brown hair and many scars. Genevieve's bodyguard. Queen Genevieve Heart- brown hair. queen of wonderland Redd Heart- Red hair. Princess of wonderland, Out cast queen, Queen of wonderland King Nolan- unknown looks. King of wonderland General Dopplegänger/Generals Dopple and Gänger- unknown looks, Can split into 2. General of the royal Millinery Bibwit Harte- albino colored his huge ears and can hear 3 streets away Blue- a blue caterpillar. Head Oracle Green- a green caterpillar. conceal of oracles Yellow- a yellow caterpillar. conceal of oracles orange- orange caterpillar. conceal of oracles Red- a red caterpillar. conceal of oracles Purple- a purple caterpillar. conceal of oracles

Setting

this happened in the past. This story was in places, ball rooms, at weddings, in houses, at battle, streets, kitchens, pools, in small rooms.

Personal Opinion

I <3 it!!!! I <3 it cause it had my hanging at every word and leaving me breathless at amazing parts. It had VERY good stuff in it and lots of action and fighting.

Vlog Review: Monster High by Lisi Harrison

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 272 pages
Publisher: Poppy; 1 edition (September 1, 2010)
Buy the Book:  Amazon

The monster community has kept a low profile at the local high school, but when two new girls enroll, the town will never be the same. Created just fifteen days ago, Frankie Stein is psyched to trade her father's formaldehyde-smelling basement lab for parties and prom.

But with a student body totally freaked out by rumors of monsters stalking the halls, Frankie learns that high school can be rough for a chic freak like her. She thinks she finds a friend in fellow new student Melody Carver-but can a "normie" be trusted with her big secret?

Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Point (January 1, 2011)
• Source: Bought, then sent a copy from Scholastic
• Author's Website: http://www.elizabetheulberg.com/
• Buy the book:  Amazon

After winter break, the girls at the very prestigious Longbourn Academy become obsessed with the prom. Lizzie Bennet, who attends Longbourn on a scholarship, isn’t interested in designer dresses and expensive shoes, but her best friend, Jane, might be — especially now that Charles Bingley is back from a semester in London.

Lizzie is happy about her friend’s burgeoning romance but less than impressed by Charles’s friend, Will Darcy, who’s snobby and pretentious. Darcy doesn’t seem to like Lizzie either, but she assumes it’s because her family doesn’t have money. Clearly, Will Darcy is a pompous jerk — so why does Lizzie find herself drawn to him anyway?

Will Lizzie’s pride and Will’s prejudice keep them apart? Or are they a prom couple in the making? Whatever the result, Elizabeth Eulberg, author of The Lonely Hearts Club, has concocted a very funny, completely stylish delight for any season — prom or otherwise.

Review: 

Prom and Prejudice is a really cute modernized version of the classic Jane Austen novel.  In this telling, Elizabeth Bennet (Lizzie) is a scholarship student at the prestigious Longbourn Academy, where those without money are not just looked down upon, but bullied and ridiculed at every chance.  Lizzie's only friends are her sweet roommate, Jane, and another scholarship student, Charlotte.  In this version, Lydia is Jane's younger sister, and is quite obnoxious and socially unaware, embarrassing Jane at every opportunity.  Jane worries that this will hurt her chances with the fabulously rich and every-so-charming Charles Bingley, (who attends Pemberly Academy)  but he seems completely oblivious to any faults that Jane has.  Charles' best friend, Will Darcy is another story.  He seems to see the fault in everyone....especially, scholarship students.  

I thought this book was a really cute, simple read.  I think it will really be enjoyed by younger readers, or people that haven't read the original version of Pride and Prejudice the most.  As an older reader, who knows the story well, I found the book a little slow at times, knowing, basically, what the characters were going to do next.  But I really enjoyed the parts where the story deviated from the original.  Especially toward the end of the book, which I thoroughly enjoyed!  I just found the entire thing to be sweet and charming, and returning to this story was fun and refreshing!

I can't wait to see what Elizabeth brings us next!

• Sexual Content:  Minor
• Profanity:  One minor word
• Violence:  Mild
• Other Notables:  Two of the minor characters drink alcohol/get drunk

For more details about content, check out Prom and Prejudice on Parental Book Reviews!

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Evie’s always thought of herself as a normal teenager, even though she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only person who can see through paranormals’ glamours.


But Evie’s about to realize that she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.
So much for normal.

My Review:

I've started quite a few books lately that have been very disappointing, and I thought maybe I was just getting picky after reading so many amazing books. I think my mom got sick of listening to me complain about the ones I was reading and she said, "Just go read Paranormalcy right now!" Needless to say, I finished it in less than one day.  Paranormalcy has officially been added to my favorites list (which includes Sea, Hunger  Games, Catching Fire, and Harry Potter :) I ADORED THIS BOOK! It is hilarious,  quirky, and completely unique!  I don't care about your stupid "TBR Pile."  Read Paranormalcy instead. Period. End of story. It is absolutely, utterly, entirely amazing.

Andye's review of Paranormalcy

Athena the Wise

Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Aladdin; Original edition (April 5, 2011)
Author's Website:
Series:  The Goddess Girls #5
Buy the Book:  Amazon

Follow the ins and outs of divine social life at Mount Olympus Academy, where the most privileged godboys and goddessgirls in the Greek pantheon hone their mythical skills…
Athena isn’ t the only new kid at Mount Olympus Academy. When a mortal named Heracles transfers in, Athena understands what he’ s going through. She started at MOA a few months ago.

Not only does Heracles need help fitting in, he also has to complete twelve “ labors” or he’ ll be kicked out of school! When Athena’ s dad, Principal Zeus, asks her to secretly look after the new boy, she winds up capturing mythical beasts and shoveling poop. It will take all of her famed wisdom to sort out her own problems and help Heracles succeed!

Review: Karma Bites by Stacy Kramer and Valerie Thomas

Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 348 pages
Publisher: Sandpiper (August 23, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 054736301X
ISBN-13: 978-0547363011

Life seems to have it in for Franny Flanders.

Her best friends aren’t speaking, her parents just divorced, and her hippie grandmother has moved in. The only karma Franny’s got is bad karma.

Then Franny gets her hands on a box of magic recipes that could fix all of her problems. It could even change the world! Finally, life is looking up.

But Franny is about to learn that magic and karma aren’t to be played with. When you mess with the universe, it can bite back in unexpected ways.

Ouch!

Karma Bites was a really cute book for middle grade girls, about a girl who tries to do the right thing, but in all the wrong ways. It was so entertaining to read about Franny, even as you can see that her choices are going to make her entire world spiral out of control. But, even though Franny makes some stupid decisions, you can tell that she just wants what's best for her friends, her school, and the world in general.


Unfortunately, Franny seemed like the only one with half a brain in the whole book! She was a sweet, witty, funny girl in a sea of total morons. I felt so sorry for Franny, having to deal with the stupidity and/or cruelty of the friends and other schoolmates around her. Her only ally was her New-Age Grandma. "Franny's Granny" was so funny! And she was a great friend and grandma to Franny.


Karma Bites is full of magical recipes (like the "Sensually Sexy Smoothie"), humorous chapter names (like "Justin Timberlake knows my name"), words of the day, Peaks, Geeks, Blogs, a Buddhist Monk, and a Moose. If you're a Middle Grade girl who likes Chick Lit, this book is for you!



Check out the Karma Bites website here!



Parents should know: This book contains a few mentions of kissing/making out, and talks about the occult and magic. For more details go to Karma Bites on Parental Book Reviews.

Thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing this book for review!