The Secret Diamond Sisters

Madow, M. (2014). The secret Diamond sisters. NY: Harlequin Teen.
Young Adult for mature young adults
Romance?

I gave this book 2 out of 5 stars.

This is a hard review to write given how impressed I have been by the author.  Oh how I wanted to like this book, but I can't even figure out who an appropriate audience would be. If the book is going to be aimed at young adults, there needs to be some value to it: a lesson, a role model, outstanding writing, enlightenment?

I enjoyed the three books in Madow's Transcend Time Saga  and promoted, recommended, and shared them with many high school students. I expected The Secret Diamond Sisters to be similarly written with great storytelling, likeable characters (with a role model or two thrown into the mix), clean romance, and some twists and turns to keep readers engaged.  The Secret Diamond Sisters had none of these qualities, and despite its main characters being highschoolers, it's not really a high school book.  To match their actions, the characters should have all been four years older and you would have the makings of a great new adult book.

What disappointed me, beyond the writing itself, is that the precedent set in Madow's prior books was thrown aside. In this book, we have heavy drinking (truly, alcoholism), casual and careless sexual encounters, eating disorders, extreme vanity and materialism as the norm for kids ages 15-17.  I know it's Vegas, but I also know this isn't the norm, even there. And I would pray that even in Vegas, being a millionaire's child doesn't mean all laws are "overlooked." Seriously, a fifteen-year-old is going to be allowed in 21+ bars in Vegas? In reality, there would be adult bar patrons complaining about that. This is a stretch I can't accept. I also just didn't like or care about any of the characters. Courtney is most promising, but she also doesn't have anything that makes her interesting or exceptional: a willowy model body and a brain aren't enough.

Okay -- I will acknowledge that extreme vanity and materialism may be a norm for this set, but for the rest of it, there weren't even any "lessons" for a young reader to learn. We start off with one character who is exercising and on an 800 calorie/day diet. She is adored by all, and is considered the hottest girl at school. And she sacrifices food calories to have alcohol to calm her nerves, deal with stress, escape reality, be brave. . . Never do we see a downside. And there are plenty more examples of horrible behavior and decisions made, but no ill consequences. (literally - hangovers without vomiting? For the amount consumed, these girls should have had alcohol poisoning.)

I have heard comparisons to Gossip Girl, but not enough happens to merit the comparison. I loved Gossip Girl, but this book has no real plot and barely a hint of a secret or two which might unfold in the next book. This first book is just a day by day, four person viewpoint of who gives each girl chills, what designer shoes will be worn, and what amount of alcohol will be consumed. This will probably appeal to some because it seems voyeuristic, but I never found that hook to keep me interested.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Teen for providing me this free ARC in exchange for an honest review -- painful as it is to give.

Cross My Heart

Gould, S. (2011). Cross my heart. NY: Delacorte Press.
YA Historical Fiction / Mystery
QuickNEasy     12 - 17

I gave this book 4 of 5 stars on Goodreads

Venice in 1585 was the perfect setting for this story of mystery and intrigue, and happily, the romance element wasn't overdone. The descriptions of the city and society were rich and detailed, and despite a fairly large cast of characters, each was distinctive.  I liked that there were strong and powerful women in the story, and that they were able to control so much from behind the scenes.

It's a quick & easy read, so the reader doesn't have to invest much to really enjoy the book. 

On my Clean-O-Meter, I give this a 7.5.  The book makes it until the final pages before a swear word appears (b**ch), and there is no sex or sexual situations (though some kissing without description)and only vague references to a young woman's marital duties and prostitution. There is, however, a fair amount of blood and violence though it is mildly described and not haunting.

 ******SPOILER ALERT******SPOILER ALERT*******SPOILER ALERT*******
My only gripe in this story is that Laura's father doesn't get what he deserves. He is an awful man, he has behaved awfully to his daughters, and he basically gets all his dreams fulfilled by the end of the story. I really wanted something to happen to him to make him either come around and beg his daughter's forgiveness, or that he just got killed off or something. Arrgh.
 ****END SPOILER ALERT**** END SPOILER ALERT***** END SPOILER ALERT****

Timeless (Transcend Time Saga #3)

Madow, M. (2012). Timeless. NY: Dreamscape Publishing.
YA Fiction / Romance, Sci Fi

To be released 11/20/2012!

I gave this book 4 of 5 stars on Goodreads

ARC provided by Michelle Madow -- thank  you!

Timeless is the third and final book in the Transcend Time Saga (Remembrance, Vengeance).  It is a very short and quick read, coming in at just 121 pages, with a fair amount of the beginning is taken refreshing the readers' memories about what happened in Remembrance. (Interestingly enough, not much is filled-in from Vengeance, but it was probably intentional and not an issue.)

My recommendation is first and foremost, commit to suspending your disbelief.  There is more action, convenient solutions, and perfect alignment of circumstances than one would think possible in such a short story. If you can just roll with it, you'll love it and how it all ties up neatly with a big silken bow on top. Happily, it's not completely predictable and does have a surprise or two in store.  The characters seem to be plucked right out of Any High School, USA, so they are believable.  If anything, Madow does high school boys a favor by making them a little more mature than the norm in this third installment.

The writing is very basic and even a bit condescending at times -- there were too many "reminders" that our main characters have been reincarnated.  Oh, and don't forget that they are just normal teens trying to make their way in a universe with reincarnation, curses, portents of doom, time travel, and semester exams.  But it's a fun read as long as you're not trying to make it serious or scholarly.  And you have to love that the whole trilogy was inspired by Taylor Swift's song Love Story -- it is amazing what Michelle Madow spun from that idea.

This book gets a perfect 5 out of 5 on the Clean-O-Meter! How refreshing! There is no vulgar language, no sexual situations or references, and no violence (aside from a few birds dying in somewhat unnatural ways).  As such, I'd say anyone from sixth grade on up could handle this trilogy just fine.  

Enjoy the trailer made by one of Michelle's Superfans:
 

11/5/2012 email subscribers to michellemadow.com can pre-order the book and will receive a signed copy, autographed oversized bookmark, and a personal thank you from Ms. Madow. Click here to order!  (price includes shipping)

Sapphire Blue (Book 2 of the Ruby Red Trilogy)

Gier, K. (2012). Sapphire Blue. NY: Henry Holt & Company.
YA Urban Fantasy, Romance, Historical, Paranormal, Sci Fi, Mystery

I won this ARC in a contest, but I’m not sure who was the sponsor -- they didn't include anything in the package. Thank you, though!

RELEASE DATE IS TODAY, OCTOBER 30, 2012

I gave this book 4 out of 5 Stars on Goodreads

Overall, I enjoyed Sapphire Blue, but our main characters, Gwen and Gideon, were a bit more stereotypical teenagers than in the first installment, and it was a distraction for me.  In the trilogy’s first book, Ruby Red, Gwen spoke and acted younger than a sixteen-year-old; in this second installment, she was too much a sixteen-year-old and was frequently “dumbed-down” in her actions and thoughts.   It was as if Gwen felt she wasn’t particularly smart or talented, and this bothered me.   Gideon was all over the place, and it was hard to figure out if he was immature, bipolar, or simply confused.  His actions were hot and cold with Gwen, which almost made it appear he was struggling with himself.  Almost.   The case may be that some things were lost in translation.   

This story has a little bit of everything mixed-in --  a dash of history, a tease at romance, and a looming mystery – all wrapped around the concept of time travel and a secret society doing it to SAVE THE WORLD! From what they are saving the world, the reader does not know, but Sapphire Blue does carry the story forward enough to see the answer is coming.

As with the first book, the smart and delightful Leslie plays a significant role, as does a gargoyle, and both characters are clever mechanisms to feed Gwen information she needs to time travel, deal with Gideon (and her horrible cousin, Charlotte), and inch closer to solving the mystery of the Circle of Twelve.  The evil (or is he?) Count Saint-Germain is back and busy doing his evil (or are they?) deeds,  but he’s not the only one who can’t be trusted. No one seems to be exactly what they appear.

There was a convenient twist at the end that changed the course of one entire angle in the story, resulting in a bit of a cliff-hanger.  As with Ruby Red, there are some helpful charts and information to keep all the characters and information about the Circle of Twelve straight. It’s unfortunate that I don’t read German (or Portuguese?) as the third book in the trilogy, Emerald Green has been out for some time.  The English translation isn’t expected until 2013.

The Clean-O-Meter rating for this story is 4.5 out of 5.  There may have been two incidents of the word “s**t,” but other than those slips, there is absolutely no vulgar language or vulgar situations. No sex, sexual situations, or references to sex. No remarkable violence – the worst is when the readers are told someone’s throat was slit without further details. 

I look forward to seeing how all of this turns out in the final installment, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Gwen and Gideon mature a bit and that Gwen quits underestimating herself.  

Since I discussed the book covers of Ruby Red, it only seems fair to show the covers of Sapphire Blue. I think getting away from the original, stuffy look of Ruby Red was a good idea, but now it greatly resembles a Harlequin Romance/Bodice Ripper-type book. Bleck. Surely we can do better. . . 

This one is kind of eerie, mystical.

  

Looks like a Grimm tale.

Nope. Too silly.

Better but stuffy.

 

What Happened To Goodbye

Dessin, S. (2011). What Happened to Goodbye. NY: Viking Press

YA Realistic Fiction / minor Romance sub-plot

3 out of 5 stars on Goodreads

This was my first Sarah Dessin novel, and it was nice. Yes, nice.  (My Nana hated that word because it is so very vague.)  The story moves slowly along and unravels bit by bit at an easy pace.  There is a great deal of predictability, but that was okay.  There just didn’t seem to be any urgency or intensity anywhere in the book.  The romance element was definitely just background, quietly there and something that you knew would eventually get around to being something.  Just in time for the book to end.  There were many “big moments” that would have added immense appeal to the book, but they didn’t happen. 

Fortunately, there are a lot of secondary characters in this book, and you get little glimpses into who they are to make it interesting and to make you care about hearing more about them.  

The book does touch on some issues to which many can relate: divorce, relocating, figuring out who you really are, figuring out your future, friendship, and commitment.  The main character’s responses to some of those issues are interesting, and there is closure in some places where the story came full circle, but not in others.

 

CLEAN-O-METER: no profanity (possibly a S**T or two. . .), no sexual situations, reference to underage drinking.