Duff by Kody Keplinger

Duff by Kody Keplinger
Publisher's summary:
Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn't think she's the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She's also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her "the Duff," she throws her Coke in his face.

But things aren't so great at home right now, and Bianca is desperate for a distraction. She ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him.

Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out Wesley isn't such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she's falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone. And eventually, through this realization, Bianca begins to see how harmful her unhealthy way of dealing with her problems has been, and finds a way to confront them head on.

My review:
Duff by Kody Keplinger is one of those YA novels that feels like it's meant for an older audience. Don't expect a story about simple high school crushes, innocent kisses and awkward moments.  Duff is a very mature novel. If you don't want your teen reading sex scenes, then don't buy this book. However, you yourself just may love it.

The author, Kody Keplinger, is young and gets what being a modern teen girl is like. She does not gloss over the body issues. She does not pretty up the language. She does not shy away from sexual situations. Kody gets it. As a mother, I'd like to pretend that she's wrong. I'd love to imagine a world where teen girls aren't sexually active and don't have to worry about being 10 lbs chubbier than their best friend. But I'd be wrong.

Bianca is one of those female characters that you can immediately identify with. She's sarcastic, but sweet.  Insecure yet a little mouthy. Bianca is awesome.

Most people don't notice her though. She's a Duff. Designated Ugly Fat Friend.  With two gorgeous best friends, Bianca blends into the background.  She's dealing with home issues and her anger manifests itself into one manic moment. She kisses the school playboy, Wesley Rush.  She really wishes she hadn't done it. She also wishes she didn't enjoy it quite so much.

What Bianca doesn't know is that Wesley is struggling as well. Behind his chauvinistic exterior lies a young man who is searching for acceptance and love as frantically as she is. If the two of them could just let their guards down a little, maybe they could connect in other ways than sexual.

I enjoyed Duff. The story is moving and emotional, but not dark. There are definite sexual elements, so of course, keep that in mind with younger teens. Like I've said, it's a very real, modern day teen love story.  There is language, there is sex. There is also a lot of heart and real life emotion in Duff. I cannot wait to hear more from the young and crazy talented Kody Keplinger!

Storybook Review!

Bless This Mouse by Lois Lowry

Release date : March 21, 2011

Product Description

A resilient and quirky colony of church mice fears another Great X more than they fear cats. Under Mouse Mistress Hildegarde’s leadership, they save themselves from one danger after another—sometimes just by the skin of their tails! Can one ultimate act of bravery during the feast day of St. Francis get Father Murphy to bless these mice and keep them safe forever?  Rife with humor and personality, this young middle-grade novel has an old-fashioned feel with the makings of a modern classic.

My Review:
Lois Lowry is one of the world's most beloved children's authors.  Her books have sold millions across the globe.  Numerous awards have been bestowed upon this amazing author, and rightly so.  Lois Lowry has gift of storytelling and readers of the world are forever grateful. Her novel, Number the Stars, is one of the most heartbreaking and beautiful books I have ever read. But like a talented author should, Ms. Lowry is able to get a little silly now and then as well.  Her Gooney Bird series is a fun and light favorite amongst the 6-9 year old set.

Being such a fan of her previous works, I was very anxious to read her new creation, Bless This Mouse.  The cover artwork alone almost killed me with it's cuteness.  I was hoping her new story could live up to such undeniable adorable-ness! Let me tell you this.. Lois Lowry does not disappoint.  Bless This Mouse is so incredibly sweet that it almost gave me a cavity.

That being said, the story is not all fluff. This is not one of those books you will read to your child once and forget about. Bless This Mouse has a lesson to teach.  I can guarantee it will get you and your children started in a discussion about kindness and forgiveness.  This book has all the right elements for a perfect nightly story time : adorable illustrations, cute characters, humor and most of all, and important lesson to be learned. Bless This Mouse is destined to be a classic.

*Although I have this book listed as a "storybook" selection, the actual recommended reading age is 9-11. Of course, independent readers would ADORE this book. My own 8 year old loved it. However, this book is a fantastic read aloud story that could be shared with younger children as well.

 

Publishes 4/11/2010

Publisher's Description:
"Ponytails and braids! Ponytails and braids! I don't see anything but ponytails and braids! This class needs some fashion. This class needs some fun. I'll find a hairdo to impress everyone." Annabelle doesn't want the same boring hairstyle that all the other girls have. When she spies a picture of her grandma, she has the perfect idea: a big bouffant! But how can she make her style stand up? And will her classmates really be impressed with her daring 'do?


My Review:

 Big Bouffant is a perfect storybook for all those little fashion divas out there!  Annabelle yearns to stand out in a see of ponytails and braids. She wants to be different and stylish.  And when she spies a photo of her grandmother's bouffant hairstyle, a new hairstyle craze is let loose on her elementary school!

I thought this book was just so cute and sweet! The prose is fun and light. The illustrations are beautiful and unique.  I loved every aspect of this book! Can't wait to read it to a few little fashion princesses that I know!



You can check out more reviews over at Girlswithbooks.com

Book Review : Dracula In Love

Dracula in Love by Karen Essex has been touted in many book reviews as “Twilight for grownups”. I can see a few similarities, I guess. Yes, there is a vampire. Yes, there is a love story. But that’s where the resemblance ended for me. Hang on to your Team Edward novelty baseball hats, because this ain’t your teenager’s vampire novel.
     This book is dark. It’s mysterious. It’s sensual. This is a real gothic novel, the way they are supposed to be written. You want to go wandering through mist filled, centuries old cemeteries in the dead of night? How does a visit to a Victorian “insane” asylum sound? Dracula in Love has it all, and then some.
     Karen Essex has taken the characters from Bram Stoker’s classic novel and given them quite an imaginative back story. In the original, Mina Murray is an innocent bystander in an act of revenge between the count and his lawyer, Jonathan Harker. But in Essex’s retelling of the tale, Mina may not be such a innocent victim. She is something else entirely, something she herself has tried to ignore her entire life .As a child, she learned to hide her strange abilities and talents in exchange for a calm, normal life. She dreamed of a beautiful wedding, a doting husband and house full of children. However, nightly visions, sometimes horrific and other times extremely erotic, have her confused and scared. Who is this creature she encounters in her dreams? She finds herself drawn to him in ways she has never experienced, or at least, in ways she cannot fully explain. Yet, he appears to posses knowledge of her every thought, her every desire. The two souls are somehow connected in a way mere mortals could never fully comprehend.
     I enjoyed this novel so much. Essex is an amazingly talented author, giving new life to these classic characters. She deftly intertwines the histories of Mina and the Count into the original story without missing a beat. The blending is flawless. In some instances, when an author attempts to retell a classic tale one of two things tend to happen. One, the older story becomes somewhat forgotten, it’s charm is lost when it’s replaced with a shinier new version. Two, the new version tends to feel, for lack of a better word, stolen. You find yourself wondering why the author even attempted to make these characters her own. They are someone else’s imaginings and they just don’t come to life in the hands of another writer. However, Dracula in Love did not leave me feeling as if Mina Murray was simply a borrowed character. I felt as if she blossomed beautifully under Essex’s care. I also do not feel as if Stoker’s original story is overshadowed by this new novel. I actually find myself tempted to read it again!
     Dracula in Love is a beautifully writtten and wildly addictive novel. I suggest it to anyone, whether you prefer your vampires sparkly and melodramatic or dark and wildly sensuous. But really, when you look at it that way , is there really a choice?