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The Book Muncher

The Book Muncher

THE BOOK MUNCHER is the reviewing alias of a prolific teen reader. She is guilty of several overflowing bookshelves and is known at her local post office as the "girl who loves to read." Her literary diet is mostly dedicated to the young adult fiction genre but has been known to occasionally stray into middle grade or adult categories. She is a... more »
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  • member since December 28 2007

Reviews

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Displaying 1-10 of 277 reviews
  • I'm So Sure
    • Rated 4 stars

    Truman, Oklahoma hasn’t turned out as horribly as Bella Kirkwood thought it would. Sure, her desitned label allowance has been drastically cut, but with new friends and a comfy position on the school newspaper staff, she’s feeling pretty good. It also helps that nearly everyone thinks she’s some sort of Nancy Drew ever since she figured out what was really going on with the football team. Unfortunately, now that Bella’s stepdad, a semi-pro wrestler, has signed their family up for a reality TV show, Bella’s life is about to take a turn for the unbearable once again. As if navigating her relationship with her newspaper editor Luke, a rekindled friendship with her ex-boyfriend Hunter, and all of her reporting assignments wasn’t hard enough, now she has to do it in the public eye thanks to the camera crew that stalks her. And before she knows it, Bella finds herself pursuing yet another mystery at Truman High, this one regarding the upcoming prom. How’s a girl to keep her cool in the face of all this, especially when the threats of danger start coming?

    I’m So Sure was just as cute, hilarious, and clever as its prequel So Not Happening proved to be. Bella’s character is even more likable in this story since most traces of her spoiled Manhattan princess roots have been humbled by her acceptance of her new life in Oklahoma and she remains just as determined and hardworking as ever. I must admit, I generally dislike the inclusion of reality shows in books because of their tendency to turn even the most upright people into publicity hungry brats, but the wrestling show actually worked well in this novel because it reinforced many of Bella’s morals. Although I felt the main mystery of this story about prom was less creative and interesting that the one in So Not Happening, I still quite enjoyed it as well as Bella and Luke’s somewhat cryptic but still sweet relationship. If there’s one main thing about I’m So Sure that irked me, it was that religion was slightly more emphasized in this novel than in its prequel. I do realize that I’m So Sure is technically Christian fiction and that the inclusion of faith is to be expected, but there were several instances in which the religious preferences were just unnecessary and the slightest bit annoying.

    Fans of the So Not Happening, the prequel to I’m So Sure, will eagerly snatch up this novel as well as look forward to the next installment in The Charmed Life series, So Over My Head. This series may also be enjoyed by readers who liked Pure by Terra Egan McVoy and It’s All About Us by Shelley Adina.

    reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com

    The Book Muncher wrote this review 11 days ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • Intertwined
    • Rated 4 stars

    Aden Stone wishes he was just a normal guy. Instead, he’s spent the majority of his life shuffled in and out of various foster homes and mental institutions, all because for some reason, he’s got four souls living inside him aside from his own. Aden doesn’t know how they got there or how to get rid of them, so in the meantime, he just has to deal with four distinct voices constantly babbling inside his head and the side effects of each soul’s unique ability, to time travel, predict the future, raise the dead, or possess other people. When Aden moves to Crossroads, Oklahoma, it’s like brand new start for him, although not without its own complications. Aden finds himself with an unusual set of companions: Mary Ann, a girl completely unlike himself who somehow quiets the voices inside his head; a shapeshifter who’d rather see him dead; and Victoria, a vampire princess Aden can’t get out of his mind. All too soon, Aden finds himself the center of an otherworldy conflict with danger flying at him from all sides. The oods are stacked squarely against him, and it’s unlikely everyone will come out unscathed.

    There’s no doubt that Intertwined is an exciting novel, filled with action and a galore of supernatural threats to keep any reader on the edge of their seat, but at the same item, there was something about this story that was quite irksome to me. I didn’t mind the plethora of supernatural creatures or even their rather unoriginally interpreted characteristics. Aden’s background of being constantly institutionalized and psychoanalyzed also made sense. Where the story started to break apart for me was the convenience of it all. I’m not saying everything was always sunshine and rainbows; that wouldn’t make for much of a story. It started with the main characters’ physical perfection; bodies sculpted like Grecian statues tend to become unrealistic. And it wasn’t just each of these character’s prettiness. Many major plot events I could correctly guess chapters before they occurred because the clues were just so convenient. And what really bothered me the most was how convenient the ending was; after all that difficulty and struggle, it would seem the termination to this tale would be a little more complicated. It was the little things that didn’t allow me to connect to the characters, however hot and sexy they were, and completely get into the story. And especially after all the positive buzz surrounding this novel, I was frankly disappointed.

    Intertwined may be enjoyed by fans of Persistence of Memory by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong, and the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. I suspect there will be a sequel to this novel, but I don’t know how eager I’d be to snatch it up.

    reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com

    The Book Muncher wrote this review 11 days ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Last Thing I Remember (The Homelanders)
    • Rated 3 stars

    The last day Charlie West can remember was a perfectly normal day. He was a regular high school kid doing regular things like his schoolwork, practicing karate, chatting with his friends, and getting nervous around the girl of his dreams. He was a good kid who listened to his parents, prayed, treated girls with respect, and loved his country. But now, Charlie has just woken up in a living nightmare. He’s strapped to a chair and covered in his own blood and bruises. Someone outside his torture chamber just ordered his death. Charlie has no idea where he is or how he got there. He doesn’t know why he’s so beaten up and supposed to be killed. And more importantly, he has no idea how he’s going to escape from his room alive.

    There is no doubt that The Last Thing I Remember is an action packed story. However, an action filled plot by itself never made a complete story. Once everything else is added in, the results are not so savory. My largest issue had to with Charlie’s character; I just did not like him. He was too much the good kid, respectful of his parents and elders, religious, nice to pretty much everyone, and a tad too patriotic. People this good I find unrealistic unless they’ve got some other huge problem eating at them, but Charlie’s life was pretty much golden until he woke up in practically a torture chamber. Even then, I only had a little sympathy for him because the entire first part of the novel, I didn’t get what the point of the story was. Yes, the kid is in trouble and running from danger, but so what? Even through the rest of the novel where things take a turn for the slightly more interesting, I didn’t care much for Charlie. It was frankly annoying how much Charlie relied on religious faith and patriotism, sometimes even to questionably justify his actions. And what I liked least was the inclusion of terrorism, particularly the central role it plays in Charlie’s tale. All of this added together felt too much like a not-so-sneaky spoon feeding of right wing mentality; nothing against it, but is there’s one thing I hate being force fed besides religious views, it’s political ones. Tie in writing that’s sometimes cheesy and definitely nothing special, and you get this pretty mediocre action book.

    The Last Thing I Remember appeals primarily to the teen male audience, especially those who enjoyed action flicks like the very similar Bourne movies. I’m not sure I’m interested in checking out the sequel, The Long Way Home since this novel was not one I particularly enjoyed.

    reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com

    The Book Muncher wrote this review 11 days ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • Mirrorscape
    • Rated 5 stars

    Melkin Womper has always loved to draw, so it’s a dream come true when he learns he’s eligible to be apprenticed to one of the greatest painters of the day, Ambrosius Blenk. And as soon as Mel leaves his home behind, he knows he’s in for the adventure of his life. The danger starts almost immediately, and Mel has to be extra careful in the unfamiliar city of Vlam not to run into the red robed men from the Fifth Mystery who are convinced Mil is responsible for theft and must be punished. Luckily, Mel has some new friends to look out for him, and the Master also has seemed to take a shine to him. As much as Mel would just like to improve his craft, he can’t avoid the power struggle between the Mystery and the Master he’s been caught in, because Mel has stumbled upon Mirrorscape, the world within paintings in which imagination is the only thing that truly matters. Stumbling in between Mirrorscape and the real world, Mel and his friends will have to use their wits and creativity if they are to survive and ultimately defeat the Mystery.

    Mirrorscape is one of the most unique and enthralling fantasy stories I’ve ever read. Like in most fantasies, the unusual setting and specified language take a little getting used to, but thankfully, the new places and words weren’t so different that I couldn’t imagine them at all. I love the idea of hidden worlds within our own, so of course, I was drawn to Wilks’ Mirrorscape, the world within paintings. The very nature of this place lends itself to endless possibilities as far as one’s imagination can go, and that leads to some highly unusual, sometimes strange, but always interesting situations in this story. I heartily commend Wilks for his creative and exciting plot; there wasn’t a moment in this story that failed to capture my interest. In addition, I loved the political undercurrent to this enjoyable story; the corrupt bureaucracy that calls itself the Mystery reflects governmental corruption around the world and its repression of the arts and artistic expression, that of many civil liberties. Although I may be reading too much into the story, this adds a little something extra that makes an already fantastic story even better.

    Mirrorscape is the type of story that will appeal to readers of all ages, especially those who enjoyed Inkheart by Cornelia Funke and Poison by Chris Wooding. I particularly cannot wait for the continuance of this story in Mirrorstorm, the second installment in this trilogy.

    reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com

    The Book Muncher wrote this review 11 days ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • Breakfast At Bloomingdale's
    • Rated 5 stars

    Cat’s a girl with a dream and a plan to achieve it. She’s going to New York City to be a famous fashion designer; particularly, she wants her own label to be sold at Bloomingdale’s. For all of Cat’s life, that’s been her dream, but now she’s perfectly poised to accomplish it by entering CosmoGIRL! and Bloomingdale’s The Finished Line fashion design contest. Armed with access to her late grandmother Nina’s bank account, killer design and sewing skills, and a one-way ticket to New York City, Cat is all ready for her new life. But once she arrives, it’s a little different and harder that she expected, and adjustments will have to be made accordingly, because giving up is not an option. The competition better look out. New and improved Cat Zappe, famous designed to be, is taking New York City by fashion storm.

    By no surprise, Breakfast at Bloomingdale’s is all about fashion, but it’s also about hard work, dreams, and relationships. Most fashion novels I’ve read deal with the tail end of the fashion industry, the already crafted clothes and modeling. This story gives me new respect for the designing end; I had no idea that much education, experimentation, and design went into making the finished fashion product. I also didn’t know that designer hopefuls could be just as catty, for lack of a better word, as competitive models; Cat’s ability to keep a cool head most of the time in these situations earned even more of my respect. I absolutely loved reading about Cat’s character. She has impressive commitment and determination in reaching her goals and, more often than not, is rather smart in navigating through her relationships. I greatly admired her maturity and self control as well, and all this just made me hope she’d accomplish her dreams. Breakfast at Bloomingdale’s is a thoroughly enjoyable story to read because it shows that everything, for better or worse, is interconnected, that things have a way of working themselves out in the end, and that lack of success doesn’t necessarily translate into failure.

    I recommend Breakfast and Bloomingdale’s for fans of Violet on the Runway by Melissa Walker, Airhead by Meg Cabot, and the America’s Next Top Model series by Taryn Bell as well as to any teen girl, because Cat is a characters after ever reader’s heart. I look forward to reading more of Kemp’s writing, particularly a possible fashion savvy sequel to this sweet book.

    reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com

    The Book Muncher wrote this review 11 days ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • So Not Happening (The Charmed Life)
    • Rated 4 stars

    This can’t be happening. Bella Kirkwood cannot believe she has to trade her A-list friends, her famous daddy’s credit card, and every other perk of NYC for Oklahoma of all places, just because her mother got dumped and apparently fell in love with a factory worker she met on the internet. So it’s goodbye to everything trendy chic and hello to two alternatively dorky and bratty brothers. Difficulty adjusting would be putting Bella’s frame of mind lightly. It doesn’t help that all the students at her new school think she’s a nasty snob, especially Luke Sullivan, the annoying editor of the school newspaper Bella has to work under now that she’s the newest member of the staff. Despite feeling hurt that she’s been forsaken by the cultured world, Bella knows she can’t wallow in her misery, especially when she catches wind of something fishy going on. There’s something not quite right in Bella’s new home, and you can bet Bella will be there to expose the truth.

    I wasn’t too sure about this book when I first started reading it. Big city girl forced into rural setting has been done many times before with not quite spectacular results, and I didn’t know how that combination with some kind of investigative journalism and religious beliefs would work out. Addressing the last topic first, I usually stay away from most religious fiction as a rule because I find it becomes overbearing. Jones nearly gets there several times in So Not Happening, but as a whole, it isn’t too bad, even if I found it strange protagonist Bella, a self proclaimed Christian, was so into shopping and material things. The urban to rural transition isn’t crafted particularly well or originally either; Bella exhibits many of the same characteristics as other girls in the same position in other stories, and her frequent complaining earned more of my annoyance than sympathy, even if she was quite clever at times. Where Jones’ writing really shone was in the mystery angle of the novel. The mystery succeeded in being intriguing, surprising, and just a bit dangerous, and it fit well into the story. Mostly for Bella’s budding reporter instincts, I enjoyed this interesting novel.

    So Not Happening may be enjoyed by fans of the It’s All About Us series by Shelley Adina, The Year My Sister Got Lucky by Aimee Friedman, and Pure by Terra Egan McVoy. I look forward to the sequel to this funny book in I’m So Sure.

    reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com

    The Book Muncher wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Ex Games (Romantic Comedies)
    • Rated 4 stars

    Since their very public breakup four years ago, Hayden and Nick have been just friends, at best. So what if Hayden’s best friends are now with Nick’s best friends? So what if Nick has seemed to be flirting with Hayden lately? Hayden will not give in to Nick’s hunkiness, no matter how much she enjoys the flirting. When Hayden wins the girls’ division of a local snowboarding competition, Nick derides her victoray by declaring she couldn’t hold her own against a guy. Oh, it’s on now. How Hayden and Nick aren’t just exchanging light insults and gibes but heavier taunts and angry exclamations they might not be able to take back. As each prepares for this new snowboarding battle of the sexes, they’ll have to break past their own fears and decide what’s more important: winning the competition or the relationship neither thought would work out.

    I just love the Simon Pulse Romantic Comedies because I can always count on them to make me laugh and smile with a funny, sweet, and heartwarming story. In addition, Echols is one of my favorite RoCom authors, especially after The Ex Games. This novel is all about the chase, four years of chase to be exact, the give and take in complicated relationships, and how the smallest past betrayals can become something larger over time. Hayden and Nick are completely realistic with their stubbornness and difficulty in dealing with all the issues in their lives. I think it was their painful reluctance to apologize that I could relate to most, though, and because of that, I rooted even more for them to work out their problems and get together. Yes, the whole romance of the story is pretty predictable, but that doesn’t makes its culmination any less sweet; it anything it’s even more so. And for that, I really just thank Echols for this cute and fun-filled story that will brighten up any reader’s days.

    Fans of any of the other RoComs, particularly The Boys Next Door also be Jennifer Echols, will also enjoy The Ex Games, in addition to fans of Picture Perfect by Catherine Clark.

    reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com

    The Book Muncher wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • Girl on the Other Side

    Girl on the Other Side

    by Deborah Kerbel
    • Rated 3 stars

    Tabby Freeman and Lora Froggett would never suspect they had anything in common outside of the school they attend. Tabby comes from the wealthiest family in town and consequently, is on the most popular girls in school. But popularity and a comfortable lifestyle mean nothing to Tabby; those things can’t save her from the choking lack of real friends and people who truly care about her. Lora is intelligent, extremely shy, and constantly bullied. Getting through every day is a chore since it’s not only school she has to deal with but taking care of her younger siblings when she gets home. Both Tabby and Lora are stuck in their own little secrets worlds of despair and private pain. Bu what will happen when these secrets are forced out into the open? Will these girls continue down their dark paths, or will they be saved?

    Girl on the Other Side is supposed to be the story of two not-so-different girls from opposite ends of the social spectrum. Though the theme of equality holds true for the end of the story, it wasn’t quite to smoothly placed in the beginning and middle. To be honest, most of the first parts of this book left a lot to be desired. Initially presented, Tabby is smug and self assured in her supreme popularity while Lora thinks she is the only student of intelligent thought in the school; they only thing they share in common at this point is how annoying they are. Sadly, their attitudes don’t improve much until the very end of the story when they realize tragedy affects everyone. This was problematic for me because with characters that jaded and fixated on how horrid their troubles are, growth isn’t just expected, it’s demanded. At the same time, though, this growth has to make sense. Lora’s growth, if she underwent any at all, was hardly discernable, and I couldn’t quite reconcile Tabby’s new kindness towards Lora with her past uncalled for cruelty. Perhaps I’m being a little too harsh, but I was a little disappointed that it felt Kerbel was trying too hard to be deep and profound that the story never quite reached there.

    Though a little disappointing for me, fans of Kerbel’s earlier writing in Mackenzie, Lost and Found may still enjoy Girl on the Other Side.

    reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com

    The Book Muncher wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • Moon Rise

    Moon Rise

    by Marilee Brothers
    • Rated 4 stars

    Things aren’t looking so great for Allie Emerson. Her boyfriend hasn’t come back from Mexico. Her mom is dating a new loser who Allie kindly refers to as “Brain Dead Roy.” School is just as trying as well with new bullies and the extremely annoying and nosy school counselor. And to top that off, Allie is the Star Seeker prophesized pretty much to save the world. That would be all good and well except for the fact that Allie has seemed to have lost her powers, the powers she needs to defend herself against and ultimately defeat the evil Trimarks. Talk about some baggage! But Allie has little time to dwell on the overall suckiness of her situation because the stakes have risen. Not only are Allie’s and her friends’ lives in danger, but the precious moonstone is in risk of being stolen and, if Allie’s not careful, her own heart.

    Moon Rise was a satisfying sequel to the exciting fantasy Moonstone, but while I definitely enjoyed the story, it also could’ve been much improved. Like its prequel, the plot of Moon Rise is filled to the brim with conflict after conflict, each larger or more convoluted than the previous. Though this ensures no shortage of action, it felt a little repetitive. Allie’s problems presented in the first novel were carried over into the second, and all the new ones were very reminiscent of the old ones. I feel Brothers could’ve been a little more creative in the plot execution since the story didn’t progress as much as I hoped it would. Like the plot, the characters aren’t perfectly written, but they are sufficient; I particularly enjoyed Allie’s spunk and determination and new kid Beck’s overall hunkiness. Their predictable romance was one of the highlights of the story. Although Moon Rise could’ve been much better, I still liked it and have hope for future installments in the Unbidden Magic series.

    Fans of the A Great and Terrible Beauty trilogy by Libba Bray, the Blue Bloods series by Melissa de la Cruz, and The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series by Michael Scott may enjoy this interesting fantasy series.

    reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com

    The Book Muncher wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • When the Whistle Blows
    • Rated 4 stars

    The railroads run in the Cannon family’s veins. That’s why Jimmy is so sure that’s where he’s be working when he grows up, no matter how much his father demands otherwise. Jimmy feels his future is all set, especially since his father is the foreman of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad and both his older brothers have quit school to work there too. All there’s left to do is wait while he grows up. But as much as Jimmy would like to think everything will stay the way it is, change is indeed coming, just as his father promised it would. Now, Jimmy just has to keep up with it or fall behind.

    When the Whistle Blows is a historical novel centering on the power of the father-son relationship. Though I don’t have any firsthand experience with this, being a girl, I felt this story portrayed Jimmy and his father’s evolving bond beautifully. Slayton’s writing encompasses all the frustration, respect, protectiveness, and love the strongest father-son bonds create in seven yearly episodes. Slayton also does a fantastic job of making the story realistic; the characters were very believable and the setting and diction made the historical context authentic. Despite the story being set over fifty years ago, its message is still meaningful: change comes no matter how much resistance. And this can be change in any form, whether it is technology or familial situations. This message is only reinforced by the evolving train technology from steam to diesel and Jimmy and his father’s developing relationship. When the Whistle Blows is a solid debut novel full of hope for the future.

    Fans of historical fiction, especially Ten Cents a Dance by Christine Fletcher, will enjoy When the Whistle Blows. I look forward to Slayton’s writing as well.

    reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com

    The Book Muncher wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
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