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The Story Siren

The Story Siren

Hey! It's me Kristi. Thanks for checking for checking out my shelf! Yes, I love to read!

I also review books, mostly young adult. Check out my blog at www.thestorysiren.com

I'm not very active on Shelfari anymore and a rarely update my shelf. If you want look me up on GoodReads.com! That's my new bookish home. more »
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  • member since January 12 2008

Reviews

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  • The New Girl
    • Rated 5 stars

    Allie is starting school at Pine Heights Elementary school! Not only is she still settling into her new house. She is very excited to be getting her very own kitten! But it seems that the mama cat may have her babies too early! Now Allie has to worry about being the new girl, plus her unborn kitten, the school spelling bee and the bully that wants to kill her! What is a girl to do!?

    While I’m a huge fan of Meg Cabot’s Adult and Young Adult books, I have to admit I even enjoyed this book for younger audiences. Is there anything Meg can’t do, and I’m not just saying that because she is a fellow Hoosier! Allie is the perfect protagonist and she tackles issues that I’m sure kids face today, because I remember being the new girl and facing the same ones! Cabot’s easy reading style and comical satire are key components to which I’m sure will be a popular series among young readers.

    The Story Siren wrote this review Sunday, August 24 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • How to Be Bad
    • Rated 5 stars

    Take three girls, add a beat up car and throw in an alligator or two and you’ve got yourself, How To be Bad, one kick arse novel!

    Summary from Barnes and Noble:

    From three critically acclaimed and bestselling authors comes one story - equal parts charming, hilarious, and emotional - of a road trip that proves that sometimes it doesn't matter where you're going, since getting there is half the fun.
    Three girls who couldn't be more different have one goal in mind: to get the heck out of Dodge. Well, Niceville, Florida, actually. But it might as well be called Nowheresville. Vicks is the wild-child fry cook whose boyfriend left for college and isn't returning any of her calls; Mel, the good girl in expensive jeans who just wants everyone to like her; and Jesse, the trailer-dwelling human morality meter who's discovered a life-altering secret -
    Each has her own reason for climbing into Jesse's mom's beat-up station wagon and hitting the highway for a weekend trip, whether she knows it or not. Armed only with Vicks's ancient, battered copy of a guidebook called Fantastical Florida, a map Jesse picked up with her dwindling funds, and Mel's mom's credit card, they're Miami bound. Hearts will be broken, friendships will be tested, and a ridiculously hot stranger could change the course of everything. And if they don't kill each other first, Vicks, Mel and Jesse will not only have a road trip to remember, they'll have friends for life.

    Lockhart, Mlynowski and Myracle’s collaberation reaches an all time sensational high! I’ve read two out of the three author’s works, so I wasn’t surprised on my fondness. The three voices gave an intereting perspetive as a reader. Their problems are realistic and valid problems that teens face. Witty dialogue and a fast moving engrossing plot only add the overall premise of the book! I found it almost impossible to put this book down, once I started reading it! So be prepared!





    The Story Siren wrote this review Thursday, August 21 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Eyes of a King (The Eyes of the King)
    1 of 1 members found this review helpful.
    • Rated 3 stars


    Fifteen-year-old Leo North lived in Malonia with his younger brother, Stirling and his grandmother. When Leo was five years old the monarchy was overthrown by the tyrant Lucien and his parents fled Malonia to save their lives.

    One night on his way home, Leo finds a mysterious book. The pages of the book are blank. But t soon the pages begin to fill, telling the story of two people in England, which is thought to be a fairy tale world. The pages only appear a few at a time, but Leo feels as though he already knows the story. Leo, however, has no idea how much the story will come to play in his own country of Malonia.

    The Eyes of A King is a book filled with fantasy, mystery, heartache and love. Catherine Banner realistically depicts the thoughts and emotions of her teenage character, being as she is one herself. Leos’ story seems to consist of one main theme, loss. He is overcome with grief in much of the second half of the book, and is seemed as if empathy will continue to elude him. Banner cleverly intertwines the stories of Malonia and England. And readers will revel in delight as the two stories come together! The Eyes of A King looks to be the beginning of an enchanting trilogy!

    The Story Siren wrote this review Sunday, August 17 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • Fairest
    2 of 2 members found this review helpful.
    • Rated 5 stars

    In a land where beauty means everything, Aza finds herself lacking in every way possible. Her only redeeming quality is the beauty in her voice. If only her singing reflected what others saw when they looked upon her face. She spends most of her time trying to hide her face from the staring eyes of guests at her parent’s inn. Singing is the only beauty Aza finds in herself, and she sings often while she is working at the inn. She discovers that she can “throw” her voice and make it appear as though it came from another place in the room! She tries to teach her family her new trick but no one else is successful.

    A Duchess passing through the inn on her way to the King’s wedding invites Aza to come as her maid. While at the castle the new Queen discovers Aza’s talent in “throwing” her voice and insists that Aza stay at the castle and become a lady in waiting, so that the Queen can use Aza’s voice as her own. When the King is injured the young Queen is hungry for power and the kingdom is soon threatened to fall apart as well as Aza along with it.

    I have heard great things about Levine as a writer so when I had a chance to read Fairest I jumped at it! And I have to say that I wasn’t disappointed! I loved the fairy tale setting and the story telling quality of Levin’s writing. The plot was faced paced and Aza’s growth within the novel is believable. Aza isn’t your typical heroine and that made the story so much more enjoyable. I loved that the book tackled the issue of beauty, which is something that I know I struggle with as well. I know that I’m looking forward to reading more of Levin’s works in the future!

    The Story Siren wrote this review Tuesday, August 12 2008. ( reply | view 1 replies | permalink )
  • Sucks to Be Me: The All-True Confessions of Mina Hamilton, Teen Vampire (maybe)
    1 of 1 members found this review helpful.
    • Rated 4 stars

    As if high school isn’t hard enough, now Mina also has to decide wether she wants to become a vampire. Both of her parents happen to be vampires and they’ve kept Mina a secret from the Vampire Council, until recently. Now that the council knows Mina is in on their secret she has to decide wether she wants to join her parents in immortality. That means leaving behind her best friend Serena and the crush of her life Nathan.

    What a great debut novel that is sure to stand out amongst the sea of other vampire books! You might think the main premises for this book is vampires, but I found that the story is more about a teenager finding herself than anything else. Even non-vampire fans will like this book. It is a funny and fresh look into the typical vampire myth. Pauley’s vampires aren’t glamorous or irresistible, Mina’s dad is an accountant, you can’t get much more unglamourous! They are just regular “people” and I think that is what gives this book it’s edge. It is also delightfully funny and well written. Mina is a great female protagonist; funny, smart, sarcastic, and insecure. This is a Story Siren recommended book!

    The Story Siren wrote this review Sunday, August 10 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • Secrets of My Hollywood Life
    • Rated 4 stars

    Kaitlin Burke is a hot young star on one of the most popular television shows Family Affair. Kaitlin loves her job, but she is exhausted from her hectic work schedule. She is ready to have a break from the Hollywood world and her snotty co-star Sky Mackenzie. After hearing about her best friend Liz’s days in school as a “normal” teenager, Kaitlin can’t think of anything she would like better. Although everyone is against her idea, she talks her parents and agent into letting her enroll into high school incognito. Unfortunately, Kaitlin soon discovers that high school isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

    Secrets of My Hollywood Life was a very cute, quick and fun read! The plot wasn’t serious and it was nice to really enjoy reading something without having to go into too much thought. The characters were fun, Kaitlin is just like the girl next door even if she happens to be a movie star. Her best friend Liz couldn’t be portrayed as being anything but, she’s the kind of best friend every girl would want. Along with all the fun there is a little drama and some romance too! I also liked the peek into the glamorous life of being a celebrity! If only! If you are looking for an easy but fun read before you head back to school and fill your head with academics( I know! It’s that time already. I can’t believe it either!) you should check out this book!

    The Story Siren wrote this review Sunday, August 10 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • Why I Let My Hair Grow Out
    2 of 2 members found this review helpful.
    • Rated 5 stars

    After Morgan’s boyfriend decides he needs a change and dumps her, she decides to make some changes of her own. She takes some scissors to her long locks and cuts them all off! Her parents surprised by her drastic action think that a change of scenery may be beneficial for Morgan, so they pack her bags and send her on a bike tour of Ireland.

    Morgan isn’t thrilled to be in Ireland, but the cute luggage van driver Collin just might make it worth her trip. That is until she hits her head and wakes up in a dream world of faeries and Irish mythology!

    What a fun read! Why I Let My Hair Grow Out is a laugh-out-loud, fantastically brilliant! I loved the characters and the premise of the book! I would have loved to have seen it develop even further. I’m glad to see that there is another book that continues the story! I don’t know what I was initially expecting but it definitely wasn’t this! I absolutely recommend this books, it has a little bit of everything. Besides, the cover is just “WOW’! On another note: there is some mature language.

    The Story Siren wrote this review Thursday, August 7 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • Fidelity Files, The
    • Rated 5 stars

    Some girls dream of being Superwoman. Saving humanity on disaster at a time. Jennifer Hunter is Superwoman, saving women one cheating/lying boyfriend/fiance/husband at a time. Jennifer likes to think of herself as Superwoman using her alias Ashlyn, but I might be more compelled to compare her heroic efforts to The Incredible Hulk. The Hulk gets a really bad wrap, when he is just trying to help out! Even though, these women hire Jennifer to test their husband’s fidelity, I still feel them giving her the “bad guy vibe.”

    Jennifer Hunter has been fidelity inspecting for two years. She never suggests anything to the men, she only follows their lead and she does just about everything. She won’t however, go all the way, she only goes as far as intention to cheat only. But for most women that is enough. Like any good super-hero, her family and her friends have no idea what she does and she is very good at keeping it that way. That is until a recent failed fidelity inspection is doing everything he can to reveal her secret identity, he even has a website! Jen really doesn’t want her family to find out and she really doesn’t want her new boyfriend to find out, so she makes the tough decision to retire. But not before she takes on one last job– and it changes everything.

    Yet another great debut novel I’ve had the chance to read recently! It was extremely entertaining, the plot kept me on my toes and I loved Jennifer’s character! Jennifer’s character was very complex and well developed. I enjoyed learning the history of her character, and how it played into her fidelity inspector career. Jessica is an awesome writer and I will definitely continue to read her work. I loved the idea of this book! It was fun yet thought provoking at the same time! I’d definitely recommend picking up a copy of this book!

    The Story Siren wrote this review Tuesday, July 29 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • Whitney (Making A Splash)
    • Rated 3 stars

    Whitney is working for the summer at a water park. It’s normal for most teenagers to have a summer job, except Whitney doesn’t really need a job. Her Dad is a very wealthy business owner, but he thinks Whitney needs a “real life” experience.

    Whitney is kind of enjoying her summer working at the water park. She’s made a couple friends Robyn and Caitlin and she has a crush on the very cute ice cream boy, Jake. When Whitney finds out that her ex-best friend Marci will be renting the entire park and throwing her sweet sixteen party, she’s afraid that all her new friends will find out her secret!

    Making A Splash: Whitney is a very cute quick read! It’s perfect for summer day. After being burned from her former friends, Whitney has big trust issues, and her Dad almost ruins it for her completely. I was glad to see by the end of the book that Whitney found the confidence in herself that people might actually just like her for her. I really enjoyed Parker’s writing style and I will most definitely be picking up more of her books. I’m especially going to have to read the first two books in the Making A Splash series!

    The Story Siren wrote this review Monday, July 28 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • Unraveling
    • Rated 4 stars

    Fifteen-year-old Amanda can’t seem to live up to her mother’s– a.k.a. The Captain– standards. It doesn’t matter what she does or what she doesn’t do, it always lands her in hot water. She fights with her mother so often she has to give them names to keep them all straight. She’ll never measure up to her perfect little sister Malady and she resents The Captain for it.

    Since Amanda doesn’t get the support she needs at home she often feels unwanted by her own mother. In retaliation Amanda turns to someone that will give her attention, boys.

    Rick Hayes the most popular guy at school starts flirting with Amanda and she thinks she is in heaven. No matter that he already has a girlfriend. She enjoys their secret make-out sessions in the parking lot, but she wants more. She wants to be with him in public, more specifically she wants to be his girlfriend. Rick offers her that and a date to homecoming all in exchange for one thing. Her virginity.

    What an outstanding debut novel! I look forward to reading more by Baldini and Biederman. The plot was refreshingly original. And Amanda’s character was so truthful and raw. She’s everything I remember about being a teen, insecure, unsure, and only wishes she was popular. I also loved that even though Amanda’s life was less than perfect she wasn’t one of those characters that whines and pitied herself the whole story. That absolutely drives me crazy! And she had plenty to whine about! The mother–daughter relationship was so compelling. I’m glad I never had a mom like that! I absolutely recommend this book to teenage girls. Warning: there are sexual situations and suggestions in this novel.

    The Story Siren wrote this review Monday, July 28 2008. ( reply | permalink )

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