Book Review: Falling Under by Gwen Hayes

FALLING UNDER BY GWEN HAYES

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: NAL Trade (March 1, 2011)

Theia Alderson has always led a sheltered life in the small California town of Serendipity Falls. But when a devastatingly handsome boy appears in the halls of her school, Theia knows she's seen Haden before- not around town, but in her dreams.

As the Haden of both the night and the day beckons her closer one moment and pushes her away the next, the only thing Theia knows for sure is that the incredible pull she feels towards him is stronger than her fear.

And when she discovers what Haden truly is, Theia's not sure if she wants to resist him, even if the cost is her soul.

What I enjoyed:

I loved the dark, creepy world of Under and the trippy sequences when Theia crossed over into Hayden’s world. Some readers have mentioned how dark this book was, but for me that was a selling point- I actually would’ve liked to spend more time in the macabre, twisted world of Under. I was both repulsed and fascinated by it—the architecture, landscape, inhabitants, you name it. I wanted more, more, more! Also, for a paranormal romance, Gwen Hayes definitely shocked me with a few surprises— I thought I had Hayden pegged right from the start and turned out there were twists and turns I never saw coming. In addition, the secondary characters such as Theia’s best friends Donny and Ame were so hilarious and well-constructed, I felt like they took on more personality than the main characters themselves (which is a good and bad thing).  I loved Donny’s brazen hard outer shell that masked the softer girl inside just wanting to find the right guy who would treat her right. And Ame was very interesting with her psychic tendencies and quiet “suffer in silence” obsession with Mike, the clueless boy from school. Together Theia's best friends were a great contrast with one another and with Theia herself—three girls who couldn’t have been more different but linked together through friendship. 

 What didn't work for me:

The pacing of FALLING UNDER seemed at odds with itself—the plot sort of stumbled along too slowly for me in the beginning and then sped up too fast toward the end. But here's my main issue with the book—once again we have another YA storyline where the main protagonist falls in love with the supernatural boy way-y-y-y too quickly. I know that teen girls tend to crush hard (I was a teen once too), but at the same time it gets under my skin to not end—to the point where I am wondering, do I even want to read YA paranormal romance anymore? Now, while in theory I can appreciate the romantic notion of sacrificing one's life for love, I felt mostly horrified at how willing Theia was to just throw her life away (literally and figuratively) for a guy she just met and knew so little about, beyond the fact that he was extremely good looking.  I feel like this is a trend being glorified in Young Adult, and it bothers me. I wanted more from Theia- she was a smart, well-disciplined young woman. To see her so eager to be consumed by Hayden and lose her identity in becoming his love interest, did not sit well with me.

Gwen Hayes did such a good job in painting a portrait of a young woman stifled by her overbearing father, that it was oftentimes hard to relate to Theia.  I think that's why I felt more connected to her best friends—those two girls had more of the mannerisms and speech that I could personally relate to. Theia came off as either very stiff to me, or conversely, very swoony and it was hard for me to catch up with her.  

It's a tricky thing when you are a reviewer – I try to take on books that I think will be a runaway hit for me, but when they end up falling short of the mark, there's nothing more painful and stress-inducing than knowing I have to put my negative thoughts down on paper.  I can't help but wonder—is the problem just with me? Are my reading tastes evolving out of YA? Do I need to switch to adult? I don't know the answers to these questions yet, but I do want to point something out-- despite my own trepidation, I know that FALLING UNDER will appeal to a certain type of reader and many people will connect and appreciate the story. There is definitely a solid audience out there for this type of book—sadly- I think I'm just not one of them anymore. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't try it if you are interested in the premise.

Bottom Line: FALLING UNDER does have a lot going for it—the murky world of Under was fascinating and the book does have a lot of series potential. I may not be picking up the sequel, but I will support Gwen's writing by checking out her future works.

3/4 stars

 

Gwen Hayes lives in the Pacific Northwest with her real life hero, their children, and the pets that own them. She writes books for teen readers about love, angst, and saving the world. Her debut novel, FALLING UNDER, will be released in March of 2011 by NAL. Baffled by the fact that not everyone has people talking to each other in their head all the time, Gwen decided maybe she should start writing down what they say. She told her family she wanted to be a writer in 2007, they all nodded, and the adventures began. Official Website

         

Book Review: Mad Love by Suzanne Selfors

MAD LOVE BY SUZANNE SELFORS 
Reading level: Young Adult 
Hardcover: 336 pages 
Publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers (January 4, 2011)
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound

When you're the daughter of the bestselling Queen of Romance, life should be pretty good. But 16-year-old Alice Amorous has been living a lie ever since her mother was secretly hospitalized for mental illness. After putting on a brave front for months, time is running out. The next book is overdue, and the Queen can't write it. Alice needs a story for her mother—and she needs one fast.

That's when she meets Errol, a strange boy who claims to be Cupid, who insists that Alice write about the greatest love story in history: his tragic relationship with Psyche. As Alice begins to hear Errol's voice in her head and see things she can't explain, she must face the truth—that she's either inherited her mother's madness, or Errol is for real.

 

 

Book Opening:    

"When you're sixteen, summer is supposed to spread before you like a magic carpet, waiting to carry you to new, exciting places. Paperback novel in hand, bare feet buried in speckled sand, long kisses with the boy in the kayak- that's what it's supposed to be about." 

  Notable Scene:  

"I'm Cupid. The original, one and only Cupid."
I clenched my hands into fists. "YOU SHOT ME WITH AN ARROW?" - Pg 132 ARC version

 

On the surface, I thought Mad Love sounded like a sweet, quirky story that I'd settle in to read along with my comfy quilt and a steaming cup of hot chocolate. The idea of Cupid stalking the sixteen-year old daughter of a famous romance writer really appealed to me.  What a creative and fun idea!  Unfortunately, I'm sad to say that my experience with Mad Love didn't quite live up to the high hopes I had for the book.

HIGHLIGHTS: I thought it was endearing how much Alice loved her mom, the bestselling "Queen of Romance." There was nothing Alice wouldn't do to protect her mom from the media and that would be a huge burden for any teenager to bear. I only imagine how exhausting it would be to constantly have to lie and keep up appearances. This was actually the strongest component of Mad Love for me. And after reading the author's notes at the end, I found it even more compelling because Suzanne Selfors used experiences from within her own family to help in constructing the book.

I also want to note that the minor characters like Mrs. Bobot and Realm were actually really well fleshed-out and downright hilarious.  At times I found them even more entertaining than Errol or Alice!

LOWLIGHTS: Alice, while definitely cute as a button, often reminded me more of a 13-year old rather than a 16-year old, which I found odd because this was a girl who had to essentially be the "adult" all the time due to her mom's illness.  Alice's experience with boys and her conversations with the "skate board guy" made it hard for me to believe that she could be a 16-year old and this skewed the book to a middle-grade level for me. But one thing about Alice- she was definitely one of those characters you'd want to have in your life—sweet, trustworthy and always there for you no matter what. 

My biggest issue with Mad Love, however, was that it took FOREVER for Alice to realize that Errol was Cupid. Now, I know that  if some strange guy started stalking me and insisting he was Cupid, that I'd never in a million years believe him either. But for the sake of the story and the need to keep the plot moving, I believe Alice should've caught on so much quicker than she actually did.  

As for Errol, I didn't connect with his character or feel drawn to him at all.  Even now, I still don't have a clear picture of him in my mind.  I had imagined him as this tall, dark and handsome guy with so much passion bottled up inside him. But the actual Errol in Mad Love wasn't anywhere near as colorful as the one I had imagined, and this was extremely disappointing. Yes, some of the reasoning for this was explained later on but by that time I was too far removed to really care...

BOTTOM LINE: While Mad Love was not as enjoyable to me as Selfors' previous novel, Coffeehouse Angel (or even on the same level to be honest), I do think that the book will find an audience with a much younger teen demographic—it's got this sweet, adorable appeal to it that I think certain readers will connect with and walk away from with a smile.  Though this  wasn't a knock-out of the park for me by any means, I really adore Suzanne Selfors' writing and will continue to support her work in the future. 

 \

Suzanne Selfors is the author of Coffeehouse Angel and Saving Juliet. She held a number of jobs before becoming a writer, including children's photographer, video producer, organic flower grower, and marketing director. She lives in Washington.

Official Website of Suzanne Selfors

Book Review: The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney

THE IRON WITCH BY KAREN MAHONEY 
Reading level: Young Adult 
Paperback: 312 pages 
Publisher: Flux (February 8, 2011)
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble |Indiebound 
Interest: Magic & Faeries

When she was seven, a horrific fey attack killed Donna Underwood’s father and drove her mother mad. Her own nearly fatal injuries were fixed by alchemy—the iron tattoos branding her hands and arms. Now seventeen, Donna feels like a freak, doomed by the magical heritage that destroyed her parents and any chance she had for a normal life. Only her relationship with her best friend, Navin, is keeping her sane.

But when vicious wood elves abduct Navin, Donna is forced to accept her role in the centuries-old war between human alchemists and these darkest outcasts of Faerie. Assisted by Xan, a gorgeous guy with faery blood running through his veins and secrets of his own, Donna races to save Navin—even if it means betraying everything her parents fought to the death to protect.

BOOK OPENING: 

DONNA UNDERWOOD'S JOURNAL:

My father died saving my life when I was seven years old.

I wish I found it easier to remember him outside of my dreams- where of course he is tall and  handsome, and over and over again saves me from the Wood Monster.

NOTABLE SCENE: 

"And Donna did the thing she'd never imagined that she would do. She swallowed, then carefully and slowly peeled off her long velvet gloves, feeling not unlike a burlesque act. Except an experienced burlesque dancer's hands wouldn't be shaking as much as hers were right now. She tossed her hair back and tried to meet Xan's eyes as she held both hands out, palms down, in front of her." -Page 115

Sigh....I really wanted to love The Iron Witch. That cover alone is breathtaking, isn't it? In the end, I walked away from the book feeling a bit underwhelmed. I've tried to break it down for you as best as I could..

HIGHLIGHTS:

Donna, the girl with the swirling iron tattoos, has lost so much. Not only did she lose her parents in a vicious attack, but she must struggle with a painful and embarrassing disfigurement. To make matters more bleak, Donna's father died protecting her during the attack, and her mother hasn't recovered since.

I loved Donna's background- the dark family tragedy, the mix of iron and magic for protection, the ancient alchemy principles- I ate that all up. Her story was extremely emotional- I loved the diary snippets in between a few chapters too. I was fascinated by her powerful, dangerous hands and wanted to learn all I could about the magic and science behind what happened to her. The fae background was both intriguing and sinister. But while the world-building was top-notch, the action constantly stumbled and stagnated for me. I do suspect, however, that this could be a series where each of the books gets better and better. Now that stage has been set, I think there is a lot of potential for more action and excitement.

 

LOWLIGHTS: 

With all that world-building, there seemed to be not enough room for character development. I also think Donna's character would've worked better in the first person. If Karen Mahoney had allowed us to get inside Donna's head, I think I would've connected much more to her pain, her insecurities and the storm of conflicting emotions within her heart. As it was, I felt a bit removed at all times. I was constantly aware of being the outsider, always looking in but never truly vested.

There were two potential love interests in the book.  Donna's best friend Navin, a regular guy whose life is endangered by mere proximity to Donna. Then there was Xan, the potential love interest. It was obvious from the start that Navin had feelings for Donna and as such, I knew that when she met Xan, there'd be a love triangle. I think the "love triangle" in YA has become so commonplace, that it's hard for me to get really excited by them anymore. But I really did enjoy Xan's character.  I'd like to learn more about him- the secret's he's hiding, his sad past, his heritage, etc.  In fact, I would say I'm more interested in reading the second book to learn about Xan than anything else! His romance with Donna was definitely too rushed though. Once again there was the "instant attraction" element, which seems to have become a staple with the YA genre and to be honest, is pushing me more and more into the arms of my adult books each time I encounter it.

As for the fae element, I personally like my fae to appear in human form. I like them   painfully beautiful, but with cold-hearted natures and capricious moods.  If you are expecting something like this—perhaps reminiscent of Melissa Marr, then you might be disappointed. So far, The Iron Witch only introduces us to "wood elves". For me, the characterization of the wood elves skewed the book so much younger than I had anticipated. At times I felt like I was reading a middle-grade novel, more Spiderwick Chronicles than Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely or Julie Kagawa's  Iron Fey.

FINAL SAY: 

Fans of Julie Kagawa's series may enjoy elements of The Iron Witch, but for me, the book fell way short of the mark. This book has a lot of potential with crisp, clean writing and a fascinating plot hook, but in the end, it just didn't capture my heart or my imagination. I thought the story was so slow to build, that by the time these did start to heat up, I was too far removed to fall hook, line and sinker into Donna' s world. 

1/2 Stars

Karen Mahoney is the author of The Iron Witch, the first book in a trilogy that continues in 2012 with The Wood Queen. She has also published stories about a kick-ass teen vampire called Moth in The Eternal Kiss and Kiss Me Deadly. Karen is British and currently lives near London with way too many books, though she dreams of one day living in Boston. She doesn’t mind if you call her Kaz. Official Website & Blog

Book Review: Trapped by Michael Northrop

 

TRAPPED BY MICHAEL NORTHROP 
Reading level: Young Adult 
Hardcover: 240 pages 
Publisher: Scholastic Press (February 1, 2011) 
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound
Read an excerpt

The day the blizzard started, no one knew that it was going to keep snowing for a week. That for those in its path, it would become not just a matter of keeping warm, but of staying alive....
Scotty and his friends Pete and Jason are among the last seven kids at their high school waiting to get picked up that day, and they soon realize that no one is coming for them. Still, it doesn't seem so bad to spend the night at school, especially when distractingly hot Krista and Julie are sleeping just down the hall. But then the power goes out, then the heat. The pipes freeze, and the roof shudders. As the days add up, the snow piles higher, and the empty halls grow colder and darker, the mounting pressure forces a devastating decision....

Book Opening:

"We were the last seven kids waiting around to get picked up from Tattawa Regional High School. It sounds like an everyday thing, but this wasn't an ordinary day."

Notable Quote:

"It would've seemed impossible, even just a few days ago, but the snow was maybe three feet below the second-floor window-sill. I looked out. How long would it take to reach the windows?" It was already drifting up against some of them. Could it keep going long enough to cover them, like it'd covered the ones downstairs? There was no higher ground, no place left for us to go." – Page 158 ARC version

I thought TRAPPED was realistic and eye-opening. But to be completely honest, I went into the book anticipating something different than what I actually got. I was expecting a book with intense action and heart-pounding scenes – something you'd expect to see in a movie with a similar plot line. When I first read the synopsis, I could just see the movie trailer in my mind. You'd have a group of teens trying to survive and overcome all sorts of trials and tribulations, complete with action, suspense and danger. But TRAPPED is not that kind of book at all. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. But, if you are expecting some sort of romanticized "snowed-in" plot-line complete with love triangles and happy endings (like me), this is probably not going to be the best book for you. There are more important things going on in TRAPPED than who likes whom and many of the decisions the teens make don't always work out for the best. 

While reading the book, I kept envisioning myself sitting across from main protagonist Scotty at a coffee shop. I'd be trying to listen patiently to his story, but secretly frustrated that he was taking forever to get to the good parts! This was how the pacing flowed to me. It seemed like Scotty ambled along recounting every little mundane thing at such a leisurely pace for the first hundred pages or so. But then towards the end when the action did in fact heat up, it all came crashing to a halt so quickly it made my head spin!  To be honest, I wasn't satisfied with the ending of TRAPPED. I think that Northrop ground the story to a halt too quickly and there wasn't enough closure for the reader.

TRAPPED was a novel of desperation and survival. It messes with your mind. You begin to feel the searing cold, the haunting ache of hunger from lack of food, the ache in your back from lack of good sleep, and the anguish of not knowing when it will all end. In that aspect, Northrop's writing was spot on for me. He excelled in painting a realistic picture of a what a real-life survival situation would feel like. He also did a great job writing realistic teenage voices. The way the characters interacted and talked with one another seemed highly plausible to me. However, there were also a lot of references to things I never want to have mentioned again - such as zit-popping and "turtling"! (So not my cup of tea.) 

While I can't say this was a huge hit for me, I do think Fans of Susan Beth Pfeffer will appreciate elements of TRAPPED, and no doubt lie awake brain-storming what they'd do in a blizzard or other natural disaster.   

1/2 Stars

Books by Michael Northrop

Michael Northrop has written short fiction for WEIRD TALES, the NOTRE DAME REVIEW, and MCSWEENEY'S. His debut novel, GENTLEMEN, earned him a PW Flying Start. An editor at SPORTS ILLUSTRATED KIDS for many years, he now writes full-time from his home in New York City. You can visit him online at www.michaelnorthrop.net.

Book Review: Other by Karen Kincy

OTHER BY KAREN KINCY

Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Flux (July 1, 2010)
Language: English
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound
1/2

Feathers unfurl from my skin. My plummet curves into a swoop, and I tuck my talons beneath my body. From girl to great horned owl in about a second. Pretty good, huh?

Gwen Williams is like any other modern teenager with one exception: she's a shapeshifter. Never having known her Pooka-spirit father, Gwen must struggle with the wild, wonderful magic inside of her alone—and in secret. While society may tolerate vampires, centaurs, and "Others" like Gwen, there are plenty of folks in Klikamuks, Washington, who don't care for her kind.

Now there's a new werewolf pack in town, and Others are getting killed, including Gwen's dryad friend. The police are doing zilch. In the midst of terrible loss and danger, Gwen meets a cute Japanese fox spirit who's refreshingly comfortable with his Otherness. Can Gwen find the courage to embrace her true self and find the killer—before she becomes the next victim?

OPENING LINE:

“I can't last much longer. It's been one week, three days and I can't remember how many hours. ”

NOTABLE SCENE:

“Whatever. I've earned this. I'll be careful. I've been a good little girl for long enough. It's easy to transform again, I'm so giddy with the lingering magic. Back to girl I go. I climb through the window and onto the roof. Naked, I curl my bare toes around shingles and grin nervously in the moonlight. I hope nobody's awake.

Wind tosses my curls. I clench my hands and stir the magic inside me. Power boils through my veins, dizzying me. Concentrate. The night snaps into sharper focus. I jump. My arms, my wings, strain upward. Feathers unfurl from my skin. My plummet curves into a swoop, and I tuck my talons beneath my body.

From girl to great horned owl in about a second. Pretty good, huh?” -Page 3

What is a pooka you ask? According to Gwen's old textbooks, pookas were described as mythical creatures that "show up as a dark horse with glowing golden eyes, stalking travelers on murky nights, inviting them on wild rides, throwing them into bogs, over cliffs"…you get the picture right?

The world building of OTHER ended up being the strongest component for me. It was intriguing to immerse myself into a novel with leprechauns, dryads, water sprites and pookas. Most seemed to be trying to live out quiet lives in normal towns when they were not-so-normal people themselves. I also appreciated the issues of tolerance and prejudice that the "Others" had to deal with, particularly the werewolves of Winema's pack who were literally forced out of Canada before settling outside of Gwen's town. The scene when Gwen met Winema was well written and the wolf pups nearly broke my heart. Just like in any society, some Others were regarded as a higher class and certain Others, like vampires and werewolves were viewed with fear and hatred. I found that interesting and was intrigued by the class distinctions, as well as the unique magical abilities of the Others themselves.

Unfortunately, I had a hard time really connecting to Gwen. I also thought the pacing was rather slow, especially in the beginning. I knew straightaway who the killer would target next, and that predictability took away a lot of the emotional punch when that event occurred down the line. However, when Gwen began interacting with Tavian, a Japanese fox kitsune spirit (how cool is that?), I thought the pacing accelerated and I began to appreciate Gwen a lot more. She proved herself to be a loyal friend and showed tremendous courage when it came to solving the the murders.

An unusual mix of magic and mystery, OTHER was chocked full of interesting characters and an intriguing plot line. Though slow to start, it is a series with a lot of potential. The next book entitled BLOODBORN releases in 2011.

*SIDE NOTE: I was in Ireland a few months back and went to a dinner hosted by a professional folklorist called "Food, Folklore & Fairies". I remember him referencing pookas as they related to 18th century peasant life. He joked that men would blame the pooka as the reason why they were coming home late from the local pubs. The man would tell his wife, "I left the pub with every intention of coming home to you but that "darn pooka" got me—it's not my fault." (Apparently pookas seemed to enjoy waiting for intoxicated men to exit pubs, only to sidle under their legs while they stumbled drunkenly about. The man would insist the last thing he remembered was being taken on a wild ride through the night and then thrown off the back of the pooka into a ditch! I wonder if that excuse really worked?)

A shameless nerd and lover of snark, Karen lives in western Washington, where she recently graduated from The Evergreen State College. She ripped off her hometown of Snohomish, WA for the fictional locale of Klikamuks, where Other takes place. When she’s not at her computer, writing, she’s probably out in the forest with her notebook, writing, or on a photography expedition with her trusty digital camera. She likes to imagine werewolves lurking among the trees.

Karen is represented by Sara Crowe at Harvey Klinger, Inc. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

Visit Karen Kincy's Official Website.

Book Review: Freaksville by Kitty Keswick

FREAKSVILLE BY KITTY KESWICK
Paperback: 328 Pages
Publisher: Leap Books (December 15, 2009)
Language: English

High school is hard enough when you’re normal. There’s peer pressure, book reports, the in crowd and the enormous zit that has a life of its own. Having a family whose skeletons in the closet lean toward the paranormal is not a topper on anyone’s list. Sophomore Kasey Maxwell is busy juggling the typical teen angst. Add visions, ghosts and hairy four-legged monsters into the mix and you get FREAKSVILLE. It’s a wonder Kasey has survived.

Every woman in the Maxwell family has the gift of sight. A talent sixteen-year-old Kasey would gladly give up. All she wants is a normal life. Shopping and talking about boys with her best friend and long-time sidekick Gillie Godshall consume her days. Until Kasey has a vision about Josh Johnstone, the foreign exchange student from England. The vision leads her into new waters, a lead in a play, a haunted theater…and into the arms of the Josh. Yet, both Kasey and Josh have secrets lurking in dark corners. Can Kasey’s new romance survive FREAKSVILLE?

When Kasey Maxwell has a disturbing vision about Josh, she begins following the foreign exchange student around school in an effort to help him. This sets in motion a chain of events that will bring to light long buried secrets and set Kasey on a new path. There are dark, dusty theater corridors to navigate around and the town itself is shadowed by four-legged supernatural creatures. Kasey is just learning to adapt and control her new found abilities. Can she learn to wield them well enough to keep the dangers of Freaksville away?

FREAKSVILLE is a unique novel, both in the storyline, well defined characters, artful little illustrations and blog format. Initially I was a bit thrown by the blog format of the book- Kasey’s posts were so personal, I couldn’t help but wonder whether a teenager would expose her most private moments and important secrets for the whole world to see. Private journal entry snippets revealed at the beginning of each chapter might have been more plausible to me. However, the posts themselves were so well written and entertaining, I enjoyed reading them and quickly became engrossed in the plot line.

Kasey’s voice was witty and I thought she made a strong protagonist. Gillie, her best friend was my second favorite character. I loved that there was no jealousy or competitiveness between the two best friends. The romantic elements between Josh and Kasey would make FREAKSVILLE a great book for younger teens, as their relationship was always age appropriate but never boring. The tension between Kasey’s family and the Johnstone clan added some depth to the plot line and I look forward to this aspect being explored in FURRY & FREAKED, the fabulously named sequel to FREAKSVILLE.

Purchase FREAKSVILLE HERE.

To learn more about the author, visit her official website and http://wolfychicks.blogspot.com/

Dream Life by Lauren Mechling and Giveaway!

DREAM LIFE BY LAUREN MECHLING
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (January 12, 2010)

Claire Voyante's first semester at Henry Hudson High School was eventful, to say the least. As she heads into her second semester, things are calming down a bit. But Claire has a few secrets that are getting harder to keep. Her biggest secret of all? The onyx and ivory cameo necklace her grandmother gave her for her 15th birthday. Ever since she started wearing it, her dreams have been coming to her in black and white and turning out to be oddly prophetic.

Becca’s been hanging out with her old prep school friends and never seems to have time for Claire anymore. And soon, Claire discovers why—there’s a secret group of society girls with a mysterious identity. And, turns out, a mysterious enemy who’s out to get them. The second she sniffs out trouble, Claire jumps on the case. But is it someone close to Claire who’s in danger again—or could it be Claire herself whose life is at stake?

Dream Life, the follow up to Dream Girl, finds Claire Voyante about to start her second semester at Henry Hudson High in posh Manhattan. But Claire’s life is anything but normal or calm for that matter. Ever since grandmother Kiki gave her a mysterious black onyx and ivory cameo necklace for her fifteen birthday, Claire’s grip on her prophetic visions have sharpened. Her dreams and penchant for solving a good mystery come into play when she is invited into The Blue Moons, a secret society of high society girls doing mysterious deeds in and around the colorful playground of Manhattan.

Claire was a very likable protagonist with her smarts and sleuthing skills. Her grandmother Kiki added a lot of humor to the book and I looked forward to her scenes in Dream Life. The references to real life New York City provided a lot of fun escapism with the upscale locations and made me want to plan a trip myself! I did, however, think it was a little implausible that teenage girls would be undertaking the types of missions that they were involved with, but Claire managed to make me laugh with her wit and charm.


Younger teens looking for an enthusiastic, fun ride will enjoy this light hearted read with its elements of suspense, romance and mystery in the Big Apple!

Purchase Dream Life HERE

Dream Life by Lauren Mechling -- Trailer from Richie Williams on Vimeo.

Lauren Mechling is the coauthor of all three 10th-Grade Social Climber books. She has written for the New York Times, Marie Claire, and Seventeen. She lives and writes in New York City. You can visit her at http://www.laurenmechling.com/.

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