Kiss Me, Kill Me

Kiss Me, Kill Me

written by Lauren Henderson

While I am not a fan of the marketing angle taken from this book (Really? A book called "Kiss Me, Kill Me" with a trashy romance novel cover?), I will concede that it wasn't the story I expected. I thought it would be mindless trashy romance, and for that reason, it took me a while to get into the story. I was thankfully proven wrong. Kiss Me, Kill Me is much more an action/mystery novel than a romance novel, sort of Ally Carter with a regrettable little bit of Gossip Girl mixed in. Some of the storytelling was a little bit shaky, not too compelling, focusing a little more on the life of a rich socialite than anything else, but overall, I was pleasantly surprised. I was, yet again, disappointed to see that the story was stretched out to fit a series, but like Ally Carter said at LitDay, if a series is going to be stretched out, romance cannot be the driving force, and I'm glad Lauren Henderson took that route in her storytelling. I won't be looking for the sequel, but I also won't say I regret reading the book. It's not something you're going to sit down to read when you're looking for deep content, but as far as fluff reads go, not too bad.

Rating: 3.5/5

Wherever Nina Lies

Wherever Nina Lies
written by Lynn Weingarten



If there's one thing I've got to say about this book, it's that it's misleading marketed. Look at the cover. Does it scream "plot-twisty horror thriller" to you? The cut-out ransom letters do look suspicious, but the color-scheme just makes the book look like another fluffy teen YA. NOT SO. (Although I actually do really love the cover, I just find it misleading.) I'm in no way saying that John Green's Paper Towns was a gender-specific book, but this really read like a version of Paper Towns (plus creepyness) written specifically for girls. You have the John Green-esque road trip combined with really great writing, throw in a spooky disappearance, and you get this fantastic book. So, you know, it's late at night and I sit down to read some fluff fiction. This story ends with me staying up far too late, scared out of my mind, but absolutely unable to put the book down. It delves right in to the story, setting everything up very quickly and in a captivating way. The suspense holds up throughout the whole novel, and makes for a really intense read. Mixed in with the intense suspense are plenty of really heartwarming moments focusing on relationships, friendships, and all kinds of connections we are capable of forming as human beings. Following the clues along with the main characters is a blast, and has the reader theorizing throughout the book. There were some minor moments that did appear to be conveniently contrived for the purposes of moving the mystery along, but even those were pretty easy to read past without getting too worked up about it. I just loved the unpredictability of everything that happened, and I can definitively say this this is one of my favorite YA mysteries.

Rating: 5/5

I got this book from...:A contest

The Westing Game

The Westing Game
written by Ellen Raskin



What can I say? I love this book. I love the tone, I love the characters, I love the plot, I love the plot twists. If there is a perfect book in this world, this is it. It's quirky in its humor, catchy in its suspense, drawing the reader right in and refusing to release them. There's nothing typical about this unique Newbery winner. The Westing Game takes the phrase 'diverse characters' to a whole new level. The mystery itself is so absorbing, the clues are there all along, but they're hidden so well and laid out so subtly within the text, and you're so immersed in the story that you, along with the other characters, suspect everyone. The format is great, too, short, snappy sections that are the perfect length. Everything comes together for a satisfying resolution, but the novel and its contents never leave your thoughts.

Rating: 5/5

I got this book from...:Chatham University's Jennie King Mellon Library

The Mysterious Disappearance of Leon (I Mean Noel)

The Mysterious Disappearance of Leon (I Mean Noel)
written by Ellen Raskin



The Mysterious Disappearance of Leon (I Mean Noel) is an amazing book that can be equally enjoyed by adults and children alike. Adults reading the book see more layers to it than the kids, but the read is just as mysterious and enjoyable (although the idea of marriage at that young an age will be a squicky one). If you have read Ellen Raskin's Westing Game, and even if you haven't, this is a book you really need to get your hands on. I've read some of her other books, but absolutely nothing compares to these two classics. This one comes fully equipped with hysterical characters and plenty of footnotes. It's adorably quirky without trying too hard. Every thing, every hilarious incident, is narrated casually and in a way that just makes it all funnier. Everything is so tantalizingly cryptic, and at times, downright confusing, but it's a huge relief when everything really falls into place and you realize that every event that was narrated is somehow connected to the big picture scheme. Other than all that, it's a very readable book. The chapters are divided up into small sections and just style-wise, it's an easy but really worthwhile read. It really emphasizes the reason why we love Ellen Raskin so much--plot twists and surprises everywhere! The other really nice thing is that the mystery is not at all obvious. Nobody would ever suspect the outcome, but it's such a compelling one! It's got snark, puzzles, humor, definitely not just a kids' book. It is also really nice, at the end, to get closure from all of the characters, so I do appreciate it when authors like Raskin do things like that.

Rating: 5/5

Pale Phoenix

Pale Phoenix
written by Kathryn Reiss



I really don't know why I never noticed this when I read them before, but Kathryn Reiss's books are just so predictable. True, they are full of those wacky plot twists that you would never see coming, but for the most part, you can see things coming from miles away! Maybe it's just that I'm not in the target age range anymore, or the fact that these are rereads, but I still feel as if too much information is given, or not so much information as constant hinting. It's still pretty amazing in Pale Phoenix how she's constructed this great new plot, and yes, predictable as it is, it's still not something you'll find written by anyone else, completely original and new ideas. It's also great to see the continuity between this and Pale Phoenix, particularly the budding relationship between Dan and Miranda. The characters start off as your standard dull characters, but throughout the book, you see the characters evolve in front of your eyes, and it's a pretty neat thing to see. My one other complaint somewhat goes along with the predictableness--everything is a bit too convenient. Here they are, stuck in a perilous situation with apparently no way out, but wait, wait, look, there's the completely random solution that nobody ever would have thought of because it's completely convoluted, but here it is, it seems to have just randomly popped into my head! It gets very annoying, but it does provide for a satisfying ending.

Rating: 3.5/5

I Am The Messenger

I Am The Messenger
written by Markus Zusak



Markus Zusak's I Am the Messenger is a poetic tale, masterfully crafted to be honest, but realistically unrealistic. The plot is set up in a thoroughly original way, unraveling a mystery through a deck of cards. The characters, too, have their original traits, letting the reader really see the beauty that exists in ugly. While everything is a little hard to believe (would people really be that happy to receive help from a stranger, with no questions, taking these symbolic gestures so emotionally, knowing exactly how they were meant to be interpreted?), the message is one that will resonate long after the book has been put down, with a truly empowering ending. However, while the message of random acts of kindness is a strong and resonating one, I have discovered that much of the plot is not. After reading this book twice now, I still can barely remember one clue from the next, and everything blurs together. It is still completely worth the read, as once you're in, you're in, and you won't be able to put this stellar book down.

Rating: 5/5

Paperquake

Paperquake
written by Kathryn Reiss



This book is both highly unique and easy to relate to at the same time, as Kathryn Reiss is quite a genius at writing stories with both qualities. It is very interesting to read a story about triplets, as opposed to the standard twin stories. The dynamic is completely different and Violet's take on being an outsider, a 'Baby' was truly insightful. It's the mix of genres that sells this book to me. I very publicly despise Historical Fiction novels, but this isn't really a HF book. It certainly has those elements with the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, but there's plenty of mystery along the way, as well as your typical YA realism, a girl growing up and making her way through life. There's something for everyone and it's truly great, Reiss seamlessly blends all these great genres together. As well as weaving genres together, the storylines are beautifully interconnected, with a big end reveal that was well worth the wait. There's not enough praise I can shower upon this book--it really doesn't get the recognition it deserves--from the great characters to the amazing title. The only complaint I really have is a nitpicky format one-the text is obnoxiously tiny, but that's just my copy.

Rating: 5/5

Getting the Girl: A Guide to Private Investigation, Surveillance, and Cookery

reading next: The Adoration of Jenna Fox

Getting the Girl
written by Susan Juby



The thing about mysteries is that the writing can be absolutely stellar, but if the big reveal sucks, the whole book seems pointless. That is the central problem about Getting the Girl. Mack is an awesome narrator, the kind of guy you think doesn't really exist in real life. The whole story is incredibly unique and convoluted (in a good way). I'm reading this and thinking, "Wow. Susan Juby sure has gone a long way since Alice, I Think." And then, in a totally anticlimactic way, the Defiler is revealed, and it all seems like a waste of time. Why bother? It was nothing shocking, nothing to provoke thought, nothing that would warrant an emotional response of any kind. I was having so much fun theorizing, only to have it be the most boring result possible. Yawn. And the thing is, there are so many great characters she's created that could and would have been better as the perp, and she doesn't pick any of them. What if it had been Vanessa? Or Dini herself? How much more amazing would that have been to read? So, good writing, good characters, but horribly flat ending that really reveals nothing at all about the problems in the high school hierarchy.

Rating: 4/5