Category: Challenges (past)

**Homecoming Queen Review

Posted on by Cindy


PUB DATE: October 2008
GENRE: YA

This is the third book in the Carter House Girls Series. It picks up where Stealing Bradford ended.

Taylor is still missing. No one knows where Taylor is or if she is okay. DJ is awoken one night to a noise. Her bedroom door slowly opens and closes quietly. DJ calls out Taylor’s name. She sees Taylor and demands to know where she was.

DJ tries to mend things between Casey and Taylor. Taylor has found out that Casey was the one who did the Myspace page. If Taylor presses charges Casey is in trouble. Taylor doesn’t press charges when Rhiannon offers her her part in the school’s play. Rhiannon had the lead role.

After soccer practice one day Connor and Garrison stop to talk to DJ and Casey. Garrison kind of likes Casey. Casey is looking off and DJ is a little annoyed so she looks off to where Casey is looking. DJ sees a little boy about to be hit by an oncoming SUV so DJ throws herself in the way. The little boy is okay but DJ has a broken leg, bruised ribs and bruises all over. After surgery as DJ is being pushed into her room she sees a camera crew there. DJ discovers she is the center of attention and being called a hero. The little boy she saved was her coach’s son.

Taylor plays nurse to DJ and DJ is not one hundred percent sure of Taylor’s motives. She thinks Taylor is up to something. Suddenly DJs pain medication comes up short and accuses Taylor. Taylor denies it and she tells DJ that she thinks Casey has taken them. DJ doesn’t believe her so she rehides them in a different spot. In the new spot they still come up short. DJ begins to think that maybe Casey did take them. She gets the girls together and they set up an intervention to confront Casey. Casey admits to taking the pills and offers to go for help.

Katherine has told the girls that they will be in a fashion show that will be happening homecoming weekend. Taylor and Eliza are both running for homecoming Queen.

While DJ is still having a hard time dealing with the crutches. She finds out that Connor’s old girlfriend has returned to town. She befriends DJ. DJ is having a hard time dealing with things and her own insecurities about Connor and haley. She breaks up with Connor.

At school an announcement is made about homecoming. Through a write in DJ’s name has been added.

Who will win Homecoming Queen?

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

**Stealing Bradford Review

Posted on by Cindy


PUB DATE: May 2008
GENRE: YA

This is the second book in the Carter House Girls Series. It picks up where Mixed Bags ended. This is why you have to read the series in order. They aren’t stand alone books.

All the girls are starting to settle in and there are some friendships that are starting to develop. The girls are in school. Its a new school for them and they don’t know anyone apart from each other and a few boys. They are all fitting in except Casey. She is getting picked on by the kids at school. They are picking on her for the way she looks and dresses. Will Casey be able to change so that she can fit in?

Taylor is drawn to the boys and she doesn’t care if anyone else likes them. She has given up on persuing Connor and now has her sights set on Bradford. Rhiannon’s boyfriend. Will Taylor manage to get her claws into Bradford and ruin his relationship with Rhiannon?

DJ realizes that Casey is in trouble when she walks by Casey and girls who are threatening to beat her up. The girls manage to offer Casey some fashion advise and how to dress more presentable. Will Casey decide to give up her old look for something new?

Eliza is still dating Harry and she plots to get Bradford back for Rhiannon and away to Taylor. Will her plan work or will it backfire?

Connor gives DJ a like to a myspace page about Taylor. Taylor has no idea about the page. In computer lab DJ and Eliza look at the page and so does the rest of the class. Taylor sees the page and runs out crying. The Myspace page has pictures of Taylor. The pictures are pretty bad. Who did this any why?

This book was pretty good. I am really enjoying the series. It makes for a quick read.

What will happen next in the Carter House Girls Series? Check back tomorrow for Homecoming Queen Review. Book three in the series.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

**Mixed Bags Book 1 Review

Posted on by Cindy


GENRE: YA
PUB DATE: May 2008

This is the first book in the Carter House Girls Series. When you read this series I have to warn you that you have to read it from the beginning because the books start off where the previous book finished.

After DJ’s mom died she goes to live with her grandmother Katherine Carter. Her grandmother is a retired model from the 60’s. She use to live with her father but left once she realized that she was a built in full time babysitter for her step siblings.

Mrs Carter has decided to open a boarding house for wealthy pretty girls. She plans to teach them how to be proper ladies who care about how they look. Although DJ has no interest in this she would rather play sports.

Slowly the girls begin to arrive at Carter House they Begin to figure how they will all fit in and make it work. The girls are all different in one way or other.

Rhiannon use to be the neighbor to Mrs Carter but was forced to move away but she is back while her mother is in rehab. She is a devoted Christian with limited funds. She has an interest in designing clothes and makes her own things.

Casey use to be DJ’s best friend. The girls mother’s were best friends. DJ barely recognizes her cause her look as changed so much and she has the attitude of I don’t care what you think of me. She is dressing Goth and has issues.

Eliza is the rich girl who drives a Porsche and has all the top names in fashion designers. She knows whats in. Her parents are in Europe and sent her to the school because they feared for her safety in Europe if she was to go with them.

Taylor the author rich girl of the group. Her mother is a famous jazz singer. She walks in the door with attitude and she isn’t happy to be there. Her father is an alcholic.

The last girl Kriti. Her father has a leg business of selling knock off items such as top name designer handbags.

DJ and Connor are friends and they discover that they like each other. Then Taylor buts in and DJ feels threatened so she asks Eliza for help. She thinks that if she looks prettier that Connor will be more interested. So Eliza helps her out. The head to the beach and Taylor is jealous and will go out of her way to embarrass DJ. DJ takes off and jumps into the ocean. Connor thinks that DJ is drowning and goes in after her. When he gets to her he lets her know that he likes her and they kiss. DJ is happy.

Until the get invited by Harry ,Eliza’s boyfriend, to his end of summer party. DJ spots Connor dancing with Taylor. DJ is so upset she takes off.

Will Taylor get Connor away from DJ? Will these girls ever get along?

Thanks to Zondervan for sending me this series to read. I really enjoyed the book and can’t wait to share my reviews with you of the other books in the series.

This is the author of the week that I will be featuring all week and her series the Carter House Girls. Melody Carlson is the author of numerous books for adults and young adults.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

**The Crazy School Review

Posted on by Cindy


PUB DATE January 2008

Thank you to Miriam at Hachette for sending me this to read and review.

I really think before you read this you should read A Field Of Darkness. As the book picks up from where that left off. I didn’t know that when I was reading it and I have to say some of the info about Madeline was confusing. She killed people in the previous book.

The story takes place in 1989 in Berkshires with is in Western Massachusetts at Santangelo Academy. Santangelo is a school for troubled teens. Madeline is working at the school teaching history cause she needs the job. Her husband has been out of work since the moved there. The school is like a prison for the students and the teachers because of the list of crazy rules that David has put forth. The purpose of the strict rules is too keep everyone in their place. Smoking and drinking coffee is not allowed on the school grounds. The kids at the school come from wealthy families and they are sent to Santangelo as a last resort before they end up in jail or asylums.

David the founder of the school is not only the creator of the crazy rules but he also makes students, teachers and parents attend therapy sessions and has staff meetings daily. The teachers who live at the school are resposnible for not only teaching but handing out medication to the students, monitor dorms and punish the students with severe forms of punishment even if its a minor thing. If the students misbehave they are sent to “The Farm”

There is two students who get into trouble, Fay (she is pregnant) and Mooney who is her boyfriend. When Mooney puts his hand through the window in confides in Madeline and makes her promise not to tell anyone for a few days until they can figure things out and she agrees. Mooney and Fay are sent to The Farm. The day after Fays 18th birthday Fay and Mooney are found dead. Everyone assumes it was a suicide pact but Madeline thinks differently. She makes accusations that it was Gerald who did it and before Madeline knows it she is the prime suspect because the evidence points to her.

Realizing that she was set up she fights back to prove it wasn’t her. Her lawyer warns her not to discuss the case with anyone. (You and I both know that if she did follow the lawyers warning there would be no story really.) The lawyer has a team working the case to find out all they can about Gerald but there is some gaps that Madeline is trying to fill in. She talks to Gerald and he tells her that he is looking into the killing of his sister a few years ago that took place at the school. Gerald shows Madeline what he has uncovered and before you realize it the killer has killed Gerald to make it look like he killed himself. The killer forces Madeline to the roof and wants her to jump to make it look like she killed herself.

Who is the killer? Will Madeline survive?

I know..do you? If you want to know then I suggest you pick up both books to find out.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

**Kisses and Lies Review

Posted on by Cindy


GENRE: YA
PUB DATE: January 2009

This is the second book in the series. The first book is called Kiss Me Kill Me. I suggest that you read the first book first just so you have an idea of what has happened and who is who. The book picks up where Kiss Me Kill Me left off.

Scarlett is determined to find out who killed Dan and why. She continues her gymnastics and she uses what she has learned to get her out of sticky situations. This made the book a little interesting when she got into them and you would wonder how she would get out.

Scarlett and Taylor are still friends. Taylor is an American girl who is tough, smart and quick moving. She wants to be a private investigator when she is out of school.

As Scarlett continues on her investigation clues and suspects are coming to light. On a whim Scarlett contacts Dan’s parents wanting to meet them and bring something that Dan gave her. Which really isn’t true. She gets a call from Dan’s mother and she invites Scarlett to come to their castle in Scotland. She comes up with a story for her grandmother and heads to Scotland. When she finally gets off the train she thinks she sees Dan’s ghost in reality its only Dan’s twin brother that she didn’t know he was. She finally gets to see Dan’s room and looks for something small to take so she can give it to his parents.

I hate to say much more cause I will end up giving it away but Who killed Dan and why?

For some reason I really enjoyed the first book more. I think the reason I didn’t really like this one was because things seemed to be a little too far fetched and it seemed to drag on in places.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

**Kiss Me Kill Me Review

Posted on by Cindy


GENRE: YA
PUB DATE: January 2008

This is the first book in the series.

Scarlett the main character is 16 years old. She is a student at St Tabby’s. Its a private school in London, England. Scarlett is a gymnast.

Her and her friends are not in any clic. One day after gymnastics while waiting for a ride outside. Scarlett is approach by Plum and her clic and they invite Scarlett over so they can talk to her. Her friends are mad that Scarlett turned her back on them and the 5 year friendship they had. Scarlett gets invited the one of the girls parties.

When she arrives at the party she spots Dan McAndrews her crush. Dan is popular and a star athlete at the private boys school. Dan and Scarlett go outside to be alone and he asks Scarlett to do a gymnastic routine. Unsure at first she finally agrees to do something for him. Scarlett has always wanted to kiss Dan and finally gets the chance. They kiss and then the next thing is Dan is gasping for air. Scarlett screams for help but its too late Dan has died in her arms.

The police investigate and nothing is revealed. She gets harassed and called names such as Kiss of Death. She is forced to leave St Tabby’s and her grandmother brings her to her school Wakefield Hall.

Then one day at Wakefield Hall an anonymous note appears in her desk saying she wasn’t responsible for Dan’s death. Confused by the note and curious to find out what really happened to Dan and who killed him leads Scarlett on a mission to find out what really happened and who is responsible.

Who killed Dan and why? Read the next book in the series called Kisses and Lies.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

Across the Pond Review

Posted on by Cindy


PUB DATE: September 2008
GENRE: YA Romance

I have to start off by thanking Dorothy at Pump Up Your Promo for inquiring if I would be interested in reading this and to Barry AKA Storyheart for sending me the book. I really enjoyed reading the book. It was such a cute story about love and friendship.

The book starts with Fred who is 15 years old and he is on a plane on his way to America. He is going to go and visit friends of his parents. His parents are away on holiday in Australia. They won a contest for two and were unable to take Fred. Fred had the choice of either going to Scotland to visit his grandparents or to America. He chose America.

Fred has a hard time understanding the American culture and some of the language they use. There is some differences in the words that they use in England and the words used here. For example: Dummy in England is a Pacifier here and Eggplant here is Auborgine there.

Fred is in love with Brittany (the daughter of his parents friends). He sees how quiet Brit gets when Steve shows up and starts threatening them. She confides in Fred about what has happened. They set out to seek revenge for what he has do to her and her friends. He wants to make sure that once he goes back to England that Brit and her friends will be safe and out of trouble.

Brit’s parents take them both to a baseball game. The Mets vs The Braves. During the game Fred catches Chip Evans 500th hit. No sooner has it caught the ball he is hit with offers of how much does he want for that ball. They make a quick getaway. Fred won’t sell the ball for any amount of money. The rep for the Braves makes contact with Fred and Fred makes him an offer he can’t refuse. Fred wants to make sure that Brittany won’t forget about him when he goes home.

There is so many great points to the book that I am dying to share with you but I don’t want to give away too much of the book. Its a really cute book that I suggest you go out and get.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.