Category: Reviews-Zondervan

PUB DATE: February 17,2009

This is the second book in the series. Maya is one year older in this book. She still wants a normal life. Maya is dealing with the difficulties of being a Christian, trying to live a normal life, living with her uncle and cousin, having a boyfriend and a rebelous friend Marissa.

We find out that Shannon, Maya’s mother is in prison for possession. Her father is touring in Europe with his band. Living with her uncle and cousin, Maya is beginning to feel as though she is a normal teenager. Things feel as though they are coming together for Maya. She is still thinking about the emancipation cause she is worried about when Shannon gets out of prison.

Maya begins her summer vacation and her art teacher has suggested that Maya paint a mural. She agrees to do it and enlists the help of Marissa who is going to help out as part of her community service hours. Realizing she needs more help she asks Caitlin if she could ask around the church so Caitlin gets four kids from youth group to help out.

Things are going good for Maya. She is working and her father bought her a hybrid car so that she is able to get around. Just as things are looking up for Maya she discovers she is being sued by Brooke and her family. Brooke fell while she was helping with the mural. From the fall she got up and said she was okay and refused to go to the hospital. When she discovers who Maya’s father is she fakes her injuries. While Maya find out that Brooke is faking her injuries?

After the mural is done Maya and Dominic beginning dating and Maya feels that things are getting serious fast so she panics and breaks up with Dominic. Will Maya regret breaking up with Dominic?

Marissa is Maya’s best friend and she is the party girl who likes to have fun and drink. Up until now Marissa has always been lucky but her luck as run out she is in a serious car accident. She almost dies from her head injuries. Will Marissa survive this and finally see that its wrong to drink and drive?

Maya uncle is really impressed with Maya and her going green that he offers her a spot in the paper to write a Green column and before she knows it she is offered a spot on tv. Will Maya decide to do it?

I am really looking forward to book three in this series, if there is a book three. I checked Melody’s site and there is no mention of a new book..yet! I enjoyed this book and there was more going green tips at the end of each chapter.

PUB DATE: July 2008

This is another great start of a series for Melody Carlson. I am really enjoying reading Melody Carlson’s books. What I really liked about this book was the green tips Maya offered at the end of each chapter on what to do to make your living environment greener.

For me I am thankful to live in an area where last summer we were provide bins to compost food, grass etc. I never realized how much we threw in the garbage until I started composting. Instead of throwing about 4 bags of garbage out weekly I am down to one small bag. Plus I am a big time recycler.

A Not So Simple Life is book one in the series of Diary of a Teenage Girl. Its about Maya Stark. She is a 15 year old girl who appears to have it all, famous parents, money, and a Beverly Hills lifestyle. Her dad was a 80s pop star who is making a comeback. (Does that sound familiar? It seems so many popstars seem to be making a comeback these days doesn’t it?)

When you really look into Maya’s life you realize its not as perfect as it appears. Maya is not happy. She is trying to get emancipated from her parents. More so her mother. Her parents are divorced. Her dad is away on tour and has very little time for Maya. Her mother drinks and does drugs. So any money Maya’s father sends her mother takes it to support her habit. Her mother will vanish for days on end leaving Maya alone to fend for herself sadly Maya is use to it and manages to get along just fine. Maya is mature beyond her years.

Realizing that in order to get emancipated Maya needs to make sure she has money in her bank account to show a judge she will be able to support herself. Maya gets a job at a chic boutique on Rodeo Drive. While working there she is approached by a woman who works at a Ralph Lauren store. From there she is told she could model. Realizing she could make money she decides to go ahead and begins to work as a model. Maya saves about ten thousand dollars and its all in her account until one day she goes to deposite a check when she realizes there is a mistake. Maya has only about a thousand left. Her mother took the money. Maya is furious. She goes home, her mother is gone and she starts looking around. She realizes that her mother found the paper work on the emancipation.

Maya is furious so she calls her father and tells him everything. She tells him she is going to kill herself but she doesn’t really. When Maya’s mother finally comes home Maya confronts her about stealing the money and her mother is like its our money not just yours. This angers Maya so they start fighting. Thankfully before it can get to physical her dad storms in. Her dad tells her to pack her things cause she is going with him. Things are fun on the tour until Maya realizes its getting old fast.

Figuring out what to do they come up with the plan for Maya to go live with her uncle Allen and cousin Kim. Her father will send money for her to live in and she likes that idea.

This story continues in book 2 Its A Green Thing: Diary of a teenage girl.

PUB DATE: February 1, 2009
GENRE: YA

This is the 5th book in the series. Book 6 is called New York Debut and is coming out in May 2009. I can’t wait to read it. There is a total of 8 books in this series. I couldn’t find the titles or release dates for books 7 and 8. Hopefully fans of this series won’t have to wait too long for them to be released.

Lost in Las Vegas opens up with the girls getting ready for the Winter Ball. They all have dates except DJ. Connor has asked DJ but she has said no she doesn’t want to upset Haley. Finally Taylor talks to DJ and convinces DJ that she can’t let Haley dictact who she can and can’t see. Hearing this DJ begins to think that Taylor is right so she calls Connor and they go to the ball together. Haley is in a treatment center.

Katherine asks all the girls what their plans are for Christmas. Eliza is going to Kentuck to visit family and then her and her siblings will fry to France, Taylor is going to Las Vegas with her mother who will be doing shows there, Kriti is going to NY because she has family coming in from India,Rhiannon is going to Maine to see an aunt and her mother might be able to get out of rehab for the holiday, Casey is going to California and DJ is going to stay with Katherine. She doesn’t want to go to her fathers cause she doesn’t want to spend her holiday as a live in baby sitter. She is looking forward to having Carter House to herself.

Taylor calls DJ from Las Vegas telling that she is lonely and wants DJ to come and keep her company. DJ is also lonely and jumps at the chance to go. Once DJ finally makes it there Taylor’s and her opinion of fun are two different things. DJ things you can have fun without alcohol but Taylor thinks otherwise. She is into fake id’s, dancing with strangers and drinking.

When DJ bails early one night she wakes up to find that Eliza is there. Apparently Taylor called her when DJ got stuck at the airport. They attempt to make a girls outing but by evening that plan is blown out of the water and Taylor and Eliza go out and party.

DJ is constantly praying for Taylor. When DJ is down at the pool swimming she meets a guy named Terrance. He is a Christian and in Las Vegas with his father celebrating his 50th bday. DJ talks to him about Taylor and they exchange numbers in case she needs him. DJ comes back from her swim to find Taylor in the bathroom sick and hung over DJ worries about her. Eva, Taylor’s mother knows about her drinking. She is worried too. The only thing is that both Eva and DJ have no idea why she is drinking and how much she is drinking.

Hours later DJ finally confronts Taylor and lets her know how worried she is about Taylor. Finally Taylor admits to DJ the reason for her drinking and tells DJ just how much she is drinking. DJ is shocked to hear this. DJ tells her about Terrance and Taylor agrees to meet him. Taylor talks to Terrance and admits that she needs help and he gets her into a special rehab for teens and he admits that he had a problem too and that they helped him. Taylor tells her mother and she signs Taylor into rehab. Arrangements are made for the following day.

What makes Taylor drink? How much does she actually drink? Will she go into rehab?

PUB DATE: October 2008
GENRE: YA

This is the fourth book in the series. It begins where Homecoming Queen ended. DJ’s name was added to the Homecoming Queen ballot. Taylor has offered to help DJ get a dress for the parade. Haley is happy for DJ and offers Connor as her escort but DJ says no. Caleb, the life guard at the pool offers to take DJ. DJ is crowned homecoming Queen.

DJ isn’t able to bask in the glory of being crowned homecoming queen because her grandmother wants them to focus on the fashion show the following day. DJ tries her best to get out of it but her grandmother won’t hear of it because DJ will bring attention to the event cause she was crowned homecoming queen and the fact that she still is a local celebrity.

DJ takes one of her pills and goes to take a nap she is hoping that she will sleep through the whole think but no such luck when Taylor wakes her up to get ready. The girls get together to help DJ. The make it too Kellie’s Tavern just in time.

Eliza is the first girl out and on her way back DJ is next but Eliza is jealous of all the attention DJ is getting so she trips DJ and makes DJ fall off the run way. Taylor saw the whole thing and confronts Eliza. The girls begin to fight about it. Finally order is restored and the fashion show continues.

DJ is happy when the fashion show is over and is excited that things will get back to normal but its short lived when more drama comes her way in the form of Haley. Connor has broken up with Haley telling her he still cares about DJ. Connor tells DJ but DJ tells Connor they can only be friends. She is still hurt from when she broke up with Connor and he went to Haley.

Haly and her friends conspire to make DJ pay for the break up. They are angry and start to make DJ’s life hell. Things get worse when DJ is invited to join the swim team. She has earned a spot as a strong swimmer which only makes Haley angry. DJ suddenly starts to get some anonymous threatening text messages. She is scared but does nothing about it except delete the messages from her phone.

When Katherine makes an announcement to the girls that The General is taking them to Vermont for the weekend they are all excited and make plans and shop for it. They are prepared to leave on the Friday but DJ says she can’t go cause she has a swim meet that day. Connor has offered to drive her up since he is going to. Harry and the boys are going to Harry’s parents place for the weekend. On the way up Connor and DJ encounter car problems and are forced to spend the night together. DJ tells Taylor and Taylor spreads the gossip that they spent the night together. Word gets back to Haley about this and she is so mad that she attempts to take her life.

Will DJ uncover who is sending her the anonymous messages?

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?