I'm back. I think.

Do people still read this blog?

So, I'm a bit exhausted because finals week was just last week, so this weekend, I've been out celebrating with my friends. Since I have some free time, I thought I'd drop in to say hi.

I haven't really blogged ever since school started. Actually, I've barely read anything other than textbooks and literature books.

I've got something to confess: my high school is pretty nerdy. For those that aren't in high school, high school really is nothing like the movies at all. At least not for me. Most of the kids here are smart, EXTREMELY competitive, AP-taking students with loads of extracurriculars, including clubs, sports, and volunteering. I have to admit I'm one of them, which is exactly why I haven't been able to find the time to blog. School comes first, right? I swear I'm not bragging, but I'm the type of kid who has been in a gifted school since elementary; and from there, I've been taking honors classes all my life.

Anyway, I'm sorry for not posting in forever, but sophomore year is a lot more stressful than I had anticipated. At least English is anyway, which really turned me off to reading and writing (*gasps*). You've no idea how many all-nighters I've pulled just to finish all my homework. For the first time in my school career, I probably won't get straight A's because of English, so I'm a bit depressed. I was pretty close too at 88%. I mean it is a pretty hard class. Last year's valedictorian and the salutatorian at my school didn't ace their sophomore honors English class.

School starts tomorrow....whee...

Grades aside, I'm back (for today at least). I've forgotten how much I love reading and writing, and especially reviewing. (=

Pandora Gets Jealous by Carolyn Hennesy

Genre: Greek Mythology

Demi-god Pandora Atheneus Andromaeche Helena – you can just call her Pandy – is quite the procrastinator, a trait that most people can relate to. With only a day until her project is due, Pandora still hasn't found the perfect idea yet. For this project, she had to find an object that illustrated the enduring presence of gods in everyday life. Pressed with time and pressure to do well, she decides to bring a forbidden box belonging to her father, Prometheus. Prometheus was entrusted with this box by Zeus. If the seal of this box is opened, all the evils will flood into the world and cause immediate devastation. Pandy didn't think of the harm that could happen. After all, all she had to do was make sure that the box is never opened, right? Unfortunately, the worst-case scenario did happen, and now it is up to Pandy to capture all the evils before all humans are wiped out forever.

The story of Pandora's box was actually one of the first Greek myths I've ever read. I've never read a retelling of a Greek mythology before, but this was wonderful to read. For a retelling of a classic myth, the story was fresh and unexpected as well as effortlessly humorous. Pandy's voice gives it a fun and adolescent edge. She may be foolish at times, but she is determined to right her wrongs and take responsibility for her actions. Now, that is a character I can admire. The Greek gods became less formidable and more relatable after I was done reading; their witty banter with each other made them more humane. I also love how the author incorporated Greek terms into modern language, such as when straight-A students were described as straight-alpha students. This is a novel that completely hooks you in and doesn't let you go until the end, a must-read for Greek mythology lovers.

*Note: This was also reviewed for Book Divas.

Jo-Jo and the Fiendish Lot by Andrew Auseon

Genre: Supernatural

Jo-Jo Dyas thinks it's his fault when his girlfriend Violet is killed for dating him. Without Violet, his life is meaningless. Just as Jo-Jo was about to pull the trigger and end his sad, pathetic life forever, he meets a dead girl named Max. Max lives in the Afterlife, where she is the drummer for a band called the Fiendish Lot. Max convinces Jo-Jo that death is overrated and introduces him to the other members of her band. One thing led to another, Jo-Jo manages to land himself in the Afterlife as well. There, he must make something of his afterlife before he is lost forever.

Jo-Jo and the Fiendish Lot is a supernatural novel that candidly depicts grief, changes, depression, and all that jazz. The story really is a dark one, which is fitting for a novel about death. For a book about death, it really taught a lot about appreciating life. I did wish for a better ending for Jo-Jo though; but for the most part, I'm pleased with it. It wasn't too drastic, but it was in accordance to the events leading up to it. Jo-Jo may not have had a wonderful life, but at least he learned more about himself in the Afterlife. The plot seemed a bit slow at times, but it accelerated as the story progressed. For the most part, I love this novel, and I'm overjoyed that I had the chance to read it.

Throughout the story, Jo-Jo spends a great deal of his time moping about Violet, and this trait would've irritated me after awhile if the characters didn't reprimand him for sulking. The best thing about having the novel told from Jo-Jo's point of view is that his character is very well-developed. The story's told with an effortlessly natural voice, yet it is bizarrely innovative and imaginative.

Max was an exceptional character; you rarely encounter such a feisty and forthright character in literature. Ironically enough, she marches to the beat of her own drum; she says what she thinks, regardless of others' feelings. However, she is compassionate, a quality that shined through when she saved and hand-delivered all the sentimental things of the Afterlife residents. I found her to be a fantastic character foil to Jo-Jo.

What I love most is the descriptions about the band and their effects on the residents of the Afterlife. Music is an amazing thing; it cleanses the soul and helps you express yourself, as the characters came to find out.

It was also interesting how the characters of the Afterlife have their own lingo. For example, they sometimes add "like" to the end of words, using terms such as "great-like". It was slightly bothersome at first, but I quickly got used to it.

Lively, rhythmic, thrilling, and unusual, Jo-Jo and the Fiendish Lot is a special novel that you can rock out too.

*Note: This was also reviewed for HarperTeen First Look.

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

Genre: Supernatural

I've been waiting to post this review for awhile; but since I've decided I'm not going to read any further, I'll just post it now.

-------------

While surfing the internet about what the Breaking Dawn cover might mean, I came across this explanation: "Chess is long and boring, and so is BD."

I couldn't have put it better myself. Since most fans have read this book already, there's no point in keeping this review spoiler-free.

The books diminished in quality as the series wore on. Twilight was what hooked me to the series, though I had felt that it was only mediocre for such a popular book. New Moon was somewhat as good as Twilight, though I didn't like it initially. Eclipse was so dull I can barely remember what happened in it now that I'm reflecting back. Just when you think it can't get any worse than Eclipse, it did. I absolutely hated Breaking Dawn. After reading it, I'm done putting up with shoddy writing.

Breaking Dawn was composed of three parts. The first and last part was in Bella's perspective, while the middle was in Jacob's voice. I actually like hearing from Jacob's point of view rather than Bella's; I especially liked the blonde jokes against Rosalie. That was one of the few redeeming qualities of this book – probably the only redeeming quality.

In the last book of the Twilight series, Bella's adventures with vampires is finally wrapped up – too wrapped up, I might add. Meyer tried too hard to give everyone a happy ending while incorporating in ludicrous twists that the book turned out to be an epic failure. Everything about it was overdone: the descriptions (especially the birth scene…ugh), the plot, the surprises, and the characters. The plot was really dull and dragged for far too long. I got tired of reading about Bella's baby, who probably shouldn't have existed in the first place. Unfortunately, that was the main focus of the book.

It always bothered me that Edward was around a century older than Bella, even if he looks seventeen physically. What's worse was when Jacob imprinted on Nessie, Bella and Edward's child. Don't you think it would be awfully wrong if you fell in love with the child of the person you used to love? I quit reading a little after Bella recovered and discovered that Jacob had imprinted on Nessie. The book was so painful to get through I had no choice but to put it down, and I haven't picked it up since.

I've never read a book filled with so much immoral messages until Breaking Dawn, and I highly doubt I'll be reading anymore Twilight after this.

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

Genre: Supernatural

Chloe Saunders could hardly believe it when she starts seeing ghosts. How could it be possible? Pushing the thought from her mind, she went on with her life – at least until a brief scuffle with a terrifying ghost lands her in Lyle's house, an asylum for special teens. There, she meets kids that seem normal at firsthand but are more extraordinary than she could ever have imagined. Chloe soon realizes that to be able to leave, she must try to be normal as possible despite the abnormal things that soon starts taking place…

Despite the supernatural element of the story, Chloe's skepticism towards the fact that she could see ghosts makes it realistic. At one point in the story, she even believed she was schizophrenic.

Another defining quality of Chloe is that she narrates the story in a movie director sort of perspective. What I mean by this is that she compares her life to film. It made her views so much more interesting. After all, she was a theater arts student before she was admitted into the asylum.

Chloe is an amazing protagonist. She never stops questioning herself and others; she's determined to find the truth. However, she has insecurities that inhibit her, and that makes her all the more enchanting.

The Summoning is dead-on in terms of character development and interactions, suspense, and plot. The teens at Lyle House are all well sketched-out, and that helped advance the plot as well. The dialogue, which I believed to be the novel's greatest strength, is so real you can easily believe that the characters are actual teenagers. Using a moderate pace helped with character growth; however, it gains much energy and suspense as mysterious events and connections start unraveling. This novel never stops surprising you.

There's absolutely no negative thing I can comment on about this book. I wouldn't be surprised to see The Summoning on a bestsellers list. I absolutely adore this book, and I'm looking forward to the next book of the series.

Jumble Pie - Women's Fiction

I just remember about an offer I received about a book, and since I don't have time to review a lot of books right now, I thought some of you might be interested.

Here's what the email says:

Hello!

We thought you and your readers might like to receive a free full-length novel, Jumble Pie, a heartwarming story about two women, a friendship, and a pie. The author has two published novels (Penguin Putnam) and is providing this as a thank-you to readers!

"JUMBLE PIE is the story of the elusive nature of friendship, sometimes clinging, other times liberating; a story for any woman who has ever lied to her best friend just to make her feel better - and who has been brave enough to tell the truth, even when it hurts. And of course, it's a story about the remarkable healing power of pie."

Please visit http://www.melanielynnehauser.com/JumblePie to request a copy.

Here We Go

Hey guys!

I thought I'd check in to see how the reviewing world is doing (read: I'm procrastinating).

One thing I didn't expect was how hard school was going to be this year! School has really taken over my life, and therefore I haven't had time to read and review as much as I did during the summer. *sighs*

Anyway, I decided to review a couple of books this weekend, so expect that to come soon.

That's all for now.