Holly's Inbox: Scandal in the City by Holly Denham

I really enjoyed Holly's Inbox, published in 2009, so when I saw there was a sequel, I knew I needed to read it.
Holly's still working at DK Huerst (the bank) as a receptionist, and she's still with Toby, though it's a bit awkward as he spends a great deal of time in France for work so Holly feels like she rarely sees him. It definitely causes a strain in their relationship.
The rest of the cast of characters have returned as well: Trisha, the veteran receptionist Holly sits next to but can't speak with; Marie, the switchboard operator; Claire, the slightly ditsy upper floor receptionist; friends Jason and Aisha; and family. Holly's also faced with new challenges, including Tanya Mason, head of catering services at the company, with whom things turn ugly when Tanya shows interest in Toby.
One of Holly's biggest challenges is when she's temporarily made Front of House manager (managing the room reservations and the receptionists). She's excited and nervous about this advancement, even though it could be only temporary, but does her best to ensure it becomes a permanent position. Nothing is ever as easy as she would like it to be (and it wouldn't make for interesting reading otherwise) but Holly handles it the best she can.
Holly matures a bit in this book; her relationship with Toby makes her excited about taking on the challenge of the new job and wanting to excel at it, and other changes in her personal life cause her to rethink much of what she's done and thought before.
I really enjoy how quickly the book moves, since it's written in all emails. It's fast, it's breezy reading, it's light and enjoyable. I wanted something different to read since I've been reading so many dystopian novels lately and Holly's Inbox: Scandal in the City definitely fit that bill. I'm hoping there's another book to follow up with Holly's life because I'm really enjoying knowing her.

Withering Tights by Louise Rennison

Georgia Nicolson's stories may be at an end, but fans need not fret: this summer will see the release of Withering Tights, the first in Louise Rennison's new series.
Tallulah Casey, fourteen and a half, never had a boyfriend, never been kissed, is away to Dother Hall in Yorkshire for part of her summer break. Tallulah wants to be in the arts and Dother Hall is a performing arts school. The summer term is a chance for new students to see if they have what it takes to be full time students at Dother Hall. Tallulah really wants to be a full time student and start the term in September, except she's got one tiny thing holding her back: she's got no talent. Or at least hasn't been able to display any talent during her term, except poor Irish dancing, bad improvising, terrible singing, and flying off her bicycle into the wings of the stage.
She tries, oh she tries, and she meets some wonderful (and talented friends): Vaisey, Jo, Flossie, and Honey, as well as young Ruby, whose father owns the pub across the way from the family Tallulah is staying with.
But not only does Tallulah intend for this to be her summer of stardom, she also wants it to be her summer of love. Enter the Woolfe Academy boys, the Hinchcliff brothers, and Ruby's older brother Alex. Because really, you didn't the story was going to be entirely about school, did you? Tallulah does have her first kiss (and her second-ish), and a few of her friends experience love. Almost. Kind of.
In the end, Tallulah finds a way to earn her keep at Dother Hall (after a few scares that she may not get to start the term in September with Jo, Vaisey, Flossie, and Honey), especially after their adaptation of Wuthering Heights.
Much like the Georgia Nicolson books (which I love), not a great deal happens in the book, but Rennison has such a great way of ending the stories that you want to find out what happens to the characters next (and I'm feeling a love-rectangle coming on, much like with Georgia, though I'm hoping Lullah picks who I think she should pick, but it can never be that easy). Withering Tights is a fun, easy, lighthearted read, and I admittedly am looking forward to the next one. Just like with Georgia, you just can't get enough of Tallulah. (Though I almost think I might like Tallulah more than Georgia ... is that possible??)

Liar by Justine Larbalestier

Micah fully admits she's a liar. She does it a lot. Sometimes it's small lies, sometimes it's big lies, sometimes there's a little truth mixed in, but does she ever tell the whole truth? She promises the readers she's going to try.
A classmate, Zach, has been missing and then found dead. Micah breaks her story into before this happened, after it happened, and various histories (history of me, history of the school, family history, etc). Each bit reveals more and more of Micah, her classmates, her family, and her history with Zach, which is more than anyone ever expected.
She becomes sort-of friends with Zach's girlfriend Sarah and his best friend Tayshawn, and ordinarily Micah is in the background of her school life, but with Zach's death (and a large portion of the school thinking it was Micah who did it) and her relationship with Zach, Micah is suddenly under the microscope, not where she would like to be. These three very different students are grieving for someone who meant a great deal to each one of them, and that's a great dynamic to see, how they are drawn together.
Periodically Micah will reveal a lie--a tiny one usually, but a lie nonetheless. It makes you rethink her entire story. When one of the biggest reveals come, it left me thinking it was just an excuse Micah had used, another lie, and that left me on uneven footing for the rest of the book, as a great deal of the story required the reader to believe Michah's reveal.
It's not made clear in the book why Micah is writing this: is it just for her sake (which is what she claims) or is there a darker reasoning behind it? The book is broken into three parts, all of which have Micah claiming to tell the truth.
I was definitely interested in this book, having read many reviews of it and hearing a lot about it, and really, it's an unusual idea, and then the werewolf part came in. I'm not against supernatural characters, I just wasn't expecting one. So perhaps it was my fault, but it threw me for a loop.
One thing I did love about the story is that I still don't know if Micah was being entirely truthful. I think that was pretty awesome to have this great story, and the reader still is not sure what is laid out before the reader is actually what happened. A well written, engaging story (if you can suspend your disbelief), Liar is recommended for readers interested in mysteries.

The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder

April Bowers is a not very well known sophomore at her high school. Her best friend Haley moved over the summer and April is not looking forward to her sophomore year totally friendless.
She is completely surprised when she is paired with super-popular Britney Taylor in gym class and even more surprised when Britney asks if April is new to the school. So what does April do? April lies: Yes, this is her first year at Penford High. For some inexplicable reason (to April), Britney takes a shine to April and decides that she will be a new project to work on. April is brought into the spotlight as a friend of Britney and followers Erin, Jessica, and Brianna. After a month or so of being Britney's "friend-in-training", Britney decides it's time for April to take the Lipstick Oath. This means following Britney's 7 Lipstick Laws (including not gaining more than 3 pounds, choosing fashion over comfort, revealing all your secrets upon initiation, and doing what's best for the popularity of the group, despite individual wants) and April has grown so addicted to having friends and being popular that she agrees.
Oh, April. April tries to follow the Lipstick Laws and though she's uncomfortable with certain aspects of her "friendships" with Britney & the gang, she does what she's told because she knows Britney can make her life a living hell. Finally, at a party that April doesn't want to be at, with people she doesn't want to be with, April escapes the cops and ruins clothes borrowed from Britney. A misunderstanding (and total bitchiness on Britney's part) results in April being kicked out of Britney's circle of friends and back to loserhood.
She calls Haley (whom she has been in touch with and who has told her to stay away from Britney) and hears the Britney Taylor saga from Haley, including revealing a chubby childhood, a messy parental divorce, and Haley's own booting from Britney's friendship. April & Haley determine there MUST be other girls at Penford High who were once involved in the Lipstick Oath and now resigned to social outcasts, and April finds a way to get in touch with them. She meets three other girls this way and they share their Britney horror stories. They decide they have to get even with Britney for making their lives hell. The plot goes well for the Lipstick Lawbreakers then Britney turns her evil powers on April and it goes back and forth like this.
Now, I know high school is no picnic, it's an awkward time for everybody, and that some people are downright mean, but I wonder just how realistic this is. Why would a sophomore rule the school's social hierarchy? Are students really that mean? I got really worried when one of the pranks involved someone's peanut allergy. Even if it's not a bad allergy (that you know of) it's definitely not something to encourage messing with. I was glad that that aspect didn't come to pass. I was also a little disappointed that when one of the characters took the high road, her antagonist did not follow suit or end up looking ridiculous herself but had to give April one last embarrassing moment. I really appreciated that April did end up taking the high road, and that she realized she was also doing the same thing as Britney had once done (that was painfully obvious to everyone but April; she came around though).
While I found some of the treatment of the girls a little cringe-inducing, The Lipstick Laws (published in April) is still a good story. I was really concerned April was not going to let all this meanness go, and I'm really happy she did. I know it's difficult to, and it can't always be done gracefully, but I think it sets a good example. I'd recommend The Lipstick Laws to readers as young as middle school as I'm not sure some of the language ("boobicle cubicle") and actions would translate to older high school students. It comes out with a positive result, lessons learned, and comfort with being one's self.

Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

Nora and Patch are back, though not together for very long. Patch reveals (rather reluctantly) that the archangels are watching him and Nora and if he makes it known he's fallen for Nora, the archangels will banish him to hell. Not a very happy prospect for either of them.
So, when Nora discovers this she pushes Patch away. She doesn't want him to go, obviously, so she thinks if she keep pushing him away he won't leave her. But this frustrates Patch. Nora becomes frustrated when Patch spends more and more time with Marcie Millar, Nora's high school nemesis. Torn between her love for Patch and her insecurity, Nora keeps botching their relationship up. (Yes, I totally blame Nora.)
An old family friend is back in the picture, and just like Nora was drawn to Patch's badassness, so she is drawn to trouble maker Scott. Scott is another Nephilim involved in some dark happenings, a blood society of Nephilim who want to stop the fallen angels from taking over the Nephilim's bodies every year. I hope this part of the story comes back in the last few books, I think it's a very interesting storyline and provides more depth (to make it more than just a love story).
Marcie and Nora are partners in summer school, and Marcie strangely attempts to be nice (or at least as nice as Marcie can be) to get information about Patch. But then she just tortures Nora with stories of what Marcie and Patch are doing. Surprisingly Marcie invites Nora to a summer party and Nora gets into a little bit of trouble (which doesn't come out until later).
Vee and Patch's friend Rixon start dating and since Nora broke up with Patch she feels like the third wheel with Vee and Rixon. Vee is not as present in this book as she was in Hush, Hush, being wrapped up with Rixon. Nora's happy for her but wishes she had her friend to herself more often.
And of course, Nora gets in trouble. She steals something from Scott and Scott becomes desperate to get the item back which leads to an intense showdown at the Delphic amusement park where the bad guy is not who you expect.
Nora also learns a little bit about her family history, which ends the book on a cliffhanger and I can't believe I have to wait until October 2011 to find out what happens next. I admit, though I was reluctant to start the books, I've been sucked in. I really like how Fitzpatrick writes, and though I get a little frustrated with Nora because she's stubborn, insecure, and doesn't talk to Patch when that would help a lot, she's overall a likable character. I really like Vee too and hope she plays more of a role in future books. Patch is not my type of guy but I can see the appeal.
So, Crescendo the second book in Becca Fitzpatrick's series is recommended for high school students and older. I enjoyed it and I look forward to the rest of the books!

The Crepe Makers' Bond by Julia Crabtree

Ariel, M, and Nicki are best friends beginning eighth grade, excited about the upcoming school year and the time the trio will spend together. The book opens with the three in Ariel's family's kitchen and an earthquake rattles the walls and Ariel counts the changes in their lives from the earthquake, when their easy going friendships changed.
Ariel loves to cook and experiment in the kitchen and between each chapter is a recipe, one of the dishes that Ariel mentions in the story (either something she makes for her family, her friends, or a recipe discussed). While it is unique to the story, it also feels a little gimmicky; sometimes dishes are mentioned just to mention a dish and it does not flow well with the story.
M is on the shy side; her mother is agoraphobic and her parents divorced so M feels she spends a lot of time watching and helping out her mother. M and Ariel have been friends since they were very young, and Nicki only moved into the neighborhood a few years ago.
Nicki is bubbly and the peacemaker and has been distracted an odd of late. Ariel and M try to ask her what is bothering her but Nicki does not like to talk about herself and continually deflects the question. Crabtree does a good job of drawing out the suspense of Nicki's story but when her secret is revealed it is done at the last possible moment, feels rushed and an unimportant part of the story.
Not very long into the school year, M discovers her mother has a new job and they have to move. Ariel and M, to prevent M from leaving, come up with a brilliant idea: M should move in with Ariel's family for the rest of the school year so M can finish middle school with her friends and start fresh at her new high school. Amazingly, both sets of parents agree to this scheme and for the first few days or weeks (the timeline is not very clear) all goes well. Then it's small things that start to bother Ariel, and she confesses that she should have told M the problems to begin with, but does not.
The two finally have it out (leaving poor Nicki in the middle) and the consequences for the friendship are grave. But as most books written for the middle school level, it ends on a positive note for (almost) all the characters.
The Crepe Makers' Bond was a quick read and a good contemporary story; however the voices of the characters felt off, sometimes too old and at other times too young, some of the recipes forced, conclusions a little rushed. I think there will be a very small niche of readers interested in the recipes of the book; I don't know many middle school students who as often as Ariel does. It's a positive story about growing up and the changes that happen in friendships over the years.

Real Live Boyfriends by E. Lockhart

Oh, Ruby.
I was admittedly sad when I heard Real Live Boyfriends is the last Ruby Oliver book, but I loved it and I thought it was fantastic and a great way to end the series.
There is so much more to Ruby than boyfriends (past and present) and panic attacks. The book opens during the summer before Ruby's senior year at Tate Prep. She's dating the wonderful Noel (who is a Real Live Boyfriend; one who listens to her, calls her back, spends time with her, and doesn't make her completely insecure), enjoying spending time with Meghan and Hutch, and just loving summer.
Then things begin to go bad ... her grandmother dies (which sucks and destroys her dad), Noel goes to visit his brother Claude in New York City which he does every summer, but halfway through the trip Noel stops calling or emailing Ruby (and misses her birthday), and Hutch is leaving to spend the semester in Paris (heavy metal Hutch? In Paris?). And while some unexpected events occur (Nora approaches Ruby), the constants of school, working at the zoo, and Doctor Z don't change (nor does Ruby's clashing with her mother).
Noel and Ruby get in an argument (during a college prep class, unfortunately) and the relationship ends. Which makes neither happy, but when Ruby finds out that it's not that Noel doesn't love her, but something else entirely, the relationship gets back on track. Ruby realizes that her relationships with everyone will change in the next few years, going to college has a tendency to do that to people. But Ruby also realizes that she has the ability to deal with that, and if it gets too tough, she has people to help her out. And of course, her lists.
Real Live Boyfriends *Yes, boyfriends, plural. if my life weren't complicated--I wouldn't be Ruby Oliver is a quick read; it's a lot like Louise Rennison's Georgia Nicholson series in that the book focuses on Ruby and her friends but it feels that Ruby learns a little more about herself in her stories than Georgia does in hers. The Ruby Oliver series are the types of books that don't make huge, grand statements about humanity or growing up, but just tell a story about being a teenager and how sometimes it's hard to navigate being a teenager. I love the Ruby Oliver series and though I'm sad it's ended, I know that Ruby's heading in the right direction (even if she doesn't know what direction that is).

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

I was not overly keen on reading Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick--it is another YA supernatural/paranormal romance, and having read the first three Stephenie Meyer Twilight books, I have had my fill. But a friend recommended it (and I got her to read The Hunger Games trilogy, which she loved) and went so far as to loan me her copy of it, so I read it (while on vacation without any other books to tempt me).
It opens with high school sophomore Nora, living alone with her mom (her father died about a year ago), best friend Vee, and sudden new classmate, Patch.
Oh, the mysterious dark male student. Nora is determined to not get involved with boys, wanting to get out of high school and on to college and no guy is good enough for her. But Patch, suddenly her new biology lab partner, draws her in and tempts Nora to do things Nora would not do before. Nora's the safe girl, the well behaved girl, but Patch is the dangerous one, hanging out in pool halls, riding motorcycles. He feels wrong for her but she can't keep away.
Well it comes out that Patch is a fallen angel (there's the paranormal bit). I admit I was a little skeptical when I first started to read: girl in school, slightly loner-ish, absent parents, meets dark mysterious boy with a secret, turns our to be supernatural, girl is constantly in peril ... it was reading a lot like Twilight. Though I appreciate the story Stephenie Meyer is trying to tell in Twilight (and the other books) I can't freaking stand Bella and all the books are filtered through Bella (I think that's why I find the storyline more interesting in the movies).
Becca Fitzpatrick is a better writer than Stephenie Meyer. I like Nora. I think Nora is well developed and Patch was more developed at the end of the book. Vee could use a little more of the storyline (but that's because I like her), more of the fallen angel stuff could be revealed (as I'm sure it will be in the next books), but overall, I'm intrigued to read the next book and the first thing I did when I finished Hush, Hush was put Crescendo on hold at my local library. Which is saying a lot compared to dreading reading the next book in the Twilight saga (I still have to read Breaking Dawn, and want to read it to get it over with, but am not looking forward to it). The pace of Hush, Hush picks up towards the end and there are some moments of suspense that make you want to keep turning the pages. I liked it. I liked it enough to want to read the second one, which is pretty good for me.
Overall, I recommend Hush, Hush, especially if you're a fan of the supernatural romance bit. It's a light fluffy read, perfect escapist literature.

The DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) by Kody Keplinger

High school senior Bianca has two gorgeous, wonderful best friends: Casey, tall cheerleader captain with a short pixie cut of blond hair, and Jessica, super bubbly brunette. Bianca is a bit cynical herself, and doesn't fully enjoy going to the club that her friends always drag her to, but does it because she loves them (and to keep them from going home with someone like Wesley Rush--the school's biggest womanizer).
One night at the Nest, the club Casey and Jessica drag Bianca to, Wesley Rush approaches Bianca. She tells him to get lost but he says he's trying to get with one of her friends--it doesn't matter which--and that by talking to their DUFF, he has a much better chance of doing so. Bianca has never heard that term before so Wesley obligingly explains: the DUFF is the Designated Ugly Fat Friend, the one girl in a group of girls who looks worse than the others. And by paying attention to the DUFF, Wesley reasons, he'll look like a great guy to Casey and Jessica. Bianca, never one to hold back, throws her Cherry Coke in Wesley's face and drags her friends out of the club.
She doesn't tell her friends what has happens between them and it's only one of many things she keeps from Casey and Jessica: her parents are divorcing (her mother has been largely absent anyway), her father slips back into his alcoholism (after being sober eighteen years), and Bianca is trying to find out how to relieve the stress, how to keep from going crazy. She discovers her escape is actually Wesley Rush--making out with Wesley keeps her mind from thinking about her parents. She spends more and more time with Wesley (and both keep is a secret) and Bianca's friends begin to feel she's avoiding them. She never likes to talk about herself or her problems much (Bianca's standard answer is "I'm fine" and Casey knows she's lying every time she says it). Bianca gets deeper and deeper into her struggle and her world continues to unravel when her mom shows up. She keeps running to Wesley and after one hook-up, she realizes that it's more than just screwing around--for her. Wesley's not interested in a DUFF so Bianca tries to forget him and hooks up with her crush, sweet, dorky Toby Tucker. Although things are approaching normal, Bianca still thinks about Wesley and being the DUFF.
I think all teenage girls have felt like the DUFF amongst their friends, and Keplinger does a great job of having the characters take control of the word and have confidence in themselves and each other. DUFF is a good read (definitely for older teens), and I love Bianca's character. She's balanced well by Casey and Jessica and it's nice to see confident but still vulnerable teens. The DUFF comes out in early September.

Jane by April Lindner

With all the attention being given to Jane Austen's novels, it is nice to see a modern retelling of Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. Being familiar with the story, there were not many surprises in April Lindner's Jane, but I love the way Lindner updated the story.
Jane Moore is suddenly orphaned by the accidental death of her parents. She has just finished her first year at Sarah Lawrence and can't afford to start the next year at the university so she gets a job as a nanny for Nico Rathburn, a famous (and infamous) rocker. It is Jane's obliviousness to pop culture that earns her the job--she's heard of Nico Rathburn but has only heard one of his albums that her older brother listened to when she was much younger. (After the sale of their parents' house, Jane's brother took off with the money, and Jane's older sister doesn't want to be involved at all with the family.)
Maddy is a charming five-year old charge, and nineteen-year old Jane enjoys taking care of the little girl--she has time to read, to continue painting and walking, and the housekeeper Lucia is good company. She's at Thornfield Park, the enormous Connecticut home of Nico Rathburn, for a month before she meets him. I love that Lindner kept the first meeting between Jane and "Rochester" the same: Jane is walking along a road when a sports car comes tearing around a corner and nearly hits Jane--the car swerves to avoid her and the driver comes out to berate Jane for walking on the side of the road. Neither realizes who the other is until Jane returns home later in the afternoon.
Jane's attraction to Nico is not immediate, but it grows on her and she tries to deny it to herself, for a famous photographer, Bianca Ingram, is spending a great deal of time with Nico and his band in preparation for his next tour. Jane is determined that Nico is going to marry Bianca and tries to slip away, but that leads, of course, to Nico's confession of affection.
But anyone who has read Jane Eyre knows that Nico's attempts to make Jane jealous are not the only obstacles to them being together and yes, a crazy wife shows up in this version of the story and Jane disappears, meeting up with the St. John family, who give her a place to stay and a job and also a chance to go to Haiti to make a difference in the world. But somehow Nico calls to her and will she be happy unless she finds him again?
Those who know Jane Eyre know the answer. It's a fantastic retelling of a classic novel, good for young adult readers and I think I may have even convinced my grandmother to give it a try too. The book comes out in October, and I recommend it to those who love Jane Eyre and also those who like improbable love stories.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan

I have not read many titles written by two authors, but I did read Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan and that’s when I began to admire David Levithan’s writing. Now I hear that John Green is very popular and when I found out about Will Grayson, Will Grayson written by Green & Levithan I thought I would give it a try.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson is fabulous. Not only because it takes place in the Chicagoland area, and not only because it is written by two extremely talented young adult authors, but because the characters are very alive and the story is true.

John Green’s Will Grayson is a young man who lives by a few rules: 1) Shut up and 2) Don’t care. He is kind of drifting in his school and social life because he ended up writing a letter to the school newspaper defending his best and long time friend, Tiny Cooper. Tiny is a huge human being and also very gay and Will was defending Tiny’s right to be on the football team regardless of his sexual orientation. Well, that gets Will kicked out of his Group of Friends and so he has Tiny and Tiny’s Gay-Straight Alliance (including Jane–is she a gay part of the alliance or a straight part of the alliance, Will wonders).

David Levithan’s Will Grayson is a depressed young man with very few friends, one of them being Maura, who Will sometimes sees as a nuisance and not so much as a friend. The person that makes Will’s day better is Isaac, someone Will has only talked to online and shared social networking sites with. Isaac lives in Ohio but decides they should meet. This is when Will Grayson meets the Other Will Grayson.

It’s a story about friendship and figuring out who you are (at least for today) and it’s a story about Tiny, who has written a musical called Tiny Dancer: The Tiny Cooper Story which puts himself and his relationships out there for everyone to see. It’s a fantastic book.