Girlfriend Material by Melissa Kantor

Title: Girlfriend Material

Author: Melissa Kantor

Pages: 256

Rating: ***1/2

Summary (from Amazon): If Kate were Lady Brett Ashley, the devastating heroine of Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises, she'd spend her summers careering around the Riviera in her coupe, breaking hearts by the dozen--because why not? In reality, Kate's never even had a boyfriend, and she'll be spending the summer abetting her mom's lame ploy to make her dad jealous: running off to Cape Cod and crashing at the seaside home of her wealthy friends, the Cooper-Melnicks. To add to the shame, the Cooper-Melnicks' gorgeous daughter Sarah is a bit like Lady Brett, and she seems less than thrilled to hang out with her new houseguest. Any dreams Kate once had of a perfect summer are ruined.That is, until Sarah's cute, witty friend Adam starts drawing Kate into the fold--and seems intrigued. With Adam around, Kate feels like she just might have a bit of heartbreaker potential after all. But when a breezy summer romance quickly grows more complicated can Kate keep pretending her relationship with Adam is just a carefree fling? Or will she take the risk and tell him her real feelings? Suddenly Kate is asking herself a question she never thought she'd stoop to: Is she girlfriend material?

Review: I was surprised by this book. I was expecting your typical, run-of-the-mill romance novel about a summer romance. While it was a summer romance with a fairly predictable plot, I really enjoyed the writing. Melissa Kantor's style didn't make the story cheesy or sappy, like so many romance novels are (not that that's a bad thing! Don't get me wrong, I live for romance novels). Overall, a good read.

Recommended for: YA romance readers

*Don't forget to comment! I am always looking for feedback :)

Swoon by Nina Malkin

Title: Swoon

Author: Nina Malkin

Pages: 425

Rating: *****

Summary (From Goodreads): Sin is Coming...Prepare to Swoon! Torn from her native New York City and dumped in the land of cookie-cutter preps, Candice is resigned to accept her posh, dull fate. Nothing ever happens in Swoon, Connecticut...until Dice's perfect, privileged cousin Penelope nearly dies in a fall from an old tree, and her spirit intertwines with that of a ghost. His name? Sinclair Youngblood Powers. His mission? Revenge. And while Pen is oblivious to the possession, Dice is all too aware of Sin. She's intensely drawn to him—but not at all crazy about the havoc he's wreaking. Determined to exorcise the demon, Dice accidentally sets Sin loose, gives him flesh, makes him formidable. Now she must destroy an even more potent—and irresistible—adversary, before the whole town succumbs to Sin's will. Only trouble is, she's in love with him.

Review: This was seriously one of the best books I have read in a long time. It was original, seductive, romantic, horrifying, and mysterious all at once! The story was so creative! There were a few points that I thought "Oh! That reminds me of Twilight!" but nothing major. Sin is a totally different male protagonist than your average romance story--he's both the love interest and the antagonist. I HIGHLY recommend this book to EVERY reader over the age of 14. There are some very *ahem* inappropriate scenes for younger readers. Even if you aren't that into fantasy, pick up this book. It appeals to all! Really! Read it! Now!

Breathless by Jessica Warman

Title: Breathless

Author: Jessica Warman

Pages: 352

Rating: ****

Summary (from Amazon): When Katie Kitrell is shipped off to boarding school by her distant father and overbearing mother, it doesn’t take her long to become part of the It Crowd. She’s smart, she’s cute, and she’s an Olympic-bound swimmer who has a first class ticket to any Ivy League school of her choice. But what her new friends, roommate, and boyfriend don’t know is that Katie is swimming away from her past, and from her schizophrenic older brother, Will, who won’t let her go. And when he does the unthinkable, it’s all Katie can do to keep her head above water.

Review: I really enjoyed this book. Not for younger readers, there was quite a bit of smoking, drinking, and drugs. I didn't really like how she acted as if "all teenagers do this, this is average high school stuff". However, I did find it easy to relate to Katie, even though my life is nothing like hers. I loved her roommate, Mazzie. Their relationship was hilarious and loving, even though they were constantly insulting each other! Overall, a great debut novel.

Recommended for: YA readers 12+

Now it's time for your review! Suggestions or comments about my first review? Like I said, this is my first time doing anything like this, so it will (hopefully) improve as I review more books. I'll update as often as possible, and I'll start reviewing past books I've read as well. Please let me know what you think!

New blogger!

Hello there, cyber world.
This is my first test in blogging. I am a huge bookworm, as you probably can tell. I'll be posting about the books I read, and maybe some personal stuff if I feel the need. Almost all the books I read are YA books, but I also enjoy classics and some adult books. Alright, so this is basically my introduction. Next post will be my first review, of mymost current read: Breathless, by Jessica Warman.