The Summer of Moonlight Secrets Review

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(More customer reviews)Unlikely friendships, secrets and intrigue converge one hot, lazy summer at The Meriwether, a famous antebellum hotel smack in the middle of Florida.
Allie Jo lives at the Meriwether because her parents manage the hotel. Chase is a guest while his father uses the hotel as a home-base for a series of travel articles about the Sunshine State. And Tara, a mysterious stranger, simply emerges from the water of Hope Springs one moonlit night. As the summer wears on and these three very different characters bond in friendship, Tara's secret is revealed. It's then that Allie Jo and Chase must figure out how to help Tara with a problem/situation that seems insurmountable.
The Summer of Moonlight Secrets is told in three unique voices. Author Danette Haworth has a knack for creating a strong sense of place with a setting that seems almost magical while still feeling within the reader's grasp. This middle grade novel is fresh and thoroughly enjoyable.
-- Reviewed by Michelle Delisle


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A Northern Light Review

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(More customer reviews)Sometimes when authors place fictional characters in the company of real historical figures the result is laughable or strained. Too often a child figure will suddenly find his or herself in the presence of (oh say) Abraham Lincoln and will teach the great man about following his childlike instincts or some other such goo. This is not to say that historical figures and situations are at odds with children's literature. I just want to make it clear that it's rare to find a really clever and believable situation in which the real and the unreal mix. "A Northern Light" is one such rarity.
In this book, heroine Mattie Gorkey lives two different narratives. In one story, she's working at a fancy hotel in the Northern Woods in 1906. A young woman vacationing at the hotel was recently discovered drowned in a nearby lake. Weighing on Mattie's conscience is the fact that just the day before the girl had entrusted her letters to our heroine with strict instructions that they be burned. Mattie has not burned them yet. The second narrative takes place several months before the exciting events at the hotel. Here we learn far more about Mattie's background and her love of literature and writing. With a mother recently dead and a family of five to care for, Mattie's great dream is to attend Barnard College in New York. Unfortunately, her pa is anything but receptive to the idea and there's a cute boy hanging around who seems to be giving Mattie quite a bit of attention. Focusing on her own dilemmas with the caring but somewhat close minded society in which she lives, Mat must figure out who she is and what is most important to her in the end. Mixing fiction with the historical events surrounding the 1906 Grace Brown murder case, the book effortlessly combines the two stories without so much as a hitch.
Author Jennifer Donnelly has given herself a surprisingly difficult task. How do you write a historical figure, particularly a female, and make her independent without making her seem like a 21st century girl in an early 20th century world? How, in other words, do you make her believable? Make no mistake, Mattie is a very believable character. So believable, in fact, that I found myself wanting to throttle her from time to time. I mean, she's a teenager, so we have to make allowances for her behavior. If she goes all doe-eyed over the local brick-headed swain, that's only partly her fault. Just the same, I suspect readers everywhere will be sometimes screaming in their heads at this character when she tries to decide what to do with Grace's letters or her own life. As for the melding of Mattie's story with that of Grace Brown's, it's seamless. Almost as if the events told here are the hard boiled truth. Still, it's a pity that the details of Grace's life don't parallel perfectly with Mattie's. The final decision made at the book's end would make a little more sense had Grace been similar to Mattie in personality or living situation. As it is, it's not entirely clear where Mat draws her final conclusions about living and life from. But these are small potatoes. There is no doubt left in the reader's mind at the end that the book is effortlessly written.
Fans of Elizabeth Taylor's great film, "A Place In the Sun", will see definite similarities between the murder in this book and that movie. That's because both works were based on an actual trial that inspired such works as Theodore Dreiser's, "An American Tragedy". But this isn't just a younger version of an already existing tale. "A Northern Light" stands on its own as a remarkable and well-told tale of one girl and her search for (for lack of a better word) fulfillment. It's a gripping story as you read through, not certain in the least that Mattie will do the right thing at the right moment. Bound to raise a fair amount of discussion and debate. A nice new novel.


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Suite Scarlett Review

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(More customer reviews)Welcome to the Hopewell Hotel. We offer clean suites, delicious food (sometimes burnt), free entertainment (that the owners don't know about), and service with a smile.
Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson has family values. Rather, it values family: The Hopewell has been passed down through the Martin family for generations. The current owners are struggling to keep it going, and their children readily pitch in to help. Well, "readily" is relative - no pun intended. There's Spencer, the oldest at nineteen, an actor skilled at comedy and pratfalls; Lola, a recent high school graduate whose rich boyfriend can give her everything she wants - except that which matters most; Scarlett, the Suite's sweet protagonist; and Marlene, the youngest, who has no problem saying what she likes and what she doesn't. On his or her fifteenth birthday, each Martin gets a suite to care for. The book begins with Scarlett turning fifteen, getting assigned the Empire Suite, and finding out just how tight things are getting in the hotel. "We'll get by," her father says. "We always do."
And they do. I really enjoyed the family dynamic in this book. Spencer and Scarlett are close, as are Marlene and Lola. They all get along, but Scarlett's bond with her brother is stronger than that with either of her sisters. Thus, a large part of Scarlett's story also belongs to Spencer. He put a culinary scholarship on hold to pursue his acting, and his parents gave him a year to become a working actor or buckle down for school. With that year almost up, Spencer is anxious for something to come his way that pays him (to make his parents happy) and challenges him (to make him happy), so he's thrilled to when he gets the opportunity to be in a production of Hamlet. Spencer has such a good heart. You'll want him to succeed, and you'll wish he was your older brother too.
Meanwhile, while all of Scarlett's friends are off having summer adventures, Scarlett works at home. The Empire Suite is occupied by an aging actress named Mrs. Amberson who has money to spare and opinions to share. This woman is a true character. You never know what she's going to do next. Instead of bossing her new assistant around with barking commands and snapping fingers, she becomes an odd sort of confidante for the girl, and her eccentric ways become endearing.
Before long, Scarlett finds her summer schedule pretty full. In addition to dealing with Mrs. Amberson's antics and helping out with Spencer's show, she's also crushing on Spencer's scene partner Eric. She tries to re-connect with each of her sisters. Marlene's coddled for a reason - something I won't reveal here - and sophisticated Lola's apparent happiness may be more of an act than her family knows.
Maureen Johnson's sixth novel - and Scholastic debut - is not to be missed. Johnson's trademark wit is here ("Before, liking Eric was like a mirror - it was just a shiny thing, and it only went one way") as is her ability to capture simple truths. There are many truths to be told here about families, first loves, careers, living in New York City, and simply growing up.
It's refreshing to read a story with a well-adjusted leading character who actually acts her age and likes her family. Watching Scarlett takes in everything around her is a real treat. She's content to be in the middle of her family, in the middle of her teen years, but she's also realizing how many wonderful possibilities are out there for her and for the ones she loves. You know that whatever she does now or when she grows up, she'll do it well.
Check into the Hopewell today. I hope - I know - you'll enjoy your stay.

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The Penultimate Peril (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 12) Review

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(More customer reviews)The Penultimate Peril is one of the best in ASoUE. It's the next to last book in the series, and everything is starting to come together.
When we last left Violet, Klaus, and Sunny that had met up with Kit Snicket on Briny Beach, and that's exactly where out story picks up. She takes them to a hotel, where in just a few days, there will be a gathering of volunteers at the last safe place. However, we all know that nothing ends in sunshine & happiness for our favorite unfortunate orphans.
The book is very well paced, and a bit darker than some of the others in the series, but just as silly as well. We see lots of familiar faces, and will have you wanting to reread the entire series over just to see if you missed the slighest bit of a clue. We also meet some new characters, and discover some remarkable secrets. We also run into some new questions, and ponder the true meaning of noble. Right & wrong are not always black & white, especially for the Baudelaires. The Penultimate Peril is a very enjoyable read, and is a must buy for fans of ASoUE.
And make sure you have a mirror when you read.

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Caleb + Kate Review

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(More customer reviews)"Caleb + Kate" is a young adult romance novel. Though Caleb had a point-of-view role and was portrayed well, this novel will appeal most to female teens. The story switched between Kate and Caleb's point-of-view with both sections clearly marked and written in first person present tense ("I stand" instead of "she stood"). Though I noticed it, the present tense read smoothly and didn't bother me.
On the actual printed cover, Caleb's skin is darker than it looks in the above cover picture. This is good since Caleb is full-blooded Hawaiian and is described as having deeply tanned or brown skin.
The pacing and world-building were very good. The characters were realistic and usually very likable. Caleb's a great character. I was irritated by Kate's selfishness in deliberately doing things that tempted Caleb physically when she knew that they tempted him and that HE wanted to wait until marriage, but it did fit her "if you want it, you can have it" upbringing.
Kate, after seeing affairs and divorces in other families, doubted that there was such a thing as lasting love. I liked that the author brought up this issue. But I was a bit disappointed that Kate's "this is what true love is like" answer started with lust at first sight (on her part) and an "electric" feeling at every touch. The lasting loves I've seen (like my parents and grandparents) started with no excessive attraction or 'spark' at first sight but grew due to similar interests and time spent together. However, it was a nice love story about building trust and overcoming prejudice, and it finished with the idea that staying 'in love' was a decision rather than based solely on feelings.
The teen characters did muse some about their faith--about God and how what's in the Bible and in sermons (like forgiveness) worked out in real life. There was no sex (though a lot of temptation). There was a minor amount of "he cussed" style bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this novel as well-written, clean reading.I received this book as a review copy from the publisher.
Review by Debbie from Genre Reviews

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"Romeo + Juliet gets an update in this story of forbidden love. Shakespeare's never been so hip." -- Jenny B. Jones, author of The Charmed Life SeriesAs the popular darling of the junior class and heiress to the five-star Monrovi Inn empire, Kate has both everything and nothing. She's bored with school and life...until she locks eyes with Caleb at a school dance.Caleb is new to Kate's exclusive prep school, and it's clear he doesn't fit in. In fact, he and his dad work in maintenance for Kate's father. And while Caleb knows better than to spend time with the boss's daughter, it seems that every time he tries to back away, something pulls him right back in.When their parents demand that they are to stay away from each other, they learn of a fight between their families that occurred more than fifty years ago. It's a mystery Kate doesn't understand...buta legacy Caleb has endured his entire life.With the world stacked against them, Caleb and Kate will have to walk by faith to find the path that God has planned for them.

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So Inn Love Review

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(More customer reviews)Liza takes a summer job at the Tides Inn to make some money, get a tan on the hotel's private beach, and find true love.
When she arrives at the Inn to report for duty things, as expected, do not go as planned.
Instead of working as a front desk clerk she ends up on the housecleaning crew. The dorm that the employees stay in is not nearly as nice as she had hoped. And her former friend that she knew from vacationing in the area with her family acts like Liza is a dead bug on the bottom of her shoe.
SO INN LOVE is a cute summer read, although at times predictable and it seems to have an abrupt ending. It's a great book to read while lying in the sun, though!
Reviewed by: Taylor Rector

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Reservations? Yes. A couple. Like: Is Hayden really as interested in me as I am in him? And is my roommate right-should I "beware of hookups"? Confirmation? Doubtful. Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you said "commitment." Special Requests? Let me get through this summer without being fired and heartbroken. Let me fall in love this summer. Let me be part of the inn crowd.

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The Space Hotel (Tom Swift Young Inventor) Review

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(More customer reviews)The writing is for kids, but the new series is a nice update. My 9yo son love the new over the old. I still like the writing in the older series.
Would recommend. Not expensive, OK soft cover.

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What Tom's about to find is truly out of this world!It's the grand opening of APOGEE, the world's first space hotel, an orbital space station designed expressly for the tourist trade. As Swift Enterprises is a major investor in the project, and provided much of the necessary technology, Tom and Sandy have been invited to be among the first guests to visit!When they arrive at the APOGEE they experience weightlessness, learn about the high-tech nature of the hotel (including the robotic wait and cleaning staff), and play a game of zero-gravity badminton. But as Tom explores the ship he begins to notice some strange happenings. And when a billionaire guest of the hotel turns up missing,Tom suspects foul play....--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

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The Oak Hotel Review

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(More customer reviews)It all started with a simple weekend outing.
Two young friends, Kayleigh Lambert and Lincoln Torres, are going on a scavenger hunt through Kayleigh's grandmother's house. Her parents have to sell the old house by Christmas and they told Kayleigh that the big stuff had to go but she was welcome to look around and keep anything else she found. What they found was the gate to an adventure the likes of which they could never have imagined.
In an old stained baker's box hidden inside a wooden soda crate, Lincoln and Kayleigh discover five notebooks, the personal journals of Kayleigh's grandmother, Laura Corwin. One of the journals makes reference to a magical book that had been borrowed from the local library. A little investigative work with the local librarian reveals that the title of this missing book was "The History of Burnam Tau'roh".
When they returned to grandmother's house, they finally find the missing book hidden inside a false cover. But they are horrified to realize that somebody else, who is clearly up to no good and whose intentions certainly don't bode well for their future health, are also inside the house desperately searching for the very book that they had just found.
Just as discovery is imminent and the prospects for Kayleigh's and Lincoln's continued good health look very bleak, the last page of the book seems to offer an avenue of escape.
Well, to go further would be to enter into the area of spoilers. But, it is safe to say that Klimczak has written an exciting fantasy aimed at a young adult audience that will also appeal to fantasy fans of all ages.
Good vs evil; sentient oak forests; a computerized railway line with no conductor, no engineer and no apparent destination that seems to be able to communicate to its passengers; mystical travel portals that can whisk passengers millions of miles to unknown distant planets; hereditary royalty - "The Oak Hotel" has got anything a fantasy lover might imagine.
I'll admit that, as I read the first few chapters, I initially underestimated "The Oak Hotel" and thought it was a little too simplistic to appeal to anyone beyond young children. But that first impression rapidly changed as Klimczak skillfully built a richly detailed plot, suspense, characters and a complex story universe that spanned at least three worlds with more possibly to come.
"The Oak Hotel", a scant 115 pages long, ends on a cruel cliff-hanger and is clearly the first novel in a planned series. I plan to re-read "The Oak Hotel" to make sure I give it its fair due from the first page and pick up all the details. Then I intend to hunt for the next book in the series. Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss

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Kayleigh and Lincoln don't know it, but the book they have been searching for-a book that should not exist-will ultimately lead them into an amazing parallel world... A world of secrets and danger

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My Not-So-Terrible Time at the Hippie Hotel Review

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(More customer reviews)As a 16 year old, I have begun to find some of the younger fiction tiring and cliche. The heroines are unoriginal, the problems tired. Such was NOT the case with Rosemary Graham's debut young adult novel, My Not-so-Terrible Time at the Hippi Hotel. The author was able to restore my faith in the genre, creating a believable heroine who was facing her problems one step at a time, and becoming a better person because of them. Tracey, the main character, is a dynamic creation who experiences a myriad of emotions that reflect the hormonal and social aspects that play a toll on young women.
Tracey comes to the "Hippi Hotel" suffering from a parental split, a loss of motivation, and an insecurity about her weight and herself. The young woman that emerges has gained some true perspective, which is refreshingly delightful. I'd recommend this book to young and old who like to see someone triumph over personal tragedy, parents who want to show their girls a strong role model, and teenagers who have lost faith in young adult novels- no matter what your age or situation is, you will be able to draw something from this dynamic debut!

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