When your best friend is just a tiny bit psychotic, you should never actually believe him when he says, “Trust me. This is gonna be awesome.”

Of course, you probably wouldn’t believe a voodoo doll could work either. Or that it could cause someone’s leg to blow clean off with one quick prick. But I’ve seen it. It can happen.

And when there’s suddenly a doll of YOU floating around out there—a doll that could be snatched by a Rottweiler and torn to shreds, or a gang of thugs ready to torch it, or any random family of cannibals (really, do you need the danger here spelled out for you?)—well, you know that’s just gonna be a really bad day …

Since I finished A Bad Day For Voodoo, I’ve brainstormed a review that would suit the amazingness that is this book. Let’s face it, I’m just not clever enough.

I’ve never really been a fan of “comedy” books, I have such a weird sense of humor that it’s rare I find one that actually makes me laugh. (Same with movies!) Strand’s newest book is one of those rarities. The entire book I kept bookmarking pages and marking quotes.

A Bad Day for Voodoo is told as if the main character, Tyler, is writing the book – complete with little side notes that added to the humor. (Want a taste of the humor? Check out this promo post I featured in May.) Like I already said, I laughed. I actually laughed the entire book. Strand’s sense of humor is fabulous.

Strand has fit a little bit of everything into A Bad Day for Voodoo – cannibals, a zombie, and more. Yes, readers, I enjoyed a book with a zombie in it. (Another of my quirks, I dislike zombies.) Every situation is extreme, but it fits. (Squirting blood anyone?)

Tyler’s best friend has found a place that makes voodoo dolls. Tyler is wanting revenge on his teacher, but surely a voodoo doll won’t do anything? When it results in an extreme amount of blood and missing body parts, Tyler’s understandably distressed. Then when another doll pops up for him, he knows he has to go to all extremes to protect it and get it deactivated.

We follow Tyler and his friends and a cast of other creatures (and characters) in a very bad day. It’s quirky, it’s hilarious and it’s such a unique young adult title! I had never read anything from Strand before, but I’m definitely going to pick up more of his works.

As already noted, A Bad Day for Voodoo is bloody. It’s a dark comedy, if that’s not your thing – you aren’t going to enjoy this book. Everyone else is bound to find a bit of gory humor in this title.

I received my copy of A Bad Day for in exchange for my honest opinion.

Sophomore year broke Clementine Williams’ heart. She fell for her best friend’s boyfriend and long story short: he’s excused, but Clem is vilified and she heads into summer with zero social life.

Enter her parents’ plan to spend the summer on their sailboat. Normally the idea of being stuck on a tiny boat with her parents and little sister would make Clem break out in hives, but floating away sounds pretty good right now.

Then she meets James at one of their first stops along the river. He and his dad are sailing for the summer and he’s just the distraction Clem needs. Can he break down Clem’s walls and heal her broken heart?

I always have a weakness for books by Sarah Dessen or Deb Caletti, they are light, yet powerful. When I first heard the buzz about Unbreak My Heart, I kept hearing that Walker’s newest book was similar I was intrigued. I’ve only ever read Small Town Sinners, but I really enjoyed it.

Clementine is bitter and unhappy, she’s decided that everyone that matters hates her, so she might as well sulk. Clem knows she screwed up and ruined her friendships and she knows how/why, but at the same she doesn’t really get it. Clem isn’t perfect, she’s a teenage girl who fell for the wrong guy. Having been in a similar situation as Clem as a teen, I can’t help but feel for her. He was charming, his comments and actions were beyond innocent, but alas it’s always the girl’s fault. So, she’s been exiled by her friends.

Now she’s stuck with her family on a sailboat all summer. All she really wants to do is read her books and be lazy at home. Then comes along James. Oh, how I love James! He’s this happy-go-lucky guy who does his best to stay upbeat, despite his own troubles. He’s adorable and one of the few boys in YA that isn’t a bit “bad boy”.

I love how beautifully Walker manages to capture Clem’s life using alternating chapters to flash back to the past. To be honest, I went into Unbreak My Heart thinking it’d be just a pure YA contemporary romance, but it’s an exploration of family, friends, and what’s right and wrong.

I received my copy of Unbreak My Heart by Melissa C. Walker in exchange for my honest opinion.

Heads up: When I was looking for the synopsis for this book, I came across this great contest/giveaway opportunity on Facebook! It’s ages 10 to 23. Letters Inside Out is not affiliated, but I thought some of my readers might be interested! Check it out on the Bloomsbury Teen‘s Facebook page. Good luck! (If you aren’t between those ages, check it out to see their playlist for the book, also linked on the page.)

“Willow knows she’s different from other girls, and not just because she loves tinkering with cars. Willow has a gift. She can look into the future and know people’s dreams and hopes, their sorrows and regrets, just by touching them. She has no idea where this power comes from. But the assassin, Alex, does. Gorgeous, mysterious Alex knows more about Willow than Willow herself does. He knows that her powers link to dark and dangerous forces and that he’s one of the few humans left who can fight them. When Alex finds himself falling in love with his sworn enemy, he discovers that nothing is as it seems, least of all good and evil. In the first book in an action-packed romantic trilogy, L. A. Weatherly sends readers on a thrill ride of a road trip  —  and depicts the human race at the brink of a future as catastrophic as it is deceptively beautiful.”

Angels happen to be one of my favorite book subjects here lately.  When I heard the buzz about Angel Burn, I knew I had to read it.  I wasn’t disappointed.  This different look on angels was so refreshing and different.  The book hooked me early on and I found myself eager to find out what happens next.

Alex was dreamy.  We all love the typical bad boy with a heart of gold, don’t we?  Willow had been through so much and was such a strong individual.  The romance for once didn’t feel forced or rushed to me.  It naturally came about, so that was a breath of fresh air.

Overall this book is unique and I can’t wait for the sequel.  Angel Burn’s release date is May 24, 2011.

Sixteen-year-old Dani is convinced she has nine lives. As a child she twice walked away from situations where she should have died. But Dani’s twin, Jena, isn’t so lucky. She has cancer and might not even be able to keep her one life. Dani’s father is in denial. Her mother is trying to hold it together and prove everything’s normal. And Jena is wasting away. To cope, Dani sets out to rid herself of all her extra lives. Maybe they’ll be released into the universe and someone who wants to live more than she does will get one. Someone like Jena. But just when Dani finds herself at the breaking point, she’s faced with a startling realization. Maybe she doesn’t have nine lives after all. Maybe she really only ever had one.

Amazon | Goodreads

All These Lives is one of those titles that I had such high hopes for, I wonder if my anticipation and excitement just led me to be disappointed. Contemporary is always one of my favorite genres and, even more so, I love books with deeper issues. But, unfortunately,  All These Lives failed to impress me all that much.

Dani has grown up thinking she has nine lives, mostly because of her mother’s slightly dramatic past. Her twin sister, Jena, has leukemia. Before you run off, Wylie choose to focus more on the sisters and their bond than what was happening with them. Personally, I would have enjoyed more of the focus on their “lives” than their relationship. Granted, I love character-driven books, I just felt a lot of potential was ignored.

Dani’s way of coping and hope of saving her sister is to use up her nine lives. Dani’s logic and reasoning is explained in the book, but it didn’t bode well with me. She’s 16. She should understand just a bit that her repeat attempts at death are making things worse. And her actions, while acknowledged, aren’t pressed all that much. Obviously, I don’t like Dani. She’s rude and as a result isolated from her friends. I know she’s upset, but I found the entire premise incredibly selfish.

Despite disliking Dani and all of her decisions, All These Lives kept me entertained. I wanted to know what would happen. I also love Jena, she’s very in-tune with her cancer and really just wants to live her life. And the author, Sarah Wylie’s writing is lovely. I can’t wait to read more from her.

To be honest, I’m in the very small percentage of bloggers who seemed to not love All These Lives. As always, when I dislike a book that doesn’t mean everyone else will! I urge you give it a try.

Here are a few blog reviews who enjoyed All These Lives:
365 Days of Reading
Ex Libris
Gothic Angel Book Reviews
That’s What She Read

Taken from B&N: “On the surface, Emily Meckler leads the perfect life. She has three best friends, two loving parents, and the ideal setup at the Connecticut prep school where her father is the headmaster. Then the enigmatic Del Sugar enters her life, and Emily is immediately swept away-but her passionate relationship with Del is just the first of many things that aren’t quite what they seem in Emily’s life. As the lies she’s been told start to unravel, Emily must set out to discover the truth, a journey that will lead her to question everything she thought she knew.”

When I read Breathless earlier this year, I knew I had to read Where the Truth Lies. Usually I dislike books where characters fall into a fast-paced romance, I don’t HATE them, I just don’t find them realistic. Something about the passion and the way it was written, I was riveted.

At first everything in the book seems completely perfect. With an exception of Emily’s dreams, but that’s not something controlled, so I kind of overlooked it. When I say everything, I do mean everything…her friends, her school, her parents…Even Del was perfect with a touch of bad-boy gleaming.

As the story unfolds, small secrets and actions from the characters, things aren’t so perfect and shiny. I kept finding myself wanting to know more and more. The mystery of it all kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat. I won’t get into details as to what happens to each character (or their past secrets), because I hate spoilers, but I will say Jessica Warman weaves an amazing page-turner. If you haven’t checked out any of her books, definitely do so!

Thanks to Bloomsbury USA/Walker Books for providing me with a free copy of Where The Truth Lies for review.

Let’s say you’re fourteen and live in New York City. You’d think your life would be like a glamorous TV show, right? And yet . . . You don’t have a checking account, much less a personal Black American Express card. You’ve never been to a club, and the only couture in your closet is a Halloween costume your mom made from an old laundry bag.

In other words? You’re Kelsey Finkelstein – fourteen and frustrated. Every time she tries to live up to her awesome potential, her plans are foiled. Kelsey wants to rebrand herself for high school to make the kind of mark she knows is her destiny. But just because Kelsey has a plan for greatness . . . it doesn’t mean the rest of the world is in on it.

When I first heard of Freshman Year and Other Unnatural Disaster, I was so excited. It’s being buzzed as perfect for fans of two of my favorite contemporary authors – Lauren Myracle and Meg Cabot. I saw a few mixed reviews for it, but I was eager to get my hands on it.

Freshman Year is as funny as it promises, almost too much so. Kelsey has the worst luck. Ever. Pretty much everything that can go wrong with her “rebranding” does. At times I found myself going, “Really?!” But I giggled along, so it was fun in a predictable sort of way. I even found myself laughing out loud in some parts, because it was just so funny the situations she found herself in!

Rant time: I don’t usually get appalled easily by characters’ bad behavior, but the characters in this book likely need Alcoholics Anonymous or will by the time they graduate. For freshmen in high school (13-14 years old for you non-US people), they all drink much more than I ever heard anyone doing while in school. I know, it’s a book, but this made it feel so unrealistic. There is no major punishment for their drinking. At one point it was mentioned they actually drank prior to their freshman year; there is one side character who is insecure because she doesn’t drink, everyone else does. They aren’t even drinking wine coolers or beer (most of the time) so it kind of grated on my nerves.

Aside from the drinking issue being out of hand, Freshman Year really was a cute read. There is some BFF drama that I adored and it made me think back to my own friends in high school and even middle school with our petty situations. You have a character questioning their sexuality which is always a pleasant surprise in any book, because I feel it deserves as much attention as possible.

This one may not be for everyone, but if you are wanting something that might make you giggle you might consider picking it up!

A lot of bloggers really loved this title though, be sure and check out some of their reviews before making up your mind:
Candace’s Book Blog
Hobbitsies
Read Me Bookmark Me Love Me

I received my copy of Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters in exchange for my honest opinion from the publisher.