Tween Tuesday Review: Infinity Ring

 * comes out August 28th *

**Tween Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted at GreenBeanTeenQueen to highlight great reads for tweens. Join the fun! **

Dak and Sara are best friends. Dak's a history geek and Sara loves anything science related. When they get the chance to break into Dak's parent's lab, they find a ring. The ring allows people to travel through time.

Sara realizes that the ring is broken. It takes her all day to fix the ring. When Dak's parents return, they're dumbfounded to learn the ring now works. After a quick test of the ring, they can't wait to use it to start fixing the breaks in history, the moments gone wrong that have changed the world.

Unfortunately, they are not the only ones with knowledge of the ring and SQ (the reason behind all the breaks in history) also desires the ring. Just as people are training Sara and Dak how to use the ring and fix the breaks, the SQ infiltrate the building. Sara and Dak have no choice but to use the ring, along with a language specialist. They end up in 1492, where a mutiny is about to take place aboard Columbus's ship. Can they fix the break? 

 My Thoughts: If you like the 39 Clues series - don't miss this book! It's got lots of action and danger! I like the nerdiness of both Dak and Sara. I'm loving how more and more books have smart characters who are proud of their brains. I like the dynamic between Dak and the language expert -they act like brothers and are quite amusing with their banter.


As a history buff, I love reading about histories and alternative histories. I find it fascinating to read how the course of history might have changed due to a mutiny abroad Columbus's ships. The perfect blend of danger, humor, history, nerdiness, and action made me devour this book. I know the tweens in my library will devour this book just as quickly as I did and will also be asking for more.

Cover Thoughts: Cool
Source: ARC from BEA
Up Next:  Divide and Conquer by Carrie Ryan comes out November 6th

Review: Dark Frost

 * third book in the series - read my review for Kiss of Frost *

When Gwen and her friends are visiting an exhibit for a homework exercise, they're attacked by Reapers. Gwen knows the Reapers are looking for the Helheim Dagger; she doesn't know they suspect the dagger to reside in the library.

As Nike's champion, Gwen's also been looking for the dagger. She needs to keep it out the enemy's hands. The dagger is the only thing keeping Loki locked in his prison. He's so close to escaping and sending the world into chaos.

Gwen's also looking out for Loki's champion - the girl who murdered her mother. Gwen seeks revenge upon her, but will her thirst for revenge blindside her from the truth? 

My Thoughts: I love this series - for the mystery, the mythology,  the ancient artifacts, the awesome library, and the relationships. It's hard to describe all my thoughts for this book.There's angst, death, loss, friendship drama, romance, and hot kisses. The danger, the action, and the romance were all amped up in this addition to the series. 


I love the characters in this series; Gwen, her grandmother, the librarian, Logan, and Daphne.  Gwen struggles with her relationships. I loved how the wolf came back. I loved the protectiveness and it's loyalty to Gwen. 


While I hated all that Gwen went through in this book, it makes me more eager to read the next installment. 

Cover Thoughts: I love it - I love how they included the necklace.
Source: my Library.

Mysterious Saturday Review: Hot Button

 *2nd book in the Button Box series. Read my review for Button Holed*

Josie's chairing the international button conference for the first time. She's so excited for the conference, not only to learn more about buttons, but because she sweet talked a reclusive collector into giving the key note speech. She had no idea that Thad, the owner of  Geronimo button who specializes in Western buttons would be so horrible.

Not only did he pitch a fit about riding the subway,  he asked for a famous meat sub when he's a well known vegan. He's also drinking expensive alcohol, on Josie's tab. He's been rude to conference attendees. He gets into a fight on the welcome cruise. Plus he's been accused of stealing items from a vendor.

When he's late to the keynote dinner, Josie can't believe it. When a phone call drags her away from her dinner, she learns that he's dead. He's been murdered and the suspect list is a mile long. Nevin asks her to help solve the murder, but that means not attending to every detail at the conference. Will the murder and the conference ruin Josie's credibility with her fellow button collectors? 

My Thoughts: I love this charming series. I love learning more about buttons and their history. I find them fascinating. I really liked the conference description, it reminded me of all the library conferences I've attended over the years. I really enjoyed the new cast of characters, but I'm also happy that Stan makes an appearance in this book as I find him entertaining.


I loved reading more of the relationship between Nevin and Josie. I think it's cute how they keep finding things to talk about, especially after their first disastrous date. Even though Kaz turned up at the right time and is helping Josie with the conference, I'm enjoying Nevin's attempts to figure out his role in Josie's life.


I can't wait to read more in this series! 

Cover Thoughts: Cute, but doesn't really match the book
Source: My Library

Up Next: Panic Button is due in December!

Review: Seventeen Ulitmate Guide to Beauty

A book for teens all about hair and makeup. There's a little bit on face cleaning and nails.
The book features tips by steps and/or pictures.
The make-up guide features real girls with celebrity idols and fashion icons. The make-up ranges from girly to glam to classic to edgy and to boho.  The hair guide features waves & curls, braids & twists, sleek, ponies, and finally updos and buns.

My Thoughts: I love the large bright photos making it easy  and fun to read. I love that the models shown are real girls who share their favorite beauty tips. I like that the pages following the real girls, there are photos of young celebrities with tips on how to get their looks. I love the photo step-by-step tips, making it easier to understand and to attempt a new style. Plus I like how the tips styles for weekend, party, school, and date including 5 tips from Hollywood's makeup artists.There's definitely some looks that I'll be attempting!


There's no product endorsement, which I both like and dislike. I like it because it gives readers freedom to choose, but I dislike it because there are a lot of products I know nothing about and it would be helpful to have a guideline. 


A fabulous book that teens will enjoy browsing with their friends.

Cover Thoughts: Really Cool
Source: FSB Associates (THANKS!)

Teen Review Thursday: Shatter Me

This book takes place in a futuristic world where everything has fallen apart. There is little food and everything is controlled by a group called “The Reestablishment”. “The Reestablishment” promised people a better future and told them they would fix the problems of the people. However, once they took power they did nothing to help the people at all. The book’s main character is a girl named Juliette. In the beginning of the book she is locked in an insane asylum but she isn’t insane. She has an ability that allows her to kill people just by touching them. This ability makes a person in a position of power in “The Reestablishment” interested in her.  This book follows her from the insane asylum onward and is written in her perspective.

I liked the book for many reasons. First, I thought it was interesting to hear the story from Juliette’s point of view rather than a third person point of view. It allows the reader to know what Juliette is thinking at all times. Also, I liked the author’s writing style. They had an interesting way of describing things. For example they used a lot of numbers and counting to express things which I thought was interesting. One thing I didn’t like was the fact that the end of the book was a cliffhanger. While I assume there will be a sequel it was still rather upsetting that the book just cut off during, in my opinion, a really important part. Overall, this was a very good book that I would recommend to other teenage girls

Kelly -   Age 16

Rating: 8

What's on My Holds List (17)

  

My Librarian friend Jess from I Read to Relax came up with a great idea.  It's to highlight the books on hold at the library. I usually have 20-40 items checked out at the library and another 20 items on hold.

Building a Dream: The Art of Disney Architecture (for a blog post on YALSA's The Hub later this month)

Madhatten Mystery: This looks really cute - it's about a girl who overhears a plot concerning a jewel heist and decides to help.

Seventeen Ultimate Guide to Beauty: I adore Seventeen magazine - it's fun and entertaining to read. Plus I know my teens will love looking at this book.

Tween Tuesday Review: Medusa the Mean

 * the 8th book in the Goddess Girls series *

**Tween Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted at GreenBeanTeenQueen to highlight great reads for tweens. Join the fun! **

Medusa wishes she were immortal - like her sisters. Instead, she's a mortal with green skin and thanks to a spell gone wrong snakes instead of hair. Medusa also believes in telling the truth. She doesn't think about the consequences of hurt feelings.

As a result, she doesn't have a lot of friends. She'd love to hang out with Athena, Aphrodite, Persephone, and Artemis. Being one of the only immortals at the school and not connected with a god/goddess, she's insecure. Could the Goddess Girls really want to be her friends? She has so many secrets, she's not sure if she has time for friends, but she's also lonely.

With Zeus and Hera's wedding coming up, Medusa might have a chance to be in the wedding. She only wants to walk down the aisle next to Poseidon, her secret crush. Could she win his contest and gain his attention? All her hopes and wishes just might be in reach with the purchase of a necklace. Will all her wishes come true?

My Thoughts: I love this series! The series changed course with Medusa as a new narrator. I liked seeing the softer side of her and reasons for her abruptness form the previous books. Her sisters are horrible to her simply because they're goddesses and she's not. Thus Medusa feels insecure most of the time. She doesn't believe that anyone would be nice to her.  Medusa spends the bulk of her time studying, which keeps her away from social activities. A great addition to a fabulous series. I look forward to learning more about Medusa and hope to see her blossom more.
Cover Thoughts: Cute
Source: Inter-Library Loan