Review: Ondine by Ebony McKenna

Title: Ondine
Author: Ebony McKenna
Publisher: Egmont Books Ltd
Pub. Date: 4.5.2010
Genre: Middle Grade
Keywords: Enchantment, Love, Family, Ferrets
Pages: 336
Description (from GoodReads):
This is a brilliantly witty story with a furry tail ending. One girl. One boy. One spell to be broken. Ondine de Groot is a normal fifteen-year-old who lives with her family in the European country of Brugel. She has a pet ferret called Shambles. But Shambles is no ordinary ferret...He's Hamish McPhee, a boy cursed by a witch. A witch who happens to be related to Ondine. When Shambles turns back into Hamish temporarily, Ondine knows that she has to help him break the spell. He is the most gorgeous boy she has ever met and her one true love! He just can't remain a ferret forever. Can he?

I'd like to preface this review by saying that I usually don't read Middle Grade; It simply isn't my niche. That said, I was drawn to ONDINE. McKenna's novel received many positive reviews on GoodReads praising its humor and wit, which caught my attention.

For me, it was the footnotes that inspired the most laughter. In the text, Ondine mentions a BeDazzle and, in the footnotes, she defines it as a "completely unnecessary yet strangely compelling device to attach sparkly plastic jewels to your clothes." I couldn't have said it better myself! I admit it: if I owned a BeDazzle I'd probably use it. Secretly.

The romance between Ondine and her ferret, which sounds a lot weirder than it actually is, was cute. Though it was ridiculously far fetched, I went with it, taking into account that ONDINE is middle grade and a light hearted read. It helped that, though he was in ferret form, Shambles/Hamish never really acted like a ferret. He talked and thought like a teenaged boy, so I sometimes forgot that he wasn't in human form... until he did something weasley.

My main complaint is due to the fact that none of the characters seemed fully formed. There was no real development and their relationships felt disjointed. Part of me thinks that I wouldn't have noticed these inconsistencies when I was in elementary school and junior high, but the other part of me wants to give my younger self (and kids in general) more credit than that.

Overall, ONDINE is a cute read that will bring a smile to your face, but I think it's better suited to younger readers.

Grade: C+

Review: The Karma Club by Jessica Brody

Title: The Karma Club
Author: Jessica Brody
Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux
Pub. Date: 4.27.2010
Genre: Contemporary YA
Keywords: Karma, Revenge, Love, Friendship, Lies
Pages: 272
Description (from GoodReads):
Madison Kasparkova always thought she understood how Karma works. It’s that mysterious, powerful force that brings harmony to the universe. You know—do good things and you will be rewarded, do something bad and Karma will make sure you get what’s coming to you. A sort of cosmic balancing act.

But when Mason Brooks, Maddy’s boyfriend of two years, gets caught tongue-wrestling with Miss Perfect Body Heather Campbell, and absolutely nothing happens to either of them—except that they wind up the hot new couple of Colonial High School, it seems like Karma has officially left Maddy in the lurch. That’s why Maddy and her best friends, Angie and Jade, decide to start the Karma Club—a secret, members-only organization whose sole purpose is to clean up the messes that the universe has been leaving behind. Whether they’re modifying Heather Campbell’s acne cream as part of “Operation Butterface,” or righting a few wrongs when it comes to Angie and Jade’s own slimy exes, they know they’re just doing what Karma should have done in the first place. They’re taking care of one another.
Sometimes, though, it isn’t wise to meddle with the universe. Because it turns out, when you mess with Karma, Karma messes back. Now Maddy must find a way to balance her life for good, even as everything around her seems to be toppling to the ground.

Jessica Brody's THE KARMA CLUB is a great novel with an even greater message.

Maddy Kasparkova is an extremely relateable heroine, though I did find her a tad overwhelming at the beginning of the novel. She is completely consumed with being popular, which was definitely not me in high school. After Maddy realizes that being popular isn't all it's cracked up to be, she grew on me. I'm not sure it's a good thing, but I definitely identified with her revenge schemes. I think everyone has those times when they're fed up with how the chips fall and how terribly unfair things can be. Like Maddy, I sometimes feel like I should somehow even the score. I've learned that, while it may feel good in the moment, it doesn't feel so great later, a lesson Maddy quickly learns as well.


I'll admit to finding the Karma Club's revenge schemes hilarious. "Operation Butterface?" Classic. But it wasn't just the adventures and sticky situations the girls find themselves in that I found amusing, the dialogue and Maddy's inner monologue kept a smile on my face as well.


At the start of the novel, I wasn't sure that Maddy would have a romantic interest. In a fit of girl power she swears of boys and I felt confident that she'd keep that promise. I was suprised, but happy, when I discovered that was not the case... Actually, Maddy's unexpected relationship bore a happy resemblance to my favorite One Tree Hill (CW) romance.


It's rare that I can pinpoint my favorite part of a novel, especially in a fun novel like THE KARMA CLUB, but there was a part, near the end, that sticks out to me. After Maddy realizes that she has completely misunderstood karma, and scored herself some bad mojo in the process, she still admits that there is a part of her that enjoys all the drama and stunts The Karma Club orchestrated. I loved how honest that was. And it sticks with me because you can know something is wrong and still get some satisfaction from it. I find that people, myself included, often have a hard time admitting that. I thought it was important that Maddy came to that realization.


THE KARMA CLUB relays some important messages under the guise of a fun, lighthearted read. I highly recommend!


Grade: A

Review: Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan

Title: Will Grayson, Will Grayson
Author(s): John Green & David Levithan
Publisher: Dutton (Penguin)
Pub. Date: 4.6.2010
Genre: Contemporary YA
Keywords: Love, Chance Encounters, Homosexuality, Theatre, Musicals
Pages: 310
Description (from arc):
Will Grayson, meet Will Grayson.
One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two teens - both named Will Grayson - are about to cross paths. As their worlds collide and intertwine, the Will Graysons find their lives going in new and unexpected directions, building towards respective romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history's most fabulous high school musical.

WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON has been sitting on my to-be-read pile for quite some time. Other books kept pushing ahead in line until, finally, I took it off the stack and stuck it in my bag, refusing to look at another book until I'd finished it.

At first, I wasn't as enthralled as I'd imagined I'd be. I thought that John Green's Will Grayson was hilarious and I was enjoying the sections he narrated, but I simply couldn't connect with David Levithan's Will. He was just too for me. Too negative, too sarcastic, too much in general. I found him extremely annoying - until he met the other Will Grayson. I can't pinpoint the exact change that occurred, but I know that when the Will Graysons met in that "unlikely corner of Chicago," I started to like Levithan's Will, sometimes even more than I liked Green's! *gasp* Once I made a connection with both Will Graysons, my attitude towards the book changed completely. At first, I could easily set the novel down and was distracted by other things, but after, it was nearly impossible to tear my eyes from the page. So, if you've yet to read WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON, don't give up on it if you aren't connecting with both characters. There's a chance that this will change for you, as it did for me, but, even if it doesn't, this novel is definitely worth finishing!

I can't write a review of this novel without mentioning Tiny Cooper, who is both a best friend and love interest in the novel. He was a fabulous character and, of all the characters, I'd have to say that he shines the brightest. I'd love to read a novel from his point of view!

Overall, WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON is a hilarious novel written by two phenomenal authors. It reminded me just how amazing John Green's writing is and has encouraged me to seek out more by David Levithan.

Grade: A

*Edit: I said above that I didn't know what changed to allow my connection with Levithan's Will, but thanks to the wonderful comment below, I realized the reason! Will meets Tiny!! Now that I've realized this, I feel slightly silly, as it is actually quite obvious.

Review: Thief Eyes by Janni Lee Simner

Title: Thief Eyes
Author: Janni Lee Simner
Publisher: Random House BFYR
Pub. Date: 4/27/10
Genre: YA
Main Themes: Icelandic Sagas, Shapeshifter, Love, Family, Ancestry, Magic
Pages: 272
Plot (from GoodReads):
After her mother mysteriously disappears, sixteen-year-old Haley convinces her father to take her to Iceland, where her mother was last seen. There, amidst the ancient fissures and crevices of that volcanic island, Haley meets gorgeous Ari, a boy with a dangerous side who appoints himself her protector.

When Haley picks up a silver coin that entangles her in a spell cast by her ancestor Hallgerd, she discovers that Hallgerd's spell and her mother's disappearance are connected to a chain of events that could unleash terrifying powers and consume the world. Haley must find a way to contain the growing fires of the spell—and her growing attraction to Ari.

Though I've never read Janni Lee Simner's debut novel BONES OF FAERIE, I had heard wonderful things about it and jumped at the chance to read her second novel, THIEF EYES. Much to my dismay, I failed to fall in love with Haley's story and found it difficult to finish.

First off, I did enjoy parts of the novel, most notably Haley's attraction to Ari. Even a hint of romance can catch my attention, so this is no surprise. However, the novel is not particularly long, which caused their story to feel rushed and left much to be desired.

I've never read any Icelandic sagas, but I found certain aspects of the mythology to be interesting in the context of the novel's plot. Haley and Ari encounter Muninn*, a black crow and the keeper of memory. In an effort to coerce them into submission, Munin removes all traces of the pair from the collective memory of Iceland's inhabitants. This added an interesting twist to the story and was a clever way to incorporate Munin. Simner successfully incorporates Icelandic myth throughout the entire novel.

I think that my biggest issue with the novel was its glacial pace. I have no problem with novels in which intricate plots slowly unfold, but there was nothing intricate about the plot of THIEF EYES. It was, for the most part, clear how the story would develop, so I just wanted to move on to another novel.

Simply put, I was disappointed by this novel. I think the description and my expectations were far from accurate, leaving me disenchanted.

Grade: C-

Cover Comments:
Eh. I think its boring. Which, sadly, fits my attitude towards the novel.

*Munin may have been spelled differently in the novel, this is just the spelling I had on hand. 


 

Review: For Keeps by Natasha Friend

Title: For Keeps
Author: Natasha Friend
Publisher: Penguin
Pub. Date: 4/6/10
Genre: YA
Main Themes: Love, Friendship, Family, Single Parents, Sex, Teen Pregnancy
Pages: 272
Plot (from GoodReads):
Having been deserted by her father before she was born, Josie fears abandonment and heartbreak. Her mother fuels this fear with her own reluctance to pursue relationships.

Luckily Josie's best friend, Liv, encourages her to make connections with her family and with the very cute and enigmatic Matt. When the parents of Josie's estranged father move back to the area, Josie forges a friendship with her grandfather that gives her some insight into her roots. A tragedy brings the truth about Josie's family to light and provides an unexpected opportunity to forge new relationships. Believable characters and smart dialogue make this story both memorable and entertaining.
Fast-paced and full of little twists, Josie's story is a sweet and savvy coming-of-age tale. The story is only slightly marred by its unfortunately saccharine ending, in which everything conveniently works out for the best. Readers will root for Josie and Matt's budding romance, sympathize with the difficulties surrounding unconventional families and be inspired by Liv's honesty and quirkiness. Hopeful and endearing.

Natasha Friend has written four YA novels, but, for some unknown reason, this was the first one that I've read. I must admit, it looks as though I've been missing out!

FOR KEEPS is one of those novels that, for the most part, is predictable. Josie has been raised by a single mother, who became pregnant in high school, and has never met her father, the seemingly uncaring Paul Tucci. Josie doesn't mind though, she's got her mom and her best friend Liv - she doesn't need any boys in her life. Then, unexpectedly, Paul Tucci returns to town and the life Josie knows is turned inside out. Perhaps Paul Tucci isn't who she thought he was. And, perhaps, Matt, the boy she desperately doesn't want to like, has a place in her life after all. 

It isn't often that I truly like the character that is cast as the best friend, but I really enjoyed Liv. She was the perfect foil to Josie's anti-boy stance and she opened Josie's eyes to so many possibilities and ideas that she never would have considered on her own. Josie is such a stubborn character; she needed someone like Liv to pester her into opening her eyes.

I very much enjoyed Josie and Matt's relationship. Josie's reluctance to enter into a relationship with any boy - let alone Matt, with whom she has a complicated history - added the perfect amount of tension to the plot. It often seems that after the two main characters finally admit their feelings for one another, the book is all but over, but that wasnt' so with FOR KEEPS. Friend touched on some other true to life issues that often occur in relationships, keeping Matt and Josie's relationship interesting. I found this satisfying and much more realistic, which I think is important in YA literature.

I also feel that I must briefly mention the letters. Now, I can't really say what letters. Or who they were from. Or what they were about. All of this information is better uncovered as you read the novel, but for those of you who have already had the pleasure of reading FOR KEEPS: I loved the letters! They were absolutely perfect and allowed me to forge a connection to the character that had written them, a connection that I fear would not have been nearly as strong without said letters.

It has been mentioned that the ending of FOR KEEPS was too perfect, but I don't believe this was the case. I like that all the loose ends were wrapped up and the reader is left with a happy image in mind. It might not necessarily be real life, but it isn't supposed to be. Friend wrote a compelling novel that tackled many issues - let Josie have her happy ending.

Grade: A

Cover Comments:

I'll admit that I preferred the first cover that was chosen for FOR KEEPS, but this one is alright. I like the postage detail along the top of the cover though! I think it ties in that part of the novel perfectly!

Review: Swoon at Your Own Risk by Sydney Salter

Title: Swoon at Your Own Risk
Author: Sydney Salter
Publisher: Graphia
Pages: 368
Genre: YA
Keywords: Friendship, Dating, Love, Identity
Description (from GoodReads):
It’s the summer before senior year and Polly Martin has sworn off boys. Who needs the hurt and confusion? Five recent breakups have left her with an unnatural knowledge of NASCAR, the ultimate hiker’s outfit, a student council position, the sixth highest score on the Donkey Kong machine at the mall, and a summer job at Wild Waves with ex #2 Sawyer Holmes.

Success seems a sure thing when Polly’s grandmother, the syndicated advice columnist, Miss Swoon, moves in for the summer. Polly almost doesn’t mind sharing a room with her little sister, Grace. Think of all the great advice she’ll get!
Everything is going according to plan except... Miss Swoon turns out to be a man-crazy septuagenarian! And then there’s Xander Cooper. If only he wouldn’t keep showing up at Wild Waves with his adorable cousins every afternoon — and what is he writing in that little notebook?
No advice column in the world can prepare Polly for the lessons she learns when she goes on a group camping trip (with three too many ex-boyfriends). Polly is forced to see people for who they are — a blend of good and bad qualities that can’t be reduced to a list or a snappy answer in a Miss Swoon column.
 
SWOON AT YOUR OWN RISK is a perfect warm weather read, filled with cute boys and a feisty heroine.

I wasn't sure if I would really connect with or like Polly, but I was a bit attached to her by the end of the novel. She was spunky, sarcastic, and witty! She begins the novel confused and prickly, but she really grows throughout the novel. She reminds me, in ways, of Veronica Mars: tough as nails, but really just a marshmallow on the inside.

I'm all for fluffy beach reads, so characterizing Swoon as such wouldn't really be insulting in my mind, but I must say that this novel is on a higher level than most beach reads. It has the cute boys and predictable love story, but Polly has more depth than many female leads in fluffy novels. The fact that Polly's main issue was  the fear of being without at boyfriend and that she was constantly adopting the hobby of her current beau was extremely realistic - which made it even funnier and Polly all the more easy to relate to.

And oh my gosh: Xander. He was so unbelievably adorable. It was definitely obvious from the beginning of the novel that Xander is the perfect guy for Polly but in her confused and boy phobic state there would be a bit of a journey to her realization of this fact. I loved the tension and buildup to this point. Xander definitely joins the ranks of my favorite book boys! (Yay!)

I will definitely be reading MY BIG NOSE AND OTHER NATURAL DISASTERS, Salter's debut novel, sometime soon! I think I've found a new author to add to my favorites.

Grade: A+

Cover Comments:
I think that the cover is really cute; I like that the girl is cautiously testing the water. I don't really like the guy in the background though.... It just looks awkward to me. I don't know what would be better there, but it doesn't mesh for me.

Interview: Tucker Shaw (Author of Anxious Hearts!)

Please welcome Tucker Shaw, author of ANXIOUS HEARTS! This newly released novel is a lyrical retelling of Longfellow's epic poem "Evangeline." Shaw's other novels include THE GIRLS and FLAVOR OF THE WEEK

_______________________________

THE INTERVIEW

Give a short description or statement describing ANXIOUS HEARTS.

This part is true: In 1755, the British Army invaded Nova Scotia and expelled the French-speaking Acadian community. Families were ruthlessly torn apart and dispersed across the globe; many never reconnected.

This part might be true: On the verge of being married, Acadians Evangeline and Gabriel were violently separated. Determined to find Gabriel, Evangeline spends the rest of her life crossing back and forth across North America, searching.
This part isn’t true: Eva and Gabe, two teenagers in modern-day Maine (across the bay from Nova Scotia) are separated by circumstance, stubbornness and fear. Determined, Eva resolves to find and reconnect with Gabe, against great odds.
In Anxious Hearts, I tried to tell each of these stories, one atop the other, to show that love is never static; it is a journey – sometimes a literal journey, sometimes an internal journey. Sometimes a desperate journey. You can be sitting at the same table as your soulmate and still have to search. But finding love, real love, is worth any effort.


ANXIOUS HEARTS is very different from your previous novels. What motivated you to write this particular story?
There was an afternoon, maybe three years ago now, one of those magical Colorado afternoons when it’s both sunny and snowy, when the light sneaks around the clouds and pokes through the falling flakes, and I had three hours to kill while I waited for an experiment – a green chile pork roast – to finish up in the oven. I was between books so, scanning my shelves, I came upon “Evangeline,” a Longfellow epic I’d all but forgotten about. I’d last read it in college, when I was forced to, and had forgotten whether or not I’d liked it. It was an ancient edition, perhaps a hundred years old, with woodcut illustrations on delicate pages.
Three hours later, I found myself slumped in my club chair, exhausted and energized all at once. I’d changed: I’d found the most evocative, luxurious love story in the world.
Over the course of the next year, I read and re-read the poem probably twenty times, finding new words, new thoughts, new cadences and rhythms that I would have dismissed as impossible if they weren’t there before me on the page. I tried to talk myself out of trying to revive the story; after all, Longfellow is perhaps the greatest there ever was. How dare someone like me, a middling storyteller with questionable craftsmanship, take it on? And yet, Evangeline and Gabriel would not fade from my thoughts. And so I sat down to write. I don’t think I looked up from my laptop, except to go to work, for a year. In other words, I was compelled.

Why did you choose to write ANXIOUS HEARTS from Gabriel and Eva’s point of view, not Gabe and Evangeline’s?

Longfellow’s poem was told almost exclusively from the point of view of Evangeline – throughout much of the poem, Gabriel is absent. I wondered where he’d been, what he’d seen, whether he’d tried as hard as she had to re-connect. I wanted to re-think his story, I wanted to imagine his words, his thoughts, his experiences. Not enough stories are told about young men who fall as deeply in love as Gabriel did. Boys love incredibly deeply, but these feelings are rarely articulated. As with Gabriel, sometimes this love borders on obsession, and I wanted to explore his mind and imagine his feelings of love as he struggled to make sense of them, struggled to prove his worthiness to have them, struggled to make them productive, not destructive.

 As for Eva, I knew her before I started to write her. I imagined a girl, a smart, capable, thoughtful, determined girl who was wise enough to know that boys are not disposable, that love is not replaceable, that connecting is what matters most. Her friends and family do not understand her feelings for Gabe, but her self-awareness and clarity of purpose fuel her resolve to find him, and in doing so, find herself.


Before reading the novel, I assumed that Eva and Evangeline would be very similar, as would Gabe and Gabriel, but quickly discovered that this is not the case. Does this serve a specific purpose in regard to the novel’s message?
Wow, good question. I don’t know. I think each is a product of her time, in a way. In Evangeline’s era, the greatest achievement a young woman could hope for would be to get married. She’d sacrifice anything for it. In Eva’s time, our time, the world is so much broader, the options so much more numerous. Eva is on track to become a doctor. To choose to search for love, to sacrifice for love, is a radical choice. Both Evangeline and Eva are brave, but Evangeline had fewer viable options. This makes Eva’s choice – to stick to her Gabe-loving guns – bolder, I think.


I’ve read that in addition to writing YA novels, you are also a food editor for the Denver Post. Did you always intend to become a novelist or is it more of a hobby for you?
Food is a lifelong obsession with me – all aspects of it. Cooking. Restaurants. Shopping. Food writing. All of it. Storytelling, or more specifically, spending time in my imagination, in the worlds that bounce around in my brain, is another obsession. If I had to choose between writing about food and writing fiction, I don’t know what I’d do. I shudder.


Can you tell us anything about your next YA novel?
I have a few ideas in mind. But to be completely honest, I’m having a very difficult time letting go of Gabriel and Evangeline the world of Pré-du-sel. I blame Longfellow for this:


“Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape
Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood.
Peace seemed to reign upon earth, and the restless heart of the ocean
Was for a moment consoled. All sounds were in harmony blended.”


Who would want to leave?


This blog is dedicated to my personal hiding spot, books. Who, what, or where is your hiding spot?
The kitchen. Nothing makes me happier than returning home from the farmers market with an armful of colorful stuff, then setting to cooking for my friends. If you can’t find me, I’m probably standing over the stove.

_______________________________________________

Thank you, Tucker!

Be sure to check out my review of ANXIOUS HEARTS, which can be found here.

Cover of the Week (3)

Every time is see this cover, I get excited about it all over again. The main character is only eleven, so it is technically what I would classify as more of  a middle grade novel, which I don't usually pick up, but this one just sounds amazing! Honestly, I've always had a thing for owls, so that really influenced my favor of the cover art! You can find more information about THE OWL KEEPER and a book trailer below!

Title: The Owl Keeper
Author: Christine Brodien-Jones
Publisher: Delacorte BFYR
Pub. Date: April 13th, 2010
Plot:
Maxwell Unger has always loved the night. He used to do brave things like go tramping through the forest with his gran after dark. He loved the stories she told him about the world before the Destruction—about nature, and books, and the silver owls. His favorite story, though, was about the Owl Keeper.

According to Max’s gran, in times of darkness the Owl Keeper would appear to unite owls and sages against the powers of the dark. Gran is gone now, and so are her stories of how the world used to be. Max is no longer brave. The forest is dangerous, the books Gran had saved have been destroyed, and the silver owls are extinct. At least that’s what the High Echelon says. But Max knows better.
Maxwell Unger has a secret. And when a mysterious girl comes to town, he might just have to start being brave again.
The time of the Owl Keeper, Gran would say, is coming soon.

Cover Alert: Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles

If you're a fan of Elkeles' PERFECT CHEMISTRY, be sure to check out her next novel, RULES OF ATTRACTION!

Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles (Walker Books, 4/27/10)
New sparks will fly in the sequel to Simone Elkeles’s breakout book Perfect Chemistry

When Carlos Fuentes returns to America after living in Mexico for a year, he doesn’t want any part of the life his older brother, Alex, has laid out for him at a high school in Colorado. Carlos likes living his life on the edge and wants to carve his own path—just like Alex did. Then he meets Kiara Westford. She doesn’t talk much and is completely intimidated by Carlos’ wild ways. As they get to know one another, Carlos assumes Kiara thinks she’s too good for him, and refuses to admit that she might be getting to him. But he soon realizes that being himself is exactly what Kiara needs right now.
With new characters to fall in love with and the same hot romance found in Perfect Chemistry, Simone Elkeles has crafted another sure-fire hit for teens.

Not only does this novel sound amazing - I love the cover art! I can't wait until April!

Cover Alert: Whisper by Phoebe Kitanidis

I am so excited to finally get to see the cover of this book - and I love it! Balzer & Bray also published Amy Huntley's Everafter, which had a gorgeous cover as well!

Whisper by Phoebe Kitanidis

Balzer & Bray, 4/27/10

I’d love a cup of coffee. I wish she knew how pretty she was. I wish I could drop this kid in the dryer sometimes. I just want her to be happy. I hope she didn’t find out what Ben said about her. I wish I knew how many calories were in a bite of muffin…

Joy is used to hearing Whispers. She’s used to walking down the street and instantly knowing people’s deepest, darkest desires. She uses this talent for good, to make people happy and give them what they want. But for her older sister, Jessica, the family gift is a curse, and she uses it to make people’s lives—especially Joy’s—miserable. Still, when Joy Hears Jessica whisper: I want to kill my Hearing dead, and kill me too if that’s what it takes, she knows she has to save her sister, even if it means deserting her friends, stealing a car and running away with a boy she barely knows—a boy who may have a dark secret of his own.

Waiting on Wednesday (15)

Guardian on the Dead by Karen Healey (Little, Brown, 4/1/10)
New Zealander Ellie Spencer just wants to spend her last year of high school in peace, even if she does have to spend it at boarding school and not in her hometown. But the moment her secret crush enchants her – literally – Ellie is drawn into a supernatural crisis that threatens everything she loves.
The creatures of Māori mythology aren’t so mythological – and some of them are murderous. Once her eyes are open, there’s no peace for Ellie; only a magical war the right side must win. Ellie must do what she can with her rusty tae kwon do skills and her newfound magical abilities to save her friends, her country, and millions of lives.

From the author's website:
In less than a day I had been harassed, enchanted, shouted at, cried on, and clawed. I’d been cold, scared, dirty, exhausted, hungry, and miserable. And up until now, I’d been mildly impressed with my ability to cope.

At her boarding school in New Zealand, Ellie Spencer is like any ordinary teen: she hangs out with her best friend, Kevin; obsesses over her crush on a mysterious boy; and her biggest worry is her paper deadline. Then everything changes: In the foggy woods near the school, something ancient and deadly is waiting.

This book sounds amazing! It has everything I love: supernatural, romance, and tae kwon do! :)

WoW is hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine!