Contest: Win a copy of Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver!

Lauren Oliver has is generously offering one finished copy of BEFORE I FALL to a lucky reader of The Hiding Spot! BEFORE I FALL is not only one of my favorite books of 2010, it is one of my favorite books ever. Trust me when I say that this is a book that you need to get your hands on!

To be eligible to win you must fill out this FORM.

There are multiple ways to earn extra entries as well!
*Note: Be sure comments say more than "great review/interview"... show me that you actually read the post!
** The book trailer can be found at the bottom of contest post.

• +3 Comment on my review of BEFORE I FALL, here.
• +3 Comment on my interview with Lauren Oliver, here.
• +4 Post the book trailer for BEFORE I FALL on your blog, Facebook, LJ, etc.
• +2 Tweet this contest (be sure to include @thehidingspot)
• +2 Link this contest to sidebar or in contest post
• +3 Follow The Hiding Spot (blog)
• +2 Follow @thehidingspot AND @OliverBooks

Contest ends: March 23, 2010! Open to US and Canadian mailing addresses.

Good luck and have fun!

The Trailer:

Interview: Lauren Oliver (Author of BEFORE I FALL!)

I'm extremely excited to welcome Lauren Oliver, the debut author of the amazing BEFORE I FALL, to The Hiding Spot! Lauren's novel is one of my absolute favorites! To find out more about BEFORE I FALL and Lauren, check out the interview below!

Give a short description or statement about BEFORE I FALL that will lure in readers.

Samantha Kingston has everything a girl could want. She’s pretty, popular, and has one of the hottest boyfriends in school. But on February 12th, on her way home from a party with her best friends, Samantha dies.
The catch is that she still wakes up the next day—again, on February 12th. She relives her last day for a full week, each time trying to piece together the mystery surrounding her death and trying to alter its outcome.

Are you anything like your main character, Samantha?
Yeah, sure. I like to think I’m a lot nicer than Samantha (although I had my moments in high school), but I definitely can relate to some of her confusion around issues of identity and relationships and romance. Like Sam, in high school I thought I had everything figured out, but really I was pretty lost. I was unhappy and didn’t know it; I wasn’t really sure what made life meaningful, and I concealed a lot of insecurity behind an attitude of nonchalance and detachment.

BEFORE I FALL has a premise that many readers have seen before, but it has unique twists. What would you say makes it unique and worth a second look.
I think a lot of stories and themes get repeated time and time again. Forbidden romance has been done a million times, but Romeo and Juliet is a very different book from Twilight. There might be relatively few stories in the world, but they can be told an infinity of different ways, just like the same finite notes on a piano can create a nearly endless quantity of arrangements of music.

Did you know the ending before you began writing or did it take you time to decide how to conclude the novel? (I only ask because it totally broke my heart…)
I’m so sorry it broke your heart! But yes, I did know the ending beforehand. I wrote the prologue and the epilogue first, actually; the whole rest of the writing process was then the struggle to get from Point A to Point Z.

What was the most difficult aspect of writing BEFORE I FALL?
Oof. The hardest part of writing for me is always just actually sitting down to do it every single day. It’s always a struggle, no matter how often I do it. Today, for example—it’s 2 p.m. and I haven’t even started my writing! And I’ll be totally stressed out until I do.

Did you always want to be a novelist?
Well, I didn’t want to be a novelist in the sense that I intended it to be a career, necessarily; writing isn’t always the most practical job choice. But I always, always wrote. I’ve been writing pretty much every day since I was, like, five. In sixth grade, when my best friend Jackie liked a boy, I would write her romance stories in which she would end up with him in the end. She still has a box somewhere full of all of that writing. (Terrible stuff, by the way. I should probably ask her to burn it.)

What jobs did you have on your way to being a writer? Did they help you in any way as a writer?
I worked as an editorial assistant, and then assistant editor, at Penguin Young Readers—and yeah, I definitely think that helped me out, for sure. I read so many teen books during that time and learned so much about plot and pacing. I also worked in nightclubs and bars for five years. That was incredibly helpful to me as a writer; much of the job is just talking to people, so you really get to know people’s stories, and you get a vast sense both of different people’s voices, and of the struggles and anxieties and problems that are common to us all.

When and where do you usually write?
Oh, man. It’s totally random. I like to write on my Macbook air, and when I’m at home in Brooklyn I write at my kitchen table (for easy access to the coffee machine). But when I’m stuck I write by hand, and when I’m rushing around all day I sometimes write on my Blackberry when I’m in the subway and then email the material to myself. Right now I’m writing at my friend’s kitchen table in Venice Beach, California.

Is there something that is a must have for you to be able to write?
Coffee so that my brain can function. Otherwise, nope!

What author or book most influenced you as a writer or in general?
It’s really impossible to say. Different books and writers have been hugely influential to me at different points in time, from Roald Dahl to JK Rowling to F Scott Fitzgerald and Gabrial Garcia Marquez…

Can you tell us anything about your next YA novel(s)?
Sure. My second book will be released in the first part of 2011. It’s called DELIRIUM, and it’s kind of a dystopian Romeo and Juliet story (but told my own way—see Question #3!). I am not going to say any more for now, but I am so, so excited about it.

The Hiding Spot is dedicated to my personal hiding spot, books. Is there a place, activity, or person that is your hiding spot?
What a beautiful question. Yes. Writing is my hiding spot.

Anything else you would like to share with us?
Thanks so much for having me! And please go out and get a copy of Before I Fall! You won’t regret it! (And if you do, you can yell at me over twitter at @OliverBooks.)

Read my rave review of BEFORE I FALL here!

Review: The Naughty List by Suzanne Young

Title: The Naughty List
Author: Suzanne Young
Publisher: Razorbill
Pub. Date: 2/4/2010
Genre: YA
Main Themes: Spying, Cheating, Relationships, Love, Lies
Pages: 272
Plot (from GoodReads):
As if being a purrfect cheerleader isn’t enough responsibility!

Tessa Crimson’s the sweet and spunky leader of the SOS (Society of Smitten Kittens), a cheer squad–turned–spy society dedicated to bringing dastardly boyfriends to justice, one cheater at a time. Boyfriend-busting wouldn’t be so bad . . . except that so far, every suspect on the Naughty List has been proven 100% guilty!
When Tessa’s own boyfriend shows up on the List, she turns her sleuthing skills on him. Is Aiden just as naughty as all the rest, or will Tessa’s sneaky ways end in catastrophe?
The Naughty List. Is your boyfriend on it?

Suzanne Young's debut novel was so unbelievably fun! I loved the entire premise and the characters and dialogue had me laughing aloud! THE NAUGHTY LIST has prompted me to make sure I always have room on my bookshelf for Young's novels.

The most noteable aspect of Young's novel is the creative language. Tessa, the main character, doesn't curse, but uses substitute words and phrases. I too use substitutes for swearing, so I found Tessa's practice entertaining - and I picked up a few more phrases to add to my repetoire! And that is so strawberry smoothie!

My favorite part of the novel was all the spy tactics and undercover work the girls do to catch cheaters in action. The action was great and I could clearly imagine all of the sticky situations they found themselves in!

I really identified with Tessa, especially her hopelessness about guys and their faithfulness. I definitely understood why Tessa slipped into her negative mindset, especially with all the cheating she observes. I liked that Young kept readers unsure about Tessa's boyfriend's faithfulness... I really wasn't sure if her was cheating or not until near the end of the novel.

I feel that I must mention that this book is not as "fluffy" as the summary may lead you to believe. Yes, it is an extremely fun read, but I feel that it has some substance too!

Ratings (out of 10):
Plot: 10
Characters: 10
Writing: 10
Romance: 10
Originality:10
Total: 48/50 (A)

Cover Comments:
I thought that the cover of THE NAUGHTY LIST fits the feel of the book. The pink was eye-catching and as cute as the Smitten Kittens themselves. The fact that the shades are partway down draws attention to spying aspect of the novel. Plus, I love the tagline: Is your boyfriend on it?

Review: Dirty Little Secrets by C.J. Omololu

Title: Dirty Little Secrets
Author: C.J. Omololu
Publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers
Pub. Date: February 2, 2010
Genre: YA
Main Themes: Hoarding, Friendship, Family, Mental Illness, Secrets
Pages: 212
Plot (from GoodReads):
"Everyone has secrets. Some are just bigger and dirtier than others.

For sixteen years, Lucy has kept her mother's hoarding a secret. She's had to -- nobody would understand the stacks of newspapers and mounds of garbage so high they touch the ceiling and the rotting smell that she's always worried would follow her out the house. After years of keeping people at a distance, she finally has a best friend and maybe even a boyfriend if she can play it right. As long as she can make them think she's normal.
When Lucy arrives home from a sleepover to find her mother dead under a stack of National Geographics, she starts to dial 911 in a panic, but pauses before she can connect. She barely notices the filth and trash anymore, but she knows the paramedics will. First the fire trucks, and then news cameras that will surely follow. No longer will they be remembered as the nice oncology nurse with the lovely children -- they'll turn into that garbage-hoarding freak family on Collier Avenue.
With a normal life finally within reach, Lucy has only minutes to make a critical decision. How far will she go to keep the family secrets safe?"

After reading the plot summary of DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS, I was both horrified and intensely curious. I couldn't imagine how Omololu could make such an extreme situation work. In fact, I worried throughout the entire novel about how it would all be resolved, but I honestly cannot think of a better or more satisfying conclusion than the one Omololu wrote.

Omololu picked an extreme situation as the focus for a novel, not to mention for a debut novel. I've never read anything about the subject of hoarding, but I've always had a sort of fascination with it. I think that Omololu's portrayal of hoarders, and living with hoarders, was written in a way that I could imagine how such a situation like the one in the book could develop. It seems almost too crazy to be possible, but when one considers that hoarders have a psychological compulsion to do so, it is a lot easer to imagine.

I'm so glad that Omololu wrote a YA novel. Not only does DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS expose teen readers to the subject of hoarding, a largely undiscussed topic, having a younger narrator really made the story come to life. Lucy's age brought SECRETS to a whole new level. She knows that her mother has a compulsion to hoard, that she really can't control her hoarding, yet her youth impedes her ability to get help for her parent and pushes her towards hatred towards her mother and bitterness. If Lucy had been older, SECRETS would have been a completely different story - a story that I think I would have found lacking.

Omololu has the amazing ability to make me actually feel Lucy's emotions. I think I had such anxiety about how the story would end because it would have had such a dramatic impact on Lucy, and I so wanted her to be free of her mother's madness. So many novels just end with a wrap up; the action is, understandably, the climax. SECRETS, however, kept me guessing and on an emotional high all the way to the last page!

Ratings (out of 10):

Plot: 10

Characters: 10

Writing: 10

Romance: 10 (minor, but strong)

Originality: 10

Total: 50/50 (A!)

Cover Comments:

I love the cover art. Not only are the colors gorgeous, the content and layout perfectly correspond to the plot. I love the girl's face as well; she looks so uncertain and afraid.

Review: Heist Society by Ally Carter

Title: Heist Society
Author: Ally Carter
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Pub. Date: 2/9/10
Genre: YA
Main Themes: Thieves, Love, Family, Heists, Mystery
Pages: 304
Plot (from Good Reads):
When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her on a trip to the Louvre...to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria...to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own--scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving "the life" for a normal life proves harder than she'd expected.


Soon, Kat's friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring her back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has good reason: a powerful mobster has been robbed of his priceless art collection and wants to retrieve it. Only a master thief could have pulled this job, and Kat's father isn't just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat's dad needs her help.

For Kat there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it's a spectacularly impossible job? She's got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in history-or at least her family's (very crooked) history.

HEIST SOCIETY is absolutely amazing! When I heard that Ally Carter was writing a new book that wasn’t a Gallagher Girls book, I was intrigued. And, after reading the premise, I was unbelievably excited. Carter continues to write books that rock my socks off. For readers who love the GG books, HEIST SOCIETY is a must read and won’t disappoint. For those of you who haven’t read an Ally Carter book, for goodness sake, what are you doing!? Go out and pick one up now!

First off, I have to start off by saying that one of my favorite movies of ALL TIME is The Italian Job. So Ally Carter writing a book about a teenage thief who pulls off intense heists while attempting to solve a mystery definitely appealed to me. I mean, it would appeal to most people, but I was so excited that I literally jumped up and down. If HEIST SOCIETY wasn’t amazing, my heart would have been broken. Thank you, Ally Carter, for not breaking my heart.

The action in Carter’s novels has never disappointed me before, and HS was no exception. Carter includes all the little quirks that you would expect to find in this type of novel, but doesn’t fail to make it her own. I love stories about thieves because even though you know stealing is wrong and you would never do it. You want to hear about it, especially when it is so epic it can be called a heist.

The characters in Heist Society are fun and realistic. Kat was a great main character. I liked that she had all the skills and is one of the best, yet she wanted out of the family business. It added a twist to the story and, I think, made her easier to relate to. I main character who wants to steal from people is a bit hard to relate to. A girl who doesn’t really want to steal from people, but does it to save her father and just happens to be amazing at it is a lot more relatable.

And, of course, there is a boy. The boys in the GG books were good, but, in my opinion, they don’t hold a candle to Hale. He is definitely swoon-worthy! He always says the perfect thing and it is so obvious that he adores Kat… My favorite scenes in the novel were the ones with Kat and Hale!

Ratings (Out of 10):
Plot: 10
Characters: 10
Writing: 10
Romance: 10
Originality: 10
Total: 50/50 (A!)

Cover Comments: I'm a big fan of Heist Society's cover! I think the cover model looks gorgeous and the reflection of in her sunglasses fits the novel perfectly! (A)

Heist Society is one of my favorite 2010 novels that I've read so far. I can always count on Carter’s books to make me laugh, fall in love, and keep me on the edge of my seat and I'm so glad that HS maintains that truth. Heist Society is definitely a book that I'll be buying hardcover - because I just can't wait for the paperback!

Review: A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker

Title: A Match Made in High School
Author: Kristin Walker
Publisher: Razorbill
Pub. Date: 2/4/10
Genre: YA
Main Themes: High School, Marriage, Stereotypes, Romance, Humor, Pranks
Pages: 288
Plot (from back of arc):
"Congratulations! Your school has invited you to participate in a revolutionary misguided course called Trying the Knot!

When a mandatory course forces Fiona to "try the knot" with super-jock Todd Harding, she's convinced life couldn't get any worse. Until her crush is paired with her arch enemy (otherwise known as Todd's obscenely hot, slightly sadistic girlfriend). But that's nothing compared to her best friend's fate - a year with the very goofy, very big Johnny Mercer.

A series of hilarious pranks leave Fiona wondering: is there something her "best friend" hasn't told her? Could there be more to Johnny Mercer than an awesome music collection? And most intriguing, could Todd Harding have a heart beneath his pretty-boy exterior?"

A MATCH MADE IN HIGH SCHOOL was not at all what I had expected, but it was still a really great debut novel! I feel that the summary from the back of the book fit the story pretty well, but it led me to make some assumptions that weren't at all true - which left me a little disappointed. However, the book did have a great plot line and satisfying ending - even if it wasn't what I had expected!

The premise of MATCH caught my attention from the first mention I heard of the novel. I've always been fascinated by the health classes in which students have to take an electronic baby home for the week... And I admit to daydreaming about an assignment in which my crush and I would have to raise a baby together and how much fun it would be. So Walker's novel in which guys and girls are paired and "married," for the entire school year, including having a job together and attending counseling sessions togethe, I was intrigued. And kind of amazed that Walker was the first YA author to sit down and write the story! :) After all, I'd been playing out a similar story in my head all through junior high! I'm happy to report, however, that Walker's version of the story was much better than the one in my head... and had a much better lessons to impart.

The aspect of MATCH that really stands out to me is the focus on stereotyping. In high school I was much like Fiona when it came to stereotyping.... and sometimes I still catch myself writing people off without getting to know them. The marriage assignment served as a great venue for Walker to focus on how often people don't get to know people, settling for just a glance at their exteriors without a second  thought for their interior.

The only part of the novel that I didn't really love was the romantic elements. I understood why Fiona fell for the guy she ends up with, but I really didn't see any sparks flying. They are a good match, but I could have used more of something. It just lacked passion... There was another character that I liked as Fiona's match, if only for the dialogue between the two. They really didn't make much sense as a couple, but I really enjoyed their back and forth.

Ratings (Out of 10):
Plot: 10
Characters: 9
Writing: 10
Romance: 7
Originality: 10
Total: 46/50 (A-)

A MATCH MADE IN HIGH SCHOOL is definitely worth checking out! I really liked the premise of the novel - it was something that I could relate to - and I think Walker's story shed some light on how wrong stereotypes can be and how they can limit you. Also, I feel that I must add that this book was released in paperback, which means that it is relatively cheap! So go find it at the bookstore right away!

Waiting on Wednesday (18): Fairy Tale Edition

WoW is hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine!

This week's WoW is the Fairy Tale Edition as part of Once Upon a Week, hosted by Today's Adventure!

Little Miss Red by Robin Palmer (Speak, 2/9/10)

Sophie Greene gets good grades, does the right thing, and has a boyfriend that her parents— and her younger brother—just love. (Too bad she doesn’t love him.) Sophie dreams of being more like Devon Deveraux, star of her favorite romance novels, but, in reality, Sophie isn’t even daring enough to change her nail polish. All of that changes when Sophie goes to Florida to visit her grandma Roz, and she finds herself seated next to a wolfishly goodlooking guy on the plane. The two hit it off, and before she knows it, Sophie’s living on the edge. But is the drama all it’s cracked up to be?

Waiting on Wednesday (11)

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine!

Heist Society by Ally Carter (2/9/10 from Disney Hyperion)
"When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her on a trip to the Louvre...to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria...to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own--scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving "the life" for a normal life proves harder than she'd expected.

Soon, Kat's friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring her back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has good reason: a powerful mobster has been robbed of his priceless art collection and wants to retrieve it. Only a master thief could have pulled this job, and Kat's father isn't just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat's dad needs her help.

For Kat there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it's a spectacularly impossible job? She's got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in history-or at least her family's (very crooked) history."

I can't even describe how much I NEED this book! I love Ally Carter's Gallagher Academy books and this one looks just as amazing. I'm a hugh fan of Alias and her books are basically Alias for teens! Eeek!