"The Egypt Game" by Zilpha Keatly Snyder

When April's mother Dorthea sends her away to live with her grandmother Caroline in her apartment house, "Casa Rosada", April is determined to hate it. After all what are the odds she'd meet anyone who would understand her, with her fake eyelashes, fancy hairdos, and grownup-Hollywood attitude. Besides, all she wants to do is be back with her mother in Hollywood. So when her grandmother sets up a lunch with one of her neighbors who has a little girl her age named Melanie, she's anything but pleased.

Melanie on the other hand can't wait to meet April, thinking she may finally have a new friend that lives close by, and though April's not what Melanie expected, they quickly discover a common bond in using their imagination. Along with with Melanie's little brother, Marshall, they soon cook up a game called the Egypt Game which they play in the back of an old antique store.

And that is just the beginning. Add in a few more players, a mysterious shop owner, and a frightening murder, and you've got one interesting story.

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I liked this book a lot! It was a little kiddish but very cute! It kept me reading and it was fun so all and all a good read! ^^ There's a companion to the book called "The Gypsy Game" which I think I'll pick up as soon as I have a minute.

I give it 4 out of 5 stars! ^^









Her Official Site:

http://www.zksnyder.com/











Enjoy!

xoxoxo

"Lucky" By Rachel Vail

“Lucky”, the title of Rachel Vail’s new novel, fits the book well, creating an ironic edge to the focus of the story. It basically represents many things throughout the book, defining the word in different ways. It could be interpreted as…
- Phoebe’s clique being lucky.
- How so many other people think these girls are lucky and wish they were a part of their group.
- People constantly telling Phoebe how lucky she is, and her always thinking that she’s not, in general and when things don’t go her way.
- Whether or not she really is lucky, being stuck in a group of friends who don’t seem to care much for one another, or other people who just happen to exist “meaninglessly” to them in their world.
And…
-What luck really is.

But though this seems like an interesting metaphor, there was just nothing interesting about this book. The characters hardly, even in the end of the book seemed to learn the errors of their ways. For a while I thought they would but when it was all over, I got the feeling they wouldn’t change dramatically and, if they changed at all, it wouldn’t last long.

Then one of the best parts about picking up a good book is the relationships you feel you form with the characters. I’m sad to say that, in “Lucky”, no attachment was made. Since the characters in this book seem to care so little for each other, it was nearly impossible, for me as a reader, to care for them.
Usually in books, we look for close bonds between the characters themselves, or traits that we admire, have, or stride for in the characters that we’ve gotten a good first impression of, and that is when we start developing our attachment to them. But while reading “Lucky”, I’m sorry to say, I found nothing to make me attached to these characters.

Also I may add that I had a similar feeling when I read “If We Kiss”, another book by Rachel Vail. The characters just never seemed to develop. As for the plot, I wanted to stop and put this book down so many times just from sadness involved. Hardly anything good happens, and Phoebe, the main character, didn’t have good enough relationships with her friends and family to confide in anyone which always leaves me with an empty sad feeling inside. Then, to top it all off, the ending was predictable, and some of the problems were pushed aside, and forgotten. This reviewer has a feeling they won’t resurface again.

So all in all “Lucky” was unlucky for me, I give it 2 stars.








Ok So I think I will just do this with every book i review from now on... XD But if, once again, you dissagree with my review, want a second opinion, or just want to learn a little more about the author This will be on here for you to see! =D

So! Now on to Rachel Vail! >_<

Her Official Site:

http://www.rachelvail.com/

And if you'd like to buy "Lucky"...

http://www.amazon.com/Lucky-Rachel-Vail/dp/0060890436/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1214451321&sr=1-4





Enjoy!

xoxoxo

"A Certain Slant of Light" by Laura Whitcomb

The story begins with the narrator, Helen. A 20 year old girl who's made from light like a ghost. She wanders around on earth thinking that she's done some great sin in the past. Following her hosts, and never being able to feel. She's watched host after host die, and yet she still goes on. When she meets James, or Billy (the name of the body he's taken over), she falls in love and the whole no contact thing becomes a problem. So James helps her inhabit a body, only being human doesn't end up being as easy and she thought, and as she learns more and more about her old body and the new one she's inhabited she realizes her trouble has just begun. The girls she;s inhabited is named Jenny. Her parents are super religious, and wont let her have a boyfriend. So she decides to see him at school. Only her parents notice her sneaking around and get suspicious. And just when you think things can't get anyways...

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My Opinion on this book is not encouraging. Personally I found the sound of the narrators voice was good, and I liked the way it was written.... BUT I found the story really depressing and by the end I felt like I hated it! The characters were good but I felt the main characters didn't think through their decisions AT ALL, and they didn't really look for a body to take over that would work well for them. Also Billy had some issues that I didn't like. Anyways I was really disappointed... mainly because I like happy endings and this was not a book I felt had one.

I'm have to give it 2 stars.





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Better known as, "My opinion's not the only one that matters in the world?!"
Just incase you've decided to ignore my review, and/or have read "A Certain Slant of Light" and thought it was great, and very well written, "Thank you very much!" I thought I'd add some info (OK, links...) on her for those of you so inclined to read more about her!

This is her Official site:

http://www.laurawhitcomb.com/index.htm

Plus I thought I'd throw in a "Nice" Review of her book just to show that some people don't hate it. :D

http://www.amazon.com/review/product/061858532X/ref=cm_cr_dp_all_summary?%5Fencoding=UTF8&showViewpoints=1&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending

And if the review posted above has changed your mind at all, and you suddenly feel the need to cry out,

"I Want to read A Certain Slant of Light and I'm not ashamed! I don't care what you say ReaderGirl, I bet it's going to rock!"

Then perhaps you'd like to quietly slip on over to amazon and buy it here:


http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/061858532X/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

(I mean really, after that embarrassing scene, do you really want to be seen in a bookstore?)








Enjoy!

xoxoxo