1. Sing with Bleeder Valve.
2. Get a tattoo.
3. Work things out with Shay.
4. Confront D.
5. Tell Serena.

Kori Kitzler is the “dark angel” of her high school” beautiful, mysterious, the subject of rumors. Serena Moore is just an average girl: unassuming, not sure exactly who she is or who she wants to be. But then a seemingly chance encounter ignites a fateful friendship—allowing Kori to draw Serena into her world.

When the girls are given an assignment to list five things they would never dream could really happen—their five ways to tempt fate—Serena doesn’t take it very seriously. But then tragedy leaves Serena shocked, alone, and in possession of Kori’s five secret impossible possibilities. Can Serena complete her best friend’s list, or will she leave Kori’s dreams undone?

When I first picked up this book, the description led me to believe it’d be about Kori. But really, only a small part is about Kori. Undone is Serena’s story; it’s a story of tempting fate, testing the bonds of friendship, discovering one’s identity, overcoming grief, growing up. Undone is Serena’s journey, but it also offers the reader a journey, one that, if you allow it, can reach the deepest part of your heart and possibly change your outlook on life.

Serena doesn’t know what made Kori decide to abandon her spot in the “popular crowd” all those years ago, but she’s grateful Kori chose her as her new best friend. Serena idolizes Kori to the point where she dyes and styles her hair so that the two are often mistaken for sisters. Kori is brash and bold and fearless, everything Serena wishes she could be. And Serena can’t imagine life without Kori, until she’s suddenly forced the face that reality.

Serena is an extremely relatable character. She’s so blinded by her envy of Kori that she fails to notice her own strong qualities. It isn’t until she has to live without Kori that Serena realizes she’s her own person and that perhaps Kori isn’t as perfect as Serena always thought.

In an effort to cope with the loss of her best friend, Serena embarks on a mission to complete Kori’s list of fate-tempting tasks. Serena thinks completing the list will bring her closer to Kori, but it actually ends up teaching her more about herself. For so long, Serena had been so wrapped up in Kori’s identity that she forgot she had one of her own. Brooke Taylor beautifully expresses the emotions of a young girl trying to find herself while managing feelings of sorrow, suspicion, and isolation. Taylor’s prose is hauntingly honest and realistic. Her story is innovative, at times romantic, and always gripping. It’s one of those books you’ll want to read again and again just to learn something new.

Pages: 308
Publication Date: July 2008
Publisher: Walker & Company
Challenge: N/A
Rating :

Teaser Quote: “My stomach turned. A part of me felt like I was just thrown in front of a truck with no brakes. Another part of me thought Kori was the truck with no brakes and maybe I could stop her if I only jumped in front of her.”

If given the opportunity, what sixteen-year-old wouldn’t jump at the chance to move in with a friend and live parent-free? Although maybe “opportunity” isn’t the right word, since April had to tell her dad a tiny little untruth to make it happen (see #1: “Lied to Our Parents”). But she and her housemate Vi are totally responsible and able to take care of themselves. How they ended up “Skipping School” (#3), “Throwing a Crazy Party” (#8), “Buying a Hot Tub” (#4), and, um, “Harboring a Fugitive” (#7) at all is kind of a mystery to them.

In this hilarious and bittersweet tale, Sarah Mlynowski mines the heart and mind of a girl on her own for the first time. To get through the year, April will have to juggle a love triangle, learn to do her own laundry, and accept that he carefully constructed world just might be falling apart…one thing-she-shouldn’t-have-done at a time.

Ten Things We Did looks and sounds like a light-hearted, fun, easy read. It promises to appeal to fans of authors like Susane Colasanti, Sarah Dessen, and Lauren Myracle. But Sarah Mlynowski doesn’t quite deliver on that promise. Ten Things is a light, fun read, but the plot and characters are unrealistic. When April’s dad decides to move to Cleveland, she opts to move in with her friend Vi rather than uproot herself. Only thing is, April’s dad would freak if he found out Vi’s mom won’t be staying with them, leaving the two teenagers alone in Vi’s spacious home. To placate April’s dad, the girls provide him with a fake email address and Vi dutifully responds to all his emails as if she were her mom.

As if this scenario weren’t crazy enough, the ridiculous situations the girls continuously get themselves into drive this story over the top. While it tries to be charming and endearing, it’s hard to forget just how improbable all of it is. As a main character, April is kind of forgettable. Vi is much more interesting, but she’s also the proponent of this whole scheme and I kind of hold that against her. My favorite characters are brothers Dean and Hudson, but they don’t appear enough to really satisfy me.

I will say Ten Things explores some real teen issues and deals with them in a relatable, believable way, specifically issues surrounding relationships, sex, infidelity, conforming, and friendship. Some conversations are reminiscent of conversations every girl has had with or can imagining have with a friend. And if you can suspend your disbelief for a little while, the craziness that is April’s life can even be funny. You’ll wistfully imagine your own life parent- and rule-free for a few minutes. Then you’ll get to the end and realize you don’t want to have the conversation that April’s about to have with her dad.

If you’re looking for a light, quick read, then Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn’t Have) will probably satisfy you. If you want something with a little more substance, I’d suggest you keep looking.

Pages: 354
Publication Date: May 2011
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Challenge: N/A
Rating :

Teaser Quote: “I wasn’t sure how to process this information. Vi had lied to everyone. Vi—strong, confident Vi—had felt the need to pretend to be something she wasn’t. Why did she care so much what other people thought?”

My name is Meghan Chase.

I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who’s sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I’m not sure anyone can survive it.

This time, there will be no turning back.

The third book in the Iron Fey series provides the same non-stop action as its predecessors. The only thing is, this time around, the constant conflict started to wear on my nerves. I didn’t really start caring about this book until halfway through, when the major Narnia-esque conflict began. The first half just seemed like a way to kill time and unnecessarily impress the reader. But by the third book in a series, we don’t need flashy new creatures or foreboding prophecies to be impressed; we’re already invested in the characters, their world, and in this case, their fight against the false king. I didn’t think it was possible for Julie Kagawa to introduce even more creatures, but she did, making it even harder for me to keep track of everything and everyone. There came a point where I stopped caring about the descriptions because I knew I’d never be able to remember what each specific faery looked like.

Now let’s talk about Meghan. Meghan’s near-constant state of helplessness was clearly becoming a problem and so it made complete sense for her to learn how to defend herself. But doesn’t sword-fighting take years of practice? Meghan spent all of a month or two learning and then instantly dove into numerous battles, coming out the victor each time. I’d understand if she got lucky a couple of times, especially if she had the help of Ash or Puck, but she literally fought trained soldiers, alone, and managed to win, without coming to any serious harm herself. And then, suddenly, she was ready to fight in a war? I just don’t find any of that plausible. Meanwhile, a power all her own lies dormant and unusable until the very end of the book. I’d be far more willing to believe she mastered her own summer/iron power and use it defend herself than a sword.

As for Puck and Ash, I still love Puck, though I still think the amount he addresses Meghan as “Princess” is a little unnatural. But I’m used to that. He’s as sarcastic, witty, and humorous as ever; he captures my attention in every scene. Then there’s Ash. I’m probably the only girl in the world who isn’t in love with him. I just don’t see the insane appeal and I don’t really understand his willingness to devote his entire life to Meghan. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t dislike Ash. I’m just not in love with him, nor am I sure why Meghan is, besides the obvious physical attraction. I think Kagawa goes a little over the top with their romance-to-end-all-romances. The idea that (mini spoiler alert!) sleeping together signifies the merging of their souls is completely ridiculous, to me. But as much as I don’t understand their relationship, I was still touched by the ending and left craving answers that only the fourth book will provide.

Basically, fans of the series will love this book. It’s written exactly as the first two in the series and provides an intricate, suspense-ridden plot. It has its moments of joy, battle, discovery, and heartbreak. Readers will fly through the second half of the book and turn the last few pages anxiously, praying for it not to end. But never fear, for the ride will continue in the fourth book, The Iron Knight.

Review of The Iron King.
Review of The Iron Daughter.

Pages: 358
Publication Date: January 2011
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Challenge: N/A
Rating :

Teaser Quote: “For the record,” Grimalkin stated as we ventured, single file, into the black, “I do not think this is a good idea. But, as no one listens to the cat anymore, I will have to wait until we are completely lost to say ‘I told you so.’”

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion…she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit—more sparkly, more fun, more wild—the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket—a gifted inventor—steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

Lola Nolan is anything but average. She feels more herself walking around San Francisco in outrageous costumes and wigs, rather than jeans and a t-shirt. Her life feels perfect when she starts dating a Max, a slightly older rock-star who accepts her for who she is, even if everyone else in her life seems to disapprove of him. Then her old neighbors move back in next door and effectively send Lola’s emotions haywire. There’s Cricket, who Lola’s never forgiven for hurting her even while she might not be as over him as she claims, and his hateful sister Calliope.

This book is filled with so many unique and creative characters. Every character has some sort of interesting talent, though I think Lola’s fashion designing skills take the cake. I respect Lola immensely. She’s not afraid to be herself despite the fact that it can be hard for people to accept her as she wants to be. Fashion style aside, Lola is also a model daughter, even though her two dads are suffocating in their over-protectiveness. But it’s easy to see why they’re over-protective and that they’re only acting out of love, something Lola understands and, in a show of maturity, doesn’t hold against them. I thought her relationship with her parents (all of them) was really well-examined and realistic. All the details just added up perfectly and clicked together, coming together to form an in-depth look at a modern-day, disjointed, and loving family.

Lola is so likable that of course you want what’s best for her. At first, it’s hard to tell what that is. Max seems like a nice enough guy, but I never formed any real attachment to him as Cricket’s return to Lola’s life was inevitable. And when Cricket does return, it’s obvious he’s better for Lola, but I can completely relate to Lola’s conflicting emotions; being in a relationship can be so all-consuming that it’s hard to look beyond it and actively remember a time before or imagine any time after. Although I’d be more than willing to imagine the after if it included Cricket Bell, the most adorable boy on the face of the planet.

The pacing of this book seemed a little slow to me, at times, but it’s written in the same witty and charming tone many of us came to love in Anna and the French Kiss. Lola’s voice is potent throughout and the story is just as sweet as you would expect. Oddly enough, though I love Anna and Etienne (the stars of Anna and The French Kiss), I kind of hated them in Lola and the Boy Next Door. It seemed to me like Stephanie Perkins was trying too hard to capture everything we love about them and shove it all into a few scenes as if to say, “See! They’re here and happy and perfect! Don’t you still love them?” They were too happy and too perfect, like they were trying too hard to impress us/Lola. But it is nice of Perkins to let us know that they are happy and thriving and I’m sure many people will appreciate their return in Lola and the Boy Next Door. All in all, if you liked Anna and the French Kiss or, you know, happiness, then you don’t want to miss Stephanie Perkins’s latest novel. It’ll definitely bring a smile to your face.

Pages: 338
Publication Date: September 2011
Publisher: Dutton Books
Challenge: N/A
Rating :

Teaser Quote: “Max’s voice is pissed off. His lyrics taunt. The energy of his guitar builds and builds, and the bass thrums through me like blood. I am invincible. And then I open my eyes. Cricket Bell smiles.”

Dying for more Cassandra Clare? While we have to wait until December for Clockwork Prince and the cover of City of Lost Souls, maybe the newly unveiled official placeholder will satiate your Shadowhunter cravings:

You can follow Cassandra Clare’s tumblr to keep updated. After all, you don’t want to miss out on the teasers from the Clockwork Prince book trailer, do you? Here’s a still of Will and Tessa:

And if you missed it, don’t forget to check out the teaser trailer for Clockwork Prince!