Prisoners In The Palace:  

How Princess Victoria became Queen with the Help of Her Maid, a Reporter and a Scoundrel

By Michaela MacColl

My Review from Amazon:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Summer Read...historical intrigue for teens!

This review is from: Prisoners in the Palace: How Princess Victoria became Queen with the Help of Her Maid, a Reporter, and a Scoundrel (Hardcover)

This book was right up my alley...I love Historical Fiction and the Teen/Young Adult genre, but it is few and far between that you find historical fiction written for teens!

Prisoners in the Palace: How Princess Victoria became Queen with the Help of Her Maid, a Reporter, and a Scoundrel is almost guaranteed to get your teen interested in history. Just the right amount of the politics of the time, blended with society and the daily lives of children in the pre-Victorian era.

Yes it's a coming of age story but with friendships that transcend station and a young girl's search for the strength it will take to become the woman she is destined to be...even though that woman is the Queen of England! It is a quick read filled with intrigue and that constant "fear of getting caught" tightness that teenagers seem to live for!

Teachers - grab this one it is a great introduction to Pre-Victorian England... 


Product Description - from Amazon:

London, 1838. Sixteen-year-old Liza's dreams of her society debut are dashed when her parents are killed in an accident. Penniless, she accepts the position of lady's maid to young Princess Victoria and steps unwittingly into the gossipy intrigue of the servant's world below-stairs as well as the trickery above. Is it possible that her changing circumstances may offer Liza the chance to determine her own fate, find true love, and secure the throne for her future queen?

Meticulously based on newly discovered information, this riveting novel is as rich in historical detail as Catherine, Called Birdy, and as sizzling with intrigue as The Luxe.

About the Author - from Amazon:

Michaela MacColl studied multi-disciplinary history at Vassar College and Yale University, which turns out to be the perfect degree for writing historical fiction. She lives with her husband, two daughters, and three extremely large cats in Connecticut. This is her first book.

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Before I Fall

by Lauren Oliver

I have to say that my initial reason for picking up this book is a current fascination with debut authors...it didn't disappoint!

How to describe it? It appears that all the pertinent adjectives have already been used up in all the posted reviews...

Heartbreaking, compelling, raw, beautiful, emotional and complex - Before I Fall is all that!!!

In her debut novel author Lauren Oliver manages to find a "teen" voice that is so real I felt like I was sitting at Starbucks at 3pm! ...of course that could be because Oliver is just barely beyond teen herself.

So - you have probably already gathered that this is a "groundhog day" style telling of the life and death of Samantha Kingston...you know this girl. She is the girl that hangs with the "cool kids", has everything yet doesn't appear to appreciate any of it.

The compelling nature of Lauren Oliver's writing takes you from disdain and revulsion to Samantha working through the process of understanding what is truly important and through 7 efforts - to change her outlook.

My one problem with the book was that Oliver does such a great job of developing Samantha's character that I seriously didn't like her and didn't care...but the writing is so good and the story draws you in...all I can say is trust and read this book all the way through to the end.

Product Review From Amazon:

What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all: the world's most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High—from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life.

Instead, it turns out to be her last.

Then she gets a second chance. Seven chances, in fact. Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.

The Amanda Project: invisible i

invisible i

The Amanda Project:

Book One

by Stella Lennon and Melissa Kantor

I gave this book four stars because that is my honest opinion of the book The Amanda Project: Book 1: invisible I.

It reads easily and rings true for it's depiction of high school and teen cliques. I remember being the creative, quirky, artistic "new girl" and so much of this book prompts flash backs of my high school days.

What I found interesting in The Amanda Project: Book 1: invisible I, the first of a series of eight books, is the way it looks at Amanda from the viewpoints of three different classmates. Of course, when Amanda disappears, they soon realize that none of them new much about their new friend.

If you want to make this a 5 star experience, you have to take it to the next level...the interactive website! The Amanda Project website http://theamandaproject.com/ - from the home page:

What Happened To Amanda?
AMANDA VALENTINO came to our high school on Halloween. She disappeared on the Ides of March. She left us some clues, but we're not sure what they mean. The only thing we know for sure is that she utterly, completely changed our lives.

Join in with hundreds of readers nationwide to try to solve the mystery, find the clues and the coolest...write your own story!

Tweens and Teens alike will love this one...

Ghost Huntress Book 2: The Guidance

By Marley Gibson

This is Ghost Huntress Book 2: The Guidance the second book in the series Ghost Huntress Book 1: The Awakening being the first, about Kendall and her friends Celia and Becca.

While kids are definitely going to be sucked into this world (I couldn't put it down) - it will offer them more than just a good read about hunting ghosts and helping them "cross over" (after all doesn't Melinda - The Ghost Whisperer, do that once a week on TV?).

It is Kendall's special gift that exposes her to a multitude of teen woes. In "The Guidance", Kendall conquers her own fears and finds the special gift of being able to look past a person's actions to the cause of those actions.

The ghost hunting business is thriving in this small Southern town that at one time was an encampment for Union soldiers during Sherman's March to the Sea. So we learn some of the history of Georgia and what life was like to be a Southerner when Union troops took over some of the larger properties.

Author Marley Gibson is genius! She must have been channeling a teen ghost to set the scene so well. The book is written in "teenager" - by that I mean that, while you may not "get" some of it, your kids will love it!

The topics covered behind the scenes include, mental health, bullying, shame, blame, young romance and most important responsibility - to yourself, for your actions and to your gift!

One last thing - a couple of other reviews said that they really disliked the "product placement" in this book. Do you really think that the mention of "Timberland" and other brand names is out of money issues (esp. for the film if planned)? Or could it be that brands are a huge part of every teen conversation? Sit on a city bus at 8AM in any medium to large Metro area - that is what kids talk about! They don't say - I want new shoes - it is "I'm scoping out the new Skechers after class - you up for it?"

While this is a definite read for teen girls (the friendship between Kendall, Celia and Becca is great), I think that teen boys will also enjoy this fast moving romp through the spirit world!

Product Description from Amazon

Kendall and her ghost hunting team is the talk of Radisson, Georgia, but one person isn’t so pleased. Courtney Langdon doesn’t appreciate Kendall’s new popularity or her relationship with Jason, Courtney’s ex.

So Courtney begins dabbling in the paranormal world. At first it’s all a game to draw attention away from Kendall. But Courtney doesn’t know what she’s getting into—or what wants in her. This is one game that’s about to turn deadly serious.

And for more about Kendall and the ghost huntresses, check out http://ghosthuntress.com !

Waiting for the sequel....

The Midnight Charter

Agora is a city state surrounded by a circle of unclimbable walls; divided into the twelve signs of the zodiac, each section with its own set of goals, people and cultural quirks, all ruled by the Director, all influenced by astrological predictions, with the Midnight Charter hanging a dire prophecy over it.

This is a society corrupted by materialism and built on the idea that everyone, everything, has a value, everything can be bought and sold...NOTHING is free!

Two of the young children, meet, form a strange friendship and grow into totally different young citizens. Dreams and desires, good luck and ill fortune, friends and enemies all come together to weave a well written story that holds all the tension of a good fable.

Product Description

In a society based on trade, where everything can be bought and sold, the future rests on the secrets of a single document-and the lives of two children whose destiny it is to discover its secrets. In this spellbinding novel, newcomer David Whitley has imagined a nation at a crossroads: misshaped by materialism and facing a choice about its future. He has brought to life two children who will test the nation's values-and crafted a spellbinding adventure story that will keep readers turning the pages until the very end.