Seventeen-year-old Bronwen Oliver doesn't just want a family. She has one of those, and there's nothing terribly wrong with them apart from bickering grandparents, an image-obsessed mother and a brother she describes simply as Jesus. But there's no natural sense of connection between Bronwen and her family, leaving her with the belief -- and the hope -- that she was switched at birth, that she was never supposed to be Bronwen Oliver but someone else entirely.
When she begins dating college senior Jared Sondervan, she finds herself thoroughly embraced by the loving family she has always wanted and does not hesitate to say yes when Jared proposes on her 18th birhday. Plans for the Perfect Beach Wedding before her junior year of college become plans for the Perfect Beach Wedding before her freshman year of college. And a wedding so soon isn't exactly what Bronwen wants. But Jared is. And his family is. Or so she thinks.
Before Bronwen can determine what she truly wants, she must first determine who she truly is, and the answer, she discovers, is only partially what she thought it was. She wasn't switched at birth, but she's also not Bronwen Oliver and hasn't been for a very long time.
Jennie’s connection with her twin brother, Toby, grew stronger after he died in 1864. Now Jennie must rely on her ability to communicate with the dead to find out what has happened to her beloved fiance, Will, while he was off at war. The army says he died honorably in battle. His brother confides that he became a violent criminal and died in a prison camp. Jennie begins to doubt that anyone is telling her the truth.
This intriguing combination of historical romance, paranormal thriller, and clever mystery is illustrated by bestselling artist Lisa Brown. The unique visuals originated from real Civil War daguerreotypes that were transformed into eerie mementos for Jennie’s scrapbook.
With the help of a spiritualist photographer, the spirit of her dead fiance, and the clues she discovers and keeps in her scrapbook, Jennie must put together the pieces of this mystery before she loses her home, her fortune, and possibly her life.
Jennie was a well developed and likable main character. She had a strong head on her shoulders and knew what she wanted with life. Jennie had faced a lot of death in her short life; both her parents, her twin brother, and her fiancé. Her parents died years before and she was currently living with her horrid Aunt and Uncle. Her brother and fiancé both died in the Civil War. One from disease before he even faced battle, and her fiancé? His death was a big mystery/twist in the book. When Quinn, Jennie’s fiancé’s brother, returned from the War; injured and half mad, Jennie learned her fiancé Will had perished on the battle field. Supposedly.
When Jennie realizes Will may be haunting her, to tell her something, suspicions regarding his death are starting to brew in her head. Spiritualism plays a big role in this novel. The idea of a spirit haunting Jennie and also the family visits a medium. The medium, also a photographer, plays a large role in the novel and really helps Jennie unravel the mystery surrounding Will’s disappearance.
I loved all the mystery and intrigue in this novel, and several of the twists completely shocked me and kept me on the edge of my seat. There were a variety of sub-plots and secondary characters that added a lot to Picture the Dead. The historical facts were accurate and interesting, and will help readers learn even more about the Civil War and some of the lesser known aspects of the time period.
The images at the end of each chapter helped me picture the characters and memorabilia mentioned in the story even better. Photography played a large role in the book, so it helped to be able to actually see the photos described in the text.
If you’re looking for an exciting, suspenseful, and well written historical novel I highly recommend Picture the Dead. My only complaints were that some of the characters were a bit under developed and at times the plot got a little confusing. Overall, it was a great read, and I’m looking forward to checking out more of the author’s novels.
Overall: 4 out of 5 stars
What inspired you to write a novel for young adults?
Tessa goes from strawberry smoothie to suddenly single!
After her center-court split with Aiden, Tessa puts the SOS behind her. After all, cheaters never prosper! Now she’s busy working on her faux-relationship with Aiden and negotiating the unfamiliar waters of “technically single and pseudo-dating.”
Life can’t get any more dismal for a one-guy kind of girl until an imposter hijacks the SOS, and it’s up to Tessa to save her squad from slander. But with her best boy hot and cold, what’s a kitten to do?
Even worse, Tessa doesn’t realize how much she’s up against—because this copykitten is far more naughty than nice.
Tessa was back and better than ever! In the beginning of the novel, she was still recovering from the trauma and craziness of The Naughty List and I really felt for her. She had to quit cheerleading, break up with Aiden, and abandon SOS. As So Many Boys progressed, Tessa regained her spunk and perkiness, and she’s still one of my favorite YA female main characters. The Smitten Kittens also returned and you got to learn more about all of them and their experiences. Izzie, Kira, and Leona in particular.
There were a variety of plot twists in So Many Boys that made it really hard to put down. When I first thought I had the culprit figured out, a new clue would throw me off their path. The idea of the “copy-Kitten” was a great twist in the plot and made it impossible for the real SOS to stay retired. The chapters narrated by the culprit gave a good look into their character and what they really thought of Tessa and the Smitten Kittens. There was more spying action, both by the Smitten Kittens and the “copy-Kitten”, and a lot of excitement and drama.
In this book, Tessa was once again caught between Aiden and another boy, but this time it was Aiden and two other boys. Chris, the boy her fellow Smitten Kittens wanted to set her up with and Joel, Kira’s boyfriend.I love Joel, he was sweet and thoughtful and a terrific friend to Tessa. Chris was also nice, but obviously not right for the former SOS leader. There’s a big twist involving Aiden, but I don’t want to give anything away! Let’s just say, my original opinion of Aiden is very different now!
Other than Aiden and the Smitten Kittens, some of the other characters from The Naughty List returned. Chloe and Mary specifically. There was a lot of mystery and suspense in this book, but most of the loose ends were tied up. The ending still left me dying for A Good Boy Is Hard to Find though! I really want to know what happens next.
If you haven’t read The Naughty List, you really need to before starting this one. It’s an exciting, fun series with great characters and spying cheerleaders- what more could you want?
Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
June 10, 2010/Razorbill/248 Pages/Young Adult/Book Two
A girl's gotta do who a girl's gotta do.Chastity Bryan has never been shy about going after what she wants. And when sexy, mysterious, so-not-from-this-town Sebastian walks into Chaz's life, she knows in an instant that what she wants next is him. Chaz has no intention of playing for keeps—but she most definitely has intentions. Who needs true love when you've got true lust?
Sebastian has no idea what he's in for—but maybe neither does Chaz?
Review:
Erin Downing was nice enough to send me a copy of Kiss It to review, and I’m really glad I picked it up so soon after receiving it. The summary was a bit vague, so I didn't really know what to expect, but Kiss It turned out to be a really great read.
Chaz was an outgoing, witty main character and her personality and spirit added a lot to Kiss It. She never held back with what she wanted to say and always spoke her mind. Chaz was an original and unique character and was still trying to find herself. Kiss It was not just the light hearted read it first appeared. Cancer, teen pregnancy, sex, and more were all tackled throughout the novel. Chaz had to deal with a lot of emotional experiences and understand that she couldn’t always put herself first. Her best friend Sadie was sweet and seemed the complete opposite of Chaz, yet they went together really well. Without Chaz, I don’t know how Sadie would have dealt with what happened to her.
Some things were a bit predictable, but the plot was overall interesting and it was a quick enough read that I finished it in a day. Erin Downing has a nice writing style and really got inside Chaz’s character- she was very well developed within the first few chapters. Chaz’s parents were also good characters who played big roles. I was surprised how emotional Chaz’s family issues made me. The fellow workers at the restaurant Chaz waitressed were interesting, too. There were a wide variety of characters that had enough individuality to make them really stand out.
At first, Chaz just thought of sex as just a bridge she needed to cross, something quick and unimportant. She never thought of loving someone. When Sebastian came along I realized he was a good guy for Chaz. Although their relationship started a bit swiftly and awkwardly, it soon developed into something more. Both Sebastian and Chaz were dealing with a lot, and they each helped the other overcome the hurtles life was throwing at them.
Kiss It did deal with some mature themes and didn’t always have the best morals, but by the end most of the characters had learned their lessons. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone under 13 though.
This was an overall well done, if a bit quirky, novel, and Downing introduced a wide variety of topics that certain teenagers could relate to. While I never felt a connection with Chaz and felt there were a few downsides to Kiss It, I overall enjoyed it and will definitely be picking up Erin Downing’s past and future releases.
Overall: 3.5 out of 5 stars
June 15, 2010/Simon Pulse/273 Pages/Young Adult
