MARCO IMPOSSIBLE by Hannah Moskowitz Book Review
Publication Date: March 19th 2013 by Roaring Brook Press
Rating: – Acceptable |

Book Summary: Thirteen-year-old best friends Stephen and Marco attempt a go-for-broke heist to break into the high school prom and get Marco onstage to confess his love for (and hopefully steal the heart of) Benji, the adorable exchange student and bass player of the prom band. Of course, things don’t always go according to plan, and every heist comes with its fair share of hijinks.

Marco Impossible by Hannah Moskowitz Book Review Overview:

• Marco can be a bit overbearing by the end of the book
• The sibling relationships are a highlight of MARCO IMPOSSIBLE
• A speedy read with a satisfying ending

Stephen is going to help his best friend, Marco, break into the high school prom so that he can declare his love for Benji in MARCO IMPOSSIBLE by Hannah Moskowitz. The recent middle school graduates are going all for nothing with a crazy plan for a declaration of love. While Marco is figuring out the last minute plans for their heist, Stephen learns that someone may be out to get Marco – someone who is uncomfortable with the fact that Marco is gay. Stephen must help accomplish Marco’s plan while uncovering who might be behind all of the hate crimes.

I know that part of the point of this book is to hate Marco quite a bit. After all, it is Stephen who is our protagonist and we want him to finally step out from Marco’s shadow. I know Marco is being bullied and all, but I really hate how he takes it all out on Stephen. He can really be a brat sometimes. His character was starting to get overbearing towards the end, and it made relating to Stephen a lot easier.

What I love most about MARCO IMPOSSIBLE by Hannah Moskowitz is the endearing relationships between Stephen and all of his siblings. As the middle child, he has such different relationships with each of his five siblings. I love that even if they are all different, they clearly love each other. I thought that the sibling relationships in MARCO IMPOSSIBLE by Hannah Moskowitz were truly genuine.

MARCO IMPOSSIBLE by Hannah Moskowitz is a pretty speedy read with a satisfying ending. Despite my fallbacks with Marco, I’d still be willing to try other Hannah Moskowitz books. In fact, this one has just made me more curious about her young adult novels. I’d recommend this book to middle grade readers who love strong friendships and familial relationships.

2 comments

Be the first to like.

Like

Unlike

Permalink Uncategorized | 792 words

EXCLUSIVELY YOURS by Shannon Stacey Book Review
Series: Kowalski Family, #1
Publication Date: June 7th 2010 by Carina Press

Summary: When Keri Daniels’ editor finds out she has previous carnal knowledge of reclusive bestselling author Joe Kowalski, she gives Keri a choice: get an interview or get a new job.

Joe’s never forgotten the first girl to break his heart, so he’s intrigued to hear Keri’s back in town–and looking for him. Despite his intense need for privacy, he’ll grant Keri an interview if it means a chance to finish what they started in high school.

He proposes an outrageous plan–for every day she survives with his family on their annual camping and four-wheeling trip, Keri can ask one question. Keri agrees; she’s worked too hard to walk away from her career.

But the chemistry between them is still as potent as the bug spray, Joe’s sister is out to avenge his broken heart and Keri hasn’t ridden an ATV since she was ten. Who knew a little blackmail, a whole lot of family and some sizzling romantic interludes could make Keri reconsider the old dream of Keri & Joe 2gether 4ever.

Heroine: I will admit it straight up – there were times where I questioned Keri’s personality and her character. There were times where I was so sure that she was going to let me down. But it seems that I just had to put a little more faith in her. I was really happy with her character’s growth and as she struggled to figure out what she wanted in life. I think that her struggle between work/love/family really resonated with me, which made her very easy to get along with.

Hero: Joe is easily likeable due to his devotion to his family. It also doesn’t hurt that he is a writer. Sold.

Supporting Cast: What makes this book so fun is seeing the interaction of the whole Kowalski family. They add such a warm-hearted dimension to the story. I am definitely leaning on picking up the rest of the series just to see more of the family.

Plot: I love how Keri and Joe share a past. It adds such a fun layer to the story as we learn about what had happened to them all those years ago, and trying to see if it is possible for them to still mend it.

Romance: Keri and Joe instantly had chemistry as if they were never apart. I enjoyed seeing how Keri and Joe repaired their relationship. Their past added a lot of tension and drama which made it all the more fun and exciting. The romance had a great build up that was definitely worth it.

Love Potion Strength:

-Acceptable

I’ve been having lots of great lucky lately when picking up contemporary romances. Exclusively Yours was an enjoyable read, and I’m definitely considering picking up the rest of the series.

0 comments

Be the first to like.

Like

Unlike

Permalink Uncategorized | 623 words

TWENTY BOY SUMMER by Sarah Ockler Book Review
Publication Date: June 1st 2009 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Rating: – Acceptable |

Book Summary: “Don’t worry, Anna. I’ll tell her, okay? Just let me think about the best way to do it.”
“Okay.”
“Promise me? Promise you won’t say anything?”
“Don’t worry.” I laughed. “It’s our secret, right?”

According to Anna’s best friend, Frankie, twenty days in Zanzibar Bay is the perfect opportunity to have a summer fling, and if they meet one boy every day, there’s a pretty good chance Anna will find her first summer romance. Anna lightheartedly agrees to the game, but there’s something she hasn’t told Frankie–she’s already had her romance, and it was with Frankie’s older brother, Matt, just before his tragic death one year ago.

TWENTY BOY SUMMER explores what it truly means to love someone, what it means to grieve, and ultimately, how to make the most of every beautiful moment life has to offer.

Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler Book Review Overview:

• Refreshing break from the cold New York winter
• I did not approve of the twenty boy contest, but Twenty Boy Summer has awesome kissing scenes
• This book almost made me cry

During the summer, I recommended TWENTY BOY SUMMER by Sarah Ockler to my sister because I’d seen it around the blogosphere. She likes the summer romance young adult novels – ones that I’m not too fond of. But since my dystopian hangover – caused by reading too many dystopian novels, most recently Fuse by Julianna Baggott – I thought it was about time to take a break and read something different. I took a break from the dreary New York weather and vacationed in the California summer with protagonist, Anna in TWENTY BOY SUMMER.

Anna is secretly in love with her best friend’s brother, Matt, who also happened to be her other best friend. When Matt finally kisses her on her 15th birthday, Anna is ecstatic. But just before Anna and Matt can tell his sister about their relationship, Matt dies from a heart defect. One year later, Anna travels with Frankie to Zanzibar Bay, California with her family in hopes to overcome their grief.

My main frustration in TWENTY BOY SUMMER by Sarah Ockler is this twenty boy contest that the book revolves around. I know that Frankie is dealing with the loss of her brother by basically rebelling with booze and boys. But I really don’t like it. I guess I just never saw the appeal of summer romances and excessive flirting. It made me constantly want to roll my eyes.

But I admit, Sarah Ockler has a knack for kissing scenes.

If it weren’t for the fact that TWENTY BOY SUMMER is border-line tear-jerker, then I probably would not have enjoyed this book. When Ockler gets to the more serious parts of the novel, she does not back down. I found myself getting choked up whenever the girls finally confront their grief.

What I wish TWENTY BOY SUMMER focused more on was the  relationship between Aunt Jayne and Anna. Aunt Jayne seems to have a better understanding of Anna than anyone else in the novel. It’s a shame that we only get a short glimpse of how Aunt Jayne sees her. In general, I wish that the parents weren’t as oblivious as they were. While they tried to spend quality time with Frankie and Anna, I feel like they were still always avoiding the topic of Matt.

However, I do think that Ockler made a great point towards the end of the novel that at the end of the day, everyone has to deal with their grief in their own way. Everyone is a little different when it comes to dealing with the grief of losing a loved one.

2 comments

Be the first to like.

Like

Unlike

Permalink Uncategorized | 1079 words