Net Galley Review: The Immortal Rules

Title: The Immortal Rules

SubTitle: Book of Eden: Book I

Pub: Harlequin

Imprint: HarlequinTeen

PubDate: April 24, 2012

ISBN: 9780373210510

Author: Julie Kagawa

“Immortality is a lonely road,” he murmured, “and it will only be made worse if you don’t release your attachments to your old life. To that boy, you are the enemy now, the unseen monster that haunts his nightmares. You are the creature he fears the most. And nothing in your previous life, not friendship or loyalty or love, will ever change that.” Pg 149

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten. Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of the vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die…or become one of the monsters. Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.

Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike. But it isn’t easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa brings everything that a reader loves to the YA table.  The characters range from vampires who use and abuse humans, to crazed rabids who crave human flesh, to human beings desperate to find refuge from the chaotic world they live in.  The main character, Allie, chooses the bite of immortality instead of physical death, even though her choice changes her into a monster. Allie is a passionate, complicated teen that struggles desperately with the vampire she has become.  Despite her immortal status, she commits herself to her former humanity, vowing to protect a small band of humans searching for Eden, a paradise free of rabids and vampires.  Zeke is the unsuspecting boy who welcomes Allie into his band of humans as they search for Eden. Allie does not compromise herself, and as she struggles with her fascination and growing attraction for Zeke, she fights her thirst for blood. Zeke has been taught all his life to hate creatures like Allie, and when she protects his family from harm, he questions his faith and his upbringing.

“What are you doing to me? He whispered, as his hand moved down to my neck, tracing my collarbone. I couldn’t answer even if I wanted to. “You make me question everything I’ve learned, everything I know. Truths I’ve believed since I was a kid, gone.”  He sighed, and I felt a shiver go through him, but he didn’t pull his hand back. “What’s wrong with me?” he groaned, low and anguished. “I shouldn’t be feeling any of this…”  pg 409

I absolutely loved this book; I was glued to the pages from start to finish.  I love a love story with bite, and when Allie and Zeke are faced with breaking the Immortal Rules in order to be together, I found myself hoping for the impossible.  Twilight’s Edward and Bella, along with Cassandra Clare’s Jace and Clary, need to move over and be ready to share the YA spotlight with Julie Kagawa’s Allie and Zeke. The Immortal Rules is a winner!

I give this book my highest rating: A+ for its forbidden love story and action-packed plot. 

The Immortal Rules

Rabids, Vampires, and the Unregistered...Oh Yeah!

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa is OUTSTANDING! Watch for our teacher/student reviews coming soon.

NCT Article

Stetson...

Here is my new horse Stetson! He's a Missouri Fox Trotter.

Illuminate~A MUST Read!

 

Haven Terra is a brainy, shy high school outcast. But everything changes when she is awarded a prestigious internship at a posh Chicago hotel under the watchful eyes of a group of gorgeous strangers: the powerful and alluring hotel owner Aurelia Brown; her second-in-command, the dashing Lucian Grove; and their stunning but aloof staff of glamazons called The Outfit.

As Haven begins falling for Lucian, she discovers that these beautiful people are not quite what they seem. With the help of a mysterious book, she uncovers the evil agenda of Aurelia and company: they’re in the business of buying souls. Will they succeed in wooing Haven to join them in their recruitment efforts, or will she be able to thwart this devilish set’s plans to take the souls of her classmates on prom night at the hotel?

I LOVED this book. It's available NOW at Barnes & Noble or on your eReader. You will need to make sure your homework is done before you start this book- because once you start it, you will not want to stop. 

Mr. Hot Dog

As promised, here is the picture of Mr. Hot Dog at the Oceanside Street Fair. 

VITs While You Read

Look for VITs while you Read!

Reading Challenge: Look for examples of your VITs within your independent reading material. Keep a list in your comp and include the term, page #, and the textual example. Be picky- similes and alliteration examples are plentiful, so only select the strongest and weed out the weak. We will start a VIT assignment next week- so front load your comp with examples and be ahead of the game for the assignment!

CoLS release party: May 8th, O'side Barnes and Noble. Free SWAG! Cassie Clare ROCKS! See you there!

Rock for the Paws

ThAnK yOu for all of your HaRd work on our air bands event, "Rock for the Paws." 

The final fundraising total will be added once we get back to school, but it looks like we made our goal! Yahoo!

Rock for the Paws

Top 10 in the Nation!

Leave Only Footprints...

Congratulations to our KWN Bulldog News team for their Top 10 win in the national KWN Panasonic Video competition! Cross you fingers... top 4 winners will be announced by March 23rd. Good luck BDN! You ROCK!

Food for Thought..

Enough said.

Net Galley review: Hollyweird

Title: Hollyweird

Publisher: Flux Books

Pub Date: May 08, 2012

ISBN: 9780738719252

Author: Terri Clark

            “I won,” I whispered excitedly. “I. Won.”

            “Oookay,” she said, looking unnerved by my abnormal ebullience. “Whadja win?”

            “Only just a once in a lifetime, miraculous, I-still-can’t-believe-it dream come true. I, my dear best friend, am taking you” –I pointed to her – “to L.A. during summer break.  You’re looking at the Grand Prize winner of EnterTEENment Magazine’s Meet Dakota Danvers Contest.  We’re talking all expense paid trip, six sunny days and five balmy nights in Cali and we get to do a photo shoot with Dakota himself.” Pg5

Aly King feels like she has died and gone to heaven when she learns that she is the grand prizewinner of a date with the hottest movie star on the planet.  She invites her best friend [and self-proclaimed word savant] Desi to take the trip of a lifetime from Colorado to Hollywood, California. The only hitch in the plan is that Aly’s spoiled and pampered older sister Missy must come along to chaperone the girls.  Waiting at the airport is Jameson Dagon, a gorgeous, nineteen-year-old limo driver with chiseled cheekbones and an “adorable cleft chin”.  He takes the girls to the Hollywood set of Paranormal P.I where the infamous hottie Dakota Danvers is waiting for them.

Things don’t turn out so great for the girls once they realize that Dakota IS too good to be true. Their first hint comes when Aly watches his mocha brown eyes turn into glowing balls of fire. Jameson confirms their fears and explains that Dakota is [get ready for this…] the son of Satan. He also reveals that Hollywood isn’t what is seems, and that his job is to figure out what’s going down before things get out of hand.  The girls’ Hollywood dream date turns into a life or death mission to stop the son of Satan and save the world. 

Hollweird is one of the most entertaining books I have ever read. I laughed throughout the whole book- and the hysterical one-liners kept me thoroughly entertained. From “Yo-ho-hell-o! Honk the hottie horn” to “It’s all verbit!’ the characters’ large personalities will completely entertain you. Jameson’s optimistic attitude inspires the pessimistic Aly, and together they create an absolutely angelic couple. Hollweird is the next hot teen read that everyone will be talking about!

Great Year so Far...

It's been a great year so far with my amazing Bulldog News team! Up next, air bands "Rock for the Paws" benefiting the SPCA !

Net Galley Review: Lies Beneath

Title: Lies Beneath

Publisher: Random House Children’s Books

Pub Date: June 12, 2012

ISBN: 9780385742016

Author: Anne Greenwood Brown

            “Do you think it’s warm enough to swim? She asked.

            “For you, maybe.” I said. “You have a higher tolerance than anyone I’ve ever met.”

            “Including you?”

            “Definitely including me. I’ll be staying on the beach.”

            “Oh, don’t be such a baby.”

            “We’ll see.” I took a risk and grabbed her hand. The familiar tingling sensation tickled up my arm to my heart, and the fluorescent pink glow pulsed out of her shoulders, spreading over her body like a perfect outline. I dropped her hand, and the glow dimmed to a rust-colored shadow. Interesting. She was happier when I held her hand. Pg. 159

Calder White is a legend…literally! As a merman, Calder sees humans as “Happy, shiny lures” full of optimism, excitement, and joy, all emotions he cannot personally experience.  While drowning a victim, Calder absorbs the vibrant human auras into his skin, stealing the warmth and joy from their hearts into his own.  Calder is not alone; he lives part of the year with his 3 sisters, and as they return to Lake Superior for the winter, revenge is on their minds.  Jason Hancock is their target, for he is responsible for their mother’s death. The plan is simple: Calder must make the acquaintance of Jason’s daughter Lily and use her as bait. Even though his only responsibility is seduction, murder, and mayhem, he strays from the plan. Instead of eliminating Jason Hancock's daughter, he falls in love.

Now Calder is forced to choose between the only family he has ever known and the girl he loves. The mental thread that binds the mermaids together is strong, but the unexpected lure of love tempts Calder to forget revenge and focus on the freedom that only forgiveness can bring.

Lies Beneath is an entertaining read with a fresh take on the legends of mermaids.  I wasn’t sure I would like the idea of “aura sucking” merpeople, but with Calder, it totally works. From the start he fights the temptation to kill, knowing that abstinence would eventually force him to hunt again. His struggle with his own morality makes him an extremely likable character, and I found myself cheering on the relationship between Calder and Lily.  This book combines the magic of mermaids with the mystery of unexpected love- making it the perfect read for tweens and teens everywhere.

FTBT Review: The Goddess Test

Title: The Goddess Test

Sub Title: The Goddess Test Series: Book I

Publisher: Harlequin

Pub Date: 2011

ISBN: 9780373210268

Author: Aimee Carter

            “Why the tests? “ I said. “Why are they necessary?”

            “Because,” he said.  “The prize is not something we give out lightly, and we need to make sure it is something you can handle.”

“What’s that?”

“Immortality.”  Pg 106

            Kate Winters has it tough; her mom is dying of cancer and Kate is her only caretaker. Following a move back to her mother’s childhood home in Eden, Kate goes through the motions of starting a new high school while continuing to care for her mom. Making friends is last on her list of priorities, but following a cruel prank, Kate finds herself faced with a serious problem: mean girl Ava is dead, and Kate is the key to saving her. While administering CPR, a mysterious man named Henry appears and offers Kate a deal: he will save Ava’s life if Kate promises to read the Greek myth of Persephone and return to him in two weeks. She agrees, and Ava miraculously comes back to life. For Kate, this is where normal ends and extraordinary begins.

            As promised, Henry returns to Kate after two weeks and takes her to his home. Overwhelmed and confused, Kate complies, but she soon finds out what Henry is really asking her: to be Queen of the Underworld, and to rule with him for 6 months of the year. Before she can marry Henry, Kate must pass a series of tests to see if she is worthy of becoming immortal. If she succeeds, she will not only earn the right to rule the Underworld with Henry, she will keep her mother alive for a little bit longer. For Kate, passing not only means the difference between life and death, it could determine if she is capable of finding true love.

            The Goddess Test offers a fresh look into the tragic love story of Persephone and Hades, with a few major changes. Henry [Hades] is on the verge of losing hope, but decides to give love one more try. Kate is made for Henry, literally, and must accomplish the seemingly impossible: winning Henry’s heart when it has belonged to Persephone since the dawn of time. The love story between Kate and Henry is so enchanting, you will find yourself unable to stop reading until the very last page. Fans of Greek mythology will devour this book, and if you love a love story, The Goddess Test delivers!

I give this book an A+, my highest rating. Aimee Carter, you ROCK!