Carpe Corpus: A Review

Carpe Corpus

by Rachel Caine

This is my second attempt into the Morganville Vampire mysteries, and my second failure to finish one. The series is about the very life-and-death struggles featuring Claire, a human, and her vampire and nonvamp friends. Bishop is the Dr. Evil and Shane is the Uber Hottie. Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

The books aren't horribly written, but the author errs in assuming that their characters are likeable (even Nora Ephron has been faulted for this) and in having a heavy action-based plot. I don't like Claire. I don't care about Amelie and the fate of Morganville. Their behavior is so angst-ridden and tortured that I'm much happier watching Bishop devour them all. The second fault, the action, isn't a real problem for readers looking for a movie-as-book. I hate action movies (how many times can you tear off a leg, race over a roof?) and their only redeeming quality is a loveable hero to keep you interested (Bourne, Bond).

If you prefer books with lots of running around and breath-stopping action, try Rachel Caine. If you liked the last fifth of Twilight, don't miss it. I, however, will be sitting this one out. 

Again.

Once a Witch: A Review

Once a Witch

by Carolyn MacCullough

Tamsin is the witch that should have been. Proclaimed to be the Be-All Witch-All at birth, she has shown no sign of greatness, magical or otherwise. She's content (or pretending to be content) to practice normality at a NYC boarding school while waiting for her perfect older sister to steal the family glory... until a mysterious professor shows up at her grandmother's store and challenges Tamsin to change her future by changing herself.

I liked this book. Tamsin is gutsy enough to keep the book interesting, and the reader interested in her. Her old friend Gideon pops up, hot and gentlemanly, and his only fault is that he has none. While I would have liked him to have shown more foibles to balance the other characters, Tamsin and Gideon have fun chemistry. The adventures Tamsin has get a little overdramatic at the end, but are otherwise very enjoyable. MacCullough knows how to pace her book, and how to create a climax. 

Fans of modern-day Tamera Pierce and all fans of Patricia C. Wrede should look this one up.

http://www.amazon.com/Once-Witch-Carolyn-MacCullough/dp/0547223994 

INNOVATIVE goes CHICKEN SOUP!

On page 182, there begins the tale of Gabrielle Linnell's freelancing career and the story of how the Innovative Teen blog began. First, thanks to all who have supported the blog since its inception, and to the friends we've made along the way.

Second, to celebrate the release on August 18th, I will be moving us out of our summer semi-hiatus with more reviews, hopefully some interviews and thoughts on what we've done and how far we've come.

Third, I will be entering Wellesley College this fall. I am so excited about that, but it means that Innovative activity will not be five-posts-a-week as we have done in the past. Reviewing and some interviews will continue to happen, but on a hectic college student's schedule.

Thank you, and look for a Once a Witch review this week.

Review: Simply Irresistible

Simply Irresistible

by Jennifer Banash

It's hard to know where to start. The dramatic lives of the new TV show "DeLuxe" are fodder for Banash's latest title. Casey switched boy toys, Madison is fighting domestic change, Phoebe doubts her own feelings, Sophie adopts her birth mother. Banash does a good job of extending and inventing conflict for her series and no one can deny that "The Elite" isn't fun.

However, the characters themselves annoyed me and their lack of definitive action was frustrating. Drew's struggle with his wealth is an intriguing idea but the kid anguishes for the entire novel without any decision. The physical perfection alone in each and every character is surreal: teen girls do not all have aerodynamic metabolisms. I guess my main complaint with the novel is that it doesn't feel like a novel. It reads more like an elongated chapter in a Dickensian epic set in the Upper East Side.

So I've Been Out of the Country

Gallivanting around the UK, pilgrimaging in Potter's footsteps, seeing the Sayers sites, etc. For a month. Many reviews to come in the next week or so. Thanks for your patience!

What's Been Happening

I have copies of Jonas Brothers: The Unofficial Scrapbook, Carpe Corpus, Confidence is Queen! and... something else... which are being read and will be reviewed, no worries.

I had my last day of high school today. :S

Also, my "Dollar Store Designers" article was featured in this summer issue of Kiki.

Just so you know. :)

My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters

My Big Nose (and Other Natural Disasters) by Sydney Salter

In this debut novel, Jory has a nose comparable to those on Mount Rushmore and an inferiority complex to match. Determined to change her face (and therefore her life), she gets a summer job to pay for a nose job. Yet through a crazy series of events-- finding love, losing it, finding it, making friends, losing friends, discovering jewelry-- Jory has to rethink her life and what the problems in it really are.

The book was cute. There were many positive messages about body image and relationships, which I appreciated and thought were cool. Gideon was absolutely droll and you just wanted to snatch him right out of the book. Jory's incessant self-centeredness, though, was annoying for the first three-quarters. I had the feeling that if Jory was real, I wouldn't be friends with her, and that made reading her story harder. From a writing perspective, Salter had a decently developed point of view and there were few signs of the self-aware style of new writers in the book.

Overall: good beach read with positive messages.