Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer

Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer by John Grisham

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

John Grisham did a great job with his first book for kids. It had a lot of the Grisham feel, but was definitely written for a younger audience. It lacked some of the Grisham intensity (of course), but it still told a suspenseful story, and was very appropriate for the target audience.

Theodore Boone is the thirteen-year-old only child of two attorneys. He is fascinated by the legal system, and dreams of being either a lawyer or a judge when he grows up.

It's not uncommon for Theo's classmates to come to him for legal advice, and he enjoys helping people with their legal problems. That is, he enjoyed it until he was told information crucial to a murder trial. He's sworn to secrecy, but keeping that promise might mean that a guilty man goes free.

Not only will readers get a good story with great characters, but they can learn (in layman's terms) about trials, bankruptcy, foreclosure, etc.

I just learned that there is a second Theodore Boone book out. I'm excited to see how Boone's adventures continue.

Miss Delacourt Has Her Day

Miss Delacourt Has Her Day by Heidi Ashworth

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Miss Delacourt Has Her Day picks up right where Miss Delacourt Speaks Her Mind left off.

Ginny and Anthony eagerly await their upcoming marriage, but suddenly everything seems to be against them. Anthony's cousin (heir to the Duke of Marcross) dies, leaving Anthony as heir. His uncle is on his death bed, and makes it very clear that Ginny isn't fit to be the wife of a Duke.

Ginny worries that no one approves of her, and does all she can to be a proper lady.

I was drawn in to Miss Delacourt Speaks Her Mind by Ginny's spunk. That was sadly missing in this book due to Ginny trying to prove herself.

Entwined

Entwined by Heather Dixon

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Entwined is a retelling of the twelve dancing princesses. Azela is the oldest of 12 princesses who share their mother's love of dancing. When the queen dies, the sisters can't abide by following the strict rules of mourning that prohibit dancing. A magic passageway leads to a pavilion where night after night the princesses can dance to their heart's content. By the time they realize that this gift comes with a high price, they are in too deep to back out.

A fun and creative version of a story I loved when I was young. I highly recommend Entwined.

Illusions

Illusions by Aprilynne Pike

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this so quickly that I can't give a great recap. But, I will say that Aprilynne Pike definitely kept my attention with this third book in her Wings series. I'm not sure why love triangles are so interesting, but the inclusion of Tam in Laurel's everyday life was definitely entertaining. Oh, and dealing with the bad guys helped too.

It was a fast and enjoyable read. I would have given it 5 stars if there hadn't been profanity (although relatively tame) and if the physical relationships had been a bit less intense (thinking of the young teens for whom this series is targeted at).

I'm interested to see how the triangle plays out in the final book in the series. My vote is for Tamani.

Spells

Spells by Aprilynne Pike

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was definitely at a disadvantage not knowing what this series was about when I started book one. Being up on everything really helped with my enjoyment level for the second book.

In Spells Laurel spends her summer vacation in Avalon learning everything that she was made to forget.

The story moved along at a good pace, and the love triangle kept things very interesting.

Final Act

Final Act: A Novel by C. Paul Andersen

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Wendy is a young teacher who takes a position as a live-in tutor for eight-year-old Paul, grandson to the reclusive movie star, Bella Horstman. The mansion is huge, and the staff isn't particularly friendly. Bella is said to live on the third floor, but with the exception of one or two staff members, no one is allowed to venture there.

Wendy struggles with the strange new environment. She starts receiving anonymous notes to leave Horstman house, and is even physically harmed several times. But, she is determined to stay and give Paul the help he desperately needs.

Final Act started a bit slow for me with lots of details. I got through the first few pages with lots of skimming. Then as the story started to move along, I was drawn in.

Unfortunately, I was distracted by the religious aspects of the story. Some authors have a great talent for including spiritual characteristics and mannerisms in their novels, but the way those things were included in this novel disrupted the flow.

But, the major downside to the story was that it was so much like Jane Eyre. If you aren't familiar with the story of Jane Eyre, this may have been pretty suspenseful and intriguing. However, if you've read Jane Eyre, then you were in for a pretty predictable read.

Wings

Wings by Aprilynne Pike

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Laurel is new in town, and has to deal with public school for the first time. She is welcomed, but she can't help but notice that she's very different from the other kids. As time goes on she discovers that the differences are way more than skin deep-she's not even human.

I wasn't prepared for the fantasy aspects of this book (a friend said she liked the third book in this series, so I decided to read it without knowing what it was about).

Wings was in the Young Adult section of my library. I like a lot of books in that section, but the categorization is a bit broad. The target audience is for young teens, not young adults.

That said, I'll probably still give the rest of the series a try. I didn't hate it; I was just caught off guard by Pike's interpretation of faeries.