REVIEW: Katniss the Cattail

Title: Katniss the Cattail

Author: Valerie Estelle Frankel

Source: Received from author for review

Grade: B-/A

Synopsis from Amazon:

Who was Cinna? What do the hawthorn and primrose symbolize? Or President Snow’s roses and Peeta’s bread? What about Katniss’s last name? Bringing details from myths, herbal guides, military histories, and the classics, English professor and award-winning pop culture author Valerie Estelle Frankel sheds light on the deeper meanings behind Panem’s heroes and villains in this hottest of YA trilogies. In her series, Collins not only weaves a heroic tale of deep complexity but harnesses the power of Shakespeare and Rome to retell an ancient epic of betrayal, violence, and glory on the stage of an apocalyptic future. The perfect treat for fans of all ages. Everything Hunger Games, packed into one volume. From Alma Coin to Wiress you’ll learn about • Why roses are a flower of death • How eighteen of the characters are used in Shakespeare’s plays • Katniss’s nickname Catnip • The meaning of “The Hanging Tree” • Peeta’s pearl and Katniss’s salvation • Effie the saint and Finnick the Irish hero

Review:

Katniss the Cattail is an encyclopedia and guide on names and symbols in The Hunger Games trilogy. Frankel goes through each character's name in great detail and what things influenced the naming and personality of the character. It also goes through the many symbols in the books, such as bread, Snow's roses, and dandelions and what they each represent. Frankel is very detailed with her explanations and touch on various influences from Shakespere to The Wizard of Oz. The majority of the characters are inspired by Shakespeare, which Frankel explains in her book. My favorite section of the book was Frankel's descriptions of the symbols. I learned that nightlock was not a real berry and that Prim's nickname duck, alludes to her being very resourceful. I also liked that Frankel uses many quotes from the three books and other sources to back up her descriptions.

I gave this book two different grades. I gave it a B- for those that are not super fans of The Hunger Games. It was interesting to read, but I can see how non-fans would not enjoy the book. It was very well researched and it was obvious that Frankel had taken a lot of time and effort to write this book. I gave the book an A for Hunger Games fan. This is a must read for those who are obsessed with the trilogy. It gives the reader a new perspective on the characters and the symbols throughout the books. If you have read the trilogy cover to cover, have seen the movie, and are still looking for something to feed your Hunger Games soul, then this is the perfect book for you!

Happy Reading!

Bookaholic

REVIEW: Hollywood Car Wash by Lori Culwell

Title: Hollywood Car Wash

Author: Lori Culwell

Source: Publisher for review

Grade: A+

Summery from Amazon

Amy Spencer is an accidental celebrity. On Monday, she’s a normal college student in Michigan. By the end of the week, she’s in Hollywood, starring in a TV pilot—as a regular girl from Michigan. It’s all fun and games until the show gets picked up and Amy learns the terrible price of stardom—to keep the part she didn't even want at first, she’s going to have to get the Hollywood Car Wash to make her more marketable. First, she’ll have to lose twenty pounds. She’ll also need new teeth, blonder hair, and a megastar boyfriend with a big secret. By changing everything from her weight to her hair to her name, Amy slowly learns that the only way to survive in Hollywood is to lose herself. Inspired by true events, this shockingly accurate novel about the ins and outs of the Hollywood game will leave the reader wondering—who is Star?

Review

This is the second Lori Culwell book I have read and it did not disappoint! I read Culwell's second book, The Dirt, and loved it! I also LOVED this one! It is a quick, fun guilty-pleasure type book. It gives an inside scoop to what it would be like to be thrown into the Hollywood star scene. I have always wanted to be famous, so it was neat to see Amy, an ordinary "citizen" turn into a huge celebrity. The reader is able to see what really goes on at movie sets. Those famous Hollywood couples? Amy finds out that most are paid to pretend to be dating each other. Hollywood Car Wash shows that being a celebrity is not all fun and games. Amy spends most of her days waiting to film her scenes and long 18 hour days on the set. She realizes that maybe being famous is not so fun after all.

Culwell's books remind me of the Shopaholic series: fun, quick reads, that leave me wanting more when they end. I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a fun, quick read. I also suggest that anyone who is dying to be famous to also check this out. It may show you that the grass may not always be greener on the other side!

Happy reading!

Bookaholic

*I was sent this book for review. All opinions are my own and not influenced by others.

REVIEW: Michael Vey: Prisoner of Cell 25

Title: Michael Vey: Prisoner of Cell 25

Author: Richard Paul Evans

Source: Library

Grade: A+

Synopsis from Amazon:

My name is Michael Vey, and the story I’m about to tell you is strange. Very strange. It’s my story.

To everyone at Meridian High School, Michael Vey is an ordinary fourteen-year-old. In fact, the only thing that seems to set him apart is the fact that he has Tourette’s syndrome. But Michael is anything but ordinary. Michael has special powers. Electric powers.

Michael thinks he's unique until he discovers that a cheerleader named Taylor also has special powers. With the help of Michael’s friend, Ostin, the three of them set out to discover how Michael and Taylor ended up this way, but their investigation brings them to the attention of a powerful group who wants to control the electric children – and through them the world. Michael will have to rely on his wits, powers, and friends if he’s to survive.

Review:

Micheal Vey can shock anything that comes into contact with him, and I mean seriously shock. He thinks he is the only one with this power until he meets Taylor, who is also electric. Michael and Taylor are the last two electric children that have not been taken by Elgin, a group that wants all of the electric children so that they can create a pure race of electric people. When Taylor and Michael's mom are kidnapped, Michael must set off to find Elgin and rescue Taylor an his mom without being kidnapped himself.

I LOVED this book! It was one that once I picked it up, I could not put it down! It kept me up late at night reading! I loved how Evans created Michael and Taylor to be complete opposites who end up linked together. Evans's imagery made it very easy to picture myself locked up at Elgin with Taylor or being shocked by Michael. My least favorite part of the book is that it is the beginning of a series and now I have to wait and find out what happens!! The second book in the series has yet to be released and I am waiting very anxiously for it. This is a definite A+ book for me! Go check it out!

Happy reading!

Bookaholic

REVIEW: Memoir of a Milk Carton Kid

Title: Memoir of Milk Carton Kid

Author: Tanya Nicole Kach and Lawrence Fisher

Grade: B +

Source: Bought

Synopsis from Amazon:

Told from the perspective of Tanya Nicole Kach, Memoir of a Milk Carton Kid is the haunting story of a girl, lost in the cracks of the system, forced to spend more than ten years as the prisoner of her school's security guard. From her troubled childhood, through her captivity at the hands of a manipulative captor, and ultimately on her road to recovery, Tanya's story is one of pain but ultimately triumph. Her story is told by her advocate and confidant, Lawrence Fisher. For more than five years his impassioned advocacy has helped Tanya as she has reintegrated into society. He successfully blends Tanya's story with his own insight into the legal issues surrounding the controversial case that followed Tanya's release. This multipronged approach gives the reader insight into Tanya's emotional state and the state of a criminal justice system that allowed her ordeal to happen.

Review:

Tanya was kidnapped in McKeepsort, PA. which is not very far from my home. This fact hooked me as soon as I heard of the book. Tanya grew up in a troubled household and turns to Tom who was a security guard at her school. As they become closer, Tom invited Tanya to come live with him. Once she moves to his house, he won't let her leave. Her capture ends up lasting for 10 years until she is finally freed by police. Her book is a summery of her capture and her life after.

I m always fascinated by stories of kidnapping survivors, like Elizabeth Smart and Jaycee Dugard. Her kidnapping is not quite as dramatic as others. I think because she went to live with Tom willingly, I was not as taken with her story. She was not dramatically kidnapped like Elizabeth or Jaycee. It was hard for me to imagine being held captive for 10 years of my life. Tanya lost much of her childhood innocence during that time. I was able to meet Tanya at a book signing where I got this book, and she is such a strong and inspiring woman! She is in college and engaged to be married! Tanya is definitely a survivor and a hero! I gave the book a B because there were some grammar and spelling errors and I wished she talked a little bit more about the kidnapping ordeal and less about her life after release. I got this book at my first book signing and it is a something that will always be near and dear to me heart!

Happy Reading!

Bookaholic

In my Mailbox

This is a collection of the books I have gotten over the past several weeks. I haven't done one in awhile, so I thought I would! I know my camera quality is not the best, but please bear with me=)

For Review

Hollywood Car Wash by Lori Culwell- I have read her newest book and loved it!

Bought

Millions by Frank Cottrell Boyce

Candor by Pam Bachorz

Memoir of a Milk Carton Kid by Tanya Nicole Kach and Lawrence Fisher- I got this at my first book signing!

Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher

Carpe Diem by Autumn Cornwell

Night Runner by Max Turner

Library

Audition by Stasia Ward Kehoe- I am reading it now and loving it!

Michael Vey: Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans-I am also in the middle of it and loving it!

Bunheads by Sophie Flack

Katarina by Kathryn Winter

Dirty Little Secrets by C.J. Omololu

According to Kit by Eugenie Doyle

Other than reading, my passion is dancing, so I am very excited to have 3 dance related books!

Has anyone read any of these? Any suggestions on which to add to the top of my pile?

Happy reading!

Bookaholic

REVIEW: Climb or Die by Edward Myers

Title: Climb or Die

Author: Edward Myers

Source: Library

Grade: B+

Summery:

When traveling through a snowstorm, in the Colorado Rockies, the Darcy family crashes into a tree. The parents are injured, but siblings Danielle and Jake are unharmed. It is then up to them to find help. They decide that the quickest way to help is by climbing Mount Remington to get help from the weather station at the top of the mountain. Danielle and Jake must work together if they want to save their parents.

Review:

I usually enjoy survival stories. They are usually cliffhangers that keep you on the edge of your seat. This book definitely delivers. Danielle and Jake decide that climbing a mountain would be quicker than walking the 20 miles to the interstate. During several parts of the book I thought they might not make it. They must use some quick decisions and work together to survive. It was a very quick read and it kept me on the edge of my seat almost the entire time. I really liked that the adventure started out from almost the first page of the book. There was no long build up to the accident. The only down side was that it was slightly predictable. Even when the book was trying to convince me that they would never reach help, I knew in the back of my mind that they would have to, or the story would be over. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good adventure story!

Happy Reading!

Bookaholic

REVIEW: The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

Title: The Future of Us

Author: Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

Source: Library

Grade: A

Summery from inside cover:

It's 1996, and Josh and Emma have been neighbors their whole lives. They've been best friends almost as long - at least, up until last November, when Josh did something that changed everything. Things have been weird between them ever since, but when Josh's family gets a free AOL CD in the mail,his mom makes him bring it over so that Emma can install it on her new computer. When they sign on, they're automatically logged onto their Facebook pages. But Facebook hasn't been invented yet. And they're looking at themselves fifteen years in the future.

By refreshing their pages, they learn that making different decisions now will affect the outcome of their lives later. And as they grapple with the ups and downs of what their futures hold, they're forced to confront what they're doing right - and wrong - in the present

Review

I was so excited to find this book on my library's shelf! It has gotten a lot of positive press from bloggers. It is hard to remember a time when internet was not a major part of every day life. Emma has gotten a new computer and installed an AOL CD onto her computer (remember those days?). When she signs on, a Facebook screen appears. Emma and her friend Josh are able to see themselves in the future. This causes Josh and Emma to look at life differently and to make different choices that end up changing the future.

I really, really enjoyed this book! When I think of 1996, it doesn't honestly seem like that long ago. In reality, it was 15 years ago. I remember getting internet for the first time in 7th grade. I am not sure what I would have done if Facebook would have suddenly appeared. This was a very quick and easy read. It kept me wanting more. It is easy for the reader to picture themselves as a part of this book. I enjoyed seeing how Emma's and Josh's choices actually effected their future selves. It makes me wonder if even the little things I do changes my future path. This is a book I would definitely suggest to everyone who reads!

Happy reading!

Bookaholic