What a great tale of the girl who starts with nothing.
599496
I was given this book for a read to review by the author..
However with that said.. I LOVED IT!!!!!

This is a story about the shaded past Laken. We get to watch Laken grow over a few years with this book. Find her way.. make plans for her future.. and truly figure out who she is.. with a few stumbles along the way.

She is caught up in her past.. Ian and her current Seth in a intense Love triangle.

Ian has know and Loved Laken sense she was 16.. but it never is enough to keep it in his pants.. will he be able to change his cheating ways..

Seth.. the Sexy Rocker.. can he make Laken a priority.. can her just be friends.. can he handle having a blond bombshell living in his house..

This story started out a little slow for me.. but I was actually really glad it did! It gave you a moment to learn the characters.. to understand where they ALL where coming from.. It takes though a emotional roller-coaster with the characters. It takes you back to those days of uncertainty as a teenagers.. who doesn't know what the heck they want out of life.  Yet it deals with loss.. heartbreak.. infidelity.. trust issues.. friendships.. and Love that make it also so relative.

This was my first book by this author and I cant wait to get my hands on the next! Great job!!!
4229323
Mr. Mancour has continued his wonderful story in a YA Adaptation of his current world.  I am very excited to see where he goes next.  The tale here is about a girl overcoming her own circumstance by a knowledge she cannot fail and a little bit of luck.  Amazing bit of writing.
3744066
This book is well worth the reading for a first time author. Aurora is a spunky girl that has to overcome her privilege stereotype and take advantage to the opportunities her life of privilege gave her. Great YA story.
2778829
First follows the story of a young woman named Mira. She lives and works on a farm in Texas. Life isn't great since Texas is in ruins. People who are descendents on the rebels of the Immigration War, well kids, are little more than slaves. The only way they can be free is to become a Second to a First. A Second is someone who is chosen by a First to be their replacement, of sorts. Mira has been chosen by the most powerful First named Socrates. It is supposed to be a life full of luxury and riches. But Mira soon finds out that it isn't what it is cracked up to be and is far worse than she could have ever imagined.

Talk about originality. Boy, what an amazing read this was. Stafford has got herself quite a gem here. She has done a wonderful job with this story and I will be the first on board for book 2. I really didn't know what to expect when I started this book. But I was hooked from the get go.

Our main character Mira is quite the fighter. She has the whole world on her shoulders, as do a lot of people in this world. They are not free. They are working off the debt of their ancestors. Only the privileged, the rich get to be free. But when Mira is chosen by Socrates, she is now a part of the privileged. But she knows she is still a prisoner. She is not a part of their world and can't go back to her own or else she will be banished from her farm. She is in the fight for her life. Everyone is against her and treats her like a traitor or like trash. They treat her like she is nothing but some simple farm girl who is getting what she deserves. Socrates is a great character as well. The book alternates between his POV and Mira's. But this book is not as black and white as you would think. It was interesting and very unexpected. I liked that a lot.

This story is very captivating. Even as a dystopian, this world is not that much different from how it was in the past. One society has taken a terrible part in history and has used it against everyone else. They are above everyone else and punish/execute those below them for the most insignificant things just because they can specifically Firsts. Firsts are a select group of people that want immortality. The only way to accomplish immortality is by scientifically moving into the Seconds. Seconds are usually children so the Firsts could use the body for as long as possible.

My goodness, the places this book goes are very intense. This book is very thought-provoking to say the least. The government is controlling everything due to Texas' treason and there are rebels and secrets everywhere. Some know those secrets and are willing to do anything to stop them from getting to the forefront. And it isn't just the government and the rebels. This will take you on a rollercoaster ride and then some. The only complaint I had is figuring out some of the terminology in this book in the beginning. It takes a while to try and figure out what is what. But you will eventually. Other then that, this book is pretty amazing especially once you get to the end. Oh goodness, the end. It killed me. Highly recommended and definitely going on the Favorites lists of 2013!
1861467
Binti is a tale of a young and brilliant girl escaping her planet and her family to attend college on another world. The main character is likable and very forthright. After a few days in flight towards the school, the spaceship is attacked by an alien race called the Medusae, who kill everyone on board in moments - except for the pilot and Binti. At the culmination of the tale, Binti brokers a peace agreement between the Medusae and the college and she becomes the first of her race to study at the college along with the Okti, the Medusa she befriended.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.
4243925
Full disclosure: this book was written by my sister. But that doesnt diminish the fact that I really enjoyed the story and characters.  My truthful opinion is this is a smart and clever tale that could be appreciated by anyone from tween on up. Great job Sister.
101723
It is truly hard to have no parents, to be raised in foster care, and to be different from everyone else.  Crystal is 17,  emancipated, talented ballerina, loses her job, being evicted, and have a assassin standing in front of you with a knife.  Find out how she falls for the assassin, finds out she is a princess, and finds out that the assassin is a Seeley Prince. Great for all ages.  Well-written with well-developed characterization  in this up and coming modern fairy tale.
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1676162
An interesting story of a series of young girls  all alone in a vast parklike setting .No point to the story could I find, but it is a good tale.
443871
I almost gave up on this book as it began so slowly and I prefer to jump right into the meat of it.  This author tells an incredible story of two teens who will never experience the fun of being a teen, having had powerfully life changing events steal their individual childhoods from them.  How they helped each other is remarkable and I'm glad that I kept reading.
113660
Gerda, a naive though endearing teenage girl living in nineteenth century Denmark, could never be called the adventurous type.  And yet, when her dear friend Kai is stolen by a mysterious woman known as the Snow Queen, she knows that there is nothing she can do besides follow him to the ends of the earth to rescue him!  And this she does, until she is captured by the warrior robber-maid Ritva...
  This truly was an entertaining story; with two interesting and unusual heroines, who are sure to win the heart of anyone who reads this book.  The plot was fast paced enough so I didn't get bored, but not so unbearably tense (at least not til the end) that I couldn't relax while I was reading it.  I adore fantasy stories, and yet I'm also completely sick of the repetative rendition of the young boy hero rescuing the girl from evil.  This refreshing, unusual tale is a real gem, completely turning things around, which I greatly enjoyed.  Good for anyone twelve or older.
1305379
This story starts out as an incredible tragedy and you wonder how you can get through such a depressing story, however the book is not depressing at all.  The story unfolds (and without giving too much away) is a great tale of human strength, struggle and interaction.  The characters are quirky and vivid, but I believe this makes them more real.  It also wraps up nicely without being predictable.  A very enjoyable story!
1379757
I really like this one of the serie because for the first time the girl didn't have the principal drama of the book
3927909
This story was really good, very Sad no-one helped her and I can't believe that the other kids in the story did nothing but hurt her. When good people do nothing, evil takes over!
3435831
This story is told by a 12 year old girl. She is intelligent, humorous, curious, and determined.  She takes you on a great adventure seeking the truth about a historical event with current day consequences.  I was so sad when I came to the end of the book, but then I discovered that there was another book which takes up the story--Cold Flat Junction.  You will want to read them both.
3069077
This is an incredible true sweet tale of a little girl born with a physical disfiguration. Flannery O'Connor writes a brilliant introduction and the story of this innocent little girl is irresistible.
2861176
When Tessa saw that bright orange dodgeball flying toward her it never clicked in her head to duck. Soon enough she finds her self in heaven which actually looks like a mall that she is very familiar with. When she gets to heaven she is lead to the lost and found and finds items that she has brought home from the mall in her past. Whether she remembers them or not they all have meaning.

Wendy Mass does a wonderful job capturing her audience. It is almost exactly like high school. She really reels in the reader with her flavor of writing. At first I noticed that the novel is written in verses but then I forgot all about it because I was so into the book.

I would recommend this book to any one who enjoys a nice easy read but a juicy book. I think teenage girls would enjoy this book the most. It is definitly a book that anyone would be able to read and enjoy. Just pick it up and give it a try.
3304101
Wendy is an orphan who leads an unhappy life, which is even worse since she doesn't really like herself. A little too fat, a little too shy, a little too unexciting: why would anyone want to be her friend? Well, she does have the three younger boys she lives with (much younger) and gets along very well with them, but are those friends? A visit to the theater changes her entire life as she finds a mysterious letter, inviting her to LATCH - a magical society which will change her life completely.

I enjoyed this. Wendy is a wonderful little girl, and her self-assurance problems make her even more likable. She doesn't mope around and complain but accepts the fact that she's not as wonderful as everyone else. Of course, this isn't true, and through LATCH she learns to realize that she is someone special. She's faced with exciting challenges, has to master difficult situations and stands up for what she knows is right - all with a slight twist of magic.

Unlike many heroes/heroines, Wendy doesn't always get through her problems on her own. Friendship, trust and hope play a huge role. It was nice to see the reminder that we do need other people helping us through difficult times and can trust that they will. And if these fuzzy feelings weren't enough, Wendy is constantly reminded that if she believes in herself, she can accomplish anything she sets her mind to.

In other words, this is a fast paced, exciting book chucked full of things every kid in this age group needs to hear again and again and again.