Tag: Graphia Books

Review: Radiate by Marley Gibson.

Posted April 4, 2012 by Rowena in Reviews | 5 Comments


Rowena’s review of Radiate by Marley Gibson.

Main Character: Hayley Matthews
Love Interest: Gabriel (highlight to see)
Series: None
Author: Facebook|Twitter|Goodreads

Hayley Matthews is determined to be the best cheerleader she can. She works hard and pushes herself 110% all the time.

Then Hayley finds a lump on her leg. The diagnosis is cancer. The prognosis is unclear. She could lose her leg. Or maybe her life.

At first Haley is scared, terrified. In an instant, everything she’s worked for seems out of reach. But Haley is strong. She’s going to fight this disease. She will not let it take her life or her dreams.

I wanted to read this book because the blurb hit home for me with everything that my family went through a couple of years ago with this very same thing for my nephew RJ. RJ was 14 when he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma and to read in this book that Hayley was diagnosed with the exact same thing hit me really hard. She’s one of those girls that wants to live life to the fullest, make the most of her senior year so she quits band and tries out for cheerleading squad…and she makes it.

Going into this story, I liked the way that Hayley thought. She wanted to be a cheerleader so she practiced and tried out. When she starts feeling pain in her leg, she does what any teenager would do. She ignores it until she can’t ignore it anymore. I thought that Gibson did a wonderful job of capturing the mind of a teenager. Everything is all roses and sunshine until it’s not but with Hayley, she didn’t let any of that stuff keep her down. She went into her diagnosis with a fighter’s attitude and loads of people told me that when your mindset is already set to fight, the odds of you coming out of the big cancer scare goes way up so it was good to see that Hayley was a fighter right from the jump.

Reading this book was like taking a step back into 2010 and reliving everything that my family went through with RJ. It was like bringing all of that dark stuff back to the surface and reminding me how much I have to be thankful for. RJ suffered from the exact same condition as Hayley did and he went through the same struggles that Hayley did and this book put me inside his head. The strength, the determination that Hayley went through I saw everyday with RJ and this book was just full of win for me because it’s told in a way that brings out the emotions. Fear, grief, resolve, relief, joy…it’s all in here and I enjoyed every word.

Gabriel was such a treat to get to know in this book. I adored him right from the beginning when he walked into the scene with his green Scooby Doo shirt that said, “What happens in the van, stays in the van” I thought he was such a sweetheart and adored him.

Seeing Hayley come into her own while she’s battling for her life was an eye opening experience. She went through so much, found out who her true friends were and I’m telling you, it was just full of awesome and I can’t recommend this book enough. Kudos to Marley Gibson on a job well done writing this book. I’ll definitely be looking out for more by this author.

..and that’s your scoop!

This book is available from Graphia.
Buy the book: B&N|Amazon
Book cover and blurb credit: http://barnesandnoble.com

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Review: My Misadventures as a Teenage Rock Star by Joyce Raskin.

Posted June 7, 2011 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments


Main Character: Alex
Love Interest: ??
Series: None that I know of.
Author: Website|Facebook|Twitter|Goodreads

Rock ’n’ roll isn’t just about sex and drugs. It’s about self-expression, lasting friendships, and self-empowerment. That’s what Alex learns after she starts playing bass for a rock band in this almost true story. Joyce Raskin, author and musician, culls from her memories to create this funny, touching, and honest look at what it’s like to be a teenager, a girl, and a rock star all at the same time.

Also included are a note from the author, instructions on how to play basic guitar chords, advice on songwriting, and more!

This story is about a fourteen year old girl named Alex who band hops until she finds the right fit and then lives her life as a teenage rock star. Right from the beginning of this book, Alex screamed early teen. The stuff she thought about, the things she did and the things that were important to her totally took me back to when I was fourteen and those same things mattered so much to me.

Looking good, being popular, having a boyfriend. All of those things were much more important than the things that should have counted, like having parents that actually cared about what you did and having a brother who didn’t treat you like a little crap. Alex had a crush on her brother’s friend, she wanted to be everyone under the sun beside herself and once things start falling into place for her, things fall apart on her and it takes her a while to get things under control again.

Throughout most of this book, Alex is complaining about everything under the sun. If it wasn’t her fourteen year old face covered in zits (understandable) then it was how her parents were out to ruin her life (not even true) and how she wanted a sister (rolls eyes). Everything that was going through Alex’s head were things that I’ve heard my daughter Brenna complain about a lot and every time Brenna complains to me about these small, silly things, my response is always the same.

“Who cares?”

That always shuts Brenna up and then I have to go on my whole, Brenna next year or when you’re older, you’re not going to give two craps about any of this. Next week, when the next scandal at school happens, you’ll forget about how stupid this thing is right now.

That’s what I wanted to say to Alex more than once while reading this book. Her insecurities are plenty in this book but by the end of the book (which was really short), things fall into place for her and the book ended not the way that I thought it would end but it did end well. The ending was realistic and it was good. While it sounds like I wasn’t a fan of Alex, that’s not true. I liked her and had she been a little older and learned a few more things, I probably would have liked her more.

This book follows her as she goes from her first band to her second band and experiences boys, new girlfriends and everything else that middle schoolers, early high schoolers experience. I enjoyed the book though I thought it could have been a little longer because toward the end, the book started having that rushed feel to it but it wasn’t too bad. Overall, I think kids in the age group of 11 and up would enjoy this book. More than this 30 year old, mother of a pre-teen did. =)

..and that’s your scoop!

Buy the book: B&N|Borders|Amazon|Book Depository
Book cover and blurb credit: http://barnesandnoble.com

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Review: The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder.

Posted April 4, 2011 by Rowena in Reviews | 2 Comments


Main Character: April Bowers
Love Interest: Delvin (highlight to find out)
Series: Not sure
Author: Website|Facebook|Twitter|Goodreads

At Penford High School, Brittany Taylor is the queen bee. She dates whomever she likes, rules over her inner circle of friends like Genghis Khan, and can ruin anyone’s life with a snap of perfectly manicured fingers. Just ask the unfortunate few who have crossed her.

For April Bowers, Brittany is the answer to her prayers. April is so unpopular, kids don’t know she exists. One lunch spent at Brittany’s table, and April is basking in the glow of popularity.

But Brittany’s friendship comes with a high price tag, and April decides it’s not worth the cost. Inspiring and empowering, this is the story of one girl who decides to push back.

I knew going into this book that it was going to be a Mean Girls party and still, I was intrigued enough that I wanted to read it. I will say that after closing the book, I was glad that I stuck it out because for a time or two, I didn’t think I would. There’s a lot of immature snottiness going on in this book from the villainous tramp to even the protagonist in this book. I could have done without a whole lot of it but when the end came, I was happy to see that the protagonist learned her lesson and was a better person for it all.

April Bowers best friend Haley moves away and she has to face going to school without her. She’s not exactly thrilled with it but when the most popular girl in the school, Brittany Taylor starts paying attention to her and inviting her to sit with them and be her new friend, April jumps at the chance. Soon, April finds out that being friends with Brittany Taylor isn’t all it’s cracked up to be and instead of getting mad, April decides to get even.

While Brittany has her Lipstick Laws (which if you ask me, is beyond stupid), April sets about setting up her own little group of friends, the Lipstick Lawbreakers. Her group consists of all of the girls that were burned by Brittany Taylor and lived to tell the tales. It is with these girls that April starts to realize the value of true friendship and it was through these girls that though they did things that made me roll my eyes down the street, I still thought they were fantabulous friends to April.

This book isn’t about romance and though there are love interests, the book focuses mainly on the Mean Girl behavior between girls in high school. It’s not all hearts and roses and while some of the things that these girls get into seriously drove me crazy at times, I’m glad that I finished the book and I’m glad that April was able to see through her actions and learn from them. If you liked the movie Mean Girls then I’m sure you’ll enjoy this one. I kept picturing Rachel McAdams as Brittany because she seriously fit with the mold.

Overall, this book was enjoyable and I’m glad that I read it.

..and that’s your scoop!

Buy the book: B&N|Borders|Amazon|Book Depository
Book cover and blurb credit: http://barnesandnoble.com

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