Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys by Kate Brian Review

"When she was nine, Megan Meade met a group of terrible, mean, Popsicle-goo-covered boys, the sons of her father's friend -- the McGowan boys. Now, seven years later, Megan's army doctor parents are shipping off to Korea and Megan is being sent to live with the little monsters, who are older now and quite different than she remembered them.

Living in a house with seven boys will give Megan, who has never even been kissed, the perfect opportunity to learn everything there is to know about boys. And she'll send all her notes to her best friend, Tracy, in...

Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys

Observation #1: Being an army brat sucks. Except that this is definitely a better alternative to moving to Korea.

Observation #2: Forget evil, laughing, little monsters. These guys have been touched by the Abercrombie gods. They are a blur of toned, suntanned perfection.

Observation #3: I need a lock on my door. STAT.

Observation #4: Three words: six-pack abs.

Observation #5: Do not even get me started on the state of the bathroom. I'm thinking of calling in a hazmat team. Seriously.

Observation #6: These boys know how to make enemies. Big time.

Megan Meade will have to juggle a new school, a new family, a new crush -- on the boy next door, as in next bedroom door -- and a new life. Will she survive the McGowan boys?"

This review is going to be short. Okay, really short but with good amount of information.

For every observation, I can make a counter-observation. Right now, I'm just not in the mood to make counter statements. I simply have too much work to do. Needless to say, it is a slow day for me. How's your day? Probably better than mine, I hope.

This title is way too long. I might as well call this book this: This title is way too long to type and too annoying. For simplicity sakes, I will simply call "Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys" the Guide. That is a lot easier, right? Anyway, The Guide is from Kate Brian, who is a longtime writer of many books, especially girl books. In my opinion, she did a good job of this one. She says what every girl has said about guys: They are unpredictable, complicated, yet we girls can't help but love them despite every stupid or crazy word they said.

In a way, it is absolutely perfect. Like about boys, we forget everything flawed about Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys.

Let's break this down.

The plot and story is incredible. You think and think and think (made bets, I hope) of who the one for Megan really is. There are seven boys possible. Then you start crossing names out. That one is too young. That one is too weird. That one is too immature. And that one! Oh, that one is currently dating the hottest girl in the entire school. Still, it is a long path and twisty road to the one (for high school). 

Megan Meade is a too perfect girl. She is stunningly mature despite being surrounded by mostly immature guys. (I would say only two of them are mature. One is Miller. The other is...). In a pretty dramatic setting, we have Megan and a boy who appears to be the one. For a girl, Megan handles the entire situation pretty well. A little too well, I might add. Sure, she makes a bunch of mistakes (okay, not a lot), but things seems a little easy.

What I applaud the book the most is Evan. He is a total jerk, who basically is similar to Edward, Patch, and Wall Street guys (well, those I met). Please, ladies, never be attracted to a jerk. It never ends well and probably might escalate to an abusive relationship (Search Google about Edward is an abusive boyfriend).

Rating: Four out of Five

3:59 by Gretchen McNeil Review

"Josie Byrne's life is spiraling out of control. Her parents are divorcing, her boyfriend Nick has grown distant, and her physics teacher has it in for her. When she's betrayed by the two people she trusts most, Josie thinks things can't get worse.

Until she starts having dreams about a girl named Jo. Every night at the same time—3:59 a.m.

Jo's life is everything Josie wants: she's popular, her parents are happily married, and Nick adores her. It all seems real, but they're just dreams, right? Josie thinks so, until she wakes one night to a shadowy image of herself in the bedroom mirror – Jo. 

Josie and Jo realize that they are doppelgängers living in parallel universes that overlap every twelve hours at exactly 3:59. Fascinated by Jo's perfect world, Josie jumps at the chance to jump through the portal and switch places for a day.

But Jo’s world is far from perfect. Not only is Nick not Jo's boyfriend, he hates her. Jo's mom is missing, possibly insane. And at night, shadowy creatures feed on human flesh.

By the end of the day, Josie is desperate to return to her own life. But there’s a problem: Jo has sealed the portal, trapping Josie in this dangerous world. Can she figure out a way home before it’s too late?

From master of suspense Gretchen McNeil comes a riveting and deliciously eerie story about the lives we wish we had – and how they just might kill you."

3:59 is annoying to type. Still, I will refrain from calling this book "this book." Oops. I didn't mean to do that right there.

The beginning of 3:59 is really confusing. These two doppelgangers are nearly impossible to tell apart. I'll explain it, so if you ever read this book, you'll have a better understanding of it. There is two dimensions. In one, there's a girl named Josie, who is our heroine. In the other, there's Jo, who is Josie's twin/doppelganger with better hairstyle. These two dimensions are far from similar. In Jo's, there's a world runned by the Grid. In Josie, there is here, in our dimension. Does that make sense? I hope so, because I'm about to talk about more confusing things.

It's good that everything clears up in the middle section of the book. By that time, Jo and Josie already switch places. Josie finds out that everything is not what Jo seems. Plus, her mother (or that dimension's mother) is in the hospital because of her mental disorders. I could mention more things, or you can read the synopsis. In Jo's dimension, Nick, Josie's ex-boyfriend, carries a gun and knows the truth about Jo/Josie's swap. Or perhaps, I could talk about Jo's father, who is the most sticky and shady character.

I think McNeil handled the writing and the crazy plot pretty well. Traveling through dimension is pretty icky stuff. Talking about science would normally bore people unless their name is Albert Einstein or something along the lines. I applaud McNeil for keeping me entertained despite the slow, not to mention confusing, beginning.

Josie complains about her life. Yes, I do realize that in her dimension, her boyfriend, Nick, cheated on her with her best friend, Madison. What else should I talk about? Oh, her mother is really distant from her and she got fired from her job. Her father isn't in her life, because her parents are divorced. What else should I mention? Anyway, it's nice to see character growth in Josie despite her past. She thankfully takes advantage of the second chance Jo unintentionally gave her. Unfortunately, Jo's dimension's Nick and Josie are made to be tragic from the start. It's like Romeo and Juliet all over again. The last sentences of 3:59 are absolutely perfect. It's totally like star-crossed lovers.

The ending makes me hope for more. I'm totally addicted to this story. I would be happy to read some more, even if it's from another character other than Josie or Jo. Another dimension, another story, another sequel. I would be so happy if that happens. Vote yes for sequel! Or short story. I don't care. I want something from this world.

Rating: Four out of Five (Boo for beginning).

Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein Review

"While flying an Allied fighter plane from Paris to England, American ATA pilot and amateur poet, Rose Justice, is captured by the Nazis and sent to Ravensbrück, the notorious women's concentration camp. Trapped in horrific circumstances, Rose finds hope in the impossible through the loyalty, bravery and friendship of her fellow prisoners. But will that be enough to endure the fate that's in store for her?

Elizabeth Wein, author of the critically-acclaimed and best-selling Code Name Verity, delivers another stunning WWII thriller. The unforgettable story of Rose Justice is forged from heart-wrenching courage, resolve, and the slim, bright chance of survival."

I enjoyed Rose Under Fire more than Code Name Verity. Don't get me wrong, but I just think that concentration camps are more like my style than interrogation and etc. Actually, let me rephrase that. Concentration camps are more profound and eye-opening than war itself or so it seems. The experiences of the people in concentration camps seem to come to life when they are written by great authors like Elizabeth Wein. Code Name Verity and Rose Under Fire are quite a pair, though I like Rose Under Fire more than the other. Still, if you like Code Name Verity, then you can read it. No one is stopping you.

Unlike Code Name Verity where there's two POVs, Rose Justice switches from present to past, past to present. It's basically set out like this. Some times both present and past merge together to make it confusing. It stunningly paints Rose Justice's somewhat unstable mind but also her mission to tell the world. I really like how Wein puts those words in big capitalized letters, so it would be like this: TELL THE WORLD. Isn't it amazing how powerful it looks among the simpler, more common lower-cased letters.

Rose Justice is an amateur poet. The fact that she's an amatuer doesn't stop her from writing poems about her experiences. She writes about her sorrows. She writes about her joys. She writes about the good. She writes about the bad. Normally, I would like to skip over the poetry sections of the book (because they are just annoying to my eyes), but I really wanted to read them. Something about them makes it inspiring. That might be the biggest reason why Rose Under Fire is a better book (in my opinion) than Code Name Verity. Anyway, I should talk more about Rose. She's determined, but she's also frightened by what happened. I'm pretty sure she has PTSD, although the book rarely mentions it. Still, she is an inspiration, more than Queenie I'm afraid.

The history notes Wein makes in the book are great. For many people, history is a boring creature with dull gray words and stinking ink. Well, I'm sure that's not how everyone perceives history. It probably, more like certainly, varies from person to person. But there are a few history words I want to point out. ATA is real, not fake. Real, spelled with a 'r' and ends with a 'l'. Go look it up. Check it out. It's awesome.

Overall, I think Rose Under Fire is certainly a good WWII book, even though it's historical fiction. Hey, sometimes you need a bit of fiction in the history. Just remember the fiction from the history, then you will ace the test. Just kidding. You won't, but Rose Under Fire is still a great book to read. There is definitely some valuable lessons learned throughout the course of the entire book, from beginning to end.

Note: I don't know why, but I'm wishing for some romance between Karl (that Nazi Officer) and Rose. I know he's a butt, but I'm interested in something interesting even though it probably won't happen in real life.

Rating: Five out of Five

Going Rogue by Robin Benway Review

"Being permanently based in a local New York City high school as an undercover operative has its moments, good and bad, for 16-year-old safecracker Maggie Silver. 

Pros: More quality time with her former mark-turned-boyfriend Jesse Oliver and insanely cool best friend, Roux. 
Getting to spend quality time with her semi-retired and international spy honorary uncle, Angelo. 

Cons: High school and the accompanying cliques, bad lunches, and frustratingly simple locker combinations. 

But when Maggie's parents are falsely accused of stealing priceless gold coins, Maggie uses her safecracking skills to try and clear their names. 

Too bad it only serves to put her and everyone she loves in danger. Maggie and her "new team" flee to Paris where they must come up with a plan to defeat their former allies."

Note: Robin Benway is too cheesy for her own good. This book is full of the silliest and craziest adventures, not to mention the new romance for Maggie's best friend, Roux. Still, I think this spy series needs to turn a little more serious. Yes, the stakes are higher. Yes, most spy books have people getting killed (like Ally Carter's series). Still, I have high hopes the next sequels will take on a darker tone.

Still, if you prefer a lighter, more hilarious, spy thriller, then I guess this is your piece of cake. These days, however, most readers prefer darker characters with inner and outer conflicts. But I'm not the author here, so Robin Benway can do whatever she likes with these characters, no matter how cheesy or ticklish it gets. If I don't like it, I can always reimagine a different ending (yes, I'm talking about Divergent's Allegiant and other books).

I have a feeling that AKA series is going to take a different turn from Ally Carter's series. It definitely has a lighter tone despite the life threatening situations. Shall I mention a few? Gunfire, a couple teams of deadly agents on Maggie's heels, and a dangerous mark. There's no con in this book. I'm afraid it's mostly theft, but who won't read about theft?

Maggie doesn't do pros or cons in the book. Unlike the Ally Carter's Cammie Morgan, Maggie simply thinks without listing. (Ah! I miss Zach too much. Zach Goode is too awesome. Still, United We Spy ended in a good note. Why am I talking about that book?) 

Anyway, I'm going to try to finish this review before Goodreads shuts down again. (It's May 2, 2014 when there's a ton of blackouts on Goodreads' server, for your information). What else should I talk about? Yes, the writing of Robin Benway is as smooth as a lake when there's no wind or people around for miles. I can't really say anything else right now, but that's all the details I can put in for her writing.

I really like the symbol at the end. The phoenix is a great way of describing...oh, wait. Spoilers again. I can't do that. Sorry, guys. But the ending is still pretty great. I hope there's another book coming out. There seems to be a lack of spy books coming out from this era.

Rating: Four out of Five

Death Has A Daughter by Candice Burnett Review

I won a copy from Goodreads First Reads.

"Cendall, history’s first female Grim Reaper, has until her eighteenth birthday to prove she’s worthy of the role. The only obstacle in her way are those pesky Guardian Angels who protect human souls, but Cendall is certain she can handle any Guardian who gets in her way. 
However, nothing could have prepared Cendall for Lacie—a soul that is protected by multiple Guardians, wanted by Demons, and, most startling of all, can see Cendall. Cendall uses every trick in the book to try and slip past Lacie’s Guardians and collect her soul, but a Demon interferes at the last moment. In the chaos, Cendall accidently saves Lacie’s soul, along with one of the injured Guardians. Realizing Cendall fears termination for her mistake, the Guardian blackmails her with an offer she can’t refuse: in exchange for his silence, Cendall must keep Lacie’s soul safe from the Demon, until he recovers from his injuries. Cendall agrees—with the intention of checking Lacie’s soul off her list, the instant the Guardian is healed. But as the three of them are forced to work together, Cendall begins to question why Lacie is wanted by the Demons and if her name actually belonged on Cendall’s list in the first place."

First of all, I like to point out that it took several days for me to finish this book. Yes, it's only a hundred pages or so, but I had a hard time reading Death Has a Daughter and taking the book seriously. Yeah, it's kind of boring in the beginning, but I'll explain it. It's sort of complicated. Actually, no. It's not that complicated. It's only a hundred page book, with a small plot and weird setting. Needless to say, this review is definitely going to be quick. 

The beginning is wordy and boring. I'll come clean. That is all I'm going to say. Cendall goes on and on about the Grim Reapers. Haven't the author heard of 'show not tell'? Apparently, not. But I won't hold that against the author. I'm more concerned about those annoying typos. All authors should take this into consideration: Please check your work before you publish it. (Wow, am I biased here? Yes I am, but I'm being very short-tempered and sarcastic here, so... Just let me be lazy, for a few years or so. Then I'll work.). 

The plot is actually really good. After the very long (not to mention annoying and curse-worthy) beginning, we start to kick into the action parts. Cendall is determined to reap the soul of a young girl. There are tons of Guardian Angels protecting that soul, so Cendall has to think outside of the box. Still, I think there's some good parts in this book (points to the author). 

The craziest part of Death Has a Daughter is the ending. That's the part where everyone's eyes goes like this: O.O It's really that crazy. I have a very bad feeling about the ending, of course. It felt ridiculously rushed. Remember the ending is supposed to be right next to the climax and resolution? Well, I couldn't tell them apart. It was a sort of ending/climax thing. Anyway, I think the ending is a great place and section to improvise on. It's where everything gets confusing, and you feel like the author has given up on the book or something. 

Cendall's character is one of the best parts of Death Has a Daughter. She really likes kicking butts, but there's some parts of her that is seriously workaholic. Also, Lacie should put up a restraining order against Cendall. Cendall, as I mentioned before, has a serious stalking problem. It's a good thing she's invisible to humans.

Rating: Two Point Five out of Five (Rounded to Two)