Sophie Flack. BUNHEADS

Hannah is living out her dream dancing for the prestigious Manhattan Ballet company. Ever since she was a little girl, she's sacrificed and worked diligently to work her way up to this point. She's enjoyed every minute of it. Her daily life consists of rehearsals and multiple perfomances, as well as yoga and pilates workouts. She lives and breathes for her dancing career. She is is currently dancing in the corps de ballet, meaning she isn't a soloist, so she works even more diligently hoping to be promoted to star.

One rare night off, Hannah visits her cousin's West Village restaurant to eat dinner where she meets handsome Jacob. She falls for his verve and his excitement about exploring everything the world has to offer. He wants to learn Italian to watch Fellini movies without subtitles. He's majoring in philosophy and art history and ecology.

Jacob and Hannah hit it off right away, but Hannah has a strict schedule and she has to cancel on Jacob often. Jacob is patient, but Hannah realizes that he won't wait on her forever. She must decide what her true priorities are before it's too late.

I've always been fascinated by the world of ballet. I took ballet briefly as a young girl (didn't we all?), but I don't really remember much. I've always considered it such a beautiful art. But I realize the strength involved too. Ballet dancers are a curious combination of strength and beauty. I love the details about being a dancer that this book offers. The author was a dancer for nine years with the New York City Ballet, so this is an accurate account of the daily life of a dancer.

Intellectually, one knows that being a dancer takes a lot of work, but to read about the day to day schedule of a ballet dancer is something different. I realize now how much these dancers really give up to live this life. Also, the toll that the schedule takes on their bodies is enormous, particularly considering that they do not nourish themselves like an athlete would. They actually try to do so much on so little food. It's amazing and a little frightening.

I really enjoyed the book. It's a well written, fascinating look into the inner workings of a ballet company. For more about the author check our her website here.

Tom Dolby. SECRET SOCIETY

The prologue intrigues you immediately. A body turns up dead at Cleopatra's Needle in  Manhattan's Central Park. Maybe not so unusual in New York City? However, the small tattoo on the back of his neck in the shape of an ankh, the Egyptian symbol for life, is sort of unusual.  

Three juniors at Chadwick, an exclusive private school in Manhattan,  become friends because they all receive the same cryptic text message directing them to show up at an address at a specified time. 

The find out they've been invited to a special club. They aren't sure why they were picked. The also get the impression they weren't really invited, but actually have become members through coercion. 

Pheobe is new to New York and Chadwick. She figures that it might be a way to make some friends. Nick has heard about this society from his dad over the years and realizes that it's probably his destiny to be a part of the exclusive organization. Lauren is thrilled at first because the society begins granting her secret wishes. However, after a few months of secrecy and hidden agendas, the three teens begin to ask questions. Questions that are looked upon unfavorably by the society. When one new member ends up dead, the three get worried. 

To add more drama, Nick's friend Patch wasn't invited to the society. Patch is a video blogger and decides that he will infiltrate the society. Will this put Patch's life in danger or worse - will all of the teens be in danger when Patch does his digging? 

This was definitely a page-turner! It kept me up late at night. I enjoyed all of the main characters, especially Nick & Phoebe. The ending left me wanting to read the sequel. And I recently found out that it is due out next February.

Click here for more about Tom Dolby and all of his books.

Maureen Johnson. SCARLETT FEVER

“Monday arrived just like it always did, creeping in during the night like the neighbor’s cat, come to illicitly drop dead mice by the bedside.” *

Yeah, that’s why I adore Maureen Johnson.
Phrases like that.
Also, she creates the best characters. Scarlett is a wonderful main character in her own right, but Spencer her brother – wow, he’s something else altogether - so talented and witty. Mrs. Amberson, Scarlett’s boss is the embodiment of old Hollywood excessiveness, but in a totally charming way. Max is a new character in this book that I can’t wait to continue getting to know in the next book. And don’t get me started on the dog called Murray!

Oh and I also love her chapter titles. Here are a few examples:
Safety for the Stupid
Lies Everyone Knows
Lunch is for Suckers
Dinner is also for Suckers
Dawn of the Desperate

In case you didn’t know – SCARLETT FEVER is the sequel to SUITE SCARLETT, which I also adored completely. (see review here). You must read that one first.
On to my quick summary/teaser....The Hamlet production in the lobby of the Hopewell has just ended. The excitement has died down a little, and Spencer is looking for work. Scarlett is still working for Mrs. Amberson, especially after the show closing and the number of hotel guests dwindling. Scarlett is also depressed about breaking up with Eric. Mrs. Amberson decides to take on an additional client, a Broadway star named Chelsea who has an annoying brother, Max. Scarlett’s “job” is to keep an eye on him, and after objecting she realizes that he becomes intriguing. Then wonderful things happen for Spencer while simultaneously making him New York City’s public enemy #1.  Big news for Lola and Marlene continues to puzzle Scarlett. Bottom line = another great adventure with the Martin family. I really feel at home in their world. It also makes me want to like in New York City or at least visit for a while.
Read it. You’ll love it too. Now I want the sequel.

*Normally, I'd put a page number there, but Kindle doesn't use page #s. So, I give you location number 3413.

Maureen Johnson. SUITE SCARLETT

Wow! I just spent such an exciting time in New York with some zany and heartwarming characters (at least if feels like I was there!). Fifteen-year-old Scarlett and her family live in a small 5 story historic hotel called the Hopewell. Lola is the older sister with beauty and a great personality. Marlene is the younger sister who has experienced major illness in her past. Spencer is the older brother and Scarlett’s best friend. Spencer is an actor and quite the comedian. Business in the hotel hasn’t been great, so the family is struggling. Spencer has been awarded a scholarship to culinary school, but it’s the last thing he wants to do. He feels pressured by his parents, because they could use some financial help. But, he really wants to pursue his acting career. When Ms. Amberson, an intriguing new guest, arrives at the Hopewell, she brings a lot of ideas, money, and a unique perspective on life. She certainly shakes things up, but will it be for the best or will she bring disaster?
The greatest part of this quirky, fun novel is the characters. All the main characters are so unique and special. I enjoyed spending time with them. To me, that’s what a great book is all about. If you don’t want to be with the characters, then you won’t keep reading. Ms. Amberson is a hoot! And I really cared about the family. The idea of the family living in a hotel was also interesting to me. I spent about 5 years in the hotel business, but it was with big chain hotels, so this little family run, historic hotel was fun place to be. Plus, the situations that they get themselves in and out of are hysterical. I laughed and had a great time!! Highly recommended for all. (and what a gorgeous cover!)

Maureen Johnson has written many other great books.

Check out her website here

And her blog here

She says the just finished the sequel. Woohoo! Looking forward to it!

Alex Flinn. BEASTLY

If you know me at all, you know I love Alex Flinn. I have multiple copies of all her books in the library, but they’re never on the shelf because I’m constantly booktalking them. But somehow I couldn’t warm up to this one- until now. It never appealed to me. Flinn’s written such wonderful realistic fiction that I wasn’t sure about her doing fantasy. Boy, was that a stupid idea. I finally read it & it’s awesome! It’s a modern twist on the Beauty and the Beast. It begins with a privileged teen named Kyle Kingsbury. Kyle has everything. He’s rich, good-looking, and the most popular kid at school. He’s even elected Homecoming prince. But, he only cares about himself and treats anyone who can’t do something for him really crappy. In fact, he even seems to enjoy hurting people. Then one day, he pulls a prank on the wrong person. His life changes dramatically. She places a devious spell on him that he must find a way to break.

I couldn’t put this down. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I should never have doubted the great talents of Alex Flinn. I look forward to her branching out into whatever directions she wants as an author. I’ll read it all!

Here's her website: http://www.alexflinn.com/

Here are some of her other great books:

Melissa Kantor. CONFESSIONS OF A NOT IT GIRL

I had forgotten how funny Melissa Kantor is! I had read IF I HAVE A WICKED STEPMOTHER, WHERE’S MY PRINCE and thought it was hysterical, but it’s been a while since I read that one. So, I was pleasantly reminded how funny she is with this, her first novel, CONFESSIONS OF A NOT IT GIRL.
Jan Miller, senior in high school, is convinced that she has the least fabulous life a girl can have. Making matters even worse, her best friend, Rebecca, has been named “It Girl” in a popular fashion magazine. Jan feels that Rebecca is prettier, skinnier, and just way more sophisticated then she is. Rebecca is even able to snag an awesome, older boyfriend, while Jan seems to continually make a fool out of herself around the boy she likes, Josh. It begins when they act out a scene from Romeo & Juliet in English class and she humiliates herself. It continues with virtually every interaction she has with him afterwards. Will she ever become an It Girl or will Jan live out her life as an old maid with five cats? This was a hilarious love story complete with misunderstandings, embarrassing predicaments and some sweet scenes as well. Definitely a joy!

Her other two books:

IF I HAVE A WICKED
STEPMOTHER, WHERE'S
MY PRINCE? my review is here

THE BREAKUP BIBLE

The author's website: http://www.melissakantor.com/

Susan Beth Pfeffer. THE DEAD AND THE GONE

I got my lucky hands on an advance copy of the companion novel to LIFE AS WE KNEW IT* by Susan Beth Pfeffer, called THE DEAD AND THE GONE (due out in June). When I first heard about the book, I thought it was a sequel, and I was anxious to see what happened to Miranda and her family after the disaster. Then I learned that this is actually a companion novel, and I came to realize that this was a much more interesting direction to go in (which is why the author decided to write this story, I’m sure). We get to go back to the same events in the first story, but see them in a completely different city, with different people. In this novel, we get to see how these events affect New York City. Now that I think about it, I was curious how this disaster would play out in other areas in the world while I was reading the first book. So, it seems natural that the author would explore this from another point of view, and I am glad she did.

We join Alex Morales on the day of the asteroid hitting the moon. He’s working at the pizza parlor. He doesn’t even realize what’s happened for a while, since it was a cloudy night. Then when his uncle shows up later that night at his house to take them all to his grocery shop to gather up all the food, he begins to see how bad things are. Alex’s mom has been called to work at the hospital. His father is away in Puerto Rico. His brother is away in the Marines. Alex, who is only seventeen, is left to take care of his two younger sisters. Since it’s on the coast, New York is affected by the flooding from the tsunamis. Whole boroughs of New York are being evacuated. People who can leave are leaving the city for safer places. The city slowly declines to feeling half-dead. Alex isn’t sure if he should leave the city, since he’s hoping his mom and dad will return.

This was just a gripping as the first novel. Ms. Pfeffer evoked the same eerie mood just as brilliantly as in the first book. I was glad to visit this world again, even as depressing as it was. It was intriguing to see how different people handle this type of tragedy. Alex was carrying a tremendous weight on his shoulders, and I was amazed that he could continually find the strength to go on. It makes you wonder how you would handle it yourself. The drama was heart wrenching and completely realistic. And yet somehow, the book ends with hope. I’m still thinking about how haunting the first book was, so now I’ll have two versions of the story to haunt me!

*My review of the first book is here

By the way, sometimes the cover on the Advance Reading Copy is different from when the final copy is published. I really, really hope they keep the cover on this one. I love it. It portrays the mood of the book so well. And isn't it just beautiful!

Ms. Pfeffer's written a ton of other books. Check it out here: http://www.iblist.com/author8156.htm

More about her at her blog: http://susanbethpfeffer.blogspot.com/