{Book Review} The Jerk Magnet by Melody Carlson

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All rights belong to the author and/or publisher.

Title: The Jerk Magnet (Life at Kingston High, Book 1)
Author: Melody Carlson
Age Category: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Christian fiction
Length: 226 pages
Publisher: Revell
Release Date: January 1, 2012
Rating: 3 STARS

Blurb: When Chelsea Martin's future stepmother helps her transform from gawky and geeky into the hottest girl at her new school, Chelsea is pretty sure it's the best thing that ever happened to her. But her hot new look has a downside. She's attracting lots of guys who all have one thing in common: they're jerks. And stealing the attention of all the guys in school doesn't endear her to the girls either.

Chelsea finally finds a true friend in Janelle Parker, and a non-jerk, Nicholas, catches her eye. Janelle keeps telling her to be herself, but Nicholas is the only guy around who doesn't give her a second look. Can Chelsea and Janelle come up with a plan to get his attention? Or will Chelsea's new image ruin everything?

Teen favorite and bestselling author Melody Carlson helps girls uncover the real source of beauty in this true-to-life story of young love, friendship, and being yourself.

Kara's Review: I belong to a group on Facebook called Avid Readers of Christian Fiction. It's a fantastic group with very lively and enlightening discussions about Christian fiction. And if you need a recommendation for any type of book, this is the place to go. Which is what led me to this book and author. I'd posted asking for contemporary YA, and once I had a list of authors, I happily went to Amazon and began searching. I was really craving a fun, contemporary YA with strong Christian elements, so this book was an easy purchase for me.

Unfortunately, it wasn't as easy of a read as I had hoped it would be. It's very heavy on the narrative, and I felt as though I was being told the story rather than immersed in it with the characters. That made it difficult for me to get through, and it took me longer than normal to read this. The emphasis on outward appearances, while sadly accurate in today's world, was a bit much at times. There were also a few scenes that were a bit...icky, I guess. Like when Dad refers to his daughter as a "smoking hot babe." That was a little too over the top for me.

Despite all that, the characters were like-able, and the friendships were great! The faith elements were very well done and consistent throughout the book. The ultimate message is positive and something all teens can relate to, even if it did feel a little preachy toward the end.

I was a little disappointed there wasn't a romance, but I guess I can't have it all, can I? lol. Overall, it's a good story with a timely message, and I would recommend it to any one who enjoys contemporary young adult fiction. As for me, I'm going to give this author another chance and check out some of her other series.

{BOOK REVIEW} The Price of Silence by Staci Stallings

Image Courtesy of Amazon's book page.
All rights belong to the author and/or publisher.

Title: The Price of Silence
Author: Staci Stallings
Age Category: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance with suspense/thriller elements
Length: 303 pages
Publisher: Spirit Light Publishing
Release Date: November 28, 2010
Rating: 4 STARS

Blurb: Robyn Lockhart liked her simple but predictable life in the small Iowa town she grew up in. But when her mother moves them to the big city, Robyn has no choice but to brave the tumultuous high school she's thrust into. Then, with barely a blink and as an outsider looking in, Robyn begins asking questions that no one seems willing to face. Is it possible to stay silent while simultaneously shouting from the rooftops that something is deadly wrong? And if you shout, beyond those watching every move you make, who will even hear?

Where do you turn when the watching eyes are everywhere? Where do you go when no place is safe? Who do you turn to when saying anything could get someone killed? Who can you trust when "they" could be anyone?

Kara's Review: I belong to a group on Facebook called Avid Readers of Christian Fiction. It's a fantastic group with very lively and enlightening discussions about Christian fiction. And if you need a recommendation for any type of book, this is the place to go. Which is what led me to this book and author. I'd posted asking for contemporary YA, and once I had a list of authors, I happily went to Amazon and began searching. I'm a big fan of suspense/thrillers, so the blurb for this immediately piqued my interest.

Robyn is an average teen girl struggling to adjust to a new school, making new friends, dealing with the aftermath of her parents' divorce. It was exactly the type of story I was looking for in terms of the high school setting, friendships, and new relationships. Robyn is easy to relate to, and she's very likable. Her new friends, Kat and Chad, are great, too. Chad provided quite a bit of comic relief, which was nice. And Sean, the love interest, was a really strong character. I was rooting for them to get together right from the start.

The suspense was handled masterfully! Some might say it progressed a bit too slowly, but that's exactly what I loved about it. The whole "everything is okay even though we know it's not" build up is what makes the suspense so effective. I kept reading and wondering when the bad guy(s) was going to strike, what he was going to do, how Robyn would be effected. I won't go into detail because I don't want to spoil anything, but I will say--the payoff was well worth the wait!

The romance was a bit fast, in my opinion. Granted, it progressed for the entirety of the book, and there weren't any declarations of love made too soon, but there wasn't much romance-building time spent in the book. There was a lot of walking to classes, working on the school paper, and studying at the Grill--which is another minor complaint: the events in the story were repetitive; I would have liked to seen some different activities, or more time seeing Robyn and Sean getting to know each other. I was also a bit disappointed that there wasn't more faith present in this book, but I was pleased there wasn't any cursing or sex, despite some of the heavier issues the book deals with.

Overall, it's an engaging story with a timely message, and I would recommend it to any one who enjoys young adult fiction.

Welcome!

Welcome to my newest blogging venture -- Book Cravings Book Reviews. This is where I'll share all my book reading thoughts, rants, and recommendations. If you're looking for something new to read or just want to read what I thought about certain books, feel free to click through the pages to find your favorite age categories and genres. The books currently listed will lead to reviews from my other blog (Kara's News & Musings) or straight to reviews I'd left on Amazon.

So, have fun looking around, and stay tuned for lots of new reviews and other fun stuff :-)