Going on VACATION!!

So tomorrow, I will be going to Taiwan...EEEKKK!!! AHH I'm so excited!! Anyways, I will be gone for a month and like two weeks, I am not sure if I will have internet access, so I have scheduled a few posts and am bringing some books with me :D But I think I might have some, so I will try to add more posts + check my email + blog...so feel free to comment email as usual...I hopefully will recieve everything :)

But there will be a slower amount of posts...thanks for understanding!

Wdebo :)

High Before Homeroom By: Maya Sloan

Title: High Before Homeroom

Author: Maya Sloan

PAPERBACK

Amount of Pages: 299

Publisher: Gallery

Release Date: June 22, 2010

Geared Towards: Teens

From: Publisher (Review Copy)

"I will become a meth addict, or I will kill myself trying."

Summary (From B.O.B):

Losers, now you can get the bad-boy rep the girls find positively irresistible! Unleash your dark side with the Doug Schaffer plan for drug addiction and rehabilitation! (Kids, don't try this at home.)

At sixteen years old, Doug Schaffer knows two things for sure:

1. He is doomed to live in the shadow of his older brother, Trevor, a former high school football star who is stationed in Iraq.

2. Free-spirited Laurilee, the hot ear-piercing girl at the mall, only dates bad boys.

Cue Doug's foolproof plan to tarnish his own unremarkable reputation. The first step is to develop a drug addiction. His mom's too preoccupied with organizing care packages for the Mothers Support Our Troops Northwest Oklahoma City Chapter to stop him. Besides, he just needs to get hooked on meth long enough to come back from rehab a totally different person. Someone people notice.

With the help of Trevor's strung-out former high school buddy, drug addict Doug has the confidence that loser Doug never mustered. He stays out all night, scores girls, and stands up for himself. Then Trevor unexpectedly returns home with a dark secret of his own, and everything Doug thought was true is shattered. Soon the brothers find the common ground they never knew they shared as they discover that the price of pleasing others is the freedom to be yourself.

Wdebo's Review: High Before Homeroom was a pretty good book, though not really the type of book I am used to reading. The whole novel was filled with so much sexual desire, it just got a little awkward to read, but I did enjoy Maya Sloan's way of writing (Minus a lot of the sex thoughts.) there was moments of sarcastic humor and heart which is very nice.

However, I found it disappointing that there was so much leading up to the whole going and taking drugs, so much talking and thinking about taking drugs and illustration about "loser" Doug, but then when he does take the drugs the book seemed to be going too fast, I was hoping there would be more details on that because there was so much details leading up to it. Except never actually understood why druggies are thought of as cool, because taking drugs is just ew. But, on the other hand, she did describe everything very well, just needed a bit more meat to the second half of the novel.

I was not the biggest fan of Doug, he seemed too, eh, not that likeable and I couldn't really get myself to like anyone else, they all seemed very steryotypical. But I did feel bad for Doug, he did have a very craptastic life, there were times where I just felt like hugging him cause his life sucked so badly at times.

Cafe Cover Chat: I think the cover looks kind of cool, and I believe the person on the cover is Maya Sloan herself (?) (B-)

All in all, quite a well written debut novel by Maya Sloan, it will appeal more to people that are interested in this kind of topic, but if you are feeling edgy, I believe you will enjoy this novel also.

Grade: B+

Wdebo :)

When You Tell Me That You Love Me-Coco Lee ft. Julio Iglesias

Title: When You Tell Me That You Love Me
Artist(s): Coco Lee ft. Julio Iglesias
Language: English
TTS: None

Wdebo's Notes: Oh wow, I absolutely adore Coco, she's ABC (!!) and her singing is so amazingly wonderful, I absolutely love her voice and Julio's is great too. It's such a pity she never made it big in America...her voice is so wonderful. I love this song...they complement each other wonderfully. Old song, but still very good!

Enjoy!

Hope you enjoy! And please comment!

Wdebo :)

Classic Friday (4): The Handmaid's Tale

Title: The Handmaid's Tale
Author: Margaret Atwood
PAPERBACK
Amount of Pages: 311
Publisher: Anchor
Release Date: March 16, 1998
Geared Towards: Teens
Extra Info: The first publication was from McClelland & Stewart in 1985.

"She did not say: Because they will have no memories, of any other way.

She said: Because they won't want things they can't have."

Summary: Offred lives in the Republic of Gilead (The United States until it was taken over) as a Handmaid. In this Republic, the handmaids are assigned to Commanders and their wives who are unable to produce children, every month the handmaids must lie down and have the Commanders make them pregnant. Offred still remembers the time before where she lived with her husband Luke and had her own daughter, when she had her own job and her own money supply, but now all of those have been stripped away from her as she is made to serve the Republic and her Commander. But there might, just might, be a little bit of hope left...
Wdebo's Review: I always enjoy dystopian style books, so when I saw this book on a list to read for my Summer homework I was quite excited to choose it, and I am very glad I did.

At first, the book was pretty good. There was that shock like, Oh wow, how could a society be like that? And it made you want to read more and more and delve into this world, but after a bit it seemed to get a little slow, and it was hard to continue, but after about the midpoint it picked up again and just got really addicitng especially the last part, which was so hard to put down because all of this stuff just came flying at Offred and it made you wonder how she would get through it all.

This novel really made me think a lot, about oppression and the beauty of freedom. It made me very freaked out reading it, but I still could not put it down, because I really wanted to see how it ended. The ending was very 1984...but with more of a kick...haha women rule :)

I was not the biggest fan of Offred, because she is very conforming and though there was some spunk in her in the middle, it was quickly wiped away, but I guess I can't hate her that much, because I would have been just like her if I was in her place.

Cafe Cover Chat: This cover isn't that bad, but the very first cover scared the crap out of me...two words...scary.baby. Click HERE to see the scary picture~ (B)

All in all, a very well written book, that is sure to scare it's readers and make us all thankful that we live in this un-perfect perfect world.

Grade: A-

Wdebo :)

Check this Blog Out! (2)

So, today, I want to show you guys another one of my friend's blog...it's called Edutainment, Click HERE to visit! He has everything about entertainment from movies to music to tv shows. So if you are absolutely in love with all things entertainment be sure to check out his blog :))Crap, horrible copying :( But for those that can't see he did a bit about romantic comedies, I mean, Julia Roberts + Hugh Grant...why else wouldn't you check out his blog??!!~

Hope you guys can go see his blog and support him =]

Wdebo :)

Waiting On Wednesday (9)

WOW is brought to you by Jill at Breaking the Spine :)~

Today's book is...

The Duff (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) By: Kody Keplinger

Summary (From Goodreads): Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn't think she's the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She's also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her "Duffy," she throws her Coke in his face.

But things aren't so great at home right now. Desperate for a distraction, Bianca ends up kissing Wesley. And likes it. Eager for escape, she throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with Wesley.

Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out that Wesley isn't such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she's falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.

Why I Want to Read This: I am a total worshiper of these types of books, falling in love with the guy you never thought you would...can you say cliche/AMAZING??!! Haha it sounds good, and I also read some good reviews of it, so of course I would very very very much like to read it!

Release Date: September 7, 2010

So what are you waiting for?

Wdebo :)

Jerry Yan (F4)

A continuation of the F4 Cycle...enjoy!

Chinese Name: 言承旭 (Yan Cheng Xu)

English Name: Jerry Yan

Birthday: January 1, 1977

Age: 33

Birthplace: Taiwan

What He Does: Actor and Singer

TDramas: Meteor Garden (!!), Down With Love [Click HERE for review] and Hot Shot (!), etc.

Background Info: Jerry Yan is most famous, apart from being an F4 member, but also for his portrayl of Dao Ming Si in Meteor Garden, I mean, come on, it's a total classic! Recently he just finished his wonder drama, Down With Love (Which is total love!), and he and Ella are just perfect (AHH but I'm a Chun-Ella fan too, so this is a conundrum, which do I pick?). Jerry encourages all of his fans to do charity works, like him, he has a different for every one of his birthdays. His just realesed his new album, "Extra Freedom" and his Japanese Version also topped charts.

Now onto music...

Jerry's lovely song from the theme of DWL..Just Want to Depend on You [Eng Sub]



Another song, 在KTV說愛妳 (Saying Love You In the KTV)...very good song [English Subbed]



Hope you enjoyed!

Wdebo :)

In My Mailbox (16)

So, I know I've been slacking off my IMM for a LONG LONG time *uh hum* 8 months to be exact. But, haha, I'm back!!

All credits for IMM idea go to The Story Siren~

Here are the books...

Recieved For Review

Manifest: A Mystyx Novel By: Artist Arthur

High Before Homeroom By: Maya Sloan

Recieved From Library's "Summer Reading"

North of Beautiful By: Justina Chen Headley
Borrowed From Library

Devoured By: Amanda Marrone

And yes, those are Archie Mags :)

So, what's in YOUR mailbox?

Wdebo :)

Who Am I Who Am I Who Am I-Magic Power

-ENGLISH SUBBED-

English Title: Who Am I Who Am I Who Am I

Chinese Title: 我是誰我是誰我是誰 (Wo Shi Shei x3)

Artist: Magic Power

Language: Chinese (Mandarin)

TTS: No

Wdebo's Notes: I first heard this song as the opening song of PS Man (A wonderful drama I am currently watching), and I fell in love with this song at first listen. I love watching the beginning for this song! But haha the drama is awesome too. The song is very addicting and wonderful lyrics!

Enjoy!

Hope you enjoy! And please comment!

Wdebo :)

Double Blog Dare Tour: Alison Dare Series

For this one will have two summaries + one review:)
Title: Alison Dare: Little Miss Adventures
Author: J. Torres + J. Bone
PAPERBACK
Amount Of Pages:90
Publisher: Tundra Books
Genre: Graphic Novel
Geared Towards: Middle Graders

From: Publisher (Review Copy)

"Just outside the ancient city of Ala-Ed-Din. There was a bored little girl named Alison Dare"

Summary (From Back): She's not your typical 12-year-old. She's the daughter of world renowned archaeologist Dr. Alice Dare and the masked superhero the Blue Scarab, not to mention the niece of international spy and master of disguise Johnny Dare. Action, adventure, and awesomeness are in her blood.

Follow Alison around the world and back, revealing some of the closely guarded secrets of the dynamic Dare family and thrilling to adventure all the while. On the way, you'll meet a genie a mummy, and evil baron, and you'll discover senses shattering answers to some mighty big mysteries.

~~~~

Title: Alison Dare: The Heart of the Maiden

Author: J. Torres + J. Bone

PAPERBACK

Amount of Pages: 99

Publisher: Tundra Books

Genre: Graphic Novel

Geared Towards: Middle School

From: Publisher (Review Copy)

"Here we go..."

Summary (From B.O.B): She's not your typical twelve-year-old girl. She's the daughter of world-renowned archaeologist Dr. Alice Dare and the masked superhero The Blue Scarab, not to mention the niece of international spy and master of disguise Johnny Dare. Action, adventure and awesomeness are in her blood. Even Alison's teachers at the prestigious St. Joan of Arc Academy for Girls can't keep her from sneaking out in search of ancient artifacts, lost treasure, and secret societies.

Follow Alison Dare on two amazing adventures that span the globe, and search every inch of her school for answers to some intriguing mysteries.

~~~

Wdebo's Review: I am not the biggest fan of graphic novels, but I find them intriguing so I was interested to read the Alison Dare series, because I wanted to try out a different genre. Though they were not my favorite books ever (and that might be because the age group was a bit below me) I thought they were kinda of interesting and entertaining. The drawings were pretty good, but I am still not that used to it, and I perfer mangas more. I thought, however, that Alison's life seemed WAY too perfect, but I guess that always works for middle grade books. There were however some good action scenes, especially for a middle grade book!

Cafe Cover Chat: Not the best, but it fits the stories (B-)

All in all, a good graphic novel for younger readers + more reluctant readers, there are some good action if you like that. :)

Grade: B-

Wdebo :)

Random Entertainment Clips (20)

-English Subbed-

Oh wow, another classic Show Luo moment, only he would be so calm, kinda look down, and go, Oh I forgot to zip up my pants, then calmly go about zipping it up XD If it was me, I would run into the back and start sobbing my eyes out.

Well, enjoy!

Hope you enjoy! And please comment!

Wdebo :)

GIVEAWAY!! $40 CSN Gift Certificate

Oh wow...long time no contest/giveaway. But here is a totally awesome-possum one. One lucky winner can win a $40 Gift Certificate to any CSN store, they have a lot of funiture/kitchen decor/items, from bookshelves (!!) to shoes to pet gear. Or you can just pick out a beautiful vanity or some designer clothing!

So, how can you get in on this awesome giveaway? Simple! Just fill in the form below, the giveaway will end June 29th, not a lot of time so hurry hurry!



Wdebo :)

Pretty Little Liars-I Need Your Help!

So, as many of you know, I am doing the "Secret Keeper" thingy for the Pretty Little Liars promotional thing.

One of my challenges, I need all of YOU to help with.

Please go to THIS site and then write (or make up) a story about how you got your friends to like your boyfriends. Please help, anyone can do this, if you don't have a real life experience about this, don't worry, you can make up a story! Oh and please write "credit to Debo" so I get credit :D And if you do, yeah! That's great!

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE help!! I need 13 people!! Please go now, because I need them ASAP!

Thanks bunches!!

Wdebo :)

Candor By: Pam Bachorz

Title: Candor
Author: Pam Bachorz
HARDBACK
Amount of Pages: 249
Publisher: Egmont USA
Release Date: September 22, 2009
Geared Towards: Teens
From: Library

"My mouth splits into a huge grin. I can taste the tang of the paint.

But the Messages scream in my brain. Badbadbad.

I stuff them back. Swing the can wide.

It feels good."

Summary (From Front Flap):
Everything is perfect in the
town of Candor, Florida.
Teens respect their elders, do their chores, and enjoy homework...because they're controlled by subliminal messages.

Oscar Banks, the son of the town's founder, is the model of perfection: class president, top student, shining example. But it's only a disguise. Unlike all the other Candor teens, he knows about the Messages, and he fights them with his own counterprogramming.

Only Oscar knows how to get kids out of Candor-for a price. Nobody suspects that he smuggles the richest kids out of town before they change. It's risky: if Oscar were caught, he'd be sent straight to the Listening Room, where the most resistant minds are wiped clean.

When Nia moves into town, Oscar is smitten by her tart attitude and ability to see through his perfect-boy front. He can't stand to see her changed by the Messages. Now he must decide to help Nia escape Candor and lose her forever, or keep her close and risk exposure.

The book trailer...




Wdebo's Review: I have always liked books about the whole perfect society, but everything isn't what it seems. So I was very excited to read Candor. The writing was simple and pretty good. I really enjoyed it.

I really like Bachorz' writing style, it's simple but can be quite addicting at times, except, at some times, it does get a little slow, but it's not that bad. I was quite surprised though, how fast Nia and Oscar fell for each other. One moment, they are glaring oddly at each other and the next they would do anything for each other. I was hoping that there would be a little more writing on the society and a little less of Oscar and Nia's relationship. I felt the ending to have ended well, very 1984, but I was still sad... :(

The character of Oscar, we just had a love-hate relationship going on. He was so cocky, but I still liked him, a bit, I guess. He also had a lot of pent up sexual desire which is pretty ugh, kinda on the creepy side. I like the character of Nia she is one of those "no-crap" kinda girls.

Cafe Cover Chat: I find the cover to be a bit boring, but it's averege (B)

All in all, a pretty good book that if you enjoy the "perfect society" kind of books, I am sure you will enjoy!

Grade: B+

Wdebo :)

Random Entertainment Clips (19)

-ENGLISH SUBBED-

Wow, LONG time no post a "Random Entertainment Clip"...anywho I love this clip...classicly funny Show...only he would know every single move =.= Funny and cute, Show Luo style :)

Enjoy!

Hope you enjoy! And please comment!

Wdebo :)

I Need Everyone's Help If Possible!

So, I have been apart of the "Secret Keeper" for ABC Family's Pretty Little Liars, as part of their promotional thingy. Pretty Little Liars premiers tonight at 8!!

In the show/books there is a person named A who txts these four "little liars" saying she knows their secrets and so on. So, that's what is happening to me, I got sent a Droid a few weeks back and have received txts from A telling me to do certain things or else my secret will b revealed. Well, I currently have a challenge that I could never do without EVERYONE'S help.Since today is the premire of PLL A has told me to watch it and look at an object that she gave to me (pic below) and guess what scene it is from. But won't you know it, I can't watch it tonight (Damn you basic cable!!)

So, that's where you guys come in,please look at the picture attached, and if you see a scene from the show that reminds you of this item, please comment back and tell...thanks a bunch.! All help will be appreciated and I will be forever indebted to you.Thanks bunches!!

-W

P.S. The character I'm playing as is Emily.

Vanness Wu (F4)

F4 is one of the most popular boy bands in Taiwan (Fahrenheit lovers would say otherwise). They evolved from Meteor Garden (!!), which is one of the first, and also one of my favs. So I have decided to dedicate the next four weeks in spotlighting each of the F4 members.

This week we have Vanness Wu (Drool) enjoy!

Chinese Name: 吴建豪 (Wu Jian Hao)
English Name: Vanness (Van Ness) Wu
Birthday: August 7, 1978
Age: 31
Birthplace: Santa Monica, Los Angelos, California, USA (ABC!!!!!!!!!!!)
What he does: Singer, actor, dancer, model, songwriter, spokesperson
Television Shows: Meteor Garden (!), Peach Girl, Say Yes Enterprise,
Wish to See You Again, AUTUMN'S CONCERTO!, Year of the Rain

Background Info: As can be seen Vanness was born in America, therefore making him an awesome ABC :) Vanness worked as a telemarketer before he moved to Taiwan. Not only is he very hot, but he is also very talented (Not many people like that anymore). He was in 3 albums with F4 before they, sadly, disbanded. Apart from that he has released three solo albums, and also has three Japanese singles and one Japanese album out. Not only has he sung with his fellow F4 members he has also sung with Korean singer Kangta and they produced one album Scandal, and he also sang with Beyonce (!) and Coco Lee (!!). He also has his own jewlry line out and also co-founded an entertainment Company, and has a lot of other projects he is dabbling in. Can you say amazing?

Another one of things Vanness is famous for is his bod...I'm sure he had like ten shower scenes in Autumn's Concerto (Probobly boosted the ratings lol jk...it's was very good even without those scenes)

See...evidence below...

Vanness raps a lot, and his rapping is good, I actually like listening to him rap...I just love it more when he sings. He actually has a good singing voice very nice, soothing and drool worthy...he sounds lovely singing high...Hopefully Vanness will sing more in the future :) And in Chinese too!

So, now onto the songs...

The first one is Listen to Your Heart (ENGLISH SUBBED)...Love this song!! Not a big fan of the MV (But he is a good dancer), so click HERE to listen to it ENGLISH SUBBED, not the acutal mv version.



Vanness singing Japanese, Reason (English Subbed)!



If you still would like more Vanness vids and stuff...remember to YouTube him :)

Hope you enjoy! And please comment!

Wdebo :)

Life In the Fat Lane By: Cherie Bennett

Title: Life in the Fat Lane
Author: Cherie Bennett
HARDBACK
Amount of Pages: 260
Year Published: 1998
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Geared Towards: Teens
From: Library

“’You don’t have any idea what I’m like. I’m only beginning to figure it out myself.’”

Summary (From Front Flap): There’s a perfect girl in every school, yours included. You know her. Beautiful. Talented. Smart. Great parents. Cool boyfriend. You can’t hate her, because, of course, she’s so nice.

At Forest Hills High, Lara Ardeche is that girl.

But things can change.

When her mom notices that Lara has gained a few more pounds, Lara chalks it up to her allergy medication. But going off the medicine doesn’t make any difference. Despite a strict diet and workout schedule, Lara not only gains more weight-she starts to get fat.

Really fat. Lara swears she isn’t overeating. But she keeps gaining weight anyway. And gaining. And gaining…

Soon thin, pretty, perfect Lara is pushing 200 pounds.

Desperate to get her to-die-for body back, Lara tries everything. Diets. Pills. Starvation. Nothing works. And slowly, the world as she knows it begins to crumble.

Who will stay by her side? Her image-concious family? Her shallow friends? Her handsome boyfriend? Or will she be left alone in the land of the fat girls?

Wdebo’s Review: Life in the Fat Lane seemed like a book with so much potential.

The topic about wanting to become skinny has created such well written books such as Wintergirls [Click HERE for review]. Even though I haven't read a lot of books about a sudden explosion of weight, but there is just something about the topic just makes it seem like it should easily create heartwrenchingly well written stories. Life in the Fat Lane, however, was a disappointment to me.

I found the character of Lara to be really shallow and annoying, which was a big reason why I did not enjoy the book. Though the writing was pretty good, Lara’s annoying little “beauty-pagent” voice just seemed to ruin it. I absolutely hate people like her. She just seemed like one of those people you see in movies, the really ditzy-dumb-“nice” followers of that one “it” girl. Also, she used the word “popular” WAY too much, the whole time she was like “blah blah blah this person is thin or fat and blah blah blah she/he is popular or not popular.”

There was also the character of Jett, Lara’s boyfriend that annoyed me. He just seemed too cliché. Especially with the ponytail, not all artsy guys have ponytails…I just think guys with ponytails are kind of scary. But there are a few likeable characters such as Molly, Lara’s best friend, who is loud, big, and speaks her mind, unlike a lot of the characters in the book.

Cafe Cover Chat: Not the biggest fan of the cover…it’s just the style of the 90’s but I still don’t like it that much…and that girl doesn’t really remind me of Lara. (C+)

All in all, not really the type of book I would recommend to my friends. But there have been some good things about this book, so if you REALLY want to read this book, I would say “go ahead,” but if you’re just curious, I would say “skip it.”

Grade: C+

Wdebo :)

Silently-Harlem Yu

-ENGLISH SUBBED-

English Title: Silently

Chinese Title: Jing Jing De

Artist: Harlem Yu

Language: Chinese (Mandarin)

TTS: No

Wdebo's Notes: I love this song soo much!! It's just so addicting. Harlem is such a great singer! His "da da da" in the beginning is my favorite part of the whole song =] The lyrics are so seriously sweet. It makes me want to watch Silence so much now...and another reason...Vic Zhou :)

Hope you enjoy! And please comment!

Wdebo :)

The House of Tomorrow By: Peter Bognanni

Title: The House of Tomorrow
Author: Peter Bognanni
HARDBACK
Amount of Pages: 368
Publisher: Amy Einhorn Books
Release Date: March 4, 2010
Geared Towards: Older Teens
From: Publisher (ARC)

"I still had my pen in my pocket and I took it out and wrote a single question. I wrote : 'Please, what is my path?' Then I folded it in even fourths and tucked it in my breast pocket, where it hovered over my wildly beating heart."

Summary (From B.O.B): On the outskirts of a small town in Iowa, Sebastian Prendergast lives in a geodesic dome with his eccentric grandmother, who has spent the last eleven years homeschooling him on the teachings of the futurist philosopher Buckminster R. Fuller. But when his grandmother has a stroke, Sebastian is forced to leave the dome and make his own way. He soon discovers punk music, the exquisite torture of first love, and the fact that every family has its secrets.

Funny, heartwarming, and wholly original, The House of Tomorrow is the story of a young man's self-discovery, a dying woman's last wish, and a band of misfits trying desperately to be heard.

Wdebo's Review: When I first started this book I don't think I would have ever guessed that I was going to say this but...I loved this book! The writing was very addictive, even though in the beginning I was a bit cautious at first, but after a bit I was hooked. It was a very engaging book, the voice was fresh and delicious, just such a great new voice to read. I haven't read a book by a guy in a while so the edgyness yet heart in Bognanni's writing was very much apreciated.

I loved how this book became whole from all of the imperfections of all of the charcters, Sebastian's sheltered and naive personality, Jared, the boy that Sebastian meets, his f-u attitude, and Meridith, Jared's sister and Sebastian's love interest, her emptiness and need to be loved. It was hard not to like a least one small part of all of the characters, all of them grow on you in a way only good books can do.

I absolutely adored Sebastian, there was just something about his sheltered and innoncence that made him just such a great character. I loved how he used words most people don't say, and he was confused how Jared always made fun of his speech. I thought the romance between Sebastian and Meridith was well done, it was there, but not too strong to consume the whole book, but not too light, to be overlooked.

Cafe Cover Chat: The heart is...interesting...not really the cover I would pick up, but it's...interesting. (B)

All in all, a very well written debut novel by Peter Bognanni that everyone should go and read and will hopefully enjoy.

Grade: A

Wdebo :)

Jellicoe Road By: Melina Marchetta

Title: Jellicoe Road
Author: Melina Marchetta
HARDBACK
Amount of Pages: 419
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: August 26, 2008
Geared Towards: Older Teens
From: Public Library

“He didn’t come looking for me, Taylor. He came looking for you.”

Summary (From Front Flap): Abandoned by her mother on Jellicoe Road when she was eleven, Taylor Markham, now seventeen, is finally being confronted with her past. But as the reluctant leader of her boarding school dorm, there isn’t a lot of time for introspection. And while Hannah, the closest adult Taylor has to family, has disappeared, Jonah Griggs is back in town, moody stares and all.

In this absorbing story by Melina Marchetta, nothing is as it seems and every clue leads to more questions as Taylor tries to work out the connection between her mother dumping her, Hannah finding her then and her sudden departure now, a mysterious stranger who once whispered something in her ear, a boy in her dreams, five kids who lived on Jellicoe Road eighteen years ago, and the maddening and magnetic Jonah Griggs, who knows her better than she thinks he does. If Taylor can put together the pieces of her past, she might just be able to change her future.

Wdebo’s Review: I have heard a lot of good things about Jellicoe Road, so I decided to check it out, but even after I got it, I was still skeptical, especially after reading the first few pages. Even though the first page had a good hook, but I had absolutely no idea what was going on, it was very confusing, and I almost returned it to the library because after a couple of pages there was a whole new story going on, and I was just so lost. But I am so glad I didn’t because Jellicoe Road turned out to be one of the best books I have read this year!

The whole novel builds upon itself, it slowly gives you more and more details into the lives of Taylor and the five friends; Tate, Webb, Fitz, Jude and Narnie. After a few pages after the initial confusion, I was hooked into the book and just could not put it down (Read it in a day!-It was THAT good). The more you read, the more you want to read, it makes you hungry to know what is the secret behind Taylor’s life and the five friends, how their story ties into Taylor’s story, and the significance of the territory wars and Jellicoe Road.

The end I thought something bigger then was revealed would be, well, revealed, but even though it didn't satisfy my overactive imagination, it was still a pretty nice ending.

I absolutely loved all of the characters; Taylor is such an awesome-ly strong character. It has been a long time since I have read about a girl who can support herself (!!). Not only can she think for herself, but she can also fight her own battles. But she is too rough around the edges, so that is where Raffaela comes in, her spiritual friend, who keeps Taylor in line but also has some tricks up her sleeves herself. Finally, there is Jonah Griggs, who is just amazingly amazing. There is just something about that tough guy/quiet/sensitive part in him that just is so…Hot. He and Taylor are so cute together also :) !

Cafe Cover Chat: I like the cover very beautiful, and the poppy (I believe that is) is such a gorgeous color. (B+)

Favorite Quotes: "Matthew, chapter ten, verse twenty-six. Whatever is now covered up will be made known." (Page 118)

"No solace, no belonging. Just an empty need to keep moving away from whatever or whoever it is after me." (Page 126)

"Narnie stared deep inside him and he remembered what brought him to this place now. That girl, standing on the side of the Jellicoe Road like an apparition, promising him a richer life than he ever dreamed of. And he couldn't help himself, couldn't hold it back until they were in her room, tugging at each other's clothing, breathing each other's breath, tasting each other's grief." (Page 328)

"I shrug. 'I'll probably mention that I'm in love with you.'

He chuckles. 'Only you would say that in such a I-think-I'll-wash-my-hair-tonight tone.'" (Page 407)

All in all, a definite MUST-READ-BOOK, that everyone should run to the library NOW and check out and read. A wonderfully written mystery book that has just the right touch of romance to satisfy even someone like me!

Grade: A+

Wdebo :)