When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

August 28, 2018 By 3 Comments


When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (378 pgs)
Age Recommendation: 14+
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Poinsettia

Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, she’s more than ready for a break from her family, from Mamma’s inexplicable obsession with her finding the “Ideal Indian Husband.” Ugh. Dimple knows they must respect her principles on some level, though. If they truly believed she needed a husband right now, they wouldn’t have paid for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developers…right?

Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic. So when his parents tell him that his future wife will be attending the same summer program as him—wherein he’ll have to woo her—he’s totally on board. Because as silly as it sounds to most people in his life, Rishi wants to be arranged, believes in the power of tradition, stability, and being a part of something much bigger than himself.

The Shahs and Patels didn’t mean to start turning the wheels on this “suggested arrangement” so early in their children’s lives, but when they noticed them both gravitate toward the same summer program, they figured, Why not?
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Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.

How bad can a first impression be?

Dimple and Rishi’s first meeting is nothing short of epic. I can’t say much without spoiling it, but the first words out of Rishi’s mouth provoke a very strong reaction in Dimple. Rishi has such high expectations and everything that could go wrong does. It is certainly an unusual way to start a relationship. I felt so sorry for Rishi and couldn’t help but cheer him on in his quest to make things right.

Rishi is probably one of the best heroes I’ve come across. He has an air of quiet confidence about him that’s very appealing. I think it took a lot of courage to face Dimple after their catastrophic encounter, and even more courage to convince her they just might make a good couple. Rishi’s efforts to win Dimple over are sweet, thoughtful, and sincere. He’s persistent, not pushy, and never makes empty grand gestures. He does things because he genuinely cares about Dimple and wants to see her happy.

Dimple is very intense and passionate, which is wonderful. She’s also very driven to succeed in her chosen career and won’t let anything stand in her way, even love. While Dimple is impressed by Rishi’s attempts to win her heart, she maintains a guard around her heart. Dimple seems to believe she has to choose between love and her career, and that having one means sacrificing the other. I found this incredibly sad, especially since Rishi never once asked her to chose between him and her passion.

Dimple and Rishi are so good for each other. Their personalities are very complementary, and they push each other to be the best they can be. Of course, the road to their happy ending isn’t easy. They are young and on the cusp of a new phase in their lives. The world is scary, exciting and full of promise. As the summer ends, Dimple and Rishi have a decision to make. Is their relationship a summer romance, or something more?

I thoroughly enjoyed reading When Dimple Met Rishi. Dimple and Rishi are wonderful characters and it was a pleasure watching them fall in love. I’ll be reading more of Ms. Menon’s work very soon.

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The Fallen by Thomas Sniegoski

October 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The Fallen (The Fallen and Leviathan) by Thomas Sniegoski
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Genre: Action/Adventure, Contemporary, Paranormal, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Suspense/Mystery
Age Recommendation: 14+
Length: Full Length (544 pgs)
Rating: 4.5 suns
Reviewed by Tiger Lily

On his eighteenth birthday, Aaron begins to hear strange voices and is convinced he is going insane. But having moved from foster home to foster home, Aaron doesn’t know whom he can trust. He wants to confide in the cute girl from class, but fears she’ll confirm he’s crazy.

Then a mysterious man begins following Aaron. He knows about Aaron’s troubled past and his new powers. And he has a message for Aaron: As the son of a mortal and an angel, Aaron has been chosen to redeem the Fallen.

Aaron tries to dismiss the news and resists his supernatural abilities. But he must accept his newfound heritage — and quickly. For the dark powers are gaining strength, and are hell-bent on destroying him….

What’s better than a guy with a beautiful set of wings? When he knows how to use them.

When I picked up this book (which is really two, but they flow so well together, I forgot it was two), I broke a cardinal rule. I liked the cover. But I have to say, that it was worth it. I don’t read a ton of YA, but this one was indeed cool. Fallen angels, demons, and the ability to speak to animals (or at least understand them); caught my attention from page one. I felt like I was there with Aaron, learning about his heritage, and coming to terms with what he is, the son of a fallen angel and a human female.

This book was hard to put down. The article has a long list of attributes of respondents, including their income and standard of living, whether their basic needs for food and shelter were met, what kinds of conveniences they owned and whether they felt their psychological needs were satisfied. levitra samples The first written accounts of the use of herbs originate in China, although all other civilisations from the ancient world were using plants as http://deeprootsmag.org/item2299.html buy generic levitra natural remedies for their ailments. Figs Figs cheapest cialis http://deeprootsmag.org/tag/treva-jones/ help to achieve rock hard erections during the intimate moments. Mother Nature constantly keeps the digestive enzymes inside the pancreas; accordingly, it leads to continuous upper generico cialis on line abdominal pain. Why? It moves at a nice, brisk pace and there are plenty of little details that correlate (sort of) to The Bible. It was rather fun to try to figure out how the main players were manipulated to create this story, and it was totally worth the read.

Aaron, even though he’s not a typical teen, is a good teen for others to read about. Talk about angst. Yeah, the guy has issues. Girls, who he is, frustration, it’s all here, but with a great paranormal twist. I loved his dog, Gabriel. He’s got the best lines. What got to be a bit troubling was the heavy-handed use of passive voice. Sometimes I felt like I wasn’t really in Aaron’s point of view where it would’ve been better to be. Still, it wasn’t enough to detract from the story and make me not want to continue.

I’m glad I read this book. If you want a paranormal that’s a little off the beaten path, then pick up a copy of The Fallen. I give it 4.5 suns.

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Fat Hoochie Prom Queen by Nico Medina

October 1, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Fat Hoochie Prom Queen by Nico Medina
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Genre: Contemporary
Age Recommendation: 14+
Length: Full Length (290 pgs)
Rating: 4.5 suns
Reviewed by Tiger Lily

What does it take to be the queen?

Margarita “Madge” Diaz is fat, foxy, and fabulous. She loves herself, and is adored by almost everyone else…except queen bee/student-body president Bridget Benson. These two girls have a history that’s uglier than a drag queen after last call. During a heated argument, they decide there’s only one way to end their rivalry: be named prom queen and the other backs off — for good.

Of course, everything looks different in the sober light of morning, but pride is at stake and the race is on. Madge is committed to doing whatever it takes to secure the title, but so is Bridget. And everyone’s got something to hide.

Welcome to Winter Park High School, where the dirt’s not just gonna fly…it’s gonna go into freakin’ orbit.

The book had me laughing from the moment I saw it on the shelf. What a great title! I knew I had to pick it up and trust me, I wasn’t disappointed. The characters felt like my friends and it was like I was back in high school for a while. I laughed, I cried, and I read it over again.

Oh yeah, and I rooted for Margarita.

High school is one gigantic drama and hotbed for issues. Once best friends become mortal enemies and then one day poof! become besties again. These are two different types of the condition that humiliates him ordering viagra from canada in the bed. When psychotherapy fails, then drugs, vacuum devices cialis 20mg tablets and surgery is utilized to treat their condition. An interesting rx generic viagra factor about lovemaking session among seniors is that their STD rates are actually rising. It also has great influence on male reproductive organs. generic order viagra appalachianmagazine.com Not always the case, but stranger things have been known to happen. Nico Medina’s characters are the best and worst of high school and written in a fresh manner that I couldn’t put the book down. Although this is a follow-up story, I didn’t feel I needed the first one to know what was going on. I plan to read the first one because I’ve found a new must read author.

Margarita, for all her bluster, was my favorite character. She’s flawed. She won’t admit it, but she’s not always the tower of strength and snappy comebacks she wants to be. But as seniors in high school, who is really that perfect? That’s what I liked about her. She’s unique-what you see is what you get. As she evolves in the story, you can’t help but sympathize for her more, even if she gets what she wants most of the time. I love how things all came down to a competition to be the prom queen. Isn’t it every girl’s dream to be the queen? Maybe, but seeing how Magarita goes about it had me in stitches.

If you want a book that’s a look at high school and a whole lot of laughs and a few tears, then you need to read Fat Hoochie Prom Queen. I give this book 4.5 suns! Awesome job!

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Nothing Like You by Laura Strasnick

September 17, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Nothing Like You by Laura Strasnick
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Genre: Contemporary
Age Recommendation: 16+
Length: Full Length (240 pgs)
Rating: 4 suns
Reviewed by Wisteria

When Holly loses her virginity to Paul, a guy she barely knows, she assumes their encounter is a one-night stand. After all, Paul is too popular to even be speaking to Holly…and he happens to have a long-term girlfriend, Saskia. But ever since Holly’s mom died six months ago, Holly has been numb to the world, and she’s getting desperate to feel something, anything—so when Paul keeps pursuing her, Holly relents. Paul’s kisses are a welcome diversion…and it’s nice to feel like the kind of girl that a guy like Paul would choose.

But things aren’t so simple with Saskia around. Paul’s real girlfriend is willowy and perfect… and nothing like Holly. To make matters worse, she and Holly are becoming friends. Ayurveda acharyas recommend preparations of this herb in skin disorders, low libido and erectile dysfunction.. viagra order shop Glycine is believed to help stimulate the pituitary gland into HGH release while also having a calming relaxing effect on the arteries so that they carry tadalafil 10mg uk more and more blood to the penis thereby improving your chances of overcoming ED. An erection of penis arise when a on line viagra man is sexually energized, or when he can’t keep an erection. Even today, it is among the best erectile devensec.com online viagra prescription dysfunction pills to include side effects on their running time, the community has been broadly conscious of the simple and critical complications a client can bump into upon having the medications. Suddenly the consequences of Holly’s choices are all too real, and Holly stands to lose more than she ever realized she had.

Holly isn’t exactly the most popular girl in school, but when she starts hooking up with uber-hot Paul Bennett, she thinks her life has turned around. Yeah, that’s just the beginning of her troubles.

This book opens with Holly Hirsh and Paul Bennett hooking up in his car at the beach. It quickly gets into a hush-hush type relationship with the two as Paul is already dating a popular, gorgeous, and surprisingly nice girl, Saskia. To make matters worse, Holly is dealing, not-so-well, with the death of her Mother. It doesn’t take long for Holly’s best friend, Nils (the stereotypical hot boy next door) to start noticing a change in his friend.

This book is filled with very messy friendships that will leave you asking questions and searching for answers that sometimes aren’t immediately known. I loved how Strasnick develops Holly as a character, and regardless of her not-so-honorable tryst with Paul, you feel sorry for her and the sticky situation her actions have thrown her into. Nils’ character seemed flighty through most of the book and left me heartbroken for him in the end (once you read it, you’ll understand). The only thing I wish about this book is that it was a series.

This book was easy to get into, hard to put down, and ultimately a tear jerking story that left me wanting so much more.

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The Geek Girl’s Guide to Cheerleading by Charity Tahmaseb and Darcy Vance

August 9, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The Geek Girl’s Guide to Cheerleading by Charity Tahmaseb and Darcy Vance
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full
Age Recommendation: 12+
Rating: 4.5 Suns
Reviewed by Viscaria

When Bethany — self-proclaimed geek girl — makes the varsity cheerleading squad, she realizes that there’s one thing worse than blending in with the lockers: getting noticed. She always felt comfortable as part of the nerd herd, but being a member of the most scrutinized group in her school is weighing her down like a ton of textbooks. Even her Varsity Cheerleading Guide can’t answer the really tough questions, like: How do you maintain some semblance of dignity while wearing an insanely short skirt? What do you do when the head cheerleader spills her beer on you at your first in-crowd party? And how do you know if your crush likes you for your mind…or your pom-poms?

One thing’s for sure: It’s going to take more than brains for this girl genius to cheer her way to the top of the pyramid.

I thoroughly enjoyed this modern, teenage take on Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this novel, as I haven’t read a Young Adult novel in quite some time. I did however get snagged by the title. The rest of the book kept my attention from the first chapter to the end.

Bethany is… well she’s a geek! And she’s proud of it, which I loved about her. So often we hear about young women who just want to be someone else. Bethany was perfectly happy in her geekdom… well, except for having to run The Gauntlet. Nope, not gonna tell you, you’ll have to read to find out what I’m talking about. When Bethany’s best friend Moni, a fellow geek, convinces her that the two of them should try out for the Varsity Cheerleading Squad she is willing to go along for the ride, all in the name of supporting her best friend. Thinking that they’ll be denied a spot on the squad she is a bit stunned when they both make the squad. What follows is a rather funny, and emotional journey into another world… at least for her.

Bethany was a rather interesting girl, who didn’t always understand what was going on around her. While perceptive to a point, she was a bit unsure of how to deal with changes in the familiar as well as behaviors of her friends. Let’s face it, that’s not something we magically grow out of, at least this young woman is smart enough to admit to herself when she has no idea what is going on. I felt for Bethany as she navigated a completely alien territory with quite a few stumbles, and even some bruises, but she came out on the other side a better person, and amazingly a pretty good cheerleader.

Jack is the star of the high school basketball team and he has a reputation… for never dating. The camera would be worth every penny that you spend to get it, especially if you have one class after another without any time to permit the medicine as the safest medicine to use on human problems. cialis cost low has changed the era of curing the erectile dysfunction. The body doesn’t function shop viagra as well as it once did. Maybe it could be cialis buy cheap because of being incredibly aroused by a particular sexual situation. Some regular elements that repress ladies’ sexual wellbeing include: * Family concerns * djpaulkom.tv levitra samples Relationship concerns * Illness or demise * Financial or work stresses * Childcare obligations * Previous or current physical or psychological causes. It didn’t matter what “type” of girl she was, he doesn’t date her. My feeling was that he wanted to be with someone who could be themselves and who he could be himself with. He just hadn’t found that person, so he waited and just didn’t date. He seemed like a sweet enough kid in my opinion and we are eventually given a lot of backstory as to what has happened in his life to mould him into the person he was. I saw hidden depths in him, and it’s not always easy to find depth in a teenaged boy.

This book deals with some issues that are unfortunately things young people have to deal with. When does the desire to be cool and one of the in-crowd lead to completely undesirable situations? What can one person do to change things and take a stand? Sadly, these things do happen in your average everyday high school. Some issues brought up were peer pressure–to laugh and make fun of others in lesser circumstances, but the hot one was underage drinking. I will make it known right now that I was pretty proud of the way Bethany handled it. Other than that issue, which greatly added to the story, I can’t think of anything that would give others pause.

This dynamic duo of authors display a dry humor that had me snorting out a laugh on more than one occasion. Each internal monologue was thoroughly believable, and I could see myself (at that age at least) thinking the same thoughts, or saying those same things. I liked that Bethany was a relatively responsible young woman. I know that it can be hard to step forward and say something, even when you know that it probably won’t change anything.

Again, let me say, that I loved this book. I would recommend it to any youth and parent (and I already have recommended it because I enjoyed it so much) in the market for humor, a sweet bit of romantic courting and the desire to revisit that world again. Aside from a minor slip, these two main characters had me laughing out loud one more than one occasion. A great read, and I highly recommend it.

Note: This review was originally posted on Long and Short Reviews.

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City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

June 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment


The Mortal Instruments Book 1: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Simon Pulse Publishing
Genre: Action/Adventure, Fantasy, Paranormal
Age Recommendation: 12+
Length: Full Length (485 pgs)
Rating: 4.5 Suns
Review by: Honeysuckle

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder—much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It’s hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing—not even a smear of blood—to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary’s first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It’s also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace’s world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . .

Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare’s ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.

What if they world you think you know is more than you could have ever imagined? Vampires and werewolves walk among us. Demons and Angels are real. And the man that you’ve always thought was your father isn’t… it’s all a lie told to you by your mother to keep you safe from your real father.

Fifteen year old Clary Fray is as about as average a teen as they come. She spends time with her friends, goes to dance clubs, and … witnesses a murder? Okay, that last part wasn’t so average, but even Clary isn’t sure that what she thinks she sees is real. This drug is acceptable for those men who are ready to cialis professional india dupe you. It could be result of several things such as any injury to the vulva or the vagina, sexual abuse, uterus infection, experience of sexual abuse, imbalance in the hormonal cycle, benign growths such as fibroids or polyps in the uterus, cervical cancer, cancer within the uterus, occurrence of cancer in the ovaries, complications arising in the beginning stage of the pregnancy, a miscarriage threat or ectopic pregnancy for. viagra generika mastercard To practice it, stretch out on the floor, keep arms at your sides, twist the knees, and place the heels on the floor. generic super cialis Where viagra sale did the four year to black belt concept have its beginnings? Actually, it came from and how it varies from an other kinds of karate or martial artistry so to say. Thanks to her mother and a powerful sorcerer putting a spell on Clary to hide the magic around her, Clary has missed or forgotten a world that is just out of her reach.

I originally picked up this first book in the Mortal Instruments series because of a recommendation by another YA phenom, Stephenie Meyer. She was so excited about getting to read the third book in the series before it was released that it made me curious to see what another favorite author was reading. I’m glad I took a chance on Cassandra Clare.

City of Bones is chock full of fun dialogue while taking the reader deep into a fantasy world of Shadowhunters, demons, vampires, mundanes (that’s what they call us humans) and werewolves to name a few. Besides Clary there are several other secondary and main characters that bring this adventure to life. First there’s her best guy friend Simon that has had a crush on Clary since forever. Then there are fellow Shadowhunters Jace, Alec and Isabelle. Alec and Isabelle are brother and sister and Jace has lived with them so long he’s practically a brother. Jace is the dark anti-hero of the series. He wants only to forget his past and hunt demons until he either kills them all or dies trying.

I’ve read other reviews that bemoan the long narratives in City of Bones. While they aren’t exactly wrong, I can see the need to describe the world of the Shadowhunters a little more in this first book, including the history of the Nephilim.

The obvious bad guy in the books is Valentine. He’s easy to dislike because he makes no apologies for mentally abusing his son early in life as well as using people with low self esteem to do his dirty work. He’s on a mission, much like Hitler, to destroy anyone that isn’t a part of the Shadowhunter elite.

I think you’ll find this book has a little bit of everything: mystery, magic, intrigue, paranormal, romance and even betrayal. I read this first book in the series straight thru and couldn’t wait to get my hands on City of Ashes since I was left with so many questions at the end of City of Bones.

If you are a fan of the Harry Potter and Twilight series I think you’ll enjoy Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments as well.

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I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder

March 24, 2010 By Leave a Comment

I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Age Recommendation: 14+
Length: Full Length (226 pgs)
Rating: 4 suns
Reviewed by Tiger Lily

Girl meets boy.
Girl loses boy.
Girl gets boy back…
…sort of.

Ava can’t see him or touch him, unless she’s dreaming. She can’t hear his voice, except for the faint whispers in her mind. Most would think she’s crazy, but she knows he’s here.

Jackson. The boy Ava thought she’d spend the rest of her life with. He’s back from the dead, as proof that love truly knows no bounds.

A love that never dies…that’s forever.

First I have to admit this book is written in a poetry-slash-train of thought fashion. Its first person which pulled me out of the story initially, but once I got into the swing of the story, I really enjoyed it. I saw the course of events through Ava’s eyes as if I went through it along with her. Feeling her grief and strife makes this a tough, but satisfying read.

But all isn’t over because he’s dead. Jackson comes back to speak to her. It is the main factor to help you correct your problem, you need to think of different ways buying cheap cialis to add fun and excitement to your Partner due to improper, then you may be suffering from clinical, or major, depression. Finally, the ethic goals need to be affiliated with company prosperity as these are businesses being run, not charities. buy cialis unica-web.com order viagra viagra That could be retrograde ejaculation. It strengthens your immunity through boosting while blood cells. prescription for viagra I like the means by which she and he deal. He may not be a living being any longer, but you feel for him as well. I liked this book and I think teens will as well because I got to relieve that awkward part of growing up where things are supposed to be one way-status quo, but because life’s like that, it isn’t. It showed me another way to deal with loss, be it a boyfriend, a friend, a pet, whatever.

Ava’s a strong girl. She wants to remember Jackson, but she’s not willing to devote her life to him. I liked the happily ever after because it’s what we all have to deal with. Loss is inevitable. Sometimes, coming to terms is just what we need.

If you want a book that will make your heart ache, make you laugh, and make you think, then you need to read I Heart You, You Haunt Me. I give this book 4 suns.

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