Thursday, September 15, 2011

Twins by Caroline B. Cooney

 
                              
     Warning: This is a scary (but completely clean) book. You might not want to read this if you are afraid of rats, drowning, or ice.
Rating: ****
Genre: horror, realistic fiction, and the slightest dash of paranormal
Pages: 183
     Mary Lee has always been close with her sister, Madrigal. After all, they're twins. But when Mary Lee is sent away to boarding school, she becomes withdrawn and depressed. Madrigal becomes the most well known girl in school and even scores a boyfriend. Mary Lee wishes she could live Madrigal's life.
     When a bizarre twist of fate gives Mary Lee her wish, she discovers things she never wanted to know about Madrigal. Something is definitely up with her boyfriend, and why does everyone at school seem to be afraid of her?
     The beginning was a little boring for me, since it summarizes several months in the first two chapters. But the final chapters had me on the clutching the book and muttering, "Get out of the car, Mary Lee. Get out of the car now." This is a horror book, yes, but it all comes together with a good theme.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Crimson Thread by Suzanne Weyn

 
Rating: *** 1/2
Genre: Romance, historical fiction
Pages: 207
Series: Crimson Thread is part of a multipe author series of fairytale retellings
     This retelling of the fairytale Rumplestiltskin is set New York, 1880. Bridget O'Malley has just arrived from Ireland with her family. All of them are struggling to find and keep jobs when Bridget lands a position as a seamstress in a rich Wellington household. That's not even the best part-she finds herself falling love with James, heir to the Wellington fortune. When the Wellington family business is in jeopardy, she manages to save it with a lot of help of Ray Stalls, her neighbor. But is it right to love James when Ray has done so much for her?
     This isn't a serious, dramatic, life changing book. It's one of the nice, happy ending paperbacks you read to escape from everyday life. And it fulfilled that purpose perfectly.