Tamra Torero

This book was cute. It's something I feel would make a good Disney Channel movie. I would recommend this for ages 11/12 & up.

The story was kind of slow, and drug out. I still enjoyed this book, but felt like it took too long to reach the crisis/peak of action. I like that you don't have a clear definition of who the bad guy is until later on.

I liked the characters. Daniel and Jace were my favorites. Daniel is nice and has a dry sense of humor which I love. Jace is just incredibly sweet. Josi, she's out there. She believes in the unbelievable, and doesn't have a spazz attack about being friends with a half-fairy. Every time Bree Zimmer came into the story I wanted to smack. She's the typical mean girl who thinks she's everything.

This is perfect for those tweens out there. It's not about impossible love or anything like that. It's about becoming yourself and having friends that are there for you. It's got some romance, but it's very PG; which I think parent's of young girl readers will be happy about.… (lisätietoja)

NOTE: I received this book from Netgalley to review.

Well, what can I say? I didn't expect to give such a high rating to this novel, but it definitely earned it. The writing style was really nice, and except for a couple of places, there were no grammatical mistakes. Nothing that needed to be fixed.

It was a light and bright read with a really positive twist. It had been a while since I read a book that made me see pink in the world, so I really loved that. Most books leave me with an emotional overload that has me either depressed or exhilarated. This book left me with a calm, peaceful feeling in my heart. It's truly amazing.

The story was paced neither too fast, nor too slow... just the perfect in-between. There was some action, there was friendship, and sweet romantic twist that made my heart flutter.

Some real-life teen issues were touched - like popularity, jealousy, power hunger, cliques and so on. But the way the author dealt with it all was so subtle, so positive and powerful that it had a really sweet effect on the 'bad' (but not evil) characters.

Now let's talk characters:

*Shayla - well, when I started reading the book, I thought that I wouldn't love a girl who isn't comfortable in her own body. But the way she grew up into her skin was really awesome, and I just loved the changes. I loved her thought process, and how she didn't put herself as the most important. She was ready to sacrifice herself for the people she loved, and that was really altruistic.

*Josi - the ever curious friend, who made me laugh throughout the book with her sarcasm and observations. I wasn't at all surprised when she figured out what Shayla was all on her own.

*Jace - I can only say that I loved the transformation in him. He really turned into a sweet guy in Shayla's hands. For a second, when he learned what she was, I thought he'd freak out and run. But he didn't. Perhaps that was sort of unrealistic, but then again, she had kissed him by then and I think he was really pulled into her. In any case, I loved the guy :)

*Bree - popular girl numero uno, who fell off her cheerleading queen-of-everything thanks to Shayla. The change in her was just... smack awesome!

*Nadia - evil person with agenda, who played her game pretty well. I had no idea who she really was until the end though. But I was sure she was the one who 'observed' and caused trouble in Shayla's peace.… (lisätietoja)

I received this book from Netgalley to review.

Wow! What a nice, quick and completely engulfing read!!! The Lost Son is a story about forgiveness, about growing up and second chances. And in the wake of Christmas, it's definitely a notable read.

There were times when I laughed heartily, and times when I felt sad, because the story just felt so extremely realistic. I need to say that the characters made this story what it was - unforgetable.

*Jacob - the main character, whose POV we're plunged into from the very first page. Let me tell you, I didn't like a single thing about him in that first chapter. I was even disgusted by his behavior. He acted like this super player, who could have any girl, at any time, with no consequences. Well guess what, Jake - things don't happen that way! So, when he got his butt kicked, I was very very happy. I mean, he seriously deserved it. And then that accident happened and he was sent out to help out Sam and gosh! Jacob changed! I mean, he really truly GREW UP! All that he was in those first pages, slowly melted away as he figured out how wrong he'd been to behave like that. How much he'd actually missed on real life and love and all the beauty around him. To be honest, I was in love with him by the final page, and he deserved it.

*Corrine - oh, man! She was the bad ass chick who could throw a killer punch. She earned my respect through and through. There was that moment when I thought she was being waaay too cool-hearted, but hey, I can't really blame her. After all she went through because of Jacob... well... she had the right to be even more so.

*Sam - well, what can I say? He was an amazing person. Sure, he'd had his share of mistakes and such, but the point is in asking for forgiveness and seeing the second chance when it's been given to you. He was very brave and had such a huge heart! I wanted to go and hug him myself.

In conclusion all I can say is that I loved this book, and I'm going to re-read it the first chance I get.… (lisätietoja)

Shayla has had an interesting life so far. She got the chance to travel the country with her grandparents while she did homeschool. After her grandfather passes away though, Shayla's grandmother decides it's time to settle down. Settling into a new public school would be hard enough, but Shayla also has to contend with the fact that she is, in fact, a faerie. Well, half a faerie. Not only does she have to learn to work her way through the social structure of school, but she also has to learn how to deal with her faerie magic. This all may be harder said then done.

This is a very cute book. I really felt for Shayla and all the changes going on in her life. The teenage years are hard enough without having to worry about how to hide your pointed ears from the rest of the school. Luckily Shayla makes some good friends along the way, and she even manages to catch the eye of a handsome young man. I found Shayla's problems to be, for the most part, very relatable. We may not all be faeries, but I think we've all wanted to disappear for a bit. I just never realized the problems disappearing could make too.

I kind of saw where the plot was going, but I still had great fun reading it. Although the book still managed to give me a surprise or two in there too, so that was good. This is just an easy read that will let you escape for a bit into a world that may seem very familiar. Young girls will enjoy the book too, and they will probably see a lot of themselves in Shayla.… (lisätietoja)