It's All About Us by Shelley Adina and US series giveaway ~ Chloe-Anne's Take

Lissa Mansfield is going to a new school, Spencer Academy. A school for kids who have trust founds and parents with money. Lissa is used to being the popular one, who everyone supposedly likes. Much to Lissa’s disgust this spot at Spencer Academy is already taken by Vanessa Talbot. Lissa will do anything in her power to become Vanessa’s new best friend.

Lissa’s new room mate is Gillian Chang. Just like Lissa she is a Christian but doesn’t leave her faith to herself, she is determined to try and tell everyone about God. Gillian tries to help Lissa when she sees her struggling with her faith, but Lissa won’t take it. She’s going to do whatever she wants and no one is going to stop her. Callum McCloud is Lissa’s new boyfriend, and now that she’s in the ‘in’ group nothing could be better, but when Callum pressures Lissa to go all the way, will she?

Will she stand up for her faith or will she fall into the trap of today’s world?

It’s All About Us is not like books that I have read before because it is based on a rich girl who goes to a school for rich kids. Shelley Adina has done an excellent job writing this book and I can’t wait until I read the other books in the series. This book shows us that even as Christians we still make mistakes and have to face the consequences. We always need Christian friends no matter what you are doing or where you are. Christian friends are what God gave us for support in out walk of faith and to help us stay in a relationship with God. The novel also gives us insight to what can happen if you don’t spend much time with God. We start falling away from him and start to find it harder to make the right decisions because we don’t think things through clearly like we should. When we become far away from God we start making poor decisions.

It’s All About Us has a lot of things that relate to what Christian teenagers struggle with. Shelley Adina has done an extremely good job of including it in the book. The story was very well written and I recommended it to people teenagers over 14.

Guest reviewer: teen Chloe~Anne

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Giveaway

I am delighted to offer a set of all three the All About Us series, including the January release, Who Made You a Princess? to one of my readers, thanks to the generosity of Faithwords.

To enter:~

1. You must have a North Amercian postal address;

2. Post a comment by midnight Sunday 7th December, 2008

3. Tell me which movie or tv star you were desperate to meet when you were a teenager!

Stealing Bradford by Melody Carlson ~ Chloe-Anne's Take

The girls at the Carter House are settling down and forming new friendships. Even Casey is slowly on her way back to becoming herself again. The Carter girls are going back to school and for some of them it’s a new school where they know very few people. All of the girls have no trouble fitting in except for Casey. People are picking on her because of the way she dresses and acts. Will DJ look out for her old friend before Casey gets into real trouble?

Taylor can not stay away from the boys… She has given up trying to get Conner from DJ and has now moved on to Rhiannon’s boyfriend Bradford. The girls in the Carter House are extremely angry about this and will do almost anything to get back at Taylor. But what will happen when one of the Carter girls goes too far?

Stealing Bradford is an awesome sequel to Mixed Bags. Melody Carlson has done another exceptional job with this novel. I love that how even though DJ is now a Christian she doesn’t push it onto others but does stand up for what is right and her beliefs. I loved seeing the characters grow in themselves and each other. The book was absolutely fabulous and I can’t wait until I read another book by Melody Carlson.

Guest reviewer: teen Chloe-Anne

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Mixed Bags by Melody Carlson ~ Chloe-Anne's Take

DJ is living at her grandmother’s house, but it isn’t just a normal house it is a boarding house for teenage girls. DJ doesn’t want to be there. When the girls start to arrive, DJ knows things are going to be hard, especially since she seems to be the odd one out.

Taylor seems out to get DJ, Rhiannon is all about religion and Casey, DJ’s old friend is completely different and not in a good way. Add to all of that peer pressure, fashion, boys and just getting along. The Carter House girls have a lot to figure out. To put the icing on the cake DJ’s grandmother was a model in 60’s and is trying to make them all into graceful young ladies.

Melody Carlson has done another perfect job with this novel, Mixed Bags. It’s good to see a book on something different, but within that Melody Carlson still faces teenage issues. The characters are so original, it would have been hard to personalise so many characters but Melody Carlson has made all of the characters unique in their own way. It was good to see one of the girls in the house a Christian and that she had an impact on some of the other characters. I am absolutely dying to bits to read the sequel, Stealing Bradford.

Guest reviewer: teen Chloe-Anne

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Buy the Carter House Girls series at Amazon or Koorong

Peculiar Treasures by Robin Jones Gunn ~ Chloe-Anne's Take

Katie Weldon doesn’t know where her relationship stands with Rick, there is something holding Katie back but she doesn’t know what … could it have to do with the past and forgiveness?

At her best friend Christy Miller’s wedding, Katie catches the bouquet and the eye of Julia … who is the woman’s president director of crown hall at Rancho Corona University. Julia thinks Katie would be great for the RA job and doesn’t have to do much convincing to get Katie to take up the offer. In taking this job Katie has to support and be there for the girls in the dorm, will she be able to look after these girls and deal with her own problems?

Even though Katie is extremely busy she still learns to trust in God and to ask him for his help when it is needed.

Peculiar Treasures is a marvellous read. When I first picked up the book and realised it was on Katie Weldon I was a bit wary of how it would turn out. I had previously read some of the Christy Miller series and loved Christy so much that I thought it would be hard to do it on a different character. Now I think differently, I absolutely loved Katie’s character even more so than Christy.

I love that even though Katie is already a Christian, she still seems to grow in her faith and learn new things about God everyday. Robin Jones Gunn did a fantastic job on Peculiar Treasures, I can’t wait to read the sequel.

Guest Reviewer: teen Chloe~Anne

Maggie Come Lately by Michelle Buckman ~ Chloe-Anne's Take

Maggie may look like a normal teenager if you passed her in the street but if you got to know her, you would realise she is anything but. After losing her mother at the age of 5, Maggie has grown up caring for her brothers and doing the household chores. All Maggie wants is to be a normal teenager who goes to the shops to buy clothes, not washing machines. She wants to hang out with her friends not sit and worry about what her brothers might or might not be doing all day long.

When Maggie’s brother finds something unexpected and disturbing in the woods everyone thinks it is just a one off and that it will blow over. Maggie isn’t so sure … she thinks there is more to what happened and will do whatever it takes to find out the truth. After walking down the path that day, the one that she had walked down so many times before, Maggie’s life will never be the same again.

Maggie Come Lately kept me at the edge of my seat, I couldn’t put the book down. I like the fact that as Maggie struggles and learns new things, she it still growing in her faith. Michelle Buckman has done a remarkable job writing this novel. I had never heard of her before but now that I have and have read her book I can’t wait until I read the next book in The Pathway Collection series.

Guest reviewer: teen Chloe~Anne

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Notes from a Spinning Planet .. Mexico by Melody Carlson ~ Chloe-Anne's Take

Maddie Chase has been invited to go on yet another journey with her Aunt Sid, except this time it's a vacation! Instead of staying at home in the middle of a freezing cold winter, Maddie and Sid are going to go to the nice and sunny beaches of San Lucas in Mexico.

After arriving Sid and Maddie receive the news that Ian and Ryan will be joining them on their vacation. Maddie is very happy to learn that she will be enjoying her holiday with a very close friend. Things don't go as Maddie would of liked, Ryan meets his old high school crush Shelby and starts spending time with her. Maddie can't help but feel jealous of this girl as she is everything a guy would want, pretty and smart.

Then Maddie meets Francesca and is bothered by the fact that a native girl who is so nice and has so many good qualities is working at such a rundown hotel. Maddie doesn't know why Francesca is working so hard but still living in poverty, but Maddie is sure determined to help out and to change Francesca's life forever.

During all of these activities, Maddie starts to worry about Shelby and her problem that she seems oblivious to. Will Maddie put her jealousy aside and help her in time before something drastic happens?

Mexico is the exciting third book in the series of Notes from a Spinning Planet from Melody Carlson. Maddie is a wonderful character who cares about anyone in need. Even though she struggles through lots of things she still manages to stay close to God and does everything for Him. Maddie tries to show God's love to others and does this when she helps Francesca.

God wants us to show his love to others even when things don't seem right to us and to know that God's plan always works out in the long run. Maddie learns to trust Him when Shelby starts to hang out with all of them and gets Ryan's undivided attention. Even though Maddie isn't happy about it she gives it up to God and trusts him to work it out. In the end God does work it out and He uses Maddie to impact Shelby's life.

Available now from Waterbrook Multnomah

Guest reviewer: teen Chloe~Anne

The Masquerade by Sarah Anne Sumpolec ~ Chloe-Anne's Take

Beka feels like she lives in a different world, far away from where her family lives. She has never really felt that she fits in with her family but after her mothers death she feels it even more. Beka can't get close to her family even if she tried, because they might find out her BIG secret, the one she has been hiding for so many years.

She hasn't just isolated herself from her family but her old friends as well. Until her old friend Gretchen the most popular girl at school starts talking to her again and gets Beka to come and try out for the school musical with her.

There's also a new girl in town and after their awkward meeting in the bathroom, they get along great. The only problem is that Gretchen doesn't like her and if Beka wants to stay friends with Gretchen she is going to have to ditch the new girl Lori.

Will Beka keep trying to run away from all of her struggles or will she get help before it's to late. Will her secret be revealed?

The Masquerade is a fantastic first book to the series, Becoming Beka. I loved reading this book, it is nothing like I have read before.

Beka has a rough time dealing with everything that has happened in the last month or two. Beka knows that if she happens to come across a problem that she will now have her family's support and the love of God.

I like this because it's not a fairytale, everything may be getting better but it doesn't mean that there won't be issues that will come up that need to be fixed. Life still goes on as it did before except with knowing that there are people who care and that she doesn't have to carry the burden of the secret she was hiding for so long.

The Masquerade is a very well written book that I'm sure will be carried on with the rest of the series. All books are now available from Moody Publishers.

Be sure to check out Sarah Anne Sumpolec's great website for more info on the Becoming Beka books and lots of other goodies!

Guest reviewer:~ teen Chloe~Anne