Mini reviews: The Luxe & Zan-Gah & The Beautiful Country

The Luxe-Anna Godbersen
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication Date: 2007
Source: Purchased


A big, sumptuous tale of catty girls, dark secrets and windswept romance unfurls in this compulsively readable novel of late-19th-century New York City socialites. Godbersen weaves a tenuous web of deceit, backstabbing and pretense that follows four teens: Elizabeth Holland, a prim and proper lady of old-money society, is betrothed to one man, though furtively loves another; Henry Schoonmaker, a debauched playboy who must marry Elizabeth or be disinherited; Diana Holland, Elizabeth’s younger sister who is in love with her fiancé; and Penelope Hayes, a member of the nouveau riche who will stop at nothing to win Henry’s affections. As Elizabeth and Henry’s wedding approaches, the spectacle unfolds in a wondrously grandiose scene, making for a fun, though not entirely unexpected dénouement.
(Amazon)

The Luxe is one of those books (or series of books in this case) that you know what you're going to get when you pick it up, but it's enjoyable regardless. I wouldn't call this series historical fiction, as I felt that the level of detail is lacking when compared with other historical fiction I've read. It is a lot like Gossip Girl, so if you liked that series (and for the record, I did) you will love The Luxe. 


The ending was predictable and some of the characters sterotypical, but I've already ordered books #2 and #3 (Barnes and Noble has them for very low prices) and I am more than willing to enter the world of The Luxe once more.

Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country-Allan Richard Shickman
Publisher: Earthshaker Books
Publication Date: 2009
Source: Review copy provided by publisher



The prehistoric saga continues in Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country, the sequel to the award winning Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure. In this story, Zan s troubled twin brother, Dael, having suffered greatly during his earlier captivity, receives a ruinous new shock when his wife suddenly dies. Disturbed and traumatized, all of his manic energies explode into acts of hostility and bloodshed. His obsession is the destruction of the wasp men, his first captors, who dwell in the Beautiful Country. When he, Zan-Gah, and a band of adventurers trek to their bountiful home, they find that all of the wasp people have died in war or of disease. The Beautiful Country is empty for the taking, and Zan s people, the Ba-Coro, decide to migrate and resettle there. But the Noi, Dael s cruelest enemies and former tormentors, make the same migration from their desert home, and the possibility develops of contention and war over this rich and lovely new land. 
(Amazon)

This book is a rare exception-a sequel that's even better than the original! The once close twin brothers Zan and Dael are now not so. Dael is a difficult character to like, as he's a pretty horrible person in general. That said, I felt empathy for him because of all he's been through, so that was the only reason I didn't get too angry with him.

The action was more fast-paced and I felt the characters were even better developed in this fine sequel. It's a small, quick-paced book that's suitable for anyone that enjoys a good story, but I highly recommend it for young readers, especially younger boys.

Why I Love Scrivener

I've mentioned previously that I use Scrivener for my writing. It took some getting used to, mainly because I'm used to writing in one long document. If you're happy doing that, I would tell you not to spend the money on writing software. I reached the point where I decided that wouldn't work for me, so that's why I tried out various writing software.

Page Four is a great (free for some of the features) software that is great if you're looking for something to help you be a bit more organized. The tabbed view is a great way to see all of your documents at once. When I got my Mac, I immediately downloaded the Scrivener free trial and I'll admit I didn't use a lot of the great features right away because I was so into Positive Tension that I didn't feel like making the effort.

Now that I'm starting to plot out The Spectery, I have to say that Scrivener is invaluable. I love the Corkboard feature. Instead of having one big long document, I have note cards (and separate documents) for each chapter, and I write a synopsis for each.  You can see how that works below.

It is beyond helpful to have a novel laid out in this way. I no longer have to scroll through one big document if I need to make a change or remember something, I can merely switch to Corkboard view when I want to remember where a particular piece of action happens. I can also drag & drop the note cards if I want to move chapters around. One other neat feature? You can color code the pins on the cork board to suit your purpose. Mine are all pink because I'm plotting out chapters.

If you see below all the chapters, there's a Research tab. You can insert photos, text, video, etc. It's so helpful to have everything in one place!

This is just my current reason for loving this software, as it can do so much! The best news (for Windows users, that is) is that Scrivener for Windows is coming! So now all writers will be able to use this amazing software so they can write more productively!


Do you use a writing software to write or do you prefer Word or another word processor?

Review: Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer-Lish McBride
Publisher: Henry Holt
Publication Date: October 10th
Source: We Love YA Tours
Author Website

Sam leads a pretty normal life. He may not have the most exciting job in the world, but he’s doing all right—until a fast food prank brings him to the attention of Douglas, a creepy guy with an intense violent streak.

Turns out Douglas is a necromancer who raises the dead for cash and sees potential in Sam. Then Sam discovers he’s a necromancer too, but with strangely latent powers. And his worst nightmare wants to join forces . . . or else. 

With only a week to figure things out, Sam needs all the help he can get. Luckily he lives in Seattle, which has nearly as many paranormal types as it does coffee places. But even with newfound friends, will Sam be able to save his skin?
(Amazon)

This is one of those times where I've written a shorter review, because if I talked about everything I wanted to say, my review would be three thousand words! This book is a pretty rare find. This is not really a boy book nor a girl book. If you're looking for a book to give the teenage boy in your life-or if you are a teenage boy? You will love this book. That said, girls will love it too, because Sam is such a great protagonist.

We meet Sam at a pretty low point in his life. He's realized his error in dropping out of college, and spends his days working at Plumpy's fast food emporium, and his nights hanging with his friends in an apartment he can't afford. His life changes forever when Douglas enters Plumpy's.  Douglas is the creepiest villain I've seen in a book in a long time. Douglas is a necromancer, and guess what? Sam is too.

Sam has a lot to learn-and fast. The events that unfold are hilariously weird. There are so many great characters in this book, Sam's family, his kooky friends who care for him, and the supernatural folks are something out of the waiting room in the movie Beetlejuice.

You can't help but root for Sam as he figures out his path in life. I'm not sure if this book is going to be a series or if this is a standalone book, but I have to say, I would love it if it were a series. There is a satisfying conclusion, but it does leave you longing for more.

This book would be a great pick for any Halloween challenge or just to get you in the spirit for the holiday. Creepy and a bit scary-but not enough to make you sleep with the lights on.

Taking the Weekend Off!

On Sunday my husband and I will celebrate our first anniversary! It's amazing how fast a year goes. So, I'm taking the weekend off so we can spend it together. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Review: Prisoners in the Palace by Michaela MacColl

Prisoners in the Palace: How Princess Victoria became Queen with the Help of Her Maid, a Reporter, and a Scoundrel-Michaela MacColl
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Publication Date: October 13, 2010
Source: We Love YA Tours
Author Website

London, 1838. Sixteen-year-old Liza's dreams of her society debut are dashed when her parents are killed in an accident. Penniless, she accepts the position of lady's maid to young Princess Victoria and steps unwittingly into the gossipy intrigue of the servant's world below-stairs as well as the trickery above. Is it possible that her changing circumstances may offer Liza the chance to determine her own fate, find true love, and secure the throne for her future queen? 
(Amazon)

This book was love at first look for me. Would you look at that cover? It is so, so gorgeous. Luckily, this book isn't just a pretty cover-the content is so amazing you'll probably end up like me and staying up until 1:30 AM to finish it!

Prisoners in the Palace is not only the best historical fiction I've read this year-but it's going on my list of top books of the year as well. I was drawn in from the first page, as Liza's in an interesting predicament. One day, her parents are alive and she's planning her entrance to London society. Just a few days later,  she's being kicked out of a five star hotel because she has no means to pay the bill as her parents have died in a carriage accident. Her father's solicitor finds her a job working for Princess Victoria. Sounds glamorous, huh?

Not really. The Princess lives in rundown Kensington Palace with her overbearing mother and her mother's awful adviser Sir John.  I hated Sir John, and so did Victoria in real life. He was a true villain! Victoria is willful, and even when she's being nice, she's kind of a hoity-toity pain in the butt. She must have told Liza some variation of 'remember your place' at least ten times throughout the book.

There are other wonderful characters to be found here, like Will, the newspaper man that Liza meets when she and the Princess scheme a story to run to bring shame to Sir John, Inside Boy Jones, a boy who lived inside the palace without the knowledge of the residents, and the frumpy, grumpy Baroness, who is more like a mother to the Princess  than her actual mother.

I'll admit my knowledge of Queen Victoria was only rudimentary before reading this book, but now I feel the need to know more! I plan on reading some of the books the author suggested and I also watched The  Young Victoria, which shows Victoria's life just before she became Queen and in her first years on the throne.


 Prisoners in the Palace would definitely appeal to fans of historical fiction, but I think it would also appeal to someone who has never read the genre. It's easy to read, and there is so much gossip, intrigue and romance that you'll be flipping the pages like mad to find out what happens! I will definitely be buying this book for my collection.

Battling Discouraging Thoughts

As an aspiring author, it's hard to stay positive all the time. We all have those days where we wonder why the hell we're spending so much time on writing when we're not getting paid for it. Is it worth the struggle and the headaches? Generally, I say yes. Writing keeps my anxiety-prone brain occupied, so even if I never get published, it's worth it for me.

But as I take baby steps towards turning my novel out into the world and facing rejection, I figured it was time to start culling positive influences for myself. Here are some of mine:

-Quotes4Writers on Twitter. Lots of positive quotes to read through delivered to your Twitter feed daily. There is also a backlog of quotes on their Twitter page.

-I read through author blogs and websites. Sure, you'll run into the people who queried and were accepted by their first agent and got a great deal with a big publisher-but they're the exception. Kiersten White is a recent example of this. You can read her story at the link. 

-Listen to the advice of authors who've already made it. Maggie Stiefvater gives BS-free advice and she's a NYT bestseller now, but she wasn't always. One of these days I'll be able to make it to one of Maggie's  local events so I can tell her personally just how much her advice has meant to me!

-Have an inspiration playlist. No, not a playlist of songs for your WiP, but songs that give you a boost on those dark days. Listen to the music and daydream. Some of my favorites: Live Your Life by T.I. & Rihanna, & The Adventure by Angels & Airwaves.

What's your advice for battling discouraging thoughts? 

Review: Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Paranormalcy-Kiersten White
Publisher: Harper Teen
Publication Date: August, 2010
Source: Purchased
Author Website

Evie’s always thought of herself as a normal teenager, even though she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only person who can see through paranormals’ glamours.
But Evie’s about to realize that she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.
So much for normal. 
(Amazon)





I feel that it's time for me to confess. I hate faeries. I would go as far as to say that I loathe faeries. I think they are mean and selfish fictional creatures. I almost never read books where faeries are main characters for this reason. I've tried, but I always come away with the same general icky feeling.

 When I heard that there were faeries in Paranormalcy, I wondered if I would like it. I bought it anyway, and I'm so glad I did. Evie feels about faeries the same way I do, and she wishes she could wash away the memories of Reth, the creeper faerie that wormed his way into her heart. Am I the only one that thought Reth was gross? Since I'm a faerie hater I'm not sure if that swayed my opinion.


I loved Evie, not only because she shares my suspicions of fey folk, but also that she loves pink. Seriously, if I wasn't married, my whole damn house would look like Hello Kitty went nuts with a bottle of Pepto Bismol. Evie has unabashed enthusiasm and utter disregard for acting 'cool'. She calls her taser Tasey, loves animal prints and hot pink anything. She's a blonde-but not a dumb blonde by any stretch of the imagination.

Evie is satisfied enough with her life when she meets Lend, a hottie shapeshifter. Lend's arrival is a harbinger for change, upending her entire world. I loved how the story played out, as Evie tried to figure out not only exactly what she was, but who she was as well. It nicely illustrates the change that we all go through when we're teenagers.

There are portions of Paranormalcy that made me gasp, and others that made me sad. Evie is a pretty lonely kid,  who at her heart just wants to wear the sparkly pink dress to the prom, go to the mall, and watch her favorite TV show.

My only (totally tiny) complaint was that I felt that the villain wasn't all that villany. I felt empathy for-er, the villain. Don't want to say too much and spoil anyone!

To wrap up, I loved  this book and the fact that while it is a series book, it had an ending that left a few strings dangling for the next book (yay-can't wait) but had a satisfying conclusion.

In My Mailbox (12)

In My Mailbox is a weekly event held by Kristi at The Story Siren. I got some books I've been dying to read this week.

 

From We Love YA Tours: Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lisa McBride & Prisoners in the Palace: How Princess Victoria became Queen with the Help of Her Maid, a Reporter, and a Scoundrel by Michaela MacColl. 

I purchased  Shadowed Summer by Saundra Mitchell. It's such a small novel, I was happily surprised, as most books on my book shelf are 300+ pages. I can't wait to crack open these books!

What's in your mailbox this week?

Blog Business Update

-I finally have a blog button! You can find it just to the left there. Thanks to Lori for making it. She made a few tweaks to my blog for me and I can't recommend her enough!
-Have you voted in the YALSA Teens Top Survey yet? Link is directly below my new button the blog. You have until Friday to vote.
-Over the coming weeks I will probably not be blogging as much as I once did. My goal is to blog four days a week instead of the five or six days a week schedule I'd been on. I'm in edits for Positive Tension and plotting out the second novel (tentatively titled The Spectery-I'm not sure if I love or hate that title, though) so my writing is the priority right now!

I also wanted to take a moment to thank all my wonderful followers! I try to visit and comment on your blogs as often as I can and I hope now that I'm cutting back slightly on my own blog schedule I'll have more time to do this!

Are you a Pantser or a Planner?

I've loved writing since I was a child. I've also loathed outlines for just about as long. I can remember several times during my school career when I'd be excited to get into a writing project, only to be told that I needed to do an outline first.

:groan:

My brain just doesn't work like that. I get my best ideas when I just sit down and write. I have a notebook where I jot down ideas, but generally I only have a vague idea of how I'm going to get from point A to point B.

With my new novel, I'm trying to change my ways. I know that I will always be a pantser, as I'm not going to spend ten hours on an outline, but since I started using Scrivener, I've found that the outlining process doesn't have to be painful. I love how Scrivener is set up, as I can look at my novel on index cards, or organize my thoughts into an outline. I've always written in one long document, which can be a bit of a pain to make changes to.

 With this new novel, I'm going to attempt to take my notes and turn them into chapter documents before I even get started. You write a synopsis for each chapter so when you need to edit or move things around, you'll know what each chapter contains. This will make the editing hell that I'm currently enduring for Positive Tension a thing of the past. Well, maybe not totally a thing of the past, but perhaps I will ascend to a higher circle of hell?

Are you a pantser or a planner? Do you think you could ever change your ways?

Review: Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Nightshade-Andrea Cremer
Publisher: Philomel
Publication Date: October 19th
Source: ALA
Author Website

Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she'll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters' laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?
(Indiebound description)





Mild spoilers ahead.


Nightshade is one of those books that is getting so much hype that I was starting to wonder how it could ever live up to it.  That said, I will say that overall, I felt Nightshade did.

I'll get the negative out of the way first and say that the first hundred or so pages of this book are kind of confusing. We're introduced to Guardians, Keepers and Searchers without really knowing what any of that really means. I had to flip back on several occasions to see if I'd missed something. It's all eventually explained, I just wish it would have been a bit earlier, as I was getting frustrated.

Secondly, I feel that this is another case where the book's cover has little to do with the content. Sure, there are calla lilies, and the main character's name is Calla, but that's all it really has to do with it. I showed the cover to my husband and he thought the book was a high fantasy based on the look of the cover-I'm willing to be he's not the only one. 

Now onto the positive. Calla is a strong alpha wolf.  She's known she was going to be with sexy Ren, not because it's what she necessarily wants, but because it's what's expected of her. Calla's world is an old fashioned one. There are still differences between the sexes, but that is amplified in this book. Certain things are expected of Calla that are not expected of Ren and the other male werewolves. Calla is expected to be a lady and keep her virtue in place, but Ren can run around and mess around with every girl in school.

Her life is controlled by the Keepers, and while there are perks, like free housing, any cars they want, etc. they are still essentially the pawns of their "mistresses and masters". There is an undercurrent of sexual power, as two of the masters take advantage of their stature with members of the pack. This disgusts Calla, but even as an alpha there is little she can do about it. She's generally happy to carry out with her life as it's expected of her-until she rescues Shay on the mountain and then he shows up at her school. Shay's new to the world of wolves and warlocks and questions Calla's explanations of her world. Calla begins to question everything she's ever known.

Nightshade is darkly romantic, and I have to say that generally I don't read YA for the romance, but it is very well laid out here. Calla is a girl that knows what she wants-sort of. There's gorgeous Shay, and Ren, is darkly attractive alpha and slightly dangerous. The author deftly describes sexual tension in a way that will make your heart beat a bit faster-but doesn't cross the line into adult fiction.

There are also glorious fight scenes. Calla is a fierce warrior, and she is in no way a damsel. In fact, she saves the boys' butts on more than one occasion-which I just love.

The supporting cast is well drawn out for the most part. Calla's parents are background figures, but her pack members all have their unique personalities and problems.

The conclusion of the book is quick-paced and there's a twist I wasn't expecting at all. That said, the ending of the book is not so much an ending, but a set-up for the next book. I'm growing weary of this trend in YA fiction (especially since we often have to wait over a year for the next book), but the ending of Nightshade  did leave me wanting more.

 I think Nightshade is a great YA book that both teens and adults are going to devour.

Shelf Clearing Contest Winner

Congratulations to:

Michelle!

who won my Shelf Clearing Contest! Thanks to everyone that entered! Keep an eye out for my next contest! :)

In My Mailbox (11)

In My Mailbox is a weekly event hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

I hadn't planned on doing an IMM this week, but that was before I found out that Joseph-Beth was having a blow-out sale. I need more books like I need a hole in the head, but I'm glad I went!

I pre-ordered Paranormalcy by Kiersten White, but everything else I got at the sale. I've heard good things about A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb. She also co-wrote Your First Novel: An Author Agent Team Share the Keys to Achieving Your Dream, which is a really good resource for writers.

Everything else: The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler, This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen, Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith, and Dairy Queen by Catherine Murdock.

I had a good week! What's in your mailbox?

Review: Wicked Game by Jeri Smith-Ready

Wicked Game-Jeri Smith Ready
Publisher: Pocket
Publication Date: 2008
Source: Purchased
Author Website

Newbie marketing intern Ciara Griffin lands a job at WMMP, a station threatened with being sold to Skyware, a giant communications conglomerate, unless ad revenue picks up. A former con artist with a canny way with people, Ciara soon learns that the DJs are undead and specialists in the musical eras in which they were turned into vampires. One of them, Shane McAllister (turned in 1995), is really hot and dangerously tempting. In order to attract more listeners, Ciara promotes a new marketing strategy and the Sherwood, Md., station becomes 94.3 WVMP, the Lifeblood of Rock and Roll, exploiting the fang factor (which no listener takes seriously) for profit. It works, until an ancient vampire cult wants to pull the plug. Also playing in is The Control, an equally ancient paramilitary group created to protect good vampires and kill bad ones. Smith-Ready's musical references are spot on, as is her take on corporate radio's creeping airwave hegemony. Add in the irrepressible Ciara, who grew up in a family of grifters, and the results rock.
(Amazon)


Since Shade  was one of my favorite books of the year, I decided to pick up Jeri Smith-Ready's urban fantasy WVMP series, and I'm so glad I did.

Wicked Game introduces us to Ciara Griffin, who tells us upfront that no, her name isn't Sierra like the mountains, but pronounced kee-rah. As someone who understands what it's like to have their name mispronounced on an almost daily basis (it's Terra, not Tar-a) I immediately felt a kinship with Ciara. She's a recovering con artist that finds herself working at a radio station that features vampire DJ's. 

Of course Ciara thinks it's all rubbish at first, but soon she realizes that the vampires are real, and so is the threat of the radio station being bought about by the icky Skywave corporation. Ciara is smart as a whip and comes up with a marketing ploy to turn the station into WVMP, and for the vampires to out themselves. Of course no one thinks it's anything more than a gimmick, except for ancient vampire Gideon who doesn't want to draw any unwanted attention onto himself and other vampires, and begins to start trouble when the station won't change their format.

There are strains of danger, intrigue, and romance in this book that makes it such a delightful read. I really love Jeri Smith-Ready's writing style, there's always a lot of humor, but heart as well. I loved the Ciara/Shane relationship. It's sexy and a bit dangerous too, as though Shane's a good guy, he is a vampire. He could, you know, kill her. It keeps things interesting to say the least.

I can't wait to read the others in the series (Bad to the Bone & Bring On the Night (WVMP, Book 3) respectively). I have them both on my wish list, I hope my husband took the hint that I neeeeded to have them as gifts for our upcoming anniversary.

Keeping Distractions at Bay

Like most people I have a hard time keeping internet distractions at bay. I have spent hours of my life on Twitter, Facebook and reading my Google reader. Some of those hours I should have been writing. I'm generally pretty good at keeping the internet at bay while I'm writing, I'm considering installing Mac Freedom (there's a PC version too) on my computer as a failsafe-just to keep me honest.

I'm reaching the point where I'm going through the second round of edits in Positive Tension and about to start outlining my new novel, so time management is more important than ever, and that means having a bit of internal freedom within yourself. I'm lucky, as I don't have a full-time job at the moment, but that doesn't mean I'm not working. We have several home improvement jobs going on right now that demand a lot of my attention, so I need to manage my time wisely.

 I've learned that I won't die if I don't check my Twitter feed twenty times a day, or catch up on my Google reader. I try to read and comment on blogs as often as I can, but I'm done feeling guilty when I can't.  I only have so many hours a day at the computer that don't involve writing.

Anyone have any tips for keeping distractions at bay to make time for writing?

Review: The Ivy by Lauren Kunze & Rina Onur

The Ivy-Lauren Kunze & Rina Onur
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Publication Date: 8/31/10
Source: Around The World Tours
Series Website

Congratulations! You have been admitted to the most prestigious university in the world. Now what are you going to do?
Callie Andrews may not have money or connections or the right clothes, and she may have way too many complications in her love life, what with—
Gregory
the guy she loves to hate
Evan
the guy she'd love to forget
Clint
the guy she'd love to love
and Matt
the guy she really should love
—all vying for her attention.
But she has three fantastic roommates (best friends or her worst nightmare?) and a wholesome California-girl reputation (oops) and brains and beauty and big, big dreams.
Will it be enough to help her survive freshman year at Harvard? 
(Amazon)

When I was a teenager, I was lucky enough to live in Boston. I spent a lot of time in Cambridge and wandering throughout the Harvard campus, wishing that I had both the money and the SAT scores to attend. I wish I could say that because of my fondness for my Boston days that I really loved this book, but that sadly wasn't the case.

I really didn't care about anyone in this book, as I felt all the characters to be stereotypical and one dimensional. Sure, Callie's a nice California girl who lands at Harvard and finds herself a fish out of water, but there is nothing unique about her as a character. Her new classmates are prep school graduates and sophisticates from around the world. Callie has good looks and good fortune, and she ends up acquiring attention from the hottest guys on campus-which brings jealousy and ire from some of the hottest girls.

I found myself growing irritated with the group of privileged students that surround Callie. Callie's not poor, but she's not wealthy like a lot of her classmates, who seem to take their Ivy league education for granted in favor of social clubs and superficial pursuits. Her new friends rub off on level-headed Callie.  Yeah, I know that paragraph made me sound like an old fuddy-duddy, but I can't help it.

All that said, The Ivy is a quick read. If you're looking for something to take on a plane or to the beach one last time before the weather turns cold, this is your book. It will keep you flipping the pages, even if you're like me and you're  not sure why. I did find it really irritating that the book left off with a cliff-hanger, even though I'm not sure I care about the characters to pick up the sequel when it's released. I say that now, but I probably will!

 This book would appeal to fans of Gossip Girl or fans of dishy chick lit in general.