Email virus

Hey guys

I'm really really really sorry, but my email got infected last night with spyware. I was using a new server at my new school, and there was apparently some malicious activity and my computer was one of the ones that got infected. I've since scanned and cleaned my computer and the spyware should be gone.
I'm really sorry if any of you got weird emails from me--I know several computers got hit here and apparently all of our contacts in our email lists got spammed with goodness knows what. If you got an email with no subject from my email, just delete it please! I generally send emails with subjects in them and I actually haven't sent any messages lately, so please just delete whatever message you got from my account.

sorry!

on a happier note, I have a review coming up soon :)

Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert

Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert

Release Date: July 21, 2009
Publisher: MTV
Pages: 368

Drugs, boys, music and booze were the staples of Kara's summer after a messed up year. Her best friend moved away and was hardly in contact, her parents' marriage was falling apart, and she and her brother were drifting apart.

Losing herself and her pain in the drugs and alcohol, Kara felt like they could be her true escape. She met new friends and even a hot boy, Adrian. Before long, the two are together, and Kara's sure she's in love with him. But her misery is far from over--Adrian has a reputation of being a playboy and guy who wants no attachments. Can their relationship work out? For the time being, Kara doesn't care--all the parties server as temporary distractions and when that doesn't work, Kara can still get away with Adrian through drugs.

But when Kara's life takes a nose dive and her life is falling apart, Kara's inhibitions are lowered, and her drug use and partying increase even more. Before long, she's progressed past pot and booze onto heroine. Drugs and addiction quickly become deadly for Kara and when she overdoses on heroine, will there be anyone there to save her? And if there is, what kind of life will Kara live afterwards?

As dark and (sometimes) depressing this novel was, I really enjoyed Ballads of Suburbia! Stephanie Kuehnert writes with a raw, intense honesty that hooks you in immediately! All the main characters are well developed and realistic, so readers are drawn in and don't want to stop until they've finished! It's a gritty novel and you really feel for Kara (as well as some of the other characters) for what they're going through. Stephanie Kuehnert's novel is blunt, well-written, and definitely worth reading!

A quick apology

Hey all,

I'm really sorry for the lack of updates; I just started a new school, so things might be a bit slow until I get situated! But thanks for your patience!

A new review should be up either tomorrow or Friday, and I'm reading some other great books I'll be reviewing as soon as I get a chance! Thanks for sticking w/ me!

Don't forget to enter my MAX Promotion for a chance to win 1 of 2 huge prize packs!!

HUGE MAX Promotion!

ENTER TO WIN A SET OF JAMES PATTERSON PAGETURNERS!

MAXIMUM RIDE – IF SHE LIVES, THE WORLD LIVES, IT’S THAT SIMPLE.

Read “MAX” - the newest book in the bestselling Maximum Ride series.
On sale in paperback 09/01/09!

Still reeling from their most recent adventure, Maximum Ride and the rest of the flock must head out to sea to uncover the secret behind a brand new series of disasters—fish are dying off the coast of Hawaii, hundreds of ships are being destroyed. As if that weren’t enough, they’re also being tracked by a criminal mastermind with, oh yeah, an army of mercenaries. Can the flock save themselves and the ocean, and the world, from utter destruction?

The Fine Print:

The Maximum Ride: Max Promotion is open to legal US residents who are at least 13 years of age as of August 24, 2009. There will be two prizes for each Promotion. Each prize consists of the following eight (8) books: Maximum Ride: Max (paperback); Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment (paperback); Maximum Ride: School’s Out – Forever (paperback); Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports (paperback); Maximum Ride: The Final Warning (paperback); Maximum Ride: Manga (paperback); The Dangerous Days of Daniel X (paperback); and Daniel X: Watch the Skies (hardcover). The approximate retail value of each prize is $72.00. Winners will be confirmed on or about September 28, 2009 by email. Prizes will only be shipped to confirmed winners with addresses in the US. Prizes will be shipped within 30 days after a selected entrant is confirmed as a winner.

How to Enter:

Comment on THIS post with your:

• name
• email address
• and tell me your favorite adventure novel and why

Want extra entries?

1. +1 if you are a follower of The Book Vault
   
2. +1 if you post about this promotion elsewhere--please include the link!
3. +1 comment on Bettina's review of MAX on The Three Musketeers Reviews
4. +1 if you are or become a follower of The Three Musketeer Reviews

PLEASE NOTE:

• if you chose to do #1 and/or #2 from the list above you must comment SEPARATELY on THIS post for each one, or you will not receive the extra entries!
  
  
• if you chose to do #3 and/or #4 from the list above you must comment SEPARATELY for EACH entry on the review of MAX on The Three Musketeers Reviews or again, your extra entries will not count!

All in all, you can earn up to 5 entries in this promotion if you do everything (inital entry here, then #1 & #2 on this post and #3 & #4 on the review of MAX at The Three Musketeers Reviews)

Sorry if this is confusing, but it will make tallying the entries much easier.

Please enter by September 25, 2009, midnight (EST)
Sorry, open to US residents only. No PO boxes please!

Best of luck!

Fade to Blue by Sean Beaudoin

Fade to Blue by Sean Beaudoin

Release Date: August 1, 2009
Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers
Pages: 208

Sophie Blue is a goth and artist with a sharp tongue. About a year ago, her father disappeared and was never heard from again. When a creepy-looking ice cream car starts showing up everywhere Sophie goes, Sophie thinks she's going insane. As more bizarre events follow, Sophie's suspicions start to rise. Could this, and her father's disappearance, be related to the lab he used to work for?

Kenny Fade is popular and has it all--looks, unbeatable skill on the basketball court, and a hot girlfriend. Yet despite all this, unusual events keep occuring around him, and his thoughts are getting more and more twisted...could he be losing his mind too? And what is this lab that keeps popping up in his thoughts?!

Fade to Blue is plenty confusing, but it's good! I got rather confused on whether it was real, just all in their heads, or who knows! It's unlike anything I've read before, but I found myself enjoying it. The rather cynical (and sinister, at times) humor kept me turning the pages. At times, I felt like I had no idea what was going on--there were so many twists and turns! In my opinion, it's a very bizarre book. But despite all that, and despite the book's dark humor, Fade to Blue is an enjoyable read. Though I might recommend it to slightly older readers--they might appreciate it more.

Taken by Storm by Angela Morrison

Taken by Storm by Angela Morrison

Release Date: March 5, 2009
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages: 304

Lessie is a devout Mormon and since she lives in a small town, it's not that hard to follow her religion's rules. Her goal is to live a pure life and get into BYU. However, when Michael comes into town, her resolve starts to crumble.

Michael is a free diver and lives for his hobby. However, when his parents are killed by a hurricane, he is forced to move to a small town with a relative. His heart still aching for his parents and his past life, Michael slowly sinks into a depression.

Lessie is instantly drawn to Michael when he comes to town. Seeing his pain, she wants to comfort for him, but soon, she finds herself falling for him as well...
Can she still live a pure life? Or will she be unable to stay faithful to her religion and lose sight of her dreams?

Okay, where to start?
Let's start with the writing--it was fantastic, especially for a first novel! It is well written and I loved the switching view points and poems.

However, I was not exactly thrilled with the characters and what they stood for. While I admire Lessie's strong belief in her faith and desire to remain pure by her religion's standards, I was not too happy with Michael's character. Yes, he is not Mormon, yes, he's a teenage boy, and yes, he is grieving, but even under those circumstances, I find it hard to believe that a guy would be so cold towards a relationship and only be lustful the whole time.
The two extremes were a little too extreme. Lessie was pure and the ideal, while those who weren't Mormon were lustful, dark, vile people. Just because you aren't Mormon or religious, doesn't mean you're this horrid person who only ever wants and thinks of sex. I felt Michael was portrayed in a really unflattering and unfair light.

There was another small problem concerning characters for me as well; Lessie's character. Although it is good that she is caring and forgiving, sometimes she seemed like she wasn't really standing up for herself. She needn't take everything lying down, especially when she didn't want to be pushed.

Next, I am a fan of happy endings, as long as they're not too perfect and far fetched. But I felt everything tied up a little too nicely for Lessie at the end. I don't want to spoil anything, but it felt a wee bit convenient. At least it wasn't rushed.

So yes, I have conflicting feelings about this book. It is well written, but rather biased and a little too extreme for me. It's not exactly preachy, but it is still extreme. At times I felt like good vs evil (with Michael being the evil one) was being blatantly stated again and again. I have every respect for those who have a religion, as I am among that number, but a certain amount of tolerance and true understanding is necessary.

My enjoyment may have been a bit marred by these things, but overall, I think I still enjoyed reading this book. The writing, as I mentioned before, was excellent!
Before I end this review, I have two side notes; I love the title, Taken by Storm--it works perfectly! The cover is also wonderful and fits the book. To me, it looked like a notebook, and since Lessie is a poet and often expresses herself through her writing, this cover works nicely as well. I know you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, but I think the cover itself looks quite nice!

The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan

The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan

Release Date: June 2, 2009
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Pages: 336

Nick and his brother Alan have been on the run from magicians and magician's circles ever since they were young. They haven't stopped since their father was killed by magicians who were after their mother's charm, which happens to be keeping her alive.

Their mother has been disturbed ever since Nick can remember, but Alan insists on taking care of her. Nick is not entirely happy with their mother since she seems to hate him, but Alan has always cared for Nick and is very devoted to him. Just when their life got a bit more comfortable, Nick and Alan are attacked again. After defeating their ambush, Nick and Alan find that their battle with the magicians had an audience of two.

Already annoyed by all the trouble the pursuing magicians and the demons they command give them, Nick hardly wants to help Jamie and Mae, the pair who witnessed the latest attack Nick and Alan had to fend off. But the ever-compassionate Alan agrees to help them when he finds that Jamie has a third-tier demon mark on him. The mark condemns Jamie to death, but Alan agrees to take them to the Goblin Market to see if there is any help available.

With Jamie and Mae joining their party, Alan and Nick have more even more people to look out for, and the magician's circle are still relentlessly pursuing them. Can Alan and Nick continue to stay on step ahead of the magicians for the rest of their lives? Is there any way to end this eternal chase?

Nick hopes that Alan will be able to help them best the magicians as they have been doing for the past few years, but then the unthinkable happens--Alan sustains a first-tier mark during a magician and demon attack. Nick is desperate to get the mark of his brother, but Alan seems more concerned with helping Jamie and Mae. Why does his brother suddenly care so much for two strangers? Nick has always depended on Alan to guide him and help make decisions, but as his brother's behavior is getting more erratic, Nick is beginning to wonder if the one person he could always trust has been lying all along.

Will they ever be free of the attacks? Should Nick delve into the past and search for answers? Or should he just trust Alan as he has always done?

The Demon's Lexicon was amazing!! I loved the plot! It was quite well paced, well written, and captivating! I couldn't put it down--I had to know what would happen next! The story is well-spun and has great flow and detail. The twists and turns kept me turning the pages late into the night!

One thing that bothered me a bit was the fact that some of the characters seemed a bit flat. If Jamie and Mae got a little more of the lime-light and were better developed, I would enjoy the book even more. Quite a few of the characters, both protagonists and antagonists alike, weren't quite as developed as they could have been. There personalities seemed a bit shallow, and I would have really liked to learn more about them.
However, Nick's character was pretty strong, but his interaction with his brother was even better. It's realistic, even it's a bit cold sometimes. Alan's unceasing compassion and care for his brother tugs a few heart-strings and he is also a great character.

Although a few twists really surprised me and made me enjoy the book all the more, but it didn't quite work entirely for me. I don't want to spoil anything, but it was an interesting twist, but I find it hard to accept completely, since there was some parts in the book that made me believe otherwise. But other than that, I'd definitely recommend The Demon's Lexicon! I really enjoyed reading it!