Tag Archives: Headstrong Girl

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

American Literature November 28, 2008 Superfast Reader 4 Comments

Synopsis: After spending time incarcerated in a secret prison after a terrorist attack, a computer-savvy teen decides to fight back in the name of the Constitution. Review: I am so not cool enough for Little Brother. I’ve never hacked, coded, partitioned or flashmobbed. I don’t understand crypto and I’ve never touched an Xbox. I did learn BASIC programming when I was in elementary school, and one time I spent half a day typing in commands that I got from Mad Magazine, promising to render a…

Revelations by Melissa de la Cruz (Blue Bloods 3)

American Literature October 31, 2008 Superfast Reader 17 Comments

Synopsis: Half-vampire Schuyler learns more about her lineage and has a secret love affair with the twin of her nemesis, as the war between the vampire Blue Bloods and Lucifer’s army of Silver Bloods escalates. Review: When I signed up to review Revelations, I didn’t realize it was book 3 in a series, and I really had a hard time catching up with all of the vampire lore and the history between the characters. From what I gathered, vampires were fallen angels who mutinied against…

The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner

American Literature October 16, 2008 Superfast Reader 4 Comments

Synopsis: A wealthy young woman takes a job transcribing the diary of a victim of the Salem witch trials, discovering a powerful love story that changes her perspective on her privileged life. Review: Deftly interweaving the very different stories of three headstrong women, Susan Meissner has crafted a novel that delivers a powerfully moving reading experience. I found myself on the verge of tears many times, overcome by Lauren’s journey as she inhabits the world of Mercy, a young woman fated to die by hanging…

Impossible by Nancy Werlin

American Literature October 3, 2008 Superfast Reader 16 Comments

Synopsis: A young woman discovers that she is cursed to go mad on the birth of her first child unless she can complete three impossible tasks. Review: Woven from the lyrics of the ballad Scarborough Fair, made famous by Simon and Garfunkel, Impossible successfully places a fairy tale in the context of modern life without sacrificing any magic at all. Lucy Scarborough was raised by foster parents after her mother, Miranda, went mad on Lucy’s birth. Now Lucy finds herself pregnant at 17, and discovers…

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (The Mortal Instruments, Book 1)

American Literature September 17, 2008 Superfast Reader 3 Comments

Synopsis: A teenage girl discovers that she comes from a lineage of demon hunters, and finds herself drawn into the ongoing battle between good and evil. Review: I picked up City of Bones after reading a rave review of the next book in the series on the Queens Public Library’s email newsletter for YA picks. It sounded like a fun read, and I was not disappointed. I just got a book light so I can read in bed while Superfast Baby snoozes in her crib…

Madapple by Christina Meldrum

American Literature July 16, 2008 Superfast Reader 2 Comments

Synopsis: Accused of murder, a troubled young woman tries to piece together the odd facets of her life, starting with her supposed immaculate conception. Review: The chapters in Madapple alternate between a teasingly opaque courtroom case, and defendant Aslaug’s reminiscences about life with her disturbed mother and eventual reunion with her long lost aunt and cousins. Nothing about Aslaug’s life has been ordinary. Her mother claimed that Aslaug had no father because she had never had a lover. She raised Aslaug in the woods, among…

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart

American Literature June 30, 2008 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: A spirited young woman takes on the all-male secret society at her boarding school, and not just because her boyfriend’s one of the leaders. Review: The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks reminded me a lot of Rushmore, and that’s a good thing. It’s quirky and offbeat, combining intelligence and heart within a clever, original plot. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Frankie’s sabotage of the Secret Order of the Basset Hound stems from her sense that her boyfriend is underestimating her. In one sense, she’s just…

Loose Girl by Kerry Cohen

American Literature June 13, 2008 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: An autobiography of a promiscuous life. Review: The most striking thing about Kerry Cohen’s Loose Girl is the inevitability of her misbehavior. Cohen’s parents divorced when she was a preteen, and neither one seems able to practice any kind of responsible or involved parenting. Her dad is the kind of guy who asks for a toke when he catches his daughter and her friends getting high, and her mother is a gynecologist who prescribes abortion pills for Cohen without even an office visit. Both…

Beauty by Robin McKinley

American Literature April 12, 2008 Superfast Reader 8 Comments

Synopsis: A retelling of the classic tale of Beauty and the Beast. Review: I suppose it’s because of all the babysitting I’ve done, but I just couldn’t shake the image of Belle in her big yellow dress as I read Robin McKinley’s Beauty. But setting that aside, I would have loved this when I was 12. It’s swoony and romantic, featuring a narrator who’s my kind of girl. It hews very closely to the classic tale, while adding some imaginative elements such as the whispering…

Sexless in the City–Win a Free Copy!

American Literature April 10, 2008 Superfast Reader 1 Comment

My dear friend Anna Broadway‘s book Sexless in the City is coming out on Tuesday, April 15th. I’m so thrilled for Anna, who met the editor who bought her book in my very living room! I’ve read some sections of it and it’s just great. So how do you win a copy? Easy–just blog about it. Mention the soundtrack and get a second entry. Even if you don’t win, I hope you’ll check this book out.

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