- the title says it all! Frankie starts her sophomore year at a prestigious prep school with a new boyfriend. She dreamed of dating this boy all last year and now it's come true. She becomes more and more bothered, however, by his membership in an exclusive all-male secret club and her perceived inferiority as a girl. She finds an interesting way to feel included and assert her own power.
While I enjoyed the prep/boarding school prank elements, I thought the story really didn't feel complete. Frankie's changes, while interesting, were not entirely developed. The conclusion wasn't satisfying and I didn't really know what the point of it was. The third person telling really threw me off, especially since the title almost implies a journal/diary format (which is misleading as well). I also loved some of the funny parts (particularly the grammar jokes) but found some of the teen issues to be superfluous. Maybe I just need to start reading more books for adults. :)
RATINGS:
s-factor: !
Surprisingly few for a contemporary teen novel.
mrg-factor: XX
Some annoying references.
v-factor: none
Overall rating: ***
tells the story of the author's quest to see all the copies of the first and second editions of Copernicus' De revolutionibus. He also recounts the impact this publication made on the world over the centuries since its initial publication.
is an adventurous tale of a future society rebuilt in North America. Katniss has been obliged to take care of her family and their ever-present hunger since her father died. When her younger sister Prim's name is drawn as a "contestant" for the government-required hunger games, Katniss volunteers to take her place. All she has to do to return to her family is be the sole survivor of these horrifying games.
continues the story, I mean biography, of Alcatraz Smedry. Alcatraz finds himself in danger almost immediately from a strange new being, a scrivener's bone. Ignoring common sense, he heads to the Library of Alexandria, into the heart of danger, seeking his grandfather and his father.
is the story of Jenna Fox (duh) who wakes up suddenly from a year-and-a-half long coma. She can tell some things are different. She has no memories of who she was and no understanding of who she is. Her story unfolds as she discovers it herself when memories and other pieces of the puzzle begin to fall into place.
continues the stories of the rich and corrupt of New York's turn-of-the-19th-century wealthy class (first book reviewed 
is the story of a world where airplanes were not invented and the sky was ruled by airships. Matt Cruse is a cabin boy on the same airship his father worked on. He was born in the skies (literally) and doesn't feel comfortable on the ground. During one fateful trip across the Pacificus, he and a young passenger named Kate make a remarkable discovery.
, we are introduced to Octavian, and slowly learn about his childhood and life. Information about him is revealed one piece at a time. He grows up in a scientific institute with his mother and lots of "fathers" who are scientists interested in his development. When Octavian learns more about his role and his mother's in this institute, he must come to terms with that reality.
, Lucy, an average teenage girl, finds herself caught up in an ancient family curse. Her birth mother, Miranda, is crazy. She will sometimes show up in Lucy's life and usually leave havoc in her wake. But, Lucy's adoptive parents offer her stability and support. When prom night goes horribly awry and ends in tragedy, Lucy first becomes aware of the curse. Based on the ballad "Scarborough Fair," the curse requires Lucy to fulfill three impossible tasks or risk ending up like her mother.
