Sunday, December 20, 2009

Galley Review: The Hollow by Jessica Verday

When Abbey's best friend, Kristen, vanishes at the bridge near Sleep Hollow Cemetery, everyone is all too quick to accept that Kristen is dead and rumors fly that her death was no accident. Abbey goes through the motions of mourning her friend, but privately, she refuses to believe that Kristen is really gone. Then she meets Caspian, the gorgeous and mysterious boy who shows up out of nowhere at Kristen's funeral and keeps reappearing in Abbey's life. Caspian clearly has secrets of his own, but he's the only person who makes Abbey feel normal again. And just when Abbey thinks that she might suvive all this, she learns a secret about Kristen that makes her question everything she thought she knew about her best friend.

What SL teens are saying about the book...

"The cover caught my attention and I like how the author took "The Legend of Sleep Hollow" and changed it her way. But the book was slow paced."--Sandra L.

"Abbey is generous but also comes off as rude and whiney in the first chapter. I also didn't buy her relationship with Caspian. I felt there was a lack of plot."--Angelica P.

"The beginning was interesting and the very end was compelling. But the middle was repetitive. I did like how Abbey made perfumes; that's not something that's written about often."--Jennifer R.

Galley Review: Sing Me to Sleep by Angela Morrison

Beth has always been "The Beast"--that's what everyone at school calls her because of her awkward height, facial scars, and think glasses. Beth's only friend is geeky, golden-haired Scott. That is, until she gets chosen to be her choir's soprano soloist and receives a makeover that will change her life. When Beth's choir travels to Switzerland, she meets Derek whose passion and love for her leave Beth breathless, because in Derek's eyes she's the Beauty, not the Beast. When Beth comes home, Scott makes a confession to her that leaves her torn. Derek or Scott? Will the secret that Derek is hiding from her make the decision for her?

What SL teens are saying about the book...

"It keeps you wanting more until the end when all the pieces fit together. The only disappointing thing was that sometimes I couldn't tell who was speaking and had to go back and re-read the dialogue." --Andrea O. D.

"While Morrison's prose had me sobbing like a baby, I think this book needs more work. I was disappointed by the ending. --Nikki B.