Twenty Boy Summer Winners

Thank you all for entering my contest to win debut author Sarah Ockler's book TWENTY BOY SUMMER! The winner are as follows:

Kathleen Elizabeth

Heatherzilla

Wrighty

                       Jade Adrienne 

                         Miss Attitude

I have emailed all the winners who provided email addresses, but a few did not so please shoot me an email at andanotherbookread AT gmail DOT com with your address. Please respond within three days with your addresses, or I will have to choose a new winner. 

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Ever since eighth grade, Lia and Cassie have fed off each other. They are each other’s only source of strength as they vow to compete to be the skinniest friend. Counting every calorie that enters their body, making sure it is never too much and worrying excessively about their outer appearance.

Lia finally wins the competition though when Cassie dies, alone in a hotel room one night. Now Lia faces her war alone, thinking she is still fat at 95 pounds. Trying as hard as she can to avoid returning to a treatment facility, she sews quarters into the pockets of her robe so it appears that she weighs more then she does when her step-mother forces her onto the scale and choosing bruised apples at lunch so she has an excuse not to eat the whole thing. 

With Cassie gone though, Lia not only has to worry about her conscious bothering her every time she eats, but also Cassie’s voice. Lia’s just not sure she can handle it anymore and sometimes even refers to cutting herself to help relieve just a little bit of the pain.  Lia is left with a decision though, does she truly want to join the living, or stay frozen and eventually melt into nothing.

Laurie Halse Anderson truly has a gift. Her writing is impeccable and she takes some of the most difficult subjects to talk about and throws them in your face, leaving them near impossible to ignore. Within the pages of Lia’s life the reader gets a gut-wrenching and honest look into the life of an anorexic teenager, seeing both the physical and emotional implications of the disease.

The writing throughout the book had a lyrical feel to it which made it near impossible to put down, one sentence always luring you to the next. Laurie Halse Anderson also did a great job expressing emotion through the pages of the book. Sometime I feel that authors try to hard to make the reader’s feel what the characters are feeling, but in WINTERGILRS it was absolutely effortless.

No matter how brutal the subject matter was, I thought this book was amazing. Yes, it’s hard to read and it makes you cry, but it’s so important for people of all ages to realize the full effects of anorexia. The message that the book portrays, that it is okay to go for help and what could happen if you don’t reach out your hand, rings so clearly that I think this would be a better read for those suffering from anorexia then a self-help book.

The honesty, brutality, and love that was felt throughout the story really came together to create one heck of a novel. Recommended for all readers, it may be a hard novel to start, but you surely won’t be disappointed when it is over. I absolutely cannot wait to see what Mrs. Anderson has in store for us next!

Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev

Beatrice Shakespeare Smith, or Bertie as she prefers, lives in the Theatre Illuminate, although not an actress, surrounded by all the characters ever created in every play. Here she finds her home, although she has no parents, where her best friends being four fairies – Moth, Mustardseed, Peaseblossom, and Cobweb – and a rowdy pirate, Nate. Then of course there is Ariel, who is just so full of himself, but Bertie seems to just melt every time she sees him. The thing with all these characters, as with all of the characters within the Theatre, is that the Book, which holds the scripts of the plays the characters belong to, binds them to the Theatre.

There has recently been a turn of events though and Bertie is about to lose the family that she has created within the Theatre. Now it is up to here to devise a plan so that the Theatre Manager cannot turn her out on the streets. With the help of her trusty friends she sets off on a quest to save her spot at her beloved Theatre.

This was one heck of a debut novel to say the least. Lisa Mantchev created a beautiful setting in a unique Theatre that I came to love. What makes this book even more enjoyable is it throws you into the theater world in a way that even if you are not familiar with the drama world (and trust me I know nothing) you feel like you have been in this world forever after the first few chapters.

The plot that the author created was both original and thrilling. The adventure that the characters partook in was really fun and highly enjoyable. I really enjoyed Bertie having to try and save herself from being kicked out from the theater and the ideas she created along the way. It added a ton of humor to the book and really made the book that much more interesting. One thing that kind of held the story back from being absolutely wonderful is the first few chapters or so were quite confusing. There was just so much going on and a whole host of characters that was just a little too much to keep up with while trying to get acquainted with the story itself.

The story also the story got confusing again around the end of the book, it seemed that the author was trying to squeeze all this information in, in just a few short chapters. Also a lot of early characters were brought back and it was hard to remember exactly who they were. Despite the bit of predictability, the ending was really good and left off on a great cliff hanger that sets the stage for yet another great adventure in the next act of Bertie’s life.

While the plot of the story was quite wonderful, I thought that the characters really made the book. The fairies provided an ever-constant source of entertainment and are always hilarious. Then of course there was Bertie. I definitely loved everything about her. Whether it was her rebelliousness or her sense of humor, I found her to be a very strong heroine. Nate was also a very fun and heroic character and you could tell that Ariel was fishy from the start. The only thing that I felt was lacking was the relationship between Nate and Bertie. At one point it would be going strong and then there would be no mention of it for another fifty pages or so. Lisa Mantchev definitely has a knack for characterization.

Another aspect of the book that I thought was very strong was the writing. The author made the reader feel like as if they were sitting in those plush theater seats watching a show play out on stage. She kept the whole story lively with just enough description to fully understand what was going on, but not enough so that the reader gets bogged down with repetitive information. Overall there was just a magical quality to the author’s writing that just sucked me in from early on in the story and never let me go.

In the end this book was great and I really liked it. I absolutely can’t wait to get more of Bertie’s world and more of Lisa Mantchev’s imagination and writing. Also on a complete side note, if the description is not enough to draw you into the story then the cover definitely will be as it is absolutely stunning!

For some more Theatre Illuminata reviews, interviews and more please check out the following blogs:

The 160 Acre Woods, A Christian Worldview of Fiction, A Patchwork of Books, Abby the Librarian, All About Children’s Books, And Another Book Read, Becky’s Book Reviews, Dolce Bellezza, Fireside Musings, The Friendly Book Nook, Homeschool Book Buzz, Homespun Light, Hyperbole, KidzBookBuzz.com, Never Jam Today, Reading is My Superpower, Through a Child’s Eyes 

Also for more information on the author visit her blog. If you would like to buy a copy of this fabulous book click here...come on I dare you!

The Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry

When she was just five years old, Lucinda Chapdelaine’s parents left her home while they attended a ball and never returned. Ever since that fateful day she has been stuck in servitude in her evil Aunt’s jewelry shop.

One fateful day though, Lucinda’s life takes a new turn. First a mysterious woman named Beryl comes in looking for a new setting for her even more mysterious emerald-like stone. Then a perfectly dreamy man comes in looking for the perfect wedding gift that says “forever” for his bride to be. The thing is this man just isn’t just any customer, he happens to be the crown Prince of the kingdom and he seems to find something very familiar in Lucinda’s face.

These two strangers set Lucinda on a journey beyond her wildest dreams. She befriends a thief named Peter, inherits a pet goat named Dog, attends royal balls, deals with the Amaranth Witch, discovers herself, has a few run ins with the law, and even finds the truth to the mystery behind her parent’s death.

A tad reminiscent of Cinderella, but yet still its own fairy tale, THE AMARANTH ENCHANTMENT is truly a delightful read. It has every aspect needed to create the perfect story. There’s love, adventure, a dashing prince, thieves, a witch, evil relatives, and of course the ever loyal pet goat Dog! I loved how the author pieced together the story, never letting out too much at a time and letting the reader really get a chance to take the whole story in. While at times it was a little bit predictable, the story line was still unique and magical and made you crave more. I loved how Lucinda slowly uncovered her past and seeing it mesh up with her current life. It made the story that much better. Younger teens would get the most out of this novel, but readers of all ages are sure to still feel the magic of the story. Julie Berry surely outdid herself with her debut novel and definitely has a knack for story telling. I am very curious to see what she has in store for us next!

Winner of Death by Denim

The winner is.....

Ann Diana Dinh 

I've sent you an email, so please get back to me within 72 hours, so that I can send you your book.

Thanks to all who entered. Don't forget to enter for the chance to win one of five copies of Twenty Boy Summer!

The Glass Maker’s Daughter by V. Briceland

Cassaforte is a medieval city full of magic, enchantments, and intrigue. While there is a king that rules the general city, the magic lays within the seven main families of the city, who each contribute a gift. One such family is the Divetri family, makers of the finest glass, whom Risa Divetri belongs to.

Risa is a feisty spirit who is just coming of age to be chosen for one of the two schools in the city where young adults learn to develop their gifts. Risa is prepared to go to school and excel in creating enchanted glass, just like her father, but then the unthinkable happens. When the Gods come down to direct Risa as to where she must go, they leave her unchosen destined to remain at home.  While she is devasted, she soon discovers that there might just have been a reason why she must stay at home.

The city’s magic soon starts to unravel and the threat of corruption becomes apparent, Risa is determined to stop it. Discovering more about herself then she could have ever imagined she sets off on an adventure to save the home she loves, as well as finding her own self.

This was definitely a stunning novel! The cast of characters, as well as the plot was both extremely unique and left the reader wanting more. Also on a totally non-content based note, the cover is magnificent and completely eye catching!

First I must start with the storyline, which absolutely made the book. It combined a historical element, albeit it was fictional, that made the setting really interesting and magic, but not in an over-the-top manner. While many of the objects, houses, etc. were enchanted in the city; none of the characters had powers, which made the fantasy angle of the book just mesh with almost a normalcy. Anyways I also loved how Risa had to take a journey to find herself and not just follow the same path that everyone else in her family had to follow in order to find their gift.

Now, onto the characters. While most of the time I really enjoyed Risa’s personality and drive to fulfill her mission, I sometimes found her to be rather whiny and unsatisfied with what she got. As the story progressed though she became more comfortable with herself and started to stand up for herself and her decisions and became a much stronger character. By the end of the book she had a keen sense of adventure which radiated through the pages of the book.

Overall this was an excellent novel that all readers will enjoy, regardless of their taste in genre. As I mentioned before the fantasy aspect isn’t all encompassing and there is plenty of action to satisfy even the most rambunctious of readers. The author is definitely full of talent and I hope for more novels from him with just as exciting a storyline. 

Win Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

Are you all ready for summer? I know I sure am! What better way to celebrate than with an awesome book, namely Sarah Ockelr's debut novel TWENTY BOY SUMMER.

According to her best friend Frankie, twenty days in Zanzibar Bay is the perfect opportunity to have a summer fling, and if they meet one boy ever day, there's a pretty good chance Anna will find her first summer romance. Anna lightheartedly agrees to the game, but there's something she hasn't told Frankie---she's already had that kind of romance, and it was with Frankie's older brother, Matt, just before his tragic death one year ago. Beautifully written and emotionally honest, this is a debut novel that explores what it truly means to love someone and what it means to grieve, and ultimately, how to make the most of every single moment this world has to offer.

- I have five (5) copies to give away, so what are you waiting for...leave a comment for a chance to win

- U.S. Residents only

- Also if you link to my contest I'll give you an extra 2 entries.

- For some added fun, the 75th commenter is an instant winner!

- Contest runs until June 30

For more information visit Sarah's website or Little Brown Teens