Svetlana's Reads and Views

The Non-existent Romance A Stranger Here , written by Thelma Hatch Wyss, is about a sixteen year old girl named Jada Sinclair who visits her relatives for the summer, and meets the infamous Starr Freeman, the one who died on the same day she was born. This novel takes place in the summer of 1960 and should appeal to those interested in the lives of small tight knit communities, and even if it is marketed for young adults, I doubt this novel will hold much appeal, especially in 2010.     Published by HarperTrophy, ISBN: 0-06-447098-9 in 1993. This is historical and takes place in 1960s.   The characters are flat in my view. Minus one flaw Jada sounded a little too perfect; she is able to get along with her aunt and uncle, she is a romantic, keeps her promises and is a good listener. She doesn’t seem to go through any change. The only part I disliked about her is that she is very rude to the boy that likes her. “’What do you mean it doesn’t matter?’ Daniel follo...

Hidden Mysteries The Midnight Club by Christopher Pike is about five teenagers that have incurable diseases and are dying. But they also created Midnight Club where every day at midnight they meet at a room to tell different tales. In particular it focuses on Ilonka Pawluk as the main character, and tells of her affection and love towards another member, Kevin. There is also focus on different stories that the members tell that range from past lives to modern society and lessons that can be gleaned from all. There is also a hint of a supernatural force at play. Published by Archway Paperback in February of 1994, ISBN is 0-671-87263-X. Despite the young adult label, this book should appeal to all ages (I doubt this will appeal to little children), especially those who love supernatural elements in stories, and to Christopher Pike diehard fans (I myself am almost one,) although due to eastern theories of reincarnation, I doubt this novel will appeal to serious Christians. This ...

Two Sides of a Coin Heart of the matter , written by Emily Giffin, is about infidelity that a man commits and also has two points of views, that of the wife and the mistress, one written in first person and another in third. This book was published by St. Martin’s Press and the ISBN # is 978-0-312-55416-3. This was published recently, in May of 2010. This book should appeal to chick lit fans and die-hard Giffin fans. This is contemporary   The reason for the title of this review is that ultimately I see as both of them in same circumstances, from the infidelity. That’s how the story is like. There is no discussion on what holds the sides together, just like in the book. Ultimately, its heads or tails, nothing in between. In the novel the characters strike me as flat and since I have read almost all her previous novels, (exception of Baby Proof,) the female protagonist Tessa sounds indistinguishable from Love the one you’re with or Something Borrowed (at least in Some...

Revenge of the Pig Woman The Plot Against the Pom-Pom Queen, written by Ellen Leroe, is a tale about a sixteen year old girl named Kelsey who is being bullied by a popular girl named Taffy Foster. Kelsey decides to concoct revenge against her. When that fails, however, she is introduced to the world of MMG-Magic Male Grabbers, which give her arsenal to become as popular as Taffy. Published by Berkley in 1985, ISBNS: ISBN-10: 0425088677, ISBN-13: 978-0425088678. This book is geared towards teen or pre-teen girls, and should appeal to those who are looking for a boost in self esteem, that values such as friendship are more important than popularity, and the importance of being comfortable in one’s own skin. This is 1980s contemporary? Kelsey Marshall is the main character and despite her constant obsession of comparing people she knows to celebrities, she is a natural leader, as well as brains of her group and a motivator. She is able to see the potential within her friends, ...