Book Review: The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: The Scorpio Races
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Series: None
Publisher: Scholastic
Released: October 18, 2011
Website: http://maggiestiefvater.com/

Book Summary:

It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.

At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.

Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.

Technically classified as young adult fantasy this book seemed real. The water horses in this book are based on mythological creatures but Maggie wrote them in such a way that I wouldn't be surprised to see them coming up out of the sea the next time I visit the ocean.  A testament to what an amazing writer Maggie is.

Due to the fact that I loved Maggie's Mercy Falls werewolf series, the Scorpio Races has been high on my want to read list.  Although completely different than the Mercy Falls series the Scorpio Races did not disappoint.  The Scorpio races is less romance and more about the horses, the island, the people and the races themselves.

I found myself rooting for both Kate and Sean and hoping somehow they could both win the race.  Ultimately I found the ending of the book to be very satisfying.

There is some violence in this series due to the fierce, untamed nature of the water horses (but violence in books doesn't bother me the way sex and language does).

I started Maggie's Books of Faeries series but never got further than the first chapter of Lament. I think I'm going to give that series another try because this book proved to me that Maggie is a phenomenal writer.

Rating: 4.5 Stars - Highly Recommend

Content: some language and violence

Source: Download from Audible.com

Also by Maggie Steifvater:
The Wolves of Mercy Falls



Books of Faerie

Blog Tour: Book Review: Athena the Wise by Joan Holub & Suzanne Williams

Athena the Wise:

Follow the ins and outs of divine social life at Mount Olympus Academy, where the most privileged godboys and goddessgirls in the Greek pantheon hone their mythical skills…
Athena isn’t the only new kid at Mount Olympus Academy. When a mortal named Heracles transfers in, Athena understands what he’s going through. She started at MOA a few months ago.
Not only does Heracles need help fitting in, he also has to complete twelve “labors” or he’ll be kicked out of school! When Athena’s dad, Principal Zeus, asks her to secretly look after the new boy, she winds up capturing mythical beasts and shoveling poop. It will take all of her famed wisdom to sort out her own problems and help Heracles succeed!

I can't praise this series enough.  Athena the Wise is the 5th book in the Goddess Girls Series and I have enjoyed everyone. 

The first book in the series was about Athena being the new girl at Mount Olympus Academy.  Once again in book 5 Athena is the main character but now there is a new student at Mount Olympus: Hercules.  Hercules has 12 tasks to complete in a weeks time and Athena is enlisted to help him. 

Great stories that teach valuable lessons with a new spin on classic Greek mythology.  I highly recommend this series!

Content: Clean

Rating: 5 Stars

Source: From Author For Review
To learn more about the Goddess Girls:

http://www.suzanne-williams.com/

http://www.joanholub.com/

Goddess Girls Series:
Athena the Brain
Persephone the Phony
Aphrodite the Beauty
Artemis the Brave
Athena the Wise
Aphrodite the Diva - coming in August 2011
Two more titles coming soon!




Don't forget you have until April 21st to enter to win a copy of Athena the Wise. To enter just leave a comment on THIS POST.

Click link for all the The Teen Book Scene Blog Tour for Athena the Wise.

Book Review: Mad Love by Suzanne Selfors

When you're the daughter of the bestselling Queen of Romance, life should be pretty good. But 16-year-old Alice Amorous has been living a lie ever since her mother was secretly hospitalized for mental illness. After putting on a brave front for months, time is running out. The next book is overdue, and the Queen can't write it. Alice needs a story for her mother—and she needs one fast.


That's when she meets Errol, a strange boy who claims to be Cupid, who insists that Alice write about the greatest love story in history: his tragic relationship with Psyche. As Alice begins to hear Errol's voice in her head and see things she can't explain, she must face the truth—that she's either inherited her mother's madness, or Errol is for real.

Mad Love by Suzanne Selfors was a quick, cute read. A good mix of mystery, romance and real life issues with a little mythology mixed in. The book held my interest through out but I never really connected with the characters.

I like how this book tackles the real life problem of bipolar depression. Alice has been dealing with her mother's depression and erratic behavior for years. Her mother is now secretly staying in a mental institution and her next book is overdue. Enter Errol who has a story that he wants told. Can they work together to get a book published in time?

I would recommend this book to those who are looking for an sweet, imaginative romance story with quirky characters and a good message.



Content: a couple swear words but otherwise clean

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Source: From Publisher for Review

Book Review: The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

All year the half-bloods have been preparing for battle against the Titans, knowing the odds of a victory are grim. Kronos’s army is stronger than ever, and with every god and half-blood he recruits, the evil Titan’s power only grows.


While the Olympians struggle to contain the rampaging monster Typhon, Kronos begins his advance on New York City, where Mount Olympus stands virtually unguarded. Now it’s up to Percy Jackson and an army of young demigods to stop the Lord of Time.


In this momentous final book in the New York Times best-selling series, the long-awaited prophecy surrounding Percy’s sixteenth birthday unfolds. And as the battle for Western civilization rages on the streets of Manhattan, Percy faces a terrifying suspicion that he may be fighting against his own fate.

Such it a fabulous end to an amazing series. I LOVED The Last Olympian. Rick Riordan is such an amazing storyteller. This book made me laugh so many times while reading it.  I've never had much interest in mythology until reading this series.

I highly recommend these books to readers of all ages. All my children love these books. The Percy Jackson series weaves elements of mythology into one great big adventure that will have you laughing and cheering for the Demigods.  The Last Olympian was full of everything I loved about this series and seamlessly wrapped up story lines from the previous four books.  If you have not read this series you are missing out!

I'm sad this series is over but looking forward to being reunited with the characters I love in Rick's next series Heroes of Olympus.






Content: Clean

Rating: 5 Stars

Source: Audio download from Audible

Blog Tour: Book Review: Artemis the Brave by Joan Holub & Suzanne Williams

Artemis the Brave
(Goddess Girls #4)

All of Artemis's friends and classmates depend on her to be the most courageous goddessgirl in Mount Olympus Academy. Little do they know that despite her expert archery skills, the smelly geryons, ring-nosed Minotaurs, and stinging scorpions in Beast-ology class scare her as much as anyone else! But what's really bothering her now is that funny feeling she has whenever she looks at foreign exchange student Orion. She's never had a crush before--could this be what all the fuss is about? And will she find the courage to talk to her crush, make him see her as more than a pal, and to ace Beast-ology class?


Series scoop:
Join the class at Mount Olympus Academy with Goddess Girls, a new series that puts a modern spin on classic Greek myths!
Aladdin paperbacks, ages 8 ~ 12.
Athena the Brain
Finding out she’s a goddess and being sent to Mount Olympus brings Athena new friends, a weird dad, and the meanest girl in mythology—Medusa!
Persephone the Phony
Hiding her feelings works fine for Persephone until she meets a guy she can be herself with—Hades, the bad-boy of the Underworld.
Aphrodite the Beauty
Sure Aphrodite is beautiful, but it’s not always easy being the goddessgirl of love.
Artemis the Brave
She may be the goddess of the hunt, but that doesn’t mean Artemis always feels brave.



Coming Soon:
Athena the Wise
Zeus says Heracles has to do twelve tasks or he'll get kicked out of MOA! Although she's not sure it's wise, Athena agrees to help out. (April 5, 2011)
Aphrodite the Diva
Isis claims she's the goddess of love? Ha! But to keep the title all to herself, Aphrodite has to find the perfect match for Pygmalion, the most annoying boy ever. (August 2011)
Two more Goddess Girls books to come!


Review:

I love this series.  It's perfect for girls ages 8+.  A great introduction to Greek mythology in a way that is entertaining and fun. 

Artemis is Goddess of the Hunt and thinks she shouldn't have any fears while hunting, but she does.  She's afraid to let anyone know she's not as brave as everyone thinks.  Enter, stuck on himself, exchange student Orion, when Artemis finds herself crushing on him suddenly she has a new round of fears to face. 

I like that these books teach great lessons with strong heroines.  I highly recommend this series to middle grade readers and those looknig to enjoy a quick, fun book.

Content: Clean

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Source: From author for review as part of The Teen {Book} Scene Blog Tour

Book Review: Aphrodite the Beauty by Joan Holub

Aphrodite delights in helping mortals in love, but she's pretty annoyed at the constant attention she gets from the godboys at Mount Olympus Academy.


When she decides to give Athena a makeover, she's a bit unprepared for the result. She didn't count on all the interest Athena's new look would get. And she certainly never thought she'd find herself jealous of one of her best friends!


But when the hottest godboys at school start ignoring Aphrodite, she learns that some boys are nicer and more sensitive than others--including a mortal youth who has requested her help in winning the heart of a young maiden.


Can she put her jealousy behind her and help him find true love?

I totally love this series. So cute for girls ages 8+. I often find myself slightly bored while reading middle grade books but that hasn't been the case with this series. Joan Holub has put such a fun spin on Greek Mythology with these godboys and goddessgirls enrolled at Mount Olympus Academy.

The third book in the series Aphrodite the Beauty teaches the importance of being yourself and being a good friend.  It also deals with crushes on boys and jealously in friendship. 

This book had a myth I was unfamiliar with, Atalanta and the Golden Apples (which I looked up and read online after finishing the book).

I highly recommend this series to those young or old who enjoy Greek Mythology.

Content: Clean Read

Rating: 5 Stars

Source: From Publisher For Review

Book Review: Persephone the Phony (Goddess Girls #2) by Joan Holub

AS PERSEPHONE'S MOTHER ENCOURAGES HER to do, she often "goes along to get along" instead of doing what she really wants. But when she meets Mount Olympus Academy bad-boy Hades, she finally feels she has found someone with whom she can be herself. He's the first person who actually listens to her, and she finds herself liking him, despite the fact that the other goddess girls think he's bad news. But if he makes her feel so special -- and so comfortable -- can he really be all that bad? Authors Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams put a modern spin on classic myths with the Goddess Girls series. Follow the ins and outs of divine social life at Mount Olympus Academy, where the most privileged godboys and goddess girls in the Greek pantheon hone their mythical skills.

I enjoyed this second book in the Goddess Girls series as much as I did the first one.  In this book, Persephone the Phony, Persephone learns a great lesson in standing for and being herself.  When she meets bad boy Hades she learns to trust her instincts about him instead of listening to the gossip of other Goddesses.

Another light, fun read that is a great way to introduce young readers to mythology.  Perfect book for girls ages 8+.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Content: Clean

Source: From Author for Review

Book Review: Athena the Brain (Goddess Girls #1) by Joan Holub

ATHENA HAS ALWAYS BEEN ABOVE AVERAGE. She's never quite fit in at Triton Junior High, but who would've guessed that Athena is actually a goddess? Principal Zeus's daughter, to be exact. When she's summoned to Mount Olympus Academy, Athena thinks she might actually fit in for the first time in her life. But in some ways, school on Mount Olympus is not that different from down on Earth, and Athena is going to have to deal with the baddest mean girl in history -- Medusa!Authors Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams put a modern spin on classic myths with the Goddess Girls series. Follow the ins and outs of divine social life at Mount Olympus Academy, where the most privileged godboys and goddessgirls in the Greek pantheon hone their mythical skills.

I'm a huge fan of the Percy Jackson series.  My children have all listened to the series multiple times but the reading level is beyond their read alone abilities.  The Goddess Girls series puts a new spin on Greek mythology aimed at a lower reading level than the Percy Jackson series.  This new series by Joan Holub is perfect for girls ages 8-10 and even held the interest of this pushing 40 year old mother as well.

The first book Athena the Brain was a really quick read taking me less than an hour to get through.  Athena receives word that she is the daughter of Zeus and heads to Mount Olympus Academy to attend school.  She meets new friends: Artemis, Pandora, Aphrodite and well as a host of other mythical Gods, Goddess and creatures.  A fun, light read aimed at pre-tween girls.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Content: Clean

Source: From Author for Review