Melody Carlson has once again proven her skill when it comes to confronting difficult teen issues with honesty and discretion. Never Been Kissed is an up close and personal account of Elise’s experiences in a new school. As the daughter of a struggling single mom, Elise lacks many of the advantages enjoyed by some of her classmates and is also somewhat naive compared to several of them. Her desire to belong seems to be realized when she is apparently accepted by a group of Asher’s friends, but she quickly finds that they have turned on her. Clandestine romantic emails from Asher lead her to believe he cares for her even though he urges her to ignore him at school. Clues abound that something is amiss but in her naivete Elise fails to catch on. Subsequent serious accusations open her eyes nearly too late to salvage her reputation.
To many parents, Never Been Kissed may seem to have inappropriate subject matter for their daughters. However, at a time when my local news is reporting one high school with over ninety pregnancies and one doctor in that area reports treating pregnant girls as young as ten, my opinion is that our children are already being exposed to much more than parents realize. Never Been Kissed is one attempt to warn these teens about the dangers of inappropriate behavior and helps to point them in the direction of a Savior who can help guide them through the pitfalls around them. My daughter is now grown but I plan to pass on my copy of Never Been Kissed to a friend with a teenage daughter. I believe this is one book that both mothers and daughters should read and discuss.
This book was provided for review by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Bestselling Author Explores Teen Trend of “Sexting”
Melody Carlson helps teens understand the harsh realities of “sexting” in her latest touching and thought-provoking YA-fiction novel.
Readers will be encouraged to value purity regarding their bodies.
All Elise wants is to have her first kiss before she turns sixteen. Is that so bad? But when a friend’s poor advice and the powers of electronic technology combine, Elise heads down a dangerous road. She is accused of “sexting” and gets kicked out of school. But is she really the one to blame?
This powerful and realistic story from beloved author Melody Carlson shows teen girls the impact of their choices when it comes to respecting themselves and their integrity. Honest and relevant, Never Been Kissed will make girls laugh, cry . . . and think.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of over two hundred books, several of them Christmas novellas from Revell, including her much-loved and bestselling book, The Christmas Bus. She also writes many teen books, including Just Another Girl,Anything but Normal, the Diary of a Teenage Girl series, the TrueColors series, and the Carter House Girls series. Melody was nominated for a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her books, including the Notes from a Spinning Planet series and Finding Alice, which is in production as a Lifetime Television movie. She and her husband serve on the Young Life adult committee in central Oregon. Visit Melody’s website at www.melodycarlson.com.
It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!
You never know when I might play a wild card on you!
***Special thanks to Krista Ocier of Zondervan for sending me a review copy.***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Melody Carlson has written more than 200 books for teens, women, and children. Before publishing, Melody traveled around the world, volunteered in teen ministry, taught preschool, raised two sons, and worked briefly in interior design and later in international adoption. “I think real-life experiences inspire the best fiction,” she says. Her wide variety of books seem to prove this theory.
Catwalkand the first book in theOn The Runwayseries Premiere are sure to be a hit with teen girls whose interests include fashion, Hollywood, and reality TV. Featuring the two Forrester sisters, Paige and Erin, the series chronicles their new roles in a TV series ‘On The Runway’. Catwalk highlights the sisters’ trip to New York City for the famous Fashion Week and takes them on a whirlwind tour of designer studios, television sets, and fashion shows. As they navigate impossible time schedules and unexpected catastrophes, the sisters quickly learn that they must depend on each other and the individual strengths they both offer.
Catwalk is a fun to read story that takes the reader right into the heart of New York fashion. However Ms. Carlson manages to interject plenty of serious thoughts to ponder including dating relationships, friendship, forgiveness, and doing the right thing. That she also manages to introduce spiritual themes without seeming preachy is a major plus.
Another plus for readers of Carlson’s other series is that several familiar characters from her Carter House Girls series show up in Catwalk. I would venture to say that both Premiere and Catwalk are must reads for teen girls.
It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!
You never know when I might play a wild card on you!
***Special thanks to Krista Ocier of Zondervan for sending me a review copy.***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Melody Carlson has written more than 200 books for teens, women, and children. Before publishing, Melody traveled around the world, volunteered in teen ministry, taught preschool, raised two sons, and worked briefly in interior design and later in international adoption. “I think real-life experiences inspire the best fiction,” she says. Her wide variety of books seem to prove this theory.
It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!
You never know when I might play a wild card on you!
***Special thanks to Krista Ocier of Zondervan for sending me a review copy.***
ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Brandilyn and Amberly Collins are a mother/daughter team from northern California.
Brandilyn Collins, known for her trademark Seatbelt Suspense, is the bestselling author of Violet Dawn, Coral Moon, Crimson Eve, Eyes of Elisha, and other novels.
Amberly Collins is a college student in Long Beach, California, majoring in marketing. She’s active in her Alphi Phi sorority and dotes on her Yorkie puppy, Bear.
Here’s a video about the first book in the Rayne Series:
Product Details:
List Price: $9.99
Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Zondervan (May 7, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 031071933X
ISBN-13: 978-0310719335
Press the browse button to view the first chapter:
Final Touch is the chilling third and final book in the Rayne Tour series. In the first two books, Shaley O’Connor, daughter of a rock star, encountered danger and even murder while touring with her mother. In this final installment, Shaley finds herself in the most desperate situation of her life with no help in sight. As she faces an unthinkable future with an evil man who thinks he is a prophet of God, Shaley can depend only on herself and the Lord to deliver her to safety.
The story moves at the usual intense pace expected in books by the Collins ladies. Characters are well fleshed out with some focus on several secondary people. This one kept me turning pages until I reached the last one. Recommended for mature teens and young adults – and any other adult who enjoys suspense.
Perfectly Dateless features Daisy Crispin, a high school senior who has spent her entire life as one of the invisible kids, overlooked or ridiculed by the other kids because she just doesn’t meet their standards. Her clothing is homemade and outdated. Her parents have such strict rules that she is unable to participate in popular activities – not to mention that they can be so totally embarrassing! What is a girl to do if she wants to attend her senior prom?
Billerbeck’s narrative follows Daisy’s senior year as she determines to fit in and find a boy who will take her to the prom. Her teenage angst is tempered with plenty of humor and action as Daisy attempts what she considers a normal life despite her parents’ objections. Entries in Daisy’s journal are interspersed throughout the story and add an intimate insight into her thoughts and feelings. As Daisy makes her way through unfamiliar territory, she learns some very important lessons the hard way.
This book deals with some serious teen issues such as drugs and promiscuity. For this reason, I would recommend it only for mature teens.
Available July 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
This book was provided for review by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
The hilarious and heartwarming story of a teen
who just wants to be normal for once.
The countdown to prom has begun. Daisy Crispin has 196 days to find the right date for the prom. There’s only one problem–her parents won’t let her date or even talk to a guy on the phone. Oh, and she’s totally invisible at school, wears lame homemade clothes, and possesses no social skills. Okay, so maybe there’s more than one problem.
From bestselling author Kristin Billerbeck comes Perfectly Dateless, a hilariously endearing story about a regular high school girl, trying to fit in. Readers will fall in love with Daisy’s sharp wit and resourcefulness as she navigates the world of boys, fashion, family, and friendship.
Can Daisy talk her parents into letting her go to the prom? Or will they succeed at their obvious attempts to completely ruin her life?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Kristin Billerbeck is the bestselling, award-winning author of several novels, including What a Girl Wants. A Christy Award finalist and two-time winner of the American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year, Billerbeck has appeared on The Today Show and has been featured in the New York Times. She lives with her family in northern California.
I have a copy of Frenzy by Robert Liparulo to give away this week. It is the final installment of the six book Dreamhouse Kings series. You really don’t want to read it until you have read the first five books in the series – you need the background from the others to understand what is going on.
If you would like to win the copy of Frenzy, please leave a comment on this post no later than Friday, May 28. U. S. residents only please.
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Many links on this site are supplied by the Reviewer groups that provide the books I review. Occasionally other links may be my personal associate links.
Bestselling Author Explores Teen Trend of “Sexting”
Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of over two hundred books, several of them Christmas novellas from Revell, including her much-loved and bestselling book, The Christmas Bus. She also writes many teen books, including Just Another Girl, Anything but Normal, the Diary of a Teenage Girl series, the TrueColors series, and the Carter House Girls series. Melody was nominated for a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her books, including the Notes from a Spinning Planet series and Finding Alice, which is in production as a Lifetime Television movie. She and her husband serve on the Young Life adult committee in central Oregon. Visit Melody’s website at www.melodycarlson.com.
