Review: THE LIBERATION OF ALICE LOVE - Abby McDonald *****

Will the real Alice Love please stand up?
Alice Love keeps her life running in perfect order, so when her bank card is declined, she thinks it's just a simple mistake. But she soon discovers that someone has emptied every penny from her bank account, spending her hard-earned savings on glamorous holidays, sexy lingerie, and a to-die-for wardrobe and leaving Alice with thousands of pounds' worth of debt.
With her perfectly-organised world crumbling around her, Alice enlists the help of dashing fraud investigator, Nathan, and sets about clearing her name. But as she unravels the intriguing paper trail, she makes a shocking discovery: her thief is closer to home than she ever imagined.
Following the clues from London to Rome and LA, Alice edges deeper into a seductive new world, where honesty might not be the best policy, rules are made to be broken, and the power of a gorgeous cocktail dress shouldn't be underestimated. Perhaps her alter-ego's reckless, extravagant lifestyle is the one Alice should have been leading all along...
But as her little white lies begin to stack up, how far will Alice go to find the truth? And whose life, exactly, is she fighting for?

Abby McDonald's writing career started only last year, but she's already had four books published (including this one)! I've really, really enjoyed her previous three books (Life Swap; The Popularity Rules; Boys, Bears & a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots) so you can only imagine how excited I was about this one - I started reading it almost the second it arrived, hehe. And just like her previous books, this one too was an absolutely fantastic reading experience!

The plot is quite nicely summed up above so I won't discuss it more as I don't want to spoil it for anyone. I must admit I was slightly divided about the plot - while I thought it was definitely very original, fast paced and enjoyable, I also found certain bits a tad too far fetched ... I can't really complain though as the story itself really was great and I kept wondering WHY this person did this, what their reals story was and how it would all end - luckily, I wasn't disappointed and I quite liked the ending!

The writing, as always, is fantastic - Ms McDonald was just meant to be a writer. The story flows nicely and doesn't dwell on unnecessary details, there's a lot of attitude and the dialogue is just brilliant with plenty of sass and laugh out loud moments.

I can but give two thumbs up to the characters too. I thought Alice was a great character - independant, determined, funny and all around loveable. Occassionally, I struggled to understand her motives for following that trail and doing all those things, but I do admit I liked how she changed to a more daring and funloving person because of what happened to her. The book would probably be quite boring if it was just about her old life, but due to all the changes it was anything but!
I thought pretty much all the characters were well portrayed, but the one that also stands is Nathan - oooh, I certainly cannot be blamed for developing a tiny crush on him, he was just too ... awesome! I wasn't too keen on how he reacted when he found out the truth, but overall he was just amazing and funny and dashing and ooh. ;)

All in all, I really enjoyed this book and I think it would make a fantastic film - there's a lot going on and it was all described so well that I could just see the scenes in my head. I cannot wait to read more by Abby McDonald - sadly, we'll all have to wait for nearly a year before her next book (The Anti-Prom) is out, but luckily she's already signed another two book deal, woohoo!
If you haven't read anything by her yet, then you definitely should - she writes both YA and adult books and excels in both! Strongly recommended!

overall rating:
plot: 5/5 | writing: 5/5 | characters: 5/5 | cover: 4/5

Winner of the Life Swap giveaway!

Bears, Boys and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots by Abby McDonald is out today and to mark this special occassion, I'll also be announcing the winner of my extra copy of Life Swap, Abby's excellent debut. The giveaway ended last night and there were more than 150 entries - thanks to everyone who entered! Aaaand the winner iiiiiiis ... *drumroll*

#27 - Rogrady - Book Lover!

Congrats, you lucky chick - please email me your details so I can send the book out asap!

ps: The lovely Jenn-ay from My Tea Time is Book Time posted a quick Q&A with me the other day so feel free to check that out if you'd like to learn more about yours truly. :)

Review: BOYS, BEARS AND A SERIOUS PAIR OF HIKING BOOTS by Abby McDonald **** + A GIVEAWAY!

Scroll down to see how you can
win a copy of Abby McDonald's
excellent debut novel LIFE SWAP!

Jenna may hail from the ’burbs of New Jersey, but Green Teen activism is her life, so she leaps at the chance to visit her hippie godmother, Susie, up in rural Canada. Jenna is psyched at the chance to commune with nature for the first time — and the cute, plaidwearing boys she’s certain must roam there.
But after a few run-ins with local wildlife (from a grouchy old moose, to Susie’s sullen Goth stepdaughter, to a hot but hostile boy named Reeve), Jenna gets the idea that her long-held ideals, like vegetarianism and conservation, don’t play so well with this population of real outdoorsmen. A dusty survival guide offers Jenna amusing tips on navigating the wilderness — but can she learn to navigate the turns of her heart?

I've read & loved both previous books by Abby McDonald (Life Swap/Sophmore Switch & The Popularity Rules) so I really couldn't wait to get my hands on her latest YA work and surely enough, it didn't disappoint! Abby McDonald delivers again - honestly, she writes just the kind of either YA or adult books I *love* to read!

This is the story of Jenna, who's 17 and very passionate about the environment, but her family is falling apart. Her parents are spending the summer apart and she suspects they're on the brink of divorce so in order to avoid the drama, Jenna decides to spend her summer with her godmother Susie in Stillwater, Canada. It takes Jenna a while to adapt to the wilderness, but she's determined to become friends with the local boys (Ethan, Grady & Reeve) and not let the bitchy Fiona, Susie's step-daughter, get her down. Her persistance pays off and she indeed spends a glorious summer in Canada. She goes kayaking, climbing, hiking, swimming, cycling, she falls in love properly for the first time, she encounters a moose and a bear and all that while trying to save Susie's bed and breakfast and keep her romance a secret.
Without all the distractions and limitations of the city life, Jenna lears a lot about herself and also has to reconsider everything she's so passionately fought for. She learns that things aren't as simple as she thought and she learns to put things into perspective, but everything she's been through during the summer, she learns she's now tough enough to face the music and deal with what she's been avoiding.

What's not to love about this book? The plot is quite original and far from boring and flows nicely, just like the writing. The novel features an idyllic but a crucial summer of self-discovery, it deals with friendships, broken families, homosexuality, romance, environmental issues, growing up and so much more. It's hilarious and awwwtastic and serious and empowering at the same time. The characters are very well portrayed and great to read about. Everything just works so well together and it's all so fitting - the setting, the plot, the characters, the dialogue and even the lovely cover, which is like the cherry on top.

I'm not saying that I was completely blown away by this book, but I thought it was a fantastic coming of age story that especially teenagers will easily relate to; it was a simple, quick and very enjoyable read, but it was also meaningful and just oh so lovely - it would make a great film actually! Just like the previous two books by Abby McDonald, I thoroughly enjoyed this one too and I cannot wait for more by this author - next up is her adult novel The Liberation of Alice Love (out in July) and then the rumour has it that she's already finished her next YA novel called The Anti-Prom, which comes out in 2011!

overall rating:
plot: 4/5 | writing: 4/5 | characters: 4/5 | cover: 5/5

To learn more about this promising author (she's only 25!), visit her website.
Boys, Bears and a Serious Pair of Hiking Books is officially released on April 13 and you can read the first chapter online.

* * *

And now for the GIVEAWAY! I ended up with an extra copy of Abby McDonald's fabulous debut novel LIFE SWAP (also known as Sophmore Switch in the US, my review here) and I thought this was a perfect opportunity to give it away to one lucky reader.

• the giveaway is open internationally
• it ends on April 12 at midnight your time and the winners will be announced on April 13 when Boys, Bears and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots is released
• you don't have to be a follower to be entered, all you have to do is leave a comment telling me WHO you would swap your life with (+1)
  

For extra entries:

• follow my blog (+2)
• follow Abby McDonald on Twitter (+2)
• tweet about this giveaway - provide link (+2)
• post about it on your blog/sidebar (+2)

Good luck, everyone! :)
_____

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Waiting On Wednesday: THE LIBERATION OF ALICE LOVE

I've read Abby McDonald's first two books (The Popularity Rules and Life Swap - click for my reviews) and really enjoyed them and so I'm obviously looking forward to her future releases! Luckily, she has two books coming out this year: first it's the US edition of her YA novel Boys, Bears and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots (the UK edition has been moved to 2011, boo) in April and then she has another chick lit book coming out in July - it's called The Liberation of Alice Love (the original title was A Good Girl's Guide to Deception, which I thought was fantastic!). The plot sounds great & quite intriguing (see below) and the cover is lovely too, yay! What more could a chick lit fan possibly ask for? :)

Will the real Alice Love please stand up?
Alice Love keeps her life (and boss, and family) running in perfect order, so when her bank card is declined, she thinks it's just a simple mistake. But it soon becomes clear that someone has emptied every penny from her bank account, spending her hard-earned savings on glamorous holidays, sexy lingerie, and a to-die-for wardrobe and leaving Alice with thousands of pounds worth of debt.
With her perfectly-organised world crumbling around her, Alice enlists the help of dashing fraud investigator Nathan, and sets about clearing her name. But as she unravels the intriguing paper trail, she makes a shocking discovery: her thief is closer to home than she imagined.
Following the clues from London to Rome and LA, Alice edges deeper into a seductive new world, where honesty might not be the best policy, rules are made to be broken, and the power of a gorgeous cocktail dress shouldn't be underestimated. Perhaps her alter-ego's reckless, extravagant lifestyle is the one Alice should have been leading all along...
But as her little white lies begin to stack up, how far will Alice go to find the truth?

ps: Oh and I was interviewed today by the lovely Ria from The Beaucoup Review - click here if you'd like to learn a few random things about yours truly or just visit Ria's awesome blog! She's a new blogger so show her some love. :)

Review: THE POPULARITY RULES by Abby McDonald *****

"Rule 1: All's fair in love, war and popularity ... Kat Elliot is no social butterfly: she's spent her life rebelling against phony schmoozing - and it's led her nowhere. Just as she's ready to give up her dreams and admit defeat, in steps Lauren Anderville. One-time allies against their school bullies, Lauren and Kat had been inseparable. Then one year later Lauren returned from summer camp - blonde, bubbly and suddenly popular, and Kat was left to face the world alone. Lauren finally wants to make amends by teaching Kat the secret to her success: "The Popularity Rules". A decades-old rulebook, its secrets transformed Lauren that fateful summer. And so, tempted by Lauren's promises of glitzy parties and the job she's always dreamed of, Kat reluctantly submits to a total makeover - only to find that life with the in-crowd might have something going for it after all. But while Lauren has sacrificed everything to get ahead, is Kat really ready to accept that popularity is the only prize that counts?"

Just from reading her book descriptions, I knew immediately that Abby McDonald was an author to watch. I've been waiting and longing to read her two books for months and even though the summaries sounded fantastic and right down my alley, I was still slightly worried that I was getting too excited and that I might not like the book after all. Goodness knows it's happened before and I got my hopes up for nothing, but luckily this was not the case with Ms McDonald - I thought Life Swap was a really great read, but I'm pleased to say that I found her adult debut (many thanks to Arrow Books for kindly sending me a copy!) even better!

As you can tell from the summary and the cover, this is a chick lit novel, which I generally enjoy, but the silly heroines tend to get on my nerves sometimes. So what I particularly appreciated about this novel is that it features feminist characters, which means that instead ditzy (albeit adorable) girls you get smart, independent, ambitious and strong female characters whose lifelong mission is not to find Mr Right in order to be able to exist; instead, they focus on themselves and pursue their own dreams. Feminism is something that I personally feel very strongly about and I was immensly pleased to find educated feminist references (both positive and negative) and features in both of Abby's novels. Sadly, I find that feminism is widely misunderstood and people (note that I said people, which means not only men, but also women!!) still use it as a derogatory term without even knowing what it actually stands for. I do wish feminism was featured more often in the novels so people would subtly learn what it's really all about and drop the bad stereotypes, they're really getting old. Oh, one can only wish.

Anyway, having spit that out, I can move on to the actual review and I think I'll start with the things I loved about the book (a minor one being the tubgate reference from Life Swap, that was fun, hehe).

Firstly, I really enjoyed The Popularity Rules themselves at the beginning of each chapter. Their tone was completely different (far more bitter and ruthless and blunt) to the narration and yet the two worked really well together and everything was connected - each rule applied to some situations described in the story so I have to say the novel was well structrued. As trivial and shallow as they may be, I think they actually provide some excellent advice, and while I wouldn't be surprised if some/many people looked down on them, I think smart people will take the advice and make the best of it. Obviously, they're not to be taken too seriously, but The Rules really do help if you want to achieve something in life. If there's one thing I've learned in the past years is that "being yourself" is naive and stupid and it'll get you nowhere. It may sound bitter, but wahey. The Rules take this to the next stage and offer some advice on how to become who you want to be and achieve what you want. According to the book, it takes a lot of determination and manipulation and effort and time, but some people would think the prize is worth it. But is it really? Having recently experienced all the pros and cons of the so-called popularity, that is something that Kat has to decide on for herself.

Secondly, I really liked the characters, despite the fact that most of the side ones were quite one dimensional (Gabi, Oscar, Kat's mother, Whitney, Jessica etc.), but I didn't mind too much since I thought they all added to the story regardless. I found Lauren slightly underdeveloped as well, but I suppose that's due to the fact that she hardly ever drops her mask and is very reserved, which is clearly described in the novel. My favourite character was obviously Kat, the independent girl who's never afraid to give everyone a piece of her mind. However, being herself and flaunting it and only gotten Kat into big trouble and cost her her beloved job. Kat is a very unlikely candiadate to succumb to The Popularity Rules, but seeing how she struggled after being fired and having everything offered to her on a plate, I could understand why she decided to do it, albeit reluctantly. It is also clear to see why she eventually got very caught up in it and why she still made the final decision. Yes, Kat had her annoying moments, but on the whole I really quite warmed up to her.

There are many things I can say about this novel (obviously, since this review is slowly turning into an essay, lol), but sadly I can't say that it's very plot driven. I admit I found it a bit slow paced at times, but luckily the fun yet smart dialogue made up for it and made the novel very enjoyable. I liked how the dialogue was very real and modern and how both pop references and educated talk was all mixed together.

All in all, I have to say I *really* enjoyed this novel. I thought it was an outstanding adult debut, especially since the author is only 24 (i.e. my age - gee, thanks, Abby; way to make other supposedly successful 24-year-olds feel like complete losers and idiots. :p) I thought the book was well written and very easy to read with great characters and fantastic dialogue and some useful advice. Take it or leave it, it's up to you, but either way I strongly recommend this book if you're in the mood for some amazing escapism! But don't just take my word for it, feel free to read Chloe's review too. :) If you haven't already, check out my previous post about the book with a video (or two) and a link to the official book site, woo.

overall rating: 5/5
plot: 4/5 | writing: 5/5 | characters: 5/5 | cover: 5/5

Review: LIFE SWAP by Abby McDonald

"Take an administrative snafu, a bad break-up, and what shall heretofore be known as “The Hot-Tub Incident”, and you’ve got two thoroughly unprepared sophomores on a semester abroad. For American party girl Tasha, an escape to tweedy Oxford may be a chance to ditch her recent fame as a tabloid temptress, but wading Uggs-deep in feminist theory is not her idea of a break. Meanwhile, the British half of the exchange, studious control-freak Emily, nurses an aching heart amid the bikinis and beer pong of U. C. Santa Barbara. Soon desperation has the girls texting each other tips – on fitting in, finding love and figuring out who they really are. With an anthropologist’s eye for cultural detail and a true ear for teen-speak, exciting new novelist Abigail McDonald crafts a very funny, fast-paced, poignant look at survival, sisterhood, and the surprising ways we discover our true selves."

I've been looking forward to reading this book for months and I was so happy when I finally received my copy for review (many thanks to Walker Books for sending it!) I started reading it immediately and I'm pleased to say the book lived up to my expectations!

As you can tell from the blurb, it's a story about two girls who are running away from either a scandal or a break up and are trying to rediscover themselves so they decide to take part in an exchange that requires them to change swap their lives for a few months. The girls couldn't be more different (learn more about them at the official book site) so in the process of switching lives with each other they also learn a lot about themselves.

The story itself is simple and maybe a bit predictable, but still great fun to read. Everything is so vividly described that I could just picture all the action and I think the story would make a great film, which I'd definitely watch! As for the book, I found it well written (especially since the author is so young (24/my age!!) and this is her debut) and very easy to read. The voices of the two main characters were nicely distinguished and I could easily tell which one of them was telling the story without checking at the beginning of the chapter. However, I did find the characters slightly stereotypical, but luckily that didn't affect my enjoyment of the story, I still got sucked right in and nearly finished it in one sitting. Personally, I could really relate to Emily - there were a few things about her that read quite close to home, hehe.

One thing though: back at home, Tasha was involved in this "scandal" when she was caught in a hot tub topless and making out with another girl's boyfriend and the story made it into all the tabloids etc. Anyway, I couldn't really comprehend why the characters in the second half of the book were making such a big deal out of it?! Sure, it's not something to be proud of, but surely it's not bad enough to break up friendships? Personally, I thought the UK characters very really overreacting, especially in this day and age when nudity is hardly a big deal. Yes, she was caught drunk and topless and making out with a taken guy, but she's a teenager and it happened months ago - I understand the parents were majorly upset and it affected her US friendships, but I couldn't really see why such a silly thing would undermine the whole project she was working on? I thought Will's reaction was particularly out of character and I admit I was sort of disappointed with him when he seemed like such a nice guy.

On the whole, I really enjoyed this novel, just like I expected to! It's a quick and simple read, but very enjoyable - pure escapism! The book was originally published in the US as Sophmore Switch and it even has its own website, which you can check out here. The cover is below on the left and next to it is the original UK cover, which was later changed to the one you can see above.

Which of the three do you prefer?

Personally, I can't really decide between the UK ones - I think I like the original (pink & grey) one better since it's more elegant, but the new one stands out far more (even though I'm not too sure about the pink & orange combination) and that's always a plus. At least none of the irritates me and I think it's great when the cover matches the story, and in this case it sure does in any case so I can't complain!

overall rating: 4/5
plot: 4/5 | writing: 4/5 | characters: 4/5 | cover: 4/5

New release: THE POPULARITY RULES by Abby McDonald

Some of you may remember that back in June I got all excited about a book called Life Swap by Abby McDonald? Well, as it turns out, Abby has another book coming out soon, chicklit this time titled The Popularity Rules. (By the way, how stunning is the cover?!)

Kat Elliot is no social butterfly: she’s spent her life rebelling against phony schmoozing – and it’s led her precisely nowhere. She’s about ready to admit defeat when she receives an unexpected offer from Lauren Anderville. One-time allies against their boarding school bullies, Lauren and Kat had been inseparable. That is until one year Lauren returned from summer camp a different girl, blonde, bubbly and suddenly popular, and Kat was left to face the world alone.
But Lauren finally wants to make amends. She has a secret to share that explains her betrayal all those years ago. That fateful summer, Lauren discovered The Popularity Rules: a decades-old secret rulebook that can transform anyone into the girl everyone wants to be.
Tempted by glitzy parties, hot contacts, and the job she’s always dreamed of, Kat reluctantly submits to a total make over – only to find that life in the in-crowd might have something going for it after all. But while Lauren has sacrificed everything to get ahead, maybe Kat isn’t quite ready to accept that popularity is the only prize that counts…

Yeah, you're right, this is hardly news since it's been announced ages ago, but the other day, Abby posted a video on her Twitter, featuring random women's thoughts on popularity (see below).

I love the video, the girls in it are adorable and they also come up with some good answers, which sort of got me thinking ... I understand the concept of popularity and all, but really what causes it? I can think of some supposedly popular people, but would have a hard time explaining what makes them popular or admired. It's not always looks or material things, there has to be more, this crucial secret ingredient, hehe. Anyway, you can join the discussion on popularity at the official book website or provide your thoughts in the comments. :) Either way, I'm really looking forward to reading how Abby will tackle the subject. If you want to know more, then be sure to check out Chloe's review - glad to hear she really liked the book! . My review will be up as soon as I get a chance to read the book. :)

ps: While we're on the subject, I'd also like to take this opportunity to post an AWESOME music video Popular by Nada Surf. I looooove the song (recommended by a cool person ages ago) and since it takes the piss out of popularity I thought it was quite fitting, hehe. The song features The Teenage Guide to Popularity and Abby's book contains secrets from a book called The Popularity Rules - I wonder if there will be any similarities? :) Anyway, just watch this fantastic video! :)

Just discovered another promising book!

Instead of working on stuff that really needs my attention, I was randomly browsing the net for books (typical!) and I came across this gem below and I'm really excited, it sounds just my cup of tea!

"Who better than a twenty-four-year-old author to satirize the college experience? An uptight Brit and a hard-partying American swap lives in the smartest comedy of the season. Take an administrative snafu, a bad break-up, and what shall heretofore be known as "The Hot-Tub Incident", and you've got two thoroughly unprepared sophomores on a semester abroad. For American party girl Tasha, an escape to tweedy Oxford may be a chance to ditch her recent fame as a tabloid temptress, but wading Uggs-deep in feminist theory is not her idea of a break. Meanwhile, the British half of the exchange, studious control-freak Emily, nurses an aching heart amid the bikinis and beer pong of U.C. Santa Barbara. Soon desperation has the girls texting each other tips - on fitting in, finding love and figuring out who they really are. With an anthropologist's eye for cultural detail and a true ear for teen-speak, exciting new novelist Abigail McDonald crafts a very funny, fast-paced, poignant look at survival, sisterhood, and the surprising ways we discover our true selves. This is a humorous debut novel by young author. It is presented by a sophisticated chick lit."

There are so many things that I already love about this book, namely that the author is my age and that it includes mentions of feminist theory, plus it appears to feature a rather interesting life swap! I wouldn't mind ordering the hardback (titled Sophmore Switch) as the price is the last thing I care about when it comes to books, but the truth is that I much prefer both the paperback title (Life Swap) and the cover so I'm opting for that one. The only downside is that I'll have to wait for 76 (!) days for it to be published, grr. I hate hate hate waiting for books, it just kills me, but oh well, time flies anyway, it'll be September in no time.