"The Black Sheep" - By Yvonne Collins & Sandy Rideout

    A book about Kendra Bishop, a girl who got sick of all her parents' rules (they have a binder stuffed with them). In a cloud of fury, frustration, and hurt, Kendra writes a massive letter in which she goes on and on about how horrible her life is and sends it to a reality TV show called "The Black Sheep". She never thought that they'd actually pick her. Suddenly, she's packing her bags and getting ready to trade places with Maya, a girl from California claiming her family is worse. Thrown on a plane and forced to cope with a ever-present camera in her face, Kendra wonders what she has gotten herself into when her ride is that piece-of-junk of a van with a million tree-hugger stickers plastered all over it. Will she lose her mind with the Mulligan family? Will she ever get a chance with the attractive Mitch? And will she be stuck on this stupid show forever?

"Girl At Sea" - By Maureen Johnson

      I finished this book in about three days. I stayed up until midnight reading it because I couldn't put it down. Needless to say, it's a compelling novel.

      The main character, Clio, who is in love with the wonderful, artistic, funny, charming, and all around perfect art store clerk, Ollie, has a million plans for her summer. But all her "Ollie plans" melt as she is forced to spend a summer on a yacht with her dad in Italy. Admitting that to any normal person, Italy doesn't sound so bad, especially on a yacht, Clio's reply is "you don't know my dad". But then, there's something not so bad about being marooned on the stupid boat. Her dad's annoying girlfriend, Julia's, research assistant, Aidan. That is, if he stops being a snob enough to actually be nice to Clio.

       The story keeps you going like a mystery novel. Not only does it makes you wonder if Clio is going to fall for Aidan or stay true to plan A, Ollie. But it impels you to ask yourself questions like: What's the research about? Who is Mary Marguerite? And, most of all, what's with all the secrecy and why are they hiding it from Clio?

"Fresh Off The Boat" - By Melissa de la Cruz

My thoughts:

       I couldn't go through the torture of finishing this book. Pure anguish was it to read! I'm not a girly girl and evidently the author is -- or was trying to be. Sprinkled throughout the narration (it wasn't even the dialogue!) were the words "like", "totally" and so on. In short, I couldn't stand it!! And, generally, I don't give up on books or, if I do, I don't write reviews on it. But sheesh . . . I just had to warn you: don't waste your time on this book! I think I made it to the second chapter when I finally gave up and flipped to the back to see how the ending was. It wasn't worth it.