Sleepless by Terri Clark

With a cover like that, Terri Clark's Sleepless is pretty much guaranteed to be a cute read. And, in my opinion, all cute reads must be fun, fast and funny-the three F's. And this book is all three-with maybe, another F thrown in:  Freaky Stalker-Murderer.

Years ago, Trinity helped in the capture of Rafe, a crazed murderer. And, she did it by dreaming. Ever since she was seven, Trinity's been able to "dream walk". Simply put, her dreams put her in the position of knowing things that she doesn't want to know. Now 18, her life's at risk because of that very "gift".  Rafe has escaped and all he wants is to kill her. 

Minus the supernatural plotline, Sleepless is very stereotypical. Trinity is "Goth Girl" and her best friend-"Soccer Star". They're hoping that this year will be a "summer of change". Trinity meets a hot guy who she's suspicious of at first and then...well, you can guess what happens. The beginning of the book turned me off because of this but I continued after reading this review. 

So, despite all that, is it strange to say that I liked it? The characters own up to the stereotypes right away and after a bumpy few chapters, the story becomes, well, fun, fast, and funny. The novel is peppered with slang, and while sometimes some of the dialogue rang untrue, most of it was realistic.  But, the main reason why I liked it was because of Trinity. She's a tough, sarcastic character and reading the novel through her narration alternated between being mostly amusing, sometimes scary and never boring. 

So, a 7/10 for this book-a happy, go and read it or I will send a creepystalkermurderer after you. Just kidding.

Happy Reading,

RR2 (with RR1)

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Has the apocalypse hit? Have pigs finally flown?

No, but close. The Rabbits have posted a book review! *cue fainting, gasps, etc*

Yep, it's been a long time.  But Hunger Games is a good way to get back in the swing of things.

You know how it is when you first finish a book in a series-you always want the next one. For me  that feeling usually dies off within ten minutes at best.  But, with the Hunger Games, even two months after first reading it, I can still feel an aching need to read the next book. Right. NOW.

Let's be blunt here. No secrets between friends, right? I did not expect the Hunger Games to be good.  When I first received a copy, in late August, the premise caught my attention. But, I did not read it then- having read Suzanne Collins' Underland Chronicles I did not think she would be able to pull off a book so dark and so heartrending. Sure, she could tell a darn good story (I mean, her novels were interesting enough for me to want to read about rats!) and written fine, but I just couldn't see her carrying off The Hunger Games.

 I was proved wrong. Oh, so wrong. In fact,  if I hadn't already known, I never would have suspected that the two novels were written by the same author because of the difference in tone.

The Hunger Games is the story of Katniss, a young girl fighting to survive in the Capitol. It's a human eat human world out there-and the government is all too willing to show it. Every year, one guy and one girl are drawn out of the twelve districts. Then, the Hunger Games begin. The rules of the game are simple. Whoever comes out alive, wins. And, Katniss is a competitor.

Utterly captivating. From the moment you meet Katniss and Gale, you can tell they've lived a pretty rough life. Katniss isn't that likeable at first, but as soon as she mentions the Hunger Games you'll be interested enough to keep reading until she wins you over. Of course, the other characters help along with that. Some of my favourites included Peeta and the costume designer (whose name has slipped my mind-it started with a C?). The rules of the game are barbarous and the stakes are high-made even higher when you meet Peeta, the other competitor from Katniss's district. Unfortunately for Katniss, Peeta is a likeable guy. It complicates things for Katniss and for the reader-after all, we really don't want him to die.

 Throughout the novel, the characters experience extremes of emotion and you're there experiencing it with them. 

The book has a definite appeal. The suspense, the romance, the frightening plotline) and sympathetic characters will probably bring in a large-and well deserved audience. It's easily, easily one of the better books of the year. 

9/10 

Happy Reading,

RR2 (with RR1)

PS: For all you Americans (and whoever else celebrates thanksgiving today: HAPPY THANKSGIVING. We had ours last month. xD

I'm...

rereading Twilight. (Yet...again)
Was away over the weekend)
And have an insane amount of math homework.

So hopefully reviews will start popping up again soon.
Soon:?

Anyways, what have you guys been reading? (And if you're reviewers: what's coming up next on?"

Oh the horror.

Have to go and copy the math answers draw some ugly graphs now.

Twilight was ...

AN EPIC FAIL

FAILFAILFAIL.
(failure to the point of it being actually really funny)

More on it later but, if you have seen it, what do you think?

Twilight: the Movie

It's coming out tomorrow! F.I.N.A.L.L.Y!

*shudder*
But I'm scared that it'll totally massacre the plot. And the characters. And be overly cheesy.

Oh well. I do like Kristin Stewart as Bella. She's not a disaster, at least. But Robert Pattinson? He'll always be Cedric Diggory to me. As a friend of mine said, "Edward's supposed to be an angel. Robert's got that hot farm-boy look to him, but he'll never pull it off."

Sadly, I'm in total agreement with this statement. Plus, he's British and I *know* (and a few reviews have said) that his accent will pop up in the movie. British accents are pretty damn fine, but in this case...pleasegodno.

Besides the leads, I'll just comment on a few more roles.

Ashley Greene seems to be able to pull of Alice well but her other half, Jasper, Jackson Rathbone is an epic fail, IMO. Maybe when I actually watch the movie, he won't suck as bad as I'm sure he will.

Also, Nikki Reed isn't my ideal Rosalie Hale but then again, it's hard to live up to the title of "Most Beautiful Woman in the World."

Everyone else, I pretty much have no opinion on. Except for Taylor Lautner. If he ruins Jacob, I'm going to *insertviolentamdeaninglessthreat*. And I hate the wig he has to wear. It's fugly. And so is he. Grr.

Le sigh. Jacob in the books is awesome. And now he won't be :(

I remember that when I first won Twilight way back before it was famous. (Think 4 years ago, little 13 year old me won a copy of Twilight. If I hadn't won it, I would have probably never read it...)

Anyways, needless to say, I loved it. And I thought Jacob was really interesting, so all was not horrible when New Moon came out (and I got it a week early! Yay for Chapters and their shipping mistakes!).

And even in Eclipse, Jacob was still one of my favorites. (Don't be a hater! Don't you feel sorry for him at all!?!)

But Breaking Dawn ruined him. And the whole series. Oh well, I was hoping this movie would redeem him but I guess not.

Anyways, how did you guys discover Twilight and what do you think of the casting? And WHEN are you going to go see the movie?

I know I'm going to see the movie tomorrow. Even if I'm not allowed. *ahem.*

Happy Watching,
Reader Rabbit

T'is in the wee hours of the morning...

Or more accurately, it's 12:26 AM.

I'm writing an evil English paper and for some reason (Iwanttoprocrastinate)I want to share it with you.

So you can be 1/10th as bored as me.

It's on the short story Horses of the Night by Margaret Laurence and The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman.

Have any of you had to read any of those stories for English class (or *gasp* for fun...[they are great stories though, especially the former IMO!])

Gah. Ignore my lack of coherence. I. NEED. SLEEP!

And so here's a snippet of my supremely badly written paper(so many errors *dies*) :
Individuals faced with adversity may choose to fight against it; however, if they are overcome by the adversity, they may begin to live in an imaginary world. In “Horses of the Night” by Margaret Laurence the protagonist, Chris, is unable to achieve his dreams because of the Great Depression. Similarly, In “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gillman, the protagonist is suppressed by her husband and is unable to break free. . At the start of “Horses of the Night,” we are introduced to Chris through Vanessa’s eyes. The child of a poor farmer, Chris fantasizes of the life he wishes to have. He aspires to become an engineer and build bridges like “the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.” (287) Unfortunately, when Chris is unable to procure money for university tuition because of the Great Depression, he refuses to give up. Instead, he creates plans to aid him in making money. He chooses to become a “travelling salesman” and attempts to sell vacuums, magazine subscriptions and sock knitters. Determined to make money, Chris refuses to back down and strives to meet his goal. Similarly, the protagonist from “The Yellow Wallpaper” is opposed with adversities, though of a different nature. A victim of post-partum depression, the protagonist is forced to follow a strict regime created by her doctor husband, John. “John is practical in the extreme,” and forbids the narrator to write and “relieve the press of ideas”(335) on her. She is unable to discuss her feelings though she “get(s) unreasonably angry with John sometimes”(332) because of his close-mindedness. Despite her husband having forbidden her to write, at first the protagonist “write(s) for a while in spite of”(332) her not being allowed. When first faced with adversity, the protagonist refuses to concede to her husband and writes in secret. Both protagonists, as they first begin to face adversity, attempt to overcome it.

Bored to tears?
I am.
*cry*

And now I ought to get back to work.

Suprised if you're still reading this,
Reader Rabbit

Disclaimer: Ms. Tuba, in case you think that a student in your class plagarized this paper from this blog...that is not the case. I am the student in question. Please don't fail me. Thanks.

Savvy by Ingrid Law

For most people, turning thirteen is just turning thirteen. Sure, you've become a teenager but, still, it shouldn't be that big of a deal.

But it is in Mibs' family.

When her oldest brother, Rocket, turned 13, he caused a blackout. Of the entire town.

And, Fish, her other brother, caused a hurricane on his 13th birthday.

Because, in Mibs' family, on their thirteenth birthday, they get a savvy. A certain kind of know-how. Just like, Rocket has an electrical savvy and Fish, a weather savvy.

But, then, the day before Mibs birthday her dad is in a terrible accident. And he might die.

And, then, on her way to save her father, she, along with her two brothers and the preacher's kids, jumps on a bus. The only problem-it's going the wrong way.

I was drawn to this book because of the title, Savvy. And the concept of the savvies did not disappoint. However, the novel was more about Mibs and her family relationships then the savvy so I admit the first time around, I skimmed the book for sections about savvies. After that, I went back and read the whole book and was able to appreciate how well Ingrid Law delved into Mibs' relationships. Ingrid Law proceeded to put in some loveable characters such as good ol' Larry (the bus driver), Will Junior (one of the preacher's kids) and Samson (her brother). Anyway, Mibs made an excellent narrator and besides herdadsdyingwhat'smysavvygoingtobe Mibs had realistic thirteen-year old problems-problems which the 9-12 year old crowd will find easy to relate to (although it you're older than that, definitely do not write it off-I really enjoyed it).  She's a bit impulsive at times but naturally that made for a better read. I wouldn't only recommend this book to fantasy readers but also to those who like realistic fiction.

Final Verdict: Despite not being much about savvies, Ingrid Law makes this novel worth reading because of her motley array of characters and Mibs' storytelling. 

Characters: 8/10

Plot: 7/10

Originality: 8/10

Overall: 8/10

Happy Reading,

RR2

Must've Done Something Good by Cheryl Cory

On a particularly turbulent flight, Sylvie O'Rourke vows, with her sister as witnesses ,that she'll do something good, as long as she survives the flight. When they're all back on safe ground, her sisters, Kate and Meg, keep on badgering Sylvie until she finally agrees to do something. That something is to take up a teaching position (never mind that she doesn't have a teaching degree) at the rundown St. Matthews High School. At her new job, Sylvie manages internal and external conflicts; a fellow (goodlooking) teacher snubs her, she just might have feelings for another new teacher and tries to make a difference in the lives of the kids she's teaching.

Cheryl Cory's first novel was very enjoyable. The book was light, funny and the characters (with the exception of the "bad guy") were charming. Sylvie's antics throughout the book were fun to read as you could tell that she was trying to make a difference in the life of her students. Also, Sylvie's sisters and mother were an excellent addition to the story.

However, I felt that the students could have been better fleshed out and they didn't seem to be their age (15). I would have found it more believable if they were actually 13 or so as they're speech and problems seemed to be younger. The ending romance of the book was also rushed, though it was pretty sweet.

Overall, if you're looking for a fun read, you might want to try Must've Done Something Good.

Rating:

Readability: 7/10

Originality: 6/10

Characters 7/10

Happy Reading,

Reader Rabbit

AND THE WINNER IS....

So, in our hearts *ahem*, you are all winners. Hence the following link. Watch it. Or else!!

THE LINK

*drumroll*

Now the real winners are:
TEMPESTT has won Teen Talks TOUGH TIMES!
CHELSIE has won Teen Talks GROWING UP!!
AMEE wins Teen Talks RELATIONSHIPS
CPULLUM wins PRETEEN TALKS

Winners, email us ASAP with your address so we can get your prize out to you! If I don't get a reply in 5 days...I'm picking someone else.

THANKS!!

Blog Roll

In the layout change we lost all our widgets and along with that...our lovely link list.

I got some of them back up but I know we're missing some.

Probably tons.

So leave a comment with your blog name and link if we're missing you!!

And on another note, we'll be drawing the contest winners from http://readerrabbit.blogspot.com/2008/10/chicken-soup-teen-talk-giveaway-and.html right now!

Look out for who WINS.

Must Love Black by Kelly McClymer

NANNY FOR 10-YR-OLD TWINS. MAINE COAST. OWN ROOM & GENEROUS SALARY. MUST LOVE BLACK.

That's the advertisement that catches Phillipa's eye. Goth girl that she is, Phillipa knows that this job is the perfect one for her. How hard can babysitting 10 year old twins be? Except when she meets the twins, Phillipa realizes that she has her work cut out for her...in teaching the twins how to have fun.

On top of all that, Phillipa thinks she's met the man of her dreams. Geoff is the garderner and it seems that he's going out with their bright-pink clad, stick in the mud fellow worker.

This book was blah. It had promise but it didn't follow up at all.
There wasn't even really a conflict in this book.
Seriously, this book really went nowhere. There was so much potential but...it just puttered out.

There was so much room for character development, romantic development and conflict.
Instead, everything was glossed over quickly. For example, Geoff and Phillipa's "relationship" was like a sentence long.

The ending was super-rushed as well. I swear, there should have at least been another 15 pages but nope. Nothing.

There was no depth at all to anything.


Actually, this book was so shallow, I don't think I can even say much more about it. There's nothing to discuss.

And that's why I reccommend that you steer clear of Must Love Black.

RATING:
Originality: 2/10
Characters: 3//10
Readability:4/10
Overall: 3/10

Mopey Reading,
Reader Rabbit

Meme!!

From Eli (http://heretherebeeli.blogspot.com/)

1. Put Your iTunes, Windows Media Player, Winamp, etc on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.
4. Put the artist after a dash following the song name.
5. Put any comments in brackets.
6. Tag some lucky people to spread the disease.

How would you describe yourself? Rain Awhile-Stabilo [RR1]
How do you feel today?
The Boys are Too Refined- The Hush Sound [RR1]

What is your life's purpose?It's Time to Dance-Panic at the Disco [RR1]
What is your motto?
Not your concern- The Hush Sound

What do you think about very often?
Starlight- Muse [RR1]
What is your life story?
Broken- Amy Lee and Seether [RR1]

What do you want to be when you grow up?American Idiot- Green Day [RR1] lmfao. yeah right.
What will you dance to at your wedding?
Rest of My Life- Unwritten Law [RR1]

What will they play at your funeral?Say Goodnight- The Click Five [RR1] ...that's a bit weird.

What is your hobby/interest?
Fallen- Sarah McLachlan (O,O ew what type of hobby is that)
If you could do anything right now, what would it be?
Shut Up and Smile-Bowling for Soup [RR1]

What do you want most of all?All you wanted- Michelle Branch. (um..ok)[RR1]

What is your greatest fear?Imaginary-Evanescence [RR1]

What is your darkest secret?Dirty Little Secret- All American Rejects (harhar)[RR1]

What is your favorite thing in the world?The Pros and Cons of Breathing- Fall Out Boy [RR1]

If you could have one wish, what would you wish for?
Dancing in the Moonlight-Toploader[RR1]

What is your theme song?Holiday-Boys Like Girls[RR1]
The next time you hear this song (aside from now, that is), you must dance.Bad Day-Daniel Powter[RR1]
What will you post this as?Wild Hope-Mandy Moore [RR1]

I tag... Ambeen and Reviewer X

Thanks for stopping by!

Hmm.

What do you all think of http://virtuealert.blogspot.com/2008/10/is-ttyl-on-your-school-library-book.html that.

For some reason this woman seems to think that TTYL by Lauren Myracle is evil.

Enjoy reading her post.

I "loled."