Mixed Messages by Jahnna N. Malcolm

Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Pub. Date: December 28th 2004
Age Range: 12 and up
Pages: 208
Format: Paperback
Source Of Copy: from the publisher - S&S

Jade has had it for Zephyr forever. But you can only crush on a guy for so long. And with graduation just around the corner, it's now or never. Jade writes Zephyr a love letter. Only Zephyr never gets the letter. Adam gets the letter. It's a huge disaster and total embarrassment....

Then again, maybe not.


A short light hearted book about teenage love. If you're looking for something that will cheer you up for a short time, this may be your book.

The story is just as simple as the synopsis sounds. A lovely mixed message was delivered and one thing led to another, a couple was born. The tone is sweet and bright, the characters adorable and the messages creative but sweet.

I really like Jade, she's tough, passionate for music but she's kind of silly and crazy like all girls her age. Adam is also a boy you will remember, artistic and nice to people. What I don't like about the book is that it's too short and the relationship development isn't as great as I expected.

Bottom line: A cute book to kill time. Skip if you want something impressive or deep.

Rating: 3/5

Sing Me To Sleep Trailer

Check out the lovely trailer of Angela Morrison's upcoming book.



Love it? Come back in March for a chance to win a signed copy : D

Swoon by Nina Malkin

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Pub. Date: May 2009
Age Range: Young Adult
Pages: 432

Sin is coming...prepare to swoon.

Torn from her native New York City and dumped in the land of cookie-cutter preps, Candice is resigned to accept her posh, dull fate. Nothing ever happens in Swoon, Connecticut...until Dice's perfect, privileged cousin Penelope nearly dies in a fall from an old tree and her spirit intertwines with that of a ghost. His name? Sinclair Youngblood Powers. His mission? Revenge. And while Pen is oblivious to the possession, Dice is all too aware of Sin. She's intensely drawn to him — but not at all crazy about the havoc he's wreaking.

Determined to exorcise the demon, Dice accidentally sets Sin loose, gives him flesh, makes him formidable. Now she must destroy an even more potent — and irresistible — adversary before the whole town succumbs to Sin's will. Only trouble is, she's in love with him.

What do you do when the boy of your dreams is too bad to be true?


A dark, suspicious tale of revenge, birth and magic that will satisfy a certain amount of paranormal fans.

My first impression of this book is that the writing is very graceful. Every word seems to be chosen very carefully. It brings the story a very elegant atmosphere, and with the background it's somewhat classic too. I'm not sure if it's a good or bad thing because even though I love those beautiful words, they're all big ones that I have no choice but have to look up in the dictionary to understand.

The darkness is what I like about this story. Sin and his plot for vengeance, Pen and her strange behaviors do bring chill sometimes to me. It keeps me wondering and wondering about what Sin is to do next and how Dice does to stop him. The best part about the book, in my opinion, is when we get to learn about Sin's past. It's gloomily painful.

I'm not exactly thrilled with Candice's personalities because even though she keeps telling herself to fight back to Sin, what she does all the time is to be very desperate and she seems to fall in love with Sin in rocket speed. Pen, however, is a very interesting character. She isn't the bad girl from the start, that's why it's kind of fun to see her do dark things.

The ending isn't very impressive but I guess it can still be satisfying. Recommended for fans of paranormal.


Rating: 3.5/5

Waiting On Wednesday (50)

Idea taken from Breaking The Spine

Take Me There by Caroleen Dean

Dylan has a bad-boy past and a criminal record. He knows that rich, beautiful Jess is way too good for him—but she has always been the one person who sees through his tough exterior and straight to his heart, and he has been hopelessly in love with her from the first time they met. He would change his life for a chance with her.

But trouble follows Dylan wherever he goes, and a deadly mistake soon forces him to hit the road and leave his dreams behind. He's on the run and in search of answers—answers to questions he wishes he'd never asked.

A bad boy who wants to redeem and a good girl that doesn't seem to fit with him at all - typical plot right? Still I feel something very interesting about it, especially the fact that Dylan has a criminal record and the likes. I expect a great story about finding one's self and well-developed relationship between the two. What do you think?

Let the book take you to whenever on July 20, 2010

In My Mailbox (48)

Idea taken from The Story Siren



Jekel Loves Hyde by Beth Fantaskey.

Jill Jekel has always obeyed her parents’ rules – especially the one about never opening the mysterious, old box in her father’s office. But when her dad is murdered, and her college savings disappear, she's tempted to peek inside, as the contents might be key to a lucrative chemistry scholarship.

To better her odds, Jill enlists the help of gorgeous, brooding Tristen Hyde, who has his own dark secrets locked away. As the team of Jekel and Hyde, they recreate experiments based on the classic novel, hoping not only to win a prize, but to save Tristen’s sanity. Maybe his life. But Jill’s accidental taste of a formula unleashes her darkest nature and compels her to risk everything – even Tristen’s love – just for the thrill of being… bad.

I got only one book (again) this week but this is the one that I've been waiting for a really long time and it sounds just perfect for a mysterious and romantic read. I heard from other bloggers that Beth's debut novel was great so I have high expectation for this one.


Thanks Beth and Jennifer from Houghton Mifflin for this ARC : )


So buddies, what have you got?

WIld Rose by Deb Caletti

Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pub.Date: March 25th 2008
Age Range: Young Adult
Pages: 320
Format: Paperback
Source Of Copy: from the publisher - S&S

Seventeen-year-old Cassie Morgan lives with a time bomb (a.k.a. her stepfather, Dino Cavalli). To the public, Dino is a world-renowned violin player and composer. To Cassie, he's an erratic, self-centered bully. And he's getting worse: He no longer sleeps, and he grows increasingly paranoid. Before, Cassie was angry. Now she is afraid.

Enter Ian Waters: a brilliant young violinist, and Dino's first-ever student. The minute Cassie lays eyes on Ian she knows she's doomed. Cassie thought she understood that love could bring pain, but this union will have consequences she could not have imagined.

In the end, only one thing becomes clear: In the world of insanity, nothing is sacred....

A nice different story about life, love and passion for music, a read I would recommend to those who love slow and meaningful stories.

This is the second book of Deb Caletti that I read and I have to say it's much better than Honey Baby Sweetheart. The style of writing is still the same - elegant, smooth and focuses more on the thoughts and emotions instead of conversations or actions. However, the plot is, to me, more interesting - more dramas, more conflicts, more insanity and the likes.

Music is a subject that is explored very well in this book. It's different as well, because the author just doesn't tell us how music enlightens people or inspire them, she also shows us a new side of it. Sometimes, for certain reasons, music can be a burden that drives people crazy. Take Mr. Dino for a perfect example.

I think Cassie is a nice character but I don't like the fact that she's quite meek. She gets upset easily and it's pretty hard to understand how she falls for Ian that fast. It sounds like they've known each other forever when the truth is that they've just met. I mean their relationship is lovely but the start is not very convincing. Although I don't like Mr. Dino much, he's my favorite character from the book. He's quite unusual, he has an interesting past and yeah, he's kind of crazy.

A book fans of Deb Caletti shouldn't miss. For non-fans, try it if you have a chance.

Rating: 3.5/5

By The Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead by Julie Ann Peters

Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Pub. Date: January 5th 2008
Age Range: Young Adult
Pages: 224
Format: ARC
Source Of Copy: from author - Julie Ann Peters

Daelyn Rice is broken beyond repair, and after a string of botched suicide attempts, she's determined to get her death right. She starts visiting a website for "completers"- www.through-the-light.com.

While she's on the site, Daelyn blogs about her life, uncovering a history of bullying that goes back to kindergarten. When she's not on the Web, Daelyn's at her private school, where she's known as the freak who doesn't talk.

Then, a boy named Santana begins to sit with her after school while she's waiting to for her parents to pick her up. Even though she's made it clear that she wants to be left alone, Santana won't give up. And it's too late for Daelyn to be letting people into her life. Isn't it?


This is an excellent book on one of the very heavy subjects: suicide. Portrayed in a very dark, scary and straightforward way, Daelyn Rice's story will have a great impacts on whoever is concerned in such an issue.

By The Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead the first book by Julie Ann Peters that I read and I'm pretty impressed. Her writing is bold, fearless to the point that you cannot imagine things like that happen in real life but on the other hand, you know they do, somewhere out of your sight. Story about a girl's progress of ending her life is something you may find in other books, but the thing that makes this oneadmirable is that the everything feels very raw to the core. Also there's a kind of blankness that I feel from the main character.

Needless to state, the mood of this book is dark and kind of desperate. What amazes me is the the author's idea to create the website Daelyn goes to to prepare everything for her death. It's plain creepy how they analyze ways to commit suicide, how badly they users are treated and how determined they are to leave it all behind. So if you have a delicate soul, this book may not be good for you since it won't let your mind at rest any minute.

Daelyn is a character some can relate to and some cannot, in my opinion. I feel scared for her most of the time and I'm so mad at people who hurt her too. As a protagonist, she's a great success since she captures our full attention. However, the person you'll love the most from the story is Santana. He might not be the most outstanding male character out there but he can put a smile into your face and makes you feel hopeful about life again. Because he proves that there are still ones who come to us with warm hearts and open arms yet expect nothing in return at all.

The story ends with a strong message: death is not the ultimate answer to life miseries. If you just open yourself a little bit more, may you find more meaningful things or great people that make you want to enjoy every minute of life.

Rating: 4/5

Waiting On Wednesday (49)

Idea taken from Breaking The Spine.

Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

In NEVERMORE, cheerleader Isobel falls for Poe-fan Varen--but will she be able to save him from the madness taking hold of his mind?

Gotta say that I don't love the cover much but the vibe of this story is totally great. A touch of science mixed with fantasy. And don't forget the dark romance. We have yet to know much about the plot so I'm much more curious about this book.


What does nevermore mean? Find out on Aug 31st 2010

Mini reviews: Princess Of The MIdnight Ball by Jessica Day George & Just One Wish by Janette Ralisson

These are nice books but I don't have much to say about them (except the fact that they're nice?)



Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Pub.Date: Jan 20th 2009
Age Range: 12 and up
Pages: 280
Format: ARC
Source Of Copy: from fellow blogger - Lenore.

A tale of twelve princesses doomed to dance until dawn… Galen is a young soldier returning from war; Rose is one of twelve princesses condemned to dance each night for the King Under Stone. Together Galen and Rose will search for a way to break the curse that forces the princesses to dance at the midnight balls. All they need is one invisibility cloak, a black wool chain knit with enchanted silver needles, and that most critical ingredient of all—true love—to conquer their foes in the dark halls below. But malevolent forces are working against them above ground as well, and as cruel as the King Under Stone has seemed, his wrath is mere irritation compared to the evil that awaits Galen and Rose in the brighter world above. Captivating from start to finish, Jessica Day George’s take on the Grimms’ tale The Twelve Dancing Princesses demonstrates yet again her mastery at spinning something entirely fresh out of a story you thought you knew.


A very elegant and beautifully written fairy tale retelling. It has quite a lot of changes and more sensible details - like why the twelve princesses have to leave to dance at night and how they react to such strange happenings. The characters are genuinely nice, especially Galen. However, I wish to see more actions in their fight to free themselves. Also, the story is different, but if you expect a wow factor, there's unfortunately none.

Rating: 3.5/5


Publisher: Putnam - Penguin USA
Pub.Date: March 5th 2009
Age Range: Young Adult
Pages: 272
Format: ARC
Source Of Copy: from publisher - Penguin USA

Seventeen-year-old Annika Truman knows about the power of positive thinking. With a little brother who has cancer, it’s all she ever hears about. And in order to help Jeremy, she will go to the ends of the earth (or at least as far as Hollywood) to help him believe he can survive his upcoming surgery.

But Annika’s plan to convince Jeremy that a magic genie will grant him any wish throws her a curveball when he unexpectedly wishes that his television idol would visit him. Annika suddenly fi nds herself in the desperate predicament of getting access to a hunky star actor and convincing him to come home with her. Piece of cake, right?

A cute read for middle grade and young adult audience. It's light-hearted, hopefully and warm. A journey to of a big sister to complete her brother's biggest wish of all. It's so cute you'll keep smiling the whole time you're reading the book. Having said that, unlike all those cute stories, Just One Wish doesn't have a happy ending, but a realistic one. My only problem with the book? Annika's relationship with the actor (what's his name? I totally forgot =.=) is too fast I cannot understand. Falling in love with some girl you've just known for a few hours? Doesn't make much sense to me.

Rating: 3/5

Ex Mas by Kate Brian

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Aus
Pub. Date: October 6th 2009
Age Range: 12 and up
Pages: 288
Format: paperback
Source Of Copy: from publisher - S&S Aus

Seventeen-year-old Lila Beckwith's parents just left for vacation, and Lila's all set to throw the holiday party of the season. But when her Christmas-obsessed little brother, Cooper, discovers that global warming is melting the North Pole, he and his best friend, Tyler, take off on a runaway mission to save Santa. Lila has to get Cooper safely home before her parents get back on Christmas Eve. But the only person who can help her is Tyler's older brother, Beau -- a.k.a. Lila's musician, anti-everything ex-boyfriend. It'll take more than a Christmas miracle for Lila and Beau to overcome their differences and find their fugitive brothers. But could a journey destined for disaster help these polar opposites fall in love...all over again?


The first thing I felt about this book was that why I hadn't read it sooner. Why? Because it's the perfect read for the holidays - couple love, sibling love, winter love, Ex Mas has it all. It's also a very nice message of being yourself and still feeling happy.

The plot feels pretty common - a younger brother messes with his sister's life and the sister takes her revenge, causing something terrible to happen that she has to deal with without letting her parents know. Having said that, I still find something new, maybe because it's set in the best time of the year - Christmas. I also like the twist - the ex-es union and their journey to get their brothers back.

The Christmas spirit is felt strongly throughout the books. I could totally imagine a lovely season before my eyes just reading a first few chapters. The author also has a nice move - letting the couple go all over the places so you can sense the whole quiet but romantic atmosphere of winter. The appearances of the kids just bring more warmth to your heart. In addition, there's also a story of how Lila and Beau got together and broke up and how Lila became the popular (but unhappy) girl she is now. It's like reading two books at a time.

I quite like the characters here. They're not very outstanding individuals but together they make the book a great one. I love the hearty kids who want to save Santa, the girl who has lost herself but now with the help with the fearless guy, is trying to get her real life back. They're all so cute. And did I say how much I enjoy the bickering between Lila and Beau? They're definitely born to be together.

Super cute book. You will want to add it to your Christmas reading list.

Rating: 4/5

Waiting On Wednesday (48)

Idea taken from Breaking The Spine

The Karma Club by Jessica Brody.

"Personally, I’m tired of waiting for the universe to get off its butt and start fixing stuff. I don’t want to wait around for Mason to get what’s coming to him. Or Heather Campbell, for that matter . . . I want to be there to see it happen."

Madison Kasparkova always thought she understood how Karma works. It’s that mysterious, powerful force that brings harmony to the universe. You know—do good things and you will be rewarded, do something bad and Karma will make sure you get what’s coming to you. A sort of cosmic balancing act.

But when Mason Brooks, Maddy’s boyfriend of two years, gets caught tongue-wrestling with Miss Perfect Body Heather Campbell, and absolutely nothing happens to either of them—except that they wind up the hot new couple of Colonial High School, it seems like Karma has officially left Maddy in the lurch. That’s why Maddy and her best friends, Angie and Jade, decide to start the Karma Club—a secret, members-only organization whose sole purpose is to clean up the messes that the universe has been leaving behind. Whether they’re modifying Heather Campbell’s acne cream as part of “Operation Butterface,” or righting a few wrongs when it comes to Angie and Jade’s own slimy exes, they know they’re just doing what Karma should have done in the first place. They’re taking care of one another.

Sometimes, though, it isn’t wise to meddle with the universe. Because it turns out, when you mess with Karma, Karma messes back. Now Maddy must find a way to balance her life for good, even as everything around her seems to be toppling to the ground.


Another book about getting revenge on the unfaithful boys! I love the sound of it, especially the title. Aren't you just curious how Maddy and her friends mess with Karma? This is like Jessica Brody's adult series The Fidelity Files but younger and with a twist, so I'm even more excited for it.

Want to see how Karma works for these teens? Check this book out on April 27th 2010

Wish You Were Dead by Todd Strasser

Publisher: Egmont USA
Pub. Date: October 13th 2009
Age Range: Young Adult
Pages: 288
Format: ARC
Source Of Copy: from the publisher - Egmont USA

Str-S-d:
I’ll begin with Lucy. She is definitely first on the list. You can’t believe how it feels to be in the cafeteria and turn around and there she is staring at me like I’m some disgusting bug or vermin. Does she really think I WANT to be this way? I hate you, Lucy. I really hate you. You are my #1 pick. I wish you were dead.

The day after anonymous blogger Str-S-d wishes the popular girl would die, Lucy vanishes. The students of Soundview High are scared and worried. Especially frightened and wracked with guilt is Madison Archer, Lucy’s friend and the last person to see her the night she disappeared.
As days pass with no sign of the missing girl, even the attention of Tyler, an attractive new student, is not enough to distract Madison from her growing sense of foreboding. When two more popular students disappear after their names are mentioned on Str-S-d’s blog, the residents of Soundview panic.

Meanwhile, Madison receives anonymous notes warning that she could be next. Desperate to solve the mystery before anyone else disappears, Madison turns to Tyler, but can she trust him when it becomes clear that he knows more than he’s sharing?

The clock is ticking. Madison must uncover the truth behind the mysterious disappearances . . . before her name appears in Str-S-d’s blog.


A compelling, movie like thriller novel to add some new taste to the feast of 2010. Want something different and exciting, something to make you work your brain while reading a little? This is your book.

I have to admit that I'm pretty timid and I don't really like reading any kinds of thriller but Wish You Were Dead sounds so fun I have to pick it up. The first part of the book is just exactly like what I expected - mysterious and very chilling. There's a great combination of the blog posts and the kidnapper's point of view chapters, so the excitement is almost doubled.

What I like about it is that it keeps my curiosity up for most of the time. I have fun guessing who is behind it all. Some parts are given away so soon but I'm glad I didn't find out the evil one until it ends. There are a large range of characters so you'll surely be confused just like me.

What does not satisfy me? Uhm, let's see. It's the fact that the thrill kind of subsides near the end. The part I expected to be the greatest didn't come off well enough to impress me and that's a pity.

As for the characters, I like them all. Madison - our lead female, isn't a typical character. She belongs to the rich and mean crew but she acts nicely and quiet. It's a good thing that she is involved in first kidnap and has complex relationships with the unfortunate kids too. My favorite characters, however, are the bad kids who are wished to be dead. I enjoyed reading their sides of story and how they reacted to such an extreme situation.

To summarize, it's a nice thriller novel. Just don't expect too much thrill.

Rating: 3.5/5

Winner winner~!!!

I know I should have announced the winner last December but finals have been killing me : ( Anyway, it's better to win a book in the beginning of the year right, so as to win more and more for the rest of 2010?

So without further ado, the owner of the ARC of Once Was Lost is...

*Brooke*

Congratulations to you Brooke. I've emailed you. Please reply with your mailing address so Sarah can have the book sent to you soon : )

Thanks for entering the contest, everyone. Please come back for more in the future!

Shrinking Violet by Danielle Joseph

Publisher: MTV Books
Pub. Date: May 5th 2009
Age Range: 12 and up
Pages: 320
Format: Paperback
Source Of Copy: contest prize

High school senior Teresa Adams is so painfully shy that she dreads speaking to anyone in the hallways or getting called on in class. But in the privacy of her bedroom with her iPod in hand, she rocks out - doing mock broadcasts for Miami's hottest FM radio station, which happens to be owned by her stepfather. When a slot opens up at The SLAM, Tere surprises herself by blossoming behind the mike into confident, sexy Sweet T - and to everyone's shock, she's a hit! Even Gavin, the only guy in school who she dares to talk to, raves about the mysterious DJ's awesome taste in music. But when The SLAM announces a songwriting contest -- and a prom date with Sweet T is the grand prize - Sweet T's dream could turn into Tere's worst nightmare...


Like the title suggests, this book is for all the shrinking violets out there. A story about a shy girl with a passion for music told in such a lovable voice will surely encourage you to let your real self out and do big things you never though you could do.

I enjoyed the story because I myself am a quite shy girl. The good thing about Shrinking Violet is the author decided to push the shyness to the top and she did it well - I've never seen anyone like Teresa before, like she's actually scared of dealing with people and just wanting to be a shadow even though her dream won't let her do it. It has a nice influence on the readers I think because reading this makes you feel the need to urge Teresa to be stronger and then, if you're anything like her, you'll realize it's your time to make a change too.

I also like Danielle Joseph's writing a lot. It's very sweet. Even the conflicts between Teresa and her mother sounds light. The situations are well planned, too, especially the group presentation. I had fun reading that.

As I said above, I'm a shy one so I could relate to Teresa a lot. She's a great and fearless person inside and all she needs to do is let that person come out. Seeing her become a confident girl felt so great I tell you. And I love her radio shows. Her radio name is nothing but cute.

Having said all that, there are some parts of the book that are pretty typical and I expected an impressive ending but there was none. I wish I felt more chemistry between Teresa and Gavin for once as well. Their love seems untrue to me.

Above all, shrinking violets or not, I think you shouldn't pass this book.

Rating: 3.5/5

Waiting On Wednesday (47)

Idea taken from Breaking The Spine

After The Kiss by Terra Elan McVoy.

This moment changes everything.

Becca has been head-over-heels for Alec from the instant they met. He's a brainy jock with a poet's heart—in other words, perfect for her.

Camille is careful with her words and protective of her heart, especially since Chicago. Then a new boy in her new town catches her off guard with a surprise kiss.

Too bad that new boy is Becca's boyfriend, Alec.

Camille and Becca have never met, but their lives will unravel and intertwine in surprising ways as they deal with what happens after the kiss.


When I first read the synopsis of this book I thought it was a contemporary fiction since it sounded pretty cute and whatnot. But I just found out that it was a fantasy one and it intrigued me even more cos everything seems light and magical. I still haven't got any ideas of what the story headed though, the synopsis is sooooooo blurry.


What happens after the kiss? Find the answer on May 4th 2010.

In My Mailbox (47)

Idea taken from The Story Siren

Happy new year! Happy new books : D



Ex Mas by Kate Brian.

Seventeen-year-old Lila Beckwith's parents just left for vacation, and Lila's all set to throw the holiday party of the season. But when her Christmas-obsessed little brother, Cooper, discovers that global warming is melting the North Pole, he and his best friend, Tyler, take off on a runaway mission to save Santa. Lila has to get Cooper safely home before her parents get back on Christmas Eve. But the only person who can help her is Tyler's older brother, Beau -- a.k.a. Lila's musician, anti-everything ex-boyfriend. It'll take more than a Christmas miracle for Lila and Beau to overcome their differences and find their fugitive brothers. But could a journey destined for disaster help these polar opposites fall in love...all over again?


Lost It by Kristen Tracy.

What would you do...

...if your best friend were plotting the annihilation of a small, furry neighborhood poodle? Or if your parents up and moved to an Outward Bound-type survival camp in the middle of the desert? How about if your grandmother bought you new bras and underwear -- and you actually thought they were a teensy bit, umm, sexy?

Most people would not react well.

Tess Whistle's junior year of high school is off to a fairly bizarre start. One might even say her life is spiraling out of control. But with her sense of humor firmly intact and her first real boyfriend on her arm, Tess is dealing with the ridiculous twists quite well, thankyouverymuch.

Just wait until her shoes explode.

I received the package of these two books on the last day of 2009 and I decided to check the content at midnight so 2010 would be full of good books like Ex Max and Lost It. It's a little late to read Ex Mas now since Christmas has passed but it's still cool because I've read lots of positive reviews on it. And Lost It has been one of the books from S&S that I've loved to get my hands on since I discovered YA ^^ What do you think of these two?


Thanks Rose Harvey for sending me Ex Mas and Lost It. Been so great working with you~~


Hope you guys get a lot of books this 2010 : D

Scones & Sensibility Lindsay Eland

Publisher: Egmont USA
Pub.Date: Dec 22nd 2009
Age Range: Middle Grade
Pages: 256
Format: ARC
Source Of Copy: from the publisher - Egmont USA

Polly Madassa is convinced she was born for a more romantic time. A time when Elizabeth Bennet and Anne of Green Gables walked along the moors and beaches of the beautiful land, a time where a distinguished gentleman called upon a lady of quality and true love was born in the locked eyes of two young lovers.

But alas, she was not.

This, however, does not stop our young heroine from finding romance wherever she can conjure it up. So while Polly is burdened with a summer job of delivering baked goods from her parents bakery (how quaint!) to the people in her small beach town, she finds a way to force…um…encourage romance to blossom. She is determined to bring lovers, young and old, together…whether they want to be or not.


Scones & Sensibility is adorable, in a way that will attract not only its target readers but also ones from the other age ranges, especially fans of Jane Austen or matchmaking.

I've not read a middle age book for such a long time and Scones & Sensibility reminds me how fun it is to engrossed yourself into such lovely books. The novel explores a very common subject with a breath of fresh air, making it half classic, half modern. A unique protagonist and a simple but intriguing and an amusing plot just seem to complete the package.

The whole story is bright, cheerful and heartwarming. It's about bringing people together, helping them find love, find the right person to spend the rest of their lives with although things go completely wrong at one point. I actually love the fact that Polly is only twelve and she's already determined to devote her life to matchmaking. What's more to adore? Lots of Jane Austen's characters are mentioned and compared to that of Scones & Sensibility. And those who love cakes or bread, you cannot miss this book. Reading this just makes me want my family to own a bakery.

As for the characters, Polly is so fun to be with. She's obsessed with romance, childish and dramatic. Things she does are really strange and her way of talking is just...I'd be very surprised and delighted if I can meet anyone like her in real life. Sometimes she's so crazy and unreasonable but you can never get mad at her. After all, she's great at heart and her intention is very very sweet of a young girl. I also love her sister, her parents and her secret admirer.

Over all, this is a middle grade book that I will recommend to readers of all age. Need a light, fun but different read? Pick this one.

Rating: 3.5/5