Troy High / Shana Norris

TITLE: Troy High
AUTHOR: Shana Norris
OWNED BY CCLS? Replacement copy on order.

Cassie Prince lives in the shadows of her all-star athlete brothers; Perry and Hunter. She's a band geek with decent grades and the closest she gets to being involved in a sport is playing in the marching band at Troy High football games. Her best friend Greg is a student at Lacede High (a.k.a. Troy's archenemy/rival). Cassie and Greg's friendship is put to the test when friendly school rivalry turns into an all-out-war and Cassie is forced to choose between Greg and her brothers. Will Cassie choose to be loyal to her school and brothers and give up her one true friend? Or is Cassie willing to sacrifice her new found popularity for a BFF who could become something more?

M's Verdict: Good read. I enjoyed the plot line and characters and read through the story pretty quickly. Although I never read The Iliad in high school (or at any point in time, yet) I would recommend Troy High to anyone who did read it. Whether you loved or hated it, I would think that it would be pretty cool to be able to compare and contrast the two stories and characters. It's a modern twist that is sure to leave readers salivating. It's realistic and wraps the reader up in all the drama that is high school. There's something for everyone; cheerleaders, band kids, football players, misfits, and more. Drama abounds and the rivalry between the Spartans (students @ Lacede) and the Trojans (students @ Troy) is totally entertaining and intense. How can you not want to know what happens between Cassie and Greg?

For more info, check out author Shana Norris's Website .
These are some of the cool thinks @ SN's site:
*book trailer,

*comparison of characters in The Iliad to characters in Troy High
*Troy High character quiz--which character are you?
*Troy High soundtrack! (I love this kid of stuff!!)
*and more!

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer / Michelle Hodkin

I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT I FORGOT TO POST THIS EARLIER! I read this book during the summer and saved the post in anticipation of its publication (in late September) and it totally slipped my mind! My apologies for the lateness, but here's my take...

TITLE: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
AUTHOR: Michelle Hodkin
OWNED by CCLS? On order.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin is a haunting read. Although it's 400+ pages, it is guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat and wanting to know.... what, how, and really? I was fortunate enough to be able to read an uncorrected proof of this particular novel and it was worth it! Here's the story...

TUOMD is Hodkin's first novel. It is a story (some truth to it possibly??) of a seventeen year old girl named Mara Dyer who wakes up in a hospital bed with no memory of the tragic event that led to the death of her best friend, her boyfriend, and a friend of her BFF. It is this tragedy that causes her whole family to move from Rhode Island to Florida in order to allow Mara to start over. With the help of her lawyer father, her psychologist mother and her two brothers (one older and one younger), will Mara be able to move on and come to grips with the accident that may or may not have been her fault?

Read TUOMD if you're looking for something that is sure to keep you guessing. It's a twisty mystery with suspense, intrigue, romance, murder, and more....

M's Verdict: Whoa...what a story! Although it may be 400+ pages, I guarantee (no money back though;) that you won't be able to put this book down! It's gripping and has such a crazy premise that you will want to know what's coming next. What the description doesn't mention is that Mara seems to have some slight psychological issues that she needs to come to grips with. I definitely see a sequel in Hodkin's future. We'll have to stay posted for that one!

Check it out and let me know what you think.