Review: Circle of Silence

Circle of Silence by Carol M. Tanzman

WiHi #2

Harlequin Teen - July 24, 2012

288 pages - Young Adult, Fiction,

Source: The Publisher via Netgalley

http://www.caroltanzman.com/

Facebook: Yes

Twitter: @CarolTanzman

I received a copy of this digital galley, free, in exchange for my honest opinion.

Goodreads Summary: The biggest story of my life could be how it ends. It’s my turn to run a Campus News crew, and I’ve put together a team that can break stories wide open. And Washington Irving High has a truly great one to cover, if only we can find a lead. A secret society has formed in our school. It announced its presence with pranks: underwear on the flagpole, a toilet in the hallway, cryptic notes. A circle of silence keeps the society a mystery. No one knows its members, agenda or initiation secrets—until a student lands in the hospital under strange circumstances. I will blow this story wide open and stop others from being hurt... …or worse. And while my ex, Jagger, might want to help, I don’t trust him yet. (And, no, not because of our past together. That is not important to this story.) But whether you find me, Valerie Gaines, reporting in front of the camera or a victim in the top story of the newscast be sure to watch Campus News at 9:00 a.m. this Friday.

My thoughts:

                Valerie, a reporter for Campus News , is working on the story of her life. But the cost must be her life. MP starts with small pranks but soon they escalate and someone gets hurt. As the B team races to uncover MP’s identity and purpose, the danger increases and the enemy is closer to home.

                Okay, I didn't really know what to expect when I started reading Circle of Silence. I think that this was a pretty decent read, though it didn’t create a whole lot of excitement. I like the characters and their interactions with each other.  Val and Bethany’s relationship is awkward. No, they don’t get along with each other and it’s normal for sisters to be distant with each other.  But there were moments that Val actually reached out and tried to connect with Bethany. Bethany is the little sister, and for her there is a mixture of emotions that she is dealing with: jealousy and not having a group to belong to (just to name a couple). Regardless of the awkwardness, there was a lot of love within the family. This fact makes some of the events that happen a little unbelievable.

                As far as the romance, not every story requires a love triangle and I tend to avoid triangles.  There were an equal amount of reasons for both guys, but ultimately I think Val made too big a deal out of choosing. It is high school though.  My favorite part of the book was how B-team worked together and going after the stories.  I did like the characters and the passion that they had for their pursuits.

Recommendation: While I think that there is a lot of room to increase the tension and excitement within the story, I did enjoy it. And I still think that it’s worth checking out.

3 stars ***

Always Shine,

Starr K

               

Review: Red Heart Tattoo

Red Heart Tattoo by Lurlene McDaniel

Delacorte for Young Readers – July 24, 2012

224 pages

http://www.lurlenemcdaniel.net/

Facebook: Yes

Twitter: @LurleneMcdaniel

Source: Publisher via Netgalley

Rating: This was an okay read for me. I am disappointed that it did not live up to its potential.

I received a copy of this book, free, in exchange for my honest review.

Read what this book is about here

            The lives of Edison High School students are changed dramatically and permanently after a bomb is set off inside the atrium. Morgan, the student council president and Trent the football star are the cutest couple. Mark, another football stara dn Kelli, the tumbler for the cheerleading squad are best friends with Morgan and Trent. All are part of the popular crowd. Roth is the local bad boy, an image protected as a shield to cover childhood pain. Liza, best friends with Roth and carries a long-hidden crush and another dangerous secret. Executioner and Apocalypse are students that exist on the fringes of the high school world.

                I have to admit that I was really looking forward to Red Heart Tattoo. I was excited that someone had decided to fictionally tackle the violence and terror of school bombings. Unfortunately, it fell flat in way too many ways for me to say that I enjoyed this story.  I remember the Paducah, Kentucky School shooting of 1997. I remember the Columbine School shooting that followed two years later. I remember the icy fingers of terror that stretched across the entire United States and the extreme reactions that followed.  There were the desperate attempts to protect all the students but also to understand how people could reach this point or terror, violence and deeply-rooted hurt.

                I won’t remember Red Heart Tattoo.  I don’t want to because it did nothing, it didn’t put me in the mind of the bomber(s) or the victims. While, I don’t think the bombing should be glorified, there should be enough to feel something- anything. Instead, it was treated as if the school shut down for renovations.  The bombing barely touched the community surrounding Edison High School, so it’s not surprising that no one else cared about what happened.  Even the ending upset me.  Out 224 pages, the ending sounds more of a wrap –up summary than a conclusion.  I don’t agree with the reason that was given by the bombers and the diagnosis given to the lead bomber. (“Because I can” and sociopath). I think that just shows how little effort the author did to understand the mind of those who perpetuate school violence. While narcissistic sociopaths may exist in high school, they tend to do things more complicated than bombings (tend to be more like a serial killer than a mass murderer). I’m not sure if the reactions of the victims were believable.

                Besides not getting into the story, I feel a little offended that this wasn’t handled better.  Maybe I feel this way because I remember, I’m not sure.

Recommendation: I would not recommend this book to anyone.

What’s Next? Her website has not been updated with any news of upcoming books. 

Cover Art

Always Shine, 

Starr K