Dreamland Social Club by Tara Altebrando

Dreamland Social Club By Tara Altebrando
Release Date: May 12, 2011
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile 
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 304


Summary: Jane has traveled the world with her father and twin brother, but it's not until her fractured family–still silently suffering from the loss of Jane's mother many years before–inherits a house and a history in Coney Island that she finally begins to find a home. With the help of a new community of friends, a mermaid's secrets, and a tattooed love interest with traffic-stopping good looks, the once plain Jane begins to blossom and gains the courage to explore the secrets of her mother's past.Colorful characters, beautiful writing, and a vibrant, embattled beachfront backdrop make this the perfect summer read for anyone who has ever tried to find true love or a place to call home.

My Thoughts: Dreamland Social Club was an imaginative book. We are introduced to Jane who lost her mother, lives with her father and brother. They have just moved back to Coney Island into her grandfather's old house to clean it up and sell it.  They arrive and instantly Jane and her brother Marcus are frowned upon. Nobody really liked their grandfather so they also get shunned.  Coney Island is in the process of being torn apart and bought and people who own businesses are upset about this of course.

I'm not even sure where to start with this review really. I liked the friends Jane makes. The people are very very weird in a way. Most of them have something that makes them unique to say the least. One boy looks like a giant, while another girl is a midget. There are a lot of interesting characters and friendships develop throughout the book. There is also the mysterious tattoo boy Leo. Leo was very charming and I really liked him. I wanted to know how Jane had saw his tattoos before and I was very intrigued about their history.

Jane spends the novel fighting off the boys who torment her, getting to know her new classmates, learning new things about Leo, and trying to figure out more about her mother and who she really was. 

I'm going to leave this review short and sweet. Dreamland Social Club was very interesting. The carnival aspect was awesome! We have a carnival that comes through our town every year so I totally get it. I get how carnies are different and have their own relationships with each other.

Dreamland Social Club was awesome. I also enjoyed learning more about the rides and adventures Jane experienced.

Overall: I really enjoyed it! It was a fun novel to read.

Cover: Love the cover! Definitely has the carnival feel to it, plus the pretty mermaid! 

What I'd Give It: 

Waiting On Wednesday (86)

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. WOW spotlights forthcoming titles that we absolutely can't wait to read.

 The Mephisto Covenant by Trinity Faegen
Summary: Sasha is desperate to find out who murdered her father. When getting the answer means pledging her soul to Eryx, she unlocks a secret that puts her in grave danger—Sasha is Anabo, a daughter of Eve, and Eryx’s biggest threat.

A son of Hell, immortal, and bound to Earth forever, Jax looks
for redemption in the Mephisto Covenant—God’s promise he will find
peace in the love of an Anabo. After a thousand years, he’s finally found the girl he’s been searching for: Sasha.

With the threat of Eryx looming, Jax has to keep Sasha safe and
win her over. But can he? Will Sasha love him and give up her mortal life?

Why I Want It: First off, I love the name Jax!!! Second, the plot sounds intense!!!!

The Sweetest Thing

The Sweetest Thing by Christina Mandelski
Release Date: May 10, 2011
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 352





Summary: In the world of Sheridan Wells, life is perfect when she's decorating a cake. Unfortunately everything else is a complete mess: her mom ran off years ago, her dad is more interested in his restaurant, and the idea of a boyfriend is laughable.

But Sheridan is convinced finding her mom will solve all her problems - only her dad's about to get a cooking show in New York, which means her dream of a perfect family will be dashed.

Using just the right amount of romance, family drama, and cute boys, The Sweetest Thing will entice fans with its perfect mixture of girl-friendly ingredients.


My Thoughts: We are introduced to Sheridan aka Cake Girl, She doesn't mind being called this nickname because she actually likes what she does; designs cakes. Sheridan has inherited the cooking gene from her father who is a well known chef who just got offered a cooking show in New York. Of course Sheridan doesn't want to go because she likes her small town, plus her grandma lives here. She also has friends, goes to a school she likes, and likes making cakes. She's happy here.


Sheridan is also looking for her mom throughout the book. Her mom left when she was young, and she wants to understand why. She has gotten cards over the years, and thinks they mean more than what they really do. 


Next are the guys in the story. First there is Jack. Sheridan's best friend. He starts to have major feelings for her and at first she is very blind to it. He's Jack, not some hot guy. She's known him her whole life.  Next, is the popular Ethan. He's known her a long time and all of a sudden he likes her too. He just broke up with his girlfriend and now he's making a play for Sheridan.

Mainly, she spends most of her time making cakes, and as exciting as that sounds, it got a little repetitive at times. She also spends too much time looking her her mother. And her father just didn't seemed like he had a very strong relationship with his daughter for taking care of her all these years. 

Love triangles, making cakes, drama, drama, and more drama; this book has all that. 


Overall: I liked The Sweetest Thing but I didn't love it. It also took me some time to warm up to it. I felt like the story was so long. At times, I almost stopped but I was determined to finish it. It was an alright book and maybe if you have a cook inside of you crawling to get out, you'll enjoy it more than I did.


Cover: Love the cover! It makes me instantly hungry every time I look at it.

What I'd Give It:

Jenna And Jonah's Fauxmance

Jenna & Jonah's Fauxmance by Emily Franklin and Brendan Halpin
Release Date: February 1, 2011
Publisher: Walker Books For Young Readers
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 240





Summary: Fans of romance don't need to look any further than the fauxmance brewing between teen idols Charlie Tracker and Fielding Withers—known on their hit TV show as Jenna and Jonah, next-door neighbors flush with the excitement of first love. But it's their off-screen relationship that has helped cement their fame, as passionate fans follow their every PDA. They grace the covers of magazines week after week. Their fan club has chapters all over the country. The only problem is their off-screen romance is one big publicity stunt, and Charlie and Fielding can't stand to be in the same room. Still, it's a great gig, so even when the cameras stop rolling, the show must go on, and on, and on. . . . Until the pesky paparazzi blow their cover, and Charlie and Fielding must disappear to weather the media storm. It's not until they're far off the grid of the Hollywood circuit that they realize that there's more to each of them than shiny hair and a winning smile. 

My Thoughts: We are introduced to Jenna and Jonah who are television stars. Of course that isn't their real names. The chapters go back and forth between Charlie Tucker (Jenna) and Fielding Withers (Jonah). We get to see things from each perspective. They are on screen next-door neighbors, friends, and off screen fake lovers. They have a big fan base! They basically always have to put on a show for the paparazzi, get snaps of them together for magazines, and liven up the hype of their show.  

They than find themselves in an awkward position and the media thinks that Jonah is gay. Their publicist thinks its a good idea for them to go off the grid for a while so they get shipped to the middle of nowhere to do a small play titled "Much Ado About Nothing." Of course that is Shakespeare, so the play itself isn't small, but the people in the play are basically nobodies to the media.  

Jenna and Jonah get to know each other a bit better and realize they know each other better than they ever thought. And they realize how connected their lives have been since they started working together. 

Honestly, where do I start here? I really wanted to love this book. I loved the idea of the plot. I started it with such high hopes. Yes, I did enjoy the snarky back and forth ramble between the two, but after a while, the story started to fizzle out. I felt myself wanting it to just end. It started to drag on and I just wanted a conclusion already. I wanted to know what was going to happen between Fielding/Tucker. I just felt it lacked a certain substance to make me want to keep reading.  

Overall: I liked well enough reading Jenna and Jonah's Fauxmance but I didn't love it like I thought I would. I was happy with the way things played out in the end but I didn't see enough romance throughout the novel like I wanted too. 

Cover: I think its cute! I love the pink cover and the little square with the heart.

 What I'd Give It:

In My Mailbox (70)

In My Mailbox Is Inspired by Kristi@The Story Siren

This Week I Got:

The Magnolia League by Katie Crouch 

The Eternal Sea by Angie Frazier 

Bitter End by Jennifer Brown 

The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries 3 by LJ Smith 

Mesmerized by Lauren Dane 

What Did You Get This Week??