Digit: A Girl Named Digit by Annabell Monaghan

Digit: She’s Got Your Number by Annabell Monaghan
Release Date: June 5, 2012
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books For Children
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 192


Summary: Farrah Higgins spends most of her time masquerading as normal. A Los Angeles high school senior who left behind her geek self in another school district and calculated a successful formula for disguising her math genius so she can hang with the "in" crowd. "Digit" may be going to MIT in the fall but until then she's blending in at Santa Monica High and trying to be whatever equals "normal.”

But while watching her favourite hit television show she notices seemingly random numbers appear on the bottom of the screen. She quickly discovers a message that she shrugs off until a terrorist attack occurs at JFK airport and she realizes the
numbers directly correlated to the date and location of the bombing. She visits the FBI headquarters to explain what she saw, but she gets the "fruitcake" treatment from a young, hot agent, John Bennett.

Soon she's investigating on her own and being chased by terrorists. The FBI has to fake her kidnapping to free her from the terrorists, and suddenly her senior year has gotten a lot more interesting.

My Thoughts: Awesome plot? Check! Smart chick? Check! Hot FBI agent? Check!

Digit: She's Got Your Number was an amazing special book. It really pulled on my heartstrings and I loved every minute of it.

We're introduced to Digit aka Farrah Higgins whose extremely smart when it comes to numbers. She's a math whiz, she can figure out any kind of equation, number sequence, and anything math related. Genius! One day Digit is watching her favorite show, and numbers flash across the screen. This happens during a few shows so she starts to get suspicious and after an attack on the JFK Airport, she goes to the FBI. She thinks she has figured out a mysterious terrorist attack.

After they brush her off, she starts looking into it herself and winds up in a bit of trouble. On the run from criminals who want to kill her, she must face the FBI again.

Finally, they take her seriously and send her to a safe house, with hot FBI agent John! John is only a few years older than Digit and she finds herself becoming more and more attracted to him. It doesn't hurt that he's always very motivated and doesn't think her fascination with numbers is weird.

John and Digit must figure out what is really going on, who they can trust, and what to do about it. John must keep her safe at all costs.

Digit was adorable! This whole book was so cute! Yes, it had an actual plot and it was interesting but the chemistry between John and Digit was heartwarming and sweet like hot chocolate on a cold winter day. Digit was exactly my type of contemporary romance. If you liked Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols, you'll probably like this one. Or at least this book brought back memories of that book for me. It was such a sweet story!!!

Digit was such a lovable character. Her personality was so alert and she was self conscious about her math abilities, but if anything that made me like and appreciate her more.  And John, awwww swoonworthy!

Overall: Digit was ADORABLE! Its under 200 pages but I wanted it to be longer. I was sad to see the story end because I wanted to keep on reading this novel.

Cover: Love it! Love how her hair is wild, and she's putting her fingers up to her lips like its a secret! Cute cover.

What I'd Give It:

Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne

Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne
Release Date: June 5, 2012
Publisher: Feiwel And Friends
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 304


Summary: Fourteen kids. One superstore. A million things that go wrong.

A huge store isn’t the worst place to be stranded. There’s food and water, bedding and books. But what if it’s not safe to leave? Emmy Laybourne had us from the get-go with her utterly fresh and fast-paced debut.

Six high school kids (some popular, some not), two eighth graders (one a tech genius), and six little kids are trapped together in a chain superstore. Together they build a refuge for themselves inside, while outside, a series of escalating disasters, beginning with a monster hailstorm and ending with a chemical weapon spill, seems to be tearing the world—as they know it—apart

My Thoughts: This book is definitely not for those who like happy cookie cutter books. There is death, there is sexuality, there are a lot of things.

14 Kids are on the way to school one day when a major hail storm hits. One bus crushes, while another ends up being driven into a superstore. In this superstore, the kids are left to fend for themselves. Granted, they are lucky since they have all the essentials. They have basically everything they could need, since they are in a store. But all they really want are their parents, their nice comfy homes.

The main character is named Dean. He and his little brother Alex are among the kids in the store. These kids range in age from age 5 to seniors in high school.

All the kids set up shelter and live in the store, until people come to rescue them, at least that is the plan. We also meet a few characters who pass by and come in for sanctuary. Major things are happening outside, people are affected by which blood type they have, etc.

I liked all the characters in this novel. They were so complex, each character had their own personality, and we have a lot of personalities from the jock to the nerd to the child. At first it was hard remembering who was who but after awhile, it got easier. We are taken through the novel task by task, ranging from breakfast time to inventorying the store to playing football.

A lot happens in Moment 14, even though at times it seemed to get slow.

Monument 14 was an interesting novel. I can see how it won't be for everyone though. It has some pretty graphic scenes. Crude scenes.

And that cliffhanger, I hope there is another book in the series! I need to know what happens next!

Overall: I really enjoyed this one. I've been reading a lot of dystopias but this one was a little different. It was unique because I haven't read many where the book focuses on kids being left alone, especially in such a good environment, where they have mostly everything they could need.  All in all, I thought it was a good but weird book.

Cover: Like it! It definitely has that dystopian feel to it. The way the kids are just standing there, makes you wonder what the heck is happening.

What I'd Give It:

Introducing Emmy Laybourne

Today, we have a very special guest with us!

Emmy Laybourne, author of Monument 14

Why Did You Become A Writer? 

 I think I decided to be a writer when I was about eight years old! At that age, I wrote a one page story about an alien named Grog who was looking for a home on Earth. It turned out that Grog’s wife would soon be forced by the alien laws of their home planet to eat him alive. I wrote it in the first person -- an impassioned plea from Grog himself.

The last line read: “Please help before she eats m….”

My parents loved it, believed me to be a genius, and carefully filed the story away in a folder entitled “Emily’s Writing.” Over the years this folder filled up with letters home from camp, Valentines to my Dad, a few half-filled diaries. (An honest to goodness excerpt from my seventh grade journal: “I don’t give two shits about popularity, but if I did have a boyfriend, I would want him to be popular because they’re the most mature.”) Can you imagine?! I love the posturing in that sentence - and in my journal, no less! Who was I trying to impress?

After college, I got really into comedy improvisation. It was sort of like writing, only doing it collaboratively and in the moment! Improv led me to acting (Shameless plug: you can check out some great clips from Superstar and Comedy Central at my website emmylaybourne.com) but all along I knew that I'd return to writing. Then, after I had my first kid, I didn't want to act anymore. I was ready to write! I got an MFA in screenwriting from LA, but when we landed on the east coast I decided to try my hand at a novel. Monument 14 is that novel!

When I look back and leaf through the "Emily's Writing" folder the bit of writing that sticks out is the tale of Grog the alien. I filled that one page with conflict, character, motivation and a snappy little ending. It’s funny to think that many, many, really too many years later I am still fascinated with these same elements and still working on making my endings good and snappy!

Gold Metal Summer by Donna Freitas

Gold Metal Summer by Donna Freitas
Release Date: June 1, 2012
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 240

Summary: Just in time for the Olympics: A gymnastics novel to flip for!

Joey Jordan loves gymnastics: the thrill of performing a backflip on the beam, the cheers of the audience when she sticks a landing. But even with all her talent and style, she's never quite made it to that gold medal stand.

Now big changes shake up Joey's life in and out of the gym. Joey wants to break out some daring new beam and floor routines--but she'll have to defy her strict coach to do it. Her best friend, Alex, is thinking about quitting gymnastics for good. And an old friend named Tanner just moved back to town, and he's suddenly gotten very, very cute. Can Joey handle all the challenges coming her way, and make her gold medal summer happen at last?

Drawing on her real-life experience as a competitive gymnast, acclaimed novelist Donna Freitas delivers both a terrific gymnastics story and a classic novel about stretching some limits, bending the rules, and finding your balance.

My Thoughts: Do you like gymnastics? Watch Make It Or Break It on ABCFamily? This book reminds me so much of Make It Or Break It, which I love.  

We are introduced to Joey who is into gymnastics. She wants to follow in her older sister Julia’s footsteps. She wants to be as great as her, but not retire like her.

Joey wants to win the Gold. Not the Silver or the Bronze, but the Gold.

Joey spends all of her time training, she doesn’t have time for anything else. As she watches her friend Alex give up the dream of gymnastics, it just encourages Joey to spend more time focusing on herself than other things such as boys.

But as a boy comes back to town named Tanner, Joey has a lot of decisions to make and fast! A gymnast must focus. She must not let boy drama stand in her way.

Joey knows she can be better, do better;  if only she had a better routine to fit her needs and talents so she goes behind her coach’s back and starts practicing with someone else. It’s just what she needs to win Nationals. With the support of her family (finally) and friends she believes this will be the chance she has been wanting for.

Gold Metal Summer was a fun read. I actually knew all the lingo for bends and tumbles because I have watched a few shows and read a few books about gymnastics. I wasn’t completely in the dark, I knew what Joey was talking about!!! I could see her doing the moves in my mind.

This novel was a bittersweet read. It made me so happy. I felt giddy for most of it wanting to succeed in this dream with her.

Overall: What can I say? This book actually had depth to it, but it was also quirky and fun. I liked experiencing Joey’s life with her. Joey was such a serious girl who had a bit of fun trapped inside her just waiting to get out. And the pool scene with Tanner, so cute.  I could easily relate to her. I loved how much it could change so quickly and how she had to handle it fast. Gold Metal Summer is a novel to read if you like competitive sports or have a gymnast inside you waiting to get out.

Cover: Love it! The way she is posing, duh it totally fits! Go Joey!!!

What I'd Give It:

The Lost Saint (Dark Divine #2) by Bree Despain

The Lost Saint (Dark Divine #2) by Bree Despain
Release Date: December 28, 2010
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 416

Summary: A family destroyed. A love threatened. An enemy returns.

Grace Divine made the ultimate sacrifice to cure Daniel Kalbi. She was infected with the werewolf curse while trying to save him, and lost her beloved brother in the process.

Desperate to find Jude, Grace befriends Talbot, a newcomer to town. But as the two grow closer, Grace's relationship with Daniel is put in danger - in more ways than one.

Unaware of the dark path she is walking, Grace begins to give into the wolf inside of her - not realizing that an enemy has returned and a deadly trap is about to be sprung.

Bree Despain delivers sizzling romance and thrilling action in the heart-pounding sequel to the The Dark Divine.

My Thoughts: I loved The Dark Divine, so I was more than excited to read The Lost Saint. While I did enjoy it a lot, I didn’t love it quite as much. Maybe there was just too much of  gap in between reading them, I’m not sure.

We are back with Grace Divine, and her boyfriend and true love Daniel. She has cured him of his wolf curse and he is now fully human.

There are also a lot of old characters in this but also a new guy named Talbot. Talbot starts training Grace and he says he is like her so she feels a great bond with him.

Is it bad that part of me wanted her to be with Talbot instead of Daniel? I still like Daniel but I just could feel that chemistry between those two.  And Daniel has more jerk like tendencies in this book.  Why not just explain what is going on with yourself instead of drifting away?

Of course Grace is still looking for her brother Jude and that is where most of the plot lays.  And Grace has so many struggles she has to deal with on her own.

I did like the funny moments with April. She’s always a funny kind of girl and makes things interesting.

Uh, I also wasn’t thrilled with all the religious tones in this one. It just seemed like more than the first book, which didn’t really bug me at all.

Grace is a strong character. She refuses to give herself to the wolf, she wants to bring her brother back safely, and keeps herself in check with the boys.

After reading this book, I’m left with wanting Grace to admit her feelings for Talbot, and wanting to know what is going to happen with Daniel and with Jude now that things are changing for everyone.  Glad the third book is already released so I don’t have to wait forever to find out what is going to happen.

Overall: The Lost Saint just felt really long, a lot of details that didn’t really need to be added.  While I did enjoy this book a lot, I hope I like The Savage Grace more like I liked The Dark Divine.

Cover: Love it! Love these colors, they are so bright!

What I'd Give It: