High Stakes

High Stakes is by an author from my home state! Erin McCarthy was at a book fair my dad took me too, and I'm like "Hey! Vampires!" and bought the book with an autograph and everything. Anyway, this books is not for the faint of heart. It's quite inappropriate in language, and also content.

Alexis lives in Las Vegas. Her sister, Brittany, is a Dentist and was asked by a very hot casino/hotel owner to clean the teeth of every employee in his hotel. What no one knows, is that a majority of them... are VAMPIRES!! (you knew it would come up eventually) Ethan, the hot business man owning the hotel is President of the entire Vamp Nation. His original plan was to seduce Brittany into being his girlfriend/wife, until he met Alexis.

There's something to be explained though... Brittany is an Impure. (think Renesmee) She is half-vampire, half-human. Alexis and Brittany are half sisters, by their mom. The purpose Ethan had of getting Brittany was getting the vote of the growing population of Impures in the vampire nation.

Alexis is extremely independent, so she's not about to let this egotistic entrepreneur take control. However, Ethan is hard to resist. The romance and drama of being a vampire president's leading lady is intense. The book captures your attention immediately.

There's a lot of content, so I suggest not doing as the characters. It's still a good read! The character and plot development is strong. The overall story is slightly cliched, but worth reading!

All Rivers Flow to the Sea

All Rivers Flow to the Sea is by Alison Mcghee. This story is sort of a 'Coming of Age' type book. It's from the point of view of high-schooler, Rose, who was in a car accident with her sister, Ivy. Rose is traumatized, because while she got away with few injuries, her sister went into a coma. Rose sits by her sister's side for a month, waiting for her to wake up. She swears she's going to be there when Ivy wakes up. After that month, everyone convinces her to go back to school, everyone misses her... right? 

Back at school, Rose is struggling with the rumors people are spreading about her sister. She's just a "vegetable," is what everyone is saying. Rose knows, though. Her sister had moved that one time, and that meant she wasn't just a vegetable. She still aches from the loss, though. Rose goes at it the wrong way, however. She invites Jimmy Wilson up to the Stern's Gorge. Things happen... and the rumors spread. Jimmy wasn't the one to relieve her of her pain. She tries with another boy. Then another. Her emotional aches and pains are not fixed.

Everyday after school, she rides the bus home, then goes to her neighbor, William T., to go see Ivy. Every single day, all she does is read to Ivy. William T. has always been there for Rose and her family. He's almost like the father she never had. Rose's mother hasn't gone to see Ivy since the accident. 

This book, while not incredibly long, is a good read for reluctant readers or people who have been through any kind of trauma. There is some strong language, but not a ton. The characters and situations are very realistic, and up to speed with the current times.

So what do you think...? Does Ivy wake up? Does Rose finally find closure and end up with a boy who actually cares for her? You'll just have to pick up the book and find out.

Stolen

Stolen, by Vivian Vande Veld (isn't that a fun name?!) is about a girl who all of a sudden comes to her senses. Just like that. There's nothing, and then her running. It's pretty bizarre at the beginning. The story goes on, that there was a girl, about six years ago, who was stolen by the old witch! Everyone seems to think that this girl was the one who was stolen six years ago.

A kind older couple takes the girl in, and try to figure out who she is. They ask her questions, develop theories and heal her from an attack from than man's hunting dogs. She still doesn't remember a thing.

Within a week, the whole town has heard of her. The family that lost their daughter, comes to find her. The mother is completely convinced that it's her. You see, the old witch who was said to have stolen the child, had been burned out of her house, and hopefully killed, just the day that the girl arrived. Why? For stealing the same family's third child- another baby girl. There's no way that was a coincidence. They continue trying to regain her memory. It seems that the oldest daughter does not believe that this stranger is her long-lost little sister.

As time goes by, she, Isabelle, still remembers nothing. However, she has this unexplained knowledge of plants and herbs. Hmm...very suspicious.

So who is Isabelle, this stolen girl, anyway? I guess you'll have to read the book and figure out the mystery!