Reviews written by Alanna Shaw

Who doesn’t enjoy a spin off of a Jane Austin tale? In this version of Pride and Prejudice, Lizzie (Bennet) finds herself at Longbourn Academy on a music scholarship. Although she has an amazing talent for playing the piano, no one at the prestigious Longbourn Academy enjoys her presence since...

Are you for Team Zombie or Team Unicorn? Even if you're not sure where you stand, you will find something to like about this book. The layout if brilliant: each "chapter"-- or story-- is either about zombies or unicorns. Don't worry about not knowing which story you're reading, each story...

One of my all time favorite stories is Cyrano de Bergerac. So, when I found out that this story is a modern day retelling of that classic tale, I jumped for joy. I enjoyed this version immensely. In Lara Chapman's Flawless, a young teenage girl has the...

Oh my! I really enjoyed this book. A lot. It's been a while since I have stayed up all night reading a book because I couldn't (and didn't want to) put it down. It makes my heart happy that it's happened again. Within the first few pages...

If I had to limit my review to one word, I would say this book is "cute." It didn't do a whole lot for me, but it was still an enjoyable read. Obviously, I am way out of the intended target group to find much in common with this book,...

Oh. My. Goodness. This book had me laughing and crying all at once. It was so believable. I don't even know where to start... CeCe and Mark are great. But then, so are Vic, Tony and CeCe's mom. Every character was so well written. I felt like...

If Hans Christian Andersen were still alive, this is a story he would write. I loved the world create by Jaclyn Dolamore in Between the Sea and Sky. Esmerine, a mermaid who befriends a "winged boy", is a little different from all the other mermaids. She has learned how to...

This was "Mean Girls" in book form. I laughed out loud at some points in the book, but at the same time I couldn't help picturing Lindsay Lohan and her crew as the main characters. It was (in my opinion) pretty superficial. In fact, it felt like reliving the worst...

This was such a cute book. I think E.D. Baker always does a fabulous job with her fairy tale retellings. The Wide-Awake Princess did not disappoint me at all. It had a voice all its own. I loved Princess Annie. I thought it was such a nice touch that the...

I am such a sucker for a Pride and Prejudice retelling. I cannot even begin to count the number of retellings that I have read. With that being said, I must admit that I was a little disappointed with this version. In this version of Pride and...

I have mixed feelings about this one. I liked the characters and the overall concept of the story, but it still felt cliched. Maybe I just need to take a break from paranormal romances? They're all starting to seem the same. The characters are great. I like...

Am I allowed to say how much I LOVED this book? It was hysterical. Seriously. I snorted many a time while reading.I have to admit that I am a big fan of Alan Sitomer's books. I've read them all. Although he doesn't typically write books that I can relate to...

At first, I didn't really like this book. I was on page 170 or so and didn't feel any "magic" so to speak of. But then, WHAM! It all made sense. Originally, I was told this book was about something totally different than I what I anticipated. (I can't help...

Eh. There was a lot of hype focused on this book and I feel a bit let down. It was pretty good, don't get me wrong, it just wasn't as great as I hoped it would be. I do love the cover, though. It's gorgeous and fits the book perfectly....

What happens when a R.L. Stine Fearstreet book grows up? Vicious Little Darlings is what happens. What a creepy book. It has all the classic elements (sabotage, misunderstandings, murder) mixed with grown up situations. The characters were only so-so. Sarah, the main character was really lackluster. I...