(Note: While this review will not contain any spoilers for The Off Season, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from Dairy Queen. As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.)

Growing up on a crumbling Wisconsin dairy farm has taught 16-year-old D.J. Schwenk a few things: Constant, back-breaking physical labor is murder on a person's G.P.A. and social life; dominating on the football field tends to intimidate guys, especially when the one doing the dominating is an "oversized girl dairy farmer" (134); and if anything can go wrong, it will. In a big way. D.J.'s spent enough time shoveling poop to know that eventually, the cow pie always hits the fan and it's never, ever pretty.

Knowing this, she's naturally suspicious about how well her life seems to be going at the moment. Everyone's buzzing about her skills on the field; gorgeous Brian Nelson's always around to help with milking (as well as some clandestine fooling around); and her family seems to be mending after a bitter feud that's kept D.J.'s older brothers away from home for years. It's all good. Until suddenly, it's not. An injury in practice forces D.J. into a tough choice; Brian, who's so into her in private, seems embarrassed of her in public; and D.J.'s best friend, Amber, is taking off with her new girlfriend. Frustrated and lonely, she thinks things can't get any worse, but, of course, they do. More health problems hit the Schwenks, the farm's plummeting into bankruptcy, and D.J.'s frantic with worry for her older brother. Once again, it's up to her to keep it all together. Just like last year, she'll fight her way through, learning some valuable lessons about what she's made of, who her true friends are, and what really matters.

Although I didn't like The Off Season by Catherine Gilbert Murdock quite as much as Dairy Queen, I still find this series immensely enjoyable. It's original, funny, and filled with an optimism that's often lacking in YA literature. This book gets a little melodramatic, but it also pulls the story in a surprising new direction. Still, it remains a compelling and worthy companion to the widely-loved Dairy Queen. I'm anxious to see how the last book, Front and Center, pulls it all together. Although I'm still not wild about the Amber storyline (it seems a little contrived, as if it's there simply to keep things P.C.), I truly love reading about solid, farm-fresh D.J. Somehow, she manages to be both unique and utterly recognizable. A winner in every sense, she makes this series what it is - absolutely delightful.

(Readalikes: Dairy Queen and Front and Center by Catherine Gilbert Murdock; the parts about D.J.'s brother also reminded me of Shark Girl by Kelly Bingham)

Grade: B

If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG-13 for language (no F-bombs), mild sexual content, and depictions of homosexuality (more thoughtful than graphic)

To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find

When Jacob Fielding survives a horrific car crash that kills his mysterious foster father, he feels something transfer from the older man to him. Some type of weird energy. As he inadvertently lends the power to a daredevil new girl, the truth hits Jacob like a ton of bricks: Not only is he indestructible, but he can make other people temporarily unassailable, too. Which comes in handy, considering his best friends are a short kid with a big mouth and a beautiful blonde who sees death-defying longboard tricks as an amusing hobby. Cool as Jacob's newfound ability is, he can't shake the feeling that it's dangerous. An orphaned high school kid really shouldn't be the one playing God, should he?

The more Jacob learns about his perplexing new "gift," the more he wishes he could just get rid of it. Several people, including his thrill-seeking girlfriend, Ophelia ("Oh") James, would love to wrench it away from him, use its extraordinary power to save every soul she can. It's not like he's indifferent to easing the suffering of others, but Jacob's more than a little reluctant to play Superman with a superpower he barely understands. He only knows that he can't save everyone and only God should be able to choose who lives and who dies. Besides, he feels a darkness in his strange ability, a hunger that seems intent on consuming him.

As Jacob studies the source of his invulnerability, he discovers some strange secrets about the power, his foster father, and himself. Even though he still doesn't know everything, he knows enough to be worried about Oh, whose obsession with the power is changing her from a lighthearted free spirit into someone the boys barely recognize. Can they unlock the secrets of invulnerability in enough time to save their friend? Or will the strength of an ancient force be the destruction of them all?

Thirteen Days to Midnight by veteran children's author, Patrick Carman, introduces one of the most intriguing premises I've encountered in a long time. Not the superpower thing - that's been done a million times. I'm talking about the idea behind the superpower, which, unfortunately, I can't discuss for fear of spoiling the story. You're just going to have to trust me on this one. It's a fabulous idea. Unfortunately, Carman's execution of the idea doesn't do it justice. As written, the novel feels like a first draft. It's as if the author's playing with different ideas, molding his characters, imagining a romance, and creating preliminary dialogue. A rewrite or two could have honed all this, smoothing out the clunky writing, sharpening Thirteen Days to Midnight into the taut, focused, highly original thrill ride it's meant to be. As is, the story meanders all over the place, the characters sound like robots, and much of the plot hinges on happenings that are annoyingly contrived. These are all fairly easy fixes, something I hope Carman takes into account when writing the next books (although I haven't seen it confirmed anywhere, I'm assuming this book is not a standalone). Even though I found this one disappointing, the series has so much potential that I'm eager for the next installment. I don't have the power to see the future, but I predict this is one of those series that will get better as it goes along.

(Readalikes: A little like Delcroix Academy: The Candidates by Inara Scott and a teensy bit like the Gone series by Michael Grant)

Grade: C

If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG-13 for language (no F-bombs), gore, and very mild sexual innuendo

To the FTC, with love: I received an ARC of Thirteen Days to Midnight from the generous folks at Hachette Book Group. Thank you!

I usually don't post twice in a day, but I auto-posted a review for this morning without realizing that today is Friday. Duh. I seriously need to get back on my meds. If any of you take levothyroxine (it's a generic of Synthroid), you know how awful it feels to be off it, even for a little while - it's a fuzzy-headed exhaustion you can feel from your head to your toes. I'm headed to the doctor this morning, so hopefully he can make sense of my blood results and give me SOME indication of what comes next.

In the meantime, let's celebrate that it's Friday! My kids get out early from school (a reason for them to celebrate - me, not so much) since they're annual October Break starts next week; I have an aunt coming to visit whom I haven't seen in years; and, of course, these fun events:


The Book Blogger Hop is a weekly event hosted by Jen over at Crazy For Books. If you're a new blogger, it's a perfect way to find other blogs and drive traffic to your own site. If you're a veteran at this book blogging thing, it's a great way to welcome the newbies. Plus, it's just fun! Head on over to Jen's blog to join in. This week, Jen asks the question: What is your favorite beverage to drink while you read?

- Usually, I just like a nice, big cup of ice water. Lately, though, I've needed more of a caffeine boost (which, being LDS, I feel tremendously guilty about), so I've been all about the Mt. Dew. I like to stick it in the freezer until it's nearly solid, then let it melt to the consistency of a slurpee. Delish.


Friday (My Book Blog) Friday is another weekly meme, this time hosted by Parajunkee. It's another fabulous way to discover new blogs/bloggers and gain Followers for your own blog. You'll definitely want to join in! Parajunkee's question of the week is: How many reviews to you like to do in a week?

- Funny enough, I've been thinking a lot about this question lately. I don't like to post every day, because I think it gets overwhelming. My own feed reader is so out of control that I end up skipping a lot of reviews on blogs that post daily. I'm aiming toward more of a Monday-Wednesday-Saturday approach, with a misc. post on Friday. What do you think? Would you like more reviews? Less? More chit chat? Maybe I should do a poll or something ...

Anyway, for those who are here because of the Hop or FF, welcome! Please leave a comment so I can check out your blog also. Don't forget to check out the giveaway I'm running for a new, hardcover copy of Wicked Girls by Stephanie Hemphill - you can get all the details on my right sidebar.


I forgot to mention that I finished a reading challenge! It's been awhile since I actually completed one, so I'm pretty proud of myself. My reading list changed quite a bit since I realized reading both Under the Dome and The Stand in one month might be more of an undertaking than I first thought. So, here's what I ended up reading:

1. The Devouring by Simon Holt (Review)

2. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (Review)

3. I Am Legend by Richard Matheson (Review)

4. Wicked Girls by Stephanie Hemphill (Review)

I liked all of them, although the structure of I Am Legend confused and frustrated me. My favorite ended up being The Devouring, which is just a deliciously creepy Halloween read. I'm working on the sequels now. *Shivers* A funny: I was reading Soulstice yesterday when the FedEx guy banged on my door. Scared the crap out of me!