Review: The Education of Hailey Kendrick by Eileen Cook

Hardcover, 272 pages

Published January 4, 2011

Publisher: Simon Pulse

ISBN: 9781442413252

Hailey Kendrick always does exactly what's expected of her. She has the right friends, dates the perfect boy, gets good grades, and follows all the rules. But one night, Hailey risks everything by breaking a very big rule in a very public way...and with a very unexpected partner in crime. Hailey gets caught, but her accomplice does not, and Hailey takes the fall for both of them.
Suddenly, Hailey's perfect life--and her reputation--are blowing up in her face. Her friends are all avoiding her. Her teachers don't trust her. Her boyfriend won't even speak to her for long enough to tell her that she's been dumped.

They say honesty is the best policy--but some secrets are worth keeping, no matter the cost. Or are they?

My Rating: 4 / 5

My Thoughts:
I knew from the first sentence I was going to like this book. "There was a matter of life and death to deal with, instead we were wasting our time discussing Mandy Gallaway's crotch."

Hailey has tried to be the perfect daughter & student ever since her mother died in a tragic accident. For me, she was very relatable character: a rule follower, analytical and one who especially likes to stay in her comfort zone...that is until she kisses her boyfriends best bud, has a falling out with her boyfriend and meets Dean. Through some odd behavior & fun shenanigans, what she learns is that life is not always striving to be perfect. I wouldn't call this a realistic story (if only our mistakes were forgiven so easily) but it sure made me laugh out loud & snort a few times. The Education of Hailey Kendrick is a light, fluffy, fun read, the perfect pick me up book.

Review: The Bride of New France by Suzanne Desrochers

Paperback, 224 pages

Released: January 18, 2011

Publisher: Penguin Canada

ISBN: 9780143173380

Laure Beausejour has grown up in a dormitory in Paris surrounded by prostitutes, the insane, and other forgotten women. She dreams with her best friend, Madeleine, of using her needlework skills to become a seamstress and one day marry a nobleman. But in 1669, Laure is sent across the Atlantic to New France with Madeleine as filles du roi. The girls know little of the place they are being sent to, except for stories of ferocious winters and Indians who eat the hearts of French priests. To be banished to Canada is a punishment worse than death.

Bride of New France explores the challenges Laure faces coming into womanhood in a brutal time and place. From the moment she arrives in Ville-Marie (Montreal) she is expected to marry and produce children with a brutish French soldier who himself can barely survive the harsh conditions of his forest cabin. But through her clandestine relationship with Deskaheh, an allied Iroquois, Laure finds a sense of the possibilities in this New World.

What happens to a woman who attempts to make her own life choices in such authoritative times?

My Rating: 4 / 5

My Thoughts:

It has been a few years since I last read about Canadian history (make that Grade 9 history!). The last line of the blurb above is what caught my eye..it's amazing how the world has changed for women over the years. Suzanne's debut is stunning from page one, with an ending that blew me away.

A captivating read, The Bride of New France is the tale of one remarkably strong woman. The main character, Laure, has never had an easy life. She has lived on the streets with her parents, is torn from them and placed in an orphanage, is taken in by a rich lady only to return when she passes away...and this is just the beginning, see what I mean? She finds comfort in her one best friend, Madeleine, the polar opposite of herself as Laure is not exactly the most sympathetic person - yes, she has been jaded & that unfortunately, she carries with her. At times this causes Laure to make decisions that are selfish yet you can't help but feel hope that things will finally turn around for her. What I loved most was that as destitiate as Laure's life was, she still had hopes & dreams. Somehow, in all this, it was not a sad story. It wasn't until a huge event happened near the end that I realized just how powerful & wonderful a character Suzanne created in Laure...when you react so strongly to something that is so out of character for you, that is a true sign of a great writer!

YA Historical Fiction Challenge

Thanks to Sab for hosting this challenge. As I love historical fiction and YA, this is the perfect match. Oddly enough, I don't normally mix the two so this should be fun!

My book list:

1. Timeless (Timeless #1) by Alexandra Monir (click for review)
2. Deadly by Julie Chibbaro (TBR)
3. Strings Attached by Judy Blundell (TBR)
4. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys (TBR)
5. Once Every Never by Lesley Livingston
6. Ingenue (Flappers #2) by Jillian Larkin
7. Fateful by Claudia Gray
8. Beautiful Days (Bright Young Things #2) by Anna Godbersen
9. ?
10. ?

It's never too late to join in! This challenge runs for all of 2011, you can find more about the challenge here