(Note: While this review will not contain spoilers for Lowcountry Summer, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from its companion novel, Plantation. As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.)

It's Caroline Wimbley Levine's 46th birthday and all she wants is a nice, calm celebration with her family. Too bad the Wimbleys don't do calm. Even the dead ones can't resist a little drama, as evidenced by the balloon bouquet Caroline receives from her recently-deceased mother. Then there's her brother, Trip, who can barely handle the woman he's married to, let alone the complicated situation with his girlfriend. It doesn't help the situation when Frances Mae, Trip's redneck, gold-digging wife shows up at the party so sloshed she doesn't remember running her SUV into the ditch or injuring her young daughter in the process. Caroline's only consolation on this bummer of a birthday is seeing Frances Mae's escort - the county sheriff who makes her blood boil. In a good way.

After her sister-in-law's latest drunken escapade, Caroline knows she has to do something since, Heaven knows, Trip won't. Fixing family situations is part of her duty as the matriarch of the Wimbley Family and current mistress of Tall Pines Plantation. Her mother, the flamboyant, outspoken, late Miss Lavinia would have known exactly what to do. Caroline's not so confident. But she is determined, which leads to Frances Mae's commitment to a treatment program and Caroline's commitment to the four hellcats Trip calls his daughters. Dealing with the sullen girls, their helpless father, as well as her own complicated love life, and her son's mysterious new girlfriend is enough to make Caroline completely crazy. To top it all off, Caroline's got her gullah cook forecasting disaster and her mother leaving signs all over the place to show her amusement/displeasure/infuriation with the way Caroline's handling it all. Caroline's not sure she can take any more crazy from the people she loves - and loathes - the most. Can she deal with it all without cracking? Especially when the only people she can turn to for advice are a ghost and a voodoo queen.

If you've read a few Southern novels, you won't find anything surprising in Lowcountry Summer, the newest book by Dorothea Benton Frank. Her characters are typical of the genre, almost cliche really, and the plot gets a bit contrived. What Frank excels at, though, is setting. The places she describe radiate more depth, more personality, more charm than any of her story people. Tall Pines Plantation is like that - it's what stayed in my mind after I finished the book. I felt more connected to it than to its residents, although that could be because Lowcountry Summer is actually a sequel and I haven't read the first book (Plantation, 2001). Whatever the reason for the slight disconnect I felt with the characters, I enjoyed the novel enough to read it in one day. It had enough Southern quirkiness to charm me, enough conflict to keep me turning pages, and enough humor to make me smile. The book didn't blow me away, but it was definitely a quick, fun read, one that kept me entertained and reminded me why I love Southern novels (Light-as-a-feather biscuits. Need I say more?).

(Readalikes: Plantation by Dorothea Benton Frank as well as other novels by the author; her books also remind of Anne Rivers Siddons'.)

Grade: C

If this were a movie, it would be rated: R for language, some sexual content and depictions of underrage drug use

To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of Lowcountry Summer from the generous folks at Harper Collins and TLC Book Tours, for which this review was written. To see more stops on Lowcountry Summer's virtual book tour, click here.

If you, like me, have dreams of publishing a novel some day, you've probably read a few books about writing. More than a few. Probably tons. I know I have. Some writing tutorials are better than others, obviously, even though most cover about the same material. Still, I'm always interested in finding new and different techniques to deal with old and perplexing problems. Since plotting is something I pretty much suck at, I picked up Plot & Structure by mystery/suspense author James Scott Bell, hoping for some good advice. I didn't learn anything completely new from it, but it still offered a few gems.

I don't agree with everything Bell says, of course. I mean, seriously, is the following paragraph really "one of the greatest opening paragraphs in any thriller you'll ever read" as Bell seems to think:

"At two-thirty Saturday morning, in Los Angeles, Joe Carpenter woke, clutching a pillow to his chest, cllin ghis lost wife's name in the darkness. The anguished and haunted quality of his own voice ahd shaken him from sleep. Dreams fell from him not all at once but in trembling veils, as attic dust falls off rafters when a house rolls with an earthquake." (From Sole Survivor by Dean R. Koontz)

Yeah, I don't think so either.

Overall, though, I found the book helpful. Not monumentally so, but enough that I enjoyed the reading experience and found it to be a good use of my time. It even helped me write some killer back cover copy for my soon to be bestseller (hee hee). Now, if it could just help me shape my scary-bad rough draft into something that's at least readable, if not publishable, then, well, I'd really be singing its praises.

(Readalikes: similar to The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing by Evan Marshall and How to Write a Damn Good Novel by James N. Frey)

Grade: C

If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG for a couple uses of mild language

To the FTC, with love: I bought Plot & Structure with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger. Ha ha.

(Note: While this review will not contain spoilers for Mr. Monster, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from its predecessor, I Am Not A Serial Killer. As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.)

In I Am Not A Serial Killer, Dan Wells' disturbing debut novel, 15-year-old John Wayne Cleaver kills a murderer. He doesn't want to kill anyone. Not really. Even if he does have dark, violent thoughts. Even if he studies serial killers obsessively. Even if the dead bodies that arrive in his family's mortuary fascinate him a whole lot more than they really should. John's a sociopath, but he's not a killer. At least he wasn't until he came face-to-face with a foe so unbelievable, so formiddable, that the only way to save his town from more grisly murders was to tap into his violent side and take out the monster. Only this monster wasn't human like Ted Bundy or the BTK Strangler. And this monster, apparently, brought along some friends. At least that's what John comes to believe when dead bodies start turning up once again in his hometown.

Mr. Monster begins with a murdered woman discovered in an irrigation canal. John can't be sure it's the work of another demon, but what else makes sense? As other victims are found, John studies the crimes for evidence of an otherworldly killer. His interest in the killings, coupled with his presence at one of the crime scenes, raises the suspicions of Clark Forman, the FBI agent in charge of investigating the killings. Even though Agent Forman finds John's obsession strange, he can't deny the usefulness of John's uncanny ability to get inside the head of a killer. John can't deny it either - hunting down the killer satisfies the hungry need of his inner demon, who he refers to as Mr. Monster. As much as John resists tapping into the side of himself, he has to unleash it in order to truly understand who - or what - is stalking his little town.

The closer John gets to discovering the identity of the murderer, the more perilous his situation becomes. Not only is the killer hunting John, but unleashing Mr. Monster is making John dangerous to himself and everyone around him. Can he control his inner demon long enough to save the town once again or will this new round of murders finally put John over the edge?

Like Wells' first book, Mr. Monster is a deeply disturbing portrait of a boy at war with himself. John's violent thoughts are jarring, while his deep commitment to being a good person makes him complex and even sympathetic. Like I've said before, the most intriguing aspect of this series is its premise, which basically says that no matter what instincts we may or may not have been born with, the decisions we make are ultimately up to us. It's a fascinating concept, the exploration of which makes for some consistently compelling reads. Still, John's constant thoughts of death, combined with some pretty graphic, violent scenes in the book's finale, make Mr. Monster so dark and disturbing, I could barely stomach it. It made me think; it also made me want to vomit. And take some Prozak. So, yeah, I'm definitely on the fence about these ... Have you read them? What do you think?

(Readalikes: I Am Not A Serial Killer and I Don't Want to Kill You (available in the U.S. on March 29, 2011) by Dan Wells; Wells' work also reminds me quite a bit of Stephen King's)

Grade: B-

If this were a movie, it would be rated: R for mild language, mild sexual content and graphic/disturbing/violent images

To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find

If you're like me, you get dozens of book recommendations every week from various places - friends, family, book blogs, newspapers, magazines, publisher emails, etc. - so many that you can't possibly run out and read them all right now. Maybe you prioritize, reserving titles suggested by your sister ASAP, but sticking Uncle Bob's recommendations on the end of your TBR list. My husband is my Uncle Bob (not literally - eeewww). To hear him tell it, I reguarly ignore his book suggestions. Maybe he should take a page out of our oldest daughter's book: the other day, she said to me, "I wish you would read the books I ask you to read so that we could discuss them." Result? Instant guilt. I plucked the story under discussion right out of her hands and began to read it. And you know what? I'm going to pay more attention to her suggestions because Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine really was ... enchanting. Perhaps I should now read a pick from "Uncle Bob" just to see if I get similar results.

At first glance, Ella Enchanted didn't seem all that great. The cover's nothing special, the writing didn't make me gasp, and the story seemed ho hum. Until I got going. Then, I realized how unique and interesting its premise really is. The story goes a little something like this: As an infant, Ella receives a "blessing" from a mischievious fairy that compels her to always be obedient. The spell works, so well that if Ella's mother urges her to eat, she does so until commanded to stop. So total is her obedience that the "blessing" soon becomes a curse, one the tricky fairy refuses to undo. The curse is irritating, for sure, but only a minor convenience as Ella spends most of her time with her mother and the family's housekeeper, both of whom know about the spell and would never exploit little Ella. All that changes, however, when Ella's 14 and her mother dies. That's when a scheming Lady sets her sights upon Ella's father or, more specifically, on the riches that seem to be his. Her two daughters, equally as conniving, soon discover Ella's secret. Unlike Ella's early allies, they have no trouble taking advantage of her. Soon, Ella becomes little more than a servant to her new stepfamily. Her only hope lies in breaking the curse that forces her to obey even the vilest of commands. But that will not be an easy task; indeed, it may be impossible. Can she find a way to free herself or is she doomed to a life of toil with only the cinders to keep her company?

Interesting concept, right? And, as Ella searches for a solution to her predicament - encountering gnomes, giants, knights and, of course, a prince, along the way - the story becomes downright charming. It's fun, clever, and entertaining. I ended up enjoying it immensely.

When I shared my enthusiasm for Ella Enchanted with my daughter, she popped a fist on her hip and said, "See? I told you so!" And she did. Result: Lesson learned. Next time my daughter suggests I read a book, I will do it. Promptly. As for "Uncle Bob?" Let's just say, Man's Search for Meaning is now at the top of my TBR mountain.

(Readalikes: Other Cinderella retellings)

Grade: B

If this were a movie, it would be rated: G

To the FTC, with love: I borrowed this book from my daughter, who received it, I believe, as a birthday gift from her great aunt.

Winter 2099 - Ever since the floods began, people have been climbing upward, resettling in the highest hills and mountains they can find. As the ocean slowly swallows every patch of earth, the people of Wing, a tiny island in the northern Atlantic, are losing hope. There are no safe spots left on the watery planet; even if there were, the islanders' rickety fishing boats can't handle the rough seas. It's only a matter of time before they drown, just like everyone else in the world.

Fifteen-year-old Mara knows the end is coming. If the people of Wing don't evacuate their homeland immediately, they face certain death. It's a prospect so bleak, Mara can't stand to face it. She escapes into an ancient cyber world, the ruins of what was once an interactive superhighway linking people around the globe. Now it's useful only for escaping the real world. Except that in the strange wasteland, Mara spies what looks like a great sky city. Not everything in cyberspace is based on fact, but could this futuristic place really exist? According to a mysterious avatar roaming the cyber ruins, it does. With no choice but to trust the stranger, Mara convinces the people of Wing to flee the island and make for the great city in the sky. It's their last and only hope. Provided it even exists.

When the people reach the sky city after a perilous journey on the sea, they're stunned to find a great walled city, firmly closed to refugees. As more and more survivors anchor themselves outside New Mungo, resources become scarcer and scarcer. If Mara can't find a way inside, she'll die with the rest. She's the reason her people came to the city - she's not about to let them die when salvation is so close at hand. But getting inside New Mungo isn't easy; it may even be impossible. Mara has to try. With the lives of hundreds, maybe thousands, in her hands, she takes the plunge - literally - and enters a strange, new world where survival means something different to everyone. Can she navigate her way through this new land in time to save her people? Or will she become just another victim of the hungry ocean that is slowly consuming them all?

(Readalikes: sequels, Zenith and Aurora (available June 2011); also a bit like Floodland by Marcus Sedgwick, X-Isle by Steve Auguarde, Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi, and Dark Life by Kat Falls)

Grade: B

If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG for scenes of peril

To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find

When the cars Nick and Allie are riding in collide one day, the force of the impact throws them both into the forest. Months later, they wake up to discover that not only are they dead, but they're not in heaven. Or in hell. Or really, anywhere at all. As Lief, a young, freckled boy living in the woods, explains, the pair have been flung into Everlost, a kind of middle world between life and death. Not even Lief, who has lived in Everlost for decades, knows why they are all there, what they're supposed to be doing, or how they might escape. All he wants are some friends, other kids to play his favorite games with him.

Allie, however, has no use for playing in the trees, even if the forest offers a safety not assured in other parts of Everlost. She wants to go back home to New Jersey. Convincing Nick and Lief to join her takes a little work, but eventually the trio takes off on an adventure-filled journey through the strange world of which they are now apart. When they reach New York City, they join another band of lost souls, a group led by an enigmatic leader who knows a lot more about the whys and wherefores of Everlost than she's letting on. To "get where they're going" (Leif's term for successfully crossing from life to death) they'll have to pry Everlost's secrets away from those who guard them most fiercely, face the land's most frightening figure, and learn to live their afterlives on their own terms.

For those of you who, like me, think there's too little originality in the world of children's literature, I have two words for you: Neal Shusterman. Everlost, the first book in his highly-acclaimed Skinjacker Trilogy, introduces a world so unique you really have to experience it for yourself. Try as I might, I can't do justice to the wondrous complexity of it. Just as fresh are the characters, who truly come to life as they battle each other to achieve their own purposes. From a religious standpoint (although this is not a religious book, not at all), I appreciated Shusterman's idea of "heaven" as a place of progression instead of stagnation. A vivid setting, engaging characters, subtle philosophy and really, just everything about it, makes this an excellent read that I highly recommend to anyone whose imagination needs a little workout. Mine certainly enjoyed the exercise.

(Readalikes: Although I haven't read them yet, the sequels, Everwild and Everfound [available May 2011]; Also, a little like Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin, The Everafter by Amy Huntley and If I Stay by Gayle Forman)

Grade: B+

If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG for scenes of peril

To the FTC, with love: I bought Everlost with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger. Ha ha.