Sunday, October 4, 2009

The Amanda Project - Invisible I by Stella Lennon/Melissa Kantor + Contest!

Published September 22, 2009.

When enigmatic high schooler Amanda Valentino disappears, her friends vow to find her. But once the teens follow clues that might lead to Amanda, they realize that everything they thought they knew about her was false. As they compare notes on their missing friend, the mystery of where - and who - Amanda is deepens. (book back blurb)

Here was another book that I wasn't sure what I'd be getting into once I cracked the cover but I can tell you right now, I'm so glad I did.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I don't normally (nor purposely) read mysteries. I just tend to not gravitate towards them in a bookstore or wherever. This happened to be another BEA grab that I made so I was just blindly grabbing. From the blurb, if this were on a shelf, I probably wouldn't have given it a second chance. Boy would that have been my loss. This is a perfect example of a blurb failing to live up to what's actually in the book and what you can miss by not giving something a chance.

I was immediately sucked into the mystery of this book. I mean, it started right on page one when Callie gets called into the principle's office. The point of view is kept so strictly in Callie's eyes that the events unfold as Callie sees them and not before. The reader isn't privy to anything that the character isn't.

What I really liked about the writing was that it was devoid of unnatural and contrived infodumps. All of the information about Callie's life, about Amanda, about Hal and Nia that she knows, is divulged through various mind-wandering memories, pseudo-flashbacks and inserts that are actually relevant to what's going on the moment they happen. The dialogue and the narrative is so realistic that it borders on stream of consciousness but with punctuation and is actually readable.

Along those lines, the dialogue, the slang, wasn't overbearing. Again, it was realistic without being obnoxious. Of course you're going to have those chicks that talk more Valley than the rest but that kind of language was limited to them. Everyone has their own speech, each character was clearly defined in multiple dimensions and they all, even the I-Girls, stood out. Everyone had their flaws and it made them all richer characters for it.

While the ending, not to mention everything n between, opens up a hell of a lot more questions than it answers, the sub-plot, Callie's issues with the I-Girls, resolves. Sort of. Through the search for Amanda, she comes into herself, develops more self-confidence and her will gets stronger. She's finally able to be the person that she wants to be as opposed to the one her friends want her to be. It's an empowering story for anyone, especially for teen girls.

This was an excellent book. So excellent that I even signed up at the website, www.theamandaproject.com, until I had register's remorse because I have other things I need to be doing, unfortunately. But I want to know more about Amanda. I want to figure out who she is. I want to speculate. Oh to have more hours in our days! This first book in the series has me jonsing for the rest of them. I just hope the rest live up to the fantastic-ness that this one offered up.



Contest Time!!!

You want my ARC? Then listen up -

Leave a comment with your email and answer this question--

What's the craziest quirk any of your friends (or you!) have?

You MUST answer the question in order for your entry to count. No answer, no entry. Period.

Extra entries -

+5 for already following
+3 for newly following
+3 for linking (up to 3 links for a total of 9 extra points)
+5 for posting about this contest

Contest is open to US residents only and will end on October 25th at midnight, EST. Good luck!

31 comments:

M.A.D. said...

Mary D
zenrei57 (at) hotmail (dot) com

Okay, the craziest quirk I've ever come across is that a friend of mine (not ME honestly lol)ALWAYS sits with her legs crossed Indian-style whenever she ... goes to the bathroom!!!!
It totally cracked me up when she told me, I don't know how she manages to sit like that hahaha

M.A.D. said...

Mary D
zenrei57 (at) hotmail (dot) com

+5 I already follow :)

Ellz said...

I have no unusual quirks, but a friend who I think is a bit OCD, sniffs his hands constantly. Clean or dirty, at random times, just SNIFF. He washes them a lot too.

Ellz said...

+5 I am already a follower!

Donna (Bites) said...

Dude, how do you pee with your legs crossed??? O_o

Melissa (Books R Us) said...

I do not think that I have a Quirk. Nobody has ever mentioned it to me. My brother constantly cracks his nuckles. That may not be crazy but it is very annoying.

I am a follower already +5

melissa@gingerhigh.com

Thanks

Debbie F said...

I'm sure my husband can tell you about my quirks, but honestly, I dont' have any. As for my friends, really can't think of any there either. I guess we are pretty boring.
dcf_beth at verizon dot net

Unknown said...

I guess my craziest quirk is that I have major OCD for the books I buy. They have like oh so perfect. And I literally will spend time comparing the copies to get the best one.

+5 for already following
+3 for newly following
+3 added to sidebar
http://neverendingshelf.blogspot.com

neverendingshelf@gmail.com

Flip The Page! Book Reviews said...

I've been looking for this book everywhere! Enter me please!

+5 for already following
+3 for linking on my blog on sidebar- flipthepagebookreview.blogspot.com

Christina
flipthepageplease@gmail.com

Chelsea S said...

The craziest quirk I have is that I wear crazy brightly colored socks.

saulpaugh.chelsea(at)gmail(dot)com

-- Chelsea

Chelsea S said...

Im now a follower. (1)

saulpaugh.chelsea(at)gmail(dot)com

-- Chelsea

Chelsea S said...

Im now a follower. (2)

saulpaugh.chelsea(at)gmail(dot)com

-- Chelsea

Chelsea S said...

Im now a follower. (3)

saulpaugh.chelsea(at)gmail(dot)com

-- Chelsea

Jordan Perryman said...

Hmm thats a hard one! I can't think of any quirks other than me and my sister-in-law just being us! That's quirky all in itself :p

+3 for newly following
+3 tweeted @jmoose09
+3 sidebar
http://insidethemindjm.blogspot.com
+5 for posting about this contest
http://insidethemindjm.blogspot.com/2009/10/blogosphere.html

jmoose09@gmail.com

Froggy said...

What's the craziest quirk any of your friends (or you!) have?
I can't think of any but the one above who crosses her legs going potty is too funny!!

+3 for newly following
+3 for linking
http://froggaritavillesbookcase.blogspot.com/2009/08/contest.html

Froggy
froggarita@gmail.com
http://froggaritavillesbookcase.blogspot.com
A Blog with Bite!
http://blogwithbitereviews.blogspot.com

Heather G. said...

My hubby has to have his shirts hung up with the front facing the right side...it's pretty anal, but I love him!
+5 already a follower
+3 linked to this at the bottom of my blog http://gofita.blogspot.com
+3 my tweet: http://twitter.com/Gofita/status/4959123690

hmsgofita at hotmail dot com

kalynnick said...

Crazy quirk I know is my little sister sweats everywhere, even in her feet to the point her shoes gets all wet and you think she spilled water on it or something...LOL

kalynnick AT yahoo DOT com

Llehn said...

I have a friend who is a compulsive hand washer! She has to wash her hands after she has touched something! It drives me crazy!

+5 Already following

lesly7ch(at)yahoo(dot)com

The Lovely Reader said...

+5 Already following

When eating salad, I can NOT dump dressing on to the salad. I have to get the lettuce and etc on the fork, and then dip the fork in to a bowl of dressing. EVERYONE makes fun of me for it, my family, my friends, everyone. It's the only way I can eat it.

Thanks for the contest.
barbrafl737 (at) yahoo (dot) com

TheOutspokenYam said...

half_blue_sky@yahoo.com

My craziest quirk is that i arrange all of my books by color, so my shelves look like rainbows. Yeah, nuts. I know.

TheOutspokenYam said...

half_blue_sky@yahoo.com

Oh,

+3 New follower
+3 for linking

http://twitter.com/halfbluesky/status/5013594849

Anonymous said...

The craziest and strangest quirk one of my friends has, is if you poke her in the side, between her ribs and hipbones, she involuntarily emits this high-pitched squeal. Everyone just randomly pokes her there whenever they can. It's adorable yet hilarious.

+3 New follower

+5 Posted here: http://goodgonegirl.blogspot.com/2009/10/amazing-giveaways.html

+3 Posted on sidebar: http://goodgonegirl.blogspot.com

Anna ♥
goodgonegirl@gmail.com

Andrea [Buried In Books] said...

+3 for newly following
+3 sidebar: http://ireadd.blogspot.com

andrearobbins10@yahoo.com

Andrea [Buried In Books] said...

Oops! Forgot in my last comment ^^^

A crazy quirk I have:
When I go out to eat, I throw away everyone's napkins & clear the table throughout the meal...I cant eat @ a table with clutter.

Jaime said...

the craziest quirk? Spending too much time on the computer when I have a stack of books to read !
copperllama at yahoo dot com

Jaime said...

+3 New Follower
copperllama at yahoo dot com

Sam said...

The craziest quirk that one of my friends has is always dressing like a hippie. :)

speckldharted22(at)aim(dot)com

+3 twitter(dot)com/speckldharted

Eleni said...

Nice giveaway, please enter me! :)

+5 I'm an old follower

Thanks
-Eleni
Lafemmereaders@yahoo.com

Mandy said...

The crazy quirk I can think of isn't somebody I really know, just a friend of a friend. When he introduced himself to me and my sister, he shoke our hands, then sniffed his palm. It was weird, yet so funny.

+5 already follow

bratdownstairs@yahoo.com

Unknown said...

The craziest quirk one of my friends has is that he tends to stare at strangers feet for like ten seconds straight (as you might be able to guess he gets evil/crazy stares) then talk about their feet. He has a foot fetish apparently. That dude is crazy but he's awesome so it's okay haha :)

+5 already follow
+3 posted on giveaway sidebar

lc_intocable{a}yahoo{d}com

Misty said...

follower
on my blog list
My 16 yr old son sleeps indian style bent forward with his back flat/straight out and head on the bed/floor wherever. It's kinda creepy he's been doing it for years yes he's a little double jointed..
misty_labean@yahoo.com

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