After Hello by Lisa Mangum

 Posted by  Book Reviews, Shanda's Reviews
Dec 172012
 

After Hello

Author: Lisa Mangum

Publisher: Shadow Mountain

Published Date: September 2012

Hardcover; 272 pages

Genre: Contemporary YA

ISBN# 978-1-60907-010-6

Reviewed by: Shanda

FTC FYI: received a free ARC in exchange for an honest review

First Line

“I shouldn’t have noticed him.”

Summary

What if the first day of your relationship was the only day you had?

Seventeen-year-old Sara is a seeker. She’s always on the lookout for the perfect moment to capture with her ever-present, point-and-shoot camera, especially on her first trip to New York City.

Sam is a finder. He has a knack for finding what other people can’t—a first-edition book or the last two tickets to a sold-out Broadway show. In New York, there is always something interesting to find.

When Sam and Sara’s paths cross, neither one of them is prepared for what they will find out about each other—and about themselves when they form an unlikely partnership in search of a seemingly elusive work of art. They have one day to find the impossible. Fate brought their talents together, but what happens when time runs out? Will love be able to overcome fate? This new novel from award-winning author Lisa Mangum explores what happens after hello.

Review

After Hello is different than anything I’ve read before. Each chapter alternates between Sara, written in 1st person point-of-view, and Sam, written in 3rd person point-of-view. This actually works wonderfully. The transitions from chapter to chapter felt seamless. I found myself looking forward to seeing what either Sara or Sam had to say in their chapter about what had happened in the previous chapter.

Sara and Sam are both very likable. The other characters all had depth and personality. The plot, the setting, and the characters all felt real and believable. The story drew me in and I kept turning pages, wanting to know more about Sam and Sara.

I really liked how After Hello ended. While I may be in the minority here, I would be okay if Lisa never wrote a sequel. I like the idea of leaving limitless possibilities open to Sam and Sara and leaving it at that. However, if she were to write a sequel I would definitely read it.

After Hello is clean contemporary YA fiction that, though I already knew it would be good, ended up being even better than I expected. I recommend it to anyone looking for a great read.

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**LDSWBR featured Lisa and After Hello in the Countdown to Christmas 2012 HERE.**

 

 

Enchanted, Inc. by Shanna Swendson

 Posted by  Book Reviews, Mindy's Reviews
Sep 022010
 

Enchanted, Inc.

By: Shanna Swendson
Ballantine Books
Published 2005
Paperback – 320 pages
ISBN13: 9780345481252
FTC FYI – Borrowed from a friend
“Enchanted Inc.” is the first of a four book series. This very clever and funny series is all about Katie Chandler. When she arrived in New York a year ago, she just thought that all the strange goings on around her were just that – strange. Not for one minute did she think that it was real. Katie works for a not-so-nice-boss, doing a not-so-exciting-job. Until one day she notices something out of the ordinary on the subway. Right away she is approached for a new job opportunity. But, she has never heard of the company MSI, and is very skeptical. At her current job, she is at the end of her rope, so she decides to at least talk to the new company, just to see what they are all about. Katie learns that she is immune to magic, that is why she sees all that she does. Spells do not work on her, and magic can not be used against her. Katie is very valuable to the magic community, but possibly dangerous. There’s a cute guy in the office, who could possibly be the most powerful wizard of all, and her new boss is someone you might recognize from round tables.
The rest of the books are just as great as the first. Without revealing the plot, I can’t tell you much more, but they are worth checking out. I think they get better and better. There is a bit of language throughout the first, and the last, but nothing that stopped me from reading. Book 4 takes a different turn, that at first I wasn’t sure I would like for the character, but, it turned out to be one of the best of the series. I was really entertained by this series, and hope the author gets the go ahead to continue with more.
4 stars
I recommend this and the rest of the series.
“Enchanted, Inc.”
“Once Upon Stilettos”
“Damsel Under Stress”
“Don’t Hex With Texas”
Shanna Swendson has written other books as well.