Sweet Valley High Movie

You know, I don't think I ever would have put Diablo Cody with Sweet Valley High. But I think it's cool! I'm hoping she'll bring some fun and edginess to what would probably otherwise be a lackluster, silly teen pop movie. Too bad the Olsen twins are too old and boho to do Elizabeth and Jessica.

Let the casting fun begin!

According to Variety, Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely has been acquired by Universal Pictures.

Sea Change by Aimee Friedman

Sixteen year-old Miranda postpones her summer internship to help her mom pack up her mother's house after she dies. The house is on Selkie Island off the coast of Georgia, and her grandmother had been part of the wealthy elite who vacationed there for years. Science-obsessed New Yorker Miranda learns things she never knew about her grandmother or their similarities, as well as lore about the island's merpeople (is that a word?). She makes friends with other wealthy teenage girls vacationing there (even though they don't share many interests). While there are elements of the plot surrounding her relationship with her mother, most of the plot centers on Miranda's romantic life as she meets both a preppy vacationer and a mysterious and attractive "townie" who speaks to her growing awareness of island lore.

I checked this book out of the public library, and I'm definitely buying it for my library. It was enjoyable, and it has a fantastic cover that I know will pique students' interest. While the love story may not have been the hottest or most dramatic for me, it definitely held my attention. It had the elements of fantastical that are popular right now without being just another vampire/faerie/werewolf romance. The story was certainly complete as is, but I'd be interested in and willing to read more about Miranda's future.