Natalie Hargrove is a bit of a chameleon, having managed to hide her past as a girl from the wrong side of the tracks, rise to the upper ranks of high school popularity and snag herself a trust fund toting boyfriend along the way. On the brink of gaining everything she has wished for the last four years, Nat thinks she is sitting pretty; that is, ‘tll her past tries to catch up with her and a prank goes horribly wrong- Nat may just lose it all.

After reading all the rave reviews regarding Kate’s previous two offerings, “Fallen” and “Torment”, I was on the edge of my seat waiting to get my hands on this. The twists and turns and hidden storyline that slowly evolves will keep you guessing and a little tongue in cheek in making sure the “perfect” people soon lose their shine. The story did start out a little slowly- the plot took a while to reach first gear but thankfully, once it picks up, you become so enthralled all is soon forgiven.

Nat is one of those girls you will either feel sorry for or wish she would get hers, sometimes both at differing parts of the journey. Self-centered and manipulative on the surface, she can grate on the nerves until we get to see the hidden depth and pain behind the facade. A fresh new twist on the high school “it” scene and just what it takes to stay on top.

Lauren Kate is a powerhouse to sink your teeth into. Check out Natalie’s world- it will certainly make you rethink the whole popularity game.

The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove- Lauren Kate

4th January, 2011, by Random House

Paperback, 235 pages

ISBN:978-0-552-56372-7

We have *signed* copies of Burn Bright and Yunyu’s amazing Angel Arias CD to give away to 3 lucky bloggers.

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And the winners are:

Can’t Find a Bookmark:

http://findabookmark.blogspot.com/p/contact-info.html

The Tealeaf Review:

http://thetealeafreview.blogspot.com/p/about-me.html

Tales of the Ravenous Reader:

http://www.lushbudgetproduction.com/search?q=burn+bright

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Congrats, guys!

~To claim your copy, drop us a line by Tuesday, March 15.~

MARCH 1st, FINALLY!

Today is the official release date for… yes… you guessed it… Burn Bright!

Trust us when we tell you Marianne’s first YA novel is absolutely *brilliant*. Dark. Thrilling. Spellbinding. Transportive. But why take our word for it when you can have a copy in your hot little hands TODAY?! Run, don’t walk, to the bookstore. You can thank us later 😉

From the staff here at burnbright.com, huge congrats to MDP on this very exciting day.

~Keep watching this space for info, updates, reviews, interviews, and MDP’s appearances~.

and…

BURN BRIGHT!

(p.s. — The Burn Bright blogger draw winner will be announced later today, so stay tuned!)

Bel Says:

The theme of the book is prom nights from hell, but even I couldn’t imagine some of these scenarios. They’re thrilling and scary, even downright hilarious at times. Each is different and they’ve all earned the right to be included. Here’s a quick rundown of each story.

Meg Cabot has her heroine, Mary, chasing Dracula’s son to save her friend, Lila, from a fate worse than death in The Exterminator’s Daughter.

Lauren Myracle explores the pros and cons of having three wishes available to you when you have a one-track mind in The Corsage.

Kim Harrison introduces us to her latest series with Madison Avery and the Dim Reaper. We hear the full story of the bungled assassination attempt of Madison Avery.

Michele Jaffe puts us smack dab in the middle of a moral crisis in Kiss and Tell. Should Miranda go back and save Sibby, the obnoxious tween she’s chauffeured to a suspicious house and risk revealing her supernatural abilities, or drive to her roller derby practice?

Stephenie Meyer takes the name of the book to heart when Sheba turns the high school prom into a night from hell to advance her career as a Demon in Hell on Earth.

This was a nice way to get away from the world over the last week. Each story is short enough to suck you in and give you something else to think about right before bed. I found at least two of the stories sparked my interest for more, and luckily in the case of Kim Harrison’s entry, this is just a mere taste of what is to come.

“Prom Nights From Hell” — Meg Cabot, Stephenie Meyer, Kim Harrison, Michelle Jaffe, Lauren Myracle

Published 1 July, 2009, by HarperCollins Children’s Books

Paperback, 304 pages

Amy Parker, one of our UK staff members, Burn’s Bright.

And so does her cat, Reg.