Two for the girls! The Complete History of Why I Hate Her and Amy & Roger's Epic Detour

I've been reading and have four to blog, but I'm cutting it up into two parts. Here's part one, which features some great reads for girls - one a romance, the other about friendships....

The Complete History of Why I Hate her by Jennifer Richard Jacobson

Nola just wants a summer to be herself.  She loves her little sister, Song, but has always wanted the  feeling of being a normal teenger, not a sister of a sibling who has cancer.  So this summer, she’s off to Rocky Cove Inn to work at the resort as a waitress, surrounded by other teens from all over the place. 

On her bus ride there, she meets the quirky, funny, and always lively Carly, who’s on her way to Boston to be with her family.  All it takes is one bus trip to seal the deal of a friendship.  Even though they've never met, when Nola gets off the bus at Rocky Cove, she already misses her new bubbly friend….

It isn’t long until Nola is immersed in life at Rocky Cove, including meeting the guy counselors from across the way, going to parties in a cabin by the lake, and spending the afternoons she has off swimming, running, and writing haikus to Song and sending them home.  And the best thing that could ever happen – Carly shows up to work too! 

But is it the best thing in the world?  At first Nola thinks so, but slowly she’s seeing a side of Carly that she isn’t sure is real or imagined.  Is Carly in competition with her, or is she just being a friend?  Why doesn’t Carly cheer Nola on when good things happen to her?  At first dubbed the Cannoli’s, Nola isn’t sure she wants a friend that she feels strangles her more than allows her freedom to be herself.  Or is Nola just presuming that Carly is being this way?  Isn't imitation the best form of flattery?

Jacobson has written a quick and dramatic unfolding of events between two girls and a friendship that quickly becomes toxic.  She recognizes the invisible signs that people wear but don’t always show others they have.  Both Nola and Carly are realistic in two very separate ways, and the reader at first is excited for the friendship, but is also omnisciently aware of what really is happening before Nola does.  This is not a happy romance book, but one with a darker side.  Jacobson’s use of haikus within the book, as well as a budding romance for Nola, rounds out this novel into one that readers will start and finish quickly.  Recommended. 

Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Amy Curry killed her father.  Now, she won’t even think about driving a car.  Home isn’t home anymore since the accident either.  Her brother is in North Carolina, and her mother found another job in faraway Connecticut – as far as possible from California as she could get, and now Amy has to leave too.  But this time, it’s a cross-country trip, which Amy’s mother has meticulously mapped out.  The conundrum?  How is Amy to get to the East Coast in a car?  She can’t do it after what happened….

Enter Roger, an old childhood friend Amy vaguely remembers.  He has the summer off and is going to Philly to stay with his dad and volunteers to take Amy to Connecticut as well as drop of the car Amy’s mother needs.  Great….just what Amy DOESN”T want – a long car trip with a college who happens to be HOT….

For about a year, Amy has had to deal with the pain and suffering of losing a parent.  She doesn’t want to talk about it, feel anything, and becomes a recluse, only allowing herself out when starring in musicals, which is her passion.  She doesn’t want to be stuck in a car answering questions, but when the road trip starts, she realizes Roger doesn’t know what happened, and a small weight is lifted. 

And so the long cross-country trip begins, but Roger and Amy decide to take this time to come to terms with some of the people and incidents in their lives.  Instead of taking the “safe route” Amy’s mom has emailed, Amy and Roger decide to start out at Yosemite,  and from there they run into an endless highway with a shoe tree, a fabulous party in Colorado, and some amazing topiaries in Kentucky. 

But more than that, Amy’s layers begin to peel off as she slowly realizes that life can go on.  Roger also learns that sometimes the people you meet in life are there for now, but there are so many more interesting people to bump into.

What a wonderful read for girls!  Not only does the novel contain romance and road trips, twinkies and tents, but so much added stuff, such as Roger’s playlists of music for the trip, and scraps of a travel log that Amy shares with the reader, including receipts, pictures, menus, notes, and doodles among other things.  The readers feels like the back seat passenger in this novel, and gets to know Roger and Amy on so many different levels the closer they get to their destination, not only physically, but emotionally as well.

This is exactly what you get when you read the title – an epic adventure!   Recommended. 

This has been a day of posts!!

Done all sorts of things over the weekend, and found this video...had to share it : )

Human.4 by Michael A. Lancaster

We don’t know what happened to Kyle Straker.  All there is left is a cassette tape.  Old technology – worthless in today’s society of the 21^st century and the upgrades we’ve done…

For Kyle, it all started on a summer day in the small village of Millgrove.  The local talent show, a tradition for this town of 1,000, was about to start, and Kyle, his best friend Simon, and Simon’s girlfriend Lilly wanted to see if Danny Birnie could actually hypnotize people.  But no one volunteered, so Kyle did. 

It was this decision that propelled him into the unbelievable, enough to drive a person insane…

When Kyle comes out of his hypnotic state, he realizes something isn’t right.  Every one on the green isn’t moving.  Televisions, telephones, and computers aren’t working.  Weird green symbols flash onto the screens of  the computer he checks – it looks more like an alphabet, but he isn’t sure. 

And then the village awakens.  And it’s what they’ve become.  Human or inhuman?  And what about Kyle, Lilly and the other two that were hypnotized?  What did they miss? But more importantly, what have they themselves become? 

Kyle soon pieces together the only parts he knows how to and what he and the others discover is something they can’t even comprehend.  But Danny, their off-kilter friend knows the truth, and he gives them a choice.  Follow or be erased….

Lancaster takes dystopia to a new level in this science fiction thriller that’s sure to catch the attention of the reader.  The plot line is quick and will definitely grab the reader’s attention from the very first page.  Lancaster pulls together an assortment of writing devices, which only lends to the “authenticity” of this book, which is actually the oldest form of communication for those who haven’t been upgraded.  From a dictionary, to expert analyses, from flashbacks taken from the cassette tape, to the editor’s note, all of these are combined within the novel to slowly build tension for the reader, making it one of those books that can’t be put down.  Excellent for junior high and high school collections – it won’t disappoint sci-fi readers!

Book trailer: Trapped by Michael Northrop

Here's a link to the library webpage.  Click on "book trailers" to view as well as download in .wmv format:
http://www.nisdtx.org/120820731141528687/site/default.asp

You can also view in schooltube and youtube.  I do believe I have more to learn when it comes to QR codes!
Schooltube: http://www.schooltube.com/video/8cf9d2a53701c1f553b1/Trapped-by-Michael-Northrop
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KgwuQJNuVQ


Thanks for you patience guys.  I still have a copy I'll be sending out too : )

Blood on My Hands by Todd Strasser

A cell phone picture…it’s all that’s needed to put Callie on the run. She was holding the bloody knife, and standing over Katherine’s dead body. With her family’s past, everyone is going to believe she did it. But did she?


One year ago, Katherine Remington-Day asked Callie to sit with her and Dakota at lunch and it changed Callie’s life. Her best friend had moved away, and her boyfriend, Slade, joined the national guard. Callie’s only connection to safety were the few phone calls and instant messages she and Slade shared, a long cry from the two years they’d been dating. But now, in the small town of Soundview, Callie had a chance at a social life, and she took it.

What she didn’t expect were the nuances and dance friends played when they became Katherine’s friend. It came with a price – sometimes something trivial, sometimes something serious, but Callie knew if she bent to Katherine’s rules, there would be a next time. She didn’t know if she wanted to give more that she already had, and Katherine made her choose between Slade and her friends. Callie thought she chose wisely, but now, on the run for murder, the only person she can rely on is Slade.

With his help, Callie is able to elude the police, but she knows time is running short. And with flashback memories, she is able to piece together enough personal information to figure out who the killer is. But will she be believed? And is it enough?

Strasser comes back with another YA thriller, following on his Wish You Were Dead book. Fast paced, the reader is allowed into the present and past lives of Callie and her friends and is able to see just who her friends really are and the various motives they’d all have for murder. Not only that, but the situations Callie goes through are believable instead of far-fetched, the plot is tightly written, and the ending will surprise. The reader feels for Callie, and believes her story, but continues to look for clues as to whom it would be. It’s one of those books where you want to flip to the end to find out who the killer is, but decide to wait to see the story unfold. For those readers who enjoy mystery fiction, this is one to put in their hands.

And this is what a weeded book looks like afterwards...

These are just two of the many art displays compliments of the amazing art staff we have on campus!

The Tension of Opposites by Kristina McBride

Tessa and Noelle have been best friends for years. They’ve shared everything together in the small town of Centerville, Ohio. But with all relationships, events can stagger and tear them apart. And that’s what happened two years ago.


Now, Cooper, Noelle's older brother, is telling Tessa she's alive and coming home.  After two years of abduction by a stranger, Tessa’s best friend is back, but not completely. Tessa thought it was hard to live knowing her best friend was gone, possibly killed. She’d gone through therapy to understand that loss, but now…it’s harder to live knowing Noelle is back and what happened to her. Two years at the hand of a monster can change a person to someone you never even knew. How do you deal with something like that?  Can a friendship you thought was gone forever be re-kindled, and more importantly, can it be the same?

In high school, Tessa’s passion in photography has put her in the advanced classes, which she loves. A new student, Max, is in her class too, and Max sees Tessa for more than what she shows to everyone else, and slowly Tessa lets him into her world. The theme for the next photography project is the opposite of tensions – up down, hot cold, lost found….and all Tessa can think about is Noelle,

“kidnapped, abducted, snatched
Enslaved, imprisoned, restrained.”

When Noelle finally tries to start a normal life by entering into high school, both girls know it will be a long, hard journey, with students knowing what happened to Noelle, with Noelle facing her past and present, and with Tessa trying her hardest to create the perfect balance for not only her best friend, but herself and Max as well.

Kristina McBride creates a dramatic and bold debut novel that deals with real-life issues that have been on the front pages of newspapers as well as televisions today. Many people see the “inside story” of an abductor and can only imagine the horror. McBride writes about the opposite of the abductor and focuses on the life of the abductee after her rescue and the implications of her new life on her as well her family and friends after the tragic events have been aired in public. Paired with the photographic theme of Tessa’s work that creates not only the title of this book, but permeates with symbolism throughout, McBride has created a novel that will keep the reader engaged with the characters as well as the plotline and relationships, and what ultimately will happen to Tessa and Noelle…is there such a thing as resiliency after something that devastating? This debut novel focuses on the now and how the victim and those closest to her must cope with the tragic loss of two years without reliving the past and its brutality. Perfect pairing with Mazer’s The Missing Girl and Scott’s Living Dead Girl.

Trapped by Michael Northrop

Excerpt from the book:
“Some of the others might’ve seen things differently, and some of them might’ve told it better, but you don’t get to pick. You don’t because, for one thing, not all of us made it.”

School is in session at Tattawa High School when the snow starts. Kids are milling around wondering if school is shut down and they get another holiday out of it. But Scotty doesn’t want that to happen. He’s all over shooting out at the basketball game scheduled that evening. Jason wants to work on his amazing go-cart in the shop, and their buddy Pete just wants to hang out. But then the announcement comes all. School and all activities are shutting down and students need to go home now.

The snow is still falling, but the guys have it all figured out. Jason convinces the shop teacher to keep it open and his dad’ll pick them up all. He has a four-wheeler. And then they get to work. And the snow continues to fall, harder and harder….

But now they know they’ve made a mistake. Scotty left his phone at home, and Pete’s and Jason’s won’t pick up signal. Their last hope are the buses, so they head that direction. But they’re all gone, and only Coach Gossell is left with a handful of students. Les, the meanest guy on campus, Elijah, who has a creepy vibe, Krista, the most popular and beautiful, along with her friend Julie are left behind. Now the snow is piling up and the road outside can’t be seen.

A nor’easter, the biggest and baddest in East Coast history has hit, and Scotty and the rest aren’t leaving campus anytime soon. And slowly they’re feeling the effects…first the power goes out, then the water freezes, and outside, it’s a freezing wasteland, where second story homes look like one story. They’re trapped and can’t reach the outside world. But it’s their world inside that is slowly starting to come apart, and it’s only day one…

What a great second novel from this author! A punch right to the stomach within the first two chapters of this book will keep readers turning the pages to find out just what happened to those left at school. Northrop actualizes the dire situation with what typical teenagers without adults around would do and how the environment of the school still resonates loudly with each clique left in the halls. The enemy is nature, and she is violent and dangerous, but Northrop leaves the reader guessing to find out is the enemy wins or not. Although some may disparage the ending, I found it surprising at first, but with a definite mental image in my mind. Excellent for reluctant readers as well as those who enjoy trying to outwit the characters and figure out just what will happen around the next twist and turn in this story.

Friend is Not A Verb by Daniel Ehrenhaft

Henry (Hen for short) has just been dumped by his girlfriend, who also kicked him out of her band.  His sister is on the lam as a criminal, and his parents continue to try hard to make him eat meat.....the only solid thing in his life is his best friend and next door neighbor, Emma. 

And so begins the life of Hen Birnbaum, official bum.  He lives the life of a teenager in NYC, trying to get gigs in places like the Bimbo Lounge and wondering where the popular tag, "Steal Your Parents' Money," found on buttons all over the city, originated.  But right now, he has better things to think about - like why his sister decided to come home after a year of absence without warning and what the heck happened to her, why he and his friend Emma keep having some strange karmic connection through dreams and cell phone calls, and how come his parents are the most uncool people on the planet?

When Sarah, finally gets home, she tells him to see Gabriel, her partner in crime about bass guitar lessons.  It can only help him become that famous rock star he's always wanted to be (according to the VH1 Behind the Music video he plays through his head that happens to star him as uber rock star of the future).  But for now, his rock-star self  gets to walk dogs while trying to figure out what happened to his sister and Gabriel and why they're being sought out by the authorties.  It doesn't hurt that Hen commits his first crime ever by stealing Gabriel's manuscript (aka his love letter to Sarah) but it only adds fuel to the burning question of why (Jean Paul Satre's head, an ex- Nazi and leyaks don't help anything either!)

But along the way, Hen realizes that the Unseen Hand can either give him a fist bump, a high five or slap him in the face, and his life, which he may find pathetic, has some very interesting qualities to it.  And sometimes a crisi-tunity (crisis and opportunity) is the most important thing you can try to overcome. 

Ehrenhaft writes another extremely humorous novel about the life of a typical teen-age guy living out a life of angst with weirdo parents, a failed relationship with a rock goddess, all while trying to live out his dream of rocking out.  Filled with lots of rock and roll references from David Bowie to Green Day to Journey, this novel will make you smile, if not make you laugh out loud.  Along with a great story, Ehrenhaft parallels the plot with the sub-text of true friendship, where the word "friend" was a noun only but is now a verb as well (think Facebook) and how the the circles of friendship created in his story use both type of grammar to make their connections.  What a refreshing, funny and humorous book in the midst of everything dark and deep in YA lit!

Yummy: the last days of a Southside shorty by G. Neri

It was 1994, and a hot summer but things in Southside were getting hotter.  There was a dangerous mankiller on the loose and police had no leads.  Everyone in the neighborhood knew him...knew what he did...

A gang shooting took the life of a 14 year old innocent girl, who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.  And she knew her killer - he went to school, even church with her. 

Yummy was 11 years old when he died.  At one point in his life, he was committing a felony every month, but because of his age, he came back to the Southside projects in Chicago, Illinois.  Yummy is the cold-blooded killer everyone was looking for....

This powerful graphic novel takes the short life of a child and pulls in the reader through narrative, images, and a biography.  But it's the essence and the not so black-and-white issue at hand that will draw the reader in.  Although not an in-depth look into Robert Sandifer's (aka Yummy's) life, the reader gets to know him through the words and illustrations Neri and Du Burker have created.  The forward by the author lets the reader know that this is a blend of narrative fiction and non-fiction taken from the stories, news reports and other sources about Robert Sandifer.  The afterward gives a brief synopsis of  Chicago's Southside and the Black Disciple Nation as well as an annotation of additional information.  A very quick read, but one that will leave the reader with lingering thoughts, and for this reader, a desire to know more about the story of this tragic tale and life of this kid....

Book trailer: I Will Save You by Matt de la Pena

Here's the newest one born this year!  Enjoy  :)

You can also download it on the Northwest High School Library webpage.  The booktrailer link is under the Might Red "N":

http://www.nisdtx.org/120820731141528687/site/default.asp

Novels In Verse booklist

This is a very popular genre for students, and novels in verse has been around for quite some time.  I remember the first one I ever read and was hooked as well.  They're short, easy to read, and pack a powerful punch.  Most seem to be based on character's voices, but whether they are or not, these are complex reads.  Here's a list of 34 great novels in verse I've read:

Hard Hit  by Ann Turner (2006) - A rising high school baseball star faces his most difficult challenge when his father is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

One Night by Margaret Wild (2002)- a teenaged girl decides to have her baby and care for it on her own after a "one night stand" results in pregnancy

All the Broken Pieces by Ann Burg (2009)- Two years after being airlifted out of Vietnam in 1975, Matt Pin is haunted by the terrible secret he left behind and, now, in a loving adoptive home in the United States, a series of profound events forces him to confront his past.

A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl by Tanya Lee Stone (2006)- Josie, Nicolette, and Aviva all fall for the same sexy high school senior, and while they each make different choices, they're all changed by their experiences of love and sex.


Sold by Patricia McCormick (2006)-  Lakshmi, a thirteen-year-old girl from Nepal, is sold into prostitution in India.

Because I Am Furniture by Thalia Chaltas (2009)- The youngest of three siblings, fourteen-year-old Anke feels both relieved and neglected that her father abuses her brother and sister but ignores her, but when she catches him with one of her friends, she finally becomes angry enough to take action.


Heaven Looks a Lot Like the Mall by Wendy Mass (2007)- After an accident in gym class puts sixteen-year-old Tessa into a coma, she re-evaluates her life by visiting the mall stores where significant events in her life took place.



Walking on Glass by Alma Fullerton (2007)- A teenage boy recounts, in a free verse journal, his attempts to come to terms with the realities of his mother's near-death coma.


Shark Girl by Kelly Bingham (2007)- After a shark attack causes the amputation of her right arm, fifteen-year-old Jane, an aspiring artist, struggles to come to terms with her loss and the changes it imposes on her day-to-day life and her plans for the future.




Shakespeare Makes the Playoffs by Ron Koertge (2010)- Fourteen-year-old Kevin Boland, poet and first baseman, is torn between his cute girlfriend--Mira--and Amy, who is funny, plays Chopin on the piano, and is also a poet.

Life on the Refrigerator Door by Alice Kuipers (2007)-  mother and daughter, who mainly communicate through short notes left on the refrigerator door, experience a life changing event when one of them is diagnosed with breast cancer.

Street Love by Walter Dean Myers (2006)- Damien, a seventeen-year-old from Harlem, takes a bold step to ensure that he and his new love, Junice, will not be separated.

Kissing Tennessee and other stories from the stardust dance by Kathi Appelt (2000)- Graduating eighth graders relate their stories of love and heartbreak that have brought them to Dogwood Junior High's magical Stardust Dance.


Sonya Sones:
Stop Pretending (1999) - A younger sister has a difficult time adjusting to life after her older sister has a mental breakdown.


What My Mother Doesn't Know (2001) - Sophie describes her relationships with a series of boys as she searches for Mr. Right.



What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know (2007) - Artistic fourteen-year-old Robin Murphy is so unpopular at high school that his name is slang for "loser," so when he begins dating the beautiful and popular Sophie, her reputation plummets.


One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies (2004) - Fifteen-year-old Ruby Milliken leaves her best friend, her boyfriend, her aunt, and her mother's grave in Boston and reluctantly flies to Los Angeles to live with her father, a famous movie star who divorced her mother before Ruby was born.


 
Mel Glenn:
Foreign Exchange (1999) - When students from big-city Tower High School spend a weekend in rural Hudson Landing with the students of the local high school, an African-American boy from the city is accused of murdering a local white girl.

Jump Ball (1997)- Tells the story of a high school basketball team's season through a series of poems reflecting the feelings of students, their families, teachers, and coaches.


Split Image (2000) - A series of poems reflect the thoughts and feelings of various people-- students, the librarian, parents, the principal, and others-- about the seemingly perfect Laura Li and her life inside and out of Tower High School.


Who Killed Mr. Chippendale? (1996)- Free verse poems describe the reactions of students, colleagues, and others when a high school teacher is shot to death as the school day begins.


The Taking of Room 114 (1997) - A series of poems reflect the thoughts of school officials, parents, police, and especially a class of seniors who have been taken hostage by their high school history teacher.
 
Ellen Hopkins:
Crank (2004) - Kristina Georgia Snow's life is turned upside-down, when she visits her absentee father, gets turned on to the drug "crank", becomes addicted, and is led down a desperate path that threatens her mind, soul, and her life.




Glass (2007)- Kristina is determined to break her addiction to drugs in order to keep her newborn child; but when she fails and the pull becomes too strong, her greatest fears are quickly realized.

Burned (2006) - Seventeen-year-old Pattyn, the eldest daughter in a large Mormon family, is sent to her aunt's Nevada ranch for the summer where she temporarily escapes her alcoholic, abusive father and finds love and acceptance, only to lose everything

Identical (2008) - Sixteen-year-old identical twin daughters of a district court judge and a candidate for the United States House of Representatives, Kaeleigh and Raeanne Gardella desperately struggle with secrets that have already torn them and their family apart.


Impulse (2007) - Three teens who meet at Reno, Nevada's Aspen Springs mental hospital after each has attempted suicide connect with each other in a way they never have with their parents or anyone else in their lives.


Tricks (2009) - Collects five stories about three girls and two boys who question how they feel about themselves while learning about love

Fallout (2010) - Written in free verse, explores how three teenagers try to cope with the consequences of their mother's addiction to crystal meth and its effects on their lives.


Stephanie Hemphill -
Things Left Unsaid (2005) - After a lifetime of conforming to the image of what her parents and high school friends want her to be, Sarah must come to terms with her own identity when her destructive best friend tries to commit suicide. Told in the form of free-verse poems.


Wicked Girls (2010) - A fictionalized account, told in verse, of the Salem witch trials, told from the perspective of three young women living in Salem in 1692--Mercy Lewis, Margaret Walcott, and Ann Putnam, Jr.


Lisa Schroeder -
Chasing Brooklyn (2010) - As teenagers Brooklyn and Nico work to help each other recover from the deaths of Brooklyn's boyfriend--Nico's brother Lucca--and their friend Gabe, the two begin to rediscover their passion for life, and a newly blossoming passion for one another.


Far From You (2009) - A novel-in-verse about sixteen-year-old Ali's reluctant road trip with her stepmother and new baby sister, and the terror that ensues after they end up lost in the snow-covered woods.


I Heart You, You Haunt Me ( 2008)- A verse novel in which fifteen-year-old Ava, feeling guilty over the role she believes she played in her boyfriend Jackson's death, experiences a whole new range of emotions when she realizes he is back from the dead.





 

 

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride

Sam....college dropout, hamburger flipper.  His best friends work with him at Plumpy's and they include Ramon, the connoisseur of burger flipping, Frank who wants to please everyone, and Brooke, the hot chick Frank's eyes follow whenever he gets a chance.  Just a typical burger joint in Seattle.  All it takes is a game of potato hockey and a knocked out light on a Mercedes to change Sam's world from normal to paranormal, to say the least.

Sam has always been an outsider.  He's never fit in, felt right in a crowd....but he's used to it by now.  But when Douglas Montgomery comes into his life, he has to find a way to find himself, especially after discovering he's not just a drop out hambuger flipper whose mother loves herbs and potions.  After struggling through several sources, Sam finds out his mother is a real witch...literally...and Sam is a necromancer - he can communicate and bring back the dead.  And Douglas Montgomery, most powerful necromancer in the Seattle area, wants that power. 

With the help of a ragtag bunch of friends (including a talking head) and some unusual acquaintances (we're talking witches, hounds of hell, fey, a seer and a Harbinger) Sam has seven days to find out if he'll apprentice under the dark and dangerous tutelage of Douglas or try to go back to his normal world, if normal is what you'd call it after the powerful Montgomery kills his family and friends.  Really, what choice do you have?

What a riot to read!  Lish McBride has done a fine job of blending a supernatural story with humor and tongue-in-cheek comebacks.  If the title doesn't send a message, then the chapters will.  Taking from song lyrics like "She's a Lady" to "Sweet Child o' Mine" to "Don't Fear the Reaper," McBride has created a quick read with quick wit.  Readers will enjoy reading about Sam's life from Plumpy's to his messed up, beaten up forays into the unknown world of magic and the power of the Council.  Humorous horror....I've read a few and this one doesn't disappoint.  Recommended.

The Julian Game by Adele Griffin

Yes, I've been reading over the break and now it's time to start posting.  It hasn't been many books (I seriously just vegged most of the break!) but I'll post a book a day until I'm done.  And onto the reviews!

Raye is smart.  She knows she's going to a good college and knows that Fulton, a private all girl's school, is a great step in that direction.  She hangs with her best friend Natalya and spends her Tal weekends watching movie marathons on the SyFy channel and eating homemade brownies.  But one night, she decides to step out of her comfort zone.  What better way to do that than online?

Raye sets up a fake facebook page and starts friending people she knows is out of her league.  Like Julian, the hottie from MacArthur, the private all guy's school and some of his friends.  It starts out harmlessly, but we all know what happens with those "harmless" situations....

Meanwhile, back at Fulton, Ella Parker reigns supreme as the most beautiful and untouchable of the Group.  It doesn't matter if she has OCD and wears gloves all the time, or sits on the third row in the third chair or taps things a specific amount of time.  Her beauty overshines everything.  But it's in a Chinese class that Ella has problems with where she and Raye's diverse galaxies collide.

What starts out as an innocent tutoring takes on new meaning when Raye shows Ella her faux facebook page.  With Julian as a friend, and the one to diss Ella at a party, the revenge begins....and the true personalities begin to come out....but can Raye go back to her true friendships or has she crossed the line?  Will the good girl get the guy or will evil and bitchiness triumph?

Griffin creates a quick read that is all about high school cliques, romances and relationships.  Reading this book is like walking down the halls of any typical high school.  It's about mean girls and those that want to fit in.  But Griffin does something different in this book (and you'll have to read it through to understand what I'm saying) and that to me, was the biggest draw of the book.  It's real, it's quick, it's fresh.  The characters, from the main character to the parents, are not drawn out for the reader but the author subtlely draws in reader reaction - you'll know who to love, who to hate, and who to be wary of.  Recommended for high school

I Will Save You by Matt de la Pena

Kidd doesn't want to remember his past, but sometimes he's forced to.  Now part of a group home for teens, his counselors ask him to remember.  Maria is the one Kidd likes the most but now she's.  But he remembers their sessions, and tries very, very hard to take her advice.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Now, he's bound and locked away for pushing someone off a cliff.  And he has all the time in the world to think about his life, from beginning to end....

Kidd remembers his mother, whom he lived with and loved very much.  And a father who tried to love, but used his fists instead.  He remembers seeing Mr. Red, Maria's friend, for the first time at Horizons, in his floppy sombrero and tie.  He remembers Maria telling Kidd to stay away from Devon.  But he's the only guy in Horizons who helped out Kidd, even though it may have hurt.  But he also loves flirting with danger and death - it's a thrill ride Devon can't pass up on and one Kidd isn't too sure he wants to experience.

And one day, Kidd just walks out of Horizons, intent on finding a new life....He ends up finding Mr. Red again, who works at a campsite in Encinitas.  Red hires Kidd on, and now all Kidd wants is a normal life.  A hard worker, he does everything Red asks and more.  He knows this won't last long, especially when Devon shows up and starts causing problems. 

Devon takes Kidd on adventures, but they're dangerous and life-threatening.  Kidd doesn't understand how Devon knows so much about him and what he's thinking, but even if he is dangerous, Devon makes sense.  But then again, so does Mr. Red, who's the nicest guy Kidd ever met.  But the person who changes his life is Olivia....

Some people have scars on the outside, some on the inside.  Devon and Olivia have a lot of similarities, and that makes each one trust the other.  And Kidd is determined to keep Olivia away from Devon, even if it means breaking all ties with him.  Devon isn't about the leave....and one night, when the grunions come onto the beach, when Kidd and Olivia are sitting by the cliff, the dark comes out.  But is the dark there to hurt or help Kidd? 

Matt de la Pena is one of those authors who gets it right everytime.  This book combines different voices in the form of diaries to flashbacks, to stream of consciousness to the present, all from the main character.  De la Pena also combines characters that are in direct contrast with each other, from the privileged, to the lost; the capable to the troubled.  It's the striking use of contrast that makes this book such a good read.  It doesn't bog down, but instead makes the reader become incredibly close to Kidd, Red, and Devon.  And it will definitely keep the reader in suspense until that sudden epiphany happens, when the reader is slowly drawn into the reality of what is happening in the novel.  It will pull you and keep you turning the pages.  One of the best I've read this year.

Book Trailer: Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

It's available for download in .wmv format at: http://www.nisdtx.org/120820731141528687/site/default.asp
Look for the "book trailers" link under the red Northwest HS logo : )

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Evie lives an interesting life. She's lived in the foster care system for as long as she can remember, until the night she met a vamp in the cemetery. And from there, her life has been surrounded by paranormalcy.


Now, at 16, her life revolves around bagging, tagging, and neutralizing those creatures that go bump in the night, keeping humanity safe from their deadly grip. Evie has the ability to see through glamours. What a normal human would see, she can see the rotting corpse of a hag, vampire, or zombie underneath.

Through her work at the IPCA (International Paranormal Containment Agency), she's neutralized, or "neutered" a vampire named Steve, become best friends with a mermaid named Alisha, works with a werewolf named Jaques, and is trying to avoid Reth, whom she had a brief and dangerous fling with. The only real person in her life is Raquel, the head of IPCA, but Evie still feels alone and lonely. At least she has her normalcy to rely on.

But something strange is going on. Evie keeps hearing whispers in her dreams, which she doesn't understand. Then she meets the most extraordinary paranormal - a cute shapeshifter named Lend. He's broken into the IPCA to information, but about what or whom? And then the murders of paranormals begins...someone or something is killing them. The IPCA needs to find out who's behind the murders before it becomes worse. Is Lend behind the murders or is it someone on the inside of IPCA?

If you have readers who enjoy YA romance, this is one they'll enjoy. How about those who want romance and the supernatural? Again, this is a great choice. White creates unusual but unforgettable characters of the paranormal, from the evil but beautiful fairies to the enigmatic newcomer who's part liquid, part shapeshifter, to a teenage heroine who yearns for the normal life of a teenager and only wants the life like the characters on her favorite television teen drama. White writes about the dark world of those things that go bump in the night with a light, witty hand. Readers will be drawn to this one. Drama, action, romance and humor all wrapped up between the covers of a great YA read.

Book Trailer Survey on Prezi

The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney

Themis Academy has the best and brightest. You see the ivy-covered walls, the graduates going on to prestigious colleges, students performing at the top of the game, both academically and athletically. It’s the perfect, picturesque campus….but it’s only the surface of what really happens.

Alex, a junior a Themis, is gifted with musical talent. She does everything a model student is expected to do, but one night changes her life. When she wakes up in Carter’s room, all she wants to do is disappear and hide, but it doesn’t happen. Now, everywhere she turns, he’s there telling everyone what happened, and the shame she feels for that one mistake is now becoming the new fodder on campus. The stares, the whispers, and the lies…

Alex doesn’t realize that there is help on campus, even if the teachers and administrators only want to see the façade they’ve created. Now, walking on campus, going to the caf, even trying to study in the library is extreme torture for Alex. She does everything to avoid Carter, but he keeps showing up. With the help of her roommates, Maia, and TS, Alex is introduced to the Mockingbirds, a group on campus dedicated to underground justice.

In bits and pieces, her nightmare comes back to her and the reality of the situation is serious – date rape. It’s after the Mockingbirds decide to “take the case” that Alex begins to feel that there is justice, especially after hearing and seeing other cases of bullying and student abuse that go on at Themis Academy. But she also knows that her situation is a he said/she said situation, and will it be that easily remedied?

Drawing on personal experience, author Daisy Whitney takes the reader inside the walls, hearts, and justice of the students in this novel. The complexity of the Mockingbirds itself creates a system that has a complex structure for both the accuser and accused. Alex’s character runs deep, from the personal shame, to fear and humiliation, to a sense fresh beginnings. Whitney writes an excellent novel on the psychological and emotional response of and from a victim who has nowhere to turn but inwardly and a group who saves her from it. This is an excellent novel and one that will resonate with readers, especially after a year where bullying has made headline news. Highly recommended

Even the Greatest would like to be like us....

What a GREAT way to share Secret Santa!!

If you're like me, then you enjoy the great days before Christmas, when colleagues join forces and show their spirit with the traditional Secret Santa.
Well, I just joined the coolest one I've ever seen!!  It's a book blogger swap!  So, if you're an avid book blogger and want to participate, the deadline is November 14!  Here's the link:
http://holidayswap.wordpress.com/

It'll be so cool to see who I get and who got me....an with an online presence (or is that presents?)  Have a great day!!

YA Books about Bullying, including trailers

Blank Confession by Pete Hautman

Mikey knows he has a smart mouth, but he makes up for it with style.  He wears a suit everyday and it doesn't matter is people think he doesn't fit in or that he's short...his suave style gets him through the day.  And a good day is one where he doesn't have to meet up with his sister Marie's boyfriend, Jon.  Everyone in school knows that Jon's the major pusher, whatever your drug is.  He's got the looks, the money, and whatever he wants.

But one day, when the cops come in with a drug dog, Jon forces a bag onto Mikey for "safekeeping."  And when Mikey ditches it, Jon Brandt makes his presence in Mikey's life more known, and he and his gang, Trey and Kyle, will make sure Mikey repays.

In perfect timing, Shayne arrives.  Driving a beat up BMW motorcyle and sporting dark clothes, Shayne doesn't shed a ruffled feather as the new guy.  He sees what's going on between Mikey and Jon, and decides to do something to help Mikey.  Through a series of events, it seems that everything Shayne does to help makes matters worse for Mikey.  When you get two alpha guys against each other, something is going to snap....

Detective Rawls has seen them come and go.  When it comes to teens, he can pretty well read them since he's spent his life in that department.  It's at the opening of this book that the reader sees Shayne sitting in the police station, wanting to make a blank confession of murder.

Pete Hautman's books are short but powerful, and this is another fine example of a quick read with high impact.  What exactly happened between the first showdown between Shayne and Jon to the present, where Shayne is at the police station?  Told in flashback, Hautman draws his characters out, allowing the reader to take small glimpses of who they are while maintaining the pace of the story until the climactic denoument at the end of this novel.  The reader is drawn into the personas as much as the storyline, and that is what gives this book excellent qualities of a great YA read.  Compelling, intense, mystifying....all wrapped up in a perfect package Hautman delivers to his audience.  Highly recommended

Book trailer: Epitaph Road by David Patneaude

I loved the book so much, I couldn't resist!!  Enjoy : )

Epitaph Road by David Patneaude

It’s been thirty years since Elisha’s (like the Biblical prophet) Bear hit world-wide. In this world, there is no war, prisons are not full, not mass deaths, slavery or environmental disasters. Elisha’s Bear took care of all of that. Because now, 97% of the population are women. Most of the men died thirty years ago….

In the PE (Post-Elisha) world, Kellen lives with his mother, who is has an upper-level job with PAC, the Population Apportionment Council. They ensure that the current percentage of population gaps don’t close in, making the earth a more dangerous and vulnerable place that includes males. Kellen feels the sting. At school, girls are given the chance to become who and what they want to be. He has limited choices and a tough battery of tests to pass to be able to do something.

Kellen takes Tia and Sunday, two new girls, down Epitaph Road, a place where mass graves for the dead men in the Seattle area are buried. Burning crosses dot the field with Frathiests coming to make their pilgrimages. Epitaphs on a granite monolith are carved with the words of the survivors, including the epitaph to Kellen’s grandfather. Life is tough, but now governments focus of healthcare, educational reforms and clean environments instead of nuclear devices, prison reform.

Kellen soon learns that Tia is looking and searching for truth behind cover-ups and conspiracy theories, including what exactly happened thirty years ago. And when his history project turns up a defunct website, junkyarddog.bites, he begins to fit some missing puzzle pieces together….

It isn’t until Kellen overhears his aunt and mother arguing about the safety and life of his father, now a loner living at Afterlight, to spur Kellen into action. Something big is about to go down and wipe out his father’s last breath, and Kellen is determined to save him. And it’s what happens to Tia, Sunday and Kellen when they begin their journey that opens to the door to more chaos, conspiracy and death.

What a unique and different twist on a future dystopian world. Patneaude takes the minority in society to create a very strong main character in this book, creating a balance between the two. Starting as a flashback to Kellen’s father as a teen who survived, the reader gets in touch with how the world is run now, but it isn’t until Patneaude takes the reader into the unseen history that changes the novel into one of intense suspense. This book is thought-provoking, page-turning, and will have readers reading fast and furious to find out the truth in the hidden history of this book’s past, but what the outcome will be for Kellen, Tia, and Sunday. Highly recommended

For those treading the uncertain waters of e-readers

This couldn't come at a better time for me. The SLJ Leadership Summit focused on the 21st century. I am a changed person. Change is difficult and not very well received because people sometimes become entrenched in personal beliefs and status quos. But we need to make sure we look at the change and why it's needed and be careful....don't look at one side but BOTH sides. It's so much easier finding info YOU want to support reasons for not supporting change. I had the honor of listening to Stephen Abram, among other leaders, talk, and here are some key highlights of his speech for the change from traditional books to e-books:

The internet has passed it's infancy - it's now moving into its terrible twos, and we have to control it.

"Shift happens"

Teens have collaboratively created a new language (texting) in two years. Who are we to stifle their creativity because we don't understand this change paradigm?

9 percent of books through Amazon sales has gone down.

Women are predominant buyers of e-readers. This is going to filter down to their children as reading models

Google is in collaboration with 80 percent of publishers for online books.

We don't buy albums anymore but singles online. Kindle has singles, which is a fundamental shift that will change reading of short stories and poetry.

20 percent of the population is text-based learning while 80 percent is experience-based. Think of the preference of watching a video vs reading a manual.

Reading goes on with and without binding.

50 percent of people go to Amazon to look at a book and its reviews et al before going to the OPAC.

If you feel like you're drowning in technology and it's overwhelming, start small!

And there are still some questions. Another speaker said

we don't have a common vocabulary when it comes to e- books. There are e- book and enhanced e- books. Do you know the difference?

Books now come with directions

Do we buy or subscribe? What exactly do we own when we have an e-reader

The Carnegie Foundation speakers showed that 4 million US homes have e-readers and predicts sales of more than 29 million devices by 2015.

57 percent of kids 9-17 are interested in e-readers and are more likely to read for pleasure on this format.

So I'm changing my focus and looking at the evidence to embrace 21st century reading. If I don't, then the library I work in will be the one that never changes while the rest of my school goes forward in the classroom with educational technology and standards and the new state standards that have been revamped to integrate new technologies. I'm not one who wants to be a dinosaur...I like the hip, on the top of the newest out there instead.

Now to change some mindsets....!

Remember....10 years ago with the advent if the Internet, pessimists predicted the demise of libraries. But we proved them wrong and adapted to it. We can do it again in this new digital age.

Hot New Books For October!!

I was creating a new list for October, and am posting this to share with everyone. These books have been published in the last three years and have appeal outside the month of October. But since October lends itself to the spooky, mysterious, and supernatural I thought an updated version would do nicely. On top of that, I've created a playlist of excellent booktrailers from Youtube that go along with most of these books. So look for the ones with an asterick - those have a trailer with them. I also listed sequels if there is one - that's always a good thing to display as well.
First the booklist:

2010 Books
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies graphic novel by Tony Lee
* The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting
Immortal Beloved by Cate Tiernan
* The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff
* The Gardener by S.A. Bodeen
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Killer
* Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder (associated novel: I Heart You, You
Haunt Me)
* Dark Divine by Bree Despain

2009 Books
* The Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink (sequel: Guardian of the Gate)
The Twilight Zone graphic novels
* Sleepless by Thomas Fahy
* Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater (sequel: Linger)
* Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender
Lockdown by Alexander Gordon Smith (sequel: Solitary)
* Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey
* The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan (sequels: Dead Tossed Waves
and Dark and Hollow Places)
* Soul Enchilada by David Macinnis Gill
* Ruied by Paula Morris
* Malice by Chris Wooding (sequel: Havoc)
* Eternal by Cynthia Leitech Smith
* Need by Carrie Jones (sequels: Captivate; Entice)

2008 Books
* Parliament of Blood by Justin Richards
* The Devouring by Simon Holt (sequels: Soulstice; Fearscape)
* Ghostgirl by Tonya Hurley (sequels: Ghostgirl: Homecoming;
Ghostgirl: Lovesick)
Angel by Cliff McNish
* Bliss by Lauren Myracle
Night Road by A.M Jenkins
* Wake by Lisa McMann (sequels: Fade; Gone)

Story Collections:
Restless Dead
Love is Hell
Gothic!
666: The Number of the Beast

And here is the Youtube playlist I created. This can also be found on my Youtube channel, YA Books and More if you wanted to run it from a computer for display (of course, if you get it at school...grrrrr!!):

Book Trailer Resources

A mashup booktalk presentation: Prezi, Animoto, and Schooltube!

Fall 2010 YA Booktalk on Prezi

Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink

Here's my newest trailer - this was published in 2009 but the sequel is now out.  Sometimes I review a book in advance and have to wait a year or more for the sequel...not this time!!
Enjoy!

This is also posted on my Schooltube channel if you'd like to embed it:

www.schooltube.com/user/naomibates

Bruiser by Neal Shusterman

Tennyson doesn’t really like the Bruiser. He’s weird, standoffish, and just a huge bulk of nothing. But when his sister Bronte begins dating the Bruiser, that’s when Tenny’s had enough. The only way to break them up is to confront the guy, and that’s what Tennyson plans to do.

But his confrontation with the Bruiser isn’t what he expected. Brewster, aka Bruiser, doesn’t fight back, even though he’s big enough to pound Tennyson down. But it’s what Tennyson sees that makes him realize there’s more than meets the eye. Brewster’s back is covered with scars, bruises, bump, blisters…like someone has beaten the living daylights out of him….

And that’s where the story truly begins. Brewster and his little brother Cody live with his Uncle Hoyt, a mean drunk who works a steamroller at night and stays home during the day. Uncle Hoyt keeps Brew and Cody close, not wanting any outsiders in their “circle” and when Tennyson and Bronte step over that boundary, they don’t quite understand what they stepped into….

Strange coincidences – Tennyson’s bruised knuckles from lacrosse disappear, Bronte’s sprained ankle feels instantly better….and when they’re around Brew, they notice his red, injured knuckles and the limp he now has. Cody knows the secret and knows that his big brother would never let anything hurt him. Now Bronte and Tennyson know his secret as well, but they don’t know all of it or the ramifications it will have not only on Brewster himself, but on their family and friends as well.

If your family is falling apart; if you want so badly to be the next MVP; if you want to make a person’s life better by showing them true friendship….how far will you go? But more importantly, would you be willing to sacrifice one for the sake of all? Which hurts more – living in your own bubble without any meaningful relationships or caring for the people around you and making whatever hurts them your own?

I know I have an amazing book in my hands when I read through it in one sitting, but don’t want to read it all because then it’ll be over. Such is the case with Neal Shusterman’s newest YA novel. This isn’t just about child abuse, but something much deeper, much more emotional, and very thought-provoking. What seems innocent and helpful at first can be deadly and dangerous if put in the wrong hands. Shusterman not only wields a powerful tale told in different voices of the main characters, but also works magic on the reader by pulling them in on a rollercoaster ride of emotional and edge of your seat situations. I also loved his subtle use of vocabulary enhancement as well…something all readers get when they read, perhaps more so with this book. Excellent read for all secondary grade levels.

Booktalk Intro Video

Wildthorn by Jane Eagland

In Victorian England, the protocol for young ladies was to learn the gentle arts (embroidery, music, hosting parties) and her goal of achievement was to marry a gentleman, start and family and become part of a social network of genteel ladies that included visiting cards and tea, and socials. But Louisa wants none of that….

Living in a home with the perfect Victorian mother as a model, Louisa struggles against her mother’s wishes and runs to her father for support. And it’s there that her father gives Louisa a look at the “other side,” a place of learning about medicine, reading and studying Latin, wanting more from life than scones, teas and garden parties. And Louisa wants this so badly.

Because of her gregarious nature, Louisa fights against becoming a gentlewoman. At her aunt’s house, she shows her true nature by speaking outright against the position women are held in and wants nothing of marriage, but a career instead. And this alarms her family more than she realizes…

With the passing of her father, the fate of her future now rests with her brother Tom, who is now head of household. He has deemed it fit for Louisa to become a companion to a friend’s sister, and there she must find her meaning in life. But what she doesn’t realize is that she’s been committed by her family to Wildthorn, the local insane asylum, to cure her of her “insanity.” And it’s at Wildthorn that will make or break Louisa, but is her will strong enough to survive the horrors she faces there?

This is Eagland’s first YA novel, and she tackles the historical side of Victorian England from all viewpoints, including parents, siblings, fiancees, men and women. What the reader realizes after reading this book is that problems young women face today are the same ones they faced over a hundred years ago. The only difference is the way these problems have been handled by society. Eagland writes not only about the forward movement of women into the workforce, but tackles personal issues as well, including assault against teens and feelings Louisa has toward the "gentler sex." The setting takes main stage in this book, looking at the horrors of what happened in an insane asylum in the Victorian Age. The only caveat would be the epilogue, which seemed to be a hasty happy ending of Louisa’s and Eliza’s relationship with each other. Otherwise, the allusions, situations, and twists Eagland writes within her novel makes this an outstanding new debut for YA fiction.

Need to know the Newest YA out there?

I have a partial solution!  This blog features YA authors who are debuting novel this year!!  There's a list from April Henry, to Lisa Schroeder to Michael Northrup.  Not only are they debuting new novels, but there's also videos, booktrailers and just some pretty interesting stuff on there....
I'm going to start following this one : )
http://www.thecontemps.com/

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Violet knew she had an unusual gift the day she found the dead body when she was nine years old....Flash foward...

Vi is now a junior in high school.  She has a pretty good life, her circle of friends are there for her, her best friend since third grade, Jay, is still her best friend.  She has parents and an uncle who love her.  Life couldn't be better.  Except for the imprints...

What are they?  They're what's left of animals or people the moment they die.  They linger, following and finding Vi through sound or color.  Vi can see which people have imprints, from war veterans to policemen and firefighters.  She can also see the imprints left on the dead...

HE is looking for his next victim.  He can't help himself.  The hunt is extravagant...making him feel so good.  He looks for those that are alone, the beautiful helpless one, and takes her.  But his hunting grounds have to change.  Restrictions are now making him hunt in a more confined area.  But he's careful, because he's been doing this for years...

Vi's friendships, especially with Jay are slowly changing.  She can't shake the feeling that she wants to be more with her best friend, but at the same time is afraid of losing him as a friend if he doesn't feel the same way.  What is a girl to do?  And then she finds another body, this time at a party at the lake, and the imprint is calling out to her louder than ever before....

HE can't believe the body was found so quickly?  What does the sheriff's niece know and how?  He thought he was being smart, hunting quickly and quietly.  He's decided this girl who keeps finding his body may have to be next....

What an excellent mystery novel!  Not only does Derting use murder mystery as a backdrop, but she is able to deftly weave in a story about friendship, love and connections at the same time.  The two even each other out, while not losing the reading to either storyline.  The reader gets to know all the characters involved with each other, and will think they know who the elusive "HE" is but like all good mysteries, not until the last part of the book.  And yes...there is a twist!  Sensual, supernatural, suspenseful all wrapped up in a great YA novel!  Highly recommended.

You Are Not Here by Samantha Schutz

Annaleah loves Brian.  He's the one....the one that makes her feel weak in the knees.  The one whose kisses she craves and whose arms feels best around her.  Annaleah would do anything for him.  She forgives him when he doesn't return phone calls.  And forgives him again when he says he'll show up but doesn't.  And she'll forgive him again when he says he'll meet her friends, but he doesn't...

And then the most terrible thing in the world happens.  Brian dies...and Annaleah goes into a tailspin.  She has her friends Marissa, Parker and Joy who want to help, but she pushes them away.  She has her mother, but doesn't want to tell her anything.  She's fallen into a depression that wraps its arms around her and kisses her, promising to stay with her if she's faithful.  And she is.  Annaleah goes to Brian's grave, lays down beside him and tells him everything. 

Slowly life changes.  Her friends move on, her mother continues to work, and Annaleah is left alone with the Dearly Departed and Brian.  But it takes someone and something to alter her life and see it for what it truly is.  But can Annaleah resist the urge to isolate herself or fall headlong into the only comfort zone she knows?

Schutz has written a beautiful novel in verse about how one teen deals with depression on her own terms and slowly realizes the world she's created.  Readers will know from the onset the persona of Brian and feel for Annaleah, while also trying to help her friends get her to know the truth.  This is a fast read of a great story about love, loss and healing, with perfect characterization that will take the reader to the ending.  A perfect pairing for those who enjoy novels from Lisa Schroeder.   Recommended.

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher - booktrailer

Just finished this not too long ago. I tried to upload it to blogger...can't.

Click here to watch the video

You can also embed it onto your website : )

Something Like Fate by Susane Colasanti

Junior year is upon Lani. She's been looking at the stars and tracking her horoscope and knows this year will be the best ever. She has her friends Erin and Blake beside her, and although she's not part of the Golden Circle, she is still likeable by her classmates.

Erin, her best friend, is also ready for high school, especially when she sees Jason, the guy she's been crushing on. Erin usually gets what she wants, and Lani is there cheering her on. Blake is hoping to get through his last year without any bumps in the road, and Lani is keeping his secret. Life couldn't get any better.

But then summer arrives, and as with all summers, life unexpectedly changes. Lani faces some major challenges before her senior year ever starts. And the biggest obstacle? How to tell her best friend that Jason and her are seeing each other. And Blake's secret? Oops.... Senior year isn't what Lani is hoping or wishing for, and the fates are definitely working against her.

Need some light and fun reading? This is one to pick up. It's a definite magnet for girls to want to read. What can be more taboo that dating someone's ex when the ex won't let go? Colasanti has weaved together two episodes in one life about love, friendship, betrayals, and healing. This will be one handed from one girl to another!