Rating:
4 stars Hall Memorial Library
-Serving the towns of Northfield and Tilton-
18 Park Street Northfield, NH
03276
Phone:286-8971 Fax:603-286-2278
Email:
hallmemo@metrocast.net
Open
Monday & Thursday 10-8 |
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 10-6 | Saturday 10-2
"Britt's Picks"
Suggested Young Adult
Reads
Rating:
4 stars
Regina Afton was a member of the Fearsome Fivesome, until some evil rumors
started by a very evil girl started going around. The rumor being that Regina
and Anna's boyfriend slept together. Anna is the Alpha so when she wants someone
destroyed, it happens. Regina doesn't know what to do, no one will listen to her
that it isn't true, no one except Michael. Why would Michael be nice to her when
she destroyed his life? Through his kindness Regina starts to think that there
might be more to their relationship, that is if the Fearsome Foursome doesn't
kill her first.
This book is intense. Ten times more vicious than Mean Girls, this book gets you
in the faces of small town mean chicks. Honestly these girls have so much power
because everyone has known everyone else for too long. I really loved how
realistic and gritty this book was. Courtney Summers made my skin crawl as I
read about the awfulness that Regina was going through. I loved the dynamic of
the relationships, how high school and true they felt. All the emotions were
penned precisely so you could feel how dire some of the situations were and how
elated Regina felt when she fought back. I definitely recommend that you read
this book, if not today, tomorrow for sure. There are not any real faults with
this book although she did have the tendency to have really long sentences. It
was fast paced, kept you on the edge of your seat, you really got to know and
feel for the characters, and it was INTENSE!
Rating:
4 stars
What would you do if you had to relive the last day of your life 7 times? After
her accident, Samantha doesn't know what happened. She thought she was dead, she
had that falling sensation, but then she wakes up in her bed right after. That's
when she notices something odd; it's still February 12th. This book explores
Samantha's last day and how she deals with not knowing whether or not she will
wake up and it will finally be tomorrow.
I really enjoyed this book, it was a definite page turner, a race until the end.
A truly great concept brought to life in Samantha. Her friends were so real and
the whole high school atmosphere seemed alive. I really got to like Samantha as
the story went on watching her realize things good and bad, seeing the mistakes
she made and how she tries to fix them. I especially liked the weird but fun
budding romance, even though it's always her last day she seems to make the most
of it. I appreciated the parts of this book that were repeated to really give
you a sense that this was happening again.
All in all I thoughtfully enjoyed this book. It was just the right mix of
suspense and romance and teenage life. The only thing that was a little weird
was the last line, because it almost seems to condone suicide. I realize it
doesn't (I'm sure Lauren doesn't want her readers to off themselves) but just
everything that happens in the book just seems to point towards it. I recommend
that you read this if it sounds like something that piques your interest. It was
worth the read and it will be worth the wait to get your hands on it.
Rating:
4 stars
Rachel and her mother live on The Property and have for a long time. The
Property is right next to The Line (a border to keep the U.S. separate from
Away) but none of the government frequents out to this section of the border.
Rachel didn't grow up with other kids but her mom has not kept her in the dark
about the way things really are in the
world. Rachel reads many articles about the mutants and other horrors that live
in Away and though Away fascinates her it also scares her. She never gives it
too much thought until she hears a recording that could only be from someone on
the other side of The Line. The recording says that they need help.
This was a great book and I just wanted to keep reading until the end.
Unfortunately this book doesn't really end, which means there will be a sequel
which is exciting but also really frustrating because I NEED TO KNOW WHAT
HAPPENS NEXT! It is one of those books,
the ones that leave you wanting more. I don't know what to say but I really
enjoyed this novel. I loved the idea of this book; an almost dystopian novel
which is a cross between M. Night Shyamalan's The Village and Orwell's 1984.
They were pretty much only permitted to stay in their section of the world and
the government was this big scary creature that was covering up it's mistakes
and sending out propaganda. It was a little weird how well adapted Rachel was
when she didn't grow up with much social interaction besides her mother and
there were no other children. I like all the talk in the greenhouse. This book
helps you glimpse into the excitement of breeding plants a little. The writing
style flows nicely and keeps you zipping right through the story. The characters
are very nicely developed and all pretty like-able. I say read it, but hopefully
she comes out with the sequel soon because really, I can't stand the wait.
Rating:
3.5 stars
Natalie Hargrove wasn't always Queen bee at Palmetto high. At one point in time
she was on the wrong side of the tracks in this small Southern town. When her
father went away and her mom moved them over the tracks and into a new life,
Natalie took control. She had everything, the perfect boyfriend, the power, and
a past she tries so hard to forget. Now Natalie and her boyfriend running for
Palmetto Prince and Princess and there is only one person standing in their way
to the top. At a Mardi Gras party Natalie convinces her boyfriend to help her
play a prank on J.B., but when that prank goes horribly wrong Natalie has to try
to pick up all the pieces.
This book was so much better than I thought it was going to be. I had read only
a couple reviews about it and none of them praised it too highly. Honestly
though, this book was quite a read. It remind me a bit of the Blue Bloods series
from Melissa de la Cruz, minus the vampires (but still bloodthirsty). Mind you I
didn't technically finish Blue Bloods, but from what I did read these seem like
a similar class of people. Natalie is so driven by her need to win Palmetto
Princess that she gets so wrapped up in things when they don't go according to
plan. I loved hearing about Natalie and all she overcame to get to where she was
and I appreciate that she didn't turn out a necessarily "good person". The fact
that she wasn't inherently good added greatly to the story and turned it away
from being a sob story about how a person can never be more than they were. The
writing was a bit more flowery than it needed to be especially at the beginning
of the story. Lauren used a lot of descriptive words that didn't really add to
the situation or to the story. Also, Tracy seemed a little bit above and beyond.
I guess she was part of that good 'ole Southern mystery; the wise oracle. She
didn't really seem to fit in on a high school level, though I did enjoy her, she
just seemed a little out of place. I didn't really like the ending. It seemed
too sudden and too unresolved, but I guess it's the only way that it could have
ended. For those of you who did not notice all the chapter titles (Something
Wicked this Way Comes, Thriftless Ambition, More Potent Than the First)
are all lines from Macbeth. So, in keeping with Macbeth I'd say it worked out
quite nicely with the twist and turns, Tracy (the oracle) and the way the story
ended. All in all I was impressed with this story. It had the right levels of
betrayal, desire, and secrets.
Rating:
5 stars
When Lennie's sister dies she doesn't know what to do. Their mother had left
early on because of "the restless gene"; she is wandering somewhere in the
world. Lennie and Bailey were stuck living with their grandmother and uncle, not
that they minded. But now, with Bailey dead, the whole house is a heavy
atmosphere of mourning and Lennie feels like no one can understand. Until Toby,
Bailey's boyfriend, comes to their house one day. Toby and Lennie, feel that
they alone can share the grief of having been so close to and having loved
Bailey so much. Then when Joe, a new kid in town, comes into the picture, he
might be just the thing to help Lennie out of her slump; only she can put the
pieces of her life back together.
This was such an amazing and powerful novel. Hoorah for a debut. Jandy Nelson
crafts the perfect balance of love and loss. A few things did bother me, one was
in the second sentence Lennie says that all she can think about now is sex, yet
that doesn't really seem to be the case. I realize that maybe she thinks about
it more than she used to but I thought it was going to be all about sex. I am
very glad this was not the case, I don't think I would have liked Lennie as much
if she had been a sex-crazed twit. The other thing was, at one point, Lennie and
her friend Sarah met at this secluded swimming hole and hung out in the nude. I
personally have never hung out in the nude with my friends. Do people actually
do this? I don't think it is necessarily wrong, but I had just never heard of
any one having done that. I really loved the relationships in this novel. You
could feel the desire and passion dripping on every page interspersed with all
the sorrow-filled longing for Bailey to return. I enjoyed all the characters and
their quirks so much. It made each person that much more real to have them with
odd little habits and whatnot. I loved Joe, he was such an amazing character. I
loved his charisma and his charm. Joe did not seem to let the little things get
to him. This was such an honest account of emotions and that is what made this
novel so stirring. I had to keep reading because it felt so good to read every
page feeling my heart swell and ache with Lennie's many trials. I also
absolutely loved Lennie's poems. She would write them on whatever surface she
could find and then just abandoned them for someone else to come across. So I
recommend this to all of you my readers that crave realistic fiction. This is
not a book to be missed. I will keep my eye out for Jandy's sophomore work.
Rating:
4.5 stars
Caitlin has Asperger's Syndrome and she has lost the one person who understood
and was helping her "not act so weird". Her brother, Devon, was always helping
her by telling her what not to do. When he gets shot in a school shooting
though, he is gone from her life forever. Now Caitlin has to find her own way to
make friends and find closure, even if she needs a little help from her
counselor.
This was a very touching novel. I had mistaken this for The Mockingbirds by
Daisy Whitney, which is a very different story. I was not disappointed by this
one though. This novel really got inside the head of someone who looks at the
world a little differently than most people. It talks about loss and how much it
affects everyone in a community and how some people have a harder time getting
on afterward. Kathryn did an excellent job capturing the children's grief and
Caitlin's journey into finding closure. I loved the relationship with Caitlin
and her father. In the book she compares them(after her brother has) to Atticus
and Scout from To Kill A Mockingbird. Her father is definitely strong like
Atticus because you can see how hard it is for him to cope with the loss of his
wife and son while taking care of Caitlin. He is very patient. This book should
be a must read for any middle school or high school student. It has so many good
aspects that will help people not only understand Asperger's but also to
understand how everyone feels grief a little differently.
Rating:
5 stars
Ellie is just a normal girl in a New Zealand boarding school. She has a best
friend, Kevin and she has a crush on a boy. She worries about curfew and getting
caught with Kevin spending the night. When she bumps into (literally) her crush,
her eyes start to open and she's about to find out that things are not always as
they seem.
Break out your dictionary and brush up on your Māori
mythology. Karen Healey deftly crafts a tale which combines modern day with
ancient legends. If you love mythology you will love this book. I really
appreciated that our main character, Ellie, was not weak. She wasn't overly
powerful, but she could hold her own for the most part. I also love that at one
point she does have to question or at least drastically come to terms with the
going-ons that crop up around her. Normally the characters just accept
everything that is going on and no one thinks to stop and say "hmmm... well
that's not right?". She was so real and just amazing. There was romance and
legends and betrayals and of course an EPIC BATTLE! This book kept me on my
toes. I was never sure what might happen or if someone was going to throw in the
towel.
Rating:
4 stars
Meghan's father disappeared one day when she was six. He wasn't murdered he just
vanished. She always felt like she was different from everyone else. Not just
because her dad was gone and her step-dad didn't acknowledge her, but because
every now and then something bizarre will happen. Though she knows she is
strange she would have never have thought that her strangeness comes from being
half fey. Meghan doesn't even want to believe that fey can exist, but when her
brother goes missing she has no choice but to face the truth and get him back.
The Brothers Grimm would be proud. Julie
Kagawa crafts a
genuinely haunting fairy tale, full of blood, guts and romance. I really loved
this book; it was so creepy and awesome! I can't believe I have to wait until
August for a sequel. Honestly if you love fantasy and are not faint of heart you
must read this book. There were things that bothered me, like how indecisive of
her feelings Meghan was. One second she didn't believe, then she did, then she
didn't. It was tricky to keep up with how she was feeling. As soon as the story
got going however she seemed to just except that what was happening was, in
fact, happening. I loved all the characters; they were fun, frisky and crass. I
loved Puck! Although there were definitely elements of other stories in this
novel, Julie made it her own with her vivid writing style. I don't want to give
too much away but there are winter fey, a cat (think Cheshire), monsters,
steampunk fey, summer fey, love interests, goblins, ogres, mermaids, sirens and
so many more mythical creatures that everyone is sure to get their faeryland
fix. This was a brilliant debut by Julie and I look forward to continuing to
read her over and over again.
Rating:
4.5 stars
In America's Gulf Coast, ship breakers scavenge useful materials from long dead
tankers. Nailer is one such ship breaker who works light crew, scavenging in the
smaller spaces for copper wiring and such. When him and his friend Pima spot a
Clipper ship ready to be scavenged that think they've gotten lucky. Until Nailer
finds a girl inside, trapped, but still alive. He has to make a choice between
scavenging her and her ship or hoping she can help him into a better life.
I did not expect to like this book at all. It's set in a sorta futuristic world,
but not space-y futuristic more dystopian-y. When I read that Paolo Bacigalupi
wrote Sci-fi I was really thinking that this would be a boring read. Boy was I
wrong though. I loved this book. The setting was amazing and unique. I loved the
loyalties portrayed and the survivalist instinct set into the characters. The
characters all seemed so real and I just loved it. Paolo Bacigalupi won me over
within the first few pages. No one was extraordinary (other than the half-men[part
dog, tiger and human]). This novel certainly had it's slow parts but it had a
lot of moments where I just didn't want to stop reading. This book will greatly
appeal to boys and possibly even girls, who are looking for a gritty adventure
story that takes them through a decrepit southern U.S. This was a very exciting
book and I recommend it to anyone who loves reading and adventure. There's a
hint of romance but nothing to turn you away from the high-action of the novel.
Nailer was such an excellent realistic character who had me holding my breath
and rooting for him all the way.
Rating:
3.5 stars
Anke's father abuses her brother and sister, but he never touches her. Behind
his back Anke tries out for volley ball at school. She makes the team and learns
volleyball along with many other things. She learns how to step up and be heard.
She learns it's up to her to make her father stop.
This was a very fast read since it was written in prose poetry. It was a tale of
such horribly epic proportions, but offered hopeful empowerment. I enjoyed the
little snippets of volleyball a lot. It reminded me of when I played in high
school and how thrilling it was and how pumped you could get. Anke feels jealous
that her father chooses to abuse her siblings, because at least they get his
attention. This is an emotion that is completely justified, though a little
strange from the outside looking in. This book was heartbreaking but has such a
powerful message that may help people in similar situations. Sometimes it's easy
to loose hope and you will to be heard. This book tells of how Anke finds the
voice she needs to make sure she's not just another piece of furniture.
Rating:
4 stars
Rating:
4.5 stars
Violet has an odd gift. She has the ability to sense imprints of the dead. The
only person outside of her family to know of her ability is her best friend Jay.
Over the summer Jay grew up and now Violet is awakening to feelings that she
didn't have before. When she finds a body in the lake this spawns a new hunt for
the killer at large. More and more girls go missing and Jay and Violet spend
more time together , so he can "protect" her. But, when Violet decides to try
and seek out the killer using her abilities she puts herself in more danger than
she realizes.
Rating: 4.5
stars
Mary Quinn was but twelve when she was rescued from the gallows and brought to
Miss Scrimshaw's Academy for Girls. Here they made her a new life filled with
learning and education instead of panhandling and thievery. However, when Mary
asks one day if maybe there's more for her than just teaching the younger girls,
she gets enlisted into the Agency. The Agency is a secret female spy group that
uses the school as a front. They send her to be a lady's companion for the
daughter of a man they are investigating. She is only to observe and not
interfere. When things start to seem out of place though Mary can't help herself
and the Agency may find out there are more secrets than they had originally
thought.
Awesome. That is what this book was. At times, it did seem very slow going, but
it was amazingly realistic. For a spy novel it was quite tame and didn't have
outrageous explosions or high speed pursuits. I love the time period (1853) and
this novel shows that Y.S. Lee's PhD is being put to good use. This book
reminded me a lot of
A Great and Terrible Beauty
Rating: 4
stars
Penelope Lumley acquires a job at Ashton Place. The accommodations and pay are
quite good, but they seem nervous to introduce her to the children. When she
hears the sounds of dogs in the barn she goes to investigate and finds the
children. The children act like animals they don't know how to speak or put on
clothing. Penelope sees this as a great challenge and is excited to take it on.
However, with a Christmas party approaching she doesn't know if the children
will be ready in time. With some odd things happening and someone in the house
trying to thwart Penelope's efforts to civilize the children, Penelope's is in
for a bigger challenge than she originally thought.
Rating:
3 stars 
Rating:
4.5 Stars
Rating:
3 stars
Aislinn's Grandmother has put rules in
place to keep her safe since she has the sight. She is able to see Faeries. Rule
#1 Don't Ever Attract Their Attention, somehow
Aislinn breaks this rule by getting noticed by Summer Court Fairy Keenan
who wants to make her his Queen. Seth,
Aislinn's human love interest is, well, human and not a bad choice. How
will Aislinn decide what to do and how
to get rid of the Fey that are following her? Can she really trust Seth with her
secrets? Is there any escape from this?
Rating:
5 stars
Maren tells her sister she is pregnant. Maren tells her sister she is still a
virgin. This is how Aslaug's story begins. Aslaug has only ever known her mother
Maren and she knows of their lone neighbor. Maren home schools her and teaches
her of other religions and beliefs and many languages. When her mother dies
Aslaug doesn't know what to do. Thrust into a world she has never know Asluag
must figure out how to survive based on a few hints and clues her mother has
seem to have left her. This story told in alternating chapters between 2003 when
all this begins and her trial in 2007 reveals Aslaug's story and how it all
turns out in the end.
Rating:
4 stars
Fifteen-year-old Green stayed at home one fateful day while her parents and
younger sister went into town to sell their produce. Her anger and angst of
being left behind means that she doesn't tell them 'good-bye' but instead goes
to sulk. As Green hangs around on her own she notices the city in flames and ash
floating through the air making it hard to see or breathe. After awhile she
begins to realize that maybe her family isn't coming home. Other young
miscreants come and go and the whole world seems to be ripped at the seams.
Green changes her name to Ash as the ashes fill her eyes and make it hard to
see. Ash tattoos her skin with black ink covering it with vines and bats. This
story tells of how Green/Ash picks up the pieces of her life and learns to carry
on.
Rating:
4 stars
A collection of ten short fiction by one of the best GLBT writers. Tales of love
and lust, romance and heartbreak grace each of the pages. You'll hear about
coming out and all the challenges that are faced by girls everyday. Read about a
girl who sees herself as a "boi", a
father her turns her daughter to stone through abuse and a chat room that helps
girls get over their heartache.
Rating:
3.5 stars
Mini and her sister Kate have bad names (which I won't disclose here) and so
they use their nicknames. They have always been really close, they even have a
secret travel game that they play since Mini is such an Ace at geography. One
day though, Kate starts acting strange, she comes home late, she cries a lot.
Mini has no idea what's going on with her sister. Her parents ask Mini if she
and Kate have any secrets, trying to figure out what is going on, although they
kind of already know. One day Kate disappears and the police are called and
everything. Mini doesn't know what to do, so she talks to this kid Satch (not
his real name) and it turns out that he's a great listener. Kate gets home but
not long after she disappears again and this time no one knows where she's gone,
or do they? Before Kate left she put a pebble in Mini's bed, now it's up to Mini
to piece things together and bring Kate home before Mini has to have her
thirteenth birthday without her.
Rating:
3.5 stars (a good summer read)
Lauren is dating Dave. Let's review that shall we Lauren (a nobody) is dating
Dave (the somebody, the football star the Mr. Popular). Her best friend
is Katie who is dating Dave's best friend Marcus. Lauren doesn't have a mom she
left when Lauren was young. Her dad has been trying to fill that gap with
girlfriend after girlfriend, but he just can't seem to make it work. One of
these relationships was with a woman named Mary and included her son Evan. Like
all the others Mary left soon after moving in. Now many moons later Lauren gets
sat next to none other than Evan who has just come back from wherever it is he's
been all these years. Seeing him Lauren starts to feel for him things she
doesn't understand and most certainly never felt when she was with Dave. Even
though everyone says that she and Dave are "perfect" together, Lauren just feels
like a big liar, a big fake who is just going through the motions with kind,
sensitive caring, Dave. Now for the first time Lauren has to decide what she
wants and she has to make it so.
Rating: 5 stars
Kara comes back to her hometown in the suburbs of Chicago. She's come back to
finally meet her best friend's kid. She's come back because she's been gone too
long. This book isn't about her coming back though; it's about why she had to
leave. This is the Ballad of Kara McNaughton and her friends. A song about sex,
drugs, punk rock, loss, death, running away, and trying to figure out who the
hell you are.
Rating:
3 stars (recommended but not a quick read)
Two girls left from a set of triplets in which one girl died young. They have
become engaged in their father's collection which takes up every inch of the
house. Their father does not let anyone leave this house without his permission.
However, one sister, manages to escape after she disgraces herself and her
father is forced to marry her off to a missionary who takes her to India. The
other girl, Alice, however, is left behind. Her father sort of thinks of her as
part of his collection after the nasty Dr. Cattermole points out that she is
less than lady-like. Lillian (the girl in India) knows she needs to get Alice
out of there, before something awful befalls her.
Rating:
5 stars (highly recommendable)
Why I Let My Hair Grow Out is a great book. Morgan (a girl with a boy’s name)
has a controlling boyfriend before she chops her hair super short after they
break-up. Her parents are worried about her and send her off on a bicycle tour
of Ireland. There she meets Colin one of the tour guides. On one of the rides
she decides to ditch her partner and falls off her bike and bumps her head. She
ends up having a very vivid dream about another magical land. When she comes to
Colin is there and tells her she landed on a Fairy bump. Another night she gets
drunk and travels back into this other land. She finds out it is a place from
long ago and that she is a fairy person and she is destined to help them restore
order to their land. I really enjoyed this book. I picked it up because I loved
the cover. I thought it was just coming to be your basic teen drama novel, but
it was so much better. I really love how this book is a very realistic fantasy
if that makes any sense. I like how the Fairy world is separated from Morgan's
normal world. This also was a very quick read and the first in a series. I am
very excited to read the second one; How I Found the Perfect Dress. This
was a delectable out-of-the-ordinary read. I recommend it to anyone who reads
for pleasure.
Dare, Truth or Promise by: Paula Boock
This was a nice story. When I started reading it, I was
very confused it was hard to follow which character was which and talking when.
At the end it was a little easier but there were still some parts that were
pretty unclear.
The story is about a girl named Willa and a girl named Louie. Willa has already
had a girlfriend (a crazy one at that) before moving and working at the Burger
Giant. Louie knows what is between them as soon as she sees Willa with and her
red hair that first day. Louie's mom starts to catch on to why they are spending
so much time together, and she makes Louie stop seeing her and go on a vacation
to Bali. Willa and Louie both take guys to the formal dance almost as if to make
the other jealous. Eventually all is well that ends well and they decide what is
best for them.
Girl, 15, Charming but Insane by: Sue Limb
This was a really great read. I've seem to have fallen into a British/teen/girl book trend and this one did not disappoint. This is a book about a comedic girl and her off-beat friend who fall apart but are able to pick back up once they realize the thing between them that everyone else seems to already know about.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by: Brian Selznick
This book was beautifully illustrated and it was such a fun
read. It's such an interesting concept to tell a story with pictures and words
in a way that allows both the pictures and the words to speak for themselves
instead of having them describe each other.
Hugo Cabret is a clock fixer's son. When his father is killed din a fire Hugo
takes it upon himself to finish the automaton that his father was working on.
His uncle takes him to the train station to live and shows him how to tend to
the clocks there. One day the uncle goes out and doesn't come back. Read this
book and discover how Hugo manages to figure out a lot about himself and to help
and old man remember parts of his self he had forgotten.
Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty by: Jody Gehrman
Meet the Bettys girls who need to learn how to resist the irresistible John (the man). Geena's friend Amber gets a reputation as being skanky when she moves to the new town. And Geena's cousin Hero (parents, were big Shakespeare fans)is the "pure innocent one" One summer three+ girls equals lots to do. Though the summer crushes and heartache are typical throughout the young adult genre, this book possess many interesting developments, that one would not really suspect(at least I didn't). It is a great, quick summer read.
A Certain Slant of Light By: Laura Whitcomb
Helen is light, ever since she died many years ago she has had to attach herself onto her “hosts” otherwise she slips into her own private hell. She doesn’t remember quite what she could have done to anger God for him to not accept her into heaven. She wishes that when her hosts die she would be able to follow them, but she can’t. When her host is an English teacher she finds that in one class there is a boy who seems to be looking right at her even though no one is supposed to see her. Eventually she finds out that this boy used to be light until he took up resident in this body. They fall in love but he wants to be able to be with her, so they look for a body for her that is empty. When they find one it ends up being a very religious family. When they enter bodies they start to get memories back and the only way to confront their past is to remember what they did.
How to (Un)cage a Girl By: Francesca Lia Block
If ever a book of poetry could settle into your body and nestle itself in between your lungs, this is it. This book just makes you nod your head in agreement, maybe whispering out loud "...yes". Francesca just really understands how to put being a woman down onto paper and make it read like a melody that gets stuck in your mouth for days and days. This book is a must read if you are a woman or more of a girl, young lady, female whatever. This book is very powerful and beautiful, so do yourself a favor and read it.
Teach Me By: R.A. Nelson
This is such a well written beautiful book. The subject matter is a little racy but in a good way. The book is about a student teacher relationship that goes sour when the teacher marries a woman who is pregnant with his child, leaving Carolina a wreck. Carolina had a good friend but she pushes him away because she doesn’t feel she can tell him about this part of her life. Eventually Carolina and her friend reconcile and plot evils against the teacher. This is a truly wonderful read for people of all ages. R.A. Nelson is a wonderful and poetical writer.
Before I Die By: Jenny Downham
This is probably the saddest fiction story I have ever read. This story is about a sixteen-year-old girl named Tessa. Tessa has cancer, she is going to die. So she made a list of ten things to do before she dies, some of the things on the list include; sex, drugs, saying “yes” to everything for one whole day and being famous. Follow her through the journey she must make to come to terms with her end that everyday grow nearer and nearer.
The Ghosts of Kerfol By: Deborah Noyes
This was a clever retelling of the old ghost story. The descriptions regarding the different time periods helped you remember which part of the story you were at. I enjoyed how connected all the time periods were and how excepting most of the characters were to the fact that there was definitely something strange going on. I really liked this story and recommend it to anyone who likes ghost stories that span a wide time line.
American Born Chinese By: Gene Luen Yang
Very interesting concept and take on the Chinese kids who come to America. I really enjoyed how this book was lain out and eventually reconnected.
Very Far Away From Anything Else By: Ursula K. Le Guin
This book was pretty good, written like a real person vs. an English major; which adds to the flavor of young adult fiction better. At times the dialog got confusing trying to remember who was speaking, because it would go on with both people only saying small things. All and all I really enjoyed this book, it's a fast read, so read it.
Every Crooked Pot By: Renee Rosen
This was a wonderful coming of age tale, detailing the very horrors one faces with an abnormality on the road to become "normal". Nina is born with a Strawberry birthmark which consumes one whole eye. When she is younger it doesn't seem to matter but once she starts become a teenager she realizes it's what makes her different. So she continues to endure treatment after treatment to try to minimize the affect her eye has on other people. When it's practically unnoticeable anymore that's when she decides she doesn't need it to look better.
Living Dead Girl By: Elizabeth Scott
I think Ellen Hopkins said it best; "Stark. Gripping.
Totally unforgettable."
This story grabs you right by the brain, heart and gut and pulls you into it;
you can not stop reading until you get to the end. Some pages, though only
covered in a few words make such an impact. A must read for those who like
something a lot darker than happily ever after.
Write Naked By: Peter Gould
This was a magical yet realistic journey into the world of teenagers who just have to write and be heard (even if they think they need to stay under the radar). Victor finds a very old typewriter at a yard sale that he just happens by. The owner let's him take it for free telling him "there's a story in there". Victor hauls the heavy machine on his bike and eventually up to "his" cabin in the woods. His mother used to live on a commune and in one of her books there's a picture of a naked man and it says "You have to be naked to write". Victor decides the only way to find out if this is true or not, is to write naked. A girl happens upon him while he is writing and they end up friends. This story holds a very New England feeling and anyone who grew up here can really picture the woods and atmosphere. This is a great read for teens that are a little different and want something better than all the mainstream crap.
Monster By: Walter Dean Myers
This book was very innovative and well written. I definitely enjoyed it and it was such a quick read. About a boy who is witness to a crime but gets put on trial for being part of the crime.
General Winston’s Daughter By: Sharon Shinn
Though I am usually not always drawn to books that take
place in this time period (unless magic or pirates are involved)
I really did enjoy this book and will definitely read the rest of this series. I
picked it for my book group and am eager to see what they thought about it. I
really enjoyed reading about these interesting customs, be they made up or not,
I find them rather intriguing.
Pirates By: Celia Rees
This was a really great book. Unfortunately I kept thinking about Pirates of the Caribbean :( nevertheless I thoroughly enjoyed this book, anyone who likes pirates and wants to know them a little more real and a little less glamorous should read this book.
Kin By: Holly Black
I can't wait to read more, this book left me with a lot of question, which is clever.
Water Baby By: Ross Campbell
I really wish there was more to the story, because it was really interesting and the art was beautiful. Alas, however that is all, I feel so much was unresolved, maybe it was intentional. Life doesn't always give you all the answers and sometimes all it gives you is someone just walking away.
The Plain Janes and Plain Janes in Love By: Cecil Castellucci
These are fun little graphic novels based around a girl named Jane who moves to a new school and befriends three other Janes
Speak By: Laurie Halse Anderson.
A girl makes enemies of her friends by breaking up a summer party. This follows her along her friendless freshman year and how she "faces the beast" to get her life back.
Psyche in a Dress By: Francesca Lia Block.
A melodious ride through mythology and love, Psyche finds love and struggles through many relationships searching for it again.
Crosses By: Shelly Stoher.
Nancy meets Katie and they become friends through the need for cutting. Nancy gets caught up in drugs and drinking with Katie while trying to keep other aspects of her life together, especially after tragedy befalls their friendship.
Ricochet By: Julie Gonzalez.
A group of friends hang out on a roof and one of them decides to play a dangerous game. The story unfolds with Connor's adjustment to the evening's events.
Klutzhood By: Chris McMahen.
Arlo moves to a new town, finds a weird club of two boys, learns to play ice hockey and learns to like himself a little bit more.
The Decoding of Lana Morris By: Laura and Tom McNeal.
Lana gets stuck in a foster home for kids with "special needs". On a trip to a small town she finds a magic paper that grants her desires, and then finds a secret about a neighbor boy. With his help, she tries to save her home from falling apart.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian By: Sherman Alexie.
Junior wants to get off the reservation and into a "good" life so he decides to go to a "white" school. With this decision he must deal with pressure from kids at his new school and the betrayal his tribe feels.
Girlwood By: Claire Dean.
Bree runs away from home because she doesn't like the person she's become. While many volunteers search for her in the woods, people start to believe in magic and wonder if the woods are worth saving from development.
310: My Life as a Poser, 310: Everything She Wants, 310: Boy Trouble by Beth Killian
Sassy and poignant, the 310 series by Beth Killian is must read for girls. Follow Eva Cordes as she moves from a small town in Massachusetts, to Hollywood. Meet her roommates Jacinda (the bad girl) and Coelle (the college nerd) and all the drama three girls in one apartment can make in the three-one-oh.
Get Well Soon By: Julie Halpern
Anna Bloom is sitting in the dark, in a hall, in a loony bin. Her parents decided she was too depressed for real life, and gave her a new home. She meets some scary, and some friendly people (once they give her a room). Anna and the others as face their fears and start to feel “normal”, but what is normal anyways?
Prom Nights from Hell
Many prominent authors in the eerie team up to put together this book of short stories. From the familiar retelling of A Monkey’s Paw, to a Prom night controlled by a fiery vixen. You’ll chuckle, you’ll cringe but you will enjoy at least one story in Prom Nights from Hell.
Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn By: Stephanie Meyer
Don’t let the page count scare you; you will breeze right through these books. Bella is an unconventional sunshine girl, raised in Phoenix and yet she has no tan. She spent summers with her father, Charlie, the cloud covered town of Forks, Washington. Her junior years she ends up living with her father there she meets Edward Cullen. “About three things I was absolutely positive; First, Edward was a vampire. Second, there was a part of him – and I didn’t know how dominant that part might be that thirsted for my blood. And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.” –Bella.
That quote explains the gist of the stories, adventure, love, heartbreak, vampires, werewolves and more. This book is good for anyone who wants a vampire books that is less stereotypical than the normal bloodsucking ones.
Sold By: Patricia McCormick
Lakshmi is thirteen and lives with her family in Nepal. One day her father tells her she must leave home and find a job to help support the family. He sells her to a woman who Lakshmi believes will bring her to the city as a maid for a rich woman. After a long journey she arrives at “Happiness House” and realizes she has been sold, not as a maid, but in to prostitution. Her life becomes a nightmare though she manages to form a few friendships among the other girls and women held there. Rumors of American liberators raise their hopes, but are there any truths behind these stories?
Godless By: Pete Hautman
Jason Bock is sick of the Church of the Good Shepard, how great they say they are and the fact that it’s so strict. So Jason decides to start his own religion, worshipping the Water tower. Two of his friends join in the adoration of the mighty one who gives them water, along with an unlikely worshipper, and bully, Henry Stagg. Soon though everyone has their own ideas of how things should be done and what things are to be done, and things get out of control. It’s up to Jason to restore order and save his friends.
Invisible By: Pete Hautman
Doug Hanson loves working on his basement railroad that of matchsticks. He carefully scrapes all the phosphorous off and then uses them to build his creation. His only friend is Andy, a football star at school, who he can talk to about anything. He tries to retreat into his own little world but soon enough he has to face some things in his past. He has to face the reality of what happened when Andy and he played in the abandoned Tuttle place.
A Great and Terrible Beauty By: Libba Bray
Join Gemma Doyle as she gets shipped of to Spence Academy boarding school. She makes friends, however difficult, and then starts to unravel some mysteries surrounding students from the school. They meet up with gypsies and otherworldly things as they try to have a little adventure in a stuffy place.
Head Case By: Sarah Aronson
Frank Marder drank and drove; now he can’t walk or move or feel anything below his chin. However, some people have started a website thinking that he has not been punished severely enough, since two people are dead because of him. The general consensus is he should be in jail. Only one person seems to disagree. This book tells of how harshly we can judge others by their faults, and by stupid mistakes. Also this is a story about learning to stop feeling sorry for yourself in a situation you have no control over.
The Spoken Word Revolution (slam, hip hop and the poetry of a new generation)
This is an essential book of poetry for any teen to read. Sherman Alexia, Brenda Moossy, and more come together in this text to inspire, enlighten, or just to make you laugh out loud. “It’s Thursday and someone’s testing the new church bells so every few minutes it’s Sunday.” Cin Salach. This is just a snippet from one of the gems in this compilation.
What My Mother Doesn’t Know By: Sonya Sones
Sophie isn’t boy crazy she just has a hard time differentiating between love and lust. When she thinks she found it, guys turn out to be jerks, but maybe if she keeps looking she’ll find a good one. This novel is written in verse, so it’s a quick and delightful read.
Too good to be True (the Colossal Book of Urban Legends) By: Jan Harold Brunvand
This retells all the odd urban legends that have seemed to accumulate over the years. Many versions of each are listed along with where they have come from and how old some are. Some stories you may have heard (The Kidney Heist, The Microwaved Pet) and some you may not have (The exploding toilet, Red Velvet Cake). This is a very fun and interesting read.
Boneyard series By: Richard Moore
Michael Paris inherits some property in Raven’s Hollow from his dead grandfather. He gets there and it is shadowed by a black, stationary cloud and a crowd is gathered with torches ablaze. Michael is told by the Mayor that the property is actually a cemetery. When they go to look at it, with the crowd following, Michael sees that the gargoyles guarding it can talk and that real live monster inhabit it. Instead of selling it like he plans he thinks about keeping, since it’s evident nobody else will protect its residents. He runs into many challenges in this decision, though his new found friends help him out of these sticky situations.
Life Sucks By: Jessica Abel, Gabe Soria and Warren Pleece
Life sucks is not your typical Vampire Graphic Novel, it’s much better. In this story it shows how helpless being a vampire is. Sunlight can still hurt them but they still have jobs and crushes and are really just like anyone only stuck. Dave Miller is that stuck, he works in a Vampire-convenience store and falls for one of the Goth regulars. His “friend” Wes also wants her, this complication changes Dave’s regular behavior in a big way.
Percy Gloom By: Cathy Malkasian
One day Percy Gloom receives a letter that after twenty years worth of letters, he finally has a job interview at Safely Now. This story tells of how his job goes and how the people of the city treat him and who is willing to be kind to him. It’s sad at some points and amusing at others.
Trailers By: Mark Kneece and Julie Collins-Rousseau
This is about life in a trailer park for Josh, whose mother is a hooker who killed her baby’s daddy and left him to clean up the body. He tries to keep these things on the down low but the body seems to keep resurfacing. Trying to keep himself from unraveling while taking care of his younger siblings and going to school, he ends up in a relationship with Michelle, who is trying to understand what is going on with him. Eventually he has to decide between his mother and his life.
Escape from “Special” By: Miss Lasko-Gross
Melissa is an obnoxious brat who doesn’t fit in. She is a bit more different then the other kids. Read and see Melissa go through many typical adolescent events and handle them in her own way.
Stuck in the Middle edited by: Ariel Schrag
This is seventeen graphic novels from the “best years of your life” or so they are called. These humorous stories tell of the horrors that await many people growing up. First loves, second loves, summer camp, school and zits, all of these real life issues are shown in a funny but true light.
Big Fat Manifesto By: Susan Vaught
Meet Jamie Carcaterra who has other things on her mind besides losing weight. She’s fat, period, that’s the end of it and people don’t have to be gentle with her, she’s just another person. Luckily her boyfriend Burke can see the real her along with her friends Freddie and Nono. Jamie wants to be a journalist and is writing in the school paper so she can get a scholarship. Soon enough her life is in upheaval when Burke tells her he is getting surgery, meanwhile Heath, the very nice boy on the newspaper, and her start to open up to each other. Find out what happens when a fat girl has a loud mouth and a big heart.
Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging By: Louise Rennison
Georgia accidentally shaved off her eyebrows while trying to make them behave, her cat Angus is trying to eat her neighbor’s poodle, and she is trying to get the attention of a “Sex God”. Come laugh at the wily mishaps of a British teen as she writes in her diary about dancing in her nuddy-pants and hating all the wet, useless girls like Lindsay.
Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist By: Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
“I know this is going to sound strange, but would you mind being my girlfriend for the next five minutes?” Norah answers Nick with a kiss to avoid being seen, by no one other than Nick’s ex. Norah agrees to be Nick’s girlfriend for five minutes, because she needs a ride home for her inebriated friend Caroline. Nick’s band mates think that she’s the one to make him get over his ex, so they pay her fifty bucks to take him out. Join them as they figure out themselves in each other on this one long, wild, night.
The Mysterious Benedict Society By: Trenton Lee Smith
This is the best book I have read in a while. This book is wonderfully written and is a great adventure. A must read for all ages.
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