Thousand Words are Not Enough

We can make assumptions about the lives of today's teenagers based on our own adolescence, but truth be told, we don't have a clue. Technology and its level of instant gratification have changed the landscape of growing up, for better or for worse. In Jennifer Brown's Thousand Words, she explores the wide reaching effects of just how it easy for teens to send the most private and secret parts of themselves out into the world for all to consume.

Ashleigh is worried about her boyfriend going to college. There are girls there. Girls who are much more willing to do things with him than his juvenile, virgin girlfriend back home. Ashleigh is your typical good girl- a jock, a smart kid, and daughter of the superintendent of the school. She never does anything really wrong, but at a party, she lets loose a little. After getting a little buzzed, she spills to her friends all her fears about Kaleb going off to college, and they have a great solution. She should send him a sexy photo to keep him interested. After a little protest, Ashleigh pops up to her friends bedroom and takes the full frontal photo. She sends it off to Kaleb and forgets all about it. Until morning.

All seems well for a while. The photo did its trick and Kaleb seems to be more interested in spending time with Ashleigh than with his buddies. Then he leaves for college and everything changes. When they break up, he promises her he has already deleted the photo from her phone, but after a prank her friends played on him, he does the only thing he can think of to truly retaliate. He sends the photo to everyone he knows. Now Ashleigh is embroiled in a situation that not only affects her entire life, but the lives of every single person around her. 

It is so hard to talk to teens about this very real problem, because as you know, teens are pretty convinced they know everything. You did too, when you were a teen, so don't judge! But also remember it makes a heavy-handed "public service announcement" kind of message to be almost completely useless. Remember those after school specials? How did they work on you? Well, the same goes for the teens of today. Sure lots of things have changed for adolescents today, but some things will never change! 

So how do you write a book about a very real problem in the hopes that kids will read it, digest it, and maybe even talk about it with other kids? You make your characters very real, that's how. And I really believe Brown's characters were a good representation of guys and girls going through these very situations. I am sure there are tons of girls out there suffering the same insecurities and concerns as Ashleigh, watching their boyfriends go off to college and leave them behind. And they may even choose to do the same kinds of things Ashleigh did, from the photo to the jealousy when he is gone, to all the arguments. If you have a any teenage girl out there, your child, your student, etc., get them to read this story. If nothing else, maybe it will at least open the dialogue to just how scary it can be to expose yourself like that for the world, even if you meant it to only go to one person, a person you trust.  Because in the real world, you have to follow one simple rule I always tell my students... Do you want your grandmother or grandfather to see it? If not, then DON'T do it! 

Coming-of-Age, Not a Romance

Sarah Dessen is a magician with beautiful, clean, innocent, but meaningful romances set in Colby, the calm, beach town that swells during tourist season. With The Moon and More she wrote a different kind of novel. All the components you love are there, but this story is about Emaline and Emaline only. 

Emaline's family runs Colby realty, renting houses for the owners to pushy tourists hungry for some time at the beach. As her last summer before heading to college, Emaline should be hanging out with her boyfriend and friends, enjoying the freedom before she heads off for college. Unfortunately, her sister Margo has recently returned from business school and has taken the opportunity to transform their comfortable family business into a well-oiled machine.  And Emaline's boyfriend Luke has recently been unhappy with the way their relationship is progressing, or rather, not progressing. But when a high roller rents the biggest house in Colby for two months, its occupants are about to change Emaline's life in a way she never would have expected. 

Ivy  and her assistant Theo are making a film about Clyde Conaway, the reclusive Colby native who also happened to be a world-renowned artist at one point. To everyone in Colby he is just Clyde, but to these ambitious New Yorkers he is much more: he is the ticket to fame. When Emaline's boyfriend turns out to not be the guy she thought he was, she finds herself in the arms of Theo, a somewhat dorky film student from New York who is more ambitious that even his boss understands. When Emaline's father (not her dad, but her biological father) comes to town to stay for the first time since getting her mother pregnant at the age of sixteen, she has more than just her romantic life and the rentals to deal with. He was the man who abandoned her mother, ignored her most of her life, and most recently, reneged on his offer to pay for Columbia, forcing her to go to East U in the fall. With her half-brother in tow, he spends the summer in Colby working to sell his aunt's house and adjusting his son to the separation of their family and the inevitability of his parents' divorce. What Emaline didn't expect was to really get to know Benji and to get to know the real man behind the fatherly emails. But even bigger was the opportunity Emaline had in one summer to truly and deeply get to know who She was. 

Dessen usually writes these amazing romance novels, but this book was not a romance novel. Not because you aren't really invested in either Luke or Theo (who is a total tool, but every girl finds herself with a tool at least once in her life, right?!), but because they are not really the focus of the story. Instead, this is a coming of age story for a girl who has always approached life passively and agreeably who finally stands up for herself and goes for what she wants, not what someone else wants for her. I think if you go into this story thinking you are going to find a romance, you will undoubtedly be disappointed. In fact, the jacket blurb talks about Theo as though he is a cool, almost sheik film student who transforms town. Instead, he is a tool. A total tool. He starts off pretty dorky, a guy who never had a girlfriend, never went to prom, was generally miserable in high school. Now this alone doesn't make him a toolbox. I tend to like the dorky guy (brings me back to my love for Duckie, if you must know), but when he become an arrogant, pompous, over-ambitious jerk, I had had enough. And still she stayed with him for most of the novel. This annoyed me at first, but I realized, after a great deal of anger and confusion that I waited for so long for a Dessen romance and got THEO instead, that Emaline needed to date this tool. She dated Luke, not because she was madly in love with him, but because he was comfortable. He embodied all that was Colby, and for a girl who was abandoned by her father, who saw her stepdad as her real dad and his daughter's as her sisters, whose mother was duped and got pregnant in a typical summer romance that faded before she even reached her nine months, she needed her stable, loving family. Theo, on the other hand, was different. It didn't matter that he wasn't a good different (because lord know he wasn't), but just that he was different. But quickly, Emaline realized that she didn't want different. She loved Colby. She didn't want to be "stuck" there for life like so many others, but she didn't want to flee like the other half of its recently graduated population. Instead, she wanted choices while also having her roots. And that was what made me really love this novel.

Instead of your simple romance, this was a complex and emotional coming of age story. Emaline never knew how to define herself, but throughout this story, you watch her finally become comfortable in her own skin and her own desires. Sometimes it takes the exact wrong guy to help you realize what you really want, and Theo was certainly that guy (I can't stress enough how much I disliked him). So, don't go looking for a lovely Dessen romance. You won't find it and you will be disappointed (I know I was at first). But if you go into this thinking you are going to find one of Dessen's more serious novels hidden within a beachy, carefree cover, you will enjoy the book as much as I did. It isn't your typical Dessen, but that is what I love about her the most. She isn't predictable, and neither are her characters. I can't say I loved this story, but I really liked it in more ways than one. But more importantly, I came out the other end of the story loving Dessen more than ever before. 

Catastrophic History of One Girl's Journey

I am not one who generally seeks out an "afterlife love story," but there was something about Jess Rothenberg's story The Catastrophic History of You and Me that kept calling to me. And I am glad it did. 

Brie's heart broke in half. Literally. Jacob, the boy she loved, broke her heart in half and now, being D&G (Dead and Gone), she must travel through the five stages of loss. Fortunately for Brie, she has a guide through her adjustment to life beyond life: Patrick. Patrick might be goofy and sarcastic, and his clothes are Sooo 80's, but he just wants to help Brie through her denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and finally, acceptance. 

But the journey is made worse by Brie's ability to see her family, friends, and especially Jacob. The boy who told her "I do not love you" and cleaved her heart in two has some secrets of his own. As Brie spends time watching her friends and family live their lives without her, she realizes how much pain and suffering her death has caused. Through her stages of grief, she takes out her feelings on the people she left behind, even when Patrick cautions her against it. But in the end, it is Brie who must accept her death the most. Even if there isn't much she can change about what she left behind.

I honestly didn't know what to expect about this story, but I really liked it! I am always skeptical of the ghost girl seeks the boy story (weirdness), but this one was so darned sweet and endearing, but also a little snarky and fiesty at times! Brie really experiences each of those five stages, and when she is angry, boy is she angry! She is so mad she is willing to act without really thinking of the consequences or even seeing the full scope of the circumstances. And her anger feels true and realistic and sincere. I can just imagine any girl in her situation reacting and feeling the way Brie does. And it is heartbreaking. Sometimes funny, but mostly heartbreaking.

This is a really unique story and would appeal to anyone looking for the romantic comedy books that also have some meat to them. It is a story that really examines grief as you survive it (in one capacity or another) and there are some definite twists to the story you will undoubtedly enjoy. They certainly surprised me, and I was left really satisfied by the end of the story. It is a very clean book that deals with some serious situations about love, family, friendship, and relationships. I think that makes it a fabulous story for a wide range of readers. And I can't imagine anyone not wanting to see where Brie takes you next!

Hysteria Unraveled

If you are covered in your boyfriend's blood and his lifeless body is found in your kitchen, there is no chance you will ever be considered innocent. The courts may be persuaded to believe it was self-defense, but in the eye of the public, you are still guilty. Especially to the guy you killed. In Megan Miranda's Hysteria, one girl carries the weight of what she did on her shoulders, but no one will let her move on.

When her mom hides the knife block in the kitchen, it was the first sign Mallory's own parents didn't trust her, were possibly even scared of her. She had been found innocent, and the murder of her boyfriend Brian was considered self-defense after he broke into her house and attacked her, but she can't even remember what happened that night. After Brian's mother breaks into their house, Mallory is sent to her father's old boarding school to get away from everything... and she is convinced her parents sent her because they don't trust her.

But everything isn't perfect at Monroe. Steeped in tradition and secrets, there is more to Monroe than meets the eye, and Mallory isn't exactly accepted with open arms. She struggles to fit in, and her roommate even leaves the room when she sees Mallory there. Luckily, Mallory has Reid, the son of her father's best friend from Monroe. Reid helps Mallory feel a little less lonely, but when a boy is murdered in Mallory's bedroom and she doesn't remember anything about it, the situation feels all too familiar. 

This is a murder mystery, a psychological thriller, and a ghost story all rolled into one. It was really interesting, but sometimes the plot became difficult to get a firm grasp on. Sometimes I thought I understood what was happening only to find myself confused again. I understand that is the general slow roll-out of a plot that centers around mystery and intrigue, but it felt a little too heavy-handed at times. But on a whole, it was a very interesting story. I certainly wasn't able to unravel all of the mystery at the end ahead of time, so it was a successful mystery!

The characters were many-layered and interesting. Mallory is, of course, intriguing, but so were Reid and her friend Colleen, not to mention the other Monroe kids. The layer of tradition and secrets kept you wondering about these fancy prep schools and how this stuff can persist. I wonder about the kind of kids who come out of these prep schools with their lack of sensitivity to manipulation and deceit. That has got to carry over into their adult lives! This is a good book for any kid who needs a good mystery but has trouble figuring things out because the murder is out in the open, but there is still layer after layer of mystery to unravel. It makes this novel a good combination of obvious and not-so-obvious. 

Snark, Devoted Dogs, and You Can't Ask for Much More!

Once in a while a book comes by that tells a story of a character you can relate to and empathize with so much, you feel like you have known them all your life. That is exactly how I felt about Sarah in J.J. Johnson's The Theory of Everything. I loved everything about this character and this book.

Sarah suffered an inconceivable tragedy; she lost her best friend Jamie in a horrible accident. But that isn't the worst part. The accident was Sarah's fault. Now SJD (Since Jamie's Death), she has become a different person, a person apparently no one enjoys being around, including her parents and her boyfriend Stenn. And to top it off? Her regular demeanor was replaced by a snark box that makes people stop feeling sorry for her and start getting annoyed by her. But regardless of how much Sarah just wants to be left alone to wallow in her misery, no one seems to want to leave her alone. The only creature who understands Sarah is Ruby, her rescued dog who knows just how to calm Sarah and exactly how to get her in trouble.

Feeling guilty, Sarah agrees to go to a party with Stenn, but she brings Ruby along as a buffer. When Ruby takes off through the woods and ends up in a creepy man's garage eating the very same deer carcass that crashed through the high school gym right in front of Sarah (bringing all the memories of Jamie's accident flooding back with a vengeance). When the creepy man shows up at Sarah's school, he offers her a chance to work off the lost meat by working on his Christmas tree farm. If she agrees, he won't tell her parents about where she was and how her precious dog went native. Sarah will do anything to protect Ruby, but she wasn't expecting hard labor to be just the thing she needed to truly begin to heal. Snark Box and all!

Oh, how I loved this book, let me count the ways! 1. Sarah and her snark box were just the kind of dry sarcasm I have been looking for in a main character these days. Coming from a family full of Snark Monsters, I appreciate a good snark box! 2. Sarah's grief was real, it was tangible, and it made me, the reader, grieve right along with her. Her reactions are expected and unexpected at the same time, the very nature of grief personified. It was beautiful and painful, all wrapped up together. 3. There was no attempt to romanticize or glorify Sarah's relationship with Emmett, Jamie's twin brother. In a cheaper, cheesier YA novel, they would have realized their love for one another and ridden off into the sunset. In this book? They are both suffering. They need each other. But it isn't about some forced romance. It is friendship, understanding, and a mutual love for someone they both lost. 4. Stenn was a good guy. He really was! He was, months after Jamie's death, growing weary of Sarah's actions and unable to understand why she couldn't move on, but he was patient, he loved her, and he was devoted. He wanted the best for her, but he was human and humans can grow impatient eventually. Even when he grew impatient, though, he was always just a boy who cared about her and wanted to see her smile again. 

This is one of those books that just makes your literary hairs stand on end. I loved every single page, every description, and every bit of dialogue. I am so very impressed with Johnson's portrayal of this young woman who just can't survived in a world SJD. It reminded me of Green's Fault in Our Stars and Jandy Nelson's The Sky is Everywhere not because they are similar stories, but because the characters are so real and the situations are so bitter-sweet you can picture yourself doing and saying exactly what the authors have written. This is a story for so many different people. Basically, if you know someone with a heart who needs a good book, pass this along. You won't be sorry. Snark and all, this was quite the masterpiece!

Clarity in Black and White

In life, there are many circumstances and situations that can give us clarity, or make us see our lives in a way we have never seen ourselves before. Very often, those circumstances are traumatic and life-altering. In My Life in Black and White by Natasha Friend, a young woman's life is changed forever with one bad decision... but it might not be as bad as she thinks it is.


Lexi is beautiful. She is known for her beauty. She is so beautiful a photographer stopped her on the street and wanted to sign her as a model (much to her father's horror). She lives her life conscious of her looks and how they affect everyone around her, including her boyfriend, Ryan, and her best friend, Taylor. But when she walks in on Taylor and Ryan hooking up at a party, she makes a decision she will regret for the rest of her life. She gets in the car with Taylor's brother, and they get into an accident.  They both survive, but not in one piece. Lexi's face is horribly disfigured, bones are crushed, and after many surgeries, she needs a skin graft to cover the hole in her cheek... with skin from her butt. As if being disfigured wasn't traumatizing enough, now Lexi is an actual "butt-face".


Lexi has lost her boyfriend, her best friend, and her entire world is spinning out of control. Her parents are worried about her, she locks herself in her room for weeks, and she even refuses to return to school. Taylor and Ryan keep trying to apologize, but nothing can erase that night from her mind, especially since every glance at a mirror brings it right back to her. While Lexi just wants everything to be over, she finds hope and healing in unexpected places. Her weird band-geek sister is more supportive than Lexi ever gave her credit for being. Her Mother-of-the-Year mom does everything she can to help her daughter, even if she doesn't always say the right thing. And a boy, the kind of boy Lexi never would have considered before the accident, is willing to help her find an outlet for her anger with some boxing gloves. Her life may have been turned upside down, but sometimes that is the best way to head in a totally different direction.


I loved this book. I think the story was really great and the moral was strong but not hokey, but my favorite part about this book was just how real and raw the characters were. I hate to even call them characters because they felt like real flesh and blood people. Lexi suffered a tragedy, yes, but she was also selfish, self-centered, and had a lot of trouble seeing past her own tragedy. Her sister was fabulous. Ruthie marched to the beat of her own drum, did what she wanted, and always scoffed at Lexi's need for popularity. But there was more to her. She loved her sister despite Lexi's selfishness, but she wasn't afraid to call her on her actions. And the way she supported Lexi was so sisterly, the good, the bad, and the ugly, it made me think of the relationship between my sister and I. This is a relationship you can only really understand if you have a sister yourself. And if you do, you will know Natasha Friend did a brilliant job of bringing that tumultuous, loving, devoted relationship to the pages of this book. Lexi's mom was complicated and loving, but oblivious at times, like any teenager would assume their mother to be. Even the friends and the cheating jerk-face of an ex-boyfriend had an unexpected depth. I just couldn't get over the characters in this book. 


But the story itself was just as good. This transformation of Lexi was so complex and really explored the many stages of grief, because when you lose the very thing that defines you, like your appearance, there really is a grieving process. She was a tough, snarky, sassy young woman who wasn't afraid to "use her words" in a way that could make you cringe right along with her. And you travel that journey right along with her. I would love to give this book to any variety of students, although some of the language and intimate scenes might make it best for high school aged students. In particular, this is a great book for any young woman who has a hard time looking past appearances into the actual souls of the people around them. We all know teens can get wrapped up in their own lives and forget about the world at large, so sometimes you need a book like this one to open up a dialogue they might not have in any other situation. Sometimes you have to take a cold, hard look at what you hold dear, at the priorities you have set for yourself. Are you really the best person you can be?

Who Survives?

I remember having a conversation with a family friend a year or so after 9/11. We were talking about humanity and the good and the seriously ugly that comes out of humanity. And after we talked about some pretty ugly things, one being all the people who died on 9/11, I made a comment that quieted us both. I said (not verbatim), "Well, there wasn't a single call of vengeance or hate or anger that came from those buildings or those planes. They were all of love." I remember him pondering that for a moment and saying, "I guess humans aren't so bad after all." We lived through 9/11. We remember where we were that day. What we were doing. Who we were with. But our children and students don't. I am teaching middle school students who were born after that horrible day. They hear about the horror, but none remember it. So how do we teach them about a day we will never forget? David Levithan has the right idea with Love is the Higher Law. He talks about the people who survived that day. And you didn't have to be in the towers to be a survivor. 


Claire was sitting in homeroom when it happened. When she saw people bustling around and whispering to her teacher, she was scared something had happened to her mother. What she didn't expect was a tragedy that would take so many people's mothers and fathers. Jasper was sleeping. With his parents in Korea, he was using the time to indulge in late nights and later mornings and had disconnected the phone. For a family halfway around the world with their son in the middle of a terrorist attack, nothing can be scarier than him not picking up the phone. Peter is in Tower Records, picking out the next great album and day dreaming about his date that night with a cute boy named... Jasper. When he walks outside, he removes his headphones because any song he heard as he watched the second plane hit the towers would have been forever tainted by the horror he was witnessing. 


When the towers went down in NYC, many people died. But while many people survived, a small piece of them went down with the towers. Everything stopped in the city that never sleeps and certainly never stops. And three young adults all living very different lives found their lives intertwining and never losing sight of what their city lost: the facade of safety and imperviousness. Claire, Jasper, and Peter all survived in very different ways, but they carry the towers and what happened that day with them each and every day. 


The importance of this book is that it is not a dictation of facts of what happened that day. It is a personal, human story of three teenagers living through the scariest day of their lives. I think this is a story that teens today could not only relate to, but also get a better image of what happened that day. But the story doesn't stop with that day. It continues for days and years after, showing the true influence 9/11 made on those kids. What was particularly important for me was how different their reactions are. When we look at the way people deal with tragedy, we have to acknowledge the widely differing reactions and this book chronicled three of those. In particular, Jasper was unable to get it out of his mind while Peter just wanted to move on with his life. 


While this book wouldn't tell the whole story of what happened that day, it would be a great companion to any lesson on the subject for teens. It is very realistic and upfront about the lives of these three teens, a skill Levithan is a master at. He doesn't hide behind stereotypes and fluff, but rather delivers a story that will leave you different by the last page. This is a short story, a little over 150 pages, so it is good for an older reader who struggles to focus on longer books or as a part of a larger unit about this time period. Levithan does it again. He brings the humanity out of the shadows and into the light. 

Team Fight the Cheese!

Imagine a world with humans and vampires living side by side. The vampires aren't allowed to turn people without a consensual license, they aren't allowed to eat people, but they still have the potential to do all the things that made them feared throughout history. In that world, where does one passionate, meddling teen find herself? Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan tell you in Team Human.

The city of New Whitby was created as a haven for vampires who may have been persecuted elsewhere, but that doesn't mean everyone is happy to have the vampires nearby. For the most part they stick to the Shade, the vampire part of town, but when a vampire comes to Mel's high school, he brings mixed opinions. Some kids are obsessed with Francis, others hate him with a passion, but the scariest reaction is Mel's best friend Cathy who falls madly in love with him.

Mel takes it upon herself to blackmail Francis into leaving Cathy alone, but there was a misunderstanding about her source of blackmail. When Cathy runs away to the Shade to find Francis, Mel figures it out and tracks her down, but not before she breaks into a vampires lair (properly called a shade in such politically correct vampire times!). While there, they meet Francis's "nephew", a human named Kit who was raised by a group of vampires. Kit's "mother" is a vampire cop who isn't too thrilled about their entry into her house, but once Mel takes a minute to get to know them all, she may realize the vampires in the equation aren't always the bad guys.

So, let's get this out in the open. This looks like a ChhEEEsy book, right?! Well, yeah, sort of. But it is also surprisingly good with some strong allusions to racism and Civil Rights in our own not-alternate history. Mel's emphatic dislike for vampires is said to be based on her friend Anna's father's abandonment of his family for a vampire patient, but that kind of hatred and prejudice doesn't happen easily. It was something that was clearly societal and ran much deeper than just one or two instances. And Mel wasn't afraid to show it. When Francis arrived, despite being totally polite (albeit a bit of a stuffy pants), Mel made comments that were considered highly insulting in the vampire world. Her friends even called her on it on more than one occasion. The other interesting thing about Mel is how darn much that girl meddles into other people's business. At first you think she is being protective, but there are points where you want to tell her to just back off and let people make their own decisions. In fact, a couple of characters flat out tell her to lay off. In the end, of course, she ended up helping some of her friends and learning valuable lessons from the others. It was a nice transition and it made me like her more even though she had moments of supreme grating and annoying-ness.

So, my advice is don't let the Cheese factor keep you from reading this one of many vampire books- it was actually a pretty good one. If for no other reason than the fact that when a person undergoes a "turning" into a vampire, they have a 1/10 chance of dying, and worse, a 1/10 chance of becoming a zombie! And the Zombie Disposal Units can tell you the horrors of those transformations gone wrong! Oh, I almost forgot. Another reason to really like this story was Kit. Oh, laughing, fun, adorable, sometimes snarky Kit. FINALLY! A main character and/or love interest with a little bit of fight in him! I love it! I am going to vote here and now that we shall no longer have lead men who always wear the "broody face". I hate broody face. I want snarky guys with some saucy retorts that keep me laughing!

This is a very clean book for a variety of ages. It might look too young for older students, but the cover doesn't do the story justice. If you have read it and can speak from experience to recommend it to otherwise skeptical teens, you might find they will really enjoy it. I know I enjoyed it once I got past the cheese-tastic title and cover!

A Need to Help People

We all want to help people in one way or another. We want to help a little old lady cross the road, donate to charities, save abandoned dogs, and Adopt families during the holidays. But how far would we go to give to someone or help them in a time of need? In Suzanne Young's A Need So Beautiful, Charlotte must ask herself that question on a whole new level.


Charlotte has always experienced the Need. When she feels the Need, she has to follow it to whomever is in need of the knowledge she has, whether it be to warn a pregnant woman that something is wrong with her baby or to guide a criminal to the right path. In the past, the Need only came once in a while, but the crippling need to answer the Need is becoming more and more frequent. So frequent in fact that her adoptive mother, best friend, and boyfriend are starting to notice that it isn't just asthma (which she uses to explain the loss of breath when she feels the Need). She just can't hide her secret anymore


But something else is wrong. Charlotte is starting to get scared and seeks out the help of her family doctor, the man who runs the local free clinic. She shows him that something strange is happening to her skin, almost like it is peeling away, but she isn't ready for the answer he has for her. Trapped in an impossible decision with catastrophic consequences on either end, Charlotte comes to a crossroads that will ruin her. The question is, will she help herself or help others?


This story was a strange and unique angle on the whole angel genre that has flooded YA novels in the past few years. I had never thought of this type of angel and was really interested in the impossible decision Charlotte had to make. The worst part about it is that she is a good person who just wants a little happiness for herself after being abandoned at the age of 6. Luckily, she was adopted by a wonderful woman and had a supportive best friend and loving boyfriend. Her life wasn't perfect, but it wasn't bad, either. But this choice... this choice is horrible to ask of anyone, but particularly horrible to ask of Charlotte. If you ever needed to see a main character pushed to the brink, this is the book for you.


On a whole, though, there were times this book was a little slow for me. The unraveling of the true nature of the Need was paced well, but I still found myself wanting it to just move along. But overall, it wasn't a bad book and I intend to check out A Want So Wicked when it comes out. This is a good book for a middle school through emergent older reader as it is interesting, but has fairly simple language. It isn't a book I would throw at everyone who came by, but it was a fun and decent read. You will enjoy it!

Who Has All the Power?

How do you get teenage boys to listen to you and stop acting like idiots? Well, if you are their girlfriends, you can withhold the one thing they can't live without... nope, not food, but you are close! Kody Keplinger's edgy but adorable novel Shut Out shows exactly what goes on in the heads of teenagers... And you might not always want to admit that you were once exactly like them!


Hamilton High is at war, and while the two rival sides, the soccer team and the football team, seem to enjoy their war, their girlfriends wish it would just end. The war started years ago, but the boys are just as serious about it now as the original teams were when it started. They egg each others cars, they interrupt dates, and they even get carried away to the point of a few guys getting hurt. Lissa made her boyfriend Randy promise to stay out of the war, but when he treats her like a "drive by" on the way to more mischief, she has had enough. She calls the girls together with a plan.


The girls are staging a Shut Out. The football girlfriends and the soccer girlfriends are banding together to withhold all sex and "other stuff" from their boyfriends until the stupid feud is called off. At first the girls are skeptical, but by banding together, they not only learn something about the boys they are dating (and not always something good), but they also learn something about themselves. Can the girls end the rivalry once and for all before it rips everyone apart?


I know what you are going to say. This is too provocative and too sexual for a young adult novel. You would be both right and wrong. Yes, it is provocative and sexual, but no, it isn't too much for the older end of this age group. I probably wouldn't give it to a young middle school student, but for the older YA crowd, this is a really well done novel that discusses the sexual intentions and understandings of teens. And not all girls are monogamous, not all are virgins, but not all are sexually active either. Some are embarrassed by their lack of experience, and some are ridiculed for being open about enjoying sex. There is a wide variety of girls and experiences, but they have one thing in common... they are all unsure in themselves and the world around them. Yes, this is a provocative and sexual novel, but it has a wide variety of young women our YA readers can relate to and look up to. I liked this. It is important to speak candidly to teenagers, and Keplinger never fails to do so. It may be her age (total lack of jadedness that comes with advanced age), but Keplinger doesn't hesitate to write about REAL teen issues, and sexual experience and pressures are a common issue. 


And that is where this novel works for me. It isn't sex for the sake of having sex, it has a purpose. Girls doubt themselves, they succumb to pressure, and they do things they are unsure of. The mixture of girls in this story really represents any clique of girls out there in the world, and they can all be different and still make it work. I also love the strong message that sex isn't something to be ashamed of, but also isn't something to keep your boyfriend around and not cheating either. In fact, when they were still planning the Shut Out, one girl expressed she was worried the boys would cheat on them if they Shut them out. Another girl responded by saying that if they did cheat, they weren't worth their time anyway and they should be happy to learn about that side of their boyfriends if it was there. Shut Out really had strong characters and ideals behind the mature and realistic topic.


I would probably give this to a high school student, although I can't imagine many boys would want to read it (or want their girlfriends to read it for fear of them getting any ideas!). I really like Keplinger's books. They combine realistic issues with fun stories, and always a little romance! You can root for the characters because you always see a little of yourself in at least one of them. I am impressed with this author's candor and look forward to seeing more of her writing. She knows how to speak to young adults in a way that neither patronizes them nor trivializes their issues. I wish I had an author like Keplinger out there when I was a young adult! 

An Investigation that Will Haunt You

Dream catcher. Knowing a person's most intimate thoughts and dreams. It might be interesting if it didn't control and possibly ruin your life. In Wake, by Lisa McMann, we saw how dreams were controlling Janie's life, but in Fade, the sequel, we see Janie learn to control the dreams.

Now that Janie knows Cabe isn't a drug dealer and is actually an undercover narc, she trusts him completely. She even begins working for the same department he does, trying to find leads in their small town. When a tip comes into a hotline that a teacher might be sexually assaulting students, the Captain sends in Janie as bait, much to Cabe's horror. Through her investigation, Janie suspects one of her teachers, but she can't prove anything. When the teacher invites the whole class to a Chem party at his house, she is nominated to go in and make sure nothing happens. Armed with her ability to read dreams and test strips to tell if there are drugs in any of the drinks, Janie feels safe enough to go to the party. What she doesn't know is that what she suspected was happening is really only the tip of the iceberg. In reality, the situation is much more terrifying and she walks willingly into a situation she might not find her way out of.

This was a much more disturbing follow up to the first story. With Wake, I thought the series bordered on the line of a middle reader series- very innocent paranormal series, but interesting enough to keep a kid's attention. With this sequel, it is clear this series is meant for young adults. The truth Janie uncovers is so terrifying it made me horrified just thinking about it. And the descriptions of how everything unfolded at the party will make you start homeschooling your children immediately. That all being said, this is a good book for a mature student who has low reading skills. It is a short, simple book but the material is anything but innocent.

Janie's character development really intrigued me in this sequel. At first, we knew she was an independent young woman who dealt with her mother's debilitating alcoholism with stoic determination. She wanted to do anything to go to college, and worked her butt off to save for it. Her dream hopping was hidden the best she could, and she kept everything to herself (before Cabe of course). But in this story we see a different side of her, and a lot of that comes from the more she learns about the dream catching. Through a deceased dream catcher's journals, Janie learns the terrifying fate that awaits her thanks to the dreams. The dreams not only take a lot out of her emotionally, but they literally drain the life right out of her. Now she must find a way to steel herself against the horrible truth of what awaits her. Do you think she will be able to live with the truth?

Realistic, Honest, and Well Written

After reading Bumped, a dystopia about teenage pregnancy for profit, I had to prove to myself that my issues with Bumped weren't about the idea of teenage pregnancy. Instead, my issues were the silly way it was handled. So I picked up Hooked by Catherine Greenman with one purpose in mind- prove to myself I was open to all kinds of Young Adult novels- even ones about tough subjects. I have one ting to say- This book proved it.

Thea is the product of a now-sober alcoholic father and a flighty mother who is more concerned with her own life than that of her daughter she is supposed to be raising. Despite a somewhat absentee father (even when he was physically present) and mother, Thea turned out ok. She was doing decently in her competitive high school, was your average, well-rounded young woman, and had some good friends. When she met Will, it was your typical first love. She felt hooked by her love for him; she needed him to love her as much as she loved him.

When Will graduated, he decided to stay in the city and go to Columbia University. At some point in the beginning of the year, Thea becomes pregnant. At first, she is stunned, but she tells her mother and decides to have an abortion. While her best friend and her mom offer to go with her, Thea decides to do it on her own. When she sees the sonogram, though, she can't imagine getting rid of the little person inside her. She panics and leaves the clinic, but doesn't tell anyone about her situation. When it becomes too late for an abortion, she finally admits to Will, her mom, and finally tells her father the truth: she is still pregnant and plans to have the baby.

At first everyone is angry with Thea for a host of reasons, but most importantly for keeping this from them. But then they soften and realize she was determined to have the baby. Both sets of parents decide to help Thea and Will out, set them up with a cheap apartment, and are moderately involved in financial support. Will is still going to Columbia, so Thea stays home and takes care of the baby, Ian. At first, the arrangement seems cozy, but quickly the immaturity of both parents comes out. Thea accidentally burns Ian with water and rushes him to the hospital. When Will arrives, he makes it very clear he blames Thea (despite it being an accident). This tension continues until he pushes her to put Ian up for adoption. Terrified Will is going to take Ian and give him away, Thea moves in with her father and asks Will to leave them alone.

Life with her father, a man she barely knew growing up, is odd at first, but their shared love for Ian brings them together. They make a cozy little life together, but sometimes their ideas for Thea's future are very different. This causes tension between two parents in very different points in their lives, both trying to raise their children. While Thea must find out who she is and who she wants to become, one thing is always obvious. Thea loves Ian and wants nothing more than to be his mother.

This is an amazing story because the characters are flawed, caring, mean well, and are so darned realistic. Thea is a kid, but she is a kid who is determined to be the best mother she can. I have a cousin who had a baby when he was still a teenager, and it still amazes me to see him with his son- he is such an amazing father and he desperately loves his son. This is Thea. She is young. She makes mistakes (which is something we adults to all the time too!). She loves her child unconditionally. I love the way her parenting is told through the voice of an 18 year old woman, too. Instead of "nursing" her son, she "gives him the boob"! And when Will tries to give Ian to an adoption agency, she is too scared to seek help from the adults in her life but also too immature to know he didn't have the right to do so. This was a book that showed the real life of a teen mom- bumps, bruises, tears, joy, love, affection, and all. Nothing is spared here, from the time his belly button nub falls off, to the terror when she accidentally scalded him with hot water. This book is frank and honest. Sure the message is that being a young mother is hard work, means losing the "childhood" your friends get to have, and will change you for better or for worse... but the book also says, "Hang in there. It can be done. People will help you." I loved this message. Oddly, it makes me think of all the things we say to kids to scare them throughout their childhoods. "Don't make that face or it will stick that way." "Don't swallow the watermelon seeds or a plant will grow in your belly." We say so much to scare them, but we forget to just tell them the truth. Well, this book does just that. Truth, for better or worse, is what you will get with Hooked.

There is some sexual content in this book that might make it better for a high school reader. The moral is handled seriously, but with enough levity and individualism to make it not sound like a "moral" book. I suspect the cover might frighten away a number of parents and teachers, but I hope you give it a chance. This book doesn't glamorize teen moms, but it doesn't make them seem like a stereotype either. This is a wonderful book for any teenager to read in order to let them get all the information, good and bad, and let them make decisions and choices for themselves. Sometimes, like with Thea, the answer isn't what you first thought was the right answer, but it still might be the best one in the long run.

What More Do you Desire?

When last we left Violet after Kimberley Derting's breakout novel, The Body Finder, she had foiled the plots of two serial killers working together to terrify her small town and infiltrate the police department. Violet can do this with her amazing and terrifying ability to see death echoes- the imprints a violent death leaves on both the body that wishes to be laid to rest and the person who ended their life. Violet see these echoes on all people, including police officers, doctors, nurses, and murderers. Unfortunately, the person responsible for ending the life of another isn't always who you would think it would be.

Violet survived the serial killers, but just barely. These days she prefers to take it easy and enjoy her life with her incredible and supportive parents and her attentive boyfriend, Jay. When a new family moves back into town, the brother Mike instantly becomes Jay's best friend and Violet starts to get jealous of all the time they spend together. Mike's sister Megan, however, is a different story. A couple of years younger than them, she is a quiet mousy girl who never seems to open up. When Violet finds out their mother disappeared and has possibly been murdered, she wonders if she can help.

Then an FBI agent named Sara Priest shows up and throws Violet's world upside down. Priest knows Violet is connected to the anonymous phone call that led them to finding a murdered boy, but she doesn't quite know how. When Sara introduces Violet to Rafe, a young man not much older than Violet, it becomes clear that Sara runs things a little differently- she uses "special" people like Violet to solve crimes like murder. When someone starts leaving creepy messages, calling and hanging up, and leaves a dead cat by Violet's car, she suspects Megan is the culprit. When she confides in Jay, however, he refuses to believe it and sends Violet off a cliff she might not be ready to take. While Violet explores the possibility of going public with her ability, she must also get to the bottom of Mike and Megan's mother's disappearance and find out who is stalking her. Can she do it all before it is too late?

This was a great follow up to an excellent debut novel. I was worried the story was going to get hokey after a while- I mean how many serial killers can a sleepy little town have before the national press starts sniffing around? But this story isn't cheesy and delves even further into Violet's powers. They are really advancing, whether she likes it or not. I also loved the addition of Sarah Priest, which opens up a place for Violet to grow in possible future novels and continue the series without getting ridiculous. Now she can go to work for Sara Priest and use her powers more. It gives the characters and the plot room to grow and mature.

The writing is average difficulty and would be appropriate for a range of students. The material can be dark at times, but isn't too dark- there is still a good message, supportive friends and family, and a good ending. This is a great supernatural story that will keep you enthralled from start to finish. Now I just can't wait to see what happens to Violet next!

Where Did it All Begin?

Who doesn't love the "Sex and the City" ladies and all their adventures? Well, upon finding that Candace Bushnell wrote The Carrie Diaries, a young adult novel about Carrie as a senior in high school, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. I have always wanted to know more about those girls and just how life was like for them in the mean halls of high school.

Carrie hasn't had things easy, but she still has dreams of becoming a writer. She applied to a summer writing program in NYC, but she was rejected. Now she must resign herself to going to Brown and studying science like her father wants. She wishes desperately her mom were still alive to give her advice about what to do. So she keeps going through the motions, hanging out with her friends, chain smoking cigarettes (it was the 1980's after all), and listening to all her friends tell her about their boyfriends, guy friends, and crushes... until Sebastian Kydd arrives.

Carrie's first run-in with Sebastian when they were young was not terribly promising, but he is still as hot as she remembers. At first she thinks he is dating the head cheerleader (and Queen Bee) Donna LaDonna (feel free to gag a little at that name... I did). But soon it becomes clear Sebastian Kydd wants her more. Carrie is thrilled, until Donna LaDonna wages war on her. Carrie keeps trying ot get to the bottom of the LaDonna/Kydd thing, but Sebastian keeps dodging her questions.

Carrie's dad introduces her to a Brown student he knows and encourages her to spend time with him (in a not-so-subtle way of getting her to go to Brown). She likes George, but he just isn't boyfriend material. Still she continues hanging out with him until George finds out about Sebastian. Then she is left with Sebastian and a group of friends that has slowly fallen apart while Carrie was wrapped up in her own world.

When Carrie's sister gets put in jail for shoplifting and her father makes all three daughters go on lock down, she doesn't get to see anyone (including Sebastian) for 2 weeks. Upon her first jailbreak, there is clearly something up with Sebastian and Carrie's friend Lali. When Carrie runs back into the bar, she gets an eyeful of the two of them making out. Now, boyfriend-less, friendless, motherless, and without the summer writing class, Carrie has no idea what to do. Luckily, George forgives her and along with a few other good friends, and they help Carrie realize she has to go with what she believes in. She starts writing articles for the school newspaper under a pseudonym and exposes high school life for what it really is. When she submits those articles to the NY writer's program, she is accepted and her father agrees to let her go. Thus begins the story of Carrie Bradshaw, columnist...

If this story sounds a little thin, its because it kind of is. If it weren't for the ties I already had to the main character, Carrie, I may not have really gotten in to this story. The beginning was kind of slow and it took some real willpower to spend some time getting into it. When I finally did, though, it picked up a bit. The story was interesting, but I think there were a number of flaws. First, the marketing of this book as YA shoots past the mark. In order to really like the story, you should know of the TV show or original novels by Candace Bushnell, but those are certainly not child-friendly. Otherwise, this is only a mediocre story at best.

The other serious flaw was the time period it is set in- she is a senior in high school in the early 80's when kids and teachers alike openly smoked in and around school, the drinking age was 18, so they could easily sneak into bars and get alcohol. This might not seem too much of a stretch for teenagers, but it really seemed like a different world. In fact, I think younger readers would have a hard time relating to the time period- it is that weird limbo where it is close enough to seem familiar but long enough ago to be so wildly different. If it was earlier or later, it might have been easier to relate to.

The writing is fairly simplistic, but some of the circumstances might be better for an older crowd. There is a fair amount of talk about sex, alcohol, and cigarettes, but I wouldn't say it is in excess. I just think this might be a better book for older young adults or adults who are more familiar with the television show. I know they would certainly appreciate the last paragraph where a certain someone comes to Carrie's rescue!

Are you Extraordinary?

Nancy Werlin's Impossible was so good, I had to get Extraordinary. The same vague description, the same steady unveil of vital plot information, and the same supernatural culprits. The story is certainly different from the first book, and not at all a sequel, but you will certainly notice some similarities from the start of the book.

Phoebe Rothschild is a normal girl from an extraordinary family. From the earliest Rothschilds down to her mother, the entire family is quite simply extraordinary, but Phoebe just wants to be normal. She has a hard time dealing with the attention that comes with being a part of one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in the world. When Mallory Tolliver arrives in seventh grade, Phoebe is immediately drawn to her. Mallory is odd, eccentric, and Phoebe instantly becomes her best and only friend.

The reader, however, knows Mallory has an ulterior motive. With little snippits of conversations with the Queen, we know Mallory was planted there to meet Phoebe specifically, but we have no idea why and what the Queen has planned for Phoebe. When years pass and it seems Mallory can't bring herself to do what she there for, her half-brother Ryland arrives. Ryland is enchanting, but rude at the same time. Phoebe can't stop thinking about him, but she somehow feels there is something wrong about the horrible things he says to her, like how she is fat, ordinary, and not particularly important. When Mallory finally confronts Phoebe about dating Ryland (a wicked plan cooked up by Ryland and the Queen), Phoebe runs straight into the arms of Ryland to be consoled. While in their house, though, she opens his bedroom door only to find an enchanted garden behind the door- a garden that can't possibly be there but certainly is.

The truth quickly comes out that Ryland and Mallory are faeries. A curse was placed on Phoebe's family and the faeries need her as a sacrifice to restore their power and their kingdom. But when she still doesn't want to know about it, Ryland creates an accident that leaves her mother in a coma and Phoebe without much choice. As she enters the Faerie World, she knows this is the end of her ordinary life, as the curse stipulates, but she still can't lose that bit of extraordinary that floats through her veins like the ghosts of all her ancestors. Knowing the faeries are dying because of the curse, will Phoebe be willing to sacrifice herself to the very people who have tricked her for years?

I think the downfall of reading this book directly after Impossible was that they were too similar and Extraordinary just wasn't as good. I think if I had read them a few months apart, I might have liked this book better, but it just didn't stack up to the first book. The slow but well-paced reveal of information was still there, but the information revealed wasn't a surprise anymore- it was essentially the same story as Impossible, just tweaked a little. The book became much more predictable than the first story.

This is a decent story for a junior high to high school student. There are some interesting morals to be discussed with any young woman. I was particularly angered by the things Ryland said to Phoebe about her being so ordinary. I know they were part of him trying to fulfill the curse, but instead they just really ticked me off. If I was reading this book with a student, I would definitely have to use that as a teaching experience. It would be too hard to just let it lie there. Otherwise, this is a decent book. It's an interesting enough read and should keep the reader interested. Maybe next time Werlin can mix it up a bit? Not be so formulaic?

Boot Camp for Goddesses

Tera Lynn Childs knows how to whip up a fun, flirtatious story! Goddess Boot Camp, the sequel to Oh. My. Gods., continues the story of Phoebe, a normal girl who found herself transported to an isolated island in Greece when her mom is remarried. At the end of the first book, she learns of her status as a descendant of the goddess Nike. Now she is suffering the consequences of that realization.

Being the descendant of a God or Goddess sounds all fun and laughter, but it is a big responsibility. It comes with powers, the responsibility of keeping the life secret from non-descendants, and the isolation of Serfopoulos- the island where the Gods school is. Phoebe is a closer descendant than most of the other kids at her school, which means her powers are even more powerful, and therefore more difficult to control. All she has to do is daydream about the ocean and her living room is saturated. One thought about her annoying stepsister as leaves her covered in frosting and very unhappy. The problem? Her unpredictable powers have put her on the radar of the Gods, and if she can't get them under control, there is some serious smoting in her future- no one wants to be smoted!

Now, in addition to training for a marathon at the Pythian Games and dealing with her boyfriend spending a lot of time with his beautiful ex-girlfriend Adara, Phoebe has to attend Goddess Boot Camp. To make matters worse, Boot Camp is run by her irksome stepsister Stella and Adara and Phoebe is the oldest one there by 6 or 7 years! The summer is full of misunderstandings, power malfunctions, heartbreak, and the truth about Phoebe's father's death, but even with all that seriousness, there is still fun, goofiness, and laughter!

This is a fun follow-up to the first book with plenty of Greek mythology and teenage goings-on to keep a wide range of readers happy and engaged. Childs does a good job of writing complete books that don't leave the reader hanging, but still continuing the story of Phoebe and her misfit Gods and Goddesses. The story is very clean and appropriate for all ages, much like the first story. It would be acceptable for middle school through high school students. While the mythology is the background of the story, it doesn't go into a great deal of depth into the mythology. Still, the series is a lot of fun and will make you wish you were descended from the Gods!

High School vs. The Gods

Now that Percy Jackson's has brought the Greek Gods to the forefront, Oh. My. Gods., by Tera Lynn Childs, breaks out with a fun tale about kids who are direct descendants of the Gods. The Gods themselves don't really make an appearance, but their mythology and influence are all over this cute tale.

Phoebe Castro is a cross country runner whose skill is about to earn her a full scholarship to USC. Other than running and her two closest friends, Phoebe doesn't worry about much else in the world. When her mother returns from Greece for a family reunion for her husband who died years earlier, she has some news that will change Phoebe's life forever: she is engaged and they are all moving to a tiny island in Greece that is only accessible by private boat! Phoebe is devastated to leave California, but doesn't have much choice as the wedding and move are only weeks away.

When she gets to Serfopoula, her new stepfather tells her there is more to this island than just serious isolation. The single school on the island is a school for direct descendants of the Gods, like her stepfather. At first Phoebe thinks he and her mother have lost their minds, but when her new evil stepsister materializes on the boat as they approach the island, she has no choice but to accept the news. Now Phoebe is not only the new girl, she is the new girl AND the only non-descendant at the whole school. When she gets caught in the middle of a love triangle that involves her scheming stepsister and an evil cheerleader-type, she finds herself falling for the hunk of the school- the very same guy her friends warn her to stay way from. Now she has to figure out whether he really is a nice guy, or really a jerk, work her butt off to make the cross-country team that is full of descendants of Gods, and get to the truth about her father and his mysterious death. While it isn't the senior year Phoebe originally wanted, it is one she can't deny has changed her life!

This is a fun, goofy story that gives you the typical high school dramas laced with Greek mythology- very interesting. The mythology is only superficial, though, and is not as comprehensive as in Percy Jackson. I liked that Phoebe is an athlete and determined to make the team despite being out of her league as the only person without God qualities and talents. She is a strong main character, but she can throw some serious temper tantrums when she wants to!

The writing level and content would probably be appropriate for a 6-10 grade girl, depending on her skill level. I don't imagine this book would appeal to many boys (the cover alone would deter them). It would be a great story for a socialite girl who wants to read about social situations. There is a decent amount of boy meets girl going on that would appeal to that type of reader. There is also a sequel out I plan to pick up and save for a time when I need some cute, simple, uncomplicated reading!

You Won't Linger Over this One!

Who said a sequel can't be better? If so, they clearly haven't read Maggie Stiefvater's Linger, a sequel to her werewolf bestseller, Shiver. This story not only makes me like the first book better, it makes me want to move to Minnesota! Now I have never been to Minnesota, so please excuse the judgment, but it takes quite an author to convince me to move to the tundra!

Where the first book was told from the perspective of Sam, the werewolf, and Grace, the average good girl, Linger is told from four different perspectives: Sam, Grace, their friend Isabel (whose new wolf brother died in the last book), and Cole, a new wolf who was specially chosen to be turned by Beck, Sam's adoptive father. Last season, when it looked like Sam and Beck weren't going to change back into humans anymore, Beck made sure there would be new wolves to take over the pack. Sam's cure worked, though, and he is no longer shifting; he got his wish to permanently stay a human and be with Grace as much as possible.

So when two new wolves surface, Cole and Victor, Sam has to act as pack leader and take care of them. Unfortunately, something is wrong. Cole is shifting into a human too often for such cold weather, and Victor is violently shifting back and forth, without any control over either form. Things continue to go south when Grace's parents, who are no longer thrilled with her relationship with Sam, find the two of them in bed in the middle of the night. Now they don't want Grace to be around Sam, but Grace is growing weaker and sicker each and every day. With no idea what is wrong with her, but a clear idea it has something to do with the wolves, Sam, Isabel, and Cole must come together to help her.

This was a wonderful follow up to the first book. With more characters for the first-person narrative, it can be a bit confusing at times. I sometimes found myself wondering who was talking and had to flip back a few pages to be sure of the narrator, but otherwise I liked hearing from Isabel and Cole. In Shiver, it sometimes got annoying to only hear from Grace and Sam, especially when they spent pages and pages mooning over one another. But Cole is a warped character who wants nothing more than to totally lose his human half. And Isabel is just as interesting. She blames herself for her brother's death, and she has no one she can talk to about it other than Cole. The tenuous relationship struck by these two is one you wish would blossom but are worried that both parties are just too damaged for any real trust to happen. Their sarcasm and troubled pasts keep the story interesting and give the story more impact.

The writing is the same level as the first book, and the material is very tame, even for YA. There is very little mature content if any. The only snag a student might find with this series is its character driven nature. Any action that takes place is secondary to the character development. I find this to be its most redeeming quality, but for a struggling, insecure reader, the lack of packed action might not keep them reading. This is a great book for middle school through high school and beyond, depending on the reading strength of the student. The story clearly sets up for a third installment, but it ends in a mostly satisfying way. I wasn't angry it ended, but I am definitely waiting for the next book!

When Breaking the Rules Is Good

Elizabeth Scott has been a hit or miss author for me. I read Stealing Heaven and it was so good, I immediately bought everything she had written. Her earlier novels weren't as good, though. They were very dark and creepy, and the writing wasn't as engaging. So when I saw the most recent release, The Unwritten Rule, I was excited because it looked like she had gotten back to her Stealing Heaven writing.

The story is about a girl named Sarah who has a crush on her best friend's boyfriend, Ryan- the ultimate defiance of the biggest unwritten rule of friendships. You would think this would make you hate Sarah, but her friend Brianna is the more disgust worthy of the trio. Sarah tries to avoid Ryan at all costs, but Brianna is constantly dragging her with them on dates and making her amuse Ryan while Brianna flits about. After a while, it is hard to deny that Ryan has feelings for Sarah too.

Brianna is the worst kind of friend. She is the type of attractive, popular girl who sees her friends as accessories that will make her more attractive. In particular, accessories that are clearly not as wonderful as Brianna is, thereby making Brianna look better. At times, the things Brianna says to Sarah, like "Don't worry, I know the guys like me aren't exactly interested in you, but maybe a freshman will really like you for who you are" make me want to strangle her. In fact, despite the "unwritten rule" I wanted Sarah to not only take Brianna's boyfriend, but clock her as well.

This novel was OK, not stellar, just OK. It wasn't the best I have read, but certainly not the worst either. Unfortunately, in a genre that has exploded with amazing fiction, I have a hard time recommending something that is just OK. I think this would be a good choice for any middle school to high school girl who reads a lot and won't be detracted by the mediocre plot and writing. The writing isn't complicated and the plot is fairly simple. The characters, however, will defy any impressions you may have started the book with!