The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart

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Ruby is seeing a shrink to deal with the panic attacks that she has been having.  (Five in one week is really too many.)  After Ruby starts explaining that she lost her boyfriend and all of her friends and became a social leper her doctor suggests that she make a list of all of her boyfriends, even if she thinks they don’t count.  She uses the list to tell the story.

This book is fantastic!  It really nails the pettiness and randomness of friendships in middle and high school.  It shows how one mistake, even something small, can change your whole world.  The characters are realistic, not over the top, and the situations are believable for the age group. There is no one “mean girl” that ruins the main character’s life.  She makes bad choices, and some other characters make bad choices.  That does not make them “bad people”.  (I would recommend this book to high school age girls that like realistic fiction.)

The List by Siobhan Vivian

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It is a tradition at Mount Washington High School for a list of the four prettiest girls and the four ugliest girls to be produced just before Homecoming.  One girl is chosen from each grade.  This book tells the story from the perspective of all eight girls.

I enjoyed reading the book, including the twist ending.  It’s interesting to see how the list affects the girls positively and negatively.  The girls most hurt by the list are not the ones that you would think.  The book is both realistic and eye opening.  It’s more serious and fun then I thought it would be when I picked it up, but I really liked the book.

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

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After Liz is hit by a taxi she wakes up on a giant ship bound for Elsewhere.   She is not alive but she’s not completely dead either.  Death is a part of life, so her life goes on in Elsewhere.  Here she must learn how to complete her journey and find a way to “live” what remains of her life. 

This story is interesting because Elsewhere is like Earth, but also different from Earth.  Everyone who dies goes to Elsewhere and ages backwards until they become babies again and are sent back to earth to be reborn.  The process of aging backwards is really interesting and the story makes some interesting points about life without hitting you over the head with it.  I would recommend this book for teen readers, 8^th grade and up, who are looking for a little something different to read. 

The Night She Disappeared by April Henry

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Pete’s pizza is a cool place to work. Drew takes the calls, Kayla or Gabie makes the deliveries. Everything is cool until Kayla and Gabie switch shifts and Kayla gets kidnapped. Did the kidnapper mean to take her or was it really Gabie that he was after? Is Kayla even still alive?


This is a thriller about a kidnapped girl, and the people who are left behind. The reader gets to see 14 days from the day the girl goes missing, until the end of the story. I enjoyed reading the story from several different points of view, even the kidnapper’s. I would recommend this book to guys and girls who enjoy suspense.

The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers by Lynn Weingarten

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What could be worse than being dumped? How about pining all summer for your boyfriend, and then being dumped as soon as he gets back on the first day of school. So Lucy is having the worst first day of school, when she gets an intriguing offer. Three beautiful and charismatic girls offer Lucy a way to heal her broken heart and gain real power. All she has to do is make someone fall in love with her and then break that person’s heart in the next seven days.

The premise of the book did not sound good to me, but I liked Weingarten’s last book “Wherever Nina Lies” so I gave this one a chance. It was surprisingly good. The characters are all believable, and there is some great advice about self-perception, popularity, and guys. The ending is a little sad, but overall I like the story. At different parts of the book you are not sure if Lucy’s new friends are good guys or bad guys. It makes for an interesting read. I would recommend this for girls who like humor, and romance.

After by Amy Efaw

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Devon is a star soccer player and a straight A student. Her life is going great until she has a baby and dumps it in a trash can. After her arrest everyone, including Devon herself, tries to figure out why she did what she did.

The book was interesting. Devon is not a monster, but she did something monstrous. While reading it I found myself becoming frustrated with her, just like other characters in the book. She does nothing to help her own defense, and she seems to not really know what is going on for most of the book. I like the story, but I wished it didn’t take so long to get to the meat of the story. The author only gives little details at a time. I almost gave up on the story, but I wanted to know what would happen to Devon. I would recommend this book to an older teen girl who likes dramatic realistic fiction.

Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor

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Alyss is a princess in Wonderland. Her mother is the queen and ruler of the land. When her evil Aunt Redd wants to take over Alyss and Hatter find themselves out of Wonderland and into the mortal realm. Alyss makes friends with a writer who tells her story, but he messes the whole thing up. Alyss told him the truth and he made a book about a girl named Alice who uses her imagination to go on an adventure. She is furious. As she grows up and finally makes her way back to Wonderland she must face many challenges to take her place as the rightful queen of Wonderland.

I liked the retelling of the story from a different point of view. This book is intended for audiences 10 and up. My older teens liked it, but they thought the story might be better for middle school than high school. They didn’t really feel a connection to any of the characters. Overall it was an ok book, but I wasn’t blown away by the story.

All these Things I’ve Done by Gabrielle Zevin

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In about 70 years the world’s resources are going to be spread very thin. Chocolate and caffeine are illegal, and paper is hard to come by. Because resources are so scarce water and food are rationed, new clothes are no longer produced, and people who were once inside the law are now on the outside. Annie’s family make chocolate. They have been making it for over 100 years. They still make it and sell it legally in places around the world where it’s not outlawed, but in the U.S. where Annie lives, she is part of an infamous crime family. When she is implicated in an attempted poisoning she must do everything she can to survive and protect her family.


Annie is a very likable character and the story has a lot going on; romance, friendship, and crime. A lot of event stake place in the book, but the ending was kind of a letdown. There is no big dramatic ending. The story just stops and we are left wondering what will happen in the future. The story is wrapped up, but since it’s about this girl’s life, we see that she will have to keep making hard decisions. I liked it, but at the same time I wanted a little more. I would recommend this to girls who like complicated plots and well thought out characters.

Two Books I Really Meant to Read

Have you ever started a book a few times, thought it was interesting, but never really been able to get back to it?  That has happened to me.  I have these two books, with great reviews, that seem really interesting.  I checked them out from the library, renewed them, and now they are overdue again.  I have started reading both of them, and I think the stories are interesting, but I just can’t seem to finish.  It’s time for me to give up.  Maybe I can come back to them or maybe someone else will read them and let me know the endings.

I recommend you give these books a try.  The Predicteds by Christine Seifert is about a girl whose mother made a test that can predict how someone will behave in the future.  (Will you be a good kid or bring a gun to school.)  The other book, Going Underground by Susan Vaught, is about a guy that did something not so bad, but it will haunt him for the rest of his life.  Both are meant for older teen readers because of the situations in the books. 

The Anti Prom by Abby McDonald

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The cool girl, the outcast, and the wall flower. What do they all have in common? Prom of course. All three girls show up expecting different things and none of them get exactly what they thought they were going to out of their prom night.


Told in alternating chapters we see from each girl’s point of view. I like the way the story is told, and the way it’s all wrapped up. Each girl is incredibly believable and I think a lot of teen girls will see themselves or someone they know in the book. I would recommend for 9th grade and up because of some mild language and implied sexual content. (Nothing explicit in the book and no F bombs.) This is a good girlie teen book.

Addie on the Inside by James Howe

 

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From the outside Addie is an outspoken know it all.  She cares about the environment, human rights, and preventing animal cruelty.  On the inside she cares about those things, but she is aware of just how much she doesn't know.  This book is told in verse, poems from Addies perspective, about what's going on in her life as a 7th grader in Paintbrush Falls Middle School.  She deals with friends, bullies, gossip, and her very popular boyfriend.

This is a companion novel to "The Misfits" and "Totally Joe".  This time we get to tread the book from Addie's perspective.  I was surprised when I opened the book at it was in verse.  I didn't expect it, but I loved it.  The poems are in various styles, but the voice rings true for a 13 year old girl in middle school.  Howe deals with some difficult topics in the book, and he faces the subjects head on, while managing to keep it age appropriate for a 7th grade reader.  This is a great book and I recommend it for everyone.  

                                                                                                               Read the other books  in the Misfits Universe.

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

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Andi is devastated by the death of her little brother and the end of her parent’s marriage. She blames herself for a lot of what happens and she tries to save her mom from a deep depression while attempting to hide from her own dark feelings of desperation and sorrow. Andi is a wealthy girl who goes to an elite school. When situations start to get out of control at home her father takes her on a business trip to Paris. He thinks she will work on her senior paper and get away from the things that are troubling her. What she finds in Paris is the diary of a girl her own age. The girl lived during the French revolution and was nanny to the last heir to the throne. In alternating stories we hear the events of both girls’ lives as they deal with two separate but oddly similar tragedies.


I usually don’t read said or realistic fiction. I like zombies and ninjas thank you very much, but this book blew me away. The pain is so realistic and not at all gratuitous. Donnelly tells the story so well that you can smell the gun powder from the fireworks, and feel the chill of a New York City night. I recommend this for anyone who likes realistic fiction, historical fiction, or stories about the intricacies of families. If you’ve never read YA fiction this book would be a good place to start. I also recommend Donnelly’s other book, A Northern Light.

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Fade to Blue by Sean Beaudoin

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Sophie Blue is a goth teen, who starts noticing weird things in her small town.  After her father disappears under suspicious circumstances and a strange Popsicle truck starts following her she delves into the mystery.

I didn't enjoy this story.  I didn't like it from the start, but I thought the characters were interesting so I kept reading.  It is a science fiction story with a graphic novel flare.  There is a lot of virtual reality (it's hard to keep track of what's real and what's not) and the characters who start out interesting, don't end up that way.  I read some other reviews that this books was good, but I feel bamboozled.  I guess if you really like pulp science fiction this book might be for you, but I don't recommend it.

Amelia O'Donohue is So Not a Virgin by Helen Fitzgerald

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Rachel is the girl in town who everyone tells their secrets to, because it’s guaranteed that she will never tell the secret. After she gets in trouble at a town dance, her parents send her to the pricy private boarding school that she really wants to go to. It seems like all of her dreams will come true. She will graduate at the top of her class, get into medical school, and live happily ever after. Things are going well, until her friends start trash talking about her and she uncovers a secret that is too big to keep.


The book was not what I expected. The back cover and the title make it seem like the book is about Amelia, but it’s not. She is in the story, but the real story is Rachel. We see the world through Rachel’s eyes, so much so that we don’t see everything clearly. The story was a surprise and I’m glad that I read it. It’s told from a unique prospective. I would recommend this to older teen readers because of some sexual content (nothing explicit just a little more information than some tweens are ready for), and the maturity level of the characters and situations. (9th grade and up).

Virals by Kathy Reichs

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Tory moves to a remote island to live with her dad near the research facility where he works. There are other teens on the island and they become friends. After Tory saves a wild wolf dog from an experiment, she and her friends are infected with a virus that gives them heightened senses and reflexes. The virus turns them into Virals. Now they are similar to the wolf dogs that the infection came from; they are a pack. They use their new abilities to try and solve a murder.


This book never took off for me. I read it and kept waiting for the exciting part to happen, but it never did. The beginning was slow, and there was a lot of background and build up about the relationship of the group. Once they were infected and started to have the special abilities, it was still slow. On the front cover James Patterson gives the book an endorsement. I think the book is trying to appeal to fans of the Maximum Ride series, but the book lacks the fast action and believable friendship in the group of teens. It reads less like a teen book, and more like what an adult thinks being a teen is like. This was not the book for me, but it might be for you. Let me know what you thought.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

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Mia is a beautiful and talented girl. She has a great family, wonderful friends, and a boyfriend who she loves. Everything is going great until an accident puts her somewhere between life and death. Now the only thing left for her to do is decide if she will stay or die.


I usually don't like sad stories, but I loved this. Even with all of the tragedy and drama the book is full of hope. The characters all read true, and the story is believable. There's no white light or flashes of what like might be after death. You get to see what Mia sees and hears while she’s in the hospital bed. You get to live her memories and you get to understand the decision she makes. It’s an amazing story I would recommend to readers 14 and up. Mia is a character who is almost eighteen and she is dealing with life decisions that I think might be hard for younger readers to understand. The romance is not explicit but is more mature than younger readers might be ready for. An excellent book!

A Kiss In Time by Alex Flinn

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This is a retelling of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale.  Sleeping Beauty is a brat because her parents keep her in the lap of luxury in the palace.  They are so afraid of the curse she can't leave the palace, and has no friends.  So it's no surprise that she ignores the rules, wanders where she is not supposed to be and pricks her finger on a spindle.  Fast forward 300 years and she is found not by a handsome prince, but by a regular guy doing a summer tour of Europe.  She goes to live in his house and the story unfolds.

I was expecting a lot more because I liked Beastly so much, so I was a little underwhelmed.  I didn't really like or feel a connection with any of the characters and the reaction of the parents in the story did not read true at all.  The book was not for me, but it is well written and if you like fairy tale retellings you might enjoy it.

Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon

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Rene is a typical California girl. Her long hair is wild, she loves the beach, and she wears cut offs and flip flops every day. Her parents are amazing, and her life is a happy one. On her sixteenth birthday everything she knows changes. After a tragedy befalls her parents she is sent to live with her grandfather in Maine, then later to a boarding school. When strange things start happening to the students in the school Rene tries to understand what is happening and help.


The story is a romance. She meets a boy on her first day at school, and they have a kind of love/hate relationship that soon turns to just love. It is a little reminiscent of Twilight with the boy who likes her so much he needs to stay away. Rene is a strong character who tries to solve a mystery and be kind to everyone. I liked the story and would recommend it to girls who like supernatural romances. It’s an interesting take on the genre. Romance is kept PG13, no cursing.

Slice of Cherry by Dia Reeves

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Kit and Fancy are sisters living in a strange town.  They are outcasts because their father is the Bonesaw Killer.  He is a serial killer who is on death row, while the girls and their mother live in the same small town they have always been in.  The sisters are their father's daughter, and soon they give into the same dark desires that their father indulged in.  Are they bad people because they love blood?  As the sisters discover who they are, they face dangers like bad guys, good boys, and the truth about what they do.

This book is Dexter meets Sweet Valley High.  Sisters ,who on top of dealing with being teenagers and discovering what boys are all about, are also facing a father on death row and their own dark desires for revenge and blood.  What's a burgeoning serial killer to do?  The town that they live in, although in the regular world, is strange and filled with mysterious monsters.  The blood and guts are a little overwhelming, especially in the beginning of the book.  After a while I got used to the gore and really started to enjoy the story.  It feels wrong to cheer for the killers, but in this crazy town they are the lesser of the evils.   I love the book cover and I would recommend the book to more mature teen readers who don't mind a little cursing, romance, blood and guts.

Matched by Ally Condie

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Sometimes perfection can be perfect hell.  - Jack's Mannequin 

In the distant future everything is perfect.  People are assigned the jobs they are best suited to, their meals are delivered hot each night to provide the perfect amount of nutrition, and when you turn seventeen you are matched to the person who will be your perfect mate.  But what happens if the government is wrong?  What does it mean if you have more than one perfect match?  Cassia has just been matched but it's not what she thought it would be.  Now her whole world is turned upside down and she's not certain that her perfect world is as it seems.

OK.  Think Hunger Games without the fighting. This book is great.  If what you liked about Hunger Games was the love triangle this is the book for you.  It also has a controlling government meddling in the lives of its citizens.  All of the characters are well thought out, the romance is serious but chaste, and the government was just evil enough to keep me reading.  I've been to the authors webpage and this is going to be a trilogy.  The next book will be out in November 2011 and the way this book ends it seems like we will be learning more about the world outside the perfect suburb that Cassia and her family live in.  I can't wait!

Click here to watch the book trailer on YouTube.