A Touching Story For All Ages

Ghosts

by Raina Telgemeier

Hardcover, 256 pages

Published September 13th 2016 by Graphix

ISBN13: 9780545540612

Library

ABOUT:

THERE'S SOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS TOWN...

Catrina and her family are moving to the coast of Northern California because her little sister, Maya, is sick. Cat isn't happy about leaving her friends for Bahía de la Luna, but Maya has cystic fibrosis and will benefit from the cool, salty air that blows in from the sea. As the girls explore their new home, a neighbor lets them in on a secret: There are ghosts in Bahía de la Luna. Maya is determined to meet one, but Cat wants nothing to do with them. As the time of year when ghosts reunite with their loved ones approaches, Cat must figure out how to put aside her fears for her sister's sake -- and her own. 

Raina Telgemeier has masterfully created a moving and insightful story about the power of family and friendship, and how it gives us the courage to do what we never thought possible. (GoodReads)

RATING: 5 STARS

REVIEW:

I loved this graphic novel. I picked it up only because it was on a book challenge I’m a part of, but I’m so glad I did. 

It is a great story to teach young teens a little about cystic fibrosis and Dia de Los Muertos. It’s definitely fantasy since the ghosts come back to the town to celebrate with the living and our main character flies with them, but that doesn’t take away from the story at all. It gives it a sense of adventure mixed in with the family storyline. 

This book has so much heart! I think it would be a great family read with younger children and an overall great read for everyone else.

Not As Much Football As I Thought...

Until Friday Night (The Field Party #1)

by Abbi Glines

Hardcover, 336 pages

Published August 25th 2015 by Simon Pulse

ISBN: 9781481438858

Library

ABOUT:

To everyone who knows him, West Ashby has always been that guy: the cocky, popular, way-too-handsome-for-his-own-good football god who led Lawton High to the state championships. But while West may be Big Man on Campus on the outside, on the inside he’s battling the grief that comes with watching his father slowly die of cancer.

Two years ago, Maggie Carleton’s life fell apart when her father murdered her mother. And after she told the police what happened, she stopped speaking and hasn’t spoken since. Even the move to Lawton, Alabama, couldn’t draw Maggie back out. So she stayed quiet, keeping her sorrow and her fractured heart hidden away.

As West’s pain becomes too much to handle, he knows he needs to talk to someone about his father—so in the dark shadows of a post-game party, he opens up to the one girl who he knows won’t tell anyone else.

West expected that talking about his dad would bring some relief, or at least a flood of emotions he couldn’t control. But he never expected the quiet new girl to reply, to reveal a pain even deeper than his own—or for them to form a connection so strong that he couldn’t ever let her go…  (Goodreads)

RATING: 4 Stars

REVIEW:

First thing, this is so not a “clean” teen read. These kids are drinking and having sex right and left. It’s the one big thing that annoyed me. Maybe I’m wrong or live in the wrong part of the country, but I really don’t remember kids in High School doing that constantly. There were parties sure, and I know drinking and sex took place, but it just seemed so over done in this book. Maybe I’m just old and things have changed. 

Anyway, the book is actually about West who is a jock with a major secret. His Father is dying. Then there’s Maggie who’s new to town and doesn’t talk due to what she saw happen. Of course when you have a secret, the person you can rely on to not tell it is the girl who doesn’t talk, so wa la a romance is formed. The two form a bond and while Maggie helps West with his Father’s death, West helps Maggie find her voice. Aw ! How sweet!  And yes with all the Father/Son moments in this book I did cry a bit. If you don’t you have no soul! (Just kidding about the no soul, but it is really sad and touching in parts.)

This book is a really quick read with a ton of characters who end up having continuation books of their own. Because it switches back and forth from West’s point of view to Maggie’s you really get to learn more about the characters and form deeper bonds with them. I think if it was all in Maggie’s point of view I would have hated West and thought he was a complete jerk. But because I got to see what he was going through with his dad through his eyes, feelings, and thoughts it made me understand him so much better. 

Overall, if you’d like to cry pick up this book. If you want a decent misunderstood teen romance story also pick up this book. Be warned though that it’s not for young teens. Even High Schoolers might not be ready for everything yet. 

Read It Before You See The Movie!

Five Feet Apart

by Rachael Lippincott

Hardcover, 288 pages

Published November 20th 2018 by Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers

ISBN: 9781534437333

Library

ABOUT:

Can you love someone you can never touch?

Stella Grant likes to be in control—even though her totally out of control lungs have sent her in and out of the hospital most of her life. At this point, what Stella needs to control most is keeping herself away from anyone or anything that might pass along an infection and jeopardize the possibility of a lung transplant. Six feet apart. No exceptions.

The only thing Will Newman wants to be in control of is getting out of this hospital. He couldn’t care less about his treatments, or a fancy new clinical drug trial. Soon, he’ll turn eighteen and then he’ll be able to unplug all these machines and actually go see the world, not just its hospitals.

Will’s exactly what Stella needs to stay away from. If he so much as breathes on Stella she could lose her spot on the transplant list. Either one of them could die. The only way to stay alive is to stay apart. But suddenly six feet doesn’t feel like safety. It feels like punishment.

What if they could steal back just a little bit of the space their broken lungs have stolen from them? Would five feet apart really be so dangerous if it stops their hearts from breaking too? (Goodreads)

RATING: 4 Stars

REVIEW:

This book is marketed as being just like “A Fault In Our Stars”. If you’re only looking at a romance between two sick kids then yes, it’s exactly like that. In reality though it has a lot of differences. 

The two main characters of this story share the same disease, Cystic Fibrosis.  They aren’t supposed to get within six feet of each other, so of course that means they can never ever touch. But when you’re a teenager and a cute boy is staying right next door, of course crushes occur. And crushes can lead to romance. To take back a little bit of what their diseases have stolen from them, the main characters decided to live by the new five feet apart rule. 

Possible spoiler….

Of course at one point they end up touching in order to save one of their lives. They both live to see the end of the book but you know they both aren’t going to live long (especially one of them). They also aren’t together at the end of the book. How can you really have a romance if you can’t touch or get to close? Our two teens do learn a lot from each other and in the end come away with new views on life because of it. 

I enjoyed this book mostly because I learned things about a disease that I wasn’t really familiar with. It made me see things through someone else’s eyes and made me look at my life a bit differently. It wasn’t the best written books, I think mostly because it’s taken from a screen play to a movie, but it did keep me interested up until the end. Because I have seen the trailer for the movie I kept picturing Cole Sprouse as Will. I feel like that might have made things a bit more entertaining for me as well. 

For the most part I think any teen could read this book and enjoy it. There is mention of two side characters having sex but it is such a tiny piece in an otherwise pretty clean book. 

A Hidden Gem....

The Sound of Drowning

by Katherine Fleet

Hardcover, 384 pages

Expected publication: March 12th 2019 by Page Street Kids

ISBN: 9781624147111

NetGalley

ABOUT:

Meredith Hall has a secret. Every night she takes the ferry to meet Ben, her best friend and first love. Though their relationship must remain a secret, they’ve been given a second chance, and Mer's determined to make it work. She lost Ben once before and discovered the awful reality: she doesn't know how to be happy without him…

Until Wyatt washes ashore―a brash new guy with a Texas twang and a personality bigger than his home state. He makes her feel reckless, excited, and alive in ways that cut through her perpetual gloom. The deeper they delve into each other’s pasts, the more Wyatt’s charms become impossible to ignore.

But a storm is brewing in the Outer Banks. When it hits, Mer finds her heart tearing in half and her carefully constructed reality slipping back into the surf. As she discovers that even the most deeply buried secrets have a way of surfacing, she’ll have to learn that nothing is forever―especially second chances.(Goodreads)

RATING: 4 Stars

REVIEW:

This book is really hard to review without giving anything away. From the description it sounds like a straight up teen romance love triangle. I promise you though this book is so much more than that. It’s main focus is on serious issues that teens and adults go through. 

(Possible Spoilers In This Paragraph)

This books really deals with mental illness and PTSD. There is an abortion, death, dealing with loss, a serious accident, attempted suicide and more. It is deep and meaningful. The characters in this book have so much to overcome and deal with. The twist ending made me look at this book in a whole new way.  (Very Spoilery….. This book turns into a It’s A Wonderful Life type story at the end…. Which actually made it even more special.)

Overall, I really liked this book. I’m so happy that it was more than just a love story. It made me look at a few things in a different way, which I always appreciate. It does deal with a lot of serious issues that younger teens might not be ready for. Those who are ready I think will enjoy this hidden gem. 

Loved It!

Only a Breath Apart

by Katie McGarry

Hardcover, 368 pages

Expected publication: January 22nd 2019 by Tor Teen

ISBN: 9781250193858

First ARC (Was Just Called Breathe, 2^nd ARC I Received Is Titled Only A Breath Apart)

ABOUT:

Jesse Lachlin is cursed.

So the town folklore says, but while Jesse’s had his fair share of tragedy, the only curse he believes is in his grandmother’s will: in order to inherit his family farm he must win the approval of his childhood best friend, the girl he froze out his freshman year, Scarlett Copeland.

Scarlett Copeland is psychic.

Glory Gardner tells Scarlett she has hidden psychic abilities, but Scarlett thinks Glory is delusional. What is real is Scarlett’s father’s irrational fears, controlling attitude, and the dark secrets at home. Scarlett may have a way to escape, but there’s a hitch: she’ll have to rely on the one person she used to trust, the same boy who broke her heart, Jesse Lachlin.

Each midnight meeting pushes Jesse and Scarlett to confront their secrets and their feelings for each other. But as love blooms, the curse rears its ugly head…  (Goodreads)

RATING: 5 Stars

REVIEW:

This book is classic Katie McGarry formula. Why mess with a great thing?

Misunderstood teens finding each other and making each other better people in the long run. Teen and family drama, this time mixed with a little mini touch of supernatural made for an entertaining read. (Note the supernatural part of it isn’t a big deal. There are no ghosts, vampires, etc. It’s most psychic readings and fortunetelling.) The characters in this book were all likeable and just like in her other books I really just wanted to hug the kids and tell them everything would be ok. 

(Possible Spoilers/Hints. Read At Own Risk) 

Since this is a “formula” book, we know it will end up all working out, though the teens are not going to have a super easy road ahead of them (a common jumping off point the author uses to bring us back for the next book). And there are parts of the story (especially towards the end) where it really looked like we were not going to have a typical Kaite ending. It made it a very tense couple chapters for me. According to what I’ve read online this is just the first book in the series. It’s supposed to turn into a series like “Pushing The Limits”, which excites me so much! I can’t wait to see who the next book might be about…. Though I have some ideas. And in case Katie McGarry reads this …. I really want to know more about Jesse’s friends! What is that girl suffering with! 

Overall, I really liked this book. It’s one that I could see picking up for a second read. There are some issues that could be triggers in people (abuse, drinking, sickness….) so it’s not a book for everyone. I think that older teens looking for a contemporary romance will love it.

Another Great Series...

Pushing the Limits

(Pushing the Limits #1)

by Katie McGarry

Hardcover, 392 pages

Published July 31st 2012 by Harlequin Teen (first published June 1st 2012)

ISBN: 9780373210497

Library

ABOUT:

"I won't tell anyone, Echo. I promise." Noah tucked a curl behind my ear. It had been so long since someone touched me like he did. Why did it have to be Noah Hutchins? His dark brown eyes shifted to my covered arms. "You didn't do that-did you? It was done to you?" No one ever asked that question. They stared. They whispered. They laughed. But they never asked.

So wrong for each other...and yet so right.

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal. But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible. Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again...

RATING: 4 Stars

REVIEW:

Poor misunderstood “bad” boy meets use to be popular but is now misunderstood but is still a “good” girl story. My kind of book. Yeah this is an older title, published in 2012, so I knew little bits would be out dated. We all have fancy smart phones now and dress a bit differently after a whole 6 years. But this was still a good read. It made me really feel for the characters and root for them. Sure there were pieces that were annoying (I hate when guys call girls baby or use other stupid nick names), but for the most part though I could get behind the characters actions. I loved that the chapters alternate between Noah and Echo, and that we get to see what both characters are really thinking and feeling.

This book is perfect for older teens looking for more “bad” boy romance novels.

Dare You To

(Pushing the Limits #2)

by Katie McGarry

Hardcover, 456 pages

Published May 28th 2013 by Harlequin Teen (first published May 22nd 2013)

ISBN: 9780373210633

Library

ABOUT:

Ryan lowers his lips to my ear. "Dance with me, Beth."

"No." I whisper the reply. I hate him and I hate myself for wanting him to touch me again....

"I dare you..."

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all....

RATING: 4 Stars

REVIEW:

Ok, after reading Pushing the Limits it took me a bit to get use to Beth and Isaiah not being together. I got over it pretty quick though and Ryan did win me over.

This book takes place right after Pushing the Limits, but it uses different characters from book one. We have messed up “bad” girl Beth with super jock Ryan. The perfect formula for a Teen Romance novel.

Again we have alternating chapters (Beth and Ryan’s points of view) which give us details into how each one is feeing and dealing. This made me love the characters even more!

Characters from book one reappeared and new characters were brought it, leaving things perfectly open for book three.

Overall, another great YA romance that had me rooting and caring for the characters. It could be a standalone book, but goes better if you’ve read Pushing the Limits first so that all the characters mean more to you. I’d recommend this one to older teens looking for romance. The cover will definitely make many of them nerves about picking it up. I feel like it’s a bit misleading in the sexiness of this story.

 

Crash into You

(Pushing the Limits #3)

by Katie McGarry

Hardcover, 474 pages

Published November 26th 2013 by Harlequin Teen

ISBN: 9780373210992

Library

ABOUT:

The girl with straight A's and the perfect life—that's who people expect Rachel Young to be. So the private school junior keeps secrets from her wealthy family…and she's just added two more to the list. One involves racing strangers down dark country roads in her Mustang GT. The other? Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Walker—a guy she has no business even talking to. But after the foster kid with the tattoos and intense gray eyes comes to her rescue, she can't get him out of her mind.

The last thing Isaiah needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who wants to slum it on the south side for kicks. But when their shared love of street racing puts their lives in jeopardy, Isaiah and Rachel will have six weeks to come up with a way out. Six weeks to discover just how far they'll go to save each other.

RATING: 4 Stars

REVIEW:

Yay! Isaish finally gets a turn to find happiness!

Same as the last two books this one is also alternating chapters, which again gives us insight into both our characters worlds, which again makes things so much better. And yes many of the characters from the first two books make appearances again.

It’s the same type of “bad” boy, “good” girl formula story, but that’s ok. It works for teen drama romance books. Again the writing of this book makes you just want to root for the characters and hug them and tell them everything is going to be ok. Especially at the end of this one. I did not see that happening after reading the first two books in this series. This one could also be read as a stand-alone, but reading the first two books would make this one so much better.

Overall, again this is a great read that I would give to older teens looking for romance. Again the cover of this book makes it so teens are more hesitant to pick it up because they don’t know what their parents will think. (Yes I’ve had a few of them actually tell me that). And again the cover isn’t exactly what happens in the book. It could have been toned down some in the sexiness department and teens might pick it up more.

 

Take Me On

(Pushing the Limits #4)

by Katie McGarry

Hardcover, 544 pages

Published May 27th 2014 by Harlequin TEEN

ISBN: 9780373211180

Library

ABOUT:

Champion kickboxer Haley swore she'd never set foot in the ring again after one tragic night. But then the guy she can't stop thinking about accepts a mixed martial arts fight in her honor. Suddenly, Haley has to train West Young. All attitude, West is everything Haley promised herself she'd stay away from. Yet he won't last five seconds in the ring without her help.

West is keeping a big secret from Haley. About who he really is. But helping her-fighting for her-is a shot at redemption. Especially since it's his fault his family is falling apart. He can't change the past, but maybe he can change Haley's future.

Hayley and West have agreed to keep their relationship strictly in the ring. But as an unexpected bond forms between them and attraction mocks their best intentions, they'll face their darkest fears and discover love is worth fighting for.

RATING: 4 Stars

REVIEW:

Last book of the series goes to Rachel’s trouble making brother West, and a kick butt kick boxing girl named Haley. This one was just as good as the others. Same writing style, same love for all the characters, same other characters from past stories showing up. This one is probably the worst as a stand alone though, since it has so much to do with Rachel’s family from book three.

There’s a lot of family drama in all four of these books, but I feel like this one goes a bit deeper. Maybe because for once both teens have both parents alive and have siblings to deal with. Maybe its all the abuse that the teens deal with in their crazy messed up families. Maybe it’s the rich kid learning what it’s like to lose everything and the poor girl learning to fight for herself storyline. I’m not sure. I do know that all of that leads to one compelling and interesting romance.

Overall, I enjoyed this book just as much as the others. Again it’s an older teen read. And also again, that cover could have been toned down a little, although it is a bit better than some of the others.

 

PUSHING THE LIMITS SERIES AS A WHOLE?

Rating:  Pretty even across the board. Bad boy/girl romance stories that make you want to hug the characters and say it’s all going to be ok are usually fairly decent. This series gets a 4 star rating for consistency and leaving me wanting more.

Review:

A great older teen romance series. The books are fast moving quick reads. I love how characters overlap from book to book, and yet they all have their own stories. I do wish that there were more books in the series though. I really want to know what else happens to everyone.

A Realistic Read To Make You Think

That's Not What Happened

by Kody Keplinger

Hardcover, 329 pages

Published August 28th 2018 by Scholastic Press

 ISBN: 9781338186529

Library/ Met at Andersons’s YA Literature Conference 2018

About:

It's been three years since the Virgil County High School Massacre. Three years since my best friend, Sarah, was killed in a bathroom stall during the mass shooting. Everyone knows Sarah's story--that she died proclaiming her faith. 

But it's not true. 

I know because I was with her when she died. I didn't say anything then, and people got hurt because of it. Now Sarah's parents are publishing a book about her, so this might be my last chance to set the record straight . . . but I'm not the only survivor with a story to tell about what did--and didn't--happen that day. 

Except Sarah's martyrdom is important to a lot of people, people who don't take kindly to what I'm trying to do. And the more I learn, the less certain I am about what's right. I don't know what will be worse: the guilt of staying silent or the consequences of speaking up . . . (Goodreads)

Rating: 4 Stars

Review:

This wasn’t you average school shooting book. While there were flashbacks to the actual shooting, the majority of the book happened three years later and deals with what the surviving victims are going through. There were misconceptions that occurred during the initial investigation, mostly dealing with a cross that was found in the bathroom and who it belonged to and what was said by the person wearing it. The media picked up on one person’s view and it spread like wildfire until it became the truth and anyone saying otherwise became a target. Kody does a wonderful job of showing just how far people will go to protect their beliefs and how far others will go to get the truth out.

I enjoyed that this was a different take on school shootings. The writing was well done and realistic. It lost a star from me because there was just something about the characters that I didn’t care for. I’m not sure what it was, but they just kind of bugged me. I did like that the book focused on the survivors and the victims though, and not the shooter. The shooters name is never mentioned and either are their motives. I liked that the victims came from all sorts of backgrounds and it shed a light on them in a way that showed that no one is perfect.

Overall, I’d say this was a decent read. I’d recommend it to older teens looking for a book on the subject matter. Some scenes could possibly be a bit intense for younger readers and due to content some scenes could be a trigger for some people who have PTSD, depression, anxiety, drug or alcohol abuse, were involved in gun violence and possibly other things.

On a side note, I had the pleasure of hearing Kody Keplinger speak earlier this month at the Anderson’s YA Literature Conference. She seems like an awesome person with a lot of personality. She’s also a geek like me, so respect to that. She talked a lot about how telling stories helped her figure out what she cares for and who she is. She also talked about how she puts a little bit of herself and her experiences into all of her stories. I’ve read a couple of her other books and they’ve all been pretty good so far. If you’re looking for a new author’s work to explore, she might be one you’ll want to check out for realistic fiction. 

A Fall Mystery....

The Cheerleaders

by Kara Thomas

Hardcover, 384 pages

Published July 31st 2018 by Delacorte Press

ISBN: 9781524718329

Library

ABOUT:

There are no more cheerleaders in the town of Sunnybrook.

First there was the car accident—two girls gone after hitting a tree on a rainy night. Not long after, the murders happened. Those two girls were killed by the man next door. The police shot him, so no one will ever know why he did it. Monica’s sister was the last cheerleader to die. After her suicide, Sunnybrook High disbanded the cheer squad. No one wanted to be reminded of the girls they lost.

That was five years ago. Now the faculty and students at Sunnybrook High want to remember the lost cheerleaders. But for Monica, it’s not that easy. She just wants to forget. Only, Monica’s world is starting to unravel. There are the letters in her stepdad’s desk, an unearthed, years-old cell phone, a strange new friend at school. . . . Whatever happened five years ago isn’t over. Some people in town know more than they’re saying. And somehow Monica is at the center of it all.

There are no more cheerleaders in Sunnybrook, but that doesn’t mean anyone else is safe. (GoodReads)

RATING: 4 Stars

REVIEW:

A great murder mystery for the Fall Season. I will admit that I’m not a huge fan of American Football or Cheerleading. It is with huge relief that I tell you that this book has little to do with either of those. The only real connection is that all the girls who died were part of the cheerleading squad and now there is no more cheerleading at their school. The story revolves around Monica, the sister of one of the dead cheerleaders, and her search to figure out if her sister really killed herself or not. All of her sleuthing drags her deeper and deeper into the rabbit hole that is all of the girls’ deaths. They’re all connected right…. Or are they?

The characters were all well represented in the book. I don’t want to give too much away with descriptions of them or their personalities, it might ruin the story. Our main character Monica though is a very strong and intelligent female and I loved seeing that in a Teen mystery story. I’m a little sick of the main female character’s story line getting dragged through romances. Thankfully there is very little of that in this book.

This book was full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing. It’s a very dark read that deals with a lot of tough issues like suicide, grief, abortion, alcohol, murder and more. It’s defiantly for your more mature teen reader. Give it to older teens looking for a good, creepy, suspense mystery!