"Lock and Key" by Sarah Dessen

“What happens when your past is not just past, but wiped clean entirely? How do you figure out where you’re going when you can’t even claim where you’ve been? These were the questions that inspired Lock and Key. It’s the story of a girl named Ruby who is abandoned by her mother and determined to make it on her own, even—and especially—when she is sent to live with her long-lost sister in a whole new world of privilege, family, and relationships. As Ruby learns, there’s a big difference between being given help and being able to accept it. And sometimes, it takes reaching out to someone else to save yourself.” - Sarah Dessen's website

This is the second Sarah Dessen book I’ve read, the first being The Truth About Forever. I guess everyone’s right, she’s amazing! Her writing is so gorgeous. It’s very descriptive and emotionally charged, she makes you FEEL the characters, everything seeming so real. I might have felt kind of disconnected from Ruby if it weren’t for that, but I didn’t. The whole story is full of Ruby (and sometimes Nate’s) raw emotions and that made the whole thing more enjoyable. I felt so bad and so confused for Ruby, after her mom’s disappearance. I had a feeling of what Cora would tell her, and that Ruby’s impressions weren’t necessarily true, and I was right. (What am I talking about? I’ll give you my usual answer: read the book.)

My favorite character was probably Jamie, he tried to hard for Cora and Ruby to give them what they never had and be there for them. He was hilarious, too. The whole UMe thing was quite funny too. I liked all of the characters, actually (well, all the good characters, anyway). Olivia was great and I could really appreciate her helping Ruby… and Gervais was just amusing. The only qualm I have with the characters (and really, this is my qualm with the book in general, though not that bad) was Nate. I liked Nate, I liked how Ruby and him got along and could relate, they kind of needed each other, BUT I never really got to like him that much… despite his emotions showing through sometimes and his action, I never felt a connection to him as a character, and I missed that, I think that might’ve helped me love the book rather than just quite liking it, though I’m not sure why it effected me so.

"Becoming Chloe" by Catherine Ryan Hyde

"How do you spell 'beautiful', Jordy?"
"B-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l."
"Really? Are you sure?"
"Positive."
"Okay. If you're sure. I know how to spell 'ugly.'"
Too bad. I would've liked it better the other way around. But I guess she hasn't had much practice on "beautiful." I guess it's one of those things that just never came up.

Jordy is by himself.
He's okay with this.
He's living in New York City without a job or a family.
It's just a bad week in his life.

And maybe it'd actually work out for him.
But then comes Chloe.

Chloe- or Wanda Johnston- looks like she should have the perfect world.
But if she had a perfect life, why would she be living in a cellar?
Why would she be okay with all the bad things that happen to her?

As Jordy takes Chloe into his care, he starts to realize that everything isn't right with her.
She needs help.
But if she won't talk to her therapist....
And she won't take the antidepressents...
What is he going to do?
And if he himself doesn't quite believe that the world is a beautiful place...
How can he convince Chloe that it is?

She jumps up and grabs me. The way I'd expect her to grab on if she was about to fall off a twenty-story building. Then again, maybe she is, and I'm just too blind to know it.
"I'm scared, Jordy."

I absolutely adored this book. I ended up rewriting my synopsis of the book multiple times because I couldn't do it justice.
This book is amazing.

First of all, the writing is pretty epic. It definitely sounds like young adult is saying it, but at the same time it's so poetic that it's beautiful just to read it. The author deals with some themes that I sort of find myself dealing with sometimes in my life, so that was very, very nice.

Secondly, I really like Jordy. I mean, Chloe was alright, but I really liked Jordy.
First of all, he's gay. This is very helpful for this book specifically, because it means it doesn't fall into the "girl and boy take roadtrip, they fall in love" sort of book. (Which, I admit, I thought it was going to be.)
Secondly... He's very realistic. I like that, too.
And lastly... He gives up so much to help Chloe, and he doesn't complain. But even though he doesn't mind that he's helping her (because she ends up being his best friend), he doesn't not appreciate the good things that come to him. I liked that.

Also, this book is so emotional. Especially at the end, I found my self crying, because it was just so perfect. It ended perfectly, but right before the end I felt like... "It's over. It's over. Their trip. They've come to their end of the road. And that's sad. But it's okay."
(I was going to say something here, but I realized that it would be a spoiler. So you're just going to have to read the book to find out sort of what I was going to say. ;) )

"Harry, A History" by Melissa Anelli

In "Harry, A History", Melissa Anelli tells a story that most Potter fans could've told, with the added insight that comes along with her being mastermind webmistress of the popular Harry Potter fan site The Leaky Cauldron. This book is many things. For those who haven't read Harry Potter and are curious as to why it's so popular and what exactly goes on in the fandom, it's a very knowledgeable and good recount for them. For those of us like myself, who are die-hard Harry Potter fans, it serves as a book filled to the brim with nostalgia as well as some things you might not have known before-- even if you thought you were an expert -- as well as an easy-to-relate-to story.

That story is of Ms. Anelli's journey participating in the Harry Potter fandom and recounting some of her adventures (i.e... getting to interview J.K. Rowling (x2!), attending premieres, the website) as well as talking about some other ways Potter changed her life, by bringing different people into her life and making friends, gaining inspiration, etc... She also outlines many products of the fandom such as fan sites, fan fiction, wizard rock, the podcasts, release parties, and 'shipping'; as well as the various and plentiful controversies surrounding the books and between the fans.

It was a very personal book for me to read. So many of the feelings found in the book are ones I've also experienced, just as many others I know have. I'm a 'super-fan' and even I didn't know about all of the things in the book. For example, I didn't know that Cassandra Clare wrote a popular, novel-length trilogy of HP fan fiction about Draco Malfoy (must've missed that somewhere). But, you know, it's not as if I used to spend hours pouring over fan sites or anything *shifty eyes* (although I admit I've been more of a Mugglenet girl). As a fan, everything seemed very spot-on in the book. It's one I'd recommend to anyone who seeks insight of the fandom or any fan who wishes to experience nostalgia and such. In light of the new movie I found it particular insightful. :)

"Side Effects" by Amy Goldman Koss

I'd left my notebook and everything in the car, or I might have done a drawing of that weird wire thing with the colored beads, which exists only in doctor's waiting rooms. I wondered what was supposed to be fun about it. All I'd ever want4ed to do was get the beads off the damn thing so I could play with them.
Izzy can't find a single book where the person lives. The person with cancer. The patient. In every single one she finds, they all die at the end. The best she's found is one where the kid gets super powers from the cure.
This is a problem.
Because Izzy has cancer.
After waking up one morning to find that she still has swollen glands from her flu, her world turns upside down. She's rushed to the hospital, and stabbed with a bunch of needles. She's soon part of another world, with it's own slang, with it's own people.
This is her book. Her book about traveling down that path to hell, and then traveling back.

Ah! I thought, This must be the mental illness bonus for kids with chemo cards! Feeling the pain before the stab!

I really liked this book. It was funny, well written, and Izzy had her own voice. She seemed very human, and I could find myself believing that this could actually happen.

I don't have a lot to say on this book (don't hate! It's only 143 pages long!), but I'd definitely recommend it.

"Peak" by Roland Smith

"You messed up, Pete."
"Peak," I said.
"Like in 'mountain peak'?"
"Right."
"Weird name."
"Weird parents."

Peak Marcello, as his name suggests, is a climber. His mom and dad, both mountain climbers, started him climbing at an early age, and his mom has encouraged him his whole life.
Climbing is about to get him in trouble though.
Peak has climbers itch- the climbing wall at the gym isn't big enough anymore- so he finds bigger things.
Like skyscrapers.
When Peak is busted climbing the Woolworth Building, he knows he's in trouble. But how much? The court wants to sentence him to three years in jail, but his mom and stepfather, Rolf, aren't about to let that happen.
When Peak's long lost father, Joshua, shows up unexpectedly, Peak is offered a deal by the court. He can disappear off radar for several years, or he could go to jail.
Peak chooses to disappear.
His father takes him to Tibet, where he springs a surprise on fourteen-year-old Peak: Peak is going to try to be the youngest person to ever climb Everest.
With the help of Sun-jo, Peak's new friend; Zopa, a mysterious monk from Joshua's past; Joshua himself; and a whole bunch of other characters, Peak attempts the climb.
But is he willing to put everyone's safety at risk to reach the top?

Yash helped Sun-jo set his rig, and when he got it on we looked at each other and started laughing.
We were going to live.

I liked this book. No. I really really liked this book. I found myself wanting to just read the book, no matter what. My copy got returned to the library in much worse condition than when I checked it out, and I can confidentially say that this is one of the best books I've read in the past two or three months.

The thing that I really liked about this book were the characters. They were well developed, and interesting. I found myself sympathizing with Peak during his experiences... I think the author did a very good job of making Peak human, so you could really get inside his head. On the other hand, he also definitely had his very own voice and personality. I can't think of too many fourteen-year-olds who would be happy to share their birthday with their twin half-sisters.
Besides Peak, the characters I liked the most were Rolf, Peak's stepfather, and the characters who make up the film crew.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys books with tough moral decisions, but who don't mind having adventure in there as well.

"The After Life" by Daniel Ehrenhaft

"I do," Will said. He tried to ignore the curious stares. So. The family reunion was complete. Mental note: Start taking meds again. Also, ask Dr. Brown why brain always short-circuits anad makes me talk like a retard during "major turning points."
"Hey, sorry about your uncle," Kyle said. He grinned. "So, you wanna get laid?"
"What?"

Will Shepherd is screwed up. He's only 19, and he's an alcoholic. He's a dropout, a druggie, and he has the liver of a 49 year old man. He doesn't even have his drivers license. When he and his mom move uptown, he begins going to school again... the same school his half sister, Liz, goes to.
One night (incidentally the night after a giant party at Will's dad's mansion), Will's dad, Forrest Shepherd III, dies, leaving not only a ton of money to Liz and Kyle (they're twins), but a smaller sum to Will.

The thing is though, to get the money, Will has to drive to New York from Florida, where the funeral was held, in less than 48 hours.

When Kyle and Liz offer to drive him there in exchange for the promise that they will never see him again, he accepts, and all three are thrown into a bizarre adventure which will reveal truths that are both shocking, and not altogether unwelcome.

In a lot of ways, she was pretty much everything her twin brother was too. Maybe the superstition was false: maybe there wasn't a "good" twin or an "evil" twin. Maybe all twins were evil. They did have weird psychic powers, after all.

I liked this book. It was funny, cute, and I loved all of the characters. (Actually, if I had to choose one I didn't like so much, it'd be Liz.) The plot was original, though I guessed the plot twist at the end about half way through the book. Oh well. You can't have everything.

The things I'd warn people about this book though, would be the drugs, sex, and alcohol. Will is pretty much always either high or drunk, there are definitely mentions of sex in the book, there is a TON of drug usage (I mean, hey, the dad is a hippie), oh, and everyone swears a lot.

Other than that, though, this was an awesome book. It was a fast read (I got through it in a couple hours), and I'd recommend it to anyone who wants a good/amusing read, but who isn't going to be offended by underage drinking, or illegal drug usage in literature.

"Boy Meets Boy" by David Levithan

"GUESS WHAT!" I said. She jumped, then tried to pretend she hadn't been surprised. Since she didn't closer her book-she only marked the page with her finger-I knew I didn't have mch time.
"What?" she asked.
"I'm gay!"

Paul, a sophmore at a school where the cheerleaders ride motorcycles and the homecoming queen is also the football star, has it easy. He knows who he is. He knows how to deal with it. His family is accepting, he has good friends, and his life is generally pretty good.
It gets better.
When Paul meets Noah, they know they're meant to be. Immediately they get together, and they think they're destined for each other. Sure, Paul is going through a tough time...
But even with an ex boyfriend of Paul's, who won't seem to go away; Paul's best friend, Joni, who's dating a jerk and who might not be Paul's best friend anymore; His other best friend, Tony, who's having trouble at home; and all the rest of his friends' problems, they think they can muddle through.
Until Paul blows it, big time.
But maybe, just maybe, everything has to fall apart, before it can get back together.
Paul can hope, anyway.

"Oh, honey," she says when I'm done with my wallowing. "It's like my grandma used to say: Just when you think life's got you in a gutter, a tornado will come along and destroy your house."
"And then you rebuild?" I ask.
"Well, she never mentioned that part, but I suppose it could happen."
I am not cheered up.

This is definitely not the type of book I regularly read. First of all, it's a romance. Second of all, it's a YA romance. Thirdly, it's a YA gay romance.
But hey.
You gotta try new things, right?
Keeping that in mind...

I really liked this book. A lot. It was very funny, and very well written. I was having "cute spasms" (basically where I get so overwhelmed with the cute content that I freak out and can't do anything) the entire length of this book. The characters were well developed, interesting, original, and fascinating. Even though a lot of the conflict didn't happen until about half way through the book, I still found myself wanting to read on, just because I cared about what happened to them.

The plot was interesting... Though you could definitely tell it was a YA book... In hindsight, a lot of the things that happened seem very formulated, but reading it, it was intriguing.

I really liked this book, and I'd recommend it to anyone who just wants something slightly different to read. :)

"So what's up with you?" I ask.
"Not much."
"And how are things?"
"Fine."
RRRRRRRRR. I make a loud game-show-buzzer noise. "I'm sorry," I say, "we don't recognize 'fine' as an acceptable answer. We see it as a conversational cop-out. So please, try again."

"Moonglass" by Jessi Kirby

May 3rd, 2011
"I read once that water is a symbol for emotions. And for a while now, I've thought maybe my mother drowned in both.
Anna's life is upended when her father accepts a job transfer the summer before her junior year. It's bad enough that she has to leave her friends and her life behind, but her dad is moving them to the beach where her parents first met and fell in love- a place awash in memories that Anna would just as soon leave under the surface.
While life on the beach is pretty great, with ocean views and one adorable lifeguard in particular, there are also family secrets that were buried along the shore years ago. And the ebb and flow of the ocean's tide means that nothing- not the sea glass that she collects on the sand and not the truths behind Anna's mother's death- stays buried forever."-goodreads

Moonglass is a deeply impressive debut novel. It was just fabulous! It reminded me of Sarah Dessen (The Truth About Forever), who happened to blurb the book. Slightly reminiscent of Jenny Han (The Summer I Turned Pretty) which I just read. Definitely on the most emotional and powerful books I've ever read. The writing was vivid and addictive. I found the protagonist, Anna, very easy to relate to in general and rather likable in comparison to some that I've read lately.


The setting of the book was beautiful, and I could see it in my mind so clearly thanks to Kirby's amazing writing. Anna's story coming full circle, starting with relocating to the beach where her parents met was moving. The ongoing theme that was the moonglass was great, one of my favorite elements. The way more and more pieces of the story of her mother's death came together (and that we learned more and more as we read the story) was so great as well. 


I enjoyed all of the characters. Ashley was really funny and sweet. Tyler was great. Anna's dad and his dedication and that he was trying so hard was good too. I really, really liked Anna, as I said before. The REPENT man was a great element, and his story. I never expected that or the role he would eventually play. I didn't expect what was almost the end of Anna's story to happen.... 


Anyway, I keep *almost* spoiling things here, so I'll just finish with saying that Moonglass is an amazing book. If you want a very emotional, very vivid, beautiful read, you should really pick it up! Fabulous. I can't wait to read what Jessi Kirby writes next!

Thank you, Simon&Schuster for giving me the opportunity to read this book. Readers Note: As usual, this in no way effects my opinion, as always, my review is unbiased!

Necessary Parties by Barbara Dana

My parents never used to be concerned about other people's opinions. I personally think it's a poor idea to do something, or not do something, because of what someone else will think. No matter what you do there's always going to be somebody, somewhere, thinking you're weird. It's a price you pay for living.
Christopher Mills, aged 15, used to have the perfect family life. He and his sister got along amazingly well, their parents cared about them... And most importantly, their parents cared about each other.
Now, however, that's changing. Over dinner, Chris and Jenny (his sister)'s parents tell them they're getting a divorce. Chris thinks he should have seen it... After all, the fighting has been going on for a long time. But that doesn't mean he's happy about it. He's seen the affect of divorces... His best friend Haverman's parents have each been divorced four times. That's a total of 7 divorces. Each time, Haverman's life seems ruined.
Chris isn't going to let that happen to his family.
The thing is, his parents still love each other. Deep, deep, DEEEEEEEP down, they love each other. And Chris knows that as soon as they get divorced, they'll realize it and it'll be too late. What if they're married to other people? But what does a 15 year old boy do? It's his parent's life, right?
Or so he thinks, before the fateful Social Studies class. He realizes for the first time the importance of rights, and the pursuit of happiness.
Suddenly, his mind is made up.
He's going to sue his parents.
"But old and nes together make a group," continued Mr. Dunfee. "I think you'll find that just by sharing some of your thoughts here, a lot can get accomplished. I think we tend to think sometimes when we get in shaky situations..."
"You're a shaky situation," muttered Haverman.
I really liked this book. When I got it from the free library book sale (or, basically, a ton of withdrawn library books in a parking garage for free), I was basically throwing whatever books into my bag, and just hoping they would be good.
I didn't actually get around to even opening this book until about a week ago, when I was really bored and looking for something to read. I picked up the book, decided, "heck, yeah it's a really fat book.. whatever" and started reading it.
This was also quite a deceptive book.
First of all, my copy is quite thick. probably about an inch and a half, maybe two inches fat. Thick book. I was expecting that it would take a long while to read. Nope! I got about halfway through in about a day. Also, I was thoroughly expecting there to be a party during part of the book.
uh.. no.
I was also expecting the characters to act differently. For example.. Chris was a LOT less... mature... reasonable than I thought he would be. In that way, he was also far more believable. All in all, this was a good book (funny, too.. Haverman rocks!!!) and I'd give it five stars. :)
"It's driving me crazy," said Haverman. "It's on the tip of my mind."
"What peaches?" said Amy.
"The ones without any hair."
"Nectarines."
"Nectarines! Jesus, that's it! I couldn't think of what the hell they were called. You how that can drive you crazy?"
"You drive me crazy!" I said. "My parents are getting a divorce and all you can think of is nectarines? What the hell is wrong with you?"

"The Truth about Forever" by Sarah Dessen

"Macy's summer stretches before her, carefully planned and outlined. She will spend her days sitting at the library information desk. She will spend her evenings studying for the SATs. Spare time will be used to help her obsessive mother prepare for the big opening of the townhouse section of her luxury development. But Macy's plans don't anticipate a surprising and chaotic job with Wish Catering, a motley crew of new friends, or ... Wes. Tattooed, artistic, anything-but-expected Wes. He doesn't fit Macy's life at all--so why does she feel so comfortable with him? So ... happy? What is it about him that makes her let down her guard and finally talk about how much she misses her father, who died before her eyes the year before? Sarah Dessen delivers a page-turning novel that carries readers on a roller coaster of denial, grief, comfort, and love as we watch a broken but resilient girl pick up the pieces of her life and fit them back together." -Sarah Dessen's website

Everyone kept telling me to read Sarah Dessen's books because she's amazing, and that this was one of the best, probably a good one to start with. I'm so glad I did. I adored The Truth About Forever. The characters and storytelling were amazing.

The book entails Macy's journey dealing many things, including; dealing with the sudden loss of her father, and dealing with the fine, just fine, attitude that she put on for everyone, as well as learning how to release her emotions and let go of some of the things she's actually feeling; the impossible feat of being 'perfect'; and the always changing definition of 'forever'. Macy's realization that being her mom and hers' vision of perfect is actually an unachievable goal was really great, because I think that (usually someone else's definition) of perfect is something a lot of people try and fail to be and realizing that you are who you are and flaws are important is a big deal; and so's the realization that no matter what nothing and no one is perfect. The ongoing theme of the changing definition of forever was really great too. Wes and her were cute and it was good how they both got to deal with the loss of a parent together, and help each-other out with that. A good book all over! I'll be sure to read another book by Sarah Dessen sometime! :)

Amazing Grace by Megan Shull

"Try it!" She dares me.
And it's weird, because normally, normally I am not the type of girl who does crazy high-rish, illegal activities. I'm more of the seat-belt wearing, rule-following, stressing sort. After four years of professional tennis, I have several advanced degrees in crying, throwing up, and stressing myself to sleep. So, I don't know, maybe it's my new haircut, or the pierced nose, or maybe this Emily O'Brien chick has taken over my body and she's braver than me.
You know the "it" celebrities. The ones who are always staring at you from the cover of the magazine. The perfect ones. The ones that everyone wants to be like.
Grace is one of the it ones.
Until, escaping the paparazzi, escaping the tennis match she was in, escaping the photo shoot... she drops out of existence.
No, she didn't die.
She had a make-under, threw away all her stupid expensive junk, and moved to Alaska. At least for three months. At least until it's safe for her to come back and live with her mom.
She lives in a little cabin (a rustic one, not one of those super deluxe ones) with a woman named Ava, who looks like Julia Roberts.
The town's population?
813.
And one of those 813 people is Grace- now Emily O'Brien.
Another one of those 813?
A cute boy. No- a gorgeous boy. A gorgeous boy who happens to like Grace/Emily.
Let love in.
I don't know what has come over me.
All I can say is that this crying thing, the purging thing, the get-the-sadness-out thing. IT WORKS!
This was one seriously epic book. The characters- Grace/Emily, Teague, Fisher- all of them were amazingly unique and interesting. I recognized a lot of myself in Grace/Emily, and I think that most girls my age would too. She makes for a very interesting person- and a very interesting character.
The plot was also fairly interesting. This wouldn't be what you'd call a page turner. Don't get me wrong, I definitely wanted to keep reading, even after reading only two paragraphs, but it wasn't too gripping that I couldn't fall asleep at night. (Thankfully).
The plot was also interesting in the fact that it was a romance, without all the stupid, predictable plot twists that usually accompany romances. For example- there was none of the stupid "boy or girl makes stupid decision. Boy or girl dumps their girlfriend or boyfriend. Boy or girl and girlfriend or boyfriend make up." It was pretty straight forward, which I liked a lot.
This was a quick but enjoyable read, and I'd give it five stars.
There's a daisy tucked behind her ear. A daisy. I cannot compete with a DAISY, people.

The Straits by Jeremy Craig

"How much?"
"A grand." He looked at me, his eyes full of skepticism. I pulled out a wad of cash and handed it to him.
"You mind if I count it?"
"Go ahead."
Jim's life was completely changed with the hurricane that went through Florida. In one blow, he lost his sister and his mother. And he could have saved them. He could have helped them.
Several years later, he now lives in a "temporary" trailer park with his aunt. The previously unknown problem with "temporary" is now making itself heard:
they have to get out.
But when Jim loses his job at the construction firm, the only thing besides his aunt's construction of dog toys, it's going to be tricky. He doesn't want to end up being that homeless guy on the street.
So when the offer to join a high stakes gambling ring comes to him, he finds he has no choice to accept.
"So what you're saying is, after we do all this, we're still not going to know for certain how many sparrows there are?"
She thought about it for a second and then smiled. "Basically."
I liked this book a lot. It was an interesting book, with a plot that I haven't seen anywhere else. I've never been a big card player fan, and definitely not a fan of gambling (I'm still not), but this book was definitely interesting. It showed the struggles that Jim has to face to get him and his aunt out of the trailer. oh, and get revenge on his nemesis, AND get the girl, Kathy. Who happens to be his nemesis's friend.
I'd give this book around four stars.
Oh, and warning here: it has swearing. (I know that puts some people off, so I figured I'd warn you.) Swearing and smoking and underage drinking.

How to Say Goodbye in Robot by Natalie Standiford

Ghost Boy: Nighty-night, Robot Girl.
Robot Girl: Nighty-night.
Ghost Boy is a liar, liar liar liar, I thought drowsily as I drifted off to sleep. He does too want a friend. Even if she is a little stiff. That night I dreamed of bridges made of diamonds.
Robot Girl isn't her name. Robot Girl is the name she uses for the radio. Her real name is Beatrice. Ghost Boy isn't his name. Ghost Boy is the name he uses for the radio. His real name is Jonah.
Both are fairly odd.
Stuck together because of the alphabet- "Szabo" and "Tate", at first they don't like each other. Bea thinks he's weird (which he is), and... we don't know what he thinks. He says he doesn't want a friend. But then he tells her- or, "Future Beatrice" tells her- of the Night Lights. A radio station that plays at, and a bit before, midnight.
This is their first connection.
Over time, they develop love. Not romance love, but love of friendship. They are connected by secrets, and the radio, by their need for each other.
I sometimes wonder whether radio geeks have some kind of symbol tattooed on their foreheads, or antennae growing out of their skulls, invisible to everyone except other radio geeks. they seem to find one another with shocking ease.
I really really enjoyed this book. It was funny at all the right bits (right after a truly emotional part), and it was definitely a thought provoking book. The characters were fantastic, and I truly became attached to them. The plot was, as far as I've read, unique, and the different dilemmas, while they definitely seemed surreal, were convincing enough to keep me reading. The ending is very bittersweet, and it made me cry. Overall, I'm going to give this book five stars.
"I think ghostliness is a good quality. I pretend I'm dead all the time."
"What?" He stopped rummaging through his locker to look at me full in the face at last.
"It helps me go to sleep."

Into the Wild Nerd Yonder (My Life on the Dork Side) by Julie Halpern

"You know," I say, "with Chloe Romano as your homecoming date, you could be homecoming king." Barrett lets out a scream of terror.
Jessie isn't exactly a nerd. Well, she is a little. She's a self professed "mathelete", she aces virtually every test she takes, and she loves the first day of school. She is also in one of the "cool" clubs, because of her brother, Barrett, the punk-rock band member and best brother she could wish for. She has a bazillion skirts, a crush on her brother's friend, Van, and two friends who she is suspecting are actually pretty crappy.
When her friends go punk, and one goes after Van, Jess's life seems to be falling apart. Barrett is leaving for college in a year, her friends have abandoned her, Van seems to be less wonderful then she had thought, and now she has been invited to, horrors of horrors, join the Dungeons and Dragons club. But things aren't really always how they seem, and becoming a "nerd" may just be the best thing that's ever happened to Jess.
"Um, hey, how's it going?" Real smooth-like. "Good. Just listening to Bob Dylan and studying for precalc. I pretend that the music helps me study, but I think it just gets songs stuck in my head and helps distract me from how stressed out I actually should be."
I am, if you don't already know, a total nerd, and a dungeons and dragons player/lover. So, when I saw this book, I was like... "cool cover. cool name. wonder what it's about." and then I read what it was, and I had to read it. It was fantabulous. I loved it. It was quite accurate when it came to being a DnD player, "I order an ale," Eddie interrupts again. "If you insist on interrupting the DM, you may soon find yourself struck blind by purple lightning.", I loved the characters, especially Jessie, but I also loved her "friend" Char, and her brother. I'd have to say her brother was my favorite character. This was a very hilarious book (like Julie's other book, Get Well Soon,) and it is hard trying to figure out what quotes to use from this book. I'd have to say that I'd give this book five stars. (extra points for being a nerdy book.) I would definitely say though, that you should be careful when reading this book. The author uses quite a few swear words, and other inappropriate (to some ages) language.
This is a particularly brutal week for quizzes and tests. (Why do teachers do that? Is it some teacherly conspiracy to put students over the edge? Are they sitting in the teachers' lounge evilly laughing about it right now?)

Dream Factory by Brad Barkley and Heather Hepler

She nods. "Luke, how was it today?" "Same. You?" "Mostly the same. A radical feminist fifth-grader wanted to know if I wasn't reinforcing negative female stereotypes with my dependence on Prince Charming." I laugh and sit beside her, kicking off my flip-flops. "How'd you explain that one?" "I think I said something along the lines of 'get away from me.' It seemed to satisfy her curiosity."
The characters at Disney World are on strike. As a result, the "happiest place on earth" has no characters. No one is playing Cinderella, Chip, Dale, Snow White, Jasmine, or anyone else. It may seem alright- after all, you still have everything else, right? Wrong. Without the characters, the show just can't go on. There aren't any shows. There are no character breakfasts. No one to sign autographs. What is Disney World with not princesses? No heros? No Damsels in distress, or villains? So they start hiring anyone they can. With the people, comes Luke S. (all you geeks out there- bet you can't guess his middle name), and Ella. Through a scavenger hunt, and the rest of their short time there as temporary replacement characters, Luke and Ella have to figure out whether they can make their own happy endings, out of the unmagical lives they have.
It was weird ending the date, if you could even call it that. It was more like three friends going out to eat and shopping, and taking along their very beautiful and very angry pit bull.
This book caught my attention because of it's cover. It's hot pink, with a catch title. I brought it home because of what it's synopsis was. How many romance novels take place in Disney world? Pretty few. Although this book is obviously a romance novel, that's not all it is. It also has lessons on how to make something out of what you have, how to turn your life around, being yourself, being true to what you believe in, and all that. I'd give it about 4 and a half stars.

A Friend at Midnight by Caroline B. Cooney

Dr. Bordon nodded for a while. "Just give it some thought," he said, finally, "and some prayer."
"What do you think I've been doing? Giving it potato chips?"
Lily's parents are divorced. They have been for a while, and it's not the divorce that is troubling Lily. Nor the fact that they have a new stepdad and half brother. Alright, that might be a little bit troubling. And the fact that Lily's sister, Reb, has gone off to college is also a bit disturbing to Lily- but the real thing hits her with her brother. Her eight year old brother, Michael, has gone to live with their father. No biggy, right? Except for the fact that he's abandoning her. Them. All of them. Fifteen year old Lily, though, brushes it off. She doesn't trust her dad, but whatever. What could go wrong? When Lily gets a call in the middle of the night from a public pay phone at an airport several states away, she finds out what exactly can- and has- gone wrong.
"Oh, hi," said Amanda. "I was just about to call. Nathaniel's here, all upset from the screaming and yelling, and he wants to live with me and I said of course, forever, I love you you're perfect, and he said, Then can I have ice cream? The thing about three-year-olds is, Lily, they're honest. It all comes down to ice cream. Who dishes it out and who doesn't. I," said Amanda with satisfaction, "am a disher-out."
I picked up this book because of a) the title. "A Friend at Midnight" just sounds cool, doesn't it? b) The cover. I mean, look at it. Neat-o much? So, I read it, and I was, and I quote "sniffling" (because I wasn't laughing out loud- but it was still hilarious) all the way through. I would not recommend this to anyone who can't deal with at least a little bit of religion, but if you can deal with it, then this book is pretty amazing. (I, myself, as long as the book isn't too overly religious, am fine.) I would give this about 4 1/2 stars. It had an amazing ending, and very happy. It left me satisfied, and I'm willing to give (or take away) star points just because of the ending. Read this, if only to get to the happy end. :)
In Sunday school, Michael's teacher discussed the Star of Christmas. Had it actually been a comet? Maybe the juxtaposition of two planets? Had there been a star at all? Probably the whole thing was a myth, giving simple peasants something sparkly in the midst of their dreary lives. Only a minute ago, Michael had believed in Santa. He did not want to hear that the Christmas star was just another con game. He decided his Sunday school teacher was a loser (there was evidence of this already) and he stopped listening.

Savvy by Ingrid Law

If only my savvy worked in reverse, I thought again- and not for the last time. If only I could draw a smiling sun on the back of my hand, then everyone around me could know exactly how I felt, exactly how happy I was at that perfect moment.
When Beaumonts turn thirteen, they discover their superpower. It's a tradition, and it's no different then discovering that you have a knack for playing piano, or you can juggle like nobodies business, or you can bake a pie that everyone loves, even if they normally hate pastries. Only, for the Beaumonts, it's just a bit more dramatic. Mibs' brother can cause storms, her grandpa can make the earth move, to make a new patch of land, her other brother has electricity, and her mother is virtually perfect. Mibs can't wait till she turns thirteen. Right before her birthday, though, distaster strikes. Mibs' father is hurt badly, and he has to go to the hospital. It is not expected that he'll wake up. Mibs, with the help of two brothers, Fish and Samson, a sixteen "I'm too cool for you" girl, Bobbi, who isn't who she appears, Bobbi's brother Will (who Mibs just might like like), a delivery man for a company who makes pink bibles, Lester, and an "angel" named Lill, Mibs has to go and face the very biggest adventure she could have ever wished to go on, while trying to discover her "savvy".
Ignoring Bobbi and scrambling after Will junior, Fish demanded "What did you do to my sister? What did you do to her?" "Will's got a secret, want to know the secret?" "WASH YOUR HAND, WILL JUNOR!" I screamed again, raising my voice to be heard over the brawl and the sound of breaking lass. As my brother's pressure system grew, the windows closest to Fish began to fracture, spreading splintering cracks outward like spiderwebs zipping and pinging through the glass as Fish's gusts and gales swelled in speed and strength.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed "Waiting for Normal", "Fortunes Folly" "Philippa Fisher's Fairy Godsister", and "A Crooked Kind of Perfect". I would say that I'd give this book 4 and 1/2 stars.

Libyrinth by Pearl North

He tilted his head to one side and leaned in toward her, peering at her like she was a wounded bird. "You don't know the Song." "Does it go, 'oh Susanna, oh don't you hide from me, I've come from old Ilysies with a ten-pound block of cheese'?"
The Libyrians live in a library so vast that no one knows all the books that are in it. Haly is a clerk to a Libyrian- her job is to run errands, catalog books, and pretty much do whatever is asked of her. Haly, however, is different then most of the other Libyrians. She can literally hear the books. Whenever she's close to one, she can hear it's voice, she can hear it's story. She finds out that her mistress has found the Book of Night, or the book that contains all knowledge. the person, though, that was meant to be helping her mistress, is a traitor, and Haly, her friend Clauda, and her mistress, Selene, have to go to find the book, before the Eradicants, or book burners. When Haly is captured by the Eradicants, however, she finds quite a different world then she or her friends ever imagined. She must find a way to reunite both worlds- that of words, and that of song- before the Libyrinth is destroyed, forever.
A mischievous smile curled the corners of his mouth. "They've obviously got it all wrong. you opened my ears to the truth. And I do believe that the divine runs through you, but if it turns out that the divine is a bunch of tiny red demons, well then I think it serves some people right."
This was one of those books that you literally can't put down. I started it, didn't like the beginning, and closed it up, to put it away, but it kept bugging me. "What is going to happen," I asked myself. "What sort of things does Haly have to go through?" And I continued reading. Although I may not have liked the beginning, I may have thought "who cares about Haly" at first, later I proved myself wrong. This was an amazing book, and I stayed up past midnight, just to finish it. I'd definitely recommend this to anyone, and I'd give it five stars out of five.

Owl in Love by Patrice Kindl

Owl in Love is a story about a girl who is an Owl by night (or whenever she wants to be) and a 14 year old girl by day. Her features and clothes are old, so is her home, and some of her values. The way she treats people isn't bad, just careful, as she doesn't really know how. She has no friends. She is the weird girl, though no one knows anything near her story. She has her parent's, who are human. She is somehow miracly a wereowl as she calls herself. Owl is her name too, though no one can even begin to realize how, say, ironic that is. Nothing but her oversized eyes and pale sand skin can give it a clue. What will happen with her 'crush' on her science teacher? More of an infatuation, thanks to her owl blood. What will happen when she finally makes a friend? What will she do about Houle, the boy she has seen as an owl, taken a liking too, and tried to figure out, and take care of?

I loved this book! It's way better then it sounds. It's rather underappreciated if you ask me. I rate it 4 stars! It's kind of short at only 212 pages, but no less pleasing. It left me wanting more, just as any good book does, and lead the time to pass quickly. The story begins fairly fast moving, so it isn't hard to get into. It is well written as well, flowing nicely, those words on the pages are a reflection of a deep, odd, and unknown story to the unknowning reader who hardly knew they were picking up a book about a weirdo who turns into an owl. So, read it! :) :)
I recommend this for ages 12&up for some scary elements and mild language. I also have a feeling that mainly only girls will enjoy this, even in the adventurous manner it has.

Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connor

"But don't think it's possible..." - I twisted up my face- "... that every person is a hero to someone else?" I said.

Addie is waiting for normal. She lives in a trailer on 'the corner', where she is the only kid. Her mother is what Addie calls "All or nothing." there is either a feast, or no food. She will be really nice, or she will ignore Addie. She is always home, or she leaves the house for days at a time. there is no in the middle, in other words, normal. When Addie learns what normal is really, it only makes waiting for it worse. if you add to this the fact that her mother hates her grandpa, the flute she plays on is stolen, and Soula doesn't seem to be getting better, it only gets less normal.

Me, I'm good at getting used to things- been doing it all my life.

I liked this book. It was well written, and I liked how she struggled with her family problems. I would give this book three stars.